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swaimea.bsky.social
Emily Swaim
@swaimea.bsky.social
120 followers 300 following 180 posts
Queer steampunk retelling of Peter Pan coming in Spring 2026.

Nonfiction writing can be seen on Business Insider, Healthline, Vox, and Rover.
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swaimea.bsky.social
I don't think Bluesky can do polls, so I'm asking the residents of the digital void the old-fashioned way:

Should I use this map for my fantasy novel REVEN?

👍Yes, it's creative
👎No, it's cringe
🫱Meh, I don't care about maps

#Indiereaders #selfpublishing #fairytaleretelling #bookmaps #fantasymaps
A map of the fictional land of REVEN, defaced by a small child's doodles and commentary.
January 21, 2026 at 12:31 AM
swaimea.bsky.social
A #characterbio post for Noodles, whose entire character concept began because I didn't know what to do with the Noodler character from Peter Pan canon.
🌟 Pollyanna personality
🌟 Baby of the bunch
🌟 Speaks in the third person

#FairytaleRetelling #IndieFantasy #YAFantasy
A teal and tan graphic featuring a torn piece of paper. The text reads "Noodles (Noodler): Pollyanna personality / Baby of the bunch / Speaks in the third person"
January 16, 2026 at 3:49 PM
swaimea.bsky.social
Another #bookquotes post for #steampunk fairytale retelling REVEN
Close-up of a dandelion seed taking flight. Caption reads "I don't think your future is half as doomed as you insist it is." Original photo by Олександр К on Unsplash
January 14, 2026 at 8:02 PM
swaimea.bsky.social
This #characterbio post is for Stark, who has first place in the trauma race. He's been through a lot.
🌟 Prodigy pilot
🌟 Lives in his dad's shadow
🌟 Iron-clad code of honor

#PeterPanretelling #IndieFantasy #Reven
A teal and tan graphic featuring torn paper with writing on it. The text reads "Stark (Starkey): Prodigy pilot / Lives in his dad's shadow / Iron-clad code of honor"
January 12, 2026 at 2:45 PM
swaimea.bsky.social
A #bookquotes post from REVEN to tide you over the weekend. Pun intended.

#IndieBooks #FairytaleRetelling #booksky
Photo of bubbles on the underside of an ocean wave. Caption reads "It doesn't matter how big a ship is. They can all sink." Original photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash
January 9, 2026 at 6:31 PM
swaimea.bsky.social
A #CharacterBio post for everyone's favorite little arsonist, Smee.
🌟 Disowned by his parents
🌟 Ride or die
🌟 Loves fire a little too much
#Reven #IndieYA #PeterPanRetelling
A teal and tan graphic featuring torn paper with writing on it. The text reads "Smee (Smee): Disowned by his parents/Ride or die/Loves fire a little too much
January 7, 2026 at 7:02 PM
swaimea.bsky.social
First #bookquotes post of the year! #IndieReaders #PeterPanRetelling #Booksky #LGBTFantasy
Golden clouds cover the background. A blue box holds the text "Even the Emperor himself can't own a storm, child." Original photo by TheFunkyPixel on Pixabay
January 5, 2026 at 5:30 PM
swaimea.bsky.social
Honestly, this meme sums up Peter and Tink's relationship pretty well.

#PeterPan #FairytaleRetelling #IndieBooks #booksky
The distracted boyfriend meme, with Peter getting distracted from Tink by anyone who gives him a compliment.
December 31, 2025 at 12:35 AM
swaimea.bsky.social
More memes. No apologies.

#PeterPan #Fairytaleretelling #indiefantasy
December 30, 2025 at 1:22 AM
swaimea.bsky.social
I am tired from the holidays, so I'm just going to close out this year with memes.

#PeterPan #FairytaleRetelling #IndieBooks #booksky
A screenshot of the Brooklyn99 "I've only had X for a day and a half" meme. The dog has been photoshopped to have glasses.
December 27, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Reposted by Emily Swaim
rally.luckyraven.cc
KOSA has been defeated several times already and they keep trying over and over until the one time it goes through, at which point it becomes everyone's problem. It will be an unmitigated disaster if this passes and they say, well, sorry, now it's the law. Make sure your creature votes No on this.
ingloriousgigi.bsky.social Georgina Kiersten @ingloriousgigi.bsky.social · Dec 15
Hey romancelandia and fandom peeps! If you live in the U.S. right now you should know that KOSA (along with a slew of censorship bills) are advancing through congress right now. If you care about spicy books and/or fanfiction you should contact your reps right now and tell them to vote NO on KOSA!
US House Subcommittee Advances 18 Child Online Safety Bills | TechPolicy.Press
Some members expressed "fury" at the tech industry for not doing more to protect children and teens.
www.techpolicy.press
December 15, 2025 at 11:03 PM
swaimea.bsky.social
It should be easy to figure out which character said this #bookquote just by looking at the font. Or by guessing who is the only one old enough to know what a mortgage is.

#ReimaginingPeterPan #IndieFantasy #IndieReader #Hook #ObviouslyItIsHook
Photo showing prairie grass in the foreground and out-of-focus gravestones in the background. The sun is rising over the horizon beyond the middle gravestone. Caption reads "Hard to pay a mortgage when you're legally dead." Original photo by Jill Dimond on Unsplash.
December 5, 2025 at 6:02 PM
swaimea.bsky.social
This #CharacterBio is for Rowan. He has no canon counterpart for me to put in parentheses, but if he did, it wouldn't be from the hero's side.

🌟 Best friend turned bully
🌟 "Nice guy" attitude
🌟 Profoundly petty

#Reven #IndieFantasy #FairytaleRetelling
A teal and tan graphic with torn paper. The text reads "Rowan: Best friend turned bully / "Nice guy" attitude / Profoundly petty
December 4, 2025 at 12:17 AM
swaimea.bsky.social
Another #bookquotes post for REVEN.

