Adria Bailton
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adriabailton.com
Adria Bailton
@adriabailton.com
2.8K followers 710 following 3.5K posts
Author of SFF/H, published most recently at Pulp Lit Mag, Worlds of Possibility, The Colored Lens,
queer, ND, she/they
Member of SFWA, Codex
See more at www.adriabailton.com
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adriabailton.com
Day 27 #MelsNoWriMo Is there a playlist for the story?

You betcha! Two links, depending on the listener's prefered app:

youtube.com/playlist?lis...

open.spotify.com/playlist/4Fq...
A calender for November in red and oranges. Each day has a question about the writing project in it. (1. Who Are you 2. What is your project? 3.Sinppet Time! 4. Who is your protagonist? 5. Who is the 2nd most important character in the novel? 6. Who is your antagonist? 7. What genre are you writing and why? 8. Fave piece of world-building so far. 9. Plotter? Pantser? Something in-between? Spill the beans. 10. Snippet Time! 11. Faceclaim time 12. Most important friendship in your story? 13. Romance in your story? (Or free space.) 14. Weirdest thing you researched so far? 15. What inspired your story? 16. Your favourite way to write? 17. Snippet Time! 18. Is your story still the same you started out with? 19. Best writing advice you ever got? 20. Worst writing advice you ever got? 21. How queer is your story? 22. Other diversity in your story? 23. Twist/something you didn't see coming? 24. Snippet Time! 25. If your story was a food/meal, what would it be? 26. How do you name your characters? 27. Is there a playlist to your story? Wanna share? 28. Turn your novel into a movie, where would you shoot? 29. Ideas for your dream cover? 30. You Did It! Talk about goals you achieved and hand over a final snippet.
November 27, 2025 at 5:30 PM
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Day 26 #MelsNoWriMo How do you name your characters?

Nina's name came from an anagram generator because her original name got used in a very famous book published 15 years or more after I thought of it, and I didn't want to look like I was copying.
A calender for November in red and oranges. Each day has a question about the writing project in it. (1. Who Are you 2. What is your project? 3.Sinppet Time! 4. Who is your protagonist? 5. Who is the 2nd most important character in the novel? 6. Who is your antagonist? 7. What genre are you writing and why? 8. Fave piece of world-building so far. 9. Plotter? Pantser? Something in-between? Spill the beans. 10. Snippet Time! 11. Faceclaim time 12. Most important friendship in your story? 13. Romance in your story? (Or free space.) 14. Weirdest thing you researched so far? 15. What inspired your story? 16. Your favourite way to write? 17. Snippet Time! 18. Is your story still the same you started out with? 19. Best writing advice you ever got? 20. Worst writing advice you ever got? 21. How queer is your story? 22. Other diversity in your story? 23. Twist/something you didn't see coming? 24. Snippet Time! 25. If your story was a food/meal, what would it be? 26. How do you name your characters? 27. Is there a playlist to your story? Wanna share? 28. Turn your novel into a movie, where would you shoot? 29. Ideas for your dream cover? 30. You Did It! Talk about goals you achieved and hand over a final snippet.
November 26, 2025 at 5:30 PM
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Part 5
November 25, 2025 at 7:38 PM
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Part 4
November 25, 2025 at 7:38 PM
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Part 3
November 25, 2025 at 7:38 PM
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Part 2.
November 25, 2025 at 7:38 PM
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The 2026Debuts has a Goodreads list! As debut books show up on Goodreads, conscientious debut writers add each other to the list. When I took these screenshots, Worlds Divide was the most recent add, but I know there will be more!

Punch that "Want to Read" button on all of these.

Part 1.
November 25, 2025 at 7:38 PM
adriabailton.com
Day 25 #MelsNoWriMo If your story was a food/meal, what would it be?

