Mona West
@monawest.bsky.social
Writer. Cohost of the Unfortunately... Podcast. Rejected by Uncanny, Clarkesworld, Strange Horizons, and others.
https://mona-west.com/
https://unfortunatelypod.com/
https://mona-west.com/
https://unfortunatelypod.com/
I simply respect my brain too much for this.
To be fair, it isn't that simple. "Typing the question in a search engine reading the answer" doesn't exist. Search engines give you a ton of links. The cognitive burden and time investment are on you to go through them and figure out which results work best
There are far better AI criticisms
There are far better AI criticisms
Every one of these ChatGPT ads I see is batshit some dude has been suggested a dish to make to impress a girl so he had to type the q into chatgpt, read the answer and then follow it - as opposed to typing the question in a search engine reading the answer and then following it??? it's so stupid
October 18, 2025 at 4:14 PM
I simply respect my brain too much for this.
Courtney's! Book! Is! Out!!!!!
It’s book day!!!
HIGHER MAGIC is out in the US today! UK readers, it’s coming your way November 20th. I’m so excited for you all to meet Bartleby, Anne, and the rest of the gang. ✨
HIGHER MAGIC is out in the US today! UK readers, it’s coming your way November 20th. I’m so excited for you all to meet Bartleby, Anne, and the rest of the gang. ✨
October 7, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Courtney's! Book! Is! Out!!!!!
I don't like how everything always eventually sucks.
October 5, 2025 at 5:43 PM
I don't like how everything always eventually sucks.
Reposted by Mona West
New episode day!!!
Unfortunately... If You Force the Zipper, it Won't Budge with @piperlwhite.bsky.social is out now!
We had such a blast chatting with Piper about the fact that everything is writing, the genre wars, and debut year!
#WritingCommunity #WritingPodcast
Unfortunately... If You Force the Zipper, it Won't Budge with @piperlwhite.bsky.social is out now!
We had such a blast chatting with Piper about the fact that everything is writing, the genre wars, and debut year!
#WritingCommunity #WritingPodcast
If You Force the Zipper, It Won't Budge
Courtney and Mona chat with debut author, Piper L. White, about the debut learning curve, how other types writing and art inform and interconnect with our fiction, and writing genre in a BFA program. ...
pnc.st
October 3, 2025 at 1:18 PM
New episode day!!!
Unfortunately... If You Force the Zipper, it Won't Budge with @piperlwhite.bsky.social is out now!
We had such a blast chatting with Piper about the fact that everything is writing, the genre wars, and debut year!
#WritingCommunity #WritingPodcast
Unfortunately... If You Force the Zipper, it Won't Budge with @piperlwhite.bsky.social is out now!
We had such a blast chatting with Piper about the fact that everything is writing, the genre wars, and debut year!
#WritingCommunity #WritingPodcast
Reposted by Mona West
New episode!
Unfortunately... It's an Economy of Favors with Lacey Dunham is available wherever you listen to podcasts.
Thank you so much to @bookbent.bsky.social for joining us! #WritingCommunity #WritingPodcast
Unfortunately... It's an Economy of Favors with Lacey Dunham is available wherever you listen to podcasts.
Thank you so much to @bookbent.bsky.social for joining us! #WritingCommunity #WritingPodcast
It's an Economy of Favors
Courtney and Mona chat publishing, precarity, and privilege with debut author Lacey Dunham.
Transcripts here!
Find Lacey online at www.laceyndunham.com., on Bluesky and on Instagram. And check out T...
pnc.st
September 19, 2025 at 1:31 PM
New episode!
Unfortunately... It's an Economy of Favors with Lacey Dunham is available wherever you listen to podcasts.
Thank you so much to @bookbent.bsky.social for joining us! #WritingCommunity #WritingPodcast
Unfortunately... It's an Economy of Favors with Lacey Dunham is available wherever you listen to podcasts.
Thank you so much to @bookbent.bsky.social for joining us! #WritingCommunity #WritingPodcast
What are you waiting for? You've still got one day!
Hey! It’s a full moon. It’s a lunar eclipse. It’s a giveaway! Win an annotated copy of HIGHER MAGIC and some moon-themed stickers! 🌚 Details in thread.
September 13, 2025 at 8:37 PM
What are you waiting for? You've still got one day!
Reposted by Mona West
We had a delay, but episode 20 is finally here!
Listen to *Unfortunately... It's Like Army Crawling Through 30 Inches of Snow* with guest author, Rebecca Danzenbaker, wherever you get you podcasts. #WritingCommunity #WritingPodcast
Listen to *Unfortunately... It's Like Army Crawling Through 30 Inches of Snow* with guest author, Rebecca Danzenbaker, wherever you get you podcasts. #WritingCommunity #WritingPodcast
September 6, 2025 at 8:28 PM
We had a delay, but episode 20 is finally here!
