Brooke Lorren
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Brooke Lorren
@brookelorren.bsky.social
1K followers 89 following 550 posts
Aspiring author- speculative fiction and mostly medieval nonfiction. Christian, (still) NeverTrump conservative.
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brookelorren.bsky.social
Ability isn’t there, but able is.

#WIPSnips #WritingCommunity
September 8, 2025 at 9:43 AM
brookelorren.bsky.social
From SAVE THE BEST FOR LAST.

#WIPSnips #WritingCommunity
The battlefield spilling across the canvas looked like it covered more area than our entire village. Dying elves lay in front of the queen, some with their intestines hanging out, nearly all bleeding. It was the most gruesome sight I’d ever seen. “Do you think this was a real battle?” Melody asked. “I don’t know. We don’t get a lot of news from Soyuza. Perhaps, if it is, then it explains why the elves are so desperately building a new city here. Didn’t Lily tell us that the queen and her daughter didn’t see things the same way?”
August 25, 2025 at 12:19 AM
brookelorren.bsky.social
My fantasy characters are either nobles or farmers, mostly. No career, but job is important to SAVE THE BEST FOR LAST. Although Melody is a seamstress for the summer (her parents are farmers).

#WIPSnips #WritingCommunity
He brightened. “Sure! I have some edible cookies with it baked in. Do you think your hot friend would bake cookies for us?” “Her name is Melody, and I don’t think so. She didn’t really seem interested in it when you mentioned it at lunch.” “Too bad. Maybe if we paid her?” “I don’t think she needs the money.” “What’s she doing out here then?” “I think she came for the adventure. The money is great, I’m sure, but that’s not her main motivation. Her family would be just fine if she stayed back in our village. When we were kids, she always dreamed of becoming the king’s astronomer.” “But that’s a man’s job!” “It doesn’t have to be. There’s nothing even remotely masculine about staring up at the stars through a telescope.”
August 20, 2025 at 11:33 AM
brookelorren.bsky.social
From SAVE THE BEST FOR LAST.

#WIPSnips #WritingCommunity
After about twenty minutes, I pull Chocolate into a clearing. I leave Lin on the horse, not trusting myself to be able to lift her back up again, if it comes to that, although I hide them both under a blanket. Lin is still wearing a light dress and slippers that would be more appropriate to a ball, not walking through the snow. What happened? Aside from being covered in vomit, her dress seems fine. Kirill hadn’t tried to attack her, as far as I could tell; she didn’t have any blood on her. “What happened?” I say, mostly to myself. “Are you going to be okay?” I hear crunching in the snow behind me. There’s a bow and arrows among the luggage, but I’d have to unpack them, and Quintus is the archery expert, not me. I wish I had my dagger! But Quintus might have needed it. For all I know, it might have saved his life. “It’s just me,” Quintus says. I let out a heavy breath.
August 18, 2025 at 10:21 AM
brookelorren.bsky.social
I didn't know I used crawl in my book, but evidently I do: 4 times in SAVE THE BEST FOR LAST. It was 5, but two were used within 2 paragraphs of each other so I changed one.

#WIPSnips #WritingCommunity
“You know we’d share with Quintus. And his dad.” She rolls her eyes, then kisses me on my forehead. “Get some sleep, okay?” “Okay, Mom.” Mom blows out my candle and I wriggle under the blanket. “Good night,” I say, watching her close the door behind me. I let out a breath. After a minute, Quintus crawls out from under my bed. “That was close.” “No kidding.”
August 18, 2025 at 1:39 AM
brookelorren.bsky.social
From SAVE THE BEST FOR LAST.

#WIPSnips #WritingCommunity
Sometimes ships sink when they’re traveling long distances,” he said. “There aren’t many pirates, but nature is an angry enough enemy. My grandparents used to tell me stories about their days at sea. Fortunately, it was lucrative enough that they were able to retire.”
August 14, 2025 at 10:41 AM
brookelorren.bsky.social
Lin really shouldn’t return to her dad…

From SAVE THE BEST FOR LAST.

#WIPSnips #WritingCommunity
August 13, 2025 at 9:18 AM
brookelorren.bsky.social
12. My fmc just believes in god. The mmc becomes a seer, so he was granted visions.

#AugustWorldbuilders #WritingCommunity
August 12, 2025 at 11:49 PM
brookelorren.bsky.social
12 - Last - The Most Beautiful Woman in Florence by Alyssa Palombo
Current - Summer Days and Summer Nights (various authors)
Future - Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

I actually have multiple books going on at a time though.

#FantasyIndiesAugust #WritingCommunity
August 12, 2025 at 11:46 PM
brookelorren.bsky.social
12. Favorite fairytale - The Little Mermaid (Disney version, not the one where she turns into sea foam)

#FantasyIndiesAugust #WritingCommunity
August 12, 2025 at 11:43 PM
brookelorren.bsky.social
The tagline is easy: She wants to prove her innocence. He just wants to live indoors again.

#FantasyIndiesAugust #WritingCommunity
August 11, 2025 at 12:47 AM
brookelorren.bsky.social
I guess the closest thing would be becoming a seer. It's a mixed blessing, it's often inherited, and you don't ask to be one. You may end up seeing things you don't want to see, or you may see something useful. The meanings to visions are often unclear.