Food plays an important role in Worlds Divide. I think the food it would be is deeply personal to the reader. It would be something home cooked reminding you of someone beloved who you lost long ago.
A calender for November in red and oranges. Each day has a question about the writing project in it. (1. Who Are you 2. What is your project? 3.Sinppet Time! 4. Who is your protagonist? 5. Who is the 2nd most important character in the novel? 6. Who is your antagonist? 7. What genre are you writing and why? 8. Fave piece of world-building so far. 9. Plotter? Pantser? Something in-between? Spill the beans. 10. Snippet Time! 11. Faceclaim time 12. Most important friendship in your story? 13. Romance in your story? (Or free space.) 14. Weirdest thing you researched so far? 15. What inspired your story? 16. Your favourite way to write? 17. Snippet Time! 18. Is your story still the same you started out with? 19. Best writing advice you ever got? 20. Worst writing advice you ever got? 21. How queer is your story? 22. Other diversity in your story? 23. Twist/something you didn't see coming? 24. Snippet Time! 25. If your story was a food/meal, what would it be? 26. How do you name your characters? 27. Is there a playlist to your story? Wanna share? 28. Turn your novel into a movie, where would you shoot? 29. Ideas for your dream cover? 30. You Did It! Talk about goals you achieved and hand over a final snippet.
November 25, 2025 at 5:15 PM
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Day 24 #MelsNoWriMo Twist! Something in the story you didn't see coming.

I thought I knew this story so well since it's been with me for so long. This story wasn't meant to have a character in it, but he always bursts in like BigBirdKickingDownDoor.gif
A calender for November in red and oranges. Each day has a question about the writing project in it. (1. Who Are you 2. What is your project? 3.Sinppet Time! 4. Who is your protagonist? 5. Who is the 2nd most important character in the novel? 6. Who is your antagonist? 7. What genre are you writing and why? 8. Fave piece of world-building so far. 9. Plotter? Pantser? Something in-between? Spill the beans. 10. Snippet Time! 11. Faceclaim time 12. Most important friendship in your story? 13. Romance in your story? (Or free space.) 14. Weirdest thing you researched so far? 15. What inspired your story? 16. Your favourite way to write? 17. Snippet Time! 18. Is your story still the same you started out with? 19. Best writing advice you ever got? 20. Worst writing advice you ever got? 21. How queer is your story? 22. Other diversity in your story? 23. Twist/something you didn't see coming? 24. Snippet Time! 25. If your story was a food/meal, what would it be? 26. How do you name your characters? 27. Is there a playlist to your story? Wanna share? 28. Turn your novel into a movie, where would you shoot? 29. Ideas for your dream cover? 30. You Did It! Talk about goals you achieved and hand over a final snippet.
November 24, 2025 at 5:45 PM
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Day 23 #MelsNoWriMo Snippet time!

Today's snippet is from somewhere in the middle of my story. It references a book I was reading during one of my rewrites and edits. Mira Grant (Seanan McGuire) is one of my favorite authors. I like paying her homage by referencing one of her books, however oblique
The cover for Into the Drowning Deep with the line "Between lines about people-eating Sirens, I slipped." A calender for November in red and oranges. Each day has a question about the writing project in it. (1. Who Are you 2. What is your project? 3.Sinppet Time! 4. Who is your protagonist? 5. Who is the 2nd most important character in the novel? 6. Who is your antagonist? 7. What genre are you writing and why? 8. Fave piece of world-building so far. 9. Plotter? Pantser? Something in-between? Spill the beans. 10. Snippet Time! 11. Faceclaim time 12. Most important friendship in your story? 13. Romance in your story? (Or free space.) 14. Weirdest thing you researched so far? 15. What inspired your story? 16. Your favourite way to write? 17. Snippet Time! 18. Is your story still the same you started out with? 19. Best writing advice you ever got? 20. Worst writing advice you ever got? 21. How queer is your story? 22. Other diversity in your story? 23. Twist/something you didn't see coming? 24. Snippet Time! 25. If your story was a food/meal, what would it be? 26. How do you name your characters? 27. Is there a playlist to your story? Wanna share? 28. Turn your novel into a movie, where would you shoot? 29. Ideas for your dream cover? 30. You Did It! Talk about goals you achieved and hand over a final snippet.
November 23, 2025 at 7:38 PM
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Day 22 #MelsNoWriMo Other diversity in your story

