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carterscompendium.bsky.social
Carter Elise Key 🗝️
@carterscompendium.bsky.social
78 followers 78 following 75 posts
they/them/theirs • 24 • i’ll try writing or reading anything once

919 ⇾ 973

cw: V.E.S.S.E.L. | cr: biography of x

support me on kofi! https://ko-fi.com/carterscompendium
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carterscompendium.bsky.social
#questpit

if you’re somehow not convinced that the state of the US is in flames, this work is for you.

🩸 those in power are lying to you
🩸 cult of christian fundamentalism/white supremacy
🩸 feminine rage
🩸 reclamation & self discovery

#w #a #sf #h #lf 🔥
title card with pregnancy photoshoot as the backdrop - close image on a woman’s pregnant belly with two sets of hands cradling it text: V.E.S.S.E.L. / an agent’s guide / carter elise key / M.A. in creative writing thesis project pitch: evelyn innately trusts her husband, adam, to handle many of the front-facing affairs. he handles the money, he has a steady ipb, he goes golfing with his griends every Saturday. evie is happily in charge of ensuring thag their home is something to be proud of: clean, tidy, and presentable to the neighbours. despite the pleasant appearance, things are not what they seem in the adler household. adam desperately wants a son, and evie is trying her best to give him one. she’s already miscarried once, before she even knew she was pregnant, a crime equivalent to manalaughter in her tight-knit, christian fundamentalist hometown. twenty weeks into her second pregnancy, evie suddenly falls ill. she loses the baby, as well as her husband’s hope for a son. adam decides to admit evie for a three year treatment cycle to V.E.S.S.E.L., a program that assists women with fertility difficulties and ensures a safe, happy, and healthy pregnancy. or af least, that’s how their marketing team has decided to present their “treatments” to the public. comp titles: 01 - the handmaid’s tale by margaret atwood 02 - tender is the flesh by agustina bazterrica 03 - biography of x by catharine lacey 04 - “cat person” by kristen roupenian inspiration: when the story of adriana smith made national headlines, the 31-year-old Georgia woman who was declared brain dead but kept on life support to gestate a foetus (that didn’t even make it to term), i knew that we were, in short, in the bad place. this, combined with the systemic government takeover of women’s bodies in legislation, kindled a flame of outrage and painful empathy. i’ve aways had a fascination with the structure and execution of cults. i came into possession of the novel cultish: the language of fanaticism and decided that my next work needed to involve this somehow. those running the program and in positions of power all subscribe to the cult of white supremacy, a terrifying potential reality for the U.S. today. evelyn begins the story subscribing to this mindset. she’s known no other option. through her exposure to others in the program, as well as both witnessing and being the victim of senseless violence and oppression, she comes to understand that the way of thinking she’s grown up with is not good. she must come to terms with this realisation and grapple with her new sense of identity.
November 5, 2025 at 10:30 AM
carterscompendium.bsky.social
The future of Laerathor is written in the stars—or in blood. 🩸💫

✨ #questpit #a #f #q ✨

⚔️ forged family
👑 prophesied death
🤍 queer & disabled rep

The Bardaegan Trials have only just begun; is risking it all worth it? ♟️🥇
an agent’s guide to ODE: Fern and the nine realms of laerathor. carter elise key & lindsay vena. pitch - the future of laerathor is written in the stars—or in blood. with everything on the line, Fern, Halvard, and Airika must decide how they want to be remembered. the Bardaegan Trials have only just begun, and this time they come with a deadly cost. is risking it all worth it? stats: - word count: 104k - debut with series potential - multi-pov 3rd person narration genre/audience: - fantasy/adventure - new adult/adult - influenced by norse mythology representation: - queer (normalized in world) - disability (hard of hearing/deaf) comps/tropes: comp titles: blood beneath the snow by alexandra kennington the priory of the orange tree by samantha shannon all of us villains by amanda foody & c.l. herman tropes: - forged family - slow burn - political intrigue - prophecies - magic has a cost - doomed by the narrative excerpt: with no warning, 1 of the prisoners from verwaringheim swings her head down, her fingers gripping the eave of the roof to keep her from toppling over completely. “hi there!” “good gods!” Halvard whips around to face an upside-down Juel. “you nearly scared my spirit free!” “does that mean your spirit still has cost? it should be worth something.” she looks concerned, tilting her head to the side and causing her curtain of hair to sway. he blinks. “that’s not—nevermind. nevermind. why are you upside-down?” “i’m not upside-down. you’re upside down,” she giggles. “its all about perspective, prince.” “juel, who’re ya talkin’ to?” the male prisoner grumbles from above. halvard’s face blanches. he covers his mouth with his free hand, hoping to communicate to juel not to reveal any specifics of who he is. she grins at him. “it’s prince halvard!”
November 5, 2025 at 5:30 AM
carterscompendium.bsky.social
its recruitment szn!

my fave parts abt camp fairwood:

🤝 friendly competition
💕 welcoming vibes!
🌱 green meadows cabin <3
🧠 learning abt everyone’s kickass projects
🍾 celebrating together!
✨ weekly cabin updates

DM for an invite link — i promise u won’t regret it!!
September 25, 2025 at 3:27 PM
carterscompendium.bsky.social
🏰 ODE: FERN AND THE NINE REALMS OF LAERATHOR 🏰

Nine realms. Ten competitors. One king, fated to die, who insists on overseeing the competition which will determine his successor.

How will this unique round of the Bardaegan Trials end?