Listen to *Unfortunately... It's Like Army Crawling Through 30 Inches of Snow* with guest author, Rebecca Danzenbaker, wherever you get you podcasts. #WritingCommunity #WritingPodcast
Listen to *Unfortunately... It's Like Army Crawling Through 30 Inches of Snow* with guest author, Rebecca Danzenbaker, wherever you get you podcasts. #WritingCommunity #WritingPodcast
What happens to all the corporate real estate when AI takes everyone's jobs?
August 30, 2025 at 12:46 AM
What happens to all the corporate real estate when AI takes everyone's jobs?
Everyone salivating over genAI should be forced to ask it 5 questions about a topic they actually know a lot about.
August 24, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Everyone salivating over genAI should be forced to ask it 5 questions about a topic they actually know a lot about.
Reposted by Mona West
While we were out at WorldCon, our latest episode dropped! Check out Episode 19: Unfortunately... You Need a Suitcase Full of Skills with @lisatirrenoauthor.bsky.social!
You Need a Suitcase Full of Skills
Mona and Courtney chat with author Lisa Tirreno about shifting from journalism to novel writing, celebrating rejections, gamifying the writing process, motivation, and working out what works for you a...
pnc.st
August 18, 2025 at 2:54 AM
While we were out at WorldCon, our latest episode dropped! Check out Episode 19: Unfortunately... You Need a Suitcase Full of Skills with @lisatirrenoauthor.bsky.social!
Reposted by Mona West
It's a new episode day!
We chatted with debut author Alysha Rameera about the feeling of not being enough to write your culture, how vital work-life balance can be in writing, and our strategies for managing publishing anxiety. #WritingPodcast #WritingCommunity
pnc.st/s/unfortunat...
We chatted with debut author Alysha Rameera about the feeling of not being enough to write your culture, how vital work-life balance can be in writing, and our strategies for managing publishing anxiety. #WritingPodcast #WritingCommunity
pnc.st/s/unfortunat...
August 1, 2025 at 1:00 PM
It's a new episode day!
We chatted with debut author Alysha Rameera about the feeling of not being enough to write your culture, how vital work-life balance can be in writing, and our strategies for managing publishing anxiety. #WritingPodcast #WritingCommunity
pnc.st/s/unfortunat...
We chatted with debut author Alysha Rameera about the feeling of not being enough to write your culture, how vital work-life balance can be in writing, and our strategies for managing publishing anxiety. #WritingPodcast #WritingCommunity
pnc.st/s/unfortunat...
Sorry if you haven't been able to reach me. I threw my personal phone, my work phone, my personal email address, my junk email address, my work email address, my other work email address, my teams chats, my skype account, and my discord into the sea.
August 4, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Sorry if you haven't been able to reach me. I threw my personal phone, my work phone, my personal email address, my junk email address, my work email address, my other work email address, my teams chats, my skype account, and my discord into the sea.
Reposted by Mona West
Our Unfortunately... episode is now live! Really loved chatting with Courtney and Mona about our journey and the unique ups and downs of being co-writers.
Episode 17 is out now!
We chat with @mkhardywrites.com, co-authors of debut Sapphic Gothic Horror, The Needfire (out 7/31!), about co-writing & editing, managing disagreements, & creating community.
#WritingPodcasts #WritingCommunity
pnc.st/s/unfortunat...
We chat with @mkhardywrites.com, co-authors of debut Sapphic Gothic Horror, The Needfire (out 7/31!), about co-writing & editing, managing disagreements, & creating community.
#WritingPodcasts #WritingCommunity
pnc.st/s/unfortunat...
July 21, 2025 at 9:48 AM
Our Unfortunately... episode is now live! Really loved chatting with Courtney and Mona about our journey and the unique ups and downs of being co-writers.
Reposted by Mona West
This Friday our latest episode with @mkhardywrites.com hits the feed.
We had a fantastic chat about co-writing, editing, navigating the industry with optimism, and building community! #WritingPodcast #WritingCommunity
We had a fantastic chat about co-writing, editing, navigating the industry with optimism, and building community! #WritingPodcast #WritingCommunity
July 14, 2025 at 2:32 PM
This Friday our latest episode with @mkhardywrites.com hits the feed.
We had a fantastic chat about co-writing, editing, navigating the industry with optimism, and building community! #WritingPodcast #WritingCommunity
We had a fantastic chat about co-writing, editing, navigating the industry with optimism, and building community! #WritingPodcast #WritingCommunity
Reposted by Mona West
Today's the last day to örder my book with frëe shipping!!
If you're ready for fall and want a suspenseful and engrossing novel, THE BELLES is probably exactly what you need. 😁
If you're ready for fall and want a suspenseful and engrossing novel, THE BELLES is probably exactly what you need. 😁
You can get free shipping if you buy my book at Bookshop.org! Then you’re also supporting an indie bookstore of your choice.
bookshop.org/p/books/the-...
bookshop.org/p/books/the-...
July 11, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Today's the last day to örder my book with frëe shipping!!
