JW Warner
LightNews LightNews
jwfantasy.bsky.social
JW Warner
@jwfantasy.bsky.social
800 followers 2.5K following 55 posts
Fantasy author Novels available from Shadow Spark Publishing he/him
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
jwfantasy.bsky.social
JW Warner @jwfantasy.bsky.social · Jun 14
All novels available from @shadowsparkpub.bsky.social
Characters Art by @marinafraguasart.bsky.social
Reposted by JW Warner
maggietokudahall.bsky.social
Hooray! @authorsabb.bsky.social is *OFFICIALLY* a nonprofit, and is now open for donations!

For the last two years we've been doing all this w free tools, or paying out of pocket, & we were STILL able to get SO MUCH DONE.

Imagine what we could do with $$$

www.authorsagainstbookbans.com/donate/
Donate - Authors Against Book Bans
Thank you for donating to Authors Against Book Bans. Your donation directly supports the freedom to read by powering our work with our partner organizations, bringing the author muscle to the fight to...
www.authorsagainstbookbans.com
November 14, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Reposted by JW Warner
bencanham.bsky.social
I’m not “overcoming” autism.
I’m living it, learning it, owning it.
Autism isn’t a glitch or a setback it’s
my strength. I’m not less. I’m just
wired differently. And that difference?
It’s the power I didn’t know I had.
October 23, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Reposted by JW Warner
justintinsley.bsky.social
There are so many ways to remember D’Angelo. So I wrote about him from the grief living in our home state. No person has ever embodied the phrase “Virginia Is Lovers” more. andscape.com/features/dan...
D’Angelo brought Virginia's soul to the world - Andscape
You’re part of my identity/ I sometimes have a tendency/ To look at you religiously, baby/ ‘Cause nothing even matters, to me…  — D’Angelo on Lauryn Hill’s “Nothing Even Matters” (1998) In a March 196...
andscape.com
October 15, 2025 at 11:06 PM
Reposted by JW Warner
kiraofthewind.com
#WIPSnips #BookSky #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #snippet

No "razors" in my wip, exactly, so here's "knife" instead.

Aubergine asks Grilled to meet him in a private location... and to bring his knives.
This time, Aubergine had told Grilled to bring a knife. The younger man had jitters of anticipation. Two of Grilled’s favorite things were Aubergine and knives… What did his friend intend to do with knives? Standing in one of the hidden spots of the copse, Grilled tossed the knife up, allowing it to spin, but always catching it by the handle. It drove Shallot nuts when he did juggling tricks, but he’d gotten good at it over the years. “I want to test if I still go berserk from touching knives,” Aubergine said.
August 15, 2025 at 9:46 AM
Reposted by JW Warner
krishna-author.bsky.social
Support an Indie Author! Discover a vast body of literary works. Own an ebook, paperback, or hardcover today!

Visit: www.amazon.com/stores/autho...

#booksky #books #kindleunlimited #romance #fiction #fantasy #scifi #thriller #mystery #ya #adultfiction #geopolitical #mythological #trilogy #bluesky
Krishna Prasanth Guttikonda: books, biography, latest update
Follow Krishna Prasanth Guttikonda and explore their bibliography from Amazon's Krishna Prasanth Guttikonda Author Page.
www.amazon.com
August 12, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Reposted by JW Warner
kiraofthewind.com
#SummerOfStory 5
Okay, for my real answer: I love Chekhov's Gun and I love to include it in my books. BUT, I also love adding random worldbuilding details to flesh out the world and provide Vibes™️(more below)

(Sadly, I find most authors do Schrokovam's gunblade):
Schrokovam’s gunblade Schrodinger’s Chekhov’s gun. A detail in a story that looks like it should have some big payoff but it’s too early to tell if that’s relevant or if the author just has a passion for lovingly describing guns. Reply: Schrodinger’s Chekhov’s Occam’s Razor: you find an inconsistent or inaccurate detail in a work that would be brilliant if it was foreshadowing a plot twist later on, but it’s too early to tell whether the author expects you to be smart, and the simplest explanation is that they fucked up.
August 5, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Reposted by JW Warner
kiraofthewind.com
#WIPSnips #BookSky #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #snippet

