Maggie Page

Author of Herald of Love from Add Magic to Taste. My writing playground includes fantasy, horror, and poetry with a special interest in queer themes.  

[maggiepageauthor]

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[jennelikejennay]

Sooo who wants some extreme nerdery?

I am obsessed with solar sailing. So obsessed that I wrote three books about it. So obsessed that they invited me to Trek Long Island to talk about it there.

And, after much effort, I have managed to put all the basics of that knowledge into a single post you can read.

Solar sailing in fiction and real life

At Trek Long Island, I gave a presentation on solar sailing. Here is the same material in written format.

Not enough fiction uses it, and maybe that's because it's hard to gather enough information about it. It would make me very happy if anybody took this guide and was inspired to write, draw, or design something.

[writingwithfolklore]

Writing Resources to use instead of AI

For coming up with character names:

Behind the name (my absolute fav)

Allows you to choose the origin of where you want the name to be from, whether you want a more feminine vs masculine vs androgenous name (as voted by users), random surname generator, and clicking on the name gives you important info like if there are any famous people with the same name, where it’s from, how common it is, and how people tend to see it, etc.

You can also search their name database by letter or meaning or origin, so if you know you want a character who has a name/surname that starts with an A from Ireland, there’s a whole list for you to choose from.

Census sites

Especially useful if you’re looking for a name from a specific place and/or time period. Just search “(country) census (year)” and you’ll find a database of real people who lived in that place at that time. No one can ever call your names unrealistic again.

For coming up with place names:

Fantasy name generator

This site can basically come up with any name for any person, place, or thing you might ever need. There are also specific generators for different fandoms if you’re looking to make an OC in an established world.

For finding that one word on the tip of your tongue:

One Look Thesaurus

This is my go-to. Not only can you find synonyms like a regular thesaurus, but you can also describe words like “unhappy smile” or “quiet laugh” to find the more specific word you’re looking for.

For coming up with ideas:

Word cloud

When I need to inspire a new idea, I write down all the things I’m interested in (hauntings, academia, lesbians, etc.) and put them into a word cloud to shuffle them next to each other. Sometimes seeing a concept in a new context can spark new ideas!

WWF Discord

This is my discord channel (shameless plug) for when you need to brainstorm off other people but don’t have anyone irl to talk to. We’re also happy to read and give feedback on writing, answer writing questions, or just chat!

For visualizing places and characters:

Pinterest

Pinterest can at times be a bit too sterile for my tastes, but if you use the right words, you can find more realistic photos of places. For example, adding “aesthetic” after basically any word will bring up a more broad collection of photos to help you flesh out places.

This is also a great way to find photos of people and fashion to help visualize characters. I’m bad at describing clothes, so I usually collect photos of outfits to help me know what my characters are wearing. Searching up “character inspiration” will collect more interesting photos and drawings of people who might not exactly be of our world.

(However, to make Pinterest not show you AI results, you have to go into your settings and check the “reduce AI” box. Luckily, it does mostly work.)

Death to Stock

Like pinterest but completely AI free (hooray!) Only drawback is that you have to pay a monthly subscription (about $20 CAD).

Cosmos

Very similar to pinterest but slightly more "artsy". I'm not super familiar with this one but I believe all the photos are human and you can save them and create collections with a free account.

Dupe Photos

Royalty-free stock image site with very Pinterest-core photos!

Minecraft

If you haven’t built your entire fictional city in Minecraft instead of writing, why not? It’s fun.

The Sims

This one is dual purpose because you can not only create your characters in Create a Sim, but you can design their houses. If you really want to go for it, you can bulldoze all the lots in your town and build your world from scratch.

For checking grammar:

Grammar Girl

Easy to follow definitions and examples, and if you learn better by listening, every article comes with a podcast to follow along with instead.

Grammar Monster

This one is my favourite for checking grammar rules because there’s tons of examples in graphics that helps for any situation.

Reedsy

Among other things, reedsy can connect you to professional editors within your budget.

For writing advice:

One Stop for Writers

This one was recommended from my discord channel and has all sorts of tutorials and resources for the writing craft.

My Blog Directory

Another shameless plug, but if you need writing advice on something specific, you can search through my directory to see if it’s there. If it isn’t, you can always send me an ask about it!

For an alternative to Google Docs:

Ellipsus

Think google docs but without AI. Yay!