If you're ready for fall and want a suspenseful and engrossing novel, THE BELLES is probably exactly what you need. 😁
If you're ready for fall and want a suspenseful and engrossing novel, THE BELLES is probably exactly what you need. 😁
Love living in a timeline where pleasant community events need to post signs politely asking the government to please not kidnap people unless they've bothered to nominally abide by the constitution about it.
more businesses need signage like this brownsville flea market
July 10, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Love living in a timeline where pleasant community events need to post signs politely asking the government to please not kidnap people unless they've bothered to nominally abide by the constitution about it.
Listen to Jones!
Jones really wants you to know that a certain book featuring a large orange cat *cough HIGHER MAGIC cough* is 25% off July 8th-11th, via Barnes & Noble's pre-order sale. 🐈#BNPreorder @barnesandnoble.com @htpbooks.bsky.social
July 8, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Listen to Jones!
Reposted by Mona West
Thank you so much to @locusmag.bsky.social for sharing the news about VILE LADY VILLAINS going to the US in their July issue! I’ve been a fan of Locus and all they do for many years, and it’s been one of my author dreams to see my name featured in this magazine (in any capacity, I’m not picky!) 🖤
July 8, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Thank you so much to @locusmag.bsky.social for sharing the news about VILE LADY VILLAINS going to the US in their July issue! I’ve been a fan of Locus and all they do for many years, and it’s been one of my author dreams to see my name featured in this magazine (in any capacity, I’m not picky!) 🖤
Reposted by Mona West
woohoo! had a lot of fun talking about writing, journey, quitting and more!
New episode day!
Listen to Ep 16 - Progress isn't an Upward Slope with
@rukman.bsky.social here:
pnc.st/s/unfortunat...
#WritingCommunity #WritingPodcast
Listen to Ep 16 - Progress isn't an Upward Slope with
@rukman.bsky.social here:
pnc.st/s/unfortunat...
#WritingCommunity #WritingPodcast
July 4, 2025 at 6:00 PM
woohoo! had a lot of fun talking about writing, journey, quitting and more!
!!!!!
*small scream*
3 months until HIGHER MAGIC is out! It still feels surreal.
Writing the first draft in 2021 was an exercise in daring. To try. To believe something could come of it. To hope that readers might resonate with my anxious, ND protagonist.
@htpbooks.bsky.social @htphive.bsky.social
3 months until HIGHER MAGIC is out! It still feels surreal.
Writing the first draft in 2021 was an exercise in daring. To try. To believe something could come of it. To hope that readers might resonate with my anxious, ND protagonist.
@htpbooks.bsky.social @htphive.bsky.social
July 7, 2025 at 2:02 PM
!!!!!
I know the contents are cataclysmically bad but i don't think enough people are making fun of the fact that it's literally called "big, beautiful bill."
July 1, 2025 at 11:12 PM
I know the contents are cataclysmically bad but i don't think enough people are making fun of the fact that it's literally called "big, beautiful bill."
Reposted by Mona West
I've enjoyed listening to this podcast just as much as being a guest on it!
Oh, also, we chugged past a milestone over the weekend... Thank you so much for listening!
#WritingCommunity #WritingPodcast
#WritingCommunity #WritingPodcast
June 24, 2025 at 12:01 AM
I've enjoyed listening to this podcast just as much as being a guest on it!
It has unironically been such a joy to commiserate with so many amazing and gracious writers. Failure loves company, so give us a listen!
Oh, also, we chugged past a milestone over the weekend... Thank you so much for listening!
#WritingCommunity #WritingPodcast
#WritingCommunity #WritingPodcast
June 24, 2025 at 3:11 PM
It has unironically been such a joy to commiserate with so many amazing and gracious writers. Failure loves company, so give us a listen!
Reposted by Mona West
Chatbots — LLMs — do not know facts and are not designed to be able to accurately answer factual questions. They are designed to find and mimic patterns of words, probabilistically. When they’re “right” it’s because correct things are often written down, so those patterns are frequent. That’s all.
June 19, 2025 at 11:21 AM
Chatbots — LLMs — do not know facts and are not designed to be able to accurately answer factual questions. They are designed to find and mimic patterns of words, probabilistically. When they’re “right” it’s because correct things are often written down, so those patterns are frequent. That’s all.
Reposted by Mona West
Our latest episode, with @roselynclarkebooks.bsky.social, is out now. We chat deadlines, post-deal writing slumps, advocating for yourself as an introvert, and anxiety and mental health. #NewEpisode #WritingCommunity #WritingPodcast
pnc.st/s/unfortunat...
pnc.st/s/unfortunat...
June 6, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Our latest episode, with @roselynclarkebooks.bsky.social, is out now. We chat deadlines, post-deal writing slumps, advocating for yourself as an introvert, and anxiety and mental health. #NewEpisode #WritingCommunity #WritingPodcast
pnc.st/s/unfortunat...
pnc.st/s/unfortunat...