Yes, this is from the Good Thyme Inn wip. Every once in a while, I take a break from the gang and show you what the villains are up to. Here's Anya, THE villain of the Greed Wars, thinking about how she can use a princess she's holding hostage
Anya had no desire to have children or raise them, but seeing this girl grow and learn new things instilled in her a sense of pride. If Anya had her way, the child would never leave this place. She would grow up never knowing her magic name or what wickedness her family engaged in. Perhaps… perhaps the girl would make for a good alchemist. As the powerful notes of the symphonia soothed her, Anya considered the benefits. Working with alchemical ingredients would help the child’s arms build muscle mass. Learning recipes would help her brain develop further. And the inside of the Eggshell was surrounded by a psychic barrier for secrecy. Not a soul could see or hear what went on under these enchanted metal walls. Anya could give the girl recipes for the most illegal potions—ones Anya wanted nobody but herself to use—and the girl would make them all day long.
August 2, 2025 at 9:30 AM
Reposted by JW Warner
kiraofthewind.com
#MythAugust *cracks knuckles* Here we go. I'm going to give a one-post yap about each God of the Decatheon, going in elemental order. More on Lucognidus next week!

The Decatheon:

-Sawyer
-Windesoar
-Cherribell
-Entomothy
-Flamboil
-Sparkato
-Machenerate
-Lucognidus
-Liqua
-Icsnow
professoremily.bsky.social Prof Emily @professoremily.bsky.social · Aug 2
#MythAugust Day 2

Give a basic overview of your deities. (Keep in mind we'll be going into more detail about one of them later)

I tried to make these prompts pretty broad, but ofc feel free to interpret them however you need to to fit with your mythology! 😊

#WritingCommunity #Writers #Writesky
#MythAugust prompt for Aug 2: Who are the major gods or spirits in your fantasy religion? List as many or as few as you want! Background image features a classic painting of Thor wielding his hammer with lightning, about to smote his enemies. Below the hashtag in small text it says "Presented by @professoremily.bsky.social." At the bottom of the image in small text it says "Feel free to yap about a fantasy mythology you already have, or use these prompts to create a new one! Don't forget to interact with others :-)"
August 2, 2025 at 11:10 AM
Reposted by JW Warner
kiraofthewind.com
#SummerOfStory 2

I've given a lot of thought to psychic distance. Years ago, I heard some people talk about how they disliked 1st-person PoV because it's often too close, and they like to be more distant from the narrator. That's when I realized "wtf, I love 1st person because I love being close"
cfranciswrites.bsky.social Charlotte Francis @cfranciswrites.bsky.social · Aug 2
Welcome back to #SummerOfStory

Day 2: Psychic Distance

A technique most writers probably use subconsciously, but can you get more out of your scenes if you actively fine-tune PD?

NB: These ideas are not my own. I'm not trying to tell anyone how to write, just prompt discussion.

