Amelia Ellis-Greene

Author, Illustrator, Devourer of Carbs

[ameliaellisgreene]

Does anyone remember this post?

Well, after a lengthy (but necessary, unfortunately) hiatus, it is FINALLY happening!

This project is being serialized on my Patreon with an update schedule of every other Friday!

Tangerine is the story of Andrew Brookes--a young man who died before his time, Lucas Grant--the new tenant to the apartment Andrew died in, and their unlikely love story. And let's not forget Sir Meowsalot--Andrew's cat with a penchant for breaking and entering into his old home, whether Lucas's allergies like it or not.

Current chapters, bonus scenes, and other exclusive content available on Patreon!

[ameliaellisgreene]

[ameliaellisgreene]

The struggle of being the older sibling.

[ameliaellisgreene]

Frog Princess

Chelsea looks at the frog dubiously. “I… don’t think I want to kiss you.” She wrinkles her nose. “I mean, I don’t even like frogs.”

The frog does its best attempt at rolling its eyes. “Listen, lady, I’m not exactly thrilled about it myself. I just need a princess to kiss me so I can turn back into a human and be on my merry way.”

Chelsea gestures to the sash draped across her torso. “Yeah, but princess of the Wienerschnitzel Festival? Does that even count?”

That earns her another amphibious eye roll. “Yes, no one cares. Fairytale curses aren’t exactly picky. Now pucker up, princess, I ain’t got all day.”

“You’re kind of rude for a frog,” she tells it as she leans down. Twisting her eyes shut in a grimace, she kisses the rough skin on the top of its head.

A flash of light, and suddenly there’s a pretty blonde where the frog used to be.

“Huh,” is all Chelsea manages for a few long moments. “I thought I was supposed to get a prince for kissing a frog.”

The woman raises an eyebrow. “Do you want a prince?”

Chelsea snorts. “No.”

“Then stop complaining and buy me a drink.”

“Yeah, okay.” Chelsea smiles a little.

She already kissed a frog.

She’s pretty sure her night can only improve from here.

[ameliaellisgreene]

The most solid piece of advice I was ever given as a young writer was this: Read as much as you possibly can. Read twice as much as you write. Don't just read the genres you like or plan to write--read a bit of everything. Read from the best sellers list, read the books that flopped, read classics, read poetry, read playscripts, read non-fiction, read self-help, read everything.

You can read a thousand writing tips on the internet, but I promise you that some of the best lessons on writing are already out there sitting on a bookshelf somewhere. Pay attention to how the masters handled their craft, learn from them, and use that knowledge to help shape your own unique voice.

[ameliaellisgreene]

To those of you in the comments/tags despairing how difficult you find reading: that's okay! It is not a mark against you as a person or as a writer, so don't let it steal your self-confidence. We all go through reading dry spells, either because we can't find the time or the motivation (or because of disablities, neurodivergence, injury, etc.).

Audiobooks are the low-hanging fruit here in terms of advice, but it's still good advice, so it bears repeating. Audiobooks count. If you struggle to find time to read, put on an audiobook during your commute time or while you're making dinner. It will still help you understand the mechanics of plot, pacing, themes, foreshadowing, etc. and you can work with an editor you trust to help you master the things that you would only learn by seeing them on the page.

Also: count the little successes. You don't have to read pages upon pages in a sitting. Even a page a day could be a whole book by the end of the year. And if you're reading short stories? That could be a story a month.

You can also try committing to a timed goal, if that's easier. I admit that I prefer ebooks, since I rarely remember/have space for taking a book with me when I'm on the go. I set my reading goal for five minutes. I have no idea how many pages that translates to. I could be reading half a page of a traditional book in that time for all I know, but I'm still reaching my goal even when I don't have a lot of time.

This is exactly the same advice I give for writing itself. If you only have five minutes? Write for five minutes. If you can only get a few lines down? Those few lines are still better than no lines. Little victories add up over time to greater sums.

[ameliaellisgreene]

Prompt #8

"I didn't—I never wanted this to happen. I just wanted them to love me back."

[ameliaellisgreene]

Help Needed from Other Writers

I'm part of an academic study that is researching adult writers' attitudes toward youth writer mentorship. If you are an adult writer of any kind (even a hobbyist) or work in a writing-centric role (English/communications/drama teacher, journalist, editor, librarian, blogger, freelance writer, etc), please consider participating. It will only take a few minutes and would be a huge help to our team! All responses are anonymous and confidential.

While the study is especially interested in female/trans/genderqueer/etc and NYC-centric responses, anyone can participate!

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[ameliaellisgreene]

She was beautiful and dangerous in equal turns.

Like watching a storm roll in, smelling the ozone and hoping the lightning doesn’t hit too close. Like holding a piece of gleaming obsidian towards the sun, wondering how much destruction it wrought when it was still fresh from the mouth of a volcano.

