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Emily Mulholland Merriman is querying Rootfall

@emmywriting.bsky.social

99 followers 90 following 410 posts

Young adult fantasy writer in the US. Querying my (hopefully) debut novel Rootfall. 🏳️‍⚧️ queer autistic she/her

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Emily Mulholland Merriman is querying Rootfall @emmywriting.bsky.social · Sep 1

It's here! After months of prep I'm ecstatic to finally start to share The Warden's Curse with you all! New parts will be released every day for the next two weeks, and you can read it for free at www.royalroad.com/fiction/1305...

Enjoy!

#booksky #writesky

The Warden's Curse

Book 1 of THE LAST WARDENS OF MAGIC All Royse has ever wanted is to become a Warden of the Library of Magic. She wants to learn from the thousands of spells the Library contains. She wants to go on q...

www.royalroad.com

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Emily Mulholland Merriman is querying Rootfall @emmywriting.bsky.social · 5d

Hey that's great! Congrats!

Emily Mulholland Merriman is querying Rootfall @emmywriting.bsky.social · 5d

I know it's a weird question on here, but like...have any of you been a successful (whatever your version of that is) indie author without much if any social media presence? Even people who share most of my views here talk about things that trigger my mental illness and trauma.

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Emily Mulholland Merriman is querying Rootfall @emmywriting.bsky.social · 5d

No new pictures, where are you mentally?

Post from lunarmoonmuse that reads "they should invent a week that's bearable" with a blue border depicting outlines of animals.

Emily Mulholland Merriman is querying Rootfall @emmywriting.bsky.social · 5d

I like this take. It should be a last resort, but as a last resort, it could be useful to some people. Even vital, if it saves a book those people care about.

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Emily Mulholland Merriman is querying Rootfall @emmywriting.bsky.social · 5d

There are three sort of half-gods. There used to be five before the Apostasy. Now only one is left, and he has far less power (he also isn't worshipped anymore, not formally). A piece of another god's essence is still left in a pair of magic items. And there's a human who's amassed godlike power.

Ian Haramaki 🏳️‍⚧️✨ @cometkins.bsky.social · 5d

Are there any gods and/or pantheons in your book/wip? What are they like? What role do they play in the world? How are they worshiped? #WritingPrompt

Emily Mulholland Merriman is querying Rootfall @emmywriting.bsky.social · 5d

#PlotTober 4

The story couldn't work in a contemporary world. I have a secondary world planned out, complete with important history.

Ange @gunsmile.bsky.social · 6d

#PlotTober Day 4: Setting for WIP

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

4. Is there a specific setting you'd like to use for your WIP? Would it work better in a contemporary world, secondary world, or a blend of the two? What characteristics of the setting are important for your ideas?

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

Emily Mulholland Merriman is querying Rootfall @emmywriting.bsky.social · 6d

I know! That was the most fun boss fight I'd done in the game up until the end and then it turned into the worst 🫠

Emily Mulholland Merriman is querying Rootfall @emmywriting.bsky.social · 6d

I guess I'll jump on this train cuz I'm plotting this month anyway.

Teen Titans and New Mutants were huge inspirations. The main city, Bastion, has a lot of Urithiru vibes from Stormlight, but the continent outside it is dark and shattered like a lot of FromSoft worlds.

#PlotTober

Ange @gunsmile.bsky.social · 7d

#PlotTober Day 3: Inspirations from other media

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

3. Did other existing media inspire your ideas for your WIP? For example, any recent shows/movies you watched, books you read, games you played, or music you listened to?

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

Emily Mulholland Merriman is querying Rootfall @emmywriting.bsky.social · 6d

This one?

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Emily Mulholland Merriman is querying Rootfall @emmywriting.bsky.social · 6d

Charlie and the Anus Factory

Mx. D. D. Ward (they/them) @ddwardiswriting.bsky.social · 6d

The Sisterhood of the Travelling Anuses

🔩Joan @screwedjoan.bsky.social · 6d

The Hills Have Anuses

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Emily Mulholland Merriman is querying Rootfall @emmywriting.bsky.social · 6d

#QueerWritersChat Ha. Haha. Hahahahahaha.

A few hundred years ago, something called the Apostasy happened. The gods died, and the whole continent fell into darkness and chaos. Only one city stayed mostly untouched. It's the last free city in the known world.

