Sara Duran ✨is querying✨
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saraduran.bsky.social
Sara Duran ✨is querying✨
@saraduran.bsky.social
4.2K followers 3.1K following 660 posts
hugger of trees / writer of books

#amquerying YA fantasy 🏴‍☠️👑🧜🏿‍♀️
#amdrafting sci-fi horromance 🪐🔭🫶

https://linktr.ee/saraduranauthor
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saraduran.bsky.social
Wouldn’t be #QuestPit without a shiny new agent guide ✨🌙

ANNIHILATION x BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, feat:

💫 two exiled men (+ their secrets)
💫 one lunar prison (+ its horrors)
💫 a cosmic entity that wants them dead
💫 the love they’ll lose if they don’t survive

#SF #H #R #LGBT
Dark starfield background. Text reads: ‘a guide to BABEL ON CALLISTO a queer cosmic horrormance [wip].’ Bottom right: saraduran@bksy.social / @saraduranauthor on x Dark starfield background. Large text at top: ‘THE PITCH.’ Under two movie posters, text on left reads: ‘encountering the unknowable’ and under Annihilation poster: ‘contact that warps and bends.’ On the right above Brokeback Mountain poster: ‘unlikely intimacy in isolation’ and below: ‘love that cannot last.’ Main body text reads: ‘On a lunar prison outpost, two exiled men uncover a cosmic presence waking beneath the ice. As their uneasy alliance against it twists into something tender and terrifying, they are confronted with the one thing they never expected to find on a dead moon: a reason to live. But the ice is thinning.’ Bottom right: saraduran@bksy.social / @saraduranauthor on x Dark starfield background. Large text at top: ‘THE COMPS.’ Three book covers below. Above the first cover (The Mountain in the Sea): ‘isolated research station.’ Below it: ‘philosophical alien threat.’ Above the second cover (The Deep Sky): ‘psychological unraveling.’ Below it: ‘fracture under mission pressure.’ Above the third cover (The Salt Grows Heavy): ‘queer, visceral horror.’ Below it: ‘love as a consuming force.’ Bottom right: saraduran@bksy.social / @saraduranauthor on x Dark starfield background. Large text at top: ‘SNIPPET.’ Large opening quotation mark. Text reads: ‘Neither spoke as Elias bypassed the security protocol on the keypad. The metal hatch shuddered as it unlocked, slinking back to hidden panels in the wall. They cleared the first few floors with carrion precision, methodical as Dermestidae stripping a carcass to bone. In Elias’s imagination, the gore thinned into something vaster—a time-lapse unraveling the ruin from above. Wordlessly, corridors were scoured to nothing as he and Jack moved like insects beneath an overhead lens. As the hours dissolved, their work became abstracted into a cold anatomy, intimacy pared away as cleanly as flesh from the frame until only the architecture of survival remained. When Jack hacked into the collapsed doorway to the next stairwell, Elias marveled at the contradiction—how those same brutal hands had, only that morning, traced him with the delicacy of a scalpel.’ Large closing quotation mark. Bottom right: saraduran@bksy.social / @saraduranauthor on x
November 5, 2025 at 5:02 AM
saraduran.bsky.social
ANNIHILATION x BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN

⭐ two exiled men (+ their secrets)
🌙 one lunar prison (+ its horrors)
⭐ a government that wants their data
🌙 a cosmic entity that wants them dead
💫 the love they’ll lose if they don’t make it out alive

#ghostpit #SF #H #R #LGBT #WIP
A moodboard for my sci-fi horrormance WIP, BABEL ON CALLISTO. On the top left is a glowing humanoid figure with a planet and rings orbiting its head. In the center, white glitchy text reads: "NOT ALL ENDINGS ARE THE END. SOMETIMES THEY ARE THE BEGINNING," repeated multiple times. Beneath that, a figure walks into a starry void shaped like another person, reaching toward each other. Other elements include a flatworm floating in a grid-like space, a silhouetted couple reaching toward each other in a virtual tunnel, and hands weaving a glowing galaxy-like thread.
October 30, 2025 at 4:00 AM
saraduran.bsky.social
ANNIHILATION x BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN

#SFPit #H #R #LGBT #WiP

͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙

i’ll take care of you.
it’s rotten work.
not to me.
not if it’s you.
Elias and Jack trapped in an hourglass full of stars.
October 21, 2025 at 12:51 PM
saraduran.bsky.social
the lioness does not concern herself with her rule against sharing writing snippets before the book is done

#SFPit #H #R #LGBT #WIP
Neither spoke as Elias bypassed the security protocol on the keypad. The metal hatch shuddered as it unlocked, slinking back to hidden panels in the wall. They cleared the first few floors with carrion precision, methodical as Dermestidae stripping a carcass to bone. In Elias's imagination, the gore thinned into something vaster—a time-lapse unraveling the ruin from above. Wordlessly, corridors were scoured to nothing as he and Jack moved like insects beneath an overhead lens. As the hours dissolved, their work became abstracted into a cold anatomy, intimacy pared away as cleanly as flesh from the frame until only the architecture of survival remained. When Jack hacked into the collapsed doorway to the next stairwell, Elias marveled at the contradiction-how those same brutal hands had, only that morning, traced him with the delicacy of a scalpel.
October 21, 2025 at 5:06 AM
saraduran.bsky.social
ANNIHILATION x BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN

A prisoner. A scientist.

Two exiles condemned to a lunar hellscape that holds back the darkness between stars.

In isolation, they find solace in each other— until they awaken something that should have stayed sleeping.

#SFPit #H #R #LGBT #WIP
Two astronauts float above the surface of a moon, looking up at a massive black and red eye-shaped swirl in the stars. Text at the bottom reads: “If Jack knew the deal Elias had made with the Devil, would he still insist they play house in Hell?”
October 21, 2025 at 4:04 AM
saraduran.bsky.social
I put chapter one of this project up for critique in a new group on a whim and I’d say it’s going pretty well 🥹 Definitely needed this boost after a quiet few weeks in the trenches!
Alright, you've had me by the edge of my seat this entire time. I've been doing critiques for a decade and it's rare to come across something this polished and perfect. Everything is there. The voice. The miniscule details. Tension. Stakes. Intrigue. Dialogue. Distinct characters/character dynamics. Etc. Good work.
September 27, 2025 at 2:03 AM
saraduran.bsky.social
Thrilled to share this cover mockup for my ANNIHILATION x BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN WIP—if it were a trendy booktok rom-com instead of a cosmic horromance 💅🏻

#UnhingedPit #SF #H #R #LGBT #WIP
illustrated book cover for Babel on Callisto.
September 23, 2025 at 3:33 PM
saraduran.bsky.social
soooo excited to finally be mutuals with my favorite characters from the pirate, the princess, and john ((who are definitely, totally, undoubtedly 100% legit and not DM bots or trolls!))

haha jk! it’s a pitch event day, of course they are

#UnhingedPit #YA #F #LGBT #amquerying
A fake DM from a profile for Princess Mira on a pastel seashell background with the lesbian pride flag, asking if a princess should obey the crown or overthrow it. A fake DM from a profile for John on a blue mermaid scale background with the trans pride flag, asking if you’ve ever looked into the water and wished the reflection was someone else. A fake DM from a profile for Captain Amir on a dark ocean background, asking if history will remember him as a pirate or a ghost dragged around by teens. A fake DM from a profile for General Genovese on a red lightning background, declaring that the runaway princess and fisherman will kneel like the rest.
September 23, 2025 at 12:06 PM
saraduran.bsky.social
❤️
Dear Trans Kids, The world is better with you in it and you are worth fighting for.
September 15, 2025 at 1:04 AM
saraduran.bsky.social
COMING SOON 👀

One lunar prison. Two condemned men.
Jack is a criminal with a blood-soaked past. Elias is an entomologist caught in a web of lies.
In isolation, affection blooms.
Beneath the surface, something ancient stirs.

