authorivyljames

[authorivyljames]

They're so beautiful and in love, I can't stand it!

Meet High Knight Elspeth and Princess Ravenna, the main characters of my upcoming sapphic fantasy romance novella, Sword's End.

They're childhood best friends, and they agree to a fake engagement, but they develop real feelings. Whoops!

*art by froggiehands (she's on Instagram and Twitter)

#writeblr #writing #writers of tumblr #lesfic #lesbian romance #sapphic books #wlw books #lesbian fiction #writers and poets #lgbt books

[authorivyljames]

I'm currently working on the first drafts for two sapphic romances: Sword's End (fantasy romance novella) and The Plus-One Contract (contemporary romance novel).

However, I also have my eye on the next potential story, which will probably be drafted in winter 2024-25.

I have ideas in several subgenres, though they're all sapphic romances.

So this is where YOU come in!

#writeblr #lesfic #lesbian romance #sapphic #lesbian fiction #wlw #lesbian #lgbt books #writers and poets #writers of tumblr #writing #lgbtq #amwriting

[authorivyljames]

I really like the word “smitten”. because at first glance you just think of sappy lovey-dovey stuff but also you have to remember this is a word that’s born of the word “smite.” a devastating word. a word that, summarized, means stricken. smitten means stricken as well — struck with devastating affection.

#this post inspired a poem for my second sapphic chapbook!!

[authorivyljames]

Writing Updates: 2 April 2024

Here's where my writing is as of this morning:

Sword's End is at 9k/25k

I started The Plus-One Contract (bc of who I am as a person), and it's at 3k/60k

My exvangelical chapbook, Coal Hearted, is at 13/25 poems

My second sapphic chapbook, I Cannot Weave, is at 7/25 poems

My April goal is to finish Sword's End. I want 25k words on the page by April 30.

#writers of tumblr #poets on tumblr #writers and poets #writeblr #lgbt books #writing #poetry #chapbook #lesbian #lgbtq

[authorivyljames]

Advance Praise for The Orange and Pink Sunset

“James’ writing is sweet, candid, and necessary. Her poems tell tales that will undoubtedly be relatable to the queer reader, provoking feelings of sorrow and solidarity both, and gradually fostering a sense of bright, palpable hope. Fresh yet enchantingly familiar, The Orange and Pink Sunset bleeds with authenticity.”

- Rose McCoy, author of When the World Didn’t End

***

“Exquisite joys & sorrows are laid out before you, like rare gems on an offering table right from the jump.

Bodyblows & massive hooks to the soul & spine on every page, snatching the air out your lungs, bringing you to tears a time or two on moments that hit so so so near to home, but instilling a craving to keep reading.

It ends so sweet, so subtle, so perfect, you go back and read it again. 

In short: Ivy L. James offers here a rapturous sermon in the chapel of Sappho, and we should all be ever so grateful for the privilege to take in The Orange and Pink Sunset. 

Just make sure to bring an offering for Saint Sailor Neptune, won’t you?”

- Clem Flowers, author of I Know Nothing But The Night (Bullshit Lit) & KUDZU (Cowboy Jamboree Press)

Check out the sample poems!

#writing #writeblr #writers of tumblr #poetry #poets on tumblr #chapbook #writers and poets #lgbt books #sapphic #lesbian #lgbtq #queer community

[authorivyljames]

I've had a couple of messages over the last few days from folks saying things like, "Sorry, I can only afford to get your book through the library," and I need you to know I am gripping you by the shoulders, I am shaking you gently, and I am begging you stop apologizing for using library services.

After Amazon and Payhip, the quarterly checks I get from Overdrive/Libby are my biggest and most reliable source of income.

My readers have been nothing but feral in their quest to get Hunger Pangs into as many libraries as possible, and while library lending pays an exceptionally modest amount, if enough people do it (which many of you evidently are), those pennies add up.

I am guaranteed at least $20 a month in library lending royalties. That might not sound like much to some folks, but to me, that's my b12 supplements covered for the month. That's the thing I need to keep me alive paid for.

I will never resent anyone who uses libraries instead of buying books.

