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@woldry.bsky.social Oct 11, 2026, 11:46 AM

Loric, god of shadows and dreams, tries to warn the god of war that he's being hunted.

A scene from "Laughter of the Hunted Gods," my philosophical godpunk WIP.

#WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts

Ilgannan slams a fist into his palm. “What need? Never before have they dared assail any of the Grand Pantheon.”
“Oh, but never before have their lordlings offered her a fortune to bring an end of war. They weary of it, you see. War upsets their delicate balances, disrupts their dominions.” Loric slings an arm around Ilgannan’s neck. “And so—they want to be rid of you.”
Ilgannan pushes him away.
“Honestly, who can blame them?” Loric ticks off fingers. “You’re bullying, irritable, loud, moody, capricious, and it goes without saying, violent. Except I do say it!” He blinks in surprise at finding a sixth finger on his own hand. He flaps the hand, and the finger becomes a cluster of bluerain. “But you are my kin.” He performs a florid bow, offering the flowers to Ilgannan.
Ilgannan grabs the bluerain to throw it down and stomp on it.

@shawnmklimek.bsky.social Oct 11, 2026, 11:40 AM

@wipsnips.bsky.social
#WIPSnips

Colder than the fingers of an ice wraith on your spine,
Though not as cold as popsicles on Pluto, I’ve been told
(By a science teacher’s student’s #cousin’s sister’s friend of mine).

@sayaashrah.bsky.social Oct 11, 2026, 11:39 AM

#WIPSnips 11. “Cousin”

Since barely anyone will read this today, here’s a longer and very rough scene from Book 4 of #WorldWithoutLove — yes, Book 4! This will be especially significant for those who read TIHID and GoRR.

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #QueerWriters

Even though the gryphon riders aided them in repelling Poseidon’s aquarium, Carys kept her grip on the dagger and summoned a heart-shaped bloodball on her free hand as the mysterious warriors slid down their mounts.

They wore scaled linothorax armour above plum chiton and himation, greaves, and vambraces; pieces that she could find in any army or wanderer endowed with enough coin. What drew her attention were their helmets and shields. The former was a Corinthian sort with an imposing dark plume, the mask painted a dark magenta, and the latter was emblazoned with a withered red rose encircled by a blood moon. Both patterns sent a message—one that Carys had never seen anywhere before, and judging by the Party’s confused stares, neither had they.

A man came forward and placed his spear and shield on the ground before taking another step. Though most of his gear was identical to the others, one piece stood out: a pair of pauldrons in the shape of a dog’s head. Slowly, he raised his arms and took off his helmet.

Curly black hair bounced free. When Carys met the man under the armour, her heart forgot to beat, and she only avoided falling thanks to Ishana. The man had a strong, rounded face with a well-trimmed beard, hazel eyes tempered with tenacity, and a ragged scar below his left eye to the tip of his nose—an old, unhealed scar. He had the perfect looks to play an Olympian hero, yet Carys remembered him as something else: a boy with a passion for sharing stories around the campfire and a kindness that persisted even as the darkness intruded on his home, but never on his heart.

“Cai…?”

“When modryb Arianell told me we’d meet again someday, I thought it was wishful thinking. But here we are.” He smiled. “How are you, cousin?”

@shawnmklimek.bsky.social Oct 11, 2026, 11:38 AM

@wipsnips.bsky.social
#WIPSnips

A fire ignited behind his dark eyes, and his #fuzzy eyebrows lowered like a knotted cord.

@shawnmklimek.bsky.social Oct 11, 2026, 11:36 AM

@wipsnips.bsky.social
#WIPSnips

The wizard and the dinosaur each thought the other weird.
“Why wear that funny hat?” the #lizard asked, “and such a beard?...”

@triempery.bsky.social Oct 11, 2026, 11:35 AM

#WIPSnips 11: The word for October 11 is COUSIN

In NOMARA humans in the kumbhs, and also in outer villages and tribes, tend to be near relations. In this snip Kate encounters a protective sister--but whose true genetic relationship is probably "cousin."
#WritingCommunity #WriteSky #SFF

Text excerpt from NOMARA, a science fiction WIP by L.L. Stephens. Snip is a bit of conversation between Terran Kate and a native human named Troya, who distrusts her:

“I wish to talk with you,” Troya said.
Kate signaled for Ben to fall back. Troya, falling into step beside Kate, halted as Kate stopped beside one of the massive columns. Troya turned her dark head, her face hard with accusation. Her words dropped like shots.
“Stay away from my brother.”
Kate stared at her, not grasping at first what she was getting at. “Your brother?”
“Yuvan.”
Although she nodded understanding, Kate doubted that Troya and Yuvan were immediately related. Kumbhs used the word ‘brother’ to designate any male relation of the same kin-group. Most likely they were cousins.

