Josiah
@josiahmotley.bsky.social
Sci-fi and Fantasy author chronicling his writing journey through progress, thoughts, and lessons learned.
I like ramen and collecting physical media (movies/books)
(he/him)
https://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/josiahmotley/
I like ramen and collecting physical media (movies/books)
(he/him)
https://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/josiahmotley/
Pinned
Josiah
@josiahmotley.bsky.social
· Jan 17
👋 Hi, I'm Josiah, a former tech writer turned aspiring novelist.
Looking to connect with others who:
- Love reading/writing
- Are navigating the journey of drafting, editing, and (hopefully!) publishing
- Enjoy sharing insights on storytelling, character development, and worldbuilding
#promosky
Looking to connect with others who:
- Love reading/writing
- Are navigating the journey of drafting, editing, and (hopefully!) publishing
- Enjoy sharing insights on storytelling, character development, and worldbuilding
#promosky
Hopping in to say I’m still writing and still getting rejection letters (lol). Just need a break from socials for a bit
February 19, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Hopping in to say I’m still writing and still getting rejection letters (lol). Just need a break from socials for a bit
Spent this morning working on my query letter. Definitely think the new one is an improvement over the prior version I sent out.
My big struggle right now is coming up with comps to include. I would prefer to leave them out, but the general consensus is that agents like to see them. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
My big struggle right now is coming up with comps to include. I would prefer to leave them out, but the general consensus is that agents like to see them. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
January 28, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Spent this morning working on my query letter. Definitely think the new one is an improvement over the prior version I sent out.
My big struggle right now is coming up with comps to include. I would prefer to leave them out, but the general consensus is that agents like to see them. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
My big struggle right now is coming up with comps to include. I would prefer to leave them out, but the general consensus is that agents like to see them. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Closing in on the first month of my “Watch and Review a Movie Everyday in 2025” goal. 🎉
Letterboxd: boxd.it/4FMyJ
Letterboxd: boxd.it/4FMyJ
January 27, 2025 at 11:13 PM
Closing in on the first month of my “Watch and Review a Movie Everyday in 2025” goal. 🎉
Letterboxd: boxd.it/4FMyJ
Letterboxd: boxd.it/4FMyJ
Officially got my first rejection email from an agent over the weekend 🎉
January 27, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Officially got my first rejection email from an agent over the weekend 🎉
Couldn't get the words flowing today, so instead, I finally started the map of my fantasy world.
#writersky #booksky #worldbuilding #fantasysky
#writersky #booksky #worldbuilding #fantasysky
January 25, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Couldn't get the words flowing today, so instead, I finally started the map of my fantasy world.
#writersky #booksky #worldbuilding #fantasysky
#writersky #booksky #worldbuilding #fantasysky
So, question for those in writing groups -how did you find said groups?
I know Discord is great for this, but unless it's a brand new one, it feels weird hopping into convos with people who don't know you.
#writersky #writinggroup #authorsky
I know Discord is great for this, but unless it's a brand new one, it feels weird hopping into convos with people who don't know you.
#writersky #writinggroup #authorsky
January 23, 2025 at 5:03 PM
So, question for those in writing groups -how did you find said groups?
I know Discord is great for this, but unless it's a brand new one, it feels weird hopping into convos with people who don't know you.
#writersky #writinggroup #authorsky
I know Discord is great for this, but unless it's a brand new one, it feels weird hopping into convos with people who don't know you.
#writersky #writinggroup #authorsky
In writing news, I've knocked out 5k words on my fun little fantasy novella. I'm going to be offering it for free when it is finished.
It's a silly story about a wizard, but I want to use it as an intro into a larger novel/series/whatever I've been plotting and thinking about for nearly three years
It's a silly story about a wizard, but I want to use it as an intro into a larger novel/series/whatever I've been plotting and thinking about for nearly three years
January 22, 2025 at 8:51 PM
In writing news, I've knocked out 5k words on my fun little fantasy novella. I'm going to be offering it for free when it is finished.
It's a silly story about a wizard, but I want to use it as an intro into a larger novel/series/whatever I've been plotting and thinking about for nearly three years
It's a silly story about a wizard, but I want to use it as an intro into a larger novel/series/whatever I've been plotting and thinking about for nearly three years
Well, it's done. Deactivated my Twitter and one of my Instagram accounts (kept a personal FB/Insta for the time being as I need to connect to my work's socials)
A combined 10k connections gone with a snap. It's a bit sad. I had made some great friends, but:
A combined 10k connections gone with a snap. It's a bit sad. I had made some great friends, but:
a group of soldiers are standing in a row wearing helmets and armor .
