Merrie Haskell
@merriehaskell.bsky.social
In a library alone; writing; parenting kids 25 years apart in age; polymer clay. Author of Handbook for Dragon Slayers, The Princess Curse, & that short story you half-remember like a dream. See my Patreon for TPC 2.
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Merrie Haskell
@merriehaskell.bsky.social
· May 31
Today's shower hypothesis:
"See you later, alligator / In a while, crocodile" are a modern inheritance of Shakespeare-era end-of-scene rhyming couplets.
"See you later, alligator / In a while, crocodile" are a modern inheritance of Shakespeare-era end-of-scene rhyming couplets.
Even with so much of the world on fire, I'm glad to have had my stardust globule animated in an era when humanity has already written a couple hundred million books.
November 26, 2025 at 10:20 AM
Even with so much of the world on fire, I'm glad to have had my stardust globule animated in an era when humanity has already written a couple hundred million books.
Today I learned: I prefer Comice pears over all types available at the store this week, Bosc are bland, Bartletts taste the most like pear jellybellies and are a tiny bit more tasty to me than D'Anjou, the red ones aren't great, and I can't describe what pears taste like.
October 18, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Today I learned: I prefer Comice pears over all types available at the store this week, Bosc are bland, Bartletts taste the most like pear jellybellies and are a tiny bit more tasty to me than D'Anjou, the red ones aren't great, and I can't describe what pears taste like.
Okay, here goes, full commitment:
I'm going read THE PRINCESS CURSE aloud and on camera, live-streaming style to Patreon patrons starting 10/25/25. This is prep for the sequel. www.patreon.com/posts/segue-...
I'm going read THE PRINCESS CURSE aloud and on camera, live-streaming style to Patreon patrons starting 10/25/25. This is prep for the sequel. www.patreon.com/posts/segue-...
October 18, 2025 at 12:14 PM
Okay, here goes, full commitment:
I'm going read THE PRINCESS CURSE aloud and on camera, live-streaming style to Patreon patrons starting 10/25/25. This is prep for the sequel. www.patreon.com/posts/segue-...
I'm going read THE PRINCESS CURSE aloud and on camera, live-streaming style to Patreon patrons starting 10/25/25. This is prep for the sequel. www.patreon.com/posts/segue-...
Reposted by Merrie Haskell
Unfortunately, "Strangers Meet and Draw Blood" isn't pithy in the "meet-cute" way. Or nouny. Oh. OH. Meet-brute?
...
#darkromance #gothicromance #writingromance #anyonesolvedit
...
#darkromance #gothicromance #writingromance #anyonesolvedit
October 18, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Unfortunately, "Strangers Meet and Draw Blood" isn't pithy in the "meet-cute" way. Or nouny. Oh. OH. Meet-brute?
...
#darkromance #gothicromance #writingromance #anyonesolvedit
...
#darkromance #gothicromance #writingromance #anyonesolvedit
These Pixies are also excellent people
COMMISSIONS:
Commission a custom piece of a art featuring your loved ones, your characters, or a furry loved one! Personal and commercial pricing available, we love doing book covers, custom enamel pins and more!
www.atomicpixies.com/commissions
Commission a custom piece of a art featuring your loved ones, your characters, or a furry loved one! Personal and commercial pricing available, we love doing book covers, custom enamel pins and more!
www.atomicpixies.com/commissions
August 22, 2025 at 4:12 PM
These Pixies are also excellent people
Was thinking fondly about the book HEIDI but couldn't remember the plot points, so went to look them up and came away with "OMG what was that ableist bullshit." Disability goes away because goat's milk and someone tossed your wheelchair down the mountain? YIKES
August 22, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Was thinking fondly about the book HEIDI but couldn't remember the plot points, so went to look them up and came away with "OMG what was that ableist bullshit." Disability goes away because goat's milk and someone tossed your wheelchair down the mountain? YIKES
Reposted by Merrie Haskell
The sky over the writer's desk was the color of a Word document without any text.
