Emily Swaim
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swaimea.bsky.social
Emily Swaim
@swaimea.bsky.social
110 followers 290 following 160 posts
Queer steampunk retelling of Peter Pan coming in Spring 2026.

Nonfiction writing can be seen on Business Insider, Healthline, Vox, and Rover.
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swaimea.bsky.social
It should be easy to figure out which character said this #bookquote just by looking at the font. Or by guessing who is the only one old enough to know what a mortgage is.

#ReimaginingPeterPan #IndieFantasy #IndieReader #Hook #ObviouslyItIsHook
Photo showing prairie grass in the foreground and out-of-focus gravestones in the background. The sun is rising over the horizon beyond the middle gravestone. Caption reads "Hard to pay a mortgage when you're legally dead." Original photo by Jill Dimond on Unsplash.
December 5, 2025 at 6:02 PM
swaimea.bsky.social
This #CharacterBio is for Rowan. He has no canon counterpart for me to put in parentheses, but if he did, it wouldn't be from the hero's side.

🌟 Best friend turned bully
🌟 "Nice guy" attitude
🌟 Profoundly petty

#Reven #IndieFantasy #FairytaleRetelling
A teal and tan graphic with torn paper. The text reads "Rowan: Best friend turned bully / "Nice guy" attitude / Profoundly petty
December 4, 2025 at 12:17 AM
swaimea.bsky.social
Another #bookquotes post for REVEN.

#IndieReaders
Bird's eye view of ocean waves hitting a tall cliff. Caption reads "Years from now, when you think of this moment, do you want to remember your mother or the sea?" Original photo by Justus Menke on Unsplash
December 2, 2025 at 12:23 AM
swaimea.bsky.social
The software I use to write depends on where I am at in the process:

📑Scrivener (plotting/worldbuilding)

📃MSWord (drafting/editing)

📲Notes app on my phone (random ideas I have at midnight when I am unsuccessfully trying to fall asleep)
bookspotlight.bsky.social Indie Book Spotlight @bookspotlight.bsky.social · 11d
The software I use to write:

Word.

That's it. That's all I use on a laptop. Notebooks are essential, but software-wise, just Word.
ddwardiswriting.bsky.social Mx. D. D. Ward (they/them) @ddwardiswriting.bsky.social · 11d
The software I use to write:

Google docs/drive: pretty much everything

#writing #authors
November 28, 2025 at 9:45 PM
swaimea.bsky.social
This #CharacterBio post is for Nibs, the last of the current members of Peter's little family. I may post bios of the former members in the future.

🌟 The medic
🌟 Accident-prone
🌟 The "I told you so" guy

#Reven #IndieYA #PeterPanRetelling
A tan and teal graphic featuring torn paper. The text reads: "Nibs (Nibs): The medic / Accident-prone / The 'I told you so' guy"
November 28, 2025 at 9:01 PM
swaimea.bsky.social
I'm pretty sure this is my longest #bookquotes post yet.

#IndieReaders #ReimaginingPeterPan #Reven
Mason jar lamps hanging from the ceiling. The quote in the center reads: "Wendi wished she could believe him. But love couldn't stop death. Nothing could. All she could do was avoid thinking about it."
November 27, 2025 at 12:30 AM
swaimea.bsky.social
So everyone is obsessing over #Wicked like it is 2005, and amid the nostalgia bomb I can't stop thinking about WHY this particular fairytale retelling has stood the test of time when so many others have faded out of memory. And I think it has to do with how the story reacts to its source material.
November 25, 2025 at 8:08 PM
swaimea.bsky.social
A two-for-one #CharacterBio post, this time for the Twins:

🌟 The muscle
🌟Grumpy/sunshine duo
🌟Never more than ten feet apart

#FairytaleRetelling #PeterPan #IndieFantasy
A teal and tan graphic with torn paper on it. The text reads: "Des & Tam (The Twins): The muscle / Grumpy/sunshine duo / Never more than ten feet apart"
November 24, 2025 at 4:01 PM
swaimea.bsky.social
This #bookquotes post is actually from Tink (the last character bio I posted). I didn't plan for the quote and trope post schedules to sync up like that, but I thought it was a fun coincidence.

#IndiePublishing #FairytaleRetelling #YAFantasy #PeterPan #Bookstagram #Booksky
A close-up of a footprint in the sand. The ocean is out of focus. The caption reads: "I'd rather watch you grow old than see you disappear." Original photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels
November 21, 2025 at 5:45 PM
swaimea.bsky.social
A #tropes post for Tink this time:
🌟 The techie
🌟 Trust issues
🌟 Unrequited love

#IndiePublishing #FairytaleRetelling #PeterPan #YAFantasy #Bookstagram #Booksky
A teal and tan graphic featuring torn paper with writing on it. The text reads, "Tink (Tinkerbell): The techie / Trust issues / Unrequited love"
November 19, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Reposted by Emily Swaim
poopraven.bsky.social
I am begging SFF folk to simply look into whether they themselves might be on the aroace spectrum and to write / shop / market accordingly, instead of expressing extreme disgust for books which feature sex, romance, or both.
rsagarcia.bsky.social R.S.A. Garcia (BUY THE NIGHTWARD) @rsagarcia.bsky.social · 21d
Absolutely. I still get stares when i talk about scifi romance like, what? Or worse, how dare?

But once I realised there were people like me out there, reading and writing what I loved, I chose to be happy.

Someone can look down their nose at something I like. I'm having fun. That's what matters.
November 18, 2025 at 9:20 AM
swaimea.bsky.social
Another #bookquotes post for REVEN, just because I like them.

