Why do birds fly south in the winter?

... it's too far to walk.

Cover for Dungeon Crawler Carl. Man in heart-pattern boxes running from a goblin on a bulldozer.

Beware of Chicken cover. Idyllic drawing of a rooster on a stump next to a lounging man in a martial arts outfit.

I #amreading a lot to escape and recharge. I finished Dungeon Crawler Carl. I am now binging Beware of Chicken.

Props to @mattdinniman.bsky.social and Casual Farmer. Both series are brilliant. These are top shelf absurdity.

Did ya'll hear about the farmer who traded his rooster for a duck?

... Yeah. He wakes up at the quack of dawn now.

#funny

Tomorrow, January 28, at 8 PM ET, I'm hosting an Q&A with readers and fans about The Calculating Stars. It's free to join. Simply sign up here, and you'll receive the Zoom link: www.maryrobinettekowal.com/book-club

Old leatherbound book with buckles holding it closed. Sitting on a table with scrolls in the background.

Man reading a magic book under a tree that's illuminating his face at twilight.

A pair of old keys on parchment.

Wood fired stove top with steaming cookpots

Mood:

#amwriting #wip #cozyfantasy #Appalachia
📚🪐💙

I actively run away and hide from dealing with shit way too often. 🫠

Dope. Agreed on both points.

#pretendpanel a daily prompt tag hosted by @hiriadunning.bsky.social January 24th: What do you want your readers to take away from this book/story/WIP? Please support your fellow #pretentpanel posters with replies, likes and reposts!

#pretendpanel
💙📚🪐

Day 24:

I'd like readers to feel like they've had a wee vacation to a corner of the world they didn't expect to enjoy nearly as much they did. I'd like them to find a feeling of comfy, cozy whimsy and just dwell there for a bit.

Then I need to do the thing and finish.

Hahaha hahaha.

Haha.

Ha.

Ha.

Shit. 🤣

Without downloading any new pics, where are you mentally?

... this seems right given the past few days.

#pretendpanel a daily prompt tag hosted by @hiriadunning.bsky.social January 23rd: Who do you see as your ideal reader? Please support your fellow #pretentpanel posters with replies, likes and reposts!

#pretendpanel
#writingcommunity
📚💙

Day 23:

Errm... Uh...

*picks up a mirror*

You got any of them nerdy folk in desperate need of some cozy escapism featuring food, friendship, weird niche historical details, and dad jokes? Maybe a bit of romance and magic, too?

TIL. Nice. I love it.

Happy (Inter)national Handwriting Day!

To be honest... My handwriting sucks 😅 But during the pandemic, I met some amazing pen pals, some of which have become friends, and once we could, we sent snail mail to each other. It wasn't something I had experienced before, and it was so amazing!

XKCD style comic with stick-figures. Two People. Person 1 - When does a joke become a dad joke? Person 2 - Isn't it a parent? Person 1 - No... It has to be fully groan.

Today (January 23rd) is International Handwriting Day.

Why today? It's John Hancock's birthday. I guess that seemed appropriate.

Anywho. I combined some things I love to celebrate: #dadjokes, #comics, #handwriting, and #xkcd.

Also: #penmanship and #booksky for good measure.

Making Tea xkcd.com/3022

Features of Adulthood xkcd.com/3034

#pretendpanel a daily prompt tag hosted by @hiriadunning.bsky.social January 21st: Do you resonate more with any one of your characters? i.e. have you self-inserted Please support your fellow #pretentpanel posters with replies, likes and reposts!

#pretendpanel

Day 21:

Not intentionally. At least...not with any main characters. Cameos are fun though. Stan Lee had that one right.

#pretendpanel a daily prompt tag hosted by @hiriadunning.bsky.social January 22nd: Do you believe in writing through your traumas? Or is your writing more about escapism? (or is it both at once!) Please support your fellow #pretentpanel posters with replies, likes and reposts!

#pretendpanel

Day 22:

I write (and read) to escape. Everything's cozy, fantastical, and made of magic.

They're not mechanisms I use to process trauma.

That would be a healthy outlet, but who needs that? Pretending is doesn't exist is definitely working out for me.

What makes me request a full? On pacing, tension and momentum

(Free) writing craft-related post today on the newsletter--pacing, tension, momentum: what it means and how to do it.

Hope this helps someone out there!

jennasatterthwaite.substack.com/p/what-makes...

#pretendpanel a daily prompt tag hosted by @hiriadunning.bsky.social January 20th: Are you more of a writer who writes themselves onto the page, or other people in their life? Please support your fellow #pretentpanel posters with replies, likes and reposts!

#pretendpanel

Day 20:

I usually pull traits and features from friends, acquaintances, and family.

They're not generally strictly one person, though. My characters tend to be an amalgamation of interesting bits from people I've encountered over the years.

Past, present, and future walked into a bar.

I'm not sure what I expected, but it was pretty tense.

#booksky #dadjokes #writingcommunity

The cover of Terry Pratchett's The Wee Free Men. Red with a blue button as a shield with a crossed sword and spear.

October Sky's DVD cover. Jake Gyllenhaal and Laura Dern looking up. Space background.

Season 1 of Psych. A guy in a green shirt pretending to be a psychic. Friend in sports jacket looking over the first's shoulder with raised eyebrow.

Andy Grammar's Compilation Album from 2022, "The Art of Joy"

introduce yourself with...

one book 📕
one film 🎬
one album 💿
one show 📺

#booksky

Reminder that Librivox offers free audiobooks for books in the public domain.

Fantastic resource if you're working your way through classics (or listen to a large amount of audiobooks.)

#booksky

One thing before tomorrow:

Use your local libraries.

Get your card.

Borrow books, manga, films, audios, ebooks.

Recommend titles for purchase (usually online).

Attend promoted activities.

Fill out those "How are we doing?" questionnaires.

Tell your kids that libraries are good.

They are.

📚

A Psalm for the Wild-built was a delightful bit of escapism into a better, brighter future.

Is this how I find more of my people?

📚 - #Booksky and #Writing and #sff
🤣 - #dadjokes
✏️ - #handwriting and #penmenship
☕️ - #coffee
🎲 - #ttrpg and #pathfinder

*taps mic* Is this thing on?

I noticed someone had to put a fall hazard sign in the library.

Apparently, there's a non-friction section now.

#booksky #dadjoke

the three cozy fantasy books I've read so far. all three are amazing highly recommend 📚💙
#booksky

three graphic novels. they are respectively called the tea dragon society, the tea dragon festival, and the tea dragon tapestry

the cover of the case for the complete collection of the tea dragon society

today i’d like to recommend the tea dragon society series!!

☕️🫖🐉🌷🌼

anyone who loves dragons, cozy fantasy, or graphic novels will love these books. reading them feels like drinking a warm cup of tea ^_^

#LohlasBookRecs

I finished this one tonight- really charming, no spice, cozy fantasy about growth and family. I think it could be adapted for the stage in a really fun way. 💙📚 #booksky #thecrescentmoontearoom #cozyfantasy