Writer, former word nerd at Figma, and founder of NaNoWriMo. Doing NaNoWriMo this fall? Check out www.nano2.org! 🏝️Alameda, CAhttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisbaty.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisbaty.bsky.social/post/3mczqrqubwk2rThis connects to some hopeful news I heard from a friend who works in social justice law. It sounds like attrition from heroic lawyers stepping down instead of doing unethical work has left the administration so understaffed that they increasingly lack bandwidth to appeal rulings against them. https://apnews.com/article/dei-education-department-lawsuit-appeal-ad150d5ab7747b9c782bc381890e5c8f22 Jan 2026 17:51 +0000at://did:plc:565vmz7aj3xkejfuyab3dt3l/app.bsky.feed.post/3mczqrqubwk2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisbaty.bsky.social/post/3mabmwoolxs2nBad news, cinephiles18 Dec 2025 16:48 +0000at://did:plc:565vmz7aj3xkejfuyab3dt3l/app.bsky.feed.post/3mabmwoolxs2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisbaty.bsky.social/post/3m6uuvlo3ik2dSending raucous cheers and high-fives to anyone sprinting towards The End on a big November writing project today. Need a pep talk? I got you: https://nano2.org/posts/2025/a-pep-talk-for-week-four Hit your goal? The NaNo 2.0 validator is standing by to shower you with badges and certificates: nano2.org/validator/ 📚🎉🏆30 Nov 2025 21:40 +0000at://did:plc:565vmz7aj3xkejfuyab3dt3l/app.bsky.feed.post/3m6uuvlo3ik2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisbaty.bsky.social/post/3m5ufzntsec24Good to see the kids’ section of our local bookstore still carries the classics.17 Nov 2025 23:49 +0000at://did:plc:565vmz7aj3xkejfuyab3dt3l/app.bsky.feed.post/3m5ufzntsec24https://bsky.app/profile/chrisbaty.bsky.social/post/3m5hkpn7toc27Any other parents living in a fever dream of Italian brainrot music right now?12 Nov 2025 21:08 +0000at://did:plc:565vmz7aj3xkejfuyab3dt3l/app.bsky.feed.post/3m5hkpn7toc27https://bsky.app/profile/chrisbaty.bsky.social/post/3m5enmqlnsc2cI helped write the new NaNo 2.0 newsletter! It comes with a free gift for you from our grumpy office leprechaun. https://sh1.sendinblue.com/adv2nuoholpfe.html?t=1762561512910 Also from me: How to save an ailing writing project by leveraging the mighty power of physics: https://nano2.org/posts/2025/a-pep-talk-for-week-two/11 Nov 2025 17:22 +0000at://did:plc:565vmz7aj3xkejfuyab3dt3l/app.bsky.feed.post/3m5enmqlnsc2chttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisbaty.bsky.social/post/3m4sripurgk2zScientists: We discovered a new 1.5" crustacean off the coast of Chile! Popular Mechanics headline writer: https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/animals/a69235688/deep-ocean-atacama-trench-crustacean-predator/04 Nov 2025 14:44 +0000at://did:plc:565vmz7aj3xkejfuyab3dt3l/app.bsky.feed.post/3m4sripurgk2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisbaty.bsky.social/post/3m4r2d6fdkk2oHandpainted sign by www.analogsigns.com03 Nov 2025 22:16 +0000at://did:plc:565vmz7aj3xkejfuyab3dt3l/app.bsky.feed.post/3m4r2d6fdkk2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisbaty.bsky.social/post/3m4lhoivadc23Wishing a wildly productive first day of NaNoWriMo to everyone writing! If you'd like some company, NaNo 2.0 volunteers will be hosting word sprints today starting at noon Pacific: https://bsky.app/profile/nano2wordsprints.bsky.social01 Nov 2025 16:59 +0000at://did:plc:565vmz7aj3xkejfuyab3dt3l/app.bsky.feed.post/3m4lhoivadc23https://bsky.app/profile/chrisbaty.bsky.social/post/3m4e6fnzh3s2tThe latest NaNo 2.0 newsletter has some of my writing in it! If you love stories of jewel thieves absconding with office microwaves, this one is for you. Read the harrowing tale here: https://sh1.sendinblue.com/acoxmioholpfe.html?t=176176555289929 Oct 2025 19:25 +0000at://did:plc:565vmz7aj3xkejfuyab3dt3l/app.bsky.feed.post/3m4e6fnzh3s2thttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisbaty.bsky.social/post/3m3nkn3jewc25Totally