I'm a disabled author who lives month to month at the mercy of my medical expenses. Even though I have incredibly generous patrons and supporters, I know what it's like to not be able to afford things.

Use the library. Please.

Use it guilt-free. You're helping the library and the authors, probably more than you realize.

And if you're in the US and haven't signed up for a @queerliblib free library card yet, you should! it doesn't matter what state you're in, the Queer Liberation Library offers free access to their catalogue of queer media across the US.

And if you've got the means, maybe help them out with a little donation. They're only able to expand their collection via the support of their patrons, and the work they're doing is hugely important.

#I would love for you to find my books in a library! #i don't get paid for it but every check-out helps keep them in the system

[authorivyljames]

current mood: waning crescent

(from my upcoming sapphic poetry chapbook, The Orange and Pink Sunset)

I wax and wane like the moon, rise and fall with the tide— each season ushers in a new version of me, happy, sad, manic, depressive— and though I’m not sure why, you love each phase, which says more about how generous you are than about how lovable I am.

#writing #writeblr #writers of tumblr #poetry #poets on tumblr #chapbook #writers and poets #lgbt books #wlw #sapphic #lesbian #queer community #lgbtq

[authorivyljames]

there goes the sun

(from my upcoming sapphic poetry chapbook The Orange and Pink Sunset)

I was afraid to come out Because I knew things would be different—worse— and I was partially right: My entire family, save one sister, boycotted my wedding. I’m no longer welcome in church if my wife is with me. Scripture falls apart when I touch it. Some things have deteriorated.

Yet others stayed the same: My closest friends remain. Writing frees me. The moon waxes and wanes. 

And others still are better now: My relationship with that sister is on the mend. I have a new queer circle of friends who hold me tight. I can write everything I want to. I’m honest with the world and with myself. 

The sun has set on what my life used to be, there’s no going back, but that loss allows the stars to shine, and I’m more at home in the moonlight anyway.

#writing #writeblr #writers of tumblr #poetry #poets on tumblr #chapbook #writers and poets #lgbt books #sapphic #lesbian #queer community #lgbtq

[authorivyljames]

I’m not letting go

(from my upcoming sapphic poetry chapbook The Orange and Pink Sunset)

my heart has teeth

I bite down and refuse to give up whatever— whomever— I love 

my heart has nails 

I dig in with both hands, selfish and greedy

 my heart growls 

just try to pry me away, you bastards, I dare you

my heart is soft with a core of steel 

you can’t break my grip— I’ll die before I give up on this; catch me rotting in the searing sun before I go to my knees

#writeblr #poetry #poets on tumblr #writers and poets #lgbt books #writers of tumblr #writing #chapbook #sapphic #wlw #lesbian #lgbtq

[authorivyljames]

The Orange and Pink Sunset is available for preorder now!

ABOUT THE CHAPBOOK

The sun has set on what my life used to be, there’s no going back, but that loss allows the stars to shine, and I’m more at home in the moonlight anyway.

In The Orange and Pink Sunset, Ivy L. James weaves a tapestry of her life as a queer woman, from childhood crushes to the labels she’s tried on to religious discrimination. Her raw words express agony and joy in equal measure. She provides a refreshing perspective with an understandable voice, and her narrative style feels like sharing a pot of tea with a close friend. This impactful poetry chapbook is a vulnerable discussion of what it’s like to find herself as a lesbian, and in the end, James chooses love over hate, even in moments of pain.

Content warnings: Some poems touch on the author’s experiences with familial homophobia and religious homophobia. This collection also includes mild adult language, sensual content, and brief violent imagery.

ADVANCE PRAISE

“James’ writing is sweet, candid, and necessary. Her poems tell tales that will undoubtedly be relatable to the queer reader, provoking feelings of sorrow and solidarity both, and gradually fostering a sense of bright, palpable hope. Fresh yet enchantingly familiar, The Orange and Pink Sunset bleeds with authenticity.”

- Rose McCoy, author of When the World Didn’t End

“Exquisite joys & sorrows are laid out before you, like rare gems on an offering table right from the jump.