Funny that, I just finished a whole Reel and TikTok series discussion this: www.tiktok.com/@adriabailton
www.instagram.com/adriabailton/
Click on the videos that have me in a black hoodie in my car.
The biggest rep is the disability rep.
A calender for November in red and oranges. Each day has a question about the writing project in it. (1. Who Are you 2. What is your project? 3.Sinppet Time! 4. Who is your protagonist? 5. Who is the 2nd most important character in the novel? 6. Who is your antagonist? 7. What genre are you writing and why? 8. Fave piece of world-building so far. 9. Plotter? Pantser? Something in-between? Spill the beans. 10. Snippet Time! 11. Faceclaim time 12. Most important friendship in your story? 13. Romance in your story? (Or free space.) 14. Weirdest thing you researched so far? 15. What inspired your story? 16. Your favourite way to write? 17. Snippet Time! 18. Is your story still the same you started out with? 19. Best writing advice you ever got? 20. Worst writing advice you ever got? 21. How queer is your story? 22. Other diversity in your story? 23. Twist/something you didn't see coming? 24. Snippet Time! 25. If your story was a food/meal, what would it be? 26. How do you name your characters? 27. Is there a playlist to your story? Wanna share? 28. Turn your novel into a movie, where would you shoot? 29. Ideas for your dream cover? 30. You Did It! Talk about goals you achieved and hand over a final snippet.
November 22, 2025 at 5:45 PM
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Day 21 #MelsNoWriMo How queer is your story? 🌈

As a good writer friend once said about themself and I'm adopting: I'm queer and everything I write is inherently queer. Queer characters and relationships in the book. The primary relationship between Nina and Corey is between a bi girl and a boy...
A calender for November in red and oranges. Each day has a question about the writing project in it. (1. Who Are you 2. What is your project? 3.Sinppet Time! 4. Who is your protagonist? 5. Who is the 2nd most important character in the novel? 6. Who is your antagonist? 7. What genre are you writing and why? 8. Fave piece of world-building so far. 9. Plotter? Pantser? Something in-between? Spill the beans. 10. Snippet Time! 11. Faceclaim time 12. Most important friendship in your story? 13. Romance in your story? (Or free space.) 14. Weirdest thing you researched so far? 15. What inspired your story? 16. Your favourite way to write? 17. Snippet Time! 18. Is your story still the same you started out with? 19. Best writing advice you ever got? 20. Worst writing advice you ever got? 21. How queer is your story? 22. Other diversity in your story? 23. Twist/something you didn't see coming? 24. Snippet Time! 25. If your story was a food/meal, what would it be? 26. How do you name your characters? 27. Is there a playlist to your story? Wanna share? 28. Turn your novel into a movie, where would you shoot? 29. Ideas for your dream cover? 30. You Did It! Talk about goals you achieved and hand over a final snippet.
November 21, 2025 at 5:45 PM
adriabailton.com
Breaking up all my publishing posts with a cute photo of Peaches!
A red and white Boston terrier with a pink collar holds an orange ball in her mouth while standing under a table with wood legs.
November 20, 2025 at 7:38 PM
adriabailton.com
Day 20 #MelsNoWriMo Worst Writing Advice You Ever Got