#WritingPrompt
1. Title, Date, & Prompt Introduction This slide features a large torn piece of lined paper with the text "August 2nd" at the top and the title "Psychic Distance" in big script letters. There's a typewriter in the corner with a note saying "TOOLS not RULES". On the right, there's a speech bubble with prompt questions, a Bluesky butterfly, and it has a palm leaf background. Transcription: August 2nd Psychic Distance What's your take on this writing technique? Have you used it before—or do you avoid it? Share your thoughts, drop a snippet, or tell us how you’d use it in a scene. 2. What and Why This slide is a piece of lined paper with "What?" and "Why?" highlighted at the top and middle. It explains what "Psychic Distance" means as a writing technique and why it's useful. There's a Bluesky butterfly and palm fronds in the background. Transcription: What? Psychic Distance, a concept popularised by John Gardner, is about how close the reader feels to a character’s thoughts and experiences. It can range from far and objective—like watching from a distance—to deep inside a character’s head, feeling what they feel and thinking what they think. It’s not about POV; it’s about proximity. Why? Shifting psychic distance lets you control how much the reader connects and how fast the scene moves. Zoom out for clarity or commentary. Zoom in to build tension, intimacy, or emotional punch. 3. In Practice 
This slide looks like a piece of graph paper and features more highly dubious stick figure doodles by yours truly illustrating the five levels of psychic distance, from very far to very close. Each level has a sample sentence showing how narration changes as the psychic distance shifts. The right side explains how sliding between levels can affect story flow. The background is teal with palm leaves. Transcription:
 John Gardner defined 5 levels of Psychic Distance. 
Level 1 (very far) to Level 5 (very close) Level 1
 In the dark study, a woman sat at her desk late into the night.
 Purely external, objective narration. No access to character's thoughts or feelings. Level 2
 Charlotte often struggled to find the right words for her stories.
 We now know the character's name and a little of her opinion, but still from a narrative distance. Level 3
 She wondered whether she’d ever truly master psychic distance, or if her characters would always feel just out of reach. 
Now we're getting some of the character's internal thoughts, but still in third person. Level 4
 The glare of the laptop, the ache in her wrist, the endless shuffle of half-written sentences—her doubts pressed closer every minute.
 The narration is now inside the character's immediate sensory experience and emotions. Level 5
 Why can't I get this right? Maybe I'm not meant to be a writer after all.
 We're now essentially inside the character's head, hearing her (relatable!) direct thoughts. By sliding between the different levels, it makes writing feel more dynamic. If you jump between levels, though, it can feel discordant. 
String these sentences together and you have the start of story. Jump from L1 to L5, and it's jarring for your reader. 4. What do you think? This slide is a torn piece of paper with discussion questions for writers about using the "Psychic Distance" technique. There's a speech bubble repeating "TOOLS not RULES," a Bluesky butterfly, and palm fronds in the background. Transcription: What do you think? So, what's your take on Psychic Distance? Is it entirely subconscious for you, or do you pay attention to the flow of your scenes, zooming in and out with more forethought? Where does your writing mostly sit L1–L5? Why not share your experience or a snippet with the community? Hot takes welcome—just please don't set anyone on fire! BONUS Challenge! Why not try an experiment? Take a paragraph from your WIP and play around with the Psychic Distance to achieve a different tone or mood. Can you make scenes less or more intense by sliding up and down the scale? What happens when you stay at the same level the whole time?
August 2, 2025 at 10:07 AM
Reposted by JW Warner
danifinnwrites.bsky.social
One of my current reads, a trans witch story by a transfem author I haven’t heard nearly as much about as I would’ve expected!

It feels a bit YA so far (50 pages in) (not a criticism but it wasn’t shelved as YA do I’m curious)
Sapling cafe by margaret killjoy with a floral design on the cover. Paperback on a dock by a mountain lake
August 2, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Reposted by JW Warner
shadowsparkpub.bsky.social
Happy Saturday, writer friends! Did you get any writing done this past week? Share a line or two from your recent writing sessions with us 🙌

#writingq #booksky #writesky #writingcommunity #readingcommunity #indieauthors #selfpubauthors #shadowsparkpublishing
Saturday Snippet Image shows a holographic page with writing against a blueish background
August 2, 2025 at 7:51 PM
Reposted by JW Warner
shadowsparkpub.bsky.social
Today's trope is all about.....Creepy Kids!

Do you like it? Do you not? Have you ever used it in your own writing? Best insurance you've seen it used? And perhaps in a genre that's *not* horror?

Bring on all the creepy kids!