@writinginsawdust.bsky.social Oct 11, 2026, 11:16 AM

A day to remember, a moment never forgotten. The first encounter.

From a recent short story:
The Last Morning Walk

#Wipsnips
#cousin
#adhdwriters
#writingcommunity #5amwritersclub #wip
#writesky
#newbrunswick

I do remember that long ago, a pool party at some person’s house that I don’t speak with anymore. I saw her drunk and dancing on the diving board.

Someone said she was someone’s cousin or a sister of someone else. I just remember that sunshine smile and the laugh that lit the afternoon.
It wasn’t until that autumn, that I saw her by the library talking to a professor. I wanted to get closer to catch her eye and maybe ask her for a coffee, but she turned her back and disappeared.

I gave up hope and moved on for a month or more, almost forgot that she was there, until one random Wednesday I was reading something dull, when right out of nowhere, she stood there and demanded that I ask her out.

@sageowenwrites.bsky.social Oct 11, 2026, 11:16 AM

Exhibit 3672 of how down BAD Matthew is for Billy, and a sentimental moment interrupted by Cory

#WIPSnips "cousin" from SmokeWIP
#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts #lgbtqWriters

Excerpt from SmokeWIP, a sage Owen m/m romance novel wip. Text as follows:

Billy softened. "I know you didn't really get it with Lark at first, but thank you for sticking it out with me. I couldn't imagine doing this without you by my side."

He put on his most inauthentic winsome smile, the kind that performed well at family functions and church banquets. "Of course. I'd do anything for you."

"Everything's coming up right for your special day." Matthew flinched at Cory's exuberant return. "I cleared out the vending machine around the corner-five packs of your disgusting favorite chips, since your wife won't be around to smell your horrible sour cream and onion breath after."

Billy was grinning. Matthew forced down a memory of tasting those exact chips so he could imagine the flavor of Billy's mouth. Cory dumped the armload in his cousin's lap and picked up the fresh beer

@stephanloy.bsky.social Oct 11, 2026, 10:51 AM

#WIPSnips The word is 'cousin.' From 'Nightwatch.'
The White One describes its home universe. #WritingCommunity #WriteSky #WritingPrompts #AmWriting

Our nonsensical home spread to horizons both pressingly close and far beyond reach. The black land of onyx, the rocks covering its tumbled hills, sharp as razors and as jagged as saw blades. Over the dismal land, the black sky glowered, its weird, cartoon-like stars shedding no light, its suns no heat, and the great, impossibly defined spheres of its planets denied the majesty of their extra-celestial cousins.
A universe of dreams, of dreams from other universes. Potential to the limit of what thought can cleanly grasp.
We were flawed ideas, easily over-written, accidents on a Mobius loop. For whatever can be dreamed can be forgotten, or doubted, or debased.

@erikachandler.bsky.social Oct 11, 2026, 10:18 AM

Jiro and Ashe immediately bond over their mutual dislike of Ryo. #WIPSnips #amwriting #amquerying #writesky #writingcommunity #YA #fantasy

@pjloop.bsky.social Oct 11, 2026, 10:11 AM

Little late, but I'm getting back up to speed.

Going for a vibe of fuzzy, with dizzy?

This is from TEOWAD EP2.

-- 8< --

Another wave of dizziness struck her. It came and went.
__Urgh… let's get through this already!__

-- 8< --

#WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts #IndieAuthor

The text reads:

She closed her eyes and breathed out sharply, shaking off the fear, shaking off the obvious effects of the bad air and humidity. She pushed herself away from the wall and stood fully back on her feet. The environment had been getting more oppressive as they’d descended, especially the last floor. Damp warmth, slippery surfaces, blackened materials —everything felt deeply uncomfortable. Outside had been bad enough, but here the air was thicker, and escape felt impossible.
Another wave of [dizziness] struck her. It came and went.
__Urgh… let's get through this already!__
Webb had continued forwards, reaching the double doorway. Feeling at least a little rallied, Distance took notice. The wooden doors were in a bad state, damaged and hanging open, with a foot-wide gap between them. Beyond, she could just make out the Atrium. That was an area she knew well, but nothing of the place looked recognisable now, not with lack of solarlight and signs of disaster at every step.
__What did **THAT** to the doors?!__
Smoke was curling through the gap and along the ground, wisping in a slow, tumbling fade.
__An explosion?__
__Hopefully an explosion.__
She groaned.