July 22, 2025 at 12:03 PM
The sky over the writer's desk was the color of a Word document without any text.
Reposted by Merrie Haskell
All good skeets are alike; each bad skeet is bad in its own way.
July 22, 2025 at 3:25 PM
All good skeets are alike; each bad skeet is bad in its own way.
Reposted by Merrie Haskell
Among the least addressed Facebook perils are posts in groups with which I have no affiliation that rise unbidden in my timeline.
Box turtle husbandry, sketchy tessellation, potato chip jigsaw.
This knowledge is forbidden; it is not for me to know.
Yet, it *could* be mine, whispers my mind.
#ADHD
Box turtle husbandry, sketchy tessellation, potato chip jigsaw.
This knowledge is forbidden; it is not for me to know.
Yet, it *could* be mine, whispers my mind.
#ADHD
March 10, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Among the least addressed Facebook perils are posts in groups with which I have no affiliation that rise unbidden in my timeline.
Box turtle husbandry, sketchy tessellation, potato chip jigsaw.
This knowledge is forbidden; it is not for me to know.
Yet, it *could* be mine, whispers my mind.
#ADHD
Box turtle husbandry, sketchy tessellation, potato chip jigsaw.
This knowledge is forbidden; it is not for me to know.
Yet, it *could* be mine, whispers my mind.
#ADHD
Never forget that it's a money game and your validation as a writer cannot rest on publishing success if you want to be happy.
4. This is subjective. Of course it is. Perhaps they admire your skill but aren't keen on the book.
5. Agents and publishers are bookworms, but they are also sales people because they need to be able to sell your book to the market & maybe they just don't think they can or have a vision for it.
5. Agents and publishers are bookworms, but they are also sales people because they need to be able to sell your book to the market & maybe they just don't think they can or have a vision for it.
July 22, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Never forget that it's a money game and your validation as a writer cannot rest on publishing success if you want to be happy.
Reposted by Merrie Haskell
Learning to take somebody's pulse in Europe around 1600: "Wie man den pulß erkennen vn greiffen sol"
With this drawing next to the initial, the medical book aimed to demonstrate how to take the pulse correctly. Having an image assisting the text was important. #bookhistory #histmed #skystorians
With this drawing next to the initial, the medical book aimed to demonstrate how to take the pulse correctly. Having an image assisting the text was important. #bookhistory #histmed #skystorians
July 22, 2025 at 8:57 AM
Learning to take somebody's pulse in Europe around 1600: "Wie man den pulß erkennen vn greiffen sol"
With this drawing next to the initial, the medical book aimed to demonstrate how to take the pulse correctly. Having an image assisting the text was important. #bookhistory #histmed #skystorians
With this drawing next to the initial, the medical book aimed to demonstrate how to take the pulse correctly. Having an image assisting the text was important. #bookhistory #histmed #skystorians
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a writer in want of an opening line will attempt to use this one from Jane Austen.
July 22, 2025 at 10:45 AM
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a writer in want of an opening line will attempt to use this one from Jane Austen.
Reposted by Merrie Haskell
This is glorious
For more info lifehacker.com/tech/hide-go...
Swear at Google Until It Hides AI Search Results
Are you tired of the annoying AI overview at the top of your search results? Turns out you can get rid of it by starting your search with curse words. The trick spread thanks to a now-viral thread on ...
lifehacker.com
July 7, 2025 at 10:34 PM
This is glorious
Reposted by Merrie Haskell
The @uncannymagazine.bsky.social Kickstarter is live with some very cool rewards, including a few from meeeee: www.kickstarter.com/projects/unc...
Uncanny Magazine Year 12: Fly Forever, Space Unicorns!
Funding to support Year 12 of Hugo Award-winning Uncanny Magazine. We have more stories to tell together!
www.kickstarter.com
July 7, 2025 at 9:26 PM
The @uncannymagazine.bsky.social Kickstarter is live with some very cool rewards, including a few from meeeee: www.kickstarter.com/projects/unc...