#IndiePublishing #FairytaleRetelling #PeterPan #YAFantasy #Bookstagram #Booksky
A close-up of shattered glass on a tile floor. Text reads "I ruin everything I touch, anyway. I might as well break something fora good cause." Original image by Dmitriy Kievskiy from Pixabay
November 17, 2025 at 6:15 PM
swaimea.bsky.social
Another #tropes post for Reven. This time it's Hook:

🌟Obsessive rival
🌟Lives for revenge
🌟Serial dine-and-dasher

#IndiePublishing #FairytaleRetelling #PeterPan #YAFantasy #Bookstagram #Booksky
A teal and tan graphic featuring torn paper with writing on it. The text reads "Hook (Captain Hook): Obsessive rival / Lives for revenge / Serial dine-and-dasher
November 14, 2025 at 6:29 PM
swaimea.bsky.social
I'm doing some #tropes posts for Reven. Next up is Peter:
🌟Main character syndrome
🌟Lives for his family
🌟Screw the rules, I have magic

#IndiePublishing #FairytaleRetelling #PeterPan #YAFantasy #Bookstagram #Booksky
A teal and tan graphic featuring torn paper with writing on it. The text reads "Peter (Peter Pan): Main character syndrome / Lives for his family / Screw the rules, I have magic
November 12, 2025 at 6:22 PM
swaimea.bsky.social
I'm finally doing some #tropes posts for Reven. I'm starting off with our protagonist, Wendi.

🌟The mom friend
🌟Anxiety disorder
🌟Cannot afford therapy

#IndiePublishing #FairytaleRetelling #PeterPan #YAFantasy #Bookstagram #Booksky
A teal and tan graphic featuring torn paper with writing on it. The text reads "Wendi (Wendy Darling): The mom friend/Anxiety disorder/Cannot afford therapy"
November 10, 2025 at 6:03 PM
swaimea.bsky.social
My cursed video game experience:

Play a game for 40 hours.

Watch your console spontaneously die in your hands.

Start the game over on Steam.

Play 99% of the way through the game…

Watch the corrupted game files make the last level unplayable. 😭
November 10, 2025 at 2:42 AM
swaimea.bsky.social
Another list for #NostalgiaNovember! My favorite books as a teen were:
📘 Life of Pi by Yann Martel
📘The Wind Singer by William Nicholson
📘Abarat by Clive Barker
📘The Last Book in the Universe by Rodman Philbrick
📘The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud

#booksky #bookishcommunity
A grid of five book covers. The caption says "Books I read over and over as a teen".
November 6, 2025 at 6:30 PM
swaimea.bsky.social
Happy #NostalgiaNovember! Here's a list of my top 5 favorite childhood books:

📙 Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
📙 Regarding the Fountain by Kate Klise
📙The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
📙Holes by Louis Sachar
📙A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

#booksky #bookishcommunity
Grid showing five book covers. Text reads "Books I read over and over as a kid".
November 4, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Reposted by Emily Swaim
jessdkant.bsky.social
Food banks have already been well past capacity since the start of 2025. The infrastructure we have absolutely cannot support the enormous number of people who are about to lose access. Please if you can, find your local food bank and give today.
Find Your Local Food Bank | Feeding America
Find the Feeding America member food bank nearest you. Over 200 member food banks can connect you with free food, food pantries, soup kitchens, and mobile pantries in your community.
www.feedingamerica.org
October 27, 2025 at 6:57 PM
swaimea.bsky.social
It's the last day of #AceWeek, so I'm putting up one final #bookquotes post for REVEN, my YA steampunk fantasy starring an ace/aro protagonist.

#booksky #booktober #selfpublishing
A small lantern sits on the rocky coast of a lake as the last rays of sunlight disappear behind a mountain. Original photo by Silviu Zidaru on Unsplash. Caption reads "Even without a so-called 'purpose', your life's still important."
October 25, 2025 at 5:11 PM
swaimea.bsky.social
Another day, another #bookquotes post for #Aceweek to promote my fantasy novel REVEN.

#booksky #booktober #selfpublishing
Golden glitter on piano keys. Original photo by Paul Arky on Unsplash. Caption reads: "He's a good guy to you. He'll always be a villain to me."
October 24, 2025 at 5:33 PM
swaimea.bsky.social
It's Day Number 5 of #Aceweek, so I'm making yet another #bookquotes post for REVEN, a queer retelling of Peter Pan starring ace/aro Wendi.

#booksky #booktober #selfpublishing
A spider made a dew-covered web on a stalk of wheat. Original image by Gabi from Pixabay. Caption reads: "A punishment's no good unless it makes you regret. And you can't be sorry if you're dead."
October 23, 2025 at 5:03 PM
swaimea.bsky.social
Halfway through the #Aceweek campaign! REVEN is a steampunk YA fantasy with an ace/aro protagonist. There is no spice, but there is a lot of drama.

#bookquotes #booksky #booktober #selfpublishing
Close-up of two lit sparklers touching. Original photo by Leonard von Bibra on Unsplash. Caption reads "It's one thing to betray someone in secret. Another to do it right before their eyes."
October 22, 2025 at 5:15 PM
swaimea.bsky.social
A third #bookquotes post for my #Aceweek campaign for REVEN, a steampunk Peter Pan retelling with an ace/aro protagonist.

#booktober #booksky #selfpublishing
Close-up of a golden quartz-like substance on a black surface. Original photo by Javier Esteban on Unsplash. Caption reads "The magic was his, and he was never letting it go."
October 21, 2025 at 5:30 PM
swaimea.bsky.social
Another #bookquotes post for REVEN for #AceWeek.

#booksky #booktober #selfpublishing
Dandelion perched on an antique book. Original photo by Marzie Vafa on Unsplash. Caption reads "If it was already possible, I wouldn't need to wish for it, now would I?"
October 20, 2025 at 5:37 PM