ALT: a group of soldiers are standing in a row wearing helmets and armor .
media.tenor.com
January 22, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Well, it's done. Deactivated my Twitter and one of my Instagram accounts (kept a personal FB/Insta for the time being as I need to connect to my work's socials)
A combined 10k connections gone with a snap. It's a bit sad. I had made some great friends, but:
A combined 10k connections gone with a snap. It's a bit sad. I had made some great friends, but:
I have a full plate of work today, so not much writing getting done until later tonight.
Even so, I have a Gdoc pulled up where I'm dropping random ideas and world-building pieces to reference later. It's fun building a fantasy world, but there's SO MUCH TO IT.
Even so, I have a Gdoc pulled up where I'm dropping random ideas and world-building pieces to reference later. It's fun building a fantasy world, but there's SO MUCH TO IT.
January 22, 2025 at 6:45 PM
I have a full plate of work today, so not much writing getting done until later tonight.
Even so, I have a Gdoc pulled up where I'm dropping random ideas and world-building pieces to reference later. It's fun building a fantasy world, but there's SO MUCH TO IT.
Even so, I have a Gdoc pulled up where I'm dropping random ideas and world-building pieces to reference later. It's fun building a fantasy world, but there's SO MUCH TO IT.
Sushi is not happy that my focus is on work right now and not her 85% full bowl that definitely needs to be topped off before she starves
January 22, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Sushi is not happy that my focus is on work right now and not her 85% full bowl that definitely needs to be topped off before she starves
January 21, 2025 at 11:03 PM
Writing today is proving difficult. For one, *waves vaguely at the state of the US*
And two, I'm trying to stray from the book currently being pitched and focus on the WIP, but it's tough. My low-end word count keeps pulling me back in. :/
And two, I'm trying to stray from the book currently being pitched and focus on the WIP, but it's tough. My low-end word count keeps pulling me back in. :/
January 21, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Writing today is proving difficult. For one, *waves vaguely at the state of the US*
And two, I'm trying to stray from the book currently being pitched and focus on the WIP, but it's tough. My low-end word count keeps pulling me back in. :/
And two, I'm trying to stray from the book currently being pitched and focus on the WIP, but it's tough. My low-end word count keeps pulling me back in. :/
10 query letters down! Will leave it at these for the next month to gauge responses (or lack thereof) and then use that info to tweak my next batch in February.
Also - never realized how much of my time would be spent doing things that weren't writing lol #booksky #indieauthors #writersky
Also - never realized how much of my time would be spent doing things that weren't writing lol #booksky #indieauthors #writersky
January 20, 2025 at 10:18 PM
10 query letters down! Will leave it at these for the next month to gauge responses (or lack thereof) and then use that info to tweak my next batch in February.
Also - never realized how much of my time would be spent doing things that weren't writing lol #booksky #indieauthors #writersky
Also - never realized how much of my time would be spent doing things that weren't writing lol #booksky #indieauthors #writersky
Authors, how do you go about finding agents to email? I'm currently using Publishers Marketplace but curious to see what other (preferably free!) options are out there.
#writer #booksky #indieauthors
#writer #booksky #indieauthors
January 20, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Authors, how do you go about finding agents to email? I'm currently using Publishers Marketplace but curious to see what other (preferably free!) options are out there.
#writer #booksky #indieauthors
#writer #booksky #indieauthors
It’s done. Personal revisions are complete on my approachable sci-fi novel.
It comes in pretty light at 60.1k words, but honestly, I think that is part of its appeal. It’s a tight story set on a near-future Earth, it doesn’t need a ton of world building to push it up to 70k. #booksky #writing
It comes in pretty light at 60.1k words, but honestly, I think that is part of its appeal. It’s a tight story set on a near-future Earth, it doesn’t need a ton of world building to push it up to 70k. #booksky #writing
January 20, 2025 at 5:59 AM
You know, when I first started writing this near-future sci-fi book, I didn't know the US was going to accelerate the timeline by like 85 years.
January 19, 2025 at 4:25 PM
You know, when I first started writing this near-future sci-fi book, I didn't know the US was going to accelerate the timeline by like 85 years.
Solid day. Wrote a bit, edited A LOT, read a bit, and spent time with the fam.
