Merritt Daniel McDowell
@mdanielmcdowell.bsky.social
ink-stained wretch & nom de guerre of jayxwolf.bsky.social.
Song of the Scourgelands book 3 CROWN OF THE WORLD UNBOUND out 2025!
Start @ Book 1: Bringer of the Scourge, spfbo x semifinalist: https://books2read.com/bringer
https://linktr.ee/mdanielmcdowell
Song of the Scourgelands book 3 CROWN OF THE WORLD UNBOUND out 2025!
Start @ Book 1: Bringer of the Scourge, spfbo x semifinalist: https://books2read.com/bringer
https://linktr.ee/mdanielmcdowell
Reposted by Merritt Daniel McDowell
great book, more people should read it
Tomorrow is the two year anniversary of Skin Thief: Stories! I'm very proud of this book. I put it together during the darkest period of my adult life. I felt very alone and friendless when I sent it out into the world and it brought me so much love in return. Thank you to everyone who's read it. 🖤
September 29, 2025 at 1:38 PM
great book, more people should read it
Reposted by Merritt Daniel McDowell
I had a judge presiding over one of my cases ask me if I had been a defendant in one of his cases because he recognized me. I was like nope. I'm counsel. I was dressed impeccably in a vintage Calvin Klein suit that I'd paid way too much money for. It happened in 2005ish and I still think about it.
September 29, 2025 at 12:13 PM
I had a judge presiding over one of my cases ask me if I had been a defendant in one of his cases because he recognized me. I was like nope. I'm counsel. I was dressed impeccably in a vintage Calvin Klein suit that I'd paid way too much money for. It happened in 2005ish and I still think about it.
Hey all! I'm finally finding some equilibrium, after months of intensive care work with my mother, and seeing daylight on several creative projects.
Including: the 2025 Publishing Derby.
My latest book is one of the books on this page! Can you guess which one is mine?
2025pubderby.carrd.co
Including: the 2025 Publishing Derby.
My latest book is one of the books on this page! Can you guess which one is mine?
2025pubderby.carrd.co
2025 Publishing Derby - The Books
The books of the 2025 Publishing Derby
2025pubderby.carrd.co
September 29, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Hey all! I'm finally finding some equilibrium, after months of intensive care work with my mother, and seeing daylight on several creative projects.
Including: the 2025 Publishing Derby.
My latest book is one of the books on this page! Can you guess which one is mine?
2025pubderby.carrd.co
Including: the 2025 Publishing Derby.
My latest book is one of the books on this page! Can you guess which one is mine?
2025pubderby.carrd.co
Reposted by Merritt Daniel McDowell
Last book buys till next week's Among the Burning Flowers. @mdanielmcdowell.bsky.social's came too and it really is MMP!
September 6, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Last book buys till next week's Among the Burning Flowers. @mdanielmcdowell.bsky.social's came too and it really is MMP!
Reposted by Merritt Daniel McDowell
I still kind of can't believe it, but my gruesome twosome Ilwyn & Vencario will be in SHATTER THE SUN!
This is the last thing I wrote before the wheels came off my personal life again at the beginning of the year, so it carries a perhaps-disproportionate amount of my emotional freight in it.
This is the last thing I wrote before the wheels came off my personal life again at the beginning of the year, so it carries a perhaps-disproportionate amount of my emotional freight in it.
Further riches: an initial table of contents for SHATTER THE SUN: QUEER TALES OF UNTOLD ADVENTURE (expected spring 2026). Hype to work with all these writers (and see the illos soon to come from @mspencerdraws.bsky.social).
www.neonhemlock.com/shatter-the-...
www.neonhemlock.com/shatter-the-...
June 30, 2025 at 2:00 AM
I still kind of can't believe it, but my gruesome twosome Ilwyn & Vencario will be in SHATTER THE SUN!
This is the last thing I wrote before the wheels came off my personal life again at the beginning of the year, so it carries a perhaps-disproportionate amount of my emotional freight in it.
This is the last thing I wrote before the wheels came off my personal life again at the beginning of the year, so it carries a perhaps-disproportionate amount of my emotional freight in it.
Reposted by Merritt Daniel McDowell
I think one of the complicating issues is that it’s a dual issue twice over - the desire for romantasy is coming both from YA and from fanfiction, into SFF. (Not saying romantasy IS either of those things, and fwiw, I come from YA and fanfiction, too.) Excellent piece by @readingtheend.bsky.social 🎉
"Whatever you think of the advent of romantasy onto the SFF scene, be assured that it isn’t a problem to be solved. It’s an opportunity."
@readingtheend.bsky.social discusses where romance & romantasy sit within genre–and how to get the right book to the right person:
reactormag.com/how-do-you-s...
@readingtheend.bsky.social discusses where romance & romantasy sit within genre–and how to get the right book to the right person:
reactormag.com/how-do-you-s...
