Mackenzie
@mackenziewrites.bsky.social
Spending my middle age reinventing myself as a writer of speculative fiction. Reading incessantly as I go!
Writing while employed full-time while parenting while managing ongoing health issues is really a wild ride. In an “I’m too old for roller-coasters” kind of way.
November 18, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Writing while employed full-time while parenting while managing ongoing health issues is really a wild ride. In an “I’m too old for roller-coasters” kind of way.
Writing desk reminders: because it is fun, I worry that it doesn’t matter. Write anyway. #writingreminders #firstdraft #amwriting #writersofbluesky
June 30, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Writing desk reminders: because it is fun, I worry that it doesn’t matter. Write anyway. #writingreminders #firstdraft #amwriting #writersofbluesky
Writing Desk Reminders: bad art still matters. It makes the world better because EVERYONE should be allowed to embrace their creativity. Also, it’s just a first draft.
#amwriting #writersofbluesky #writing
#amwriting #writersofbluesky #writing
June 26, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Writing Desk Reminders: bad art still matters. It makes the world better because EVERYONE should be allowed to embrace their creativity. Also, it’s just a first draft.
#amwriting #writersofbluesky #writing
#amwriting #writersofbluesky #writing
Sometimes I need someone to be my hope keeper. This podcast ep helped today!
#creativepeptalk #amwriting #writersofbluesky
#creativepeptalk #amwriting #writersofbluesky
June 25, 2025 at 11:48 AM
Sometimes I need someone to be my hope keeper. This podcast ep helped today!
#creativepeptalk #amwriting #writersofbluesky
#creativepeptalk #amwriting #writersofbluesky
Getting my hot-author walk in early today so it doesn’t become a heat-stroke-author walk later. 😂 #amwriting #writersofbluesky
June 22, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Getting my hot-author walk in early today so it doesn’t become a heat-stroke-author walk later. 😂 #amwriting #writersofbluesky
Who else is working on a New Project? So far I have only vibes, but I want female friendship, a hopeful ending, and the beauty of the world to infuse the whole thing.
June 10, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Who else is working on a New Project? So far I have only vibes, but I want female friendship, a hopeful ending, and the beauty of the world to infuse the whole thing.
So I realized yesterday that the plot of the Matrix movies could also be described as: girl gets set up on a blind date by her weird, religious uncle. If she doesn’t like him, the machines win.
June 6, 2025 at 1:24 AM
So I realized yesterday that the plot of the Matrix movies could also be described as: girl gets set up on a blind date by her weird, religious uncle. If she doesn’t like him, the machines win.
Reposted by Mackenzie
The Sun Times’ response to the AI generated summer reading list they posted. chicago.suntimes.com/press-room/2...
Chicago Sun-Times response to May 18 special section
chicago.suntimes.com
May 20, 2025 at 10:35 PM
The Sun Times’ response to the AI generated summer reading list they posted. chicago.suntimes.com/press-room/2...
Sick. Read a lot in January, though.
February 2, 2025 at 12:17 AM
Sick. Read a lot in January, though.
Bonus points if the cozy makes us look at those normal-size stakes in a new way through contrast with a magical world! Or a sci-fi world! But the driving tension has to be smaller and ideally there’s LESS trauma than our current reality. 4/4
January 30, 2025 at 2:30 AM
Bonus points if the cozy makes us look at those normal-size stakes in a new way through contrast with a magical world! Or a sci-fi world! But the driving tension has to be smaller and ideally there’s LESS trauma than our current reality. 4/4
Even a cozy mystery, where the stakes are a little higher (“solve a murder”) are still achievable by an average human in a way that “give an immortal free will” is not. 3/?
January 30, 2025 at 2:26 AM
Even a cozy mystery, where the stakes are a little higher (“solve a murder”) are still achievable by an average human in a way that “give an immortal free will” is not. 3/?
What does make a “cozy” is life-size stakes. So, not “give an immortal race free will,” but “figure out my next career step with the help of my found family.” If the central driver of the action is not a normal-sized stake, it’s not really cozy. 2/?