#posterpitw #f #na
Castle looming over a beach. “ODE: Fern and the Nine Realms of Laerathor” “A Key & Vena Production” “12.2025” “hitting query trenches soon"
August 16, 2025 at 7:15 AM
carterscompendium.bsky.social
#posterpitw #f #na

👑 ODE: FERN AND THE NINE REALMS OF LAERATHOR 👑

⚔️ What’s your idea of vengeance? Fern thinks she’s got a pretty good guess, but when those beliefs are tested, they may just crumble under the pressure.

[ hitting query trenches dec 2025 ]
young woman with a sword. ‘ODE: Fern and the Nine Realms of Laerathor’ at the top of the poster, overlaid with the sword. to the woman’s right: “Carter Elise Key & Lindsay Vena” “What is your idea of vengeance?” At the bottom: “Coming soon to the query trenches” then, the cast of characters: “Fern Riis. Halvard Jostad. Airika Falk. Biggs Stigandr. Brendell Falk. Quinby Brodbeck. Ernaline Gisil. Ygor Wistirgaard. Caxton Rask. Juel Soelberg. Torben Ahlstrom. Lumi Hartvigsen. Eostre Dal."
August 16, 2025 at 6:15 AM
carterscompendium.bsky.social
🌱 ODE: FERN AND THE NINE REALMS OF LAERATHOR 🌱

#posterpitw #f #na

The chance of a lifetime— some might even kill for it. With everything on the line, Fern, Halvard, and Airika have to decide how they want to be remembered. Everyone wants something, but is risking it all worth it? ⚔️
Young blonde woman in a field with the words “ODE: Fern and the Nine Realms of Laerathor” behind her in the sky. “magic infused world” and “doomed by fate” are on either side of her. At the bottom: “Carter Elise Key & Lindsay Vena” “Coming soon to the query trenches"
August 16, 2025 at 4:20 AM
carterscompendium.bsky.social
#queerpit #ef #na #editing

THE CRUEL PRINCE X PRIORY OF THE ORANGE TREE

👑 prophecies
⚔️ dying magic
👑 competition for the throne
⚔️ forged family
👑 queer & disabled rep
⚔️ slow burn subplot

on track to hit query trenches dec. 2025
August 15, 2025 at 2:45 PM
carterscompendium.bsky.social
🕊️ LIGHTLARK X PRIORY OF THE ORANGE TREE 🍊

#questpit #w #wip #na #a #fantasy

nine realms. ten competitors. all vying for the chance to rule it all—and someone’s not making it out alive.

[coming to your query box soon!]
working cover of ODE + “political intrigue” “3rd person multi-pov” “queer & disabled rep!!” “forged family” LIGHTLARK X PRIORY OF THE ORANGE TREE In this fast-paced high fantasy, everybody wants something, and power’s up for grabs. winning favour among members of the king’s council is crucial, but the Bardaegan Trials are only beginning. is risking it all worth it? • work in progress (currently editing) • for (new) adult audiences • fantasy inspired by Norse tradition • diverse cast of characters
August 6, 2025 at 4:25 PM
carterscompendium.bsky.social
LIGHTLARK X GRISHAVERSE

🌿 almost everyone's lgbtqia+
✨ multi-pov 3rd person limited
🌿 political tensions & competition
✨ Norse mythology influence
🌿 disability rep

an #agentsguide to #odewip for #YouDeservepIt <3

#wip #f #a #na #ua
January 25, 2025 at 12:10 AM
carterscompendium.bsky.social
✨an agent’s guide to ODE: FERN AND THE NINE REALMS OF LAERATHOR✨

⛰️ several realms to explore, each with unique cultures
🥇 competition to win the title of Ruler of the Nine Realms
🌿 complex magic system
🔆 Norse mythology influence

#w #a #f #p2ppit #ua

ty to my wonderful coauthor for the graphics!!
A guide to ODE: FERN AND THE NINE REALMS OF LAERATHOR PITCH: in the magical realms of laerathor, their king has just been delivered the prophecy of his death. seizing the opportunity to choose his successor, he summons the royals of the none realms to compete in a series of trials EXCERPT: “death does not have to be a violent act,” [Vollker] spits, still refusing to look at her cousin. “no,” Sigrid concedes, “but violence certainly makes it more memorable.” Airika looks back toward the center of the area of combat. Jakk and Lumi stare each other down, a challenge in their gazes. Both of them have taken up defensive stances, an energy crackling between the pair. She sees them bouncing on the balls of their feet, itching for the bell tower to toll. Truthfully, she cannot predict how this match will go, which has her all the more intrigued. ITALICS - This is about to get much more interesting. FOR FANS OF: the action and multi-pov storytelling of THRONE OF GLASS the political intrigue of THE CRUEL PRINCE the love and strength between the characters in the GRISHAVERSE the multi-tiered worldbuilding of MISTBORN the magic and mystery of THE NIGHT CIRCUS the competition and legends of LIGHTLARK ODE is set in the enchanting world of Laerathor, grounded in fantasy with a heavy focus on power and politics, interwoven with complicated relationships.
January 17, 2025 at 5:49 PM
carterscompendium.bsky.social
!! friends i finally hit 100 followers on my writing/bookstagram account :)) i’m so excited 😭
screenshot of my writer’s instagram page with 100 followers circled
November 5, 2023 at 4:15 PM
carterscompendium.bsky.social
💙 Art share time to celebrate @mmatopgun.bsky.social’s 100 follower milestone 💙

These are three wip doodles and one finished ref sheet for a dnd character i’m making :)
October 25, 2023 at 4:16 PM
carterscompendium.bsky.social
he tried to make himself irresistibly cute in order to convince me not to leave
brown striped cat curled upside down on top of a blanket and grey couch
October 25, 2023 at 4:06 PM