Sage's Desk

Sage. Writer & freelance editor for hire. She/her. Half my content is in the tags. Posts, especially about books, may contain affiliate links.

[mumblingsage]

I read! I write! I edit!

If you like my outlook on things (recognizing my outlook has sometimes changed over the decade-plus I've been on this site), you might be interested in these other facets of me:

I write queer fiction, romance, erotica, and poetry, and have self-published collections of speculative fiction written in my younger years. You can check out some of my books here and in this list on Bookshop.org.

I’m a freelance editor, specializing in line editing and copyediting for style and continuity. I also offer developmental editing and help with self-publishing or submissions to publishers. Here on Tumblr, I share various tips and tricks for revision that I’ve discovered over the years. I can be commissioned on Ko-fi, and/or you can fill out this form to receive a free sample edit on up to 2,000 words of your manuscript. My rates are negotiable, especially on projects from marginalized writers. If you have questions about editing, please don't hesitate to get in touch via ask or Tumblr message.

And...

I’ve co-edited several anthologies with the New Smut Project.

Find my author + poet persona, T.C. Mill, on my website, Facebook, Instagram, Goodreads, BookBub, and LibraryThing. I have a monthly newsletter, which I use to share publication news, sales, occasional book recs, and a free story when you sign up.

I also write (fanfic and occasional original fiction) on Archive of Our Own. 

I’m now on Pillowfort, thanks to its robust NSFW tags and communities.

I’m on BlueSky, where I keep abreast of politics, news, and commentary.

If you follow me on Tumblr, I’m fine with you following me in any of those places. If you work in writing, editing, and/or publishing and would like to connect with me on LinkedIn, go ahead and message me here for info.

Cheers,

Sage

[ot3]

the nasty trick is that making friends is pretty easy but managing to keep in touch with everyone is next to impossible

[mumblingsage]

Intellectually I know emergency rooms are incredibly stressful places for most people, but I've been very fortunate in my interactions with medical staff (and the folks last night were all very pleasant and competent!), so it's extremely aggravating to realize I have a negative emotional response to ERs anyway. Turns out the Place You Only Go When Shit Hits The Fan doesn't wake good associations in my brain.

Though I'm sure if prior ER experience happened during normal waking hours I'd be chiller. I am one of the world's worst people at managing sleep deprivation (maybe also due to Tragic Backstory reasons or just the fact that I'm chronically underslept anyway).

[mumblingsage]

Furthermore this emotional response is not, like, sad and tragic. It's profound irritability. Bitchiness. With a pinch of catastrophizing that is in itself irritating.

[mumblingsage]

Intellectually I know emergency rooms are incredibly stressful places for most people, but I've been very fortunate in my interactions with medical staff (and the folks last night were all very pleasant and competent!), so it's extremely aggravating to realize I have a negative emotional response to ERs anyway. Turns out the Place You Only Go When Shit Hits The Fan doesn't wake good associations in my brain.

Though I'm sure if prior ER experience happened during normal waking hours I'd be chiller. I am one of the world's worst people at managing sleep deprivation (maybe also due to Tragic Backstory reasons or just the fact that I'm chronically underslept anyway).

[reallyreallyreallytrying]

nip over to troy, bit of rough and tumble, big horse, bish bash bosh, back home to ithaca. simple as

[mumblingsage]

We're both home safe and in bed now, so that's progress!

[mumblingsage]

Ah, emergency rooms. All the boredom and discomfort of airports, with added sleep deprivation and responsibility.

I'm going to be up so long last my bedtime and I just hope it doesn't lead to further injuries.

[mumblingsage]

As you can tell from me being able to complain, Mom's fine, just even more uncomfortable and frustrated than I am.

Watch your damn step, everyone. Do those ankle flexibility exercises. You should probably do upper body strength exercises too since it turns out most mobility devices require it.

[mumblingsage]

Ah, emergency rooms. All the boredom and discomfort of airports, with added sleep deprivation and responsibility.

I'm going to be up so long last my bedtime and I just hope it doesn't lead to further injuries.

[mumblingsage]

Every so often something I write about happens IRL and I try not to overthink it too much. But it does make me wary of say, killing off characters.

Anyway my mom's in the emergency room with a fractured tibia.