#PosterPit #SF #H #R #LGBT #WIP
A faux movie poster for Babel on Callisto showing two astronauts in white space suits floating above the surface of a purple, cratered moon. A large, faint image of a creature’s face with round eyes and an open mouth is visible in the background, blending into the dark starry space. Text at the top reads, “From the producers of Annihilation and Brokeback Mountain.” Below is the tagline, “In isolation, affection blooms. Beneath the surface, something ancient stirs.” The title “Babel on Callisto” is displayed in large white letters, with the subtitle “A queer cosmic horromance” underneath.
August 16, 2025 at 4:30 AM
saraduran.bsky.social
THE PIRATE, THE PRINCESS, AND JOHN is now in query inboxes near you ✨

#PosterPit #YA #F #LGBT #Q #amquerying
A faux movie poster for The Pirate, the Princess, and John featuring a silhouetted ship sailing on a layered blue ocean toward a distant castle under a pale moon, with three character names at the top: “Amir (the pirate),” “Mira (the princess),” and “John (for now).” Below the ship is the quote: “A ship in harbor is safe, but that isn’t what ships are built for.” The title appears in large white serif letters, and at the bottom is the tagline: “YA fantasy, 82k, multi-POV; anti-colonial, non-Western, political intrigue; besties to lovers, found family, platonic ‘touch her and die’; strong girls, big feelings, sharp prose; diverse, queer, magical.” The author’s X handle @SARADURANAUTHOR and Bluesky handle SARADURAN.BSKY.SOCIAL appear in the lower right corner.
August 16, 2025 at 4:00 AM
saraduran.bsky.social
to break the curse binding her to the ghost of a vengeful pirate, princess mira must fall in love with her best friend, john

there’s just one problem:

mira’s heart already belongs to princess dorothea

🩷🧡🤍

#queerpit #YA #F #LGBT #amquerying
Princess Mira (Black, braided hair, wearing a sky blue gown with pearl beads and silver tiara) and Princess Dorothea (white, wavy red hair, wearing a dark green gown with a gold tiara) gazing at each other on a ship’s deck at sunset, with a quote from THE PIRATE, THE PRINCESS, AND JOHN: “It didn’t matter that the very idea was treasonous. For Dorothea, Mira would break any rule.”
August 15, 2025 at 12:02 PM
saraduran.bsky.social
reminds me of this error I once got from my work database 😵‍💫
August 9, 2025 at 2:03 PM
saraduran.bsky.social
Yall remember this post?

The project just got an offer of rep from its FIRST QUERY. No one is doing it like @aekwordcrafter.bsky.social 😤❤️
August 7, 2025 at 11:00 PM
saraduran.bsky.social
Me watching from the trenches 🥹
August 7, 2025 at 10:58 PM
saraduran.bsky.social
ANNIHILATION x BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN

One lunar prison. Two condemned men.
Jack is a criminal with a blood-soaked past. Elias is an entomologist caught in a web of lies.
In isolation, affection blooms.
Beneath the surface, something ancient stirs.

#QuestPit #SF #H #R #LGBT #W
A moodboard for my sci-fi horrormance WIP, BABEL ON CALLISTO. On the top left is a glowing humanoid figure with a planet and rings orbiting its head. In the center, white glitchy text reads: "NOT ALL ENDINGS ARE THE END. SOMETIMES THEY ARE THE BEGINNING," repeated multiple times. Beneath that, a figure walks into a starry void shaped like another person, reaching toward each other. Other elements include a flatworm floating in a grid-like space, a silhouetted couple reaching toward each other in a virtual tunnel, and hands weaving a glowing galaxy-like thread.
August 6, 2025 at 4:02 AM
saraduran.bsky.social
I’m excited to share this #pitchcard for THE PIRATE, THE PRINCESS, and JOHN, the YA fantasy novel I #amquerying, feat:

🏴‍☠️ LGBTQIA+ rep
👑 non-western setting
🌸 anti-colonial lens
🏴‍☠️ girls w/ swords
👑 besties-to-lovers
🌸 friendship > everything

