Brooke

@brookewrites.bsky.social

373 Followers 369 Following

fantasy writer and evolution PhD WIP: On the Origin of Faeries also cats and video games 🩷💜💙

In the center reads the title of my WIP novel, Friendship & Faeriecology, in cursive font. Along the edges are a collage of images: Cambridge University, a kitchen window lined with pink flowers, a deer standing in a forest, a witch sitting in a field under the moonlight, and a patch of mushrooms on the forest floor.
A calendar with floral stickers for each day that I wrote in the month of May. I wrote most days except for Sundays, a couple Saturdays, and one particularly rough Tuesday.
A mood board for my WIP novel, Friendship and Faeriecology. Across the top are a bookshelf next to a window covered in plants, a large branching tree, and a deer standing in a creek. In the bottom left, 3 young witches are laughing and casting spells around a cauldron. In the bottom right, there are images of the University of Cambridge and of some mushrooms.
My boyfriend and I, dressed up for the renaissance faire (I’m going for an “elven apothecary who wanders the woods searching for herbs” look)
A calendar for the month of April, with cute cat stickers on *almost* every day (I had family visiting the week of the 6th, ok!)
A sketched out map of my fantasy world. A crescent moon shaped continent includes the nations of Willstone, Viriline, Anassae, and the Republics of Monaventis. Willstone (north) is mountainous and contains one fae gate. Viriline (west) is densely wooded and contains 4 fae gates. Anassae (south) is dominated by sandstorms and has one fae gate. The Republics of Monaventis (east) are islands which contain 2 fae gates.
On top of an old map, a dotted line goes up then down, representing the western three-act plot structure. A "You are here" pin indicates where I am in my story, about 1/3 of the way through (i.e., end of Act 1).
A fluffy tortoiseshell cat sitting on a green couch.
A fake movie poster for my WIP novel, Friendship and Faeriecology. In the background, there is an image of a witch under the full moon. A quote from the book reads: "I will make you loved by all, and you will provide mana from a source of my choosing. Do you agree to these terms?" Descriptors at the top include, "Middle grade cozy fantasy," "Magical boarding school," and "Sapphic romance."
A fake movie poster for my WIP novel, Friendship and Faeriecology. In the background, there is an image of a forest with a pink faerie floating through it. A quote from the book reads: "I will make you loved by all, and you will provide mana from a source of my choosing. Do you agree to these terms?" Descriptors at the bottom include, "Middle grade cozy fantasy," "Magical boarding school," and "Queer romance."
A cat sleeps on a bed, with art hanging above. The art appears to be a promotional flier for the Stardew Valley Fair & Fall Festival.
As Iris spoke, hope flared in Aurora’s chest, as though a long-forgotten fire had finally reignited. She could be in control of her life again. With Iris’s help, Aurora could be loved, in spite of the way she is, in spite of everything. For a brief moment, Aurora imagined saying no—returning to her life, as it was, and trying to put the pieces back together. She was so tired of keeping the panic at bay, like an ocean of water pressing up against her hastily-concocted dam. She allowed reality to crash down on her, the panic to flood her mind. Everything had gotten too bad. She couldn’t fix it on her own. If she wanted to save the life she’d built here, this was her only chance. “Alright,” Aurora said. “I want help.” Iris’s eyes glowed with bright red light, and her voice grew deeper, echoing through the woods around them. “I, Iris, will make you, Aurora, loved by all, in exchange for the supply of mana from a source of my choosing. Do you agree to these terms?” “I agree.” Iris’s eyes glowed brighter. Aurora held her breath as the light spread throughout the pixie’s small body and into Aurora’s, starting at her right index finger where Iris’s hand still rested. Aurora closed her eyes and shivered as chills rippled from her hand, to her face, and down to her toes. When she opened her eyes again, the glow was gone, and only the dark outlines of trees loomed overhead. Iris grinned. “It’s been a pleasure doing business with you.”
A moodboard for my WIP novel, Friendship and Faeriecology. The collage includes a picture of three young witches giggling and conducting magic around a cauldron, a bookshelf surrounded by plants, a collection of mushrooms, a broad-limbed tree, and a picture of the Gonville and Caius College at the University of Cambridge.