in awe of the mood boards authors are creating for books they're writing next month. As someone who struggles to visualize my scenes ("Phil was an older man with reddish hair and two eyeballs"), it is really inspiring to see stuff like this. [contains quote post or other embedded content]20 Oct 2025 19:32 +0000at://did:plc:565vmz7aj3xkejfuyab3dt3l/app.bsky.feed.post/3m3nkn3jewc25https://bsky.app/profile/chrisbaty.bsky.social/post/3m3hwx4ydu223I helped write the first NaNo 2.0 newsletter that just went out! It's here: https://sh1.sendinblue.com/ackpx6oholpfe.html?t=1760728042193 We want these to feel like a writing buddy who lives in your inbox, cheers you on, and makes way too many jokes about imaginary Norwegian history museums. Subscribe: nano2.org/subscribe18 Oct 2025 13:57 +0000at://did:plc:565vmz7aj3xkejfuyab3dt3l/app.bsky.feed.post/3m3hwx4ydu223https://bsky.app/profile/chrisbaty.bsky.social/post/3m33kcdjgnk2bSpotted in a window in Fort Bragg, CA.13 Oct 2025 15:38 +0000at://did:plc:565vmz7aj3xkejfuyab3dt3l/app.bsky.feed.post/3m33kcdjgnk2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisbaty.bsky.social/post/3m2rsnjvzu223Newbie cat parent with a question. We adopted two strays a few months ago—a mom and her orange tabby son. Every time they see us they act like they haven't eaten in weeks, so we've been feeding them 3 times a day. That's too much, right? We want to dial it back, but we fear their hangry wrath.09 Oct 2025 18:41 +0000at://did:plc:565vmz7aj3xkejfuyab3dt3l/app.bsky.feed.post/3m2rsnjvzu223https://bsky.app/profile/chrisbaty.bsky.social/post/3m2pesl267k25How much planning do you *really* need to do for #NaNoWriMo? NaNo 2.0’s Maria Berejan lays out the options: https://nano2.org/posts/2025/how-much-planning-do-you-really-need-to-do/ Do you have a favorite novel planning tip or approach you’d be willing to share? I'll drop mine below! 👇08 Oct 2025 19:28 +0000at://did:plc:565vmz7aj3xkejfuyab3dt3l/app.bsky.feed.post/3m2pesl267k25https://bsky.app/profile/chrisbaty.bsky.social/post/3m2msn6jzb22wThere's another Chris Baty who lives in England and I keep getting added to his work email threads. I can't help but think this is the universe feeding me valuable material for #NaNoWriMo.07 Oct 2025 18:58 +0000at://did:plc:565vmz7aj3xkejfuyab3dt3l/app.bsky.feed.post/3m2msn6jzb22whttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisbaty.bsky.social/post/3m2eupe74m22cAnthropic is settling the class action lawsuit brought by authors, and there’s now an easy way to see if your book was involved. secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/lookup If you've ever published an ebook, be sure to check! "No Plot? No Problem!" was on the list, and filing a claim was easy. https://secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/lookup04 Oct 2025 15:13 +0000at://did:plc:565vmz7aj3xkejfuyab3dt3l/app.bsky.feed.post/3m2eupe74m22chttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisbaty.bsky.social/post/3m2cwmh4l7k2uBefore it shut down, #NaNoWriMo offered 100% non-boring creative writing workbooks and curriculum to K-12 classrooms. NaNo 2.0's resident educator @lambradley.bsky.social preserved and updated all of it, and it's now available for free on our site! https://nano2.org/posts/2025/introducing-the-young-novelist-challenge/ 📚03 Oct 2025 20:42 +0000at://did:plc:565vmz7aj3xkejfuyab3dt3l/app.bsky.feed.post/3m2cwmh4l7k2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisbaty.bsky.social/post/3m27tde2b6k2vAfter they closed NaNoWriMo, I started chatting with some folks about keeping November’s writing adventure going in a more DIY form. Today, we launched a site! www.nano2.org. Sweaty origin story here: https://nano2.org/posts/2025/welcome-to-nano-2-0/ We’ll be noveling next month, and we’d love to have you join us!02 Oct 2025 15:05 +0000at://did:plc:565vmz7aj3xkejfuyab3dt3l/app.bsky.feed.post/3m27tde2b6k2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisbaty.bsky.social/post/3lzmjywhqmk2eGah, so excited that @heavyweight.bsky.social is back. If you love heartfelt audio stories told with self-deprecating humor and an impeccable soundtrack, Heavyweight is the perfect salve for these trying times. New episode only made me cry twice. https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/heavyweight/59-etta24 Sep 2025 22:58 +0000at://did:plc:565vmz7aj3xkejfuyab3dt3l/app.bsky.feed.post/3lzmjywhqmk2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisbaty.bsky.social/post/3lrelqt7fpk24I will cheerfully pay Apple 3 billion dollars to add a tapback that captures the emotional middle ground between ❤️ and 👍.11 Jun 2025 23:46 +0000at://did:plc:565vmz7aj3xkejfuyab3dt3l/app.bsky.feed.post/3lrelqt7fpk24https://bsky.app/profile/chrisbaty.bsky.social/post/3llucoa3ydc2yI just saw that they’re shutting down NaNoWriMo. 😭 I had a sense the new crew who took over last year were struggling. But it’s incredibly sad to have it end like this. Ugh. So many feelings.02 Apr 2025 21:15 +0000at://did:plc:565vmz7aj3xkejfuyab3dt3l/app.bsky.feed.post/3llucoa3ydc2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisbaty.bsky.social/post/3lkbg4tztpc2hThis is heartbreaking. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/us-citizen-child-recovering-brain-cancer-deported-mexico-undocumented-rcna196049?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us13 Mar 2025 15:31 +0000at://did:plc:565vmz7aj3xkejfuyab3dt3l/app.bsky.feed.post/3lkbg4tztpc2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisbaty.bsky.social/post/3ljpznyvvi225Parenting advice I wish I'd followed: Shoot more videos! Our son is 10 now, and the photos of him as a 3, 4, and 5 year old are great. But the random movies? Totally magical. I wish I'd taken so many more of them.06 Mar 2025 17:33 +0000at://did:plc:565vmz7aj3xkejfuyab3dt3l/app.bsky.feed.post/3ljpznyvvi225https://bsky.app/profile/chrisbaty.bsky.social/post/3lhpfockgkk2d“The level of stupidity and negligence here is enraging.” Perfect description of this entire administration. [contains quote post or other embedded content]09 Feb 2025 00:45 +0000at://did:plc:565vmz7aj3xkejfuyab3dt3l/app.bsky.feed.post/3lhpfockgkk2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisbaty.bsky.social/post/3lg2mvnemfk23I tried to (lazily) replicate the @sfgate.com findings that people in the Bay Area are being charged more for online hotel reservations than folks from Kansas City or Phoenix. In my hour of distracted sleuthing, I couldn't find any examples of it. But I did find something even weirder. https://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/hotel-booking-sites-overcharge-bay-area-travelers-20025145.php19 Jan 2025 01:03 +0000at://did:plc:565vmz7aj3xkejfuyab3dt3l/app.bsky.feed.post/3lg2mvnemfk23https://bsky.app/profile/chrisbaty.bsky.social/post/3ld7s5hhngs2rIf you’re thinking about writing a novel or script next year and would like some support and camaraderie, it sounds like @lanidianerich.bsky.social has a few spots left in her Year of Writing Magically workshop. www.yearofwritingmagically.com Can’t recommend Lani enough as a writing coach. https://www.yearofwritingmagically.com/13 Dec 2024 22:05 +0000at://did:plc:565vmz7aj3xkejfuyab3dt3l/app.bsky.feed.post/3ld7s5hhngs2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisbaty.bsky.social/post/3lcjyaufz2s25Please share your apple sticker strategies! The survey closes tomorrow and my monograph will be published in PLOS ONE on Friday. [contains quote post or other embedded content]05 Dec 2024 05:56 +0000at://did:plc:565vmz7aj3xkejfuyab3dt3l/app.bsky.feed.post/3lcjyaufz2s25https://bsky.app/profile/chrisbaty.bsky.social/post/3lciutmltnk25Parents Everywhere Sigh As Spotify Wrapped Once Again Raises a Toast To Their Deep Love Of Imagine Dragons04 Dec 2024 19:22 +0000at://did:plc:565vmz7aj3xkejfuyab3dt3l/app.bsky.feed.post/3lciutmltnk25