Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Sage like the Pumpkin Spice

@sagecollins.bsky.social

400 followers 140 following 3.1K posts

Mad scientist, testing H2O to keep it safe from supervillains & polluters. Prolly posting about writing, workouts, games/tv, or cats. Maybe about mud. She/her. No LLMs/AI allowed

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Sage like the Pumpkin Spice @sagecollins.bsky.social · 17d

Ice cream orders:

Sunny Ray: birthday cake w/ hot fudge, whipped cream, & rainbow sprinkles. Add more scoops w/ other flavors, please!
Jack Frost: plain vanilla…until Ray adds some toppings
Daisy: coffee
Ski: lemon sorbet
Mother Nature: strawberry
Father Time: green tea
#UnhingedPit #YA #LGBT #F #Q

a glass bowl filled with ice cream scoops and chocolate covered strawberries .

Alt: A collection of ice creams: a sundae with lots of flavors, cones with rainbows of scoops, an ice cream bar on a stick, a cone with fresh strawberries on the soft serve…

media.tenor.com

4 4 45

Sage like the Pumpkin Spice @sagecollins.bsky.social · 24m

The problem with SF is that you'll write a story for fun, and then 8 years later, it's suddenly like, "oh, wait, that's applicable to today."

Sage like the Pumpkin Spice @sagecollins.bsky.social · 2h

Everything will be perfect now, obviously! 😇

Reposted by Sage like the Pumpkin Spice

Sage like the Pumpkin Spice @sagecollins.bsky.social · 7h

All that stands between Jack & Mother Nature’s powers is a golden seed on the ground while he’s up in the sycamore tree that it fell from

#WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingCommunity
From Summer’s Cruel Warmth, Winter’s Gentle Chill ❄️🏆

Black text, green background, “prize” highlighted blue

Ray snaps his eyes down as soon as he realizes I've spotted him, and instead he begins his search among the achenes for the golden one. I scramble from branch to branch to get down before he can find it, raising another ice barrier to buy me some time. Ray places his hand on it, and it melts. He doesn't have that in-his-element glow that I saw in Winter or yesterday in the library. He's not sucking the heat from the room to build up his power. I let out a painful exhalation. I've misjudged him completely.

Not willing to give up, I place barrier after barrier between him and the golden seed, slowing him down as we both race for the PRIZE, him from the ground and me from above. The seed is right below me if I dare to make a dive for it. I'm still ten feet from the ground, but what's a broken leg compared to a thousand years of a healthy heart, an appeased kingdom, and the end of the blight of global warming. I jump.

A heated wind intercepts me and knocks me sideways. I can't help the cry that releases from me as my back hits the ground, sending shockwaves of pain through my body. Between that and the stifling heat, the barrier around my heart shatters. My heartbeat falters for a second, and I grasp at my chest as if I can stop the vise-like grip seizing it.

3 24

Sage like the Pumpkin Spice @sagecollins.bsky.social · 7h

3 24

Sage like the Pumpkin Spice @sagecollins.bsky.social · 10h

Thanks, I’m very proud of the transition & growth of Blake, which came about very naturally as the series progressed 😊

Sage like the Pumpkin Spice @sagecollins.bsky.social · 12h

#AwesomeCharacters

Oh, yeah, by b3, Blake who was terrified of the word “love” with regards to Ren, now is realizing he maybe has feelings for him.

So, yeah, Blake grows the most

1 3

Sage like the Pumpkin Spice @sagecollins.bsky.social · 12h

#AwesomeCharacters

Oh, have I mentioned that Blake hates the occult in b1. B2, he’s grudgingly accepting of occulty things. B3, he’s now Occult Blake, studying & making up workings. He’ll pretty much do anything for Ren now. Why?

1 2

Sage like the Pumpkin Spice @sagecollins.bsky.social · 12h

#AwesomeCharacters

By end of b1, he’s promising to do things & broken up thinking Ren’s gone. Ren’s not, though & by b2, months later, he’s Action Blake, making an effort to give Ren experiences & barely whining about them. He’ll admit he lovesorwhatever Ren, but shows of affection are beyond him

1 2

Sage like the Pumpkin Spice @sagecollins.bsky.social · 12h

#AwesomeCharacters

The biggest change goes to Blake over the course of b1 & the series.

B1: He starts totally whiny, lazy, & hating on Ren. But his acceptance of his (bromantic) love for Ren grows in the book, & he goes all out to save him (Kay also gets some credit for getting his ass in gear)

Charlie Delta (has been a ghost this whole time! 👻) @charliedeltawrites.bsky.social · 17h

Tell me more about your #AwesomeCharacters

Let's talk about growth!🌱

Does your character change a lot over the course of the story?

If so, what about them do you think changes the most? Is it for the better, or for the worse?

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts

1 3

Sage like the Pumpkin Spice @sagecollins.bsky.social · 13h

Absolutely

#QueerPrompts

🌈CJ Aralore @cjaralore.bsky.social · 13h

#QueerPrompts October 10: Free Friday or World Mental Health Day: Has positive queer rep in books helped your mental health?