#QuestPit #YA #F #LGBT #Q
A pitch card for YA fantasy The Pirate, The Princess, and John by @saraduranauthor, marked “Now Querying” with a gold star noting “5 full requests and counting.” The book is a standalone, complete at 82,000 words.
August 6, 2025 at 4:00 AM
saraduran.bsky.social
⚠️Please don’t pirate music⚠️

… But if you already did, you may have found Captain Amir’s 82,000-word playlist full of diverse, magical (and sometimes angsty) pirate adventures ✨🏴‍☠️

#PlaylistPitch #YA #F #LGBT #amquerying
A retro computer desktop collage shows a fake Pirate Bay page titled The Pirate, the Princess, and John. It features a playlist under “Browse Audio > Music” with columns for Type, Title, Owner, and Status (all “Now Querying”). Songs listed include: 1. Spitting Off the Edge of the World – Yeah Yeah Yeahs 2. Why Am I Like This? – Orla Gartland 3. Nothing New – Taylor Swift feat. Phoebe Bridgers 4. Hello My Old Heart – The Oh Hellos 5. good girls – Josie Edwards 6. Silk Chiffon – Phoebe Bridgers feat. MUNA 7. dorothea – Taylor Swift 8. What the Hell – Avril Lavigne 9. Girl Crush – Harry Styles 10. What Was I Made For? – Billie Eilish 11. A Better Son/Daughter – Rilo Kiley 12. Ready Now – dodie 13. Good Luck, Babe! – Chapel Roan 14. She – dodie 15. Sailor Song – Gigi Perez 16. Now & Then – Sjowgren Left sidebar has social media icons; right side includes “Rum” and “Mermaid Makeovers” ads. A retro pop-up reads “404: Treasure Not Found.” Background is ocean waves.
July 11, 2025 at 4:00 AM
saraduran.bsky.social
Sharing this here because I’ll be thinking about it for the rest of my life 🥹🫶

#UnhingedPit
July 10, 2025 at 1:15 PM
saraduran.bsky.social
I know they call this the trenches, but I never expected my own CHARACTERS to reject my queries 😅

#UnhingedPit #YA #F #LGBT #amquerying
A mock query rejection email with a pearl bead background: Text: Dear Sara, Thank you for wasting my time with your query for THE PIRATE, THE PRINCESS, AND JOHN. For future reference, please note that I'm only open to multi-POV YA fantasy where the sapphic childhood-besties-turned-lovers don't get a happily-ever-after. Side note: A scorned ghost pirate trapped inside the head of a closeted princess until they both learn to help each other come out? How original. Regrets, Princess Mira View your query status page at QueryTracker.net/portal/give-up-dummy. A mock query rejection email with a gold coin background. Text: Sara, Thank you for considering me for the most torturously feel-good, insufferably hopeful-even-in-its-bleakest-moments novel I've ever had the displeasure of reading. I suggest you jump ship on writing and take on a more practical hobby like swashbuckling, rum drinking, or breaking the curse that has me stuck inside the head of this whiny princess (thanks for that, by the way). Kick bricks barefoot, Captain Amir View your query status page at QueryTracker.net/portal/I-hate-you A mock query rejection email with an ocean wave background. Text: Hi Sara, Thank you so much for your query for THE PIRATE, THE PRINCESS, AND JOHN. While I truly admired the 82,000 word count, non-Western fantasy setting, and LGBTQ+ representation, unfortunately, I will have to pass. I would, however, like to offer a minor suggestion to change the title to THE PIRATE, THE PRINCESS, AND JOHANNA, as I believe this better reflects the titular character's gender identity. Best wishes, Johanna View your query status page at QueryTracker.net/portal/Protect-Trans-Kids A mock query rejection email with a bloody background. Text: Ms. Duran, The empire has scrupulously reviewed your query for THE PIRATE, THE PRINCESS, AND JOHN, and has found that beneath the lighthearted, adventurous story of queer joy and acceptance is a truly blasphemous critique of the colonization of the Global South. We will be passing, but please do keep us in mind for any future projects featuring white, male, cis-het protagonists, preferably in settings inspired by medieval Europe. Regards, General Genovese View your query status page at QueryTracker.net/portal/is-this-one-pushing-it?-maybe-lol
July 9, 2025 at 12:00 PM
saraduran.bsky.social
POV: you’re my husband, it’s 1am, and I just emerged from my office for the first time in 15 hours to ask you to read the scene-by-scene plot outline of my WIP and tell me if it makes sense

