Don't forget our #AuthorInterview on #WomenWritersNet tomorrow evening with @lindzmcleod.bsky.social. I'll be chatting with her on behalf of @womenwritersnet.bsky.social about her book An Honour and a Privilege, a marvelous volume of short stories plus craft reflections. #WritingCommunity #BookSky
This reader selected list of all time #classicbooks from PRH has some great titles but I think it still reflects that there is still a way to go with the perception of #womenwriters. Only 25% of the list are women with some very notable omissions. #WomenWritersNet
www.penguin.co.uk/discover/art...
Stunning surroundings, lovely accommodation and great company seem the ideal conditions to find space and make progress with your writing. Valeria’s retreats look wonderful 🏔️🌲✍️
#writingretreat #WomenWritersNet
Rereading one of my all time faves My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante.
It’s a #bookclub choice but I always intended to reread it anyway. It’s just hard to find space when there are so many other great reads out there.
Have you reread anything lately? How was it? #WomenWritersNet
It's the dreaded time of year here in France. Tax returns!
I'd rather be doing anything else. The only good thing is that Stan is sitting on the keyboard typing in random numbers. Adds a bit of jeopardy.
What are you up to? #WomenWritersNet
This is Stan helping with the laundry.
This Thursday (23rd) at 6pm BST we’ll be chatting here on Bluesky with Lindz McLeod @lindzmcleod.bsky.social about her book An Honour & A Privilege.
Follow #WomenWritersNet to join in, read what she has to say and ask your own questions.
Feeling happy. Just been for a walk to clear my head. Springtime by the river is beautiful. Black locust tree in full bloom. Without consciously thinking about it, worked out a few tricky knots in my WIP.
What helps you when you're stuck with your writing?
#WomenWritersNet #WritingCommunity
Valeria's beautiful atmospheric novel, That Summer in Puglia, is out right now with @breakthroughbook.bsky.social. Thoroughly recommended by us! #WomenWritersNet
'a statistical average of all the human minds that came before it'
AI in its own words on the threat to individual identity and freedom of thought posed by "novel writing machines"
What do you think? Is there a role for #AI in creative writing?
#WomenWritersNet
theconversation.com/thousands-of...
Good morning #WomenWritersNet. It's @drhelenmtaylor.bsky.social on the account this week.
I came across this incredibly beautiful sandstone formation eroded by wind and spray. A starting point for a poem perhaps?
What are your writing plans for this week? What has been inspiring you?
Hi there. The interview is in real time on Bluesky. You can follow along, ask questions or catch up later. Easiest way to make sure you see it is on #WomenWritersNet hashtag.
Good Morning, #WritingCommunity! What are you working on this week? I'm prepping for an #AuthorInterview with @lindzmcleod.bsky.social about her book An Honour and a Privilege. I loved the short stories in this collection! So imaginative. Join our discussion Thursday, on #WomenWritersNet
Join us Thursday 23 April at 6 pm BST for an #AuthorInterview with @lindzmcleod.bsky.social about her book An Honour and a Privilege. Collaborative short stories including reflections on the craft from each writing team. Inspiring and unmissable! #WomenWritersNet #WritingCommunity
A6. Samantha Harvey's Orbital (2025 Booker winner) was slammed for being "nature writing" or "not a novel". It's brilliant, structurally more of a spiral than classic story arc. In some ways the Earth is the protagonist. What genres does it blend? Help! It defies category.😆 #WomenWritersNet
This is my biggest worry about the writing industry. The system seems geared to "what shelf should this be on" and "who is the target audience" rather than "wow, this book blazes a trail, can't wait to see where it goes." I know we live in a commercial world but it makes me sad. #WomenWritersNet
I say this a lot, but for me, I write to explore the truth of some aspect of humanness. Genres can help add dimensions to mirror and explore/dig deeper. I suppose one genre has to be the foundation(?) but whatever is included must honestly matter and be written with commitment. #WomenWritersNet
This makes a lot of sense. I'm rather the same. Reading a lot of literary or commercial fiction, I think those encompass quite a bit of genre-blending. #WomenWritersNet
A3. I don't really think about genre when I read. (Not being very helpful. 😆) Recently read Jess Kidd's The Night Ship and never thought about its genre till now. Historical orphan/misfit magical realism, but the whole is definitely more than the sum of the parts. I like nuance. #WomenWritersNet
A2. It depends. Lots of novels have a romance, but are they romance-genre? Idk. Mine covers a romance, also a family relationship, a quest for identity story, is mythic, is historical to a degree, is a meditation on love and grief. I'm not sure if that blends genres or ignores them! #WomenWritersNet
A1. I agree with others here, but would add, I think a lot of these terms put over-clinical boundaries on stories. Mine is (I'm told) "folktale-inspired literary fiction" which is a) a mouthful and b) a cop-out, to me, as any genre can be literary fiction and folktale inspired... #WomenWritersNet
Sorry I missed it! My day was unexpectedly busy. Will try to answer now... #WomenWritersNet
A6 #WomenWritersNet A book that immediately springs to mind is A.S. Byatt's "Possession". It mixes aspects of the mystery/detective novel and of romance. I love A.S. Byatt's work: inimitably beautifully written, layered, and stimulating.
Since we've had a Bluesky outage tonight, do feel free to catch up with this #SkyChat once the outage is resolved! You can always find us on the hashtage #WomenWritersNet or via our profile page @womenwritersnet.bsky.social!
A6 #WomenWritersNet Such great books!
A5 #WomenWritersNet I agree with Rita. There are many established genre mixes, like the ones we discussed earlier. I expect that there will still be some adventurous agents and editors willing to back an uncommon mix, if they fall in love with the story and the writing!
A2 #WomenWritersNet #Writing is such a process of discovery. I think it's very possible. In such case, I imagine the #Writer chooses to go with it and rewrite their drafts to make it work.
A6 #WomenWritersNet Such great books!
a5 #WomenWritersNet I imagine getting agents/publishers interested would be trickier as you have to find people who see the vision for both if it's not an established blended genre. #Romantasy is relatively recent, after all.
Wooden boards covered by a white rectangular field with text and accompanied by a pen. Text says:
Thank you for coming! Be sure to follow everyone you chatted with tonight and keep in touch on the hashtag #WomenWritersNet.