Graphics: The background is pumpkins surrounding a stack of books. The border has broken chains saying "BANNED", a rainbow saying LGBTQ History, books wrapped in tape or chains, pride flags, and cute Halloween characters.
Text: "October 2025" on top and "#QueerPrompts" and "Host: @CJAralore" on the bottom, all in a rainbow font.
Center text is:
#QueerPrompts October 10: Free Friday or World Mental Health Day: Has positive queer rep in books helped your mental health?

Sage like the Pumpkin Spice @sagecollins.bsky.social · 17h

What a surprise! It’s a 3 o’clock request for something to get done today on a Thursday (which is my Friday)

Reposted by Sage like the Pumpkin Spice

GiannaMarie @giannamarie.bsky.social · 20h

If you've been on the fence about querying me or I requested your material from #DVPit and you haven't sent your package over, now's your time!

I hope to reopen in early November. When I do, I'll announce it here. :)

2 12

Reposted by Sage like the Pumpkin Spice

GiannaMarie @giannamarie.bsky.social · 20h

All right, it looks like October is shaping up to be a delightfully busy month for me! I won't have the time to consider taking any new clients for a few weeks, so I'm going to shut my QM form for a little while, starting THIS SUNDAY, October 12th.

1 2 10

Sage like the Pumpkin Spice @sagecollins.bsky.social · 20h

Ooh, I did not know this one!

Reposted by Sage like the Pumpkin Spice

Brigid Barr-ied Secrets 👻 @brigidbarryme.bsky.social · 21h

Random question, would anyone in the BlueSky-verse be interested in a giveaway of a signed paperback copy of Straw Girl (and a potential second place prize of a couple bookmarks or something)?

Enough like/share/repost and I'll do one.

*Lower 48 US only, other RPP authors not eligible

a man wearing glasses is standing in front of a blackboard and saying `` anyone ? '' .

ALT: a man wearing glasses is standing in front of a blackboard and saying `` anyone ? '' .

media.tenor.com

3 4

Sage like the Pumpkin Spice @sagecollins.bsky.social · 23h

#QueerPrompts

I have to consider what ex-BF is doing that’s causing problems & it might be a curse that my 2 girls have to break. It’s one of the things I’m still developing.

Past books have no actual curses, though Blake has a lot of bad luck with workings (better luck once he starts studying)

🌈CJ Aralore @cjaralore.bsky.social · 1d

#QueerPrompts October 9: Curses or bad luck in story?

Sage like the Pumpkin Spice @sagecollins.bsky.social · 1d

So annoying!

Sage like the Pumpkin Spice @sagecollins.bsky.social · 1d

Thank you so much! 💙

Sage like the Pumpkin Spice @sagecollins.bsky.social · 1d

It's shipping Draco and Hermoine

1 1

Sage like the Pumpkin Spice @sagecollins.bsky.social · 1d

Interesting, because I took the word "endearing" at face value, & thus chose the most endearing, good character. There are characters I love, but that I don't feel are as easy to quantify what would endear them to others

Strong voice & vulnerabilities help with my villain MC (who is loved by betas)

1 4

Sage like the Pumpkin Spice @sagecollins.bsky.social · 1d

It's been a long time since I had a new novel to talk about. I'm used to answering BlueSky (and others) prompts by talking about established characters and plots.

I appreciate #PlotTober because it's given me things to think about as I work out what I want the story & characters to be.

Sage like the Pumpkin Spice @sagecollins.bsky.social · 1d

May be some family dynamics at play, which I'm still working on. She has a magical family that she might be trying to run from (though she gets along w/ her sibs). Possible "soulmate" requirement for magical people that she's not interested in, but her family may have some necromancy in their past

Sage like the Pumpkin Spice @sagecollins.bsky.social · 1d

#PlotTober

MC's confident in herself & her lack of romance. Friends try to matchmake for her, lamenting she doesn't have what she gives others, but she's secure in her (aro)aceness

She has some greed, which sets off the rivalry aspect. But she also legitimately cares about her clients/peers

Ange @gunsmile.bsky.social · 1d

#PlotTober Day 9: MC personality & behaviors

Answer the prompt on the card by quoting this post. Remember, answering a prompt is always optional. Even if you don't share it publicly, I hope the prompt encourages you to think about it privately.

#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky

#PlotTober - a WIP plotting game by @gunsmile.bsky.social

9. What are some personality traits and behaviors, both positive and negative, that you think would suit your main character(s)? How do these traits affect your main character's goals and motivations?

Remember: Use the #PlotTober hashtag, engage with others, and have fun!

3 13

Sage like the Pumpkin Spice @sagecollins.bsky.social · 1d

That is incredibly nice, thank you! 🥰

1 3

Sage like the Pumpkin Spice @sagecollins.bsky.social · 1d

I knew you’d have a good battery one today 😁