Mel Starkicker
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starkicker.bsky.social
Mel Starkicker
@starkicker.bsky.social
180 followers 320 following 320 posts
"I'm a song about the song that once said something new."
Teacher. Drummer. Author. Cocker spaniel fan. ❤️ music.
🏳️‍🌈🥁🎸🐶
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starkicker.bsky.social
Mel Starkicker @starkicker.bsky.social · 4d
#QueerWriters #WriteSky #lesfic #sapphic #BookSky

Act 5: I finish writing the book and eventually share it with the world
Note: MC is a much better singer/guitarist than I am 🫣
starkicker.bsky.social Mel Starkicker @starkicker.bsky.social · 23d
A story in five acts:

Act 1: I wrote a song.
Act 2: I wrote a story inspired by said song
Act 3: I recorded the song
Act 4: I'm uploading the song to bluesky because maybe people will like it?
Act 5: idk... I lied, there's only four acts-- for now.
starkicker.bsky.social
Oh there are so many I could choose...
Let's go with Alex Lahey's "Isabella"

#QueerWriters #WriteSky #lesfic #sapphic #BookSky #WIP #WritingPrompts

www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJix...
November 28, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Reposted by Mel Starkicker
titaniatempest.bsky.social
#lesficfri prompt #thank

Excerpt from #AThousandReasons (releasing soon!!)

#RowanAndViv
Viv dropped her gaze to her wineglass, considering. Part of her burned to discuss it – and even more ill-advisedly, to repeat it – and Rowan being so gentle and thoughtful about it all wasn’t helping in the slightest. At last, she looked up and said carefully, “I… don’t want to pretend it didn’t happen.” Rowan released an explosive breath, and her lips curved so brightly it made Viv’s chest contract. “Thank God – because I’m quite sure I’ll be thinking about the way you kissed me every day for the rest of my life.” Viv smiled despite herself. “It wasn’t that spectacular.” Rowan raised both eyebrows. As high as they could go. “Fine,” Viv conceded after a beat. “Kissing you was… mind-blowing.” “I still can’t quite believe you did,” Rowan said with a slow shake of her head. “Stupidest thing I’ve ever done,” Viv sighed. “Was it?” Viv caught the falter in Rowan’s voice and replied softly, “Not because I regret it. Only because it could have disastrous consequences. You don’t need a tangle with Vivienne Vale on your CV, Rowan.”
November 28, 2025 at 10:54 AM
starkicker.bsky.social
Definitely going with vibes here. Chapter 29 #WIP

2nd verse, chorus, bridge, end of the song Julie (finally) wrote and then played for Izzy.

In actuality, this is the song that inspired the entire story (as heard in my pinned post).

#QueerWriters #WriteSky #lesfic #sapphic #BookSky #WIPSnips
A screen grab of text from a work in progress Secrets and smiles that get lost in the dark Where I wanna feel that little spark And I’ll be the one who tries to hold on And you’ll be the one who drags me along I needed to go, but I wanted to stay Where all of these words I’ve been trying to say They hang in the air and get left unsaid And it goes around and around in my head And these words remain unsaid And when the words finally come And I’m tired of feeling numb Your words are all I want Your voice is all I need Running Around and around in my head And these words remain unsaid.
November 28, 2025 at 9:37 AM
Reposted by Mel Starkicker
licoricemint.bsky.social
#AwesomeCharacters #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts #lesfic #sapphic #QueerWriters #LicoriceAndMint

Nat never takes off the enchanted leather spike bracelet Vola made for her.

Vola keeps a small notebook and pen in the jacket Nat gave her. So she always has something to write on.
charliedeltawrites.bsky.social Charlie Delta 🦊🐐 @charliedeltawrites.bsky.social · 17h
Tell me more about your #AwesomeCharacters

What is something your character always carries with them?

In a purse, a bag, a secret pouch, a pocket?

Is there something they never travel without? Why?

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
November 28, 2025 at 12:49 AM
starkicker.bsky.social
Physical book. Reading is my escape from the screens I use for work and writing.

I would love audiobooks, but I just cannot focus on what they're saying, and I end up tuning them out. I blame open-concept classrooms of my youth.

