Michael Emond
LightNews LightNews
banner
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
Michael Emond
@vinegarmichael.bsky.social
190 followers 20 following 760 posts
Human-made art, writing, and sh*tposts!

He/Him | Novelist | Artist | Author of “How Do You Free a Caged Bird?" |
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
Michael Emond @vinegarmichael.bsky.social · 19h
I've taken to uploading early drafts of my work to Royal Road as a "I wrote this myself without AI, and here are my receipts" kind of deal.

I'm starting with my next planned book release.

Link to read below:
www.royalroad.com/fiction/1465...

#writesky #booksky #psychologicalthrillers #royalroad
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
I've taken to uploading early drafts of my work to Royal Road as a "I wrote this myself without AI, and here are my receipts" kind of deal.

I'm starting with my next planned book release.

Link to read below:
www.royalroad.com/fiction/1465...

#writesky #booksky #psychologicalthrillers #royalroad
January 4, 2026 at 4:37 PM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
When Leon returned home that evening, he was a broken-down shell of a man.

#WIPSnips #booksky #writesky #assassinthrillers #psychologicalthrillers #thrillerbooks #WIP #writingcommunity
When Leon returned home that evening, he was a broken-down shell of a man. He went into his kitchen, took out the cheap bottle of bourbon he had saved for bad days, and filled a small glass halfway full. He pounded the drink no differently than you would a shot of tequila, swallowing the fiery liquid in one gulp. Leon gasped, wiping his lips, sitting down at his kitchen island while waiting for the booze to take the edge off of his misery.
January 4, 2026 at 2:11 PM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
On top of writing fiction and doing art on the side, I’ve decoded to get my feet wet with voice acting because I am a workaholic who needs something to do when the art isn’t arting, and the words aren’t wording… TwT

#artsky #writesky
January 3, 2026 at 10:53 PM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
I'm wrapping up writing my next book, "How Do You Free a Caged Bird?", and it's definitely a departure from what I usually write.

My writing tends to be existential at its heaviest, but this project is one of the most nihilistic stories I've ever written...

#pretendpanel #writesky #booksky
hiriadunning.com Hiria Dunning @hiriadunning.com · 2d
#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 4:16 PM
Reposted by Michael Emond
dtpowell.bsky.social
My Drawcember 2025 prompt sketches! ❄️
#art #illustration #sketch #procreate
January 3, 2026 at 3:08 AM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
My mental health has been a touch-and-go dumpster fire the past two and a half weeks, but I got out of bed today, so I'll happily take that W.

#mentalhealth
January 1, 2026 at 6:38 PM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
Jamie’s honesty reminded Leon of the summer sun. It was warm. Bright. Radiant to a point where it was nearly blinding

#WIPSnips #writesky #indieauthors #booksky #thrillerbooks #assassinthriller #writingcommunity #WIP
“I honestly can’t remember what our dad even looks like,” he confessed. “Whenever I try to picture any sort of father figure in my life… You’re the only person that ever comes to mind.” Jamie placed his hand on Leon’s shoulder. “You’ve done so much for Lily and me, and we want to be there for you, too. So maybe at least try to meet us halfway, okay? Believe it or not, we love you, and we don’t want to see you get hurt because of us.” Jamie’s honesty reminded Leon of the summer sun. It was warm. Bright. Radiant to a point where it was nearly blinding. It was an emotional punch to the gut, the way he envied this trait in his little brother. All the Black Bird of Death knew was self-reliance, deceit, violence, and killing. Such straightforward compassion was something that never came naturally to him, nor was it something he ever had the luxury of having. As he had experienced firsthand, many times before, most problems in life couldn’t be solved by simply being true to yourself. Most of the time, all anyone could ever do was choke down all the bitter unfairness and injustice in the world and carry on suffering in silence. The real world didn’t give a shit if you were dying inside or barely keeping it together. It unceremoniously moved on, with or without you. “I’ll try,” Leon answered, once again knowing full well he was making yet another promise he couldn’t keep.
December 30, 2025 at 3:44 PM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
That feel when some of my favorite pieces of fictional media in 2025 included an indie animation about a digital circus heavily inspired by "I Have No Mouth, and I must Scream" and a dystopian anime where undesirable people are thrown out like literal garbage. >.>

#writesky #animation #anime
December 30, 2025 at 2:20 PM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
A heavily underated character arc, IMO:

The MC during Act I:

"With the power of love and friendship, we can overcome anything!"

The MC after copious amounts of trauma in Act II:

"The world is full of human garbage, and I'm here to take out the trash..."

#booksky #writesky #indieauthors #WIP
December 28, 2025 at 10:15 PM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
I'm working on the final edits and assembling the eBook files for "How Do You Free a Caged Bird?".

As long as I keep up my current pace, I should be sitting pretty for a Late February/Early March release! \o/

#booksky #indieauthors #writesky #fiction #thrillerbooks #assassinthrillers
December 26, 2025 at 5:46 PM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
"From every possible angle, the Black Bird of Death was cornered with no hope of escape."