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Romantasy - Reactor
A few years ago, I proposed this column to meet a shift in SFF publishing, where the major SFF tradpub imprints—Tor, Orbit, even Harper Voyager—had begun to seem less shy about including kissing, sex,...
reactormag.com
May 16, 2025 at 12:27 PM
I think one of the complicating issues is that it’s a dual issue twice over - the desire for romantasy is coming both from YA and from fanfiction, into SFF. (Not saying romantasy IS either of those things, and fwiw, I come from YA and fanfiction, too.) Excellent piece by @readingtheend.bsky.social 🎉
Reposted by Merritt Daniel McDowell
Stop reposting terrible takes that are in the process of being monetized. Particularly when published by the NYT.
May 15, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Stop reposting terrible takes that are in the process of being monetized. Particularly when published by the NYT.
Reposted by Merritt Daniel McDowell
"Are resold books ethical?" What utter rot. Settled for hundreds of years.
No links. No clicks. Starve this risible trash and mock those responsible.
No links. No clicks. Starve this risible trash and mock those responsible.
May 15, 2025 at 9:09 PM
"Are resold books ethical?" What utter rot. Settled for hundreds of years.
No links. No clicks. Starve this risible trash and mock those responsible.
No links. No clicks. Starve this risible trash and mock those responsible.
Reposted by Merritt Daniel McDowell
It's 2025. We don't have to feed this any more. Uses bookstores are among the best place on the planet. Reduce, reuse, recycle!
May 15, 2025 at 9:02 PM
It's 2025. We don't have to feed this any more. Uses bookstores are among the best place on the planet. Reduce, reuse, recycle!
Reposted by Merritt Daniel McDowell
Lmao. Okay so, this is a serious account. We love making art. We try to be "professional." But: some words from the heart.
Imagine. For a second. Needing fucking AI to write your books for you. That's so fucking embarrassing I think I'd ask it to dig a hole for me instead to crawl inside.
Imagine. For a second. Needing fucking AI to write your books for you. That's so fucking embarrassing I think I'd ask it to dig a hole for me instead to crawl inside.
May 15, 2025 at 8:57 PM
Lmao. Okay so, this is a serious account. We love making art. We try to be "professional." But: some words from the heart.
Imagine. For a second. Needing fucking AI to write your books for you. That's so fucking embarrassing I think I'd ask it to dig a hole for me instead to crawl inside.
Imagine. For a second. Needing fucking AI to write your books for you. That's so fucking embarrassing I think I'd ask it to dig a hole for me instead to crawl inside.
Reposted by Merritt Daniel McDowell
Caw caw new Thing coming soon
May 15, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Caw caw new Thing coming soon
Reposted by Merritt Daniel McDowell
the labor of art is mostly invisible. what you don't see in a finished piece is all the hours of thought it required, all the little discoveries and surprises and tragedies of production. art IS the process. if you aren't interested in the process, then i don't really know why you want to be artist
April 14, 2025 at 8:53 AM
the labor of art is mostly invisible. what you don't see in a finished piece is all the hours of thought it required, all the little discoveries and surprises and tragedies of production. art IS the process. if you aren't interested in the process, then i don't really know why you want to be artist
Reposted by Merritt Daniel McDowell
Also, begging people to realize that if they want more quality art of any time and don't like paying for it, then for the love of the universe support UBI and Universal Healthcare. Then creatives can create more art without having to turn it into a side hustle.
May 13, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Also, begging people to realize that if they want more quality art of any time and don't like paying for it, then for the love of the universe support UBI and Universal Healthcare. Then creatives can create more art without having to turn it into a side hustle.
Reposted by Merritt Daniel McDowell
Seeing some great queer book promos on #itchio recently, and I figure that some readers might be second-guessing them because they're not sure they can read those ebooks on their Kindle. But hey, I have a guide to help with that!
💙📚
💙📚
The easiest way to transfer non-Amazon ebooks to your Kindle - Alex Pendragon
Just because you read on a Kindle, doesn't mean you have to buy Amazon ebooks. Transferring itch.io purchases is surprisingly easy.
alexpendragon.com
May 13, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Seeing some great queer book promos on #itchio recently, and I figure that some readers might be second-guessing them because they're not sure they can read those ebooks on their Kindle. But hey, I have a guide to help with that!
💙📚
💙📚
Reposted by Merritt Daniel McDowell
That’s exactly it. It’s not that it’s wrong but wrong in so many unknowable ways. That breaks the scientific method’s only way of adjusting for errors. Can’t systematize, can’t falsify, cannot document, cannot collaborate on best practices.
May 13, 2025 at 8:23 PM
That’s exactly it. It’s not that it’s wrong but wrong in so many unknowable ways. That breaks the scientific method’s only way of adjusting for errors. Can’t systematize, can’t falsify, cannot document, cannot collaborate on best practices.
Reposted by Merritt Daniel McDowell
And the stakes of
human error are so sufficiently high (oh I don’t know that lib lady demon can latch onto you) that you cannot really outsource this.
human error are so sufficiently high (oh I don’t know that lib lady demon can latch onto you) that you cannot really outsource this.