#amwriting
Kathy Bates is holding a stack of papers and staring at you with a fragile look in her eyes.
June 29, 2025 at 5:28 AM
saraduran.bsky.social
because these things will change
can you feel it now?
these walls that they put up to hold us back will fall down
this revolution, the time will come
for us to finally win
and we’ll sing hallelujah, we’ll sing hallelujah

#SwiftiePitch #YA #F #LGBT #AmQuerying
A “screenshot” streaming the song “Change (John’s version)” by Taylor Swift. The album art is a moodboard for John, showing hands gathering flowers from the sand, glittering abalone shells, a silhouette of a young man swimming and staring at a moonlight beach, iridescent scales, a sun halo through the water, a silhouette of a mermaid swimming, lightning striking near a lighthouse, and a mermaid tail on a rocky shore. The trans pride flag is subtly depicted as a gradient across the board, with baby blue, rosy pink, and white.
June 13, 2025 at 3:06 PM
saraduran.bsky.social
it's never too late to come back to my side
the stars in your eyes shined brighter in Tupelo
and if you're ever tired of being known for who you know
you know you'll always know me
Dorothea

#SwiftiePitch #YA #F #LGBT #AmQuerying
A “screenshot” streaming the song “dorothea (Mira’s version)” by Taylor Swift. The album art is a mood board for Princess Mira, showing a Black princess with dresses and jewelry, a message in a bottle, a crown made of shells, a conch shell, and romantic scenes of the princess with her love interest, Princess Dorothea, who is a white princess with red hair, including their faces pressed together, kissing in the reflection of a handheld mirror, and running across a grassy field arm-in-arm. The lesbian pride flag is subtly depicted across the grid, with the first row of picture tinted light orange, the second row tinted cream/white, and the third road tinted a rosy pink.
June 13, 2025 at 2:01 PM
saraduran.bsky.social
I didn't have it in myself to go with grace
and so the battleships will sink beneath the waves
you had to kill me, but it killed you just the same
cursing my name, wishing I stayed
you turned into your worst fears

#SwiftiePitch #YA #F #LGBT #AmQuerying
A “screenshot” streaming the song “my tears ricochet (Amir’s version)” by Taylor Swift. The album art is a moodboard for Captain Amir, showing a crying eye, a sultry pirate captain, a bottle of mysterious elixir, leather boots kicked up on a treasure chest, wooden barrels and dusty glass bottles of rum, a treasure chest, a face wiping blood from their lower lip, and a pirate ship with a joyful crew sailing into the sunset. A pirate flag is subtly superimposed over the image.
June 13, 2025 at 1:04 PM
saraduran.bsky.social
John wouldn’t have stolen that seashell if he’d known it would awaken a 100-year-old ghost pirate—but he had a crush to impress.

As ancient magic stirs, so does a beautiful truth: maybe he’s not meant to be Mira’s boyfriend.

Maybe he’s not meant to be a boy at all.

#JoyPit #YA #F #LGBT
A moodboard for John, showing hands gathering flowers from the sand, glittering abalone shells, a silhouette of a young man swimming and staring at a moonlight beach, iridescent scales, a sun halo through the water, a silhouette of a mermaid swimming, lightning striking near a lighthouse, and a mermaid tail on a rocky shore. The trans pride flag is subtly depicted as a gradient across the board, with baby blue, rosy pink, and white.
June 6, 2025 at 3:14 PM