@brambonius.bsky.social Oct 11, 2026, 9:58 AM

For the #WIPsnips

A niece that is also a clone, or the complications of an isolated country without men.

(Ronan is right, in an experiment with cloning mice over 2 decades they all died by the 58th generation, which is way beyond what's happening in Héva...)

‘So you are Lanova’s niece? You look exactly like her.’ Pyra said.
‘They’re clones, don’t you see?’ Ronan said.
Selora looked at him with a mix of shock and amusement. ‘That’s the wrong way to phrase it, but we’re the same parthenotype indeed. My mother and her are both parthenokids from the same grandmother.’
‘Oh, that stuff is complicated.’ Pyra said.
‘Your outsider mixed families with hes and hims are worse.’ Selora said.
‘But isn’t it bad, genetically, to clone yourself all over all the time for generations and generations?’
‘What else can we do without men? Men cannot be trusted, not even genetically. Using male DNA might pass on problems.’
‘But every human…’ Ronan started, but he was interrupted by Pyra.
‘I don’t think this conversation is going to help. But I come from a place that had only women, and no procreation at all, just an influx of refugees from the male world… I’m one of the first natural Ghost Town kids myself, and I turned out quite okay, I would say myself. And he himself is a descendant of the most evil Nation woman Seventh City Ghost Town has ever known, and he turned out quite well too, with his DNA.’
‘An evil woman?’
‘Grandma was a Wife School teacher in the days of Eliza the reformer, and they still use her picture for a darts target in the Ghost Town bar. But like they said, evil family members are the reason people

@cl-ingro.bsky.social Oct 11, 2026, 9:55 AM

When you're a crime lord (ahem, *alleged*), you sometimes have to make difficult decisions to protect your children.

#WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts

Javier was tempted to suggest that his cousins be allowed to visit Erie for a change, but he knew from past experience how the rest of the conversation would play out. His uncle was highly protective of his children, especially after Fernando’s abduction years ago. He distanced himself from them for their own protection, and no amount of coercion would make him change his mind. Javier didn’t like it, but he understood.

Story: All In (The Gamble #2)

@authorkimfindlay.bsky.social Oct 11, 2026, 9:34 AM

Louise, Talia’s roommate, best friend and cousin, was lounging on the couch painting her nails when Talia woke up the next morning.
She was groggy after too little sleep. When she got home, after closing the bar, she’d done an internet deep dive on her ex.
#wipsnips

@crneal.bsky.social Oct 11, 2026, 9:18 AM

#WIPSnips

I disappeared just long enough to complete 3 rough drafts and now I'm back with Snips to distract from edits and querying.

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts

She shivered as she turned a corner and stepped over the knee-knocker of another passageway. Up ahead was the hatch to her and Hana’s quarters and, standing directly in front of it was Ben, waiting patiently with a small black plastic box in his hand.
His eyes snapped in her direction and tracked her approach.
“Hey,” She waved briefly with her free hand. “To what do I owe this visit?”
He held up the box, just large enough to hold a bar of soap.
“I pocketed this on the dive.” He shrugged. “I guess I just forgot about it in the commotion.”
It very well could have been more than him just forgetting. “That’s understandable.” Up the hall, two other crew members entered the narrow hall. “Come inside for a bit.”
She let the hatch slide open and walked him in, ensuring it closed behind him before leaning back against the metal desk on her side of the room. It had only been a few days, but being on land for even that long had forced her to have to reacclimate to life on the ship, yet again. She was re earning her sealegs, thankfully with less vomiting this time.
Ben stood in front of her with an intense focus and handed her the box.
“Huh.” She took it and examined it. It was a watertight container with a coded lock. “Weird. This was near the reactor?”
“I believe so.” He nodded. “It’s still pretty fuzzy for me.”
“Of course.” She examined the box for a moment more and then set it down on the desk beside her. “How are you feeling, by the way?”
He gave her a crooked smile. “Nearly good as new. If I could reboot my sleep patterns, it might be better.”
“I’m with you on that one,” she said, her hand reflexively going to her still-tender neck. She had no sleep schedule to speak of. She hardly slept at all. She had committed almost all her time to writing down everything she could remember about the reactor and drafting plans for a new fusion-centric plasma field. So far, her work was… suboptimal.
Ben bent down and moved her hand, examining the bruising on her neck closely as she st…