I really don't do very well with prescriptive advice.
A calender for November in red and oranges. Each day has a question about the writing project in it. (1. Who Are you 2. What is your project? 3.Sinppet Time! 4. Who is your protagonist? 5. Who is the 2nd most important character in the novel? 6. Who is your antagonist? 7. What genre are you writing and why? 8. Fave piece of world-building so far. 9. Plotter? Pantser? Something in-between? Spill the beans. 10. Snippet Time! 11. Faceclaim time 12. Most important friendship in your story? 13. Romance in your story? (Or free space.) 14. Weirdest thing you researched so far? 15. What inspired your story? 16. Your favourite way to write? 17. Snippet Time! 18. Is your story still the same you started out with? 19. Best writing advice you ever got? 20. Worst writing advice you ever got? 21. How queer is your story? 22. Other diversity in your story? 23. Twist/something you didn't see coming? 24. Snippet Time! 25. If your story was a food/meal, what would it be? 26. How do you name your characters? 27. Is there a playlist to your story? Wanna share? 28. Turn your novel into a movie, where would you shoot? 29. Ideas for your dream cover? 30. You Did It! Talk about goals you achieved and hand over a final snippet.
November 20, 2025 at 5:45 PM
adriabailton.com
I just finished the last of my 2025 ARCs. Now I have eleven 2026 debut ARCs to read! I'm so excited to get to these and read my fellow debuts books!

2026 debuts is stacked!

Shown are ten books, one of which is a 2025 debut I already read. After taking these screenshots, two more ARCs came in!
6 book covers: You're Dead to Me, Reed Walker by Gwenyth Reitz, The Poet Empress by Shen Tao, All We Have Is Time by Amy Tordoff, Wife Shaped Bodes by Laura Cranehill, Our Rogue Fates by Sarah Glenn Marsh, and Midnight on the Celestial by Julia Alexandra 4 books: Not Your Typical Love Story, A Cursed Vengeance, Tidespeaker, and One Last Game
November 19, 2025 at 7:47 PM
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Day 19 #MelsNoWriMo Best Writing Advice You Ever Got

I've received so much good writing advice! I still love "write for yourself" and I've heard that expanded to "write the first draft for yourself, revise for other readers."
A calender for November in red and oranges. Each day has a question about the writing project in it. (1. Who Are you 2. What is your project? 3.Sinppet Time! 4. Who is your protagonist? 5. Who is the 2nd most important character in the novel? 6. Who is your antagonist? 7. What genre are you writing and why? 8. Fave piece of world-building so far. 9. Plotter? Pantser? Something in-between? Spill the beans. 10. Snippet Time! 11. Faceclaim time 12. Most important friendship in your story? 13. Romance in your story? (Or free space.) 14. Weirdest thing you researched so far? 15. What inspired your story? 16. Your favourite way to write? 17. Snippet Time! 18. Is your story still the same you started out with? 19. Best writing advice you ever got? 20. Worst writing advice you ever got? 21. How queer is your story? 22. Other diversity in your story? 23. Twist/something you didn't see coming? 24. Snippet Time! 25. If your story was a food/meal, what would it be? 26. How do you name your characters? 27. Is there a playlist to your story? Wanna share? 28. Turn your novel into a movie, where would you shoot? 29. Ideas for your dream cover? 30. You Did It! Talk about goals you achieved and hand over a final snippet.
November 19, 2025 at 5:45 PM
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Day 18 #MelsNoWriMo Is the story still the same as you set out with?

I was going to switch stories, but I'm now writing a Readers Guide for Worlds Divide, so I'm keeping on with that one.

The answer is, yes and no. This is a whole thread, so bear with me.
A calender for November in red and oranges. Each day has a question about the writing project in it. (1. Who Are you 2. What is your project? 3.Sinppet Time! 4. Who is your protagonist? 5. Who is the 2nd most important character in the novel? 6. Who is your antagonist? 7. What genre are you writing and why? 8. Fave piece of world-building so far. 9. Plotter? Pantser? Something in-between? Spill the beans. 10. Snippet Time! 11. Faceclaim time 12. Most important friendship in your story? 13. Romance in your story? (Or free space.) 14. Weirdest thing you researched so far? 15. What inspired your story? 16. Your favourite way to write? 17. Snippet Time! 18. Is your story still the same you started out with? 19. Best writing advice you ever got? 20. Worst writing advice you ever got? 21. How queer is your story? 22. Other diversity in your story? 23. Twist/something you didn't see coming? 24. Snippet Time! 25. If your story was a food/meal, what would it be? 26. How do you name your characters? 27. Is there a playlist to your story? Wanna share? 28. Turn your novel into a movie, where would you shoot? 29. Ideas for your dream cover? 30. You Did It! Talk about goals you achieved and hand over a final snippet.
November 18, 2025 at 5:45 PM
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WORLDS DIVIDE is currently "read now" on NetGalley! That means if you have a NetGalley account, you can download it now! (You know how to find it!)

