Elizabeth Rubio
@rubiowrites.bsky.social
SFF author from Austin, TX. they/them
I really like writing first times. There's always so much going on in the characters' heads, which is where the real action happens.
#Smutcember #WriterSky
#Smutcember #WriterSky
Happy Friday, #Smutcember folks!
Do you prefer to write sex scenes for a new relationship, or in an established one? What appeals to you the most about your preference?
#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
Do you prefer to write sex scenes for a new relationship, or in an established one? What appeals to you the most about your preference?
#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
December 12, 2025 at 2:23 PM
I really like writing first times. There's always so much going on in the characters' heads, which is where the real action happens.
#Smutcember #WriterSky
#Smutcember #WriterSky
Joey Batey as songwriter and lyricist for The Amazing Devil. His wordplay and composition, especially the use of repeated themes and motifs and the layering of lyrics on top of each other, literally got me through the darkest days of covid lockdown. His songs aren't just songs, they're puzzles.
all the news is making me want to explode so instead can you all tell me about your favorite human creators and why you love them???
(you know this is serious bc I am opening up my replies to everyone lol)
(you know this is serious bc I am opening up my replies to everyone lol)
December 11, 2025 at 7:57 PM
Joey Batey as songwriter and lyricist for The Amazing Devil. His wordplay and composition, especially the use of repeated themes and motifs and the layering of lyrics on top of each other, literally got me through the darkest days of covid lockdown. His songs aren't just songs, they're puzzles.
Reposted by Elizabeth Rubio
Today, members of the House will vote on a dangerous bill that will expand government censorship under the guise of protecting youth online.
Tell your representative to protect the First Amendment and vote NO.
Tell your representative to protect the First Amendment and vote NO.
Censorship Does Not Keep Kids Safe
KOSA is an alarming bill that would enable censorship and violate young people’s First Amendment right to freely access information. We must call on Congress to act now and protect free speech online.
action.aclu.org
December 11, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Today, members of the House will vote on a dangerous bill that will expand government censorship under the guise of protecting youth online.
Tell your representative to protect the First Amendment and vote NO.
Tell your representative to protect the First Amendment and vote NO.
His father was a groundbreaking magician who had one of the most important achievements in history and Morian has spent his whole life not quite measuring up.
#DecemberWorldbuilders
#DecemberWorldbuilders
Good mornevening, #DecemberWorldbuilders! Tell me about your villain's relationship with their family. If you don't have a villain, pick another character who is either antagonistic or maybe just a foil for the MC. Does their villainy get in the way of having a family?
December 11, 2025 at 4:30 PM
His father was a groundbreaking magician who had one of the most important achievements in history and Morian has spent his whole life not quite measuring up.
#DecemberWorldbuilders
#DecemberWorldbuilders
I don't think I have one. I just enjoy writing characters with a lot of contrast. If one is loud the other should be quiet, if one is flamboyant the other should be muted. That sort of thing.
#Smutcember #WriterSky
#Smutcember #WriterSky
#Smutcember prompt for today:
Share your favorite self-indulgent pairing or dynamic! Grumpy/sunshine? Battle couple? Something more niche and specific? If you like, tell us about how you've employed it in your work!
#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
Share your favorite self-indulgent pairing or dynamic! Grumpy/sunshine? Battle couple? Something more niche and specific? If you like, tell us about how you've employed it in your work!
#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
December 11, 2025 at 2:29 PM
I don't think I have one. I just enjoy writing characters with a lot of contrast. If one is loud the other should be quiet, if one is flamboyant the other should be muted. That sort of thing.
#Smutcember #WriterSky
#Smutcember #WriterSky
"I'm not in denial, I'm in open rebellion"
“I am so bored by AI. One of the things I love about the theatre is AI can’t do it.”
Ethan Hawke is a dude 👌🏻
Ethan Hawke is a dude 👌🏻
December 10, 2025 at 2:49 PM
"I'm not in denial, I'm in open rebellion"
I used to but I got over it. I'm even upfront about my name on ao3 (tardigrape). I put a lot of work into my smut, why shouldn't I be proud of it?
My advice for folks struggling with this is to find a community of other smut readers/writers. It helps normalize it.