#BookSky #WriteSky #Books #Authors #WritingCommunity
woodenvelt.bsky.social Samantha Breaux @woodenvelt.bsky.social · 9h
Welcome to #Bookvember Day 28!

Follow the directions on the prompt card and discuss your reading habits.

#BookSky #WriteSky #Books #Authors #WritingCommunity
Bookvember, a book share prompt game for writers and readers by @woodenvelt.bsky.social Day 28: How do you do your reading? Paperback, E-reader, audiobook? All of the above? What appeals to you about your favorite format? #Bookvember. Use alt text for images. Have fun and interact with others!
November 28, 2025 at 7:38 AM
Reposted by Mel Starkicker
thelesbianreview.com
New Review

Windburn by Milena McKay is a spicy sapphic romance filled to the brim with secrets, witches, and a chin lift or two.

@jennabeebs79.bsky.social
@reallymckay.bsky.social

buff.ly/vv6h4db
November 28, 2025 at 1:00 AM
starkicker.bsky.social
It doesn't start this way, by chapter 24 Julie always carries one of the blue, tortoise shell guitar picks that Izzy (LI) surprised her with.

#QueerWriters #WriteSky #lesfic #sapphic #BookSky #WIP #WritingPrompts
charliedeltawrites.bsky.social Charlie Delta 🦊🐐 @charliedeltawrites.bsky.social · 17h
Tell me more about your #AwesomeCharacters

What is something your character always carries with them?

In a purse, a bag, a secret pouch, a pocket?

Is there something they never travel without? Why?

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
November 28, 2025 at 5:26 AM
Reposted by Mel Starkicker
publisherswkly.bsky.social
★ Ashley Herring Blake’s endearing and believable second Clover Lake romance puts the enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity tropes to excellent use. It's a well-paced, tension-filled sapphic romance that doubles as a celebration of personal growth and healing. @BerkleyPub buff.ly/TDmCVB5
November 27, 2025 at 2:15 PM
starkicker.bsky.social
Only if it's divided into two books because it's so big of a book that it would be physically uncomfortable for the average human to read it. In that case, split in two & released at the same time is fine.

Otherwise, no ty
Secondary plots and hinting at things is fine though. Just not main plot.
woodenvelt.bsky.social Samantha Breaux @woodenvelt.bsky.social · 1d
Welcome to #Bookvember Day 27!

Follow the directions on the prompt card and discuss the tropes we love and hate.

#BookSky #WriteSky #Books #Authors #WritingCommunity
Bookvember, a book share prompt game for writers and readers by @woodenvelt.bsky.social Day 27: How do you feel about cliff hangers? Love them? Hate them? Is there a book you feel did a cliffhanger particularly well (or did it poorly)? #Bookvember. Use alt text for images. Have fun and interact with others!
November 27, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Reposted by Mel Starkicker
dcswanson.bsky.social
If you’ve lost your lust for #learning and you’re tired of being taught,
And your brain is only yearning for the latest app you bought,
Let me offer a suggestion: buy a paper book and read it-
Turning pages, without question, helps recharge the minds that need it.

#vss365
November 27, 2025 at 1:25 PM
starkicker.bsky.social
From a work in progress. Its appearance shows up just as a memory triggers for Julie that reminds her that some things are worth fighting for.

#QueerWriters #WriteSky #lesfic #sapphic #BookSky #WIP #WIPSnips
A screen grab from a work in progress. It reads: A page fell out of the binder and fluttered to the floor. Julie picked it up and held the page in her hand. All the air escaped from her lungs as recognition of what exactly she was holding overwhelmed her. She lowered herself to the floor and sat there staring at the loose page surrounded by disorganized memories and the smell of dust. She ran her fingers over the ticket stubs glued to the sheet. The print had faded with time, but she could still make out the name. “I remember this concert,” she whispered. It had been Julie’s idea.
November 27, 2025 at 9:28 AM
Reposted by Mel Starkicker
cathypegau.bsky.social
Get thee to the sale!
🏳️‍🌈 The @bywaterbooks.bsky.social Reader Appreciation Sale is ON!
👀 25% off all ebooks & paperbacks
📚 Build a bolder, queerer bookshelf
💣 Code: GIVETHANKS25
🚫 Ends Dec 1
👉 Grab your next favorite
bywaterbooks.com
#SapphicBooks #QueerLit #BookSale #LGBTQIABooks
bywaterbooks.com we are all stories Our annual reader appreciation sale now through December 1st Take 25% off all ebooks and paperbacks Coupon code: GIVETHANKS25
November 26, 2025 at 9:59 PM
starkicker.bsky.social
#QueerWriters #WriteSky #lesfic #sapphic #BookSky #WIP

