Bri Maresh

Ah, a 4.2 from what the initial reports are saying. Nice.

Oh hey pretty sure that was an earthquake.

If you haven’t watched the new The Running Man, you should. It was so good.

As always, hyped for the upcoming Manuscript Academy workshop. It gives me something to look forward to, which is honestly something that has been in short supply lately.

Before You Hit Send: Your Query Letter Checklist (Don't Skip This!) Don't send your query until you check these 10 essentials. Literary agents reveal what to verify before hitting send. Free downloadable checklist included.

It's a great time to send your work!

Before you hit send, check out our Query Letter Checklist: manuscriptacademy.com/query-letter...

@SenMarkKelly [on X, I assume?] Over twenty-five years in the U.S. Navy, thirty-nine combat missions, and four missions to space, I risked my life for this country and to defend our Constitution - including the First Amendment rights of every American to speak out. I never expected that the President of the United States and the Secretary of Defense would attack me for doing exactly that. My rank and retirement are things that I earned through my service and sacrifice for this country. I got shot at. I missed holidays and birthdays. I commanded a space shuttle mission while my wife Gabby recovered from a gunshot wound to the head- all while proudly wearing the American flag on my shoulder. Generations of servicemembers have made these same patriotic sacrifices for this country, earning the respect, appreciation, and rank they deserve. Pete Hegseth wants to send the message to every single retired servicemember that if they say something he or Donald Trump doesn't like, they will come after them the same way. It's outrageous and it is wrong. There is nothing more un-American than that. If Pete Hegseth, the most unqualified Secretary of Defense in our country's history, thinks he can intimidate me with a censure or threats to demote me or prosecute me, he still doesn't get it. I will fight this with everything I've got — not for myself, but to send a message back that Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump don't get to decide what Americans in this country get to say about their government.

Sen. Mark Kelly with an A++ statement of defiance. This is the energy and clarity all Democrats should bring. #NoFascistUSA

A woman on a couch holding a laptop with the words "Submission Strategy Workshop"

Meetings are now live for members! And we have a super exciting month ahead:

✨Our SIXTH annual Submission Strategy Workshop is January 27-29! Early bird $39.

✨Members-only Query + Page Panel with agent Linda Camacho

✨Agent Help Desk + Q&A

Learn more: manuscriptacademy.com/product/thre...

Writing Tip:
There is absolutely nothing wrong with having the same song on loop for hours while you write. It might just be the perfect music for the scene you're working on. As long as that track doesn't drive you crazy, then play it again and again if it helps!
#writing #writingtips #Booksky

Straw Girl is dealing with the MC's old trauma (repackaged into something tangible, therefore relatable), quite unsure if she's being haunted by her past or something else.

If the long, dark nights make you want to snuggle in a blanket with something spooky, check it out:

books2read.com/u/3JB1zK

Yay coffee - boooo knee.

Sunset on an empty field mountains in the background everything very brown and lacking snow

No snow here for Christmas this year, except for far away on the mountains. Alaska, y’all. 🤷‍♀️🎄

cover of the july/august 2025 issue of Asimov's, the art based on my story, showing a young man holding the very ship-like wheel of a lithography press with a backdrop of many-colored inks and the starry sky.

It's that time of year again for the ol' awards eligibility post. I promise to make it short. (-:

I had one new work this year, my novella "The Chronolithographer's Assistant" in the July/August issue of Asimov's.

Does Your Genre Need an Author Platform? Requirements by Genre Literary agent Noelle Falcis Math breaks down platform requirements for every major genre—from literary fiction to prescriptive nonfiction. Spoiler: Most fiction writers don't need massive followings.

Are you panicked about platform? You can probably relax!

For many genres, your story matters much more.

Here's what platform actually means for each genre:

manuscriptacademy.com/author-platf...

#WritingCommunity #AmWriting #AmQuerying #WritersOfBluesky #AuthorPlatform #QueryTip #WritingAdvice

How Translation Works, Book Title Edition As any translator will tell you, translating a piece of fiction isn’t about simply transcribing words one-to-one from one language to another. It’s about capturing a vibe — making…

I wrote a piece about translation earlier in the year, talking about how a good translation isn't, and can't be, just matching words one-for-one:

whatever.scalzi.com/2025/02/03/h...

Emergency shelter opens in Mat-Su as thousands remain without power amid hurricane-force winds Winds gusting as high as 82 mph in Palmer buffeted the region overnight. A wind warning remains in effect into Monday.

Thousands remained without power Sunday morning as a prolonged windstorm bringing gusts above 80 mph blasted Mat-Su, leaving many in the cold and dark as temperatures dipped into the single digits. www.adn.com/alaska-news/...

Is Gen X Actually the Greatest Generation?

The true Gen X reaction to being lauded as the "greatest generation" would be to narrow its eyes suspiciously and mutter "whatever" when asked about it

(gift link)

www.nytimes.com/2025/12/02/t...

AI can't have the em dash, as far as I'm concerned. It's ours.

And I dare it to come up with a sentence like the one above.

Everyone needs writing friends like the writing friends I made through @manuscriptacademy.bsky.social - seriously. Kind, hard working, brilliant writers. I am so thankful for them. Querying is tough. I can't imagine doing it without the encouragement.

Sometimes there's a rational explanation for noises and things moving. And sometimes it's something else.

"Every spectral footstep, every door opening without a sound, blurs the line between psychological unrest and paranormal activity." -OneTribune

#hauntedhouse #horror

books2read.com/u/3JB1zK

But SILKSONG. 😭

Honestly though you’re probably not wrong.

Juneau's Vera Starbard earns Emmy nomination for ‘Molly of Denali’ Thanksgiving episode The Alaska State Writer Laureate wrote an episode about the show’s titular character navigating the complex history of Thanksgiving to create a celebration that honors Alaska Native culture.

Congrats Vera! I cried with her listening to the last part of this interview.

#AlaskaWriterLaureate #AlaskaSky #Alaska

There were two quakes apparently in different parts of the state fairly close together - the one in willow is looking to have been about a 6.0 and the other one was a 5 something - yay Thanksgiving 🤣🤣

I’ve seen a bunch that say 6.0 too. The prediction game while we wait to see which number the scientists confirm is always fun 🤣🤣

Well I'm awake now. 0/10 do not approve. #AlaskaSky #Alaska #Earthquake

That was a pretty decent quake, y’all. Now to wait for the official, but one guess high fives, low sixes?

Trees covered in glorious hoarfrost, glowing white against a bright blue sky.

Alaska’s version of “stop and smell the roses.”

Solid feedback on a rejection earlier - a few things I can improve, and things they really liked. I’m feeling kinda hopeful after it because they took the time to tell me. I feel like that isn’t the norm anymore, and it makes me hope I can reflect on the feedback and tighten things up. 🥰

I haven’t talked a whole lot about my querying - largely because it seems impolite - but … y’all I am holding my breath every time an e-mail arrives.

A reminder:

Agents are usually just English majors who want to get an A+ on the pop quiz of your book.

Make sure your query is clear enough that we feel smart.

If we're confused, we may think, "I must not be the right agent. I'll let someone who understands it take it on."

The first screen adaptation of 'Two Old Women' is told entirely in Gwich'in The film will also be shown at the Anchorage International Film Festival on Dec. 13 at 3 p.m.

"Two Old Women" is an adaptation of Velma Wallis' novel of the same name. Wallis's 1993 book is based on an Athabascan legend and takes place before colonization.