Her almond eyes met mine, a smile curving her pink, pink lips as she crooked a finger, beckoning me closer. For a moment, between one blink and the next, her eyes shone beady and silver in the neon lights outside the bar, and her hair tumbled past her shoulders and down her back as white and flawless as fresh snowfall.

She crooked her finger again, and my feet moved like some unseen puppeteer had pulled their strings. I took one step after another, until I was close enough to touch, her long fingers skating across the curve of my cheekbone. “And what’s a pretty girl like you doing out so late, darling?”

“Couldn’t sleep,” I said, my body swaying closer, trying to follow her retreating hand even as my gut recoiled at her very touch.

“Poor thing,” she tutted, and when she smiled again, I could see the rows of sharp, needled teeth lining her mouth. “Come with me. I can help you sleep.”

My thoughts became more and more leaden as the seconds ticked by, until they were too heavy to sort through, bottlenecking like ice floes in a river. Only a trickle of come with me managed to slip through the blockage.

“Okay,” I said.

And then I was lost.

[ameliaellisgreene]

Once More, Darling

"There is always a price in Faerie," the queen tells me, triumph hiding in her smile. "But never let it be said that I am cruel. You may kiss him goodbye before we leave."

I lean down, trembling hands cupping my lover's face. Instead of a kiss, I lick poison from his cold lips, and laugh at the queen as I fall dead at her feet.

[ameliaellisgreene]

The most solid piece of advice I was ever given as a young writer was this: Read as much as you possibly can. Read twice as much as you write. Don't just read the genres you like or plan to write--read a bit of everything. Read from the best sellers list, read the books that flopped, read classics, read poetry, read playscripts, read non-fiction, read self-help, read everything.

You can read a thousand writing tips on the internet, but I promise you that some of the best lessons on writing are already out there sitting on a bookshelf somewhere. Pay attention to how the masters handled their craft, learn from them, and use that knowledge to help shape your own unique voice.

[ameliaellisgreene]

Prompt #7

"I despise you and everything you stand for. I will never love you, and if you succeed in forcing me into this farce of a marriage, I can assure you it will be a short-lived and ugly affair. I'd rather slit my own throat than ever have to call you my husband."

[ameliaellisgreene]

NaNoWriMo Excerpt

Miles sidled up next to Cameron, sipping noisily from a… oh dear god, was that a juice box? Cameron wrinkled his nose. “Please tell me that isn’t full of—“

“It’s fruit punch.” Miles pinned the younger man with an exasperated look. “What, you think Hi-C comes in O-negative flavor these days?”

Cameron turned away, trying to hide the flush of embarrassment on his face. “Well, how am I supposed to know? You vampires are weird. And you’re hundreds of years old. I’m sure you have some corporate connections somewhere.”

“Nah, most of us are too busy being pretentious,” Miles said. “Drinking out of crystal wine glasses or hand-forged goblets. Working the brooding Victorian anti-hero aesthetic even though they were a middle-aged accountant, like, two weeks ago. Dressing like they robbed a Hot Topic at gunpoint. Always overdoing the eye makeup. And for what purpose? Like, we get it, you're dead. The deadness sort of does the trick, Dennis, you don’t need fucking eyeliner.”

“I mean, you won’t hear any disagreements from me.”

“Not that you werewolves are much better, mind you.” Miles rolled his eyes. “All 'I’m the alpha, look at all my testosterone.' It's exhausting.”

[ameliaellisgreene]

Enemies-to-lovers done stupid. (Aka the trope I use so much you could probably put it on my tombstone).

[ameliaellisgreene]

Prompt #6

Choose a date and time for a birthday (random generators would be a good tool for this). Build a character around their unique natal chart.

[ameliaellisgreene]

Do you have a wattpad or ao3 account. Simply, based on your writing here I would love to see more.

Yes! I recently opened an AO3 account for my free work and am in the process of posting it all there. I do have a Wattpad account as well, but I admit that I'm more familiar with AO3 because I've used that platform for my fanfics for several years now.

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

[ameliaellisgreene]

When you go rogue and decide to start a humor-filled paranormal gay romance novel instead of the fantasy novel you've been world-building and developing for the past two months.

... Or is that just me?

[ailingwriter]

Please tell me that the cat is alright.

[ameliaellisgreene]

Of course. No cats were harmed in the drafting of this story.

Sir Meowsalot goes on to grudgingly adopt the (terribly allergic) new tenant. Mostly because cats can't be charged with breaking and entering, and now he has squatter's rights.

It's... a complicated relationship.

[ameliaellisgreene]

When you go rogue and decide to start a humor-filled paranormal gay romance novel instead of the fantasy novel you've been world-building and developing for the past two months.

... Or is that just me?