I finished spending an entire week off social media today. While I won't say I'm cured–by any stretch of the imagination–I definitely feel better. Think I'll try for two weeks now. Wish me luck!

May delete this later, but here goes:

I'm up for sabbatical in 2027. That's when I hope to launch a writer's retreat and residence in Detroit. Focused primarily (not exclusively) on Black children's authors & illustrators.

Do I have the money? Or a building? No, not yet!

But I do have 🙏🏿 & A Plan!

"What are we gonna do this year, Brain?"

"The same thing we do every year, Pinky. Try to write a good book."

#writing #writingcommunity

Reminder to all artists–whether you're an author, illustrator or otherwise–to take care of your hands. If you have pain at any point, stop and stretch. I didn't, for years, and the consequences of that have absolutely crippled my productivity and quality of life.

Pushing yourself isn't worth it.

I’m 100% ok with gatekeeping incels. If you can’t handle a woman being the protagonist or a non-white person being the protagonist of a video game, I don’t think you deserve to play games.

Every time I read about banning books, I think of this:

Reading a book with a gay character will not make you gay any more than reading a book about Einstein will make you a genius.
If you're afraid that books might change someone's thinking, you're not afraid of books — you're afraid of thinking.

In the past day I’ve heard two people who really should know better say they asked ChatGPT for factual info.

ChatGPT is not a search engine. It is predictive text based on other people’s stolen writing; its whole job is to make stuff up. Please do not ask it for facts. Tell a friend.

Every time there's a post about how writers shouldn't use AI art, some chucklefuck in the comments says it's not fair because "some people just don't have art skills."

So, from a former "person without art skills," here's a 🧵 about the cool shit that's happened since I decided to make art anyway.

If you use generative AI for writing or images, including for promo, character art, your profile pic, or any sort of social media post, I am not interested in following you.

Once in a blue moon, you come across a piece of media that really strikes a chord with you, and you get that giddy, excitable warmth of adding something new to your favorites.

Today, that piece of media was Arcane. It was absolutely stellar, and I am so happy I got to experience it.

#arcane

Writers--credit your editors and your artists. Thank them publicly, thank them in your books. Only *one* writer I've edited and done art for has credited me in his book. For those who haven't--

#WritingTip:
You can always fix bad pages. You can’t fix no pages.

Write. Just write.

Years ago someone told a friend I'd never sell a novel; they said that two days before I got my first novel contract. Just today I saw someone saying that I'm not that good of a writer, which, okay, but I'm contracted for 16 more books, so I guess I'll keep at it.

So, yeah: Fuck 'em. Do your thing.

It's time to get my own voice out there. It would be better than being a slave to my own anxieties the rest of my life. So...

Hi! My name's Tyler and I'm a lover of TTRPGs, video games, and all things fantasy, with a particular joy for great fantasy stories. One day, I'll write my own. I swear it.