May 13, 2025 at 8:07 PM
And the stakes of
human error are so sufficiently high (oh I don’t know that lib lady demon can latch onto you) that you cannot really outsource this.
human error are so sufficiently high (oh I don’t know that lib lady demon can latch onto you) that you cannot really outsource this.
Reposted by Merritt Daniel McDowell
I could do more work when I was much poorer and less institutionally embedded because I could trust publications, citations. I could aggregate high quality sources, untouched by advertising influence.
Now I just made sure that a paper I read was actually from the journal it says it’s from
Now I just made sure that a paper I read was actually from the journal it says it’s from
May 13, 2025 at 8:06 PM
I could do more work when I was much poorer and less institutionally embedded because I could trust publications, citations. I could aggregate high quality sources, untouched by advertising influence.
Now I just made sure that a paper I read was actually from the journal it says it’s from
Now I just made sure that a paper I read was actually from the journal it says it’s from
Reposted by Merritt Daniel McDowell
I’m sure it’s been commented upon but everything takes me so much more time to accomplish now than it did even seven years ago.
The information ecosystem has been sufficiently trashed to the point that every basic task of writing and publishing takes twice as long to complete. And I’m PRIVILEGED.
The information ecosystem has been sufficiently trashed to the point that every basic task of writing and publishing takes twice as long to complete. And I’m PRIVILEGED.
May 13, 2025 at 8:04 PM
I’m sure it’s been commented upon but everything takes me so much more time to accomplish now than it did even seven years ago.
The information ecosystem has been sufficiently trashed to the point that every basic task of writing and publishing takes twice as long to complete. And I’m PRIVILEGED.
The information ecosystem has been sufficiently trashed to the point that every basic task of writing and publishing takes twice as long to complete. And I’m PRIVILEGED.
Reposted by Merritt Daniel McDowell
The headphones I got with my iPhone 8 years ago aren’t compatible with my current phone. Why would I let Apple put technology in my brain?
WSJ - Apple has new technology intended to enable people to control their iPhones and other devices with neural signals captured by a new generation of brain implants. https://www.wsj.com/tech/apple-brain-computer-interface-9ec69919
www.wsj.com
May 13, 2025 at 2:06 PM
The headphones I got with my iPhone 8 years ago aren’t compatible with my current phone. Why would I let Apple put technology in my brain?
Reposted by Merritt Daniel McDowell
Let’s clear something up: SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — the LARGEST federal program to fight hunger in the country!
It blows my mind that the party that touts its “Christian values” is the same party that is SET on taking food from the hungry.
It blows my mind that the party that touts its “Christian values” is the same party that is SET on taking food from the hungry.
May 13, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Let’s clear something up: SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — the LARGEST federal program to fight hunger in the country!
It blows my mind that the party that touts its “Christian values” is the same party that is SET on taking food from the hungry.
It blows my mind that the party that touts its “Christian values” is the same party that is SET on taking food from the hungry.
Reposted by Merritt Daniel McDowell
👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻
Also, begging people to realize that if they want more quality art of any time and don't like paying for it, then for the love of the universe support UBI and Universal Healthcare. Then creatives can create more art without having to turn it into a side hustle.
May 13, 2025 at 8:42 PM
👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻
Reposted by Merritt Daniel McDowell
Oh, I also have a book out today! bookshop.org/p/books/the-...
The Emilie Adventures: Emilie and the Hollow World & Emilie and the Sky World
Emilie and the Hollow World & Emilie and the Sky World
bookshop.org
May 13, 2025 at 10:02 AM
Oh, I also have a book out today! bookshop.org/p/books/the-...
Reposted by Merritt Daniel McDowell
“More than one thing is wrong/bad here and the badness of one does not in any way mitigate the badness of another” is a notion I personally feel like people should be able to get their heads around after first grade but it sure seems like a massive number of folks never got that lesson
"Oh, you're angry about the awful message of headline? You should know headlines are formulated by editors for marketing reasons to get you riled up so you'll want to see what's behind the paywall. Nothing's actually wrong and you look foolish."
That just means more than one thing is wrong.
That just means more than one thing is wrong.
May 13, 2025 at 1:40 PM
“More than one thing is wrong/bad here and the badness of one does not in any way mitigate the badness of another” is a notion I personally feel like people should be able to get their heads around after first grade but it sure seems like a massive number of folks never got that lesson
Reposted by Merritt Daniel McDowell
Finished "Long Live Evil" by @sarahreesbrennan.bsky.social and had to make Key fanart about it. You can't write me a fucked up little man with a violence fetish and stars in his eyes and NOT expect me to retaliate.
May 11, 2025 at 12:38 AM
Finished "Long Live Evil" by @sarahreesbrennan.bsky.social and had to make Key fanart about it. You can't write me a fucked up little man with a violence fetish and stars in his eyes and NOT expect me to retaliate.