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A.J. McCrae

@ajmccrae.com

79 followers 210 following 81 posts

Neurospicy fantasy/horror author. Appalachian green witch. Devourer of books. Eternally in my spooky era. 💜 she/her ajmccrae.com

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A.J. McCrae @ajmccrae.com · 22d

Hello! I'm A.J. McCrae, author of fantasy and horror with a heavy splash of romance. I write about monsters, magic, and mayhem (not necessarily in that order) with a soft spot for anything involving bones 🦴

For more info and the newsletter I sometimes remember to send: ajmccrae.com

A collage of moody images from Unsplash and Pexels featuring skulls and other bones, forests, weapons, luggage, scrolls, and travel gear. In the center is the silhouette of a forestscape with "A.J. McCrae" written overtop and a witch hat on the "J".

A.J. McCrae @ajmccrae.com · 13h

First frost yesterday. Took the AC unit out of the window tonight. We are officially in FALL WEATHER LET'S GOOO 🍂

a picture of a forest with the words best time of the year written on it

Alt: Sun shining through a forest where the leaves have changed to reds and oranges. Text reads "Best time of the year!!!"

media.tenor.com

Reposted by A.J. McCrae

Carl Zimmer @carlzimmer.com · 2d

Today my @nytimes.com colleagues and I are launching a new series called Lost Science. We interview US scientists who can no longer discover something new about our world, thanks to this year‘s cuts. Here is my first interview with a scientist who studied bees and fires. Gift link: nyti.ms/3IWXbiE

nyti.ms

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Reposted by A.J. McCrae

Schmidt Ocean Institute @schmidtocean.bsky.social · 2d

In celebration of World Octopus Day, we wanted to revisit one of our favorite cephalopod sightings, the glass octopus — Vitreledonella richardi filmed during a month-long #PhoenixIslandsCoral expedition in 2021.

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A.J. McCrae @ajmccrae.com · 2d

I'm currently working on both a folk horror and an adventure fantasy currently (and a handful of other projects in either the horror and/or fantasy space, some crossover between on a couple) #LGBTQWriteAThon #QueerWriters

AmaraJLynn💎🌌🌺GEMS & STAR FLOWERS coming soon! @amaralynn.bsky.social · 3d

#LGBTQWriteAThon October 8:

What genre is your WIP?

#writesky #queerwriters #writers #lgbtqwriters

Image: a burnt orange background with two jack o' lanterns. Text: #LGBTQWriteAThon Use the tag and follow the feed on BlueSky! Tag @LGBTQWriteAThon in photos on Instagram! October 8: Genres.
BlueSky: @amaralynn @rebeccafrostwrites.com Instagram: @LGBTQWriteAThon @amarajlynn @krakengoddess

Reposted by A.J. McCrae

alix e. harrow @alixeharrow.bsky.social · 2d

kinda sweet that bookshop.org's anti-prime sale overlaps with banned books week, which means today you can get free shipping PLUS 20% off their banned books list! bookshop.org/info/banned-...

Banned Books

bookshop.org

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A.J. McCrae @ajmccrae.com · 2d

Woke up at 6am (could have done without that) and, in my sleepy haze, wrote a little 150 word drabble to edit down for a submission later. Maybe that's the trick to getting my brain to write shorter fiction 😅 make sure it's too tired to question things. #AmWriting

A.J. McCrae @ajmccrae.com · 2d

My horror WIP is my only project set in our world, and in modern day (no exact year and it doesn't really matter to the story). The rest of my projects are all second world fantasies inspired by the 1800s-early 1900s
#LGBTQWriteAThon #QueerWriters

AmaraJLynn💎🌌🌺GEMS & STAR FLOWERS coming soon! @amaralynn.bsky.social · 4d

#LGBTQWriteAThon October 7:

What is the setting and/or time period of your WIP?

