Vaughn Roycroft
@vaughnroycroft.bsky.social
I married my soulmate, built our perfect house near our favorite beach, and worked to achieve my dream life as a writer.
Author of The Sundered Nation Trilogy.
vaughnroycroft.com.
Author of The Sundered Nation Trilogy.
vaughnroycroft.com.
Pinned
After dozens of drafts, scores of rewrites, and unknowable hours of revision, The Sundered Nation Trilogy stands complete! DESTINY’S DOOM releases today, March 18, 2025.
I’m so proud and happy for my friend and mentor Juliet.👏🫶
In the wake of receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award at the recent World Fantasy Convention(!), Juliet Marillier looks back—and forward—on the writing life, reflecting on the abundance of stories that surround and define us. Today at WU.
Inspiration / Recognition
After a whirlwind trip to the UK from my home base in Western Australia, I am still processing the experience of attending this year’s World Fantasy Convention in Brighton, where I met…
writerunboxed.com
November 17, 2025 at 2:41 PM
I’m so proud and happy for my friend and mentor Juliet.👏🫶
Reposted by Vaughn Roycroft
This incredibly generous, thorough, and insightful review has filled my heart and my writerly fuel tank.
Have you started The Sundered Nation Trilogy? Who knows? Could be "tailor-made" for you, too.
Have you started The Sundered Nation Trilogy? Who knows? Could be "tailor-made" for you, too.
⚔️Friday review drop from the Mutual Admiration Society (iykyk)⚔️ #booksky
I've read 59 indie books this year and I know there is still a month to go, but this probably will be my indie read of the year!
The Severing Son by @vaughnroycroft.bsky.social
Review at FanFiAddict in link below!
I've read 59 indie books this year and I know there is still a month to go, but this probably will be my indie read of the year!
The Severing Son by @vaughnroycroft.bsky.social
Review at FanFiAddict in link below!
November 14, 2025 at 4:25 PM
This incredibly generous, thorough, and insightful review has filled my heart and my writerly fuel tank.
Have you started The Sundered Nation Trilogy? Who knows? Could be "tailor-made" for you, too.
Have you started The Sundered Nation Trilogy? Who knows? Could be "tailor-made" for you, too.
I’m so honored to have Bold Ascension included in a list from a fellow author I deeply admire and respect.
P.L’S TOP INDIE & TOP TRAD SFF BOOKS FOR 2025!!
***Authors on the lists tagged in the comments***
👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇
beforewegoblog.com/p-ls-top-ind...
***Authors on the lists tagged in the comments***
👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇
beforewegoblog.com/p-ls-top-ind...
P.L’s TOP INDIE & TOP TRAD SFF BOOKS FOR 2025
This is the post where I note the top Indie/Self-Published, and the top Traditionally-Published (Small Press/Big Five Trad & Imprints) books for Sci-Fi &am
beforewegoblog.com
November 14, 2025 at 3:17 PM
I’m so honored to have Bold Ascension included in a list from a fellow author I deeply admire and respect.
Reposted by Vaughn Roycroft
Imposter syndrome can be crippling, and it’s far from easy to dismiss. Author Rachel Toalson bravely shares a run-in that nearly stopped her in her tracks, and provides the recipe for taking the next scary step, today at WU.
The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Imposter Syndrome Crisis
As a runner who dabbles in long distances of the double digit kind, my resting heart rate sits at about 45-50 beats per minute on any given day. For the last two hours, it had been stuck at 85—almo…
writerunboxed.com
November 12, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Imposter syndrome can be crippling, and it’s far from easy to dismiss. Author Rachel Toalson bravely shares a run-in that nearly stopped her in her tracks, and provides the recipe for taking the next scary step, today at WU.
Reposted by Vaughn Roycroft
Looking for some good news in regard to publishing? Fresh off of the WU UnConference, author Grace Wynter provides it, today at WU.
Up Close: Hope and Hustle in the Age of Storytelling
Greetings, WU fam! This time a week ago, I was four days into a dream state where nothing mattered but story. I had the distinct privilege of attending this year’s UnCon in Santa Fe. The vibe…
writerunboxed.com
November 7, 2025 at 12:53 PM
Looking for some good news in regard to publishing? Fresh off of the WU UnConference, author Grace Wynter provides it, today at WU.
Sarah’s essays are not to be missed.
Can a mathematical equation solve for writing success? Author and middle school teacher Sarah Callender instructs us and cheers us on, today at WU.
Solving for X: A Mathy Path to Writerly Success
I teach 8th grade English Language Arts at a weirdly-mathy middle school where, I suspect, at least 75% of my students believe English class should “just be an elective.” I know this because last y…
writerunboxed.com
November 6, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Sarah’s essays are not to be missed.
Reposted by Vaughn Roycroft
What creates the invisible support that props up all successful stories? Author and teacher Don Maass delves the hidden structure of storytelling, today at WU.
