T.A Cole
@tacolewriting.bsky.social
Just a guy with a passion for stories. Reading them. Watching them. Learning from them and trying every day to write better ones.
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Dark Wings: The Thirteenth Shade
When a journalism student investigates a forgotten district, riddled with disappearances that it seems determined to ignore, she becomes entangled with a haunting stranger whose presence feels disturbingly inevitable.
#writing #wip #gothichorror
When a journalism student investigates a forgotten district, riddled with disappearances that it seems determined to ignore, she becomes entangled with a haunting stranger whose presence feels disturbingly inevitable.
#writing #wip #gothichorror
Writing update, day twenty-nine;
89,269 words. Act four and epilogue trimmed. Acts one and two felt-purge done.
Didn't do much today, too much uni work to do. But I did cut out all the struck-through stuff from my first read, AND got rid of over sixty uses of "felt" from act one and two :)
89,269 words. Act four and epilogue trimmed. Acts one and two felt-purge done.
Didn't do much today, too much uni work to do. But I did cut out all the struck-through stuff from my first read, AND got rid of over sixty uses of "felt" from act one and two :)
February 16, 2026 at 12:56 AM
Writing update, day twenty-nine;
89,269 words. Act four and epilogue trimmed. Acts one and two felt-purge done.
Didn't do much today, too much uni work to do. But I did cut out all the struck-through stuff from my first read, AND got rid of over sixty uses of "felt" from act one and two :)
89,269 words. Act four and epilogue trimmed. Acts one and two felt-purge done.
Didn't do much today, too much uni work to do. But I did cut out all the struck-through stuff from my first read, AND got rid of over sixty uses of "felt" from act one and two :)
Writing update, day twenty-eight
90,022 words. Act three edited.
First round of edits is still going strong. Alredy thinking of changes for the next. I hope this is as good as it feels.
90,022 words. Act three edited.
First round of edits is still going strong. Alredy thinking of changes for the next. I hope this is as good as it feels.
February 15, 2026 at 1:19 AM
Writing update, day twenty-eight
90,022 words. Act three edited.
First round of edits is still going strong. Alredy thinking of changes for the next. I hope this is as good as it feels.
90,022 words. Act three edited.
First round of edits is still going strong. Alredy thinking of changes for the next. I hope this is as good as it feels.
Writing update, day twenty-seven
91,180 words. Acts three, four and epilogue marked up for editing
Got the entire second half ready for editing. It doesn't need as much adding to it as the first half, but it needs SOOOO much more taking out 😅 the hell was I thinking sometimes?? Some weird choices...
91,180 words. Acts three, four and epilogue marked up for editing
Got the entire second half ready for editing. It doesn't need as much adding to it as the first half, but it needs SOOOO much more taking out 😅 the hell was I thinking sometimes?? Some weird choices...
February 14, 2026 at 4:10 AM
Writing update, day twenty-seven
91,180 words. Acts three, four and epilogue marked up for editing
Got the entire second half ready for editing. It doesn't need as much adding to it as the first half, but it needs SOOOO much more taking out 😅 the hell was I thinking sometimes?? Some weird choices...
91,180 words. Acts three, four and epilogue marked up for editing
Got the entire second half ready for editing. It doesn't need as much adding to it as the first half, but it needs SOOOO much more taking out 😅 the hell was I thinking sometimes?? Some weird choices...
Writing update, day twenty-six
91,307 words. Fourteen and a bit more chapters edited.
I made a massive change today. After some troubling research, and talking with my wife and writing partner, I've changed some character names. It was a hard decision, but I think it's honestly for the best :))
91,307 words. Fourteen and a bit more chapters edited.
I made a massive change today. After some troubling research, and talking with my wife and writing partner, I've changed some character names. It was a hard decision, but I think it's honestly for the best :))
February 13, 2026 at 5:08 AM
Writing update, day twenty-six
91,307 words. Fourteen and a bit more chapters edited.
I made a massive change today. After some troubling research, and talking with my wife and writing partner, I've changed some character names. It was a hard decision, but I think it's honestly for the best :))
91,307 words. Fourteen and a bit more chapters edited.
I made a massive change today. After some troubling research, and talking with my wife and writing partner, I've changed some character names. It was a hard decision, but I think it's honestly for the best :))
Writing update, day twenty-four
91,460 words. One and a bit more chapters edited.
