Hiria Dunning
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Hiria Dunning
@hiriadunning.com
260 followers 170 following 810 posts
Claire Hiria Ahuriri-Dunning (she/her/they/them/ia)
Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Raukawa, Pākehā
Author, poet, game writer, playwright
Find my work here: hiriadunning.com
Host of #pretendpanel, a weekend writing prompt
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hiriadunning.com
#pretendpanel, maybe this has changed for you, or maybe not! But either way, I'm keen to know...

January 10th: How has your creation of main characters evolved over time?

#WritingCommunity #Writers #Authors #WritingPrompts
#pretendpanel a daily prompt tag hosted by @hiriadunning.bsky.social January 10th: How has your creation of main characters evolved over time? Please support your fellow #pretentpanel posters with replies, likes and reposts New #pretendpanel questions every Friday and Saturday. Hop in any time!
January 10, 2026 at 8:01 AM
hiriadunning.com
#pretendpanel, let's get into the hard questions, shall we?

January 9th: How has your craft evolved lately? (as in, your prose, your structuring, voice and tone, etc)

#WritingCommunity #Writers #Authors #WritingPrompts
#pretendpanel a daily prompt tag hosted by @hiriadunning.bsky.social January 9th: How has your craft evolved lately? (as in, your prose, your structuring, voice and tone, etc) Please support your fellow #pretentpanel posters with replies, likes and reposts New #pretendpanel questions every Friday and Saturday. Hop in any time!
January 9, 2026 at 8:02 AM
hiriadunning.com
#pretendpanel, thanks for your answers yesterday. It's a journey, and I love to see all the different stages among us.

January 3rd: How has your work evolved in terms of subject matter (e.g. setting, premise, vibes) since your earlier writings?

#WritingCommunity #Writers #Authors #WritingPrompts
#pretendpanel a daily prompt tag hosted by @hiriadunning.bsky.social January 3rd: How has your work evolved in terms of subject matter (e.g. setting, premise, vibes) since your earlier writings? Please support your fellow #pretentpanel posters with replies, likes and reposts New #pretendpanel questions every Friday and Saturday. Hop in any time!
January 3, 2026 at 8:00 AM
hiriadunning.com
#critterary
Cats sneak into my work a lot. My video games pretty much all have at least one. And my middle-grade novel Peregrine Pax has Jeeves, the concierge of the Apartments at the Edge of the Universe.
Screenshot from Her Jentle Hi-ness, showing Eorina panicking, and the purple cat Graymalkin looking sly in the library. Dialogue box says: Graymalkin "Why is a human dropping all the Gs off the end of their sentences? That's pretty silly if you ask me." Character art by Sean Miller A secret ending of the game Nine Lives of Nim: Fortune's Fool, depicting two cats, one black and one tabby, tails curling to make a heart shape, at the bottom of a stairwell showered with flower petals, their path lit by putti holding candles. Art by Jade du Preez The many faces of the Cheshire Cat from Wonderland Nights: White Rabbit's Diary. Art by Rose Northey
January 3, 2026 at 7:32 AM
hiriadunning.com
Welcome to January, #pretendpanel! I want to hear all about your change/growth/evolution as a writer over time. People often forget what a journey it is!

January 2nd: What do you consider to be the beginning of your writing career?

#WritingCommunity #Writers #Authors #WritingPrompts
#pretendpanel a daily prompt tag hosted by @hiriadunning.bsky.social January 2nd: What do you consider to be the beginning of your writing career? Please support your fellow #pretentpanel posters with replies, likes and reposts New #pretendpanel questions every Friday and Saturday. Hop in any time!
January 2, 2026 at 8:02 AM
hiriadunning.com
Happy New Year 🥳

#pretendpanel calendar for January just dropped. I'm thinking about Changes, Growth and Evolution this month. How has your relationship with writing changed over time? Looking forward to finding out ✌️
#pretendpanel a daily prompt tag hosted by @hiriadunning.bsky.social JANUARY PRETENDPANEL - Change, Growth, Evolution 2nd: What do you consider to be the beginning of your writing career? 3rd: How has your work evolved in terms of subject matter? 9th: How has your craft evolved lately? (prose, structuring, etc) 10th: How has your creation of main characters evolved over time? 16th: Where do you sit right now with the writing process? 17th: How many drafts, then vs. now? 23rd: Any changes that you later came to regret? 24th: Significant change that was like a huge revelation for you? 30th: What's the next evolution for you as a writer? 31st: Freebie Saturday - post anything! Please support your fellow #pretentpanel posters with replies, likes and reposts New #pretendpanel questions every Friday and Saturday. Hop in any time!
January 1, 2026 at 1:55 AM
hiriadunning.com
What a busy time of year, #pretendpanel, but I thank you for being here. While I catch up on your posts from yesterday, you know the drill...

December 27th: Freebie Saturday - post anything!

