Mara Lynn Johnstone

@marlynnofmany.bsky.social

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Author of science fiction and fantasy. Exploring the multiverse, with pens, pencils and enthusiasm! She/her. Further shenanigans all over the internet and at MaraLynnJohnstone.com

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Mara Lynn Johnstone

Today in “how’s the writing going?” I just texted a friend “fuck, books are hard.”

Reminding myself which stock photos to look up next by repeating "Whiskey and goat eyes" like a demented witch preparing for a party. #WritersLife

Husband: "It occurs to me that I HAVE covered my desk with fidget toys! They're just a stuffed snake, a flintlock pistol, and multiple space marines." Me: "Hey, whatever works!" Husband: *twirls flintlock like a thoughtful bearded pirate*

Husband: "Hay, want some Bag Tea?" Friend: "You mean a tea bag?" Husband: "No!" Husband: *gleefully unveils a boxed-wine style container of hard iced tea* Husband: "It was on sale!"

Someday I will write a kids' book about "The Invisible Bitey Potato," about the black cat that curls up to hide in the shadows before attacking my ankles mercilessly. It will take the literary world by storm, and no ankles will be safe.

I still look at the clock and see "12:24," then think "Christmas Eve O'clock." Then before I finish thinking that, a few seconds have passed and it's 12:25, Christmas O'clock. Because of the date 12/25. I have no idea when I started doing this, but it amuses me.

*places my hands on either side of my phone, to get its attention* Autocorrect. We've had these discussions before, but I need you to understand. If I say I want to "yeet it into the nearest sun," I do NOT mean "meet it into the dun." That doesn't even make sense. Stoppit.

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Mara Lynn Johnstone

I just misread a post that said Tex-Mex as T.rex-Mex and now I want that

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Mara Lynn Johnstone

Movie that focuses on the daily lives of the Ray Harryhausen skeletons. What do they do when they're not swordfighting swashbuckling heroes. What do their marriages look like. What troubles the skeleton community, other than swashbuckling heroes

Fun new typo that feels like a story seed: "The Sword in the Store" Is this a modern-day AU about something that's hard to dismantle, and any employee who can figure it out gets a raise/promotion? Is it something else? Maybe it's a sword-shaped spaceship that crashed through the roof.

Husband: "You know the best part about being drunk enough to see two of everything?" Me: "What's that?" Him: "I get to see two of you." Me: "Aww." Him: "You should tell everybody I said that." Me: "I should!"

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Mara Lynn Johnstone

This is one of the best comics of all time and Lynda put it on the back cover of her book. She really said “I’ll give you that one for free”

stumbled onto this lynda Barry comic again which always makes me a little verklempt

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Mara Lynn Johnstone

My kiddo ADORED this book and gave it a rating of one million times infinity plus two infinities times three ⭐s. Out of five.

A kiddo looking for their first chapter book? Reading a book to your little one? By golly, just love cats in a world under a library?! Pick up your copy of Brother's LeStray! The Brothers LeStray a.co/d/0fY6tE94

The Brothers LeStray: Coley, Gregory: 9798834853275: Amazon.com: Booksa.co The Brothers LeStray [Coley, Gregory] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Brothers LeStray

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Mara Lynn Johnstone

The Brothers LeStray: Coley, Gregory: 9798834853275: Amazon.com: Booksa.co The Brothers LeStray [Coley, Gregory] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Brothers LeStray

Tried to write "humanity's original home world," and wound up with "humanity's original hoe world," which would be an entirely different sort of story.

Sometimes the writer life means haring off in the middle of something because you need to write down just why a mushroom is really a fruit, and then you can get back to whatever you were doing. Also, vegetables don't exist, and categories are nonsense.

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Mara Lynn Johnstone

You need this today. For morale.

Using a new shampoo is weird. I keep having moments of "Whose hair is this?? It smells like a stranger."

"Was it a LOTR line 'To what point and purpose?' I always quote that." "I think it was Sherlock Holmes." "No, couldn't be!" "Look it up!" *several searches later* "Oh, Pirates of the Caribbean!" "Yeah, Jack Sparrow said it!" "I was closer to right. It has Legolas in it." "I suppose it does."

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Mara Lynn Johnstone

This. It means be willing to cut a scene or bit you love *when doing so makes the overall story better.* Not just for the sake of destruction.

"Kill your darlings" only applies if you're holding onto something that actually hurts your story. But jerks sometimes use "kill your darlings" as a weapon to try to break you. Don't wantonly kill what you love the most about your story. That's why you're writing it. Make it work.

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Mara Lynn Johnstone

Most common writing advice (kill your darlings, no adverbs, show don't tell, etc) is intended to push back on the failures of freshmen in Creative Writing 101, not be applicable in all situations.

if u see this, quote-post with your tips for writers that no one gives anymore because they seem obvious (even though they're not)

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Mara Lynn Johnstone

I bet audiobook narrators love it when fantasy authors describe their weird nonhuman magical characters as talking in a voice like broken glass or tearing metal or a thousand ringing bells or whatever

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Mara Lynn Johnstone

Reply to

James Petruzzi

This sounds like the beginning of a horror movie. “Once the reaper follows you on social media, your days are numbered!”

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Mara Lynn Johnstone

Artists: Please make your signatures legible. If I can't google you then the first time I see your work might also be the last time.

Note to self: the big tea mug does hold a lot of tea, but it doesn't WANT to. It will take any mild swirling as an excuse to escape, especially if the laptop is in splashing range.

This isn't what I planned to draw for #MakeATerribleComicDay2024, but behold its terribleness!

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Mara Lynn Johnstone

i have already deleted the file i drew this in #makeaterriblecomicday2024

#makeaterriblecomicday2024 wow it’s that time of year again!

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Mara Lynn Johnstone

Did you know that tomorrow, June 24 2024 is national make a terrible comic day? You don’t have to make comics every hour or a multi-page story, you just have to string a few panels together. It’s mandatory especially if you haven’t drawn anything for yourself lately and you miss it

Make a bunch of terrible comics that even you don’t like. Keep doing it until they become less terrible

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Mara Lynn Johnstone

Gentlecreatures in my neck of the woods: It's a good day to nestle under the cool green shade of a leaf six times your size and drink dewdrops from a thimble. ...Or whatever application of the same principles fit your size and lifestyle.

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Mara Lynn Johnstone

'You only have until June 26, 2024 to say no to Meta taking your personal photos and words and using them to train their generative AI. Here are step-by-step directions for opting out.' Link: deborahcopaken.substack.com/p/11-steps-t... #Privacy #Meta #Facebook

11 steps to keep Meta from stealing your data to train AIdeborahcopaken.substack.com You only have until June 26, 2024 to say no to Meta taking your personal photos and words and using them to train their generative AI. Here are step-by-step directions for opting out.