Bodyblows & massive hooks to the soul & spine on every page, snatching the air out your lungs, bringing you to tears a time or two on moments that hit so so so near to home, but instilling a craving to keep reading.

It ends so sweet, so subtle, so perfect, you go back and read it again. 

In short: Ivy L. James offers here a rapturous sermon in the chapel of Sappho, and we should all be ever so grateful for the privilege to take in The Orange and Pink Sunset. 

Just make sure to bring an offering for Saint Sailor Neptune, won’t you?”

- Clem Flowers, author of I Know Nothing But The Night (Bullshit Lit) & KUDZU (Cowboy Jamboree Press)

PREORDER LINKS

The ebook of this chapbook is currently available for preorder! The expected release date is 30 April 2024.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CW1KSKMG 

Website: https://www.authorivyljames.com/product-page/the-orange-and-pink-sunset-ebook 

PRESALE GIVEAWAY

If you preorder, please enter the presale giveaway to get some bonus poems and the chance to win a swag bag that includes a signed paperback copy!

Giveaway form: https://forms.gle/M7L18Cbq4Td11bj98

#boost

[authorivyljames]

Ways to Skip Time In Your Stories

Finding ways to skip time in stories can feel challenging. Writers often worry it’ll make their work feel too amateur or negatively affect their pacing. 

The truth is that every author includes ways they skip time to maintain their pacing and plot. Check out a few ways to do it with confidence. 

1. Start a New Chapter

Yes, it’s really that simple. Go back to your favorite books and note how each chapter ends. You’ll likely find a few of these tricks that transition the story in ways that match the story’s flow.

Ideas to End a Chapter

The protagonist goes to sleep (likely overused, but practical)

The characters end a conversation

One character informs another of a plot twist

Unexpected action occurs, like a car crash

2. Emphasize the Season

You don’t need to tell the reader exact dates or hours to pass the time. You could mention the season instead.

If a scene or chapter ends in the summer and you need your plot to start in winter, make your protagonist mention something about the leaves changing color and giving way to snow before your action picks up again. It will only take a sentence or two, so it’s also an effective method for short stories.

3. Visualize a Movie Montage

Imagine watching a movie about a character who goes on a summer adventure. They backpack through Europe, but they have to take a flight to get there. 

You likely wouldn’t see them standing in airport security lines, napping in a terminal or watching a full movie on their flight to their destination. Instead, you’d get a montage of them driving to the airport with a shot of their plane cruising over the open ocean.

Writers can do the same thing, minus the soundtrack in the background. Describe how your character got to their destination when a new chapter or scene starts. Your readers will get the general idea and appreciate getting straight to the plot that made them pick up your story in the first place.

Here are a few ideas to do this in just a few sentences:

One delayed flight and a bad airplane dinner later, I was walking out of the Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport with an aching back and excited heart.

My trip began with the perfect flight. I got an entire row of seats to myself, which made napping through the trip much easier. A flight attendant roused me awake when it was time to land. I couldn’t believe how fast I’d arrived in Athens that quickly.

My flight was just long enough to catch up on the movies I’d been missing over the last year. The landing gear bounced along the runway in Rome just as the Barbie credits started flashing across my iPad.

4. Showcase Some Confusion

Sometimes we aren’t aware of what time it is. We only know time has passed. That might be the best way to make time pass in your story if your protagonist gets confused, caught by surprise, or otherwise discombobulated.

These are some examples:

I woke up with a bad taste in my mouth. The sun was already peaking in the clear blue sky. How long had it been since my explosive video call with my ex the night before?

The time machine landed with a thud that knocked me to the ground. The control panel exploded in shimmering sparks. What year was it?

Working a double shift always left my brain spinning. I left work, walking across the parking lot with only the stars watching my back. I could feel the hours aching in my feet, but didn’t care what time it really was. I just needed to sleep.

5. Employ a Phrase

There are many quick phrases you can use to make your time jumps immediately clear. Consider using a few of these when you feel creatively stuck:

Later that morning

A few weeks later

After months of trying

Six hours later

The following week

As the store closed for the night

-----

There are many other ways to make time pass in a story. Starting with these could help you figure out the best way to move your story forward without disrupting its pacing. 