#WritingCommunity #Writers #Authors #WritingPrompts
#pretendpanel a daily prompt tag hosted by @hiriadunning.bsky.social December 27th: Freebie Saturday! Post anything you want e.g. plug something, acknowledge someone, ask a question Please support your fellow #pretentpanel posters with replies, likes and reposts New #pretendpanel questions every Friday and Saturday. Hop in any time!
December 27, 2025 at 8:20 AM
hiriadunning.com
#pretendpanel, it's all good saying what our goals are, but we need to slow down and think through the steps it's going to take to get there. So...

December 26th: What do you need in order to achieve your writing goals in 2026?

#WritingCommunity #Writers #Authors #WritingPrompts
#pretendpanel a daily prompt tag hosted by @hiriadunning.bsky.social December 26th: What do you need in order to achieve your writing goals in 2026? Please support your fellow #pretentpanel posters with replies, likes and reposts New #pretendpanel questions every Friday and Saturday. Hop in any time!
December 26, 2025 at 8:01 AM
hiriadunning.com
1000 piece kuaka/godwit puzzle for me for xmas 😊 thanks whānau

(And in my related news, my short story featuring the kuaka has been accepted for reprint! More on that soon ✌️)
The back of a puzzle box showing the journeys of the kuaka/bar-tailed godwit between Aotearoa and Alaska each year
December 24, 2025 at 8:17 PM
hiriadunning.com
Hi #pretendpanel, amazing goals yesterday! But more than tangible goals, which can sometimes escape us despite our best intentions, today I wanna get to the heart of it...

December 20th: How would you most like to feel about your writing in 2026?

#WritingCommunity #Writers #Authors #WritingPrompts
#pretendpanel a daily prompt tag hosted by @hiriadunning.bsky.social December 20th: How would you most like to feel about your writing in 2026? Please support your fellow #pretentpanel posters with replies, likes and reposts New #pretendpanel questions every Friday and Saturday. Hop in any time!
December 20, 2025 at 8:01 AM
hiriadunning.com
#pretendpanel, I can't believe it's only been a week, it feels like longer! Tell me...

December 19th: Is there a tangible achievement you want to reach in 2026?

#WritingCommunity #Writers #Authors #WritingPrompts
#pretendpanel a daily prompt tag hosted by @hiriadunning.bsky.social December 19th: Is there a tangible achievement you want to reach in 2026? Please support your fellow #pretentpanel posters with replies, likes and reposts New #pretendpanel questions every Friday and Saturday. Hop in any time!
December 19, 2025 at 8:07 AM
hiriadunning.com
#pretendpanel, I have a whole lot to catch up on still from yesterday, but while I do that, let me know...

December 13th: How would you most like to improve as a writer in 2026?

#WritingCommunity #Writers #Authors #WritingPrompts
#pretendpanel a daily prompt tag hosted by @hiriadunning.bsky.social December 13th: How would you most like to improve as a writer in 2026? Please support your fellow #pretentpanel posters with replies, likes and reposts New #pretendpanel questions every Friday and Saturday. Hop in any time!
December 13, 2025 at 8:01 AM
hiriadunning.com
#pretendpanel, daaaaaamn, you really came out to answer last weekend's questions! I'm super interesting to see what you say to this...

December 12th: What, if anything, is the lesson you're taking away from your writing in 2025?

#WritingCommunity #Writers #Authors #WritingPrompts
#pretendpanel a daily prompt tag hosted by @hiriadunning.bsky.social December 12th: What, if anything, is the lesson you're taking away from your writing in 2025? Please support your fellow #pretentpanel posters with replies, likes and reposts New #pretendpanel questions every Friday and Saturday. Hop in any time!
December 12, 2025 at 8:01 AM
hiriadunning.com
#pretendpanel, I hope you find today's question just as engaging as yesterday's, even if the emotions might be a bit more negative surrounding the question...

December 6th: What was the most challenging aspect of writing for you in 2025?

#WritingCommunity #Writers #Authors #WritingPrompts
#pretendpanel a daily prompt tag hosted by @hiriadunning.bsky.social December 6th: What was the most challenging aspect of writing for you in 2025? Please support your fellow #pretentpanel posters with replies, likes and reposts New #pretendpanel questions every Friday and Saturday. Hop in any time!
December 6, 2025 at 8:01 AM
hiriadunning.com
Happy December #pretendpanel! I hope you don't mind reflective questions. I'm a fan of them. But no worries if you give this month a skip, I'll understand.

December 5th: What are you most proud of from your writing this year?

#WritingCommunity #Writers #Authors #WritingPrompts
#pretendpanel a daily prompt tag hosted by @hiriadunning.bsky.social December 5th: What are you most proud of from your writing this year? Please support your fellow #pretentpanel posters with replies, likes and reposts New #pretendpanel questions every Friday and Saturday. Hop in any time!
December 5, 2025 at 8:01 AM
hiriadunning.com
#pretendpanel calendar for December

Channeling my inner Amy Santiago to set goals for 2026
#pretendpanel a daily prompt tag hosted by @hiriadunning.bsky.social DECEMBER - Looking Backward/Looking Foward... December 5th: What are you most proud of from your writing this year? December 6th: What was the most challenging aspect of writing? December 12th: What, if anything, is the lesson you're taking away? December 13th: How would you most like to improve as a writer? December 19th: Is there a tangible achievement you want to reach? December 20th: How would you most like to feel about your writing? December 26th: What do you need in order to achieve your writing goals? December 27th: Freebie Saturday - post whatever! Please support your fellow #pretentpanel posters with replies, likes and reposts New #pretendpanel questions every Friday and Saturday. Hop in any time!
November 30, 2025 at 12:13 AM
hiriadunning.com
Well #pretendpanel, it's that time again! I hope you had an excellent November and that life is going swell.

