I'm working on Staerstone's edits (from the editor) and he wrote "he doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would scare easily" and I'm like, YAY he's standing up for Andalu and, yk, he's right. #Staerstone #fantasy #romance #novel

So it’s not just about gear, it’s also about a quest into a chasm no one has ever returned from. All that comes out, after anyone goes, in is months and months of screaming…

Good luck, Zericha. You’ve got this.

…Or do you?
😁
#staerstone
#writerthoughts
#fantasy
#climbing
#novel

An abstract purple mountain with symbolic rivers, a moon/sun in the background, a pinkish sky with darkness, as well as yellow and white light. Concept art related to the novel, Staerstone, by HK Stubbs, coming in 2026. I set out to draw a fantasy mountain and ended up thinking about how when I go into the mountains, it’s an honest experience. What you can and can’t do is right there, laid out clearly. Which is pretty cool. But the mountain keeps its secrets, if it wants to. And some things you don’t want to know… like how heavy that teetering rock is. How hard it would fall. Sometimes the mountain is so full of water, the rock seeps for weeks. Imagine. The flow of water within rock fascinates me.

mystical mountain morning
with darkness and light
strength and weakness
strung out on the cliff
keeps secrets
in caverns, cracks,
loose rock threatens
- stay -
go
become your truth
#staerstone
#mysticalmountains

Got quite a bit done today, including prioritising some pre-breakfast writing on my WIP, Desert Alloy. I wrote the synopsis to clarify what happens when and see the proportion of the sections. It’s going to be a fun book, I think! But I’m biased, I love this world and the
characters of #staerstone.

This was one of my fave boulder problems ever!

I’m Helen - an Aussie climber & writer. My climbing fantasy novel Staerstone is coming out next year.

Connect me with writers, climbers & friendly peeps.

#rockclimbing
#bouldering
#writing
#reading
#fantasy
#romance
#novel
#staerstone
#crimpyjug

A dark purplish background with pink star on it. A climber, drawn in chalk, is leaping towards a red line. The title, Staerstone, is in capitals, and my name is down the bottom.

Today a beta reader gave me fab feedback on my book STAERSTONE (coming in 2026), which is a good feeling, because you want people to love it, right? The picture is just concept art (I've been playing around with Procreate) #staerstone #climbing #rockclimbing #fiction #adventure #fantasy #writing