At the ILL discussion group at #alaac2025 --usually my fave session but there's a lot to live up to this time!
June 28, 2025 at 6:35 PM
At the ILL discussion group at #alaac2025 --usually my fave session but there's a lot to live up to this time!
Reposted by Merrie Haskell
Relating a response (from her mom?) as she talked about a situation as a manager "You talked about it three times. are you going to find a solution?" #ALAAC25
June 28, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Relating a response (from her mom?) as she talked about a situation as a manager "You talked about it three times. are you going to find a solution?" #ALAAC25
This is the dream.
All staff who are library assistants and higher must do a RA 101 course including a collection overview and reference interview techniques, displays, and best practices. Then some assignments such as "use the RA chat" and provide staff picks and consider how they function as RA tools. #alaac25
June 28, 2025 at 5:58 PM
This is the dream.
Reposted by Merrie Haskell
Many articles are written to be published, not to be read.
I propose this new badge to help me know when to save my breath.
I propose this new badge to help me know when to save my breath.
June 26, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Many articles are written to be published, not to be read.
I propose this new badge to help me know when to save my breath.
I propose this new badge to help me know when to save my breath.
Reposted by Merrie Haskell
As someone who mostly reads horror, I'll never understand the vitriol towards "cozy" books. People say they are escapist, unserious, allowing readers to avoid big issues. And I'm like, girl, WHEN did your dark romance book fix society? Did I BLINK and miss your detective thriller solving crime?
June 27, 2025 at 2:32 AM
As someone who mostly reads horror, I'll never understand the vitriol towards "cozy" books. People say they are escapist, unserious, allowing readers to avoid big issues. And I'm like, girl, WHEN did your dark romance book fix society? Did I BLINK and miss your detective thriller solving crime?
Reposted by Merrie Haskell
New story out today! Visit a trade convention for space gift shops and find out who inevitably tries to ruin it for the rest of us in All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt, now up on @lightspeedmagazine.com : www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/all-...
All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt - Lightspeed Magazine
It had been a long day of convention. All I wanted was a quiet drink in the hotel bar and quality time in my room with a romance novel. The utter cad from Planetary Industries was an unanticipated bub...
www.lightspeedmagazine.com
June 26, 2025 at 1:37 PM
New story out today! Visit a trade convention for space gift shops and find out who inevitably tries to ruin it for the rest of us in All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt, now up on @lightspeedmagazine.com : www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/all-...
Reposted by Merrie Haskell
The way this indie bookstore is organized is unhinged.
June 27, 2025 at 12:09 AM
The way this indie bookstore is organized is unhinged.
Reposted by Merrie Haskell
As authors generally, and as authors for children specifically, our whole job is to remove ourselves from the page and make space for the reader. Let the reader build the world. Let the reader have the space to define the story - and their own story - for themselves. It's a great responsibilty.
April 17, 2025 at 10:36 PM
As authors generally, and as authors for children specifically, our whole job is to remove ourselves from the page and make space for the reader. Let the reader build the world. Let the reader have the space to define the story - and their own story - for themselves. It's a great responsibilty.
I'm at #ALAAC25 and so excited! I haven't been to an ALA since my kid was born and also that [collective trauma thing redacted]. 2018 New Orleans, I guess!
June 27, 2025 at 12:07 PM
I'm at #ALAAC25 and so excited! I haven't been to an ALA since my kid was born and also that [collective trauma thing redacted]. 2018 New Orleans, I guess!
Reposted by Merrie Haskell
Spent the day sightseeing in Philly and thinking about a Langston Hughes line: "Let America be America again- the land that never has been yet- and yet must be- the land where everyman is free". Anyway, I'll be at #ALAAC25 tomorrow and might be diving into Library Bluesky for a few days here...
June 26, 2025 at 9:45 PM
Spent the day sightseeing in Philly and thinking about a Langston Hughes line: "Let America be America again- the land that never has been yet- and yet must be- the land where everyman is free". Anyway, I'll be at #ALAAC25 tomorrow and might be diving into Library Bluesky for a few days here...