January 30, 2025 at 2:25 AM
What does make a “cozy” is life-size stakes. So, not “give an immortal race free will,” but “figure out my next career step with the help of my found family.” If the central driver of the action is not a normal-sized stake, it’s not really cozy. 2/?
What makes a “cozy”: my hot take. Too many readers and authors mistake “predictable” for “cozy.” Just because it has a fated mate trope in it and we all know how those play out DOESN’T negate all the trauma. A thread: 1/?
January 30, 2025 at 2:23 AM
What makes a “cozy”: my hot take. Too many readers and authors mistake “predictable” for “cozy.” Just because it has a fated mate trope in it and we all know how those play out DOESN’T negate all the trauma. A thread: 1/?
I have been searching and searching for a book series I read in the 90s and could remember almost nothing about — I FOUND IT!! Darkangel, a Gathering of Gargoyles, and The Pearl of the Soul of the World by Meredith Ann Pierce. Sweet victory. Who else loved these back in the day? #amreading #booksky
January 27, 2025 at 5:54 PM
I have been searching and searching for a book series I read in the 90s and could remember almost nothing about — I FOUND IT!! Darkangel, a Gathering of Gargoyles, and The Pearl of the Soul of the World by Meredith Ann Pierce. Sweet victory. Who else loved these back in the day? #amreading #booksky
Me: why am I reading so slowly? I’ll never make it through my TBR stack this year!
Also me: has read 16 books in the first 21 days of the year.
Also me: has read 16 books in the first 21 days of the year.
January 22, 2025 at 1:36 AM
Me: why am I reading so slowly? I’ll never make it through my TBR stack this year!
Also me: has read 16 books in the first 21 days of the year.
Also me: has read 16 books in the first 21 days of the year.
This is probably the closest I’m ever going to get to a flock of birds. Immediately tempted to put a close bird encounter into my book. #amwriting #booksky
January 7, 2025 at 11:30 PM
This is probably the closest I’m ever going to get to a flock of birds. Immediately tempted to put a close bird encounter into my book. #amwriting #booksky
What’s that you say? I should write my novel instead of plotting a walking challenge? Hush, I’ll get back to that tomorrow.
January 5, 2025 at 12:58 AM
What’s that you say? I should write my novel instead of plotting a walking challenge? Hush, I’ll get back to that tomorrow.
I was born for this moment - leading a group of nerdy friends on a very long walk with nerdy fun facts! 🤓📚💀
January 5, 2025 at 12:57 AM
I was born for this moment - leading a group of nerdy friends on a very long walk with nerdy fun facts! 🤓📚💀
Yes! I made my own spreadsheet is more detailed than I could find online and YES internet archive came through for me so now I am up on the debate between using maps or textual references to calculate the distances!
January 5, 2025 at 12:56 AM
Yes! I made my own spreadsheet is more detailed than I could find online and YES internet archive came through for me so now I am up on the debate between using maps or textual references to calculate the distances!
I had so many big dreams for 2025. Finish my draft! Revise! It only took one day back at work to realize I need to make them small dreams. Crushed by my inbox. 💀#amwriting #booksky
January 3, 2025 at 2:22 AM
I had so many big dreams for 2025. Finish my draft! Revise! It only took one day back at work to realize I need to make them small dreams. Crushed by my inbox. 💀#amwriting #booksky
May your new year be full of library books returned on time! 📚
January 1, 2025 at 5:31 PM
May your new year be full of library books returned on time! 📚
Our own Christmas miracle. Actual snow that stuck to the actual ground. Brisk air woke me enough to get 1,000 words down!
December 22, 2024 at 2:20 AM
Our own Christmas miracle. Actual snow that stuck to the actual ground. Brisk air woke me enough to get 1,000 words down!
Robust creativity is a process - I’ll die on that hill. Still, this book is annoying me by the sheer privilege of the artists included. Only one so far has to have a day job and raise kids. Also way too many are morning people 😅 #booksky #amreading
December 16, 2024 at 11:10 PM
Robust creativity is a process - I’ll die on that hill. Still, this book is annoying me by the sheer privilege of the artists included. Only one so far has to have a day job and raise kids. Also way too many are morning people 😅 #booksky #amreading