#AugustWorldbuilders #WritingCommunity
August 11, 2025 at 12:45 AM
brookelorren.bsky.social
I cut a lot of telling from my story, but some parts cannot be shown. I'm not going to waste a whole chapter of a book on this; but it's important because it affected the way she saw the world.

#SummerOfStory 6
August 9, 2025 at 8:13 PM
brookelorren.bsky.social
From SAVE THE BEST FOR LAST.

#WIPSnips #WritingCommunity
We spent the rest of the afternoon packing our stuff, including the telescope I bought Melody, and preparing to leave, even though we hadn’t gotten out much. Melody ground up the purple flowers into powder, and then brushed Lin’s hair. “We want you to look as pretty as possible,” Melody said. “Even though you’re already pretty.” “I don’t feel well,” Lin said. “Like I’m about to throw up.” “It’s understandable,” Melody said. “I feel quite a few butterflies in my stomach too, and I don’t even have to confront Kirill. It’s not like we poison someone every day.” “That must be it.”
August 9, 2025 at 11:19 AM
brookelorren.bsky.social
#WIPSnips #WritingCommunity
When I returned to the main room, Lin was holding an envelope out to me. “It’s a message for you.” I tore open the envelope. “Who could be sending me a note at this time of night?” The envelope was written in neat, looping handwriting that I didn’t recognize. “I need you to come to work tonight. Emergency clothing repairs needed. ~ Kirill” I showed it to Lin. My gut felt like I had swallowed a rock. “Why would my boss need emergency clothing repairs in the middle of the night
August 5, 2025 at 7:53 PM
brookelorren.bsky.social
I’ll talk about the MCs from two different books, both in the same universe:

Lila: had tutors
Ren: no. Was taught to read, then learned from books
Melody and Quintus: went to school together

#AugustWorldbuilders #WritingCommunity
August 4, 2025 at 9:03 PM
brookelorren.bsky.social
Trend is a lot like fashion. Melody is good at sewing (unlike Lila from my other book)

#WIPSnips #WritingCommunity
I slip my matching mask into my pocket as I leave for school. All dresses, of course, have to have pockets. It doesn’t even matter to me whether pockets remain fashionable or not, any dress I make will always have them.
August 4, 2025 at 4:53 AM
brookelorren.bsky.social
This looks like fun. 30 days, 30 facts about Lila (I'm going camping so I'll have to combine a few days:

1. She's from a castle in the south of Erenya.
2. I think she's an ISTP? Don't hold me to it though.
3. "One day it seems like they’ll be there forever, and then—they’re gone."
August 4, 2025 at 4:44 AM
brookelorren.bsky.social
2 & 3. There are no specialized schools. Before the elves took over, they were taught writing, reading, history, very rudimentary science.

People who want to learn magic typically study on their own. Sometimes they apprentice places.

#AugustWorldbuilders #WritingCommunity
August 4, 2025 at 12:47 AM
brookelorren.bsky.social
BONUS: This is when Melody and Quintus from SAVE THE BEST FOR LAST meet. They were 5. This is not part of the novel, but is from a scene I wrote about the event.

#WritingLifeMonthly #WritingCommunity
A boy about her age was huddled behind her family’s barn. He looked a little familiar—perhaps she saw him on one of her trips to the middle of the village with her daddy, or maybe she saw him before at the Midsummer festival. He looked up as she approached. He had dark brown hair that curled at the ends, olive-toned skin, and dirty smudges on his face. A high contrast to her wispy blonde hair, pale skin Mommy washed before bed, and clear blue eyes. “Are you okay?” She sat in the dust next to him, not worried about dirtying her dress since it was the one she had worn earlier that day. He shook his head. “Daddy got drunk again. He was yelling at Momma. I was afraid he was gonna hit her.”
August 3, 2025 at 11:31 AM
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Best friends passing notes in class…

#WIPSnips #WritingCommunity
“My queen, Katerina, and your king, Arwyn, have engaged in a commercial partnership. King Arwyn has granted us Soyuzans a large tract of land to the north of here for us to use as a trading post. We’re hopeful that this will lead to increased prosperity for both of our nations.” My jaw hardens. Most of us in Adrebara were simply struggling to farm enough food for the next year. Trading with other countries is the last thing on our mind. Is this guy for real? I write on a piece of paper in front of me and slide it over to Melody.
August 2, 2025 at 11:10 AM
brookelorren.bsky.social
It’s probably been a few years since I spent time with Melody and Quintus and I’m falling in love with them again. The book needs work though.

From SAVE THE BEST FOR LAST

#WIPSnips #WritingCommunity
August 1, 2025 at 11:22 AM
brookelorren.bsky.social
The last thing I researched was the black death. I watched a documentary on it.

But I'm always learning new things and some of it ends up in my books/stories.

#JulyWorldBuilders 31 #WritingCommunity
July 31, 2025 at 9:43 PM
brookelorren.bsky.social
This month was awesome! I finished this draft of my book, took a query class and wrote my query.

#FantasyIndiesJuly #WritingCommunity
July 31, 2025 at 9:40 PM
brookelorren.bsky.social
From Save the Best for Last.

#WIPSnips #WritingCommunity
July 31, 2025 at 9:32 PM