#IndieReaders
Bird's eye view of ocean waves hitting a tall cliff. Caption reads "Years from now, when you think of this moment, do you want to remember your mother or the sea?" Original photo by Justus Menke on Unsplash
December 2, 2025 at 12:23 AM
swaimea.bsky.social
The software I use to write depends on where I am at in the process:

📑Scrivener (plotting/worldbuilding)

📃MSWord (drafting/editing)

📲Notes app on my phone (random ideas I have at midnight when I am unsuccessfully trying to fall asleep)
bookspotlight.bsky.social Indie Book Spotlight @bookspotlight.bsky.social · Nov 28
The software I use to write:

Word.

That's it. That's all I use on a laptop. Notebooks are essential, but software-wise, just Word.
ddwardiswriting.bsky.social DD Ward ..."Sapphic Dr. DOOM" @ddwardiswriting.bsky.social · Nov 28
The software I use to write:

Google docs/drive: pretty much everything

#writing #authors
November 28, 2025 at 9:45 PM
swaimea.bsky.social
This #CharacterBio post is for Nibs, the last of the current members of Peter's little family. I may post bios of the former members in the future.

🌟 The medic
🌟 Accident-prone
🌟 The "I told you so" guy

#Reven #IndieYA #PeterPanRetelling
A tan and teal graphic featuring torn paper. The text reads: "Nibs (Nibs): The medic / Accident-prone / The 'I told you so' guy"
November 28, 2025 at 9:01 PM
swaimea.bsky.social
I'm pretty sure this is my longest #bookquotes post yet.

#IndieReaders #ReimaginingPeterPan #Reven
Mason jar lamps hanging from the ceiling. The quote in the center reads: "Wendi wished she could believe him. But love couldn't stop death. Nothing could. All she could do was avoid thinking about it."
November 27, 2025 at 12:30 AM
swaimea.bsky.social
So everyone is obsessing over #Wicked like it is 2005, and amid the nostalgia bomb I can't stop thinking about WHY this particular fairytale retelling has stood the test of time when so many others have faded out of memory. And I think it has to do with how the story reacts to its source material.
November 25, 2025 at 8:08 PM
swaimea.bsky.social
A two-for-one #CharacterBio post, this time for the Twins:

🌟 The muscle
🌟Grumpy/sunshine duo
🌟Never more than ten feet apart

#FairytaleRetelling #PeterPan #IndieFantasy
A teal and tan graphic with torn paper on it. The text reads: "Des & Tam (The Twins): The muscle / Grumpy/sunshine duo / Never more than ten feet apart"
November 24, 2025 at 4:01 PM
swaimea.bsky.social
This #bookquotes post is actually from Tink (the last character bio I posted). I didn't plan for the quote and trope post schedules to sync up like that, but I thought it was a fun coincidence.

#IndiePublishing #FairytaleRetelling #YAFantasy #PeterPan #Bookstagram #Booksky
A close-up of a footprint in the sand. The ocean is out of focus. The caption reads: "I'd rather watch you grow old than see you disappear." Original photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels
November 21, 2025 at 5:45 PM
swaimea.bsky.social
A #tropes post for Tink this time:
🌟 The techie
🌟 Trust issues
🌟 Unrequited love

#IndiePublishing #FairytaleRetelling #PeterPan #YAFantasy #Bookstagram #Booksky
A teal and tan graphic featuring torn paper with writing on it. The text reads, "Tink (Tinkerbell): The techie / Trust issues / Unrequited love"
November 19, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Reposted by Emily Swaim
poopraven.bsky.social
I am begging SFF folk to simply look into whether they themselves might be on the aroace spectrum and to write / shop / market accordingly, instead of expressing extreme disgust for books which feature sex, romance, or both.
rsagarcia.bsky.social R.S.A. Garcia (BUY THE NIGHTWARD) @rsagarcia.bsky.social · Nov 17
Absolutely. I still get stares when i talk about scifi romance like, what? Or worse, how dare?

But once I realised there were people like me out there, reading and writing what I loved, I chose to be happy.

Someone can look down their nose at something I like. I'm having fun. That's what matters.
November 18, 2025 at 9:20 AM
swaimea.bsky.social
Another #bookquotes post for REVEN, just because I like them.

#IndiePublishing #FairytaleRetelling #PeterPan #YAFantasy #Bookstagram #Booksky
A close-up of shattered glass on a tile floor. Text reads "I ruin everything I touch, anyway. I might as well break something fora good cause." Original image by Dmitriy Kievskiy from Pixabay
November 17, 2025 at 6:15 PM
swaimea.bsky.social
Another #tropes post for Reven. This time it's Hook:

🌟Obsessive rival
🌟Lives for revenge
🌟Serial dine-and-dasher

#IndiePublishing #FairytaleRetelling #PeterPan #YAFantasy #Bookstagram #Booksky
A teal and tan graphic featuring torn paper with writing on it. The text reads "Hook (Captain Hook): Obsessive rival / Lives for revenge / Serial dine-and-dasher
November 14, 2025 at 6:29 PM
swaimea.bsky.social
I'm doing some #tropes posts for Reven. Next up is Peter:
🌟Main character syndrome
🌟Lives for his family
🌟Screw the rules, I have magic

#IndiePublishing #FairytaleRetelling #PeterPan #YAFantasy #Bookstagram #Booksky
A teal and tan graphic featuring torn paper with writing on it. The text reads "Peter (Peter Pan): Main character syndrome / Lives for his family / Screw the rules, I have magic
November 12, 2025 at 6:22 PM