Remember, you’re in control of your story at all times. There’s always a way through creative challenges if you take a deep breath and try something new.

#Writing advice #There is no concept of time in Winner so I need to implement some of these

[authorivyljames]

"I cant draw" then do it bad who gives a fuck.....

#Good advice!

[authorivyljames]

30 DAYS NOVEL WRITING CHALLENGE

hey! today i bring you guys a kinda hard challenge. so, how does it work? idk

basically, all you have to do is to follow the grid (each square corresponds to a day), and by the end of it you have written about 11k words of your new novel. sounds fun, right? oh, exhausting, too...

the main goal is to speed up a little and help you get started on your new book (like when you have an idea and reallyyy want to start developing it but have zero motivation).

if you want to share daily (or once in a while) updates about how this challenge is working for you, feel free to use #30soulscollide or tag me in your post! i'd love to hear some feedback from you guys about this and please let me know if you'd like something like this in the future! <3

the challenge (image):

maybe you want a list? here you go:

write a summary of your novel / idea

draft the main character(s)

write a paragraph about each relationship

draft the side characters

brainstorm dramatic events and plot twists

define the narrator & tense

draft the world / environment

create a playlist (now we're done with the plot)

write a summary of act 1

write a summary of act 2

revise your characters & settings

write a summary of act 3

list all the events in your story (in order)

write a paragraph for each chapter (act 1)

write a paragraph for each chapter (act 2)

write a paragraph for each chapter (act 3)

write 800 words

write 900 words

write 700 words

write 1k words

write 800 words

write 500 words

write 1k words

write 700 words

write 900 words

write 1k words

write 600 words

write 800 words

write 1k words

write 900 words

i really hope you like this challenge and that you find it useful. also, i am working on a new notion template (i might post it by the end of this week or next week!) stay tuned <3

#Things to try

[authorivyljames]

Sapphic poetry ARCs available

If you're interested in reading my sapphic poetry chapbook but can't swing the preorder, I have ARCs available!

Reply here or send me a DM, and I'll email you a free digital copy of The Orange and Pink Sunset in exchange for an honest review.

ABOUT THE CHAPBOOK

The sun has set on what my life used to be, there’s no going back, but that loss allows the stars to shine, and I’m more at home in the moonlight anyway.

In The Orange and Pink Sunset, Ivy L. James weaves a tapestry of her life as a queer woman, from childhood crushes to the labels she’s tried on to religious discrimination. Her raw words express agony and joy in equal measure. She provides a refreshing perspective with an understandable voice, and her narrative style feels like sharing a pot of tea with a close friend. This impactful poetry chapbook is a vulnerable discussion of what it’s like to find herself as a lesbian, and in the end, James chooses love over hate, even in moments of pain.

Content warnings: Some poems touch on the author’s experiences with familial homophobia and religious homophobia. This collection also includes mild adult language, sensual content, and brief violent imagery.

ADVANCE PRAISE

“James’ writing is sweet, candid, and necessary. Her poems tell tales that will undoubtedly be relatable to the queer reader, provoking feelings of sorrow and solidarity both, and gradually fostering a sense of bright, palpable hope. Fresh yet enchantingly familiar, The Orange and Pink Sunset bleeds with authenticity.”

- Rose McCoy, author of When the World Didn’t End

“Exquisite joys & sorrows are laid out before you, like rare gems on an offering table right from the jump.

Bodyblows & massive hooks to the soul & spine on every page, snatching the air out your lungs, bringing you to tears a time or two on moments that hit so so so near to home, but instilling a craving to keep reading.

It ends so sweet, so subtle, so perfect, you go back and read it again. 

In short: Ivy L. James offers here a rapturous sermon in the chapel of Sappho, and we should all be ever so grateful for the privilege to take in The Orange and Pink Sunset. 

Just make sure to bring an offering for Saint Sailor Neptune, won’t you?”

- Clem Flowers, author of I Know Nothing But The Night (Bullshit Lit) & KUDZU (Cowboy Jamboree Press)

#writeblr #poets on tumblr #poetry #writers and poets #lgbt books #writers of tumblr #writing #chapbook #lgbtq #lgbtq community #sapphic #wlw #lesbianism #lesbian #sapphic love #female poets #arcs #free books

[authorivyljames]

It's here!