Intro to chapter 8 of one of my current WIP. Went with a synonym with the same vibes as impede.
a screen grab of text from a work in progress. It reads: Lunch with Shannon had quietly become part of Jacqueline's new routine. Not every day--Shannon's schedule was unpredictable--but often enough that Jacqueline found herself noticing when she wasn't there. It was a strange feeling of befriending that Jacqueline found both disconcerting and destined to fail. Eventually Jacqueline would leave. Investing in anything here was a waste of time. Jacqueline knew that, but knowing didn't stop her. It didn't stop Shannon either.
November 26, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Reposted by Mel Starkicker
adregem.bsky.social
Here's my one and only use of the word "impede" across every WIP from the last 20+ years from an #UrbanFantasy I never really did anything with #WIPSnips #WIP #AmWriting #WritingPrompts #Writers #Writing #WritingCommunity #WriteSky #Paranormal
They were all laughing and relaxed, many of them nursing cokes or bottled water—not, I noticed, beer or any of beer’s more potent cousins, which is what I would have expected to see in a large gathering of college and high-school aged people sitting around an abandoned dam in the middle of the wilderness. I could guess at the reasons why, though I hadn’t really been given a primer on alcohol use in shifters: They either felt the alcohol would impede their ability to shift, hunt or otherwise participate in the ceremony, or (more likely) the alcohol in their bodies wouldn’t survive transformation, so what was the point.
November 26, 2025 at 3:06 PM
starkicker.bsky.social
#debut #QueerWriters #WriteSky #lesfic #sapphic #BookSky #WIP

Julie is unimpressed with her family.
November 26, 2025 at 7:29 AM
Reposted by Mel Starkicker
leewinteroz.bsky.social
Cover reveal!

Artist Sienna is mistaken for an intern at a luxury goods emporium & meets her past: Jasmine, a former curator who shredded her art years ago. Sienna, now 34, decides to prove herself to an icy boss who doesn’t even remember her.
Office tension, banter, slow-burn sparks.
📖 Early Jan
Cover of When She Flies by Lee Winter shows a sexy ice queen in a red dress surely about to break a young artist’s heart. Send flowers
November 25, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Reposted by Mel Starkicker
ylva-publishing.bsky.social
💘 COVER REVEAL 🕊️🎨💼

@leewinteroz.bsky.social's When She Flies: artist Sienna is mistaken for an intern and meets her past, ice-queen CEO Jasmine who once shredded her art. Now Sienna interns at 34 to prove herself.

Expect office tension, sharp banter, slow-burn sparks.

📖 Out early 2026.
November 25, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Reposted by Mel Starkicker
licoricemint.bsky.social
#WIPSnips #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts #lesfic #sapphic #QueerWriters #LicoriceAndMint