I cut a lot of words today... and then immediately replaced most of them with new ones 😅 not to worry, I haven't even purged my 'had's, bulky dialogue tags or trimmed my triple adjectives yet 😅
91,460 words. One and a bit more chapters edited.
I cut a lot of words today... and then immediately replaced most of them with new ones 😅 not to worry, I haven't even purged my 'had's, bulky dialogue tags or trimmed my triple adjectives yet 😅
February 6, 2026 at 1:05 AM
Writing update, day twenty-four
91,460 words. One and a bit more chapters edited.
I cut a lot of words today... and then immediately replaced most of them with new ones 😅 not to worry, I haven't even purged my 'had's, bulky dialogue tags or trimmed my triple adjectives yet 😅
91,460 words. One and a bit more chapters edited.
I cut a lot of words today... and then immediately replaced most of them with new ones 😅 not to worry, I haven't even purged my 'had's, bulky dialogue tags or trimmed my triple adjectives yet 😅
Writing update, day twenty-three
92,257 words. Preliminary edits of acts one and two complete
First day of the first round of editing. It feels weird to have my word count going down instead of up... got a feeling a lot of stuff I struck-through today wont survive a second edit. Good day though!
92,257 words. Preliminary edits of acts one and two complete
First day of the first round of editing. It feels weird to have my word count going down instead of up... got a feeling a lot of stuff I struck-through today wont survive a second edit. Good day though!
February 4, 2026 at 5:15 AM
Writing update, day twenty-three
92,257 words. Preliminary edits of acts one and two complete
First day of the first round of editing. It feels weird to have my word count going down instead of up... got a feeling a lot of stuff I struck-through today wont survive a second edit. Good day though!
92,257 words. Preliminary edits of acts one and two complete
First day of the first round of editing. It feels weird to have my word count going down instead of up... got a feeling a lot of stuff I struck-through today wont survive a second edit. Good day though!
Movie pitch: a Forrest Gump-esque epic adapted from the Diary of Samuel Pepys that traces all the immense historical moments of 17th Century England that Pepys brushes past without noticing, because he's too busy insulting sex workers and complaining about his wife
January 28, 2026 at 11:05 PM
Movie pitch: a Forrest Gump-esque epic adapted from the Diary of Samuel Pepys that traces all the immense historical moments of 17th Century England that Pepys brushes past without noticing, because he's too busy insulting sex workers and complaining about his wife
Got that "first draft finished" feeling 😎
January 26, 2026 at 3:37 AM
Got that "first draft finished" feeling 😎
Writing update, day twenty-two
92,319 words. Four more completed chapters, act four and epilogue complete.
FIRST DRAFT COMPLETE
I'm ironically lost for words. I used them all up
Honestly, this feels amazing! I haven't finished a story since "The Blind Game" in 2019 :))
#writing #wip #firstdraft
92,319 words. Four more completed chapters, act four and epilogue complete.
FIRST DRAFT COMPLETE
I'm ironically lost for words. I used them all up
Honestly, this feels amazing! I haven't finished a story since "The Blind Game" in 2019 :))
#writing #wip #firstdraft
January 26, 2026 at 3:34 AM
Writing update, day twenty-two
92,319 words. Four more completed chapters, act four and epilogue complete.
FIRST DRAFT COMPLETE
I'm ironically lost for words. I used them all up
Honestly, this feels amazing! I haven't finished a story since "The Blind Game" in 2019 :))
#writing #wip #firstdraft
92,319 words. Four more completed chapters, act four and epilogue complete.
FIRST DRAFT COMPLETE
I'm ironically lost for words. I used them all up
Honestly, this feels amazing! I haven't finished a story since "The Blind Game" in 2019 :))
#writing #wip #firstdraft
Kinda. "Dark Wings: The Thirteenth Shade" is set over Summer, however, the weather in Ebonhollow is eerily unseasonal. Something in the district makes the air bitterly cold, as if the whole place is being held hostage by winter. There's an unnatural chill that lingers and bites even on sunny days...
Last one of the day!!