It's queer!

#tbr

[authorivyljames]

"lesbian" isn't a bad word

(from my upcoming sapphic poetry chapbook The Orange and Pink Sunset)

First I identified as bi, even though I never liked dick. Everything I did in bed with men was to avoid something else. I was a strong believer of “It doesn’t matter what’s in someone’s pants” until I slept with a woman for the first time and liked every part of it.

Later I identified as sapphic, despite my wife’s insistence that it wasn’t a real label. I had a hard time saying “lesbian” but “sapphic”? Sure. I knew I liked women. That had been a constant since I was seven: watching Sailor Moon, half in love with Neptune; admiring my first-grade friend Kasey’s new perm; drawing busty women, one after another, and never a singular man.

One February night as I rewatched Arcane, I curved my palms around “lesbian.” I drew it in, held it close. Gave it a little smooch on the forehead. It felt like a space heater, soft and warm and cozy. It was Vi. It was Caitlyn. It was me. I tried it out on my tongue with a joke: “How can I live laugh lesbian in these conditions?”

Yesterday I smoothed a witchy lesbian-pride sticker onto my water bottle. The orange and pink sunset felt good. Felt right. It’s not all of me, but it is part of me, and I’m no longer afraid of the word.

#writing #writeblr #writers of tumblr #poetry #poets on tumblr #writers and poets #poems #original poem #female poets #lgbtq

[authorivyljames]

The Orange and Pink Sunset is available for preorder now!

ABOUT THE CHAPBOOK

The sun has set on what my life used to be, there’s no going back, but that loss allows the stars to shine, and I’m more at home in the moonlight anyway.

In The Orange and Pink Sunset, Ivy L. James weaves a tapestry of her life as a queer woman, from childhood crushes to the labels she’s tried on to religious discrimination. Her raw words express agony and joy in equal measure. She provides a refreshing perspective with an understandable voice, and her narrative style feels like sharing a pot of tea with a close friend. This impactful poetry chapbook is a vulnerable discussion of what it’s like to find herself as a lesbian, and in the end, James chooses love over hate, even in moments of pain.

Content warnings: Some poems touch on the author’s experiences with familial homophobia and religious homophobia. This collection also includes mild adult language, sensual content, and brief violent imagery.

ADVANCE PRAISE

“James’ writing is sweet, candid, and necessary. Her poems tell tales that will undoubtedly be relatable to the queer reader, provoking feelings of sorrow and solidarity both, and gradually fostering a sense of bright, palpable hope. Fresh yet enchantingly familiar, The Orange and Pink Sunset bleeds with authenticity.”

- Rose McCoy, author of When the World Didn’t End

“Exquisite joys & sorrows are laid out before you, like rare gems on an offering table right from the jump.

Bodyblows & massive hooks to the soul & spine on every page, snatching the air out your lungs, bringing you to tears a time or two on moments that hit so so so near to home, but instilling a craving to keep reading.

It ends so sweet, so subtle, so perfect, you go back and read it again. 

In short: Ivy L. James offers here a rapturous sermon in the chapel of Sappho, and we should all be ever so grateful for the privilege to take in The Orange and Pink Sunset. 

Just make sure to bring an offering for Saint Sailor Neptune, won’t you?”

- Clem Flowers, author of I Know Nothing But The Night (Bullshit Lit) & KUDZU (Cowboy Jamboree Press)

PREORDER LINKS

The ebook of this chapbook is currently available for preorder! The expected release date is 30 April 2024.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CW1KSKMG 

Website: https://www.authorivyljames.com/product-page/the-orange-and-pink-sunset-ebook 

PRESALE GIVEAWAY

If you preorder, please enter the presale giveaway to get some bonus poems and the chance to win a swag bag that includes a signed paperback copy!

Giveaway form: https://forms.gle/M7L18Cbq4Td11bj98

#writeblr #writers of tumblr #poetry #poets on tumblr #chapbook #writers and poets #lgbt books #sapphic #lesbian #wlw