#Smutcember #WriterSky
My advice for folks struggling with this is to find a community of other smut readers/writers. It helps normalize it.
#Smutcember #WriterSky
#Smutcember for Hump Day asks:
Do you struggle with sharing your smutty writing? If so, what internal or external obstacles have been the most challenging? If not, what advice would you give someone who's struggling but wants to share their work?
#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
Do you struggle with sharing your smutty writing? If so, what internal or external obstacles have been the most challenging? If not, what advice would you give someone who's struggling but wants to share their work?
#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
December 10, 2025 at 2:34 PM
I used to but I got over it. I'm even upfront about my name on ao3 (tardigrape). I put a lot of work into my smut, why shouldn't I be proud of it?
My advice for folks struggling with this is to find a community of other smut readers/writers. It helps normalize it.
#Smutcember #WriterSky
My advice for folks struggling with this is to find a community of other smut readers/writers. It helps normalize it.
#Smutcember #WriterSky
If you think there's too much sex in this show then I'm sorry but you need to watch a different show. The sex is the plot.
Jenny once again proving why she is one of the great Romance critics. If the Heated Rivalry Discourse from non-romance readers is driving you up the wall like it is me, this is the antidote. readingtheend.com/2025/12/10/a...
Anatomy of a Sex Scene: Heated Rivalry Edition - Reading the End
Heated Rivalry, AKA the gay hockey show, has been getting a lot of buzz for its explicit(-ish) sex scenes, and a lot of that buzz has been coming from viewers and critics whose experience with the rom...
readingtheend.com
December 10, 2025 at 2:30 PM
If you think there's too much sex in this show then I'm sorry but you need to watch a different show. The sex is the plot.
Reposted by Elizabeth Rubio
pals you gotta quit spotify
December 8, 2025 at 4:44 PM
pals you gotta quit spotify
All three really. When it's working well a sex scene is doing a lot of work, moving both the relationship and the arcs of the characters. A lot of plot can happen within it.
#Smutcember #WriterSky
#Smutcember #WriterSky
Our #Smutcember prompt for today asks:
When writing sex in your stories, do you prefer to write the build up, the act itself, the aftercare, or all of the above?
#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
When writing sex in your stories, do you prefer to write the build up, the act itself, the aftercare, or all of the above?
#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
December 9, 2025 at 2:25 PM
All three really. When it's working well a sex scene is doing a lot of work, moving both the relationship and the arcs of the characters. A lot of plot can happen within it.
#Smutcember #WriterSky
#Smutcember #WriterSky
More slow burns because stories need tension. But it depends on what the story calls for. Sometimes there can be tension even when characters get together right at the start.
#Smutcember #WriterSky
#Smutcember #WriterSky
Merry Monday, #Smutcember!
In your stories, do you prefer a slow burn or fast feelings? What appeals to you the most about writing your preferred pacing?
#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
In your stories, do you prefer a slow burn or fast feelings? What appeals to you the most about writing your preferred pacing?
#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
December 8, 2025 at 1:59 PM
More slow burns because stories need tension. But it depends on what the story calls for. Sometimes there can be tension even when characters get together right at the start.
#Smutcember #WriterSky
#Smutcember #WriterSky
It's extremely impressive! But not very visually dazzling so it falls kinda flat with the masses.
Okay, but I'M IMPRESSED BY THAT
December 8, 2025 at 12:44 AM
It's extremely impressive! But not very visually dazzling so it falls kinda flat with the masses.
Just checked health insurance marketplace and dear god it's dire. I think I'm just gonna have to be uninsured.
I've known for a long time that I'll eventually die of lack of access to care but I'm really feeling it right now.
I've known for a long time that I'll eventually die of lack of access to care but I'm really feeling it right now.
December 7, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Just checked health insurance marketplace and dear god it's dire. I think I'm just gonna have to be uninsured.
I've known for a long time that I'll eventually die of lack of access to care but I'm really feeling it right now.
I've known for a long time that I'll eventually die of lack of access to care but I'm really feeling it right now.
Faris is very beautiful and he wears makeup to highlight it. Lir never had a chance.
Lir's beauty is more understated but Faris thought he was gorgeous from the moment they met.