#booksky #writesky #writingq #tuesday #shadowsparkpublishing 📚🪐
Tuesday Trope Treasures Open chest of gold. Pirates, stay away!
July 29, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Reposted by JW Warner
premeemohamed.com
I am reminded that at some point I will have a sword & sorcery & serpents & sass story out, featuring my fat lippy competent girl assassin (a vishakanya that I just made up and yes she's venomous AND poisonous AND toxungenous)

Excited to see her square up against not her victim but an assassin bro
July 29, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Reposted by JW Warner
kristygardner.bsky.social
Every time I finish writing a book, I think “wow, that almost killed me. Never again.” Then, like, three weeks later I’m googling how many moons my made-up planets should have.

Art is wild.

Please hydrate and romanticize your weird little passions before we all turn to dust.

#writingcommunity
July 27, 2025 at 2:03 AM
Reposted by JW Warner
trudieskies.readindiefantasy.com
So I'm working on a post for disabled indie authors for Disability Pride Month (yes I know it's later, but better late than never!) and this may be the biggest collection of authors I've ever included in one article.
July 27, 2025 at 7:51 AM
Reposted by JW Warner
kiraofthewind.com
Y'all, a friend just wrote a fanfic for my world

If you need me, I'll be over here celebrating in my little corner of the world.

And also reading it😂
July 27, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Reposted by JW Warner
drkatemarvel.bsky.social
If you loved an author’s book, tell them! They will completely ignore it because they’re fixated forever on the anonymous person who once gave them two stars on goodreads but it’s probably good for your karma
July 27, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Reposted by JW Warner
shadowsparkpub.bsky.social
We're so excited to bring Amy's book into the world! Stay tuned!
amygrimes.bsky.social Amy Grimes @amygrimes.bsky.social · Jul 26
Proudly sporting my SSP shirt as I go into second round edits.

105 days until the Cursed are unleashed.

The Cursed of Atharia releases November 8, 2025.

#BookSky #WriteSky @shadowsparkpub.bsky.social
July 26, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Reposted by JW Warner
wendyortiz.com
People of Portland, I hope to see you a week from today when I’ll be discussing my books with Emilly Prado at Powell’s.
POWELL'S BOOKS - PRESENTS WENDY C. ORTIZ WITH EMILLY PRADO WENDY C. ORTIZ POWELL'S CITY OF BOOKS WEDNESDAY, JUL. 30 • 7 PM
July 23, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Reposted by JW Warner
shadowsparkpub.bsky.social
It's Shadow Spark Thursday! Where we shine a spotlight on one of our wonderful authors. In today's case, Salem Wolf does more work behind the scenes as an editor, but she's written stories for our anthologies, too! Go check them out in Panthology, Horn(y), and Cozy-ish!
SSP Author spotlight featuring Salem Wolf, with the covers of the anthologies she's been involved in: "When Peter Became Pan" in Panthology, "But I Have A Boyfriend" in Horn(y), and "Hot and Cold" in Cozy-ish
July 24, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Reposted by JW Warner
danifinnwrites.bsky.social
Help I’m writing an epic fantasy 😭
July 23, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Reposted by JW Warner
bobservo.bsky.social
love when a paywall sounds like it’s drawing a gun on you
July 23, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Reposted by JW Warner
kiraofthewind.com
Got the itch to play a City Builder (video game genre). Played a game of Banished, which is my usual go-to, but I've built the town as far as I want. Anyone here ever play Timberborn? I had it on my wishlist forever, then bought it during a recent sale. Looks cute. How's the gameplay?
July 23, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Reposted by JW Warner
kiraofthewind.com
The exact midpoint of my current wip is... a scene I plan to delete because it's so cringe 💀

Parsnips talking to Grilled: "There are things you just can’t do until you’re an adult because it carries responsibility with it. Owning a house, having a job, drinking alcohol…”
shadowsparkpub.bsky.social Shadow Spark Publishing @shadowsparkpub.bsky.social · Jul 23
Time for another #humpday #writingprompt!

Give us a line from the middle of your #wip!

#indiepub #indiepublishing
Wednesday hump day featuring a Bactrian camel who is judging you for daring to think that he can't be the mascot of hump day just because he has two humps.
July 23, 2025 at 5:05 PM