writing

Well, that Hurt: 20 Ways to Navigate Twitter as an Author with Less Pain and Anguish

/ jlgfellers

I’ve been on Twitter since (checks self) 2015 as @jlgfellers. No, I don’t have other accounts, but I do manage one for a small publishing company. Neither has a huge following, but my author account has more because it’s been around longer. That said, here are a few things I’ve learned, especially in the last two years, about navigating the minefield that is the twitterverse as an author that might well keep you out of trouble with the twittergods, your followers, and your readers. These aren’t quick-fix solutions that’ll give you lots of followers and engagement. Rather, these are survival tips.

1) I didn’t mean it that way: Use hashtags with discretion. Research each by opening Twitter on a new tab and searching the hashtag. Nothing is sacred or safe online, so be careful. A hashtag might well mean the opposite of what you think.

2) Beware of misinterpretation: Just because you tweet something doesn’t mean your followers will interpret it the way you intended. Use your 280 to make your point crystal clear. GIFs and photos can help there if need be.

I didn’t engage those

bridge-loving vagrants.

I blocked instead. 🚫

3) Trend Bombs and Trolls: Twitter trends can be educational and fun until the trolls get on board (those trends can also be horrifying and misleading, but I’m not going there today), and believe me when I say that the trolls will appear sooner or later. The last trend I was involved in… I don’t remember the hashtag, so I’ve apparently blocked it out. Anyway, while the trend seemed fairly innocuous, it landed me a whole lot of new followers along with enough trolling to last me a lifetime. No, I didn’t engage those bridge-loving vagrants. I blocked instead because, as we all know— and if you don’t please learn this now— thou shalt not feed the trolls. I akin them to energy vampires. They live for conflict and would suck negative engagement through a straw if they could. Save yourself the stress unless it’s your sort of thing then, by all means, have at it. Me? I have better ways of occupying myself.

Continue reading →

#KeepingHouseNovel #RainbowSnippets #PromoLGBTQ Ninety-Five: I’ll Fly With Them

/ jlgfellers / 12 Comments

Hi, and welcome to #Rainbowsnippets*! This one is uniquely mine, but there are lots of other great snippets to read so after you finish here click the FB link at the bottom of the post to discover other great LGBTQIA authors and their works.

I had surgery a few weeks ago, so this post was created ahead of time. Feel free to comment but please know it might take me longer than usual to respond.

This week we’re picking up where we left off in Chapter Three of Keeping House. Stowne’s stressed, Cent wants to go home, and Dane’s ready to fly. What a mess.

Note: The first paragraph, in orange, comes from last week’s snippet, and Dane’s speaking about Cent’s sigils, which have been applied with Sharpie permanent markers.

     “All us Hunters got them, but ours won’t warsh off with a good scrubbin’, and neither will yours by the time you get back to Stowne.”

     “Sigils remain intact even if they cannot be seen by the eye.” Stowne’s mouth thinned with the stress Cent knew they were feeling. “If the sigils are applied in perfect love and trust, that is. Rest assured, Centenary’s were.”

Continue reading →

#KeepingHouseNovel #RainbowSnippets #PromoLGBTQ Ninety-Four: A Good Scrubbing

/ jlgfellers / 12 Comments

Hi, and welcome to #Rainbowsnippets*! This one is uniquely mine, but there are lots of other great snippets to read so after you finish here click the FB link at the bottom of the post to discover other great LGBTQIA authors and their works.

I had surgery a couple of weeks ago so this post was created ahead of time. Feel free to comment but please know I might be slow with my response.

 

 

 

This week we’re picking up where we left off in Chapter Three of Keeping House. Cent’s family has seen she’s protected for what lies ahead, something Dane finds… Well, see for yourself.

Note: The first paragraph, in orange, comes from last week’s snippet, and it’s Cent speaking.

     “Sorry, not sorry to disappoint you, Dane.” She unfurled her wings and rolled her shoulders to shake them open.

Continue reading →

#KeepingHouseNovel #RainbowSnippets #PromoLGBTQ Ninety-Two: Sorry Not Sorry

/ jlgfellers / 10 Comments

Happy squeal! Cleaning House is a Bi Book Awards finalist in the Speculative Fiction category!  The winners are announced in June so wish me luck!

Oh, and Cleaning House is under audiobook production. It should be available through Amazon and Ibooks in late June or early July.

Good things are happening around here! (crosses fingers in hopes those positive vibes continue)

Hi, and welcome to #Rainbowsnippets*! This one is uniquely mine, but there are lots of other great snippets to read so after you finish here click the FB link at the bottom of the post to discover other great LGBTQIA authors and their works.

I had knee replacement surgery eleven days ago so this post was created ahead of time. Feel free to comment but please know it might be a few days before I respond.

This week we’re picking up where we left off in Chapter Three of Keeping House. Stowne has instructed Exan to gather something special for Cent’s journey, but Cent has no clue as to what it might be.

Note: The first paragraph, in orange, comes from last week’s snippet.

     “Excellent.” Stowne kissed Cent on the forehead and released their hold on her. “Peace on your journey, during your time away, and on your return trip home.” They lifted their head as Pyre approached. “Care for her.”

     “Just like she’s Betty,” said Pyre. “Minus the kisses. Come on, Cent. Let’s get this over with.”