#Smutcember #WriterSky
Lir's beauty is more understated but Faris thought he was gorgeous from the moment they met.
#Smutcember #WriterSky
To wrap our first week of #Smutcember, tell us:
What do your characters find *physically* attractive about each other? (We'll get into the more intangible traits later.)
#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
What do your characters find *physically* attractive about each other? (We'll get into the more intangible traits later.)
#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
December 7, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Faris is very beautiful and he wears makeup to highlight it. Lir never had a chance.
Lir's beauty is more understated but Faris thought he was gorgeous from the moment they met.
#Smutcember #WriterSky
Lir's beauty is more understated but Faris thought he was gorgeous from the moment they met.
#Smutcember #WriterSky
Yes! Early in the story Lir actually holds back a meteor shower for 3 days. He is disappointed to learn that most people aren't suitably impressed by this.
#DecemberWorldbuilders #WriterSky
#DecemberWorldbuilders #WriterSky
Last for for our SCIENCE week, #DecemberWorldbuilders! Does your world have astrology and/or astronomy? Is it ever useful for your MCs? Tell me about your stars, friends 👀 ✨
December 7, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Yes! Early in the story Lir actually holds back a meteor shower for 3 days. He is disappointed to learn that most people aren't suitably impressed by this.
#DecemberWorldbuilders #WriterSky
#DecemberWorldbuilders #WriterSky
Reposted by Elizabeth Rubio
The USPS posting a NINE BILLION DOLLAR LOSS!!! sounds terrible. Certainly worse than if you said "USPS costs thirty dollars per person per year" even though that means the same thing and more accurately describes a government service
December 5, 2025 at 1:31 PM
The USPS posting a NINE BILLION DOLLAR LOSS!!! sounds terrible. Certainly worse than if you said "USPS costs thirty dollars per person per year" even though that means the same thing and more accurately describes a government service
In my novel, I have them surprise each other with kindness. They're rivals and they both expect the other to be ruthless so when they take care of each other instead it fuels the possibility they could be more.
#Smutcember #WriterSky
#Smutcember #WriterSky
#Smutcember, it's time to talk about our work! To start off:
How do you build chemistry between your characters? You can speak in general terms or give specific examples, whichever you prefer.
#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
How do you build chemistry between your characters? You can speak in general terms or give specific examples, whichever you prefer.
#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
December 5, 2025 at 2:14 PM
In my novel, I have them surprise each other with kindness. They're rivals and they both expect the other to be ruthless so when they take care of each other instead it fuels the possibility they could be more.
#Smutcember #WriterSky
#Smutcember #WriterSky
They have magic, so their tech isn't on the same timeline as ours. They use horses for transportation but have a device that functions similar to telegraphs and they have indoor lighting and climate control.
#DecemberWorldbuilders
#DecemberWorldbuilders
#DecemberWorldbuilders! What is the "level" of technology in your fictional world? Is it a low-tech fantasy? A high-tech sci-fi? Or something in-between? Maybe something outside the tech progression of human history. Did they invent anything ahead of us in time? Any inventions suspiciously absent?
December 4, 2025 at 2:29 PM
They have magic, so their tech isn't on the same timeline as ours. They use horses for transportation but have a device that functions similar to telegraphs and they have indoor lighting and climate control.
#DecemberWorldbuilders
#DecemberWorldbuilders
If we're only counting original works, I hardly have enough to say. If we're also counting fic, then the only thing I've read that I think I couldn't write is sports romance. I just know nothing at all about sports.
#Smutcember #WriterSky
#Smutcember #WriterSky
Last establishing question, #Smutcember:
Do you read different kinds of smut than you write, or is that Venn diagram a circle?
#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
Do you read different kinds of smut than you write, or is that Venn diagram a circle?
#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
December 4, 2025 at 2:19 PM
If we're only counting original works, I hardly have enough to say. If we're also counting fic, then the only thing I've read that I think I couldn't write is sports romance. I just know nothing at all about sports.
#Smutcember #WriterSky
#Smutcember #WriterSky
I don't prefer one over the other. Reading and writing are very different activities.
Also shout out to visual artists who draw sexy art, love that too.