#questpit question number 3:
Is winter prevalent in your story? If not, how would it impact your story? (and if so explain a little :))
#questpit question number 3:
Is winter prevalent in your story? If not, how would it impact your story? (and if so explain a little :))
January 23, 2026 at 6:42 PM
Kinda. "Dark Wings: The Thirteenth Shade" is set over Summer, however, the weather in Ebonhollow is eerily unseasonal. Something in the district makes the air bitterly cold, as if the whole place is being held hostage by winter. There's an unnatural chill that lingers and bites even on sunny days...
Dark Wings: The Thirteenth Shade
When a journalism student investigates a forgotten district, riddled with disappearances that it seems determined to ignore, she becomes entangled with a haunting stranger whose presence feels disturbingly inevitable.
#writing #wip #gothichorror
When a journalism student investigates a forgotten district, riddled with disappearances that it seems determined to ignore, she becomes entangled with a haunting stranger whose presence feels disturbingly inevitable.
#writing #wip #gothichorror
January 23, 2026 at 1:13 AM
Dark Wings: The Thirteenth Shade
When a journalism student investigates a forgotten district, riddled with disappearances that it seems determined to ignore, she becomes entangled with a haunting stranger whose presence feels disturbingly inevitable.
#writing #wip #gothichorror
When a journalism student investigates a forgotten district, riddled with disappearances that it seems determined to ignore, she becomes entangled with a haunting stranger whose presence feels disturbingly inevitable.
#writing #wip #gothichorror
Writing update, day nineteen;
75,668 words. Three more completed chapters, act three complete.
Is it normal to suddenly lose a bunch of confidence in your writing when you realise you're in the final straight? Does it go away? Asking for a friend.
75,668 words. Three more completed chapters, act three complete.
Is it normal to suddenly lose a bunch of confidence in your writing when you realise you're in the final straight? Does it go away? Asking for a friend.
January 17, 2026 at 12:00 AM
Writing update, day nineteen;
75,668 words. Three more completed chapters, act three complete.
Is it normal to suddenly lose a bunch of confidence in your writing when you realise you're in the final straight? Does it go away? Asking for a friend.
75,668 words. Three more completed chapters, act three complete.
Is it normal to suddenly lose a bunch of confidence in your writing when you realise you're in the final straight? Does it go away? Asking for a friend.
Writing update, day eighteen;
68,748 words. Three more completed chapters.
It finally happened. The monster has made itself known in a way that feels suitably over-the-top in its brutality but SO much fun to write. We're deep into the horror now, and I cannot wait to see where it goes!!
68,748 words. Three more completed chapters.
It finally happened. The monster has made itself known in a way that feels suitably over-the-top in its brutality but SO much fun to write. We're deep into the horror now, and I cannot wait to see where it goes!!
January 15, 2026 at 4:32 AM
Writing update, day eighteen;
68,748 words. Three more completed chapters.
It finally happened. The monster has made itself known in a way that feels suitably over-the-top in its brutality but SO much fun to write. We're deep into the horror now, and I cannot wait to see where it goes!!
68,748 words. Three more completed chapters.
It finally happened. The monster has made itself known in a way that feels suitably over-the-top in its brutality but SO much fun to write. We're deep into the horror now, and I cannot wait to see where it goes!!
Didn't quite blitz past this milestone, but I did hit 200 pages today :))
Things are moving quickly now, I can almost taste the end closing in!
Things are moving quickly now, I can almost taste the end closing in!
January 14, 2026 at 11:55 PM
Didn't quite blitz past this milestone, but I did hit 200 pages today :))
Things are moving quickly now, I can almost taste the end closing in!
Things are moving quickly now, I can almost taste the end closing in!
Reposted by T.A Cole
Writing update, day sixteen;
56,629 words. Two more completed chapters.
School is over for the holidays, so I'm back in Ebonhollow, tormenting a journalism student 😅 some trippy stuff in these chapters, not sure how much will survive the edit.
But it's good to be back!
56,629 words. Two more completed chapters.
School is over for the holidays, so I'm back in Ebonhollow, tormenting a journalism student 😅 some trippy stuff in these chapters, not sure how much will survive the edit.
But it's good to be back!
December 17, 2025 at 2:49 AM
Writing update, day sixteen;
56,629 words. Two more completed chapters.
School is over for the holidays, so I'm back in Ebonhollow, tormenting a journalism student 😅 some trippy stuff in these chapters, not sure how much will survive the edit.
But it's good to be back!
