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Mermaid Writer

@mermaidwriter.bsky.social

400 followers 550 following 600 posts

Kidlit writer, poet, gemologist-in-training, nature-lover, crafter, wannabe polyglot, occasional mermaid, reluctant zebra, ND 🍰💜💚 #kidlit #scbwi #amquerying #actuallyautistic Poems published in The Dirigible Balloon, Tyger Tyger, and more

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Mermaid Writer @mermaidwriter.bsky.social · 6h

Final edits for my upcoming flash piece are in! #amwriting #flashfiction #goodpublishingnews #goodnews #easternup

Mermaid Writer @mermaidwriter.bsky.social · 19h

That is one of the most striking things about drafting for me: realizing how many chapters a single day can last!

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Mermaid Writer @mermaidwriter.bsky.social · 19h

How do think about pacing with the calendar? Do you try to speed things up when you have a larger time period to cover? Like a montage in a movie or something?

Mermaid Writer @mermaidwriter.bsky.social · 19h

Exactly!

Mermaid Writer @mermaidwriter.bsky.social · 19h

The trickiest part is which ones would bloom together!

Mermaid Writer @mermaidwriter.bsky.social · 19h

Interesting! I've noticed I have more creative spurts in spring. I may write lots of new stories then.

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Mermaid Writer @mermaidwriter.bsky.social · 19h

My poetry is esp inspired by nature but also many of my PBs. In my MG, I find myself wondering about details like what flowers would be blooming and when the sun would set in a given month. Also, how my characters would dress. It makes me want to pay closer attention next year! #kidlitchat

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Mermaid Writer @mermaidwriter.bsky.social · 21h

Contemporary MG

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Mermaid Writer @mermaidwriter.bsky.social · 23h

Reached 15,000 words in the middle grade! Okay, more like 14,901, but rounding counts. #amwriting #kidlit #mg

Mermaid Writer @mermaidwriter.bsky.social · 1d

It's amazing how I dread awkward conversations irl yet delight in writing them for my character. #amwriting #kidlit #mg

Mermaid Writer @mermaidwriter.bsky.social · 1d

Got the most moving compliment from a critique partner today! #easternup #kidlit #amwriting

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Mermaid Writer @mermaidwriter.bsky.social · 1d

According to my editor, my story is "badass." Not an adjective I would ever associate with myself, but I'll take it! #writingcommunity #flash #fiction

Mermaid Writer @mermaidwriter.bsky.social · 2d

Agents don't usually like partnerships. Publishers like to choose the illustrator. They often like to pair a debut author with a successful illustrator. Even if you have a partner (or are an author-illustrator), there is no guarantee a publisher will like both the text and the art.

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Mermaid Writer @mermaidwriter.bsky.social · 3d

We have artistic talents! Maybe just not for the visual arts. 😉

Mermaid Writer @mermaidwriter.bsky.social · 5d

Today I went through the agents who have already rejected me to decide who I am willing to requery. So many of the PB agents have switched to author-illustrator only! My requery list is tiny. #kidlit #picturebook #amquerying

Mermaid Writer @mermaidwriter.bsky.social · 5d

Instead of worrying, think of your life like a story: uncertainty makes it more interesting. #kidlit #writingcommunity #amquerying #amwriting

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Mermaid Writer @mermaidwriter.bsky.social · 5d

I may not have an agent yet. But it's really cool to have an agent I can go to for advice! #kidlit #grateful #amquerying

Reposted by Mermaid Writer

Melissa Manlove @mmanlove.bsky.social · 6d

Psst! I am opening up to unagented children's book submissions *just for the month of October*! This is an exciting experiment. The email to send submissions to is [email protected]. You can find out about what I'm looking for at www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/me...

Melissa Manlove – The Official Manuscript Wish List Website

www.manuscriptwishlist.com

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Mermaid Writer @mermaidwriter.bsky.social · 6d

That's amazing!! Well done. Now, you're making me regret sitting out this year.

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Mermaid Writer @mermaidwriter.bsky.social · 6d

I'll be a rebel then. My future agent can reign me in. They are very different aspects of a broad topic. It's not like I have 2 takes on a bio for the same person.

Mermaid Writer @mermaidwriter.bsky.social · 7d

Highly recommend all the live streams from EveryLibrary for Banned Books Week. Full of interesting and important discussions. #kidlit #bannedbooks #freedomofspeech

www.youtube.com/@everylibrar...

EveryLibrary

EveryLibrary talks to voters about libraries. We help local communities campaign and win the funding they need for great libraries. www.everylibrary.org

www.youtube.com

Mermaid Writer @mermaidwriter.bsky.social · 7d

Anybody else ever think they know what they're doing until they hear somebody say something different? All of a sudden, you don't know whether to put your comps in all caps or italics.

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Mermaid Writer @mermaidwriter.bsky.social · 7d

I am good at queries. Okay at pitches and loglines. Now that I've moved from PB to MG, I am dreading the synopsis. I wrote one before and it was NOT fun.

Mermaid Writer @mermaidwriter.bsky.social · 7d

Best typo: when you write agent's name wrong and are convinced you copied it perfectly 😂

Mermaid Writer @mermaidwriter.bsky.social · 8d

Doing my first practice school visit shortly! #kidlit