Theo Transcendragons @theodoresnapdragon.bsky.social · 6d

#QueerWritersChat

Question Four: Have terrible things happened in the past in any of your setting(s)?

Last question at :25!

@amaralynn.bsky.social #QueerWriters #writesky #writers

#QueerWritersChat

Question Four: Have terrible things happened in the past in any of your setting(s)?

Hosts: @amaralynn and @theodoresnapdragon

Every Friday 8pm EST
All LGBTQIAP writers and allies welcome
Background: gray wood with multicolor art supplies around the border.

Emily Mulholland Merriman is querying Rootfall @emmywriting.bsky.social · 6d

#QueerWritersChat they are! One of the Paladins (the adult team of superheroes) is a ghost. One of the setting's big bads is his mortal nemesis from when he was living, who's now a psychic amalgamation of two different spirits.

Theo Transcendragons @theodoresnapdragon.bsky.social · 6d

#QueerWritersChat

Question Three: Are ghosts real in your setting(s)?

Next question at :20!

@amaralynn.bsky.social #QueerWriters #writesky #writers #ghosts

#QueerWritersChat

Question Three: Are ghosts real in your setting(s)?
Hosts: @amaralynn and @theodoresnapdragon

Every Friday 8pm EST
All LGBTQIAP writers and allies welcome
Background: gray wood with multicolor art supplies around the border.

Emily Mulholland Merriman is querying Rootfall @emmywriting.bsky.social · 6d

#QueerWritersChat

Two of my MCs are haunted by things that happened to their parents. One of the others is haunted by past trauma. The last is haunted by his parents' disapproval of the thing he's passionate about.

Theo Transcendragons @theodoresnapdragon.bsky.social · 6d

#QueerWritersChat

Question Two: Are your main characters haunted by anything, literally or metaphorically?

Next question at :15!

@amaralynn.bsky.social #QueerWriters #writesky #writers #hauntings

#QueerWritersChat
Question Two: Are your main characters haunted by anything, literally or metaphorically?
Hosts: @amaralynn and @theodoresnapdragon Every Friday 8pm EST
All LGBTQIAP writers and allies welcome Background: gray wood with multicolor art supplies around the border.

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Emily Mulholland Merriman is querying Rootfall @emmywriting.bsky.social · 6d

Hiya #queerwriterschat, I'm Emily! I'm working on planning a YA fantasy superhero novel! (heck of a mouthful)

I'm looking forward to starting that. I'm also looking forward to a couple get-togethers I'm going to and a couple chances to fix some chronic health problems.

Theo Transcendragons @theodoresnapdragon.bsky.social · 6d

Welcome to #QueerWritersChat!

To start things off, introduce yourself and tell us what you're working on!

Feel free to mention what you’re looking forward to in October, too :)

Next question at :10!

@amaralynn.bsky.social #QueerWriters #writesky #writers #writingq

#QueerWritersChat
Question One: Introduce yourself and your current project
Hosts: @amaralynn and @theodoresnapdragon Every Friday 8pm EST
All LGBTQIAP writers and allies welcome Background: gray wood with multicolor art supplies around the border.

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Emily Mulholland Merriman is querying Rootfall @emmywriting.bsky.social · 6d

If I could get out of the US and move to a less awful country, I would love to. Unfortunately I am Very Stuck.

Emily Mulholland Merriman is querying Rootfall @emmywriting.bsky.social · 6d

#WeeknightWriters I finished planning Act 2, so now I'm thinking about Act 3. How do the MCs pick up the pieces from the midpoint and become better? What lessons do they learn? I might not do any actual plotting tonight, but my brain will be doing a lot of whirring.

Weeknight Writers @weeknightwriters.bsky.social · 6d

#WeeknightWriters #FirstDraftFall Hey there #WritingCommunity! Let us know how things are going with your story planning. If you're working tonight, share what you're gonna work on. If you've already worked today, tell us about your progress!

Fall forest scene overlaid with the words “#FirstDraftFall Nightly Check-In: What aspects of your story are you working on tonight? If you’ve already worked on it, how did it go?”