#writesky #queerwriters #writers #lgbtqwriters

A.J. McCrae @ajmccrae.com · 3d

Nothing like being (lovingly) bullied into working on something NOT novel-length to get out of the current brain funk. This is what writing friends are for 😂

In related news, botanical horror short story in the works?? 👀 #AmWriting

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Reposted by A.J. McCrae

Colin Dickey @colindickey.com · 3d

Ann Radcliffe eating hard cheese right before bed to give herself nightmares, Stoker claiming Dracula was the result of a nightmare induced by a “too generous helping of dressed crab,” let’s go back to the golden age of eating incredibly rich food before bed to create horror literature

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A.J. McCrae @ajmccrae.com · 3d

Yes! I tend to bounce when I start to feel a lull and often it unsticks whatever was going on with the first project

Reposted by A.J. McCrae

Novel Gauntlet Challenge @novelgauntlet.com · 3d

Miss the #GauntletChat? No worries! You can still respond to all the posts at your own pace!

⭐ Chat Overview
💬 Introduction
❓ Question 1
❓ Question 2
❓ Question 3
❓ Question 4
📝 Wrap-Up Question

Join us this Sunday, Oct. 12 at 2pm EST for our next Gauntlet chat in the Discord group! #NovelGauntlet

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A.J. McCrae @ajmccrae.com · 3d

Right there with you and the multiple projects this gauntlet!

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A.J. McCrae @ajmccrae.com · 3d

1000% agree! Rest (TRUE rest) is just as important as getting the words on the page in the writing process

A.J. McCrae @ajmccrae.com · 3d

Sounds like you have a busy week ahead of you! You can do it! 💪

A.J. McCrae @ajmccrae.com · 3d

Progress! Any progress! No word count goal, just WORDS in some format. Gonna be busy work week so I'll take whatever I can get in the off hours.

And I'm generally chatting about my writing either here or instagram (and my newsletter when I remember...)

instagram.com/authorajmccrae

#GauntletChat

Novel Gauntlet Challenge @novelgauntlet.com · 3d

#GauntletChat Wrap-Up! ✏️ What do you hope to accomplish in the next week of the Gauntlet?

And let us know if you’re posting updates anywhere to follow along!

#NovelGauntlet

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A.J. McCrae @ajmccrae.com · 3d

I know writers who can do it and I just have to watch in shock and awe from the sidelines. What do you mean you don't write 3k one day and then nothing for the rest of the week?? 😂

A.J. McCrae @ajmccrae.com · 3d

"Desperation was a harsh mistress, but not as fierce as the curiosity that urged Lia onward."

#GauntletChat

Novel Gauntlet Challenge @novelgauntlet.com · 3d

#GauntletChat Question 4 ✏️ Share a favorite line you’ve written or edited so far this month!

#NovelGauntlet

Gauntlet chat question #4. Share a favorite line you’ve written or edited so far this month! (please remember alt text for any graphics!)

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A.J. McCrae @ajmccrae.com · 3d

Indeed! That's often how I decide if a story is "ready", if it starts taking up more and more mental space, like an itch you can't quite scratch

A.J. McCrae @ajmccrae.com · 3d

#GauntletChat So many lies....

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A.J. McCrae @ajmccrae.com · 3d

That sounds like such a fun project to work on!!

A.J. McCrae @ajmccrae.com · 3d

Honestly having an accountability buddy is SO helpful!!

A.J. McCrae @ajmccrae.com · 3d

I.. don't? Probably not a very good answer but I'm such a burst writer that my momentum is largely driven by a combination of available (mental) time and motivation, and it's rarely consistent. But I do make a point to at least think about my stories daily if not open a doc to work too #GauntletChat

Novel Gauntlet Challenge @novelgauntlet.com · 3d

#GauntletChat Question 2 ✏️ How do you maintain momentum for longer (fiction) projects? Any tips/tricks to share?

#NovelGauntlet

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A.J. McCrae @ajmccrae.com · 3d

Ah yes, the TRUE enemies-to-lovers (the best kind IMO). Not that I don't love a good rivals to lovers but it doesn't hit quite the same

A.J. McCrae @ajmccrae.com · 3d

My horror WIP came from my former work commute 😅 There was always so much roadkill along the road and I wished I could bring it back to life (the forest god bits came later..). No real author/book influences there but my adventure fantasy leans heavy on my love of Tamora Pierce's books #GauntletChat

Novel Gauntlet Challenge @novelgauntlet.com · 3d

#GauntletChat Question #1✏️ What inspired your story? Are there any books or authors that influenced your work?

#NovelGauntlet

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A.J. McCrae @ajmccrae.com · 3d

Enemies to lovers, my beloved 😈💜

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