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⤝❖⤞The Monday Missive ⤝❖⤞
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October 20, 2025
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Hello friends! Fall is very much here in Cleveland now; the foliage looks splendid, though the horses aren't too happy at the loss of their delicious greens. Regardless, I couldn't help but take a few minutes yesterday to appreciate the crisp, cool air, restless leaves shifting endlessly in the wind. I actually love overcast fall days like this; you can truly feel how close we are to winter, and that makes it all the more precious.
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The horse above is Stevie, who you may have seen around my blog and Instagram more than a few times. She is mostly blind, which is why she wears a fly mask even when everyone else has shed theirs. It's more comfortable for her to be in total darkness rather than getting glimmers of light that might spook her.
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And yes, she can be ridden! Stevie is my primary lesson horse; she's quite confident, and while she needs a bit more rider input with steering, she's always ready to do her best. I'm so used to her that I often forget all the other horses aren't blind. Haha.
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Now that I've rambled about my precious Stevie, let's look at a gorgeous fall poem - about Ohio, no less! - to celebrate the season.
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Ohio Listening
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It’s autumn in Ohio
Things to be done
Visit the doctor
Before leaves fall.
Autumn in Ohio
Black birds southward bound
Darkening the sky
North winds congregate
In fields of dry stalks
A loose shingle rattling
On the roof.
Autumn in Ohio
Repairs to be made
Firewood to gather
Loved ones to hold
Before the leaves turn gold
And the hawk descends
Formidable cold.
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About the Eirenic Verses
What Is Cannot Be Unwritten will be up for preorder on Halloween! If you'd like to get a sneak peek, then please do consider signing up for the review campaign on Booksprout. The book takes about four and a half hours to read, so you might have just enough time to finish by its release on November 7, 2025.
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Reviews are absolutely critical for gaining visibility on Amazon and other sales platforms, so it would mean so much to me if you'd enjoy a complimentary copy in return for a review.
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Now, if you decide to read the book, you'll notice an unsettling detail: Queen Susuma has a tempest prognosticator. This was a very real way to determine the weather in Victorian England, recognizing that leeches respond to barometric pressure. I actually got the idea from the very Atlas Obscura article I linked up above.
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We could explore all the thematic elements of this decision, but I'll be honest: I just thought the idea was super creepy and would add to the ambiance.
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Writing Tip of the Week
I've discussed the perils of too much pre-planning on my blog before, but you do need to have a basic idea of what you intend to do with the story.
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The way I tackle this is to write the beginning and the climax first. If I have a beautifully set climactic scene, and I know where I'm starting, then I have to work out how to get from those two points piece by piece.
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Another reason why this works is that the climax is not going to neatly wrap up every detail that was included in the first half; it's impossible for a big battle scene or fight or whatever to conclude each of these threads. As such, I can spend the rest of the book weaving in the loose ends, which may be further laid bare by the climax.
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What I'm Reading
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The Writer's Guide to Horses is an excellent reference book for any fantasy writer, given that we typically have some form of horse-like transport.
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As someone who spends a reasonable amount of time around horses, I nodded along with most of what Kincaid said. However, I didn't really find anything new in the book; I mostly read it to check whether I had committed any of the pitfalls she discusses at the end. (I hadn't - big sigh of relief!)
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Regardless, if you haven't hung out with horses a lot but still want to have them in your book, this guide can be an excellent start. I especially liked her writing samples to show what good horse writing looks like.
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Last Week's Posts
My "Theory of Mind" post is one of my favorite ones I've written. This article lays bare something we don't often think about but definitely utilize in our work: how we consider other people's thought processes and motivations. You likely already have this skill, but may not realize how important it is - or that you can make it even stronger through practice.
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Wednesday's post is geared more toward social media engagement for authors; namely, how not to turn people off by being jerks. A condescending attitude or defensiveness can scuttle your sales, which is why I strongly discourage you from ever talking down to your readers (even if you think they're sort of stupid). Reading that post, you'll either get a reality check or some schadenfreude, both of which can be exhilarating.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Writers (Everything You Wanted to Know But No One Answered)
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All the private questions you have about writers and the writing process but didn't know how to ask!
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What Makes Good Queer Representation in Fiction?
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Bring pride to the LGBTQ community through nuanced and thoughtful representation, including the unique aspects of queer community.
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Weekly Quote
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"Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons."
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Share the Monday Missive with your friends!
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Thanks for stopping by today to celebrate leaf peeping season! I'll see you next week on 10/27.
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