Continue reading →

#WriteLGBTQ #WIP #KeepingHouseNovel: Wash

/ jlgfellers / Leave a comment

#writeLGBTQ #KeepingHouseNovel My self-applied theme is wash. Why self-inflected applied? I’m on medical hiatus at present so this post was written before the suggested theme was shared, but I’ll be back soon so feel free to comment!

 

 

 

Washroom. Wash up. Wash and dry.  In Appalachia, you sometimes hear the word pronounced as warsh, but Cent’s had too much post-secondary education to ever say it that way. That said, she’s not exactly happy with her necessary untruths about now, but Mr. Jones would never ever understand.

   “I thought you got married last year,” said Mr. Jones.

   “I did. And my spouse knows Dane well. We’re all friends.” Ooh, that’s pushing things. But he accepted her answer because he had no idea what was really going on.

Continue reading →

#1lineWed #PromoLGBTQ #Paranormal #Fantasy: Myth

/ jlgfellers / Leave a comment

Here’s another short-‘n-sweet #1lineWed post. The theme is myth, but I’m running with the idea, not the specific word. A myth is a traditional story, so I’m showing a bit of a Hunter Fey myth as told by their king, Dane.

 

 

 

 

   Dane emptied her moonshine jar and tossed it into the air, where it disappeared. “We come from Scotland, lads, lasses, and those who claim neither, both, or somewheres betwixt. Hunters are the third fey court, the one no one speaks about, the one written outta history.” She shushed the boos and hisses rising around her. “Yeah, I know. It’s a cryin’ shame too because we’re the best of them all.”

#WIP #amwriting #KeepingHouseNovel #AppalachianElementals

#WIPpetWed #AppalachianElementals #WIP 3/27/2019 No Daughter of Liberty

/ jlgfellers / 8 Comments

Welcome to my contribution to #WIPpet Wednesday*, a blog hop where authors share from their current works in progress (WIPs)!  I’m still plugging away at my still untitled WIP. Yes, I’ve a few titles in mind, but I’m not ready to share any of them as of yet.

I’m picking up where I left off last week.

In case you’re playing catch up…

WIPpet One: Something Brand New

WIPpet Two: Civilized Adult

Here’s my WIPpet math for 3/27/2019: 3=2= 5 paragraphs from, um, my new story inside the #AppalachianElementals series.

Note: This first sentence, in orange, comes from last week’s WIPpet, and it’s young Nub speaking.

     “I’ll go wash.”

     “Wet your hair and pull it back proper.” Conall follows me toward the house. “Wipe your shoes, brush your coat, and wash your face proper while you’re at it.”

Continue reading →

#WIPpetWed #AppalachianElementals 1/30/2019 Good Grief

/ jlgfellers / 8 Comments

Welcome to #WIPpet Wednesday*, a blog hop where authors share from their current works in progress (WIPs).

This week I’m picking up where we left off in Chapter Two.  Cent’s getting to ready to leave, and the family’s gathering in the homestead’s living room to tell her goodbye.

Here’s my #WIPpet Math for 1/30/2019 – 3,0,2 for three hundred and two words from Keeping House, novel to in the Appalachian Elementals series.

Warning: If you’ve yet to read Cleaning House this WIPpet contains a spoiler about Cent.

Note: the portion in orange comes from last week’s #WIPpet.

     (Cent speaking) “…the Hunters ain’t nothing but backasswards if you ask me.”

     “I won’t lie, the idea of them intimidates me,” said Betty. “I’ve gotten used to your wings, but…” Continue reading →

#KeepingHouseNovel #RainbowSnippets Eighty: Wicked Anticipation

/ jlgfellers / 19 Comments

It’s Saturday, and that means it’s time for Rainbowsnippets*! This one is uniquely mine, but there are lots of other great snippets to read, so after you finish here click the FB link at the bottom of the post to discover other great LGBTQIA authors and their works.

Cent, from Cleaning House and Mama etc. is the protagonist in my current #WIP, Keeping House, but I’m currently introducing you to a character who was a minor, but important, player in both stories. Dane’s a major player now, she-king of the Hunter Fey, so you’d best pay attention to the king.

At this point, Cent’s unimpressed, to say the least. Dane’s rudely pointed at her and is now trash-talking to get under Cent’s skin, which is exactly what Dane wants. Continue reading →

#QueerLit #LGBTQbooks #WritingTip Ten Things to Know Before Adding a Non-Binary Character to Your Story

/ jlgfellers / 2 Comments

Note: This post has grown significantly in the past few days weeks months, so there are more than ten. If you want the short and sweet version, read the orange and bold-italic sections. That’ll give you the gist. However, if you’ve never written a non-binary character I strongly suggest you read the entire post. 

So I’ve been reading, a dangerous thing these days, I know, especially for an author. But really, I have been reading, and beta-reading too, and I’ve come across several problems that I believe need to be addressed concerning non-binary characters.

Authors, if you add a non-binary character into your story, please take the following into consideration:

  1. Non-binary characters shouldn’t have their assigned at birth gender revealed early in a story, if at all, and only if it’s necessary. If the character still goes by their assigned-at-birth pronouns, fine, but if the character goes by they/them or any other non-binary pronoun choice then an author should respect this. Negating the non-binary by revealing the birth gender is unacceptable unless it is a situation like a courtroom (most states in the U.S. don’t recognize the non-binary) or the bedroom (where there should be frank discussion IMO before anything happens) and then the author should tread lightly, more so if the author isn’t non-binary (#ownvoices).

Continue reading →