I'm now brainstorming how a thin expy of Stephen Miller can meet a gruesome fate in my next story.

[foggycatgarden]

Paul McGann & Penny Downie in an adaptation of Euripides play "Helen" at Shakespeare's Globe, London 2009.

[diasdelfuego]

the thing about art is that sometimes you'll be moved to tears by stuff that is not very good

[my-tardis-sense-is-tingling]

[mostlysignssomeportents]

The Enshittificator

Digital products and services keep getting worse. In the new report Breaking Free: Pathways to a fair technological future, the Norwegian Consumer Council has delved into enshittification and how to resist it. The report shows how this phenomenon affects both consumers and society at large, but that it is possible to turn the tide. Read more on forbrukerradet.no/breakingfree

[nowiloveblackberry]

I've always wanted to move to Norway...

[mostlysignssomeportents]

[hug-your-face]

Guys I'm 7 pages in to the report and it's wonderful.

Click the damn link!

[mumblingsage]

Something More Than Honor, Chapter 29: Cat's Questions

Cat realizes she wants to help Konstantin, and she needs help to do it.

Content warnings for this chapter: referenced or implied noncon, homophobia, misogyny

Cat drank the water. It didn’t help right away, but at least it didn’t offend her nose, ears, or stomach. “You know people in the village,” she said. “Certainly. I’ll be on my rounds tomorrow.” “There’s a fisherman named Nicolas?” Helene pulled down herbs. “There’s…a man who could be described that way. Why?” “He might be the only person Konstantin talks to.” “Him?” She appeared to mull it over, surprised, though not alarmed. She might not have meant Cat to hear her murmur, “We can’t predict taste.” “Is he a dubious character?” Cat stammered a bit on the syllables, yet couldn’t find other words in her throbbing skull. “No. He’s a man.” “A common man.” None of Richard Eadinford’s vassals would be stupid enough to offend a lady of the baron’s family should she deign to meet with them. And Konstantin wouldn’t befriend someone stupid or brutal. He reminds me of you. Unless Cat clung too much to the idea that Konstantin never saw her as foolish or unkind.

[keydekyie]

"It would have been easier if you'd just said yes."

original

[galaxycepheus]

If your system doesn't account for the fact that Parents Are Going To Be Abusive/Neglectful/Insufficient then it objectively sucks I'm sorry I don't make the rules

[galaxycepheus]

Monitored bank accounts for those under 18. Requiring parental consent for medical procedures. Parental controls on personal devices. "We won't teach this at school because parents are supposed to address it at home." Anything that puts all of the child's power onto the parents' hand, anything that assumes parents are going to inherently do enough of a good job no one else needs to interfer, every single one of these IS going to be used by controlling, neglectful or unprepared parents and already are, and if the system did not account for that very real, tangible, dangerous tendency, then it's not worth fucking anything. You shouldn't make things "for the youth"/with children in mind if you are going to overlook this painfully common aspect of their lives u_u

[wizardposting666]

When those GPS trackers for cars were released, specifically advertised for parents to put in their child's car, I saw the ad on TV and said out loud, "God... I wonder how many abusive parents and spouses are gonna use that to keep their victims from escaping."

My dad was sat next to me and his eyes got big as saucers. He was so quiet when he replied solemnly, "I didn't even think about that... jesus christ, that's dark..." and I had to tell him I had friends who were probably gonna end up in that situation with their conservative parents. He was so removed from the notion of using that device for cruelty that he didn't even CONSIDER it! That's how easily people can be bought in by inventions/legislation advertised under the guise of "keeping the kids safe". My own father, who is a beautiful and gentle man with a good head on his shoulders, was ready to advocate for a tracking device, because it was sold as a device to "protect children".

Children need more protections from abusers, yes, but the biggest protection they could possibly have is AUTONOMY. GIVE CHILDREN AUTONOMY.

[littleguysdaily]

[wren-kitchens]

happy disability pride month and once again, FUCK lazy subtitles. fuck the [speaks foreign language] instead of actually transcribing the words, fuck shortening sentences and changing whats been said for no reason, fuck censoring swearing in captions but not in audio and fuck anyone who says youre being 'too sensitive' for being upset about a lack of accessibility