The Staircase & The Story
Sadly, the 2025 Un-Conference is over. Santa Fe was a marvelous setting, art-filled and restaurant-saturated. The program was substantial and interwoven, with presentations by (besides myself), Lis…
writerunboxed.com
November 5, 2025 at 3:34 PM
What creates the invisible support that props up all successful stories? Author and teacher Don Maass delves the hidden structure of storytelling, today at WU.
Writers, if you need copy editing or proofreading, Isabelle is the best! 👇
I’ve got a kid going to daycare again, which means I’ve got the next two weeks free if someone needs a copy edit or proofread. 😘
🕯️Manifesting 🕯️
October 31, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Writers, if you need copy editing or proofreading, Isabelle is the best! 👇
Time to acknowledge our most powerful remaining weapons. Keep reading, writing, witnessing, and verifying truth, in an era defined by lies and truth’s willful denial.
An impactful essay on the power of reading and speaking out, and of witnessing, during the rise of fascism, by author Elizabeth Huergo, today at WU.
Lies, Slogans, and Blasphemous Grift
I recognize my handwriting on the flyleaf of Timothy Snyder’s On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century. At the top, I had written “Summer 2017” and below a long note on Goya and Napole…
writerunboxed.com
October 31, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Time to acknowledge our most powerful remaining weapons. Keep reading, writing, witnessing, and verifying truth, in an era defined by lies and truth’s willful denial.
Reposted by Vaughn Roycroft
Need a reminder that art delivers joy, and that you are a member in good standing of the artistic community? Author Matthew Norman did, too. He shares how his reminder came exactly when it was needed, today at WU.
Anyway…Here’s Wonderwall: How Oasis Reminded Me of the Collective Joy—and Value—of Art
In three days, my sixth novel, GRACE & HENRY’S HOLIDAY MOVIE MARATHON, will be published by Dell. “G&H”—as I’ve taken to calling it because of the long title—is the culmination of two years…
writerunboxed.com
October 30, 2025 at 1:47 PM
Need a reminder that art delivers joy, and that you are a member in good standing of the artistic community? Author Matthew Norman did, too. He shares how his reminder came exactly when it was needed, today at WU.
Reposted by Vaughn Roycroft
Do you believe in magic? Have you ever felt spellbound by story? Author Kristan Hoffman shares her most recent encounter with magic on the page, today at WU.
Stories That Cast a Spell
I have always believed in magic. Age 4, dressed for Halloween as a ballet-fairy with gauzy wings. I leapt off my parents’ coffee table and flapped my arms with utter confidence. Age 11, sitti…
writerunboxed.com
October 29, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Do you believe in magic? Have you ever felt spellbound by story? Author Kristan Hoffman shares her most recent encounter with magic on the page, today at WU.
Reposted by Vaughn Roycroft
Are you a neurodiverse writer, or suspect that you are? Author Kim Bullock bravely shares her recent (but overdue) diagnosis, and offers hope to others, today at WU.
Confessions of a Neurodiverse Writer: Encouragement and a Spoonful of Hope
This post may appear to have little to do with the craft or business of writing, but the lived experience of what I suspect to be a great many of us creative types deserves attention, too. Kelsey A…
writerunboxed.com
October 27, 2025 at 1:21 PM
Are you a neurodiverse writer, or suspect that you are? Author Kim Bullock bravely shares her recent (but overdue) diagnosis, and offers hope to others, today at WU.
“Mindless, brain-sucking leeches, undead but not living, that mimic but cannot truly compare to humans? Sounds to me an awful lot like AI.”
Is using AI rather than a human ghostwriter that much different? Author Kristin Hacken South braves the spooky frontier of AI ghostwriting, today at WU.
Ghosts v. Zombies: The AI Smackdown
With Halloween around the corner, I have been musing on what terrifies writers. Last month I explored ghostwriting and came to the conclusion that ghosts are people too. This month, let’s look at t…
writerunboxed.com
October 23, 2025 at 1:26 PM
“Mindless, brain-sucking leeches, undead but not living, that mimic but cannot truly compare to humans? Sounds to me an awful lot like AI.”
Reposted by Vaughn Roycroft
In our lives as writers, our hopes and triumphs, and even our defeats and resignations, define our journeys. Julie Christine Johnson reflects on ten years as a published author, today at WU.
Forthcoming, Now and Then
On an early autumn day when a lingering marine layer muted the afternoon sun—perfect conditions for outdoor portrait photography—I had new author photos taken. Because I so rarely wear makeup beyon…
writerunboxed.com
October 20, 2025 at 1:23 PM
In our lives as writers, our hopes and triumphs, and even our defeats and resignations, define our journeys. Julie Christine Johnson reflects on ten years as a published author, today at WU.
Let’s take a stand, America! Say no to stormtroopers in our streets! #NoKingsDay
Because every Star Wars fan knows that liberty *can* die with thunderous applause (from the duped, the sycophants, the profiteers, and the compromised).
Because every Star Wars fan knows that liberty *can* die with thunderous applause (from the duped, the sycophants, the profiteers, and the compromised).