On the reading front, I will say that The Shining hasn’t hooked me nearly as much as almost every other King book I’ve read. My best guess is that it’s because I watched the movie recently, but idk
#booksky #writersky
On the reading front, I will say that The Shining hasn’t hooked me nearly as much as almost every other King book I’ve read. My best guess is that it’s because I watched the movie recently, but idk
#booksky #writersky
January 19, 2025 at 6:57 AM
Solid day. Wrote a bit, edited A LOT, read a bit, and spent time with the fam.
On the reading front, I will say that The Shining hasn’t hooked me nearly as much as almost every other King book I’ve read. My best guess is that it’s because I watched the movie recently, but idk
#booksky #writersky
On the reading front, I will say that The Shining hasn’t hooked me nearly as much as almost every other King book I’ve read. My best guess is that it’s because I watched the movie recently, but idk
#booksky #writersky
Ok, so, I really *really* planned on doing this, but something clicked today on the main book.
Rewrote the first four chapters, added nearly 1,000 needed words, and figured how to add something back in that I had cut during revisions.
Rewrote the first four chapters, added nearly 1,000 needed words, and figured how to add something back in that I had cut during revisions.
I think today is a ‘put the main book aside and work on the WIP’ kind of day.
Which means baking homemade cookies with Katie, brewing some tea, and listening to this on repeat:
youtu.be/aMezVX6pxE8?...
Which means baking homemade cookies with Katie, brewing some tea, and listening to this on repeat:
youtu.be/aMezVX6pxE8?...
Secret Forest | Whimsical Fantasy Music & Ambience | A place from Enchanted Forest in the Fairy Land
YouTube video by FanTaisia Ambience
youtu.be
January 19, 2025 at 1:11 AM
Ok, so, I really *really* planned on doing this, but something clicked today on the main book.
Rewrote the first four chapters, added nearly 1,000 needed words, and figured how to add something back in that I had cut during revisions.
Rewrote the first four chapters, added nearly 1,000 needed words, and figured how to add something back in that I had cut during revisions.
I think today is a ‘put the main book aside and work on the WIP’ kind of day.
Which means baking homemade cookies with Katie, brewing some tea, and listening to this on repeat:
youtu.be/aMezVX6pxE8?...
Which means baking homemade cookies with Katie, brewing some tea, and listening to this on repeat:
youtu.be/aMezVX6pxE8?...
Secret Forest | Whimsical Fantasy Music & Ambience | A place from Enchanted Forest in the Fairy Land
YouTube video by FanTaisia Ambience
youtu.be
January 18, 2025 at 5:20 PM
I think today is a ‘put the main book aside and work on the WIP’ kind of day.
Which means baking homemade cookies with Katie, brewing some tea, and listening to this on repeat:
youtu.be/aMezVX6pxE8?...
Which means baking homemade cookies with Katie, brewing some tea, and listening to this on repeat:
youtu.be/aMezVX6pxE8?...
Banged my head against the wall for five hours today on edits. Reverted 99% of the changes and ended with fewer words than I started 🙃
I think it is very close to reaching the point where I go hands off with it and focus on improving my query letter.
I think it is very close to reaching the point where I go hands off with it and focus on improving my query letter.
January 18, 2025 at 4:55 AM
Banged my head against the wall for five hours today on edits. Reverted 99% of the changes and ended with fewer words than I started 🙃
I think it is very close to reaching the point where I go hands off with it and focus on improving my query letter.
I think it is very close to reaching the point where I go hands off with it and focus on improving my query letter.
Reposted by Josiah
Haven’t had a Kickstarter pledge in several days on this, getting a bit worried 😅 I’d really like to print this graphic novel! www.kickstarter.com/projects/lau... #indiecomics
January 17, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Haven’t had a Kickstarter pledge in several days on this, getting a bit worried 😅 I’d really like to print this graphic novel! www.kickstarter.com/projects/lau... #indiecomics
Worked on some edits this morning:
I'm hovering at the 60k word mark, which I'm happy with, as the story is tight and flows well. But everything I'm reading says I should aim for 70-75k, and I'm honestly not sure where to find the extra words.
I'm hovering at the 60k word mark, which I'm happy with, as the story is tight and flows well. But everything I'm reading says I should aim for 70-75k, and I'm honestly not sure where to find the extra words.
January 17, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Worked on some edits this morning:
I'm hovering at the 60k word mark, which I'm happy with, as the story is tight and flows well. But everything I'm reading says I should aim for 70-75k, and I'm honestly not sure where to find the extra words.
I'm hovering at the 60k word mark, which I'm happy with, as the story is tight and flows well. But everything I'm reading says I should aim for 70-75k, and I'm honestly not sure where to find the extra words.