From Licorice and Mint: Ch. 12 - Made of Silk

archiveofourown.org/series/1962421
“While you’re waiting, care to help me sort through this stuff? It’s all Wali’s new shit, grime, ruff, 8-bar…he’s convinced it’s gonna be the next big thing. Now we just gotta find somewhere to put it all.” The other woman gestured to the crates littering the floor by the counter. “Besides, it’ll give you something to do.” Nat nodded, grateful for something to do with her hands. The Silversun Pickups song, like most of their music, had hit a chord with her anxiety. After everything she and Vola had been through together, was she really going to be so quick to believe the worst? The question warred with the hurt and shame still hovering in the wings. For a few moments, she and Ahn-Me opened boxes in silence, stacking plastic cases in neat piles. Behind the door, the voices rose and fell, the words unintelligible.
November 25, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Reposted by Mel Starkicker
chel-c-cam.bsky.social
So many of these “debates” about themes and tropes and POV in romance all assume that a man is one of the MCs and I’m just over here writing sapphic romance and wishing people would remember it existed.
November 25, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Reposted by Mel Starkicker
hookandquillpress.com
Hello, friends! We came across this fellow, and don't quite know what to make of him. He calls himself Quillbert, and says that he's on a crucial mission to investigate some exciting book news. I'm not entirely sure where he's from, but this news does sound exciting...
#writing #writingcommunity
A yellow plush octopus sits in the middle of a star drawn on a sandy beach.
November 24, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Reposted by Mel Starkicker
m-walshwrites.com
#amwriting #WIPsnips #WritingCommunity #WriteSky
“Listen, Lock,” she continued. “I didn’t bring it up on the ship because I was still dealing with it myself. But what happened in Seba … sometimes we make mistakes even when we’re doing our best. We get caught up in our own …” She trailed off, and it occurred to him that he almost never saw her at a loss for words. “Seria,” he said. “You have nothing to feel guilty about.” “Don’t I? I was there, too.” She shook her head. “My point is, I understand your pain better than you think. But you can’t lash out at something that isn’t there. I’ve come with you this far because I want you to get it out of your system. We did what we could for those people in Seba, and now we’ve protected this village from brigands. If that’s still not enough, then maybe we really should just go back to Aster.”
November 25, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Reposted by Mel Starkicker
caseyadamsstark.bsky.social
This is from a weird west sci-fi short I didn’t finish in time. Maybe I’ll get back to it someday. #WIPSnips
Our twin suns kiss the toasted land in tandem during half our solar run. Sol Prime is the one we spin around. Sol Twain is a neighbor, close enough to wreck havoc on the climate but independent of our planetary system. At least that's how the astronomer on the mountain explains it. He's an odd duck sitting up there by his lonesome, peering at the heavenly bodies and fiery balls of gaseous substances day and night; putting ink to paper in the form of equations and angles and symbols that some here in our valley might call devil language.
November 25, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Reposted by Mel Starkicker
papadjinn.bsky.social
System → series | Tok finds himself in a temple under the eyes of different Gods than his own True Mother and he doesn't feel comfortable.
#WIPSnips #WritingCommunity #WriteSky #bvm #bipoc #amwriting #Fantasy #SFF
The stone temple was smaller than the wooden one that was built within the Uesn village, but it was still big enough to fit many series of people. Yet Tokonus could not help but feel a sense of claustrophobia under the gaze of the stained-glass windows. The young lord was not beholden to any other divine than the True Mother, but that did not quell the anxieties that bubbled up inside him. Tokonus was uncertain the length of the ceremony, but he only hoped that it would not last. This space with its pews, statues, and holy servants in their sacred garb did not feel safe – not for the Lukshen; not for the stranger.
November 25, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Reposted by Mel Starkicker
adregem.bsky.social
Not many of these ... here's one from my #DarkFantasy Death & the Dreamer. #WIPSnips #WIP #AmWriting #WritingPrompts #Writers #Writing #WritingCommunity #WriteSky #Fantasy
At first, the necropolis looked like another village, rising from the flat plane of boundless meadow in disordered gray and brown shapes. As we got closer, the shapes grew taller, and faces appeared in them, most of them effigies of the god of death, but I also recognized the goddess of children, the god of journey, and the god of storm and sea. Traditional graves were scattered over the foreground, people whose families could afford to leave them in the shadows of the gods but not in the consecrated abyss of the underground system.
November 25, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Reposted by Mel Starkicker
bywaterbooks.bsky.social
🏳️‍🌈📚 To every writer pushing through the noise:
✍️ When the world shrugs—write.
💣 When everything feels like it’s cracking—write.
🫥 🦴 When you feel alone—trust the stories in your bones.
💯👉 Someone out there needs what only you can give them.

#AuthorSky #SapphicBooks #LGBTQBooks #QueerLit
A purple square image with the words: Your Work Will Pay Off. Includes a purple hand outlined in yellow, pointing at these words. Also includes a white Bywater Books logo with a yellow sun rising behind the lighthouse, and in yellow the Bywater Books URL: BywaterBooks.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:06 PM