(will update this list with any more suggestions or resources I discover 😊)

[just-a-readthrough]

A great resource

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

Batty.About.Book's Ultimate Bookstagrammer's Guide 2026 Edition - Part 1 🦇

Good afternoon, my fellow book lovers and beloved bookish bats! I've noticed an influx of new followers (hi!) who are also new to Bookstagram recently. A few even reached out asking questions about starting their Bookstagram, and I was so happy to offer what advice I could. 🔖

What topics do you want me to cover in this Bookstagrammer's guide? ❓

I worked as a marketing coordinator, SEO expert, blog writer, and social media coordinator for marketing agencies and small businesses for over a decade. Though I left corporate America to pursue my real passion, publishing, the AI boom meant cut-offs, which led me back to my roots. YOU can use that to your advantage. With this Ultimate Bookstagramer's Guide 2026 Edition, you can set your Bookstagram account up for lasting success and growth. This is a brief overview, but we'll dive deeper in the weeks to come! Let's break it down. ⤵

8 Ways to Appeal to the Algo 🔖

Use trial reels strategically

This will help you reach non-followers

Categorize and link your reels together to retain your audience

Creating high-quality, helpful content will help you generate reposts, allowing you to expand your reach

Create content that encourages people to pause on stories

Respond to comments ASAP to forge genuine, lasting connections

Encourage people to favorite your account so they never miss your posts

Use the Edits app for reels

Consistency = Growth 🔖

Develop a post schedule

Diversify your content between single posts, carousels, and reels

Diversify between content pillars: a. educational b. entertaining c. promotional d. community-focused e. inspiring

Create Purposeful Content for your Bookstagram 🔖 Single Posts: memes, Shelfies, book hauls, book reviews, recs Carousels: photo dumps, like this/read that, favorite books, how to request arcs Reels: trends, behind-the-scenes, decorate my kindle, how to edit on Canva Stories: use a Q+A or Poll sticker, showyour face

Optimize Your Bookstagram Profile 🔖 Make a strong first impression! This will give people a reason to stay. First line: who are you? Second line: your Bookstagram account's niche Third line: your email address to encourage connection Fourth line: links and a call-to-action

Stay tuned for part two of my Ultimate Bookstagrammer's Guide 2026 Edition! Was this guide helpful? Please likes, save, reshare, or comment to help other Bookstagrammers find it as well!

[makingqueerhistory]

Making Queer History Needs Your Help!

Making Queer History has been sharing queer history for 9 years and needs some support from the community. 2025 has been a particularly hard year financially for the project, and we need more patrons to keep the project going.

If you can't become a patron, consider sharing this post with people who might be able to. The importance of queer history cannot be overstated in the current global climate, so if you want to help us share information, please consider supporting!

[10daysto1k]

PROMPT BINGO CARD

The 10 Days To 1K prompt bingo card is an opportunity to get inspiration for your spooky short fics. You can pick any prompt for any submission -- as long as you're still making the day's word count.

When posting to the AO3 collection, find your prompt in this list and click "Claim". (Multiple people can claim the same prompt!)

Fill in your bingo card as you go, and make sure to share it on your socials using the tag #10DaysTo1K.

See below for a plain text version of the card!

Row 1: candy, potion, omen, fog, bones Row 2: teeth, maze, spirits, hex, feathers Row 3: scream, pumpkin, free space, bite, dark Row 4: graveyard, bonfire, mask, shadow, blood Row 5: autumn, haunted, superstition, candle, coffin

[duckprintspress]

Final Day to Back the SCHOLARLY PURSUITS Campaign!

We're in the home stretch on our crowdfunding campaign! It's not a "miss it and miss out" situation - late pledges are available for some backer levels, and the book will be published roughly 6 to 8 weeks after we complete fulfillment - but still! Back the campaign! Get awesome merch! Help us hit our second stretch goal! Be awesome! We'd appreciate it!

Alternative: boost this post to be my hero.

Learn more about the crowdfunding campaign for Scholarly Pursuits: A Queer Anthology of Cozy Academia Stories now!

campaign ends August 12th at 1 pm Eastern time.

[robinswrites]

Less than $1000 left to go to hit our second stretch goal!

It would triple every author's pay, and backers would get bat stickers on top of all the other great merch you can get if you back... but we've got just 6 hours to do it in...

I think we can do it. Everyone loves bat stickers (and authors of queer SF/F getting paid more), right?

[maggiepageauthor]

We're so close! About 5 hours now...

[maggiepageauthor]

Fair Winds and Fortune from Scholarly Pursuits: A Queer Anthology of Cozy Academia Stories A @duckprintspress project - Crowdfunding now!