56,629 words. Two more completed chapters.
School is over for the holidays, so I'm back in Ebonhollow, tormenting a journalism student 😅 some trippy stuff in these chapters, not sure how much will survive the edit.
But it's good to be back!
Reposted by T.A Cole
‘The only advice anybody can give is, if you wanna be a writer, keep writing. And read all you can, read everything.’
— Stan Lee
writingforwellbeing.co.uk
#writing #WritingCommunity #WritersCommunity
— Stan Lee
writingforwellbeing.co.uk
#writing #WritingCommunity #WritersCommunity
December 16, 2025 at 3:22 PM
‘The only advice anybody can give is, if you wanna be a writer, keep writing. And read all you can, read everything.’
— Stan Lee
writingforwellbeing.co.uk
#writing #WritingCommunity #WritersCommunity
— Stan Lee
writingforwellbeing.co.uk
#writing #WritingCommunity #WritersCommunity
Dark Wings: The Thirteenth Shade
When a journalism student investigates a forgotten district, riddled with disappearances that it seems determined to ignore, she becomes entangled with a haunting stranger whose presence feels disturbingly inevitable.
#WritingPrompt
When a journalism student investigates a forgotten district, riddled with disappearances that it seems determined to ignore, she becomes entangled with a haunting stranger whose presence feels disturbingly inevitable.
#WritingPrompt
Time to eat your vegetables again y'all! What's a one-sentence elevator pitch for your book? If you need help, [thing] meets [thing] is a great baseline. #WritingPrompt
December 11, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Dark Wings: The Thirteenth Shade
When a journalism student investigates a forgotten district, riddled with disappearances that it seems determined to ignore, she becomes entangled with a haunting stranger whose presence feels disturbingly inevitable.
#WritingPrompt
When a journalism student investigates a forgotten district, riddled with disappearances that it seems determined to ignore, she becomes entangled with a haunting stranger whose presence feels disturbingly inevitable.
#WritingPrompt
It's the $60+ for a new game that's not finished, has zero replay value, takes over an hour to install, and needs an update every time you want to play it for me.
Why do Gen Z have a growing appetite for retro tech?
Why do Gen Z have a growing appetite for retro tech?
Gen Z are going retro, with studies showing a resurgence in people buying tech in the modern age that can be dated back decades.
www.bbc.com
December 7, 2025 at 8:41 PM
It's the $60+ for a new game that's not finished, has zero replay value, takes over an hour to install, and needs an update every time you want to play it for me.
Reposted by T.A Cole
So I read: Self Editing For Fiction Authors by Renni Browne, Dave King.
Here is a thread of the advice of theirs that I liked.
A thread 🧵
Here is a thread of the advice of theirs that I liked.
A thread 🧵
November 28, 2025 at 3:23 PM
So I read: Self Editing For Fiction Authors by Renni Browne, Dave King.
Here is a thread of the advice of theirs that I liked.
A thread 🧵
Here is a thread of the advice of theirs that I liked.
A thread 🧵
"For sure, you have to be lost to find a place that can't be found. Elseways everyone would know where it was."
September 27, 2025 at 9:53 PM
"For sure, you have to be lost to find a place that can't be found. Elseways everyone would know where it was."
Writing update, day fifteen;
50,987 words. Two more completed chapters, act two complete.
Act 2 is over, Act 3: Unraveling is finally here.
As I pass the long-awaited halfway point at 50k, I'm faced with the reality that, with school starting up again next week, Dark Wings will continue to haunt me
50,987 words. Two more completed chapters, act two complete.
Act 2 is over, Act 3: Unraveling is finally here.
As I pass the long-awaited halfway point at 50k, I'm faced with the reality that, with school starting up again next week, Dark Wings will continue to haunt me
August 28, 2025 at 9:24 PM
Writing update, day fifteen;
50,987 words. Two more completed chapters, act two complete.
Act 2 is over, Act 3: Unraveling is finally here.
As I pass the long-awaited halfway point at 50k, I'm faced with the reality that, with school starting up again next week, Dark Wings will continue to haunt me
50,987 words. Two more completed chapters, act two complete.
Act 2 is over, Act 3: Unraveling is finally here.
As I pass the long-awaited halfway point at 50k, I'm faced with the reality that, with school starting up again next week, Dark Wings will continue to haunt me