October 18, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Let’s take a stand, America! Say no to stormtroopers in our streets! #NoKingsDay
Because every Star Wars fan knows that liberty *can* die with thunderous applause (from the duped, the sycophants, the profiteers, and the compromised).
Because every Star Wars fan knows that liberty *can* die with thunderous applause (from the duped, the sycophants, the profiteers, and the compromised).
Reposted by Vaughn Roycroft
We were in New York for a three day visit. Very early this morning they were already getting set up for a peaceful protest in Time’s Square. We Will be in route to Chicago during all the protest but Godspeed to all of you who are participating. NO KINGS - EVER!
October 18, 2025 at 4:22 PM
We were in New York for a three day visit. Very early this morning they were already getting set up for a peaceful protest in Time’s Square. We Will be in route to Chicago during all the protest but Godspeed to all of you who are participating. NO KINGS - EVER!
I fucking love this essay!
Does cursing in our writing and speech matter, or does the context matter more? Author and editor Tiffany Yates Martin speaks out—uncensored—today at WU.
You Keep Using That Word, Vol.10: Profanity Edition
I have been a lifelong lover of curse words since I first discovered their versatility and delicious irreverent punch, really coming into my own with my usage when I started working in restaurants …
writerunboxed.com
October 17, 2025 at 2:09 PM
I fucking love this essay!
Looking for an epic fantasy with an autumnal feeling? Look no further.
#TheSunderedNationTrilogy
#TheSunderedNationTrilogy
October 11, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Looking for an epic fantasy with an autumnal feeling? Look no further.
#TheSunderedNationTrilogy
#TheSunderedNationTrilogy
Reposted by Vaughn Roycroft
“You can despise the choices or actions a character takes, even while you love the character and find them infinitely relatable.” Author Kathleen McCleary explores contradictory characters, today at WU.
When Good Guys are Bad Guys and Vice Versa: Contradictions
We humans are supposed to be somewhat consistent creatures, people who make choices, good and bad, based on our own unique life experiences and our hard wiring. In other words, the reasons behind w…
writerunboxed.com
October 8, 2025 at 11:59 AM
“You can despise the choices or actions a character takes, even while you love the character and find them infinitely relatable.” Author Kathleen McCleary explores contradictory characters, today at WU.
Reposted by Vaughn Roycroft
What sort of ambition serves a fiction writer? Is it always a good thing? Author Therese Anne Fowler explores writerly ambition, today at WU.
The Uses, and Abuses, of Ambition
Though I’ve largely stopped using social media, when I do go on Facebook or Instagram these days, my feeds are liberally seasoned with posts that advertise writing-advice books, writing workshops, …
writerunboxed.com
October 3, 2025 at 1:50 PM
What sort of ambition serves a fiction writer? Is it always a good thing? Author Therese Anne Fowler explores writerly ambition, today at WU.
Reposted by Vaughn Roycroft
No matter how weirdly different our methods, our brains do something AI will never accomplish. Author Kelsey Allagood unravels the awesome weirdness, today at WU.
Your Brain Is a Story Machine
Note: When I wrote about being a neurodivergent writer last time, many of you told me it was the first time you felt truly seen. That meant so much to me. I realized I had more thoughts about it, s…
writerunboxed.com
October 2, 2025 at 2:06 PM
No matter how weirdly different our methods, our brains do something AI will never accomplish. Author Kelsey Allagood unravels the awesome weirdness, today at WU.
Getting a debut ready for release? Buckle up. It’s real.
Ever experienced a post-publication emotional let-down? Wondering if you will? Prolific author Rachel Toalson gets real about the topic, today at WU.
How to Survive What Comes After the Book Launch
Congratulations! You published a book! You’re so proud and excited to share it with everyone you know and don’t know. You’re hopeful that thousands will buy the book and talk about it and read it a…
writerunboxed.com
September 29, 2025 at 1:21 PM
Getting a debut ready for release? Buckle up. It’s real.
Reposted by Vaughn Roycroft
Is revising a rough draft like eating your veggies—good for you but not pleasant? Author Liz Michalski provides tips to make this necessary drudgery more palatable, today at WU.
How First Drafts Are Like Cauliflower
For me, revising a rough draft for the first time is akin to eating cauliflower: I get that it’s a good thing, but it’s not appealing on any level. It’s bland, it’s boring, and sometimes it’s just …
writerunboxed.com
September 26, 2025 at 12:57 PM
Is revising a rough draft like eating your veggies—good for you but not pleasant? Author Liz Michalski provides tips to make this necessary drudgery more palatable, today at WU.
How much control did you have in choosing your cover? Was compromise required? (Also, I love Sarah’s essays!)
The process of coming up with the right cover is often a collaborative effort, requiring compromise. Author Sarah Callender shares her experience, today at WU.
Dressing Your Baby
In 2004, shortly after my daughter was born, we received a gift–a striped pink Ralph Lauren outfit. I laughed when I opened it. While she was only a wee newborn, and while I am definitely pre…
writerunboxed.com
September 4, 2025 at 1:32 PM
How much control did you have in choosing your cover? Was compromise required? (Also, I love Sarah’s essays!)