Summary:

Bastian, a knight errant, is convalescing at the University of Vismark's Halls of Healing following a wyvern attack that severely damaged his left wing. Because wyvern claws are one source of a rare material needed to craft magic-nullifying potions and objects, the wounds they inflict leave a magical deadzone that takes months to fade. Tending to Bastian’s wounds successfully requires an extended stay as a medical ward, waiting for his wing membrane to heal. And waiting to see if his pinion feathers can be regrown once healing magic can again take effect. But Bastian is not good at remaining idle. Losing the ability to fly, even temporarily (so he hopes), has profoundly unsettled Bastian, which exacerbates his restlessness. Luckily for him, his assigned healer, Zara, has patience enough for two. Her skill at soothing Bastian’s stress seems as remarkable to him as the medical methods used to repair his physical ills. Zara has kept him occupied and calm during the long weeks of his recovery, allowing the two of them to grow close. Now that Bastian is well enough to venture outside, Zara introduces Bastian to her friend, Emory, intuiting that they will get along. Emory, a mage adept, is researching and experimenting with teleportation, attempting to distill the power into reusable charms that have the same efficacy as his own natural ability. Success would open up unheard-of opportunities for travel, even to those without magic. Bastian is happy to help with testing Emory's prototypes. In their free time, Bastian, Zara, and Emory quickly become inseparable. Underneath her professionalism, Zara has a sense of humor and mischief that complements Emory’s bold and adventurous nature. Together, they explore the ancient beauty of Vismark’s campus on foot and by boat, play games, read books, share meals, and support one another in learning. Spending time with Zara and Emory makes Bastian feel more vibrantly alive than he has in years, which leads him to confront truths he's been avoiding for just as long. Bastian couldn't ask for better companions in this unexpected chapter of his life. As time ticks closer to the deadline that will reveal if Bastian's wing has been permanently damaged, the three of them realize that none of them wants the connection they've formed to end.

Check out the details, including teasers from the authors on Kickstarter! The campaign runs through August 12, 2025.

[maggiepageauthor]

Masterpost Links

Contributor Spotlight Previous Works with Duck Prints Press Excerpt #1 Excerpt #2 Excerpt #3

Today is the final day to back the campaign!

[horsesarecreatures]

Irish Cob

[menoftiktok]

[kitten-kin]

LMAO the last one! The strongman’s immediately like “No. No, absolutely not. Nope.” and the bodybuilder looks around like “Are you kidding me? I’ll die. You know that, right? I’ll die?”

[ahhvernin]

The Rogue, the Paladin, the Barbarian have a day to themselves and enjoy some friendly competition.

This is such a fun video to watch. Not only do you see 3 versions of masculine fitness and strength but with each movement you can almost see where their weight is distributed and where they place their control. Which makes it fun to think about body builds and fantasy characters.

[captainjonnitkessler]

Do I have too many books? No. It is my shelving methods that are inadequate

[ad-wills]

[maggiepageauthor]

Fair Winds and Fortune - Excerpt 3/3 from Scholarly Pursuits: A Queer Anthology of Cozy Academia Stories A @duckprintspress project - Crowdfunding now!

“I never had the best relationship with my father. My brother and I used to be close but grew apart as he had to focus on training to the exclusion of everything else, even me. Being spare to the heir is awkward.” “I can’t imagine. I’m surprised you’re permitted to study what you want.” “My temperament makes me unsuited for any position my father would have approved of. Once that was plain, he didn’t have much use for me. So, I found ways to amuse myself. Nelas was one of the archmages who consulted with the council. He took me under his wing when I exhibited an aptitude for magic, and he became more a father to me than Titus has been in years.” “I’m glad you had him.” “Me too. I shudder to think what would have become of me without him.” Bastian tangled their fingers together, offering a reassuring pressure. Such gestures had become common with Zara. It felt natural to extend the same familiarity to Emory. “Thank you for telling me.” Emory leaned into him with unmistakable fondness on his face and kept hold of his hand. “Thank you for being you.”

Find more details, merch, and teasers from the authors on Kickstarter! The campaign runs through August 12, 2025.

[objectamour]

am I into 'rope and rigging'?🤨 uh yeah I guess you could say so

[occupationalperspective]

[maureen2musings]

Plansee, Tirol, Austria

carlo_wiewaswo

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

Books for Mental Health Awareness Month 🧠

As someone who has struggled with anxiety and depression (triggered by and exacerbated by my lovely PCOS), these stories have always occupied a special place in my heart. Books with mental health representation help break the stigmas around these conditions. Books like these were my first step to understanding why my brain worked the way it did, and that there was nothing WRONG or BROKEN about me because of it. This Mental Health Awareness Month, I encourage you to read one of these books (from my list or another). ✨

Please remember to be kind to yourself. If you're struggling, reach out. You're not alone. You're strong, and capable, and what you're going through is real and valid. 💜

What's your favorite book with mental health rep? Share your book recommendations for Mental Health Awareness Month in the comments! ⤵️