Traveling to parallel worlds is a drag. Except when you meet a hottie.
An ereader with WORLDS DIVIDE Adria Bailton and a galley cover with NetGalley scrawled in a column in green ink on a piece of paper.
November 17, 2025 at 7:38 PM
adriabailton.com
Day 17 #MelsNoWriMo Favorite Way to Write!

It depends! I do love the flow of handwriting when I have a writing sprint or utter focus. But I also love the pour of words onto the page that writing on my laptop allows.

I like to write with some sort of background noise - just nothing too distracting.
A calender for November in red and oranges. Each day has a question about the writing project in it. (1. Who Are you 2. What is your project? 3.Sinppet Time! 4. Who is your protagonist? 5. Who is the 2nd most important character in the novel? 6. Who is your antagonist? 7. What genre are you writing and why? 8. Fave piece of world-building so far. 9. Plotter? Pantser? Something in-between? Spill the beans. 10. Snippet Time! 11. Faceclaim time 12. Most important friendship in your story? 13. Romance in your story? (Or free space.) 14. Weirdest thing you researched so far? 15. What inspired your story? 16. Your favourite way to write? 17. Snippet Time! 18. Is your story still the same you started out with? 19. Best writing advice you ever got? 20. Worst writing advice you ever got? 21. How queer is your story? 22. Other diversity in your story? 23. Twist/something you didn't see coming? 24. Snippet Time! 25. If your story was a food/meal, what would it be? 26. How do you name your characters? 27. Is there a playlist to your story? Wanna share? 28. Turn your novel into a movie, where would you shoot? 29. Ideas for your dream cover? 30. You Did It! Talk about goals you achieved and hand over a final snippet.
November 17, 2025 at 6:08 PM
adriabailton.com
Last week I participated with the 2026 debut YA group on a "pick a Kpop song, get a 2026 ya debut book." So much fun!
For Worlds Divide, I have Day That I Died on the playlist. The lyric "Honey, I'll be 89 with flowers growing out my eyes, waiting here for you."
Worlds Divide is out April 17, 2026
A pink background pick a k-pop song... What you waiting for Day that I died Night Tiger Inside Noir ...Get a 2026 YA Debut Recommendation A pink background KPOP 2026 YA DEBUT RECOMMENDATIONS IF YOU PICKED DAY THAT I DIED Woosung "Honey, I'll be 89 with flowers growing out of my eyes, waiting here for you" YOU GET Worlds Divide by Adria Bailton A teen girl travels betwen parallel worlds. While her home life speeds towards a train wreck, she falls in love on a world where she can't stay. Every goodbye could be their last. Balance of Seven Press April 17, 2026 Adria's portrait is in bottom left.
November 17, 2025 at 1:52 PM
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#MelsNoWriMo Day 16 Snippet!

Worlds Divide has ND rep, which has shown up in my life and my friends' lives (both diagnosed and undiagnosed) as a lack of rule following. Corey's brother says this to Nina hints at Corey's neurodiversity.

"Corey’s never followed rules that weren’t of his own making."
A pink and puple-blue image with the quote Corey's never followed rules that weren't of his own making. In the lower right-hand corner is an image of a long blond-haired, blue-eyed white boy in a black t-shirt in a school portrait style. He looks at the camera, petulant.
November 16, 2025 at 1:28 PM
adriabailton.com
Dev edits are turned in on my YA sci fi historical/contemporary issues novel, WORLDS DIVIDE!