#WIPSnips #writesky #booksky #indieauthors #writingcommunity #thrillerbooks #assassinthrillers #WIP
Looking down upon him like he was a cockroach, Bullet walked away while laughing to herself. Leon clenched his fists at his side, shaking in anger. In a furious blaze, Leon grabbed each of his remaining knives and hurled them at the training dummy. Each knife landed blade-first, the final one splintering the wood of the training dummy’s head and knocking the fixture over onto the ground. Leon took heavy breaths, standing alone in silence. Bullet. Undertaker. Oblivion. Assassination. Simply existing. It all ate away at Leon like a corrosive acid. Every damn thing about the godforsaken world in which he lived pissed him off. If he didn’t follow Undertaker’s orders to the letter, the family who meant everything to him could be brutally murdered. If Leon went through his next contract, he’d never be able to look himself in the mirror. From every possible angle, the Black Bird of Death was cornered with no hope of escape. He was like an animal in a cage. Trapped, and utterly hopeless. Leon fell to his knees, trying desperately not to cry. “I just want everything to disappear…” he quietly sobbed.
December 22, 2025 at 4:28 PM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
When writing ”How Do You Free a Caged Bird?”, one of my primary strategies for humanizing my assassin villain MC was giving him a weary fatigue that resembled burn out from a real world toxic workplace.

#writesky #booksky #assassinthriller #thrillerbooks #indieauthors
December 20, 2025 at 5:36 PM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
Did some CMND+F edits with "felt" for my current book project, "How Do You Free a Caged Bird?", this evening.

I'm slowly but surely reaching the finish line. o7

#booksky #writesky #indieauthors #thrillerbooks #assassinthrillers
December 20, 2025 at 1:07 AM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
My ADHD addled brain will constantly crave stimulation even when I’m mentally fatigued to a point where I can’t think straight.

It’s like the mental health equivalent of the “I didn’t hear no bell…” Southpark gif.

#mentalhealth #adhdsky
December 18, 2025 at 11:00 PM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
Me poorly describing the MCs of my various book projects:

"Well, you got mommy issues, mommy issues, daddy issues, cigarette junkie, more daddy issues, violent-asshole issues, and a weirdly self-actualized 17-year-old necromancer."

#booksky #writesky #writingcommunity #indieauthors #authorproblems
December 17, 2025 at 4:13 PM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
It's been a chaotic week and a half, so I unfortunately don't have anything new to show off, art or writing-wise.

So here's an Art VS The Artist video! Hope you guys like it!

#digitalart #artvstheartist #artsky #artvids #ocart #videogamefanart #art
December 17, 2025 at 2:42 PM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
So they started out by using AI for crappy anime dubbing, and now they're sneakily cramming AI chatbots into their eBooks without letting publishers opt out. 🙃

With all due respect to Amazon, "Go fuck yourself!"

#writesky #indieauthors #booksky #writingcommunity

www.pcmag.com/news/kindles...
Kindle’s New AI Feature Can Answer Questions About Your Books (Whether Authors Want It or Not)
The Kindle app's new feature will provide AI-generated tips to explain your book's plot or how the characters relate to one another, though it's currently only available on the iOS version.
www.pcmag.com
December 15, 2025 at 4:51 PM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
“That said, you were pretty quick to put your life on the line for a complete stranger,” he mused.

#WIPSnips #booksky #writesky #indieauthors #urbanfantasy #WIP #writingcommunity
“That said, you were pretty quick to put your life on the line for a complete stranger,” he mused. “You’re either incredibly courageous and selfless, or absolutely reckless with a fucking death wish. I still can’t decide which.” Kieren’s heart started to race. His hazy memories of that night, one by one, became clearer. “Regardless, your attempt at playing the hero was rewarded by almost being killed by the very person you were trying to help,” Ezra said. “If it weren’t for me, your carelessness could have very easily been the death of you that night.” Kieren’s chest tensed up, the memory of being impaled and left to bleed out on the ground surging through what felt like his every neuron. “Truth be told, after how banged up you got, you were almost beyond saving,” Ezra added. “You were unconscious for almost five days. I was genuinely starting to wonder if you would even wake up at all.”
December 15, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Reposted by Michael Emond
quest64official.bsky.social
The image is a play on "I have no mouth and I must scream" But says "I have a mouth and ice cream"
December 15, 2025 at 1:00 AM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
Currently trying to outline a trilogy of Urban Fantasy Vampire Noire novels while also editing and finalizing my current novella project.

Sanity was something I discarded long ago… orz

#writesky #indieauthors #booksky #writingcommunity #fantasybooks
December 15, 2025 at 1:08 AM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
Live footage of my current mental health state over the past week and a half... 🙃

The horrors persist, but so do I.

#mentalhealth #mentalhealthumor #humor #relatable
a group of people are gathered in a living room with a fire coming out of the floor
ALT: a group of people are gathered in a living room with a fire coming out of the floor
media.tenor.com
December 13, 2025 at 11:11 PM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
"Turn the key to a world untold..."

Here's the time lapse for my Guilty Gear Strive ABA fanart! I hope you guys like it! 🎨

#fanart #digitalart #arttimelapse #guiltygearstrive #artsky #videogamefanart #gaming #fightinggamescommunity #arcsys #guiltygear #art #videogames
December 12, 2025 at 6:19 PM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
I can unfortunately think of a decent amount of people in the world who could benefit from three ghosts of Christmas terrorizing them into changing their ways for the better.

#writesky #booksky #writingcommunity
December 12, 2025 at 4:48 PM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
My new John Wick-style assassin thriller, "How Do You Free a Caged Bird?" is now available to read for free on Wattpad!

You want a suspenseful story to binge-read? I got you covered!

Link to read below:
www.wattpad.com/story/404888...

#writesky #booksky #wattpad #freetoread #assassinthriller
December 12, 2025 at 2:11 AM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
"Whatever may come, our love is eternal. Isn't it dear?"

Some fan art I made of A.B.A from Guilty Gear Strive. 🎨

Hope y'all like it! o7

#guiltygearstrive #arcsys #aba #fightinggames #videogamefanart #art #videogames #gaming #guiltygear #fightinggamecommunity
Fan art of A.B.A from Guilty Gear Strive.
December 11, 2025 at 8:30 PM