#Smutcember #WriterSky
Also shout out to visual artists who draw sexy art, love that too.
#Smutcember #WriterSky
Continuing our #Smutcember setup:
Do you have a preference between reading smut or writing it, or perhaps engaging with it in a different form of media entirely? If so, what about that form of engagement appeals to you the most?
#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
Do you have a preference between reading smut or writing it, or perhaps engaging with it in a different form of media entirely? If so, what about that form of engagement appeals to you the most?
#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
December 3, 2025 at 2:05 PM
I don't prefer one over the other. Reading and writing are very different activities.
Also shout out to visual artists who draw sexy art, love that too.
#Smutcember #WriterSky
Also shout out to visual artists who draw sexy art, love that too.
#Smutcember #WriterSky
I both read and write explicit works. I think both character and relationship development can happen in a sex scene and it's fun to explore that.
#Smutcember #WriterSky
#Smutcember #WriterSky
As we continue into #Smutcember, it's important to know:
What is your spice comfort level? Does it vary between what you enjoy privately and what you're willing to share? Do you have hard boundaries for what you engage with?
#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
What is your spice comfort level? Does it vary between what you enjoy privately and what you're willing to share? Do you have hard boundaries for what you engage with?
#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
December 2, 2025 at 4:52 PM
I both read and write explicit works. I think both character and relationship development can happen in a sex scene and it's fun to explore that.
#Smutcember #WriterSky
#Smutcember #WriterSky
Oh fun! I'm Elizabeth and I can chat a bit about my in progress novel, which features Lir, a noble-born potioneer, and Faris, a common-born enchanter.
#Smutcember #Writing #WriterSky
#Smutcember #Writing #WriterSky
Welcome to #Smutcember, folks!
To start things off, introduce yourself and the work(s) or characters you plan on discussing this month. You can focus on one relationship or several, it's up to you!
#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
To start things off, introduce yourself and the work(s) or characters you plan on discussing this month. You can focus on one relationship or several, it's up to you!
#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
December 1, 2025 at 11:19 PM
Oh fun! I'm Elizabeth and I can chat a bit about my in progress novel, which features Lir, a noble-born potioneer, and Faris, a common-born enchanter.
#Smutcember #Writing #WriterSky
#Smutcember #Writing #WriterSky
Reposted by Elizabeth Rubio
I once asked a bookseller at a large indie store how many people would have to buy a book for it to get the attention of the store buyer and cause an additional order and they said: Three.
I see some book piracy discourse, and, to make a positive argument in favor of buying books, your marginal ability to influence what books get published and support the careers of writers you like is massive compared to most other forms of media.
November 25, 2025 at 11:07 PM
I once asked a bookseller at a large indie store how many people would have to buy a book for it to get the attention of the store buyer and cause an additional order and they said: Three.
Built on theft. Wasting precious resources. Causing psychosis. Stealing creative jobs.
Wipe them all out.
Wipe them all out.
I'm an "A.i." abolitionist.
No consumer-facing LLMs or generative "A.i." in anything.
Sure, machine learning in science and a few other limited applications is fine.
But consumer-facing LLMs and generative "A.i." that are based on theft, push disinfo, and can be manipulated by billionaires?
No.
No consumer-facing LLMs or generative "A.i." in anything.
Sure, machine learning in science and a few other limited applications is fine.
But consumer-facing LLMs and generative "A.i." that are based on theft, push disinfo, and can be manipulated by billionaires?
No.
November 27, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Built on theft. Wasting precious resources. Causing psychosis. Stealing creative jobs.
Wipe them all out.
Wipe them all out.
When my cousin and I were kids there was usually enough room for everybody at the table but one Thanksgiving we had extra guests so my grandmother improvised a kids' table.
Using an ironing board.
Using an ironing board.
yes, hello, I would like to place an order for everyone’s funniest stories of holiday food-related family grudges / drama / chaotic incidents / lore
I feel like we need this
I feel like we need this
November 25, 2025 at 11:27 PM
When my cousin and I were kids there was usually enough room for everybody at the table but one Thanksgiving we had extra guests so my grandmother improvised a kids' table.
Using an ironing board.
Using an ironing board.