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Reposted by Emily Mulholland Merriman is querying Rootfall

Vivian Moira Vampire @itsviviactually.bsky.social · 6d

Hey. Stuff sucks, the suits behind this app are terribad, and shit just isn't gay enough

Now's a great time to support your indie trans authors

Abra, The Everwife 🏳️‍⚧️ 🇲🇽🌼👻 @pairofclaws.bsky.social · Feb 22

On that note:

Trans authors (I mean authors who are trans, NOT cis people who write about trans people), drop your book links here and I'll try to repost as many as I can throughout the day.

Cis people: Repost trans authors' book links.

Cis people who want to complain about being excluded: gtfo

Abra, The Everwife 🏳️‍⚧️ 🇲🇽🌼👻 @pairofclaws.bsky.social · Feb 22

Being a trans author is fucking weird right now. Hell is actively unfolding all around us but I still need to be like, "hey, everyone, wanna buy my silly little queer book? It won't make anything better, but it's kinda fun?"

So....hey, everyone, wanna buy my silly little queer book?

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Emily Mulholland Merriman is querying Rootfall @emmywriting.bsky.social · 6d

4/4

What it boils down to, imo, is this.

Right: There will be bad people no matter what society is like, but society can keep those people in check. (Some) people are the > problem.

Left: There won't be (a significant number of) bad people if society doesn't create them. Society is the > problem.

Emily Mulholland Merriman is querying Rootfall @emmywriting.bsky.social · 6d

3/?

The left, in my experience, feels that most people are inherently good, and society's job is to enable them to flourish. People are corrupted by a society that conditions greed and consumption, and if society didn't do that, people wouldn't have those urges and create those problems.

Emily Mulholland Merriman is querying Rootfall @emmywriting.bsky.social · 6d

2/?

This idea ties into the question of whether people as a group are inherently good. I think the right feels that most people aren't, but with the right society, these people can be kept in line anyway. People are corrupted by their innate desires and society must check those.

Emily Mulholland Merriman is querying Rootfall @emmywriting.bsky.social · 6d

1/?

Something I've noticed is that the right (and center) seems to believe problems are eternal. Not all problems, but many. We can't prevent homelessness, we have to persecute it. We can't prevent assault, we have to persecute it. Etc.

While the left mostly believes problems don't have to exist.

Emily Mulholland Merriman is querying Rootfall @emmywriting.bsky.social · 6d

Finished plotting Act 2 for #FirstDraftFall! Halfway through plotting, which means like 3/4 of the way through planning. This story is gonna be FUN to write.

Emily Mulholland Merriman is querying Rootfall @emmywriting.bsky.social · 6d

We're trying to solve what's entirely a consumption problem with only innovation. Not that innovation can't help, but the truth is that innovation AND sustainability have to meet partway. And solutions have to be sustainable for the environment and for people. Can't help one by exploiting the other.

Laika L. Gagarin @laikalgagarin.bsky.social · 6d

i swear every high tech solution to these problems never really works because high tech shit is mainly the reason we're in this fucking mess.

Just plant some fucking trees please.

Laika L. Gagarin @laikalgagarin.bsky.social · 6d

Heres me finding out about Stone Paper
Sees how it claims its eco friendly and safe for the environment
Sees that its made out of stone(limestone usually)
sees that its made with a resin to bind it together
The resin is High-density polyethylene

Its fucking Plastic paper with rocks in it.

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Emily Mulholland Merriman is querying Rootfall @emmywriting.bsky.social · 6d

My #FirstDraftFall project is gonna be the first book in a series! Some of the books will hopefully be able to be read in a variety of orders, but there will be a few big milestone books that will advance the story and the world significantly (just like other superhero stuff).

Weeknight Writers @weeknightwriters.bsky.social · 6d

#WeeknightWriters #FirstDraftFall

Is your project a standalone or part of a series or a larger body of work? Let us know!

These questions are from our First Draft Fall worksheets! For the full worksheets, join our membership program at ko-fi.com/weeknightw...

Fall forest scene overlaid with the words “#FirstDraftFall - October - Planning
Is your #FirstDraftFall project a standalone or part of a series?

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Emily Mulholland Merriman is querying Rootfall @emmywriting.bsky.social · 6d

Breakfast? Eaten.
Hair? Brushed.
Board game turns? Taken.

Time to work on my #FirstDraftFall story's plot. I'm working toward the end of act 2 (so, the midpoint).