November 29th: Freebie Saturday! Post anything you want e.g. plug something, acknowledge someone, ask a question

#WritingCommunity #Writers #Authors #WritingPrompts
#pretendpanel a daily prompt tag hosted by @hiriadunning.bsky.social November 29th: Freebie Saturday! Post anything you want e.g. plug something, acknowledge someone, ask a question Please support your fellow #pretentpanel posters with replies, likes and reposts New #pretendpanel questions every Friday and Saturday. Hop in any time!
November 29, 2025 at 8:00 AM
hiriadunning.com
#pretendpanel, it's time to check in!

November 28th: It's almost the end of November! How did you go this month? (whether you set a goal, or took part in a challenge, or not!)

#WritingCommunity #Writers #Authors #WritingPrompts
#pretendpanel a daily prompt tag hosted by @hiriadunning.bsky.social November 28th: It's almost the end of November! How did you go this month? (whether you set a goal, or took part in a challenge, or not!) Please support your fellow #pretentpanel posters with replies, likes and reposts New #pretendpanel questions every Friday and Saturday. Hop in any time!
November 28, 2025 at 8:01 AM
hiriadunning.com
#pretendpanel, thank you for the wonderful insightful answers yesterday. I wonder...

November 22nd: Do you find external challenges useful? e.g. writeathons, sprinting, prompts etc.

#WritingCommunity #Writers #Authors #WritingPrompts
#pretendpanel a daily prompt tag hosted by @hiriadunning.bsky.social November 22nd: Do you find external challenges useful? e.g. writeathons, sprinting, prompts etc. Please support your fellow #pretentpanel posters with replies, likes and reposts New #pretendpanel questions every Friday and Saturday. Hop in any time!
November 22, 2025 at 8:02 AM
hiriadunning.com
#pretendpanel, as this big writing month nears its end, I'm wondering...

November 21st: In your opinion, how can writers best help one another? 

#WritingCommunity #Writers #Authors #WritingPrompts
#pretendpanel a daily prompt tag hosted by @hiriadunning.bsky.social November 21st: In your opinion, how can writers best help one another?  Please support your fellow #pretentpanel posters with replies, likes and reposts New #pretendpanel questions every Friday and Saturday. Hop in any time!
November 21, 2025 at 8:04 AM
hiriadunning.com
#Bookvember
I have to go with something spec fic, something a bit weird and absurd and sprawling. Something that I aspire to be like, in my own way, and that's Rumo by Walter Moers. Adventure! Romance! Fairytale logic! It's got it all 💖
The cover of Rumo by Walter Moers, showing a little pink wolpertinger peering out of red curtains
November 16, 2025 at 4:19 AM
hiriadunning.com
#pretendpanel, fascinating takes as always yesterday, thank you! A change of pace today...

November 15th: Halfway through the month! How's it going so far? (Whether you're in a November challenge or not, have a little reflection on your writing)

#WritingCommunity #Writers #Authors #WritingPrompts
#pretendpanel a daily prompt tag hosted by @hiriadunning.bsky.social November 15th: Halfway through the month! How's it going so far? (Whether you're in a November challenge or not, have a little reflection) Please support your fellow #pretentpanel posters with replies, likes and reposts New #pretendpanel questions every Friday and Saturday. Hop in any time!
November 15, 2025 at 8:01 AM
hiriadunning.com
#pretendpanel, even before the last big controversy, November challenges have had their ups and downs. Tell me...

November 14th: BIG Challenges during November - what's your take? Good/bad tradition?

#WritingCommunity #Writers #Authors #WritingPrompts
#pretendpanel a daily prompt tag hosted by @hiriadunning.bsky.social November 14th: BIG Challenges during November - what's your take? Good/bad tradition? Please support your fellow #pretentpanel posters with replies, likes and reposts New #pretendpanel questions every Friday and Saturday. Hop in any time!
November 14, 2025 at 8:01 AM
hiriadunning.com
#Bookvember
Had a hard time picking, so went with the one that, after reading earlier this year, had to run straight to the bookstore and buy it

Hana Tapiata's Atua Wahine taught me so much that I didn't know, rescuing this knowledge from homogenising obscurity and making it relevant to modern life
Cover of Atua Wāhine: The ancient wisdom of Māori goddesses by Hana Tapiata. Cover is light blue with white text, with inlaid gold where the negative space is used to make frond patterns
November 11, 2025 at 3:13 AM
hiriadunning.com
#Bookvember
Outside by Jade du Preez. It's so beautiful, like a literary j-drama. I re-read it every year 💜
The cover of Outsider by Jade du Preez. A golden koi fish swims downwards, viewed from above, on a dark teal background speckled with gold
November 11, 2025 at 3:05 AM