Less than 4000 word increase is not too shabby! That's only one chapter.
A breakdown of the changes after doing my dev edit Before - After Pages 316 becomes 328 Words 87382 becomes 90958 Characters (no spaces) 377,976 becomes 393,879 Characters (with spaces) 462, 458 becomes 481, 967 Non-Asian words 87382 becomes 90958 Asian characters 0 Paragraphs 3,445 becomes 3,536 Lines 6,914 becomes 7,171 WORLDS DIVIDE is a YA science fiction historical/contemporary issues book comes from Balance of Seven Press April 2026. Readers wanted! eARCs available - see street team link in bio adriabailton.com on a beige background
November 15, 2025 at 7:38 PM
adriabailton.com
Day 15 #MelsNoWriMo Inspiration!

This story originates from a dream when I was a young teen. I've written many versions of it over the years. The current iteration also incorporates some of my lived experiences which has grown more important to me over the years.
A calender for November in red and oranges. Each day has a question about the writing project in it. (1. Who Are you 2. What is your project? 3.Sinppet Time! 4. Who is your protagonist? 5. Who is the 2nd most important character in the novel? 6. Who is your antagonist? 7. What genre are you writing and why? 8. Fave piece of world-building so far. 9. Plotter? Pantser? Something in-between? Spill the beans. 10. Snippet Time! 11. Faceclaim time 12. Most important friendship in your story? 13. Romance in your story? (Or free space.) 14. Weirdest thing you researched so far? 15. What inspired your story? 16. Your favourite way to write? 17. Snippet Time! 18. Is your story still the same you started out with? 19. Best writing advice you ever got? 20. Worst writing advice you ever got? 21. How queer is your story? 22. Other diversity in your story? 23. Twist/something you didn't see coming? 24. Snippet Time! 25. If your story was a food/meal, what would it be? 26. How do you name your characters? 27. Is there a playlist to your story? Wanna share? 28. Turn your novel into a movie, where would you shoot? 29. Ideas for your dream cover? 30. You Did It! Talk about goals you achieved and hand over a final snippet.
November 15, 2025 at 5:15 PM
adriabailton.com
This is a celebration post! I have finished my dev edits for WORLDS DIVIDE, a YA science fiction (issues) historical/contemporary novel coming April 17, 2026 from Balance of Seven Press. They are turned in!

I now have ~2 months to work on other projects.
How dev edits started: 123 Revisions Insertions 10 Moves 0 Formatting 0 Comments 107 How it's going 1230 Revisions Insertions 610 Deletions 472 Moves 10 Formatting 20 Comments 118 And...I'm finished on a purple background with confetti
November 15, 2025 at 1:52 PM
adriabailton.com
Day 14 #MelsNoWriMo Weirdest Thing You Researched So Far

I had to ask how to spell "scootched" to my writers group. There were several correct answers. We'll see what my CE has to say.

Because I've written many iterations of this story and this one started in 2019, I don't quite recall the oddest.
A calender for November in red and oranges. Each day has a question about the writing project in it. (1. Who Are you 2. What is your project? 3.Sinppet Time! 4. Who is your protagonist? 5. Who is the 2nd most important character in the novel? 6. Who is your antagonist? 7. What genre are you writing and why? 8. Fave piece of world-building so far. 9. Plotter? Pantser? Something in-between? Spill the beans. 10. Snippet Time! 11. Faceclaim time 12. Most important friendship in your story? 13. Romance in your story? (Or free space.) 14. Weirdest thing you researched so far? 15. What inspired your story? 16. Your favourite way to write? 17. Snippet Time! 18. Is your story still the same you started out with? 19. Best writing advice you ever got? 20. Worst writing advice you ever got? 21. How queer is your story? 22. Other diversity in your story? 23. Twist/something you didn't see coming? 24. Snippet Time! 25. If your story was a food/meal, what would it be? 26. How do you name your characters? 27. Is there a playlist to your story? Wanna share? 28. Turn your novel into a movie, where would you shoot? 29. Ideas for your dream cover? 30. You Did It! Talk about goals you achieved and hand over a final snippet.
November 14, 2025 at 5:15 PM