YA fantasy author | vampires, witches & hidden worlds Dark whimsy • haunted towns • folklore magic Trying to survive my road to publication 🪦🥀🐈‍⬛🔮✨https://bsky.app/profile/r-shackelford.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/r-shackelford.bsky.social/post/3mddxs4sjw22rFirst full manuscript rejection and I’m surprisingly okay. #writingcommunity #querytrenches https://media.tenor.com/-v9O0bqQmV8AAAAC/crying-sob.gif?hh=255&ww=49826 Jan 2026 19:23 +0000at://did:plc:ocbmfcsrr4udvyys3ffbe5pa/app.bsky.feed.post/3mddxs4sjw22rhttps://bsky.app/profile/r-shackelford.bsky.social/post/3mcuzi67was24Live look at me hawking my inbox. Was proud of myself for taking so many query rejections in stride, but… waiting to hear back on the full manuscripts that went out has got me a little feral 😅 Send good vibes 🙏🏼 #writingcommunity #amwriting #amquerying #query https://media.tenor.com/rHGQ3NvxnY8AAAAC/snack-fox.gif?hh=480&ww=48020 Jan 2026 20:43 +0000at://did:plc:ocbmfcsrr4udvyys3ffbe5pa/app.bsky.feed.post/3mcuzi67was24https://bsky.app/profile/r-shackelford.bsky.social/post/3mcsqsz357c2qWhen your MC is a little too much like you #writing https://media.tenor.com/_0KeZhDlaJ8AAAAC/nadjadoll-nadja.gif?hh=258&ww=49819 Jan 2026 23:03 +0000at://did:plc:ocbmfcsrr4udvyys3ffbe5pa/app.bsky.feed.post/3mcsqsz357c2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/r-shackelford.bsky.social/post/3mclxqs2ifs2gToday I spent most the day researching poisonous plants just to write five sentences about a deadly garden. Killed a gnome. Channeled some serious 80’s fantasy vibes. Discovered that one of my characters is a mermaid. And thought about (but didn’t) do laundry. Never a dull moment as a #writer 🥀🧜🏻‍♀️🗡️🧦17 Jan 2026 06:18 +0000at://did:plc:ocbmfcsrr4udvyys3ffbe5pa/app.bsky.feed.post/3mclxqs2ifs2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/r-shackelford.bsky.social/post/3mcg63h6ys22y👏🏼 [contains quote post or other embedded content]14 Jan 2026 22:55 +0000at://did:plc:ocbmfcsrr4udvyys3ffbe5pa/app.bsky.feed.post/3mcg63h6ys22yhttps://bsky.app/profile/r-shackelford.bsky.social/post/3lzs4cam2y22sHit 10k words on my new WIP. I thought after finishing & editing my first novel I would be able to dive straight into this new project, but it’s taking me a while to shake off the characters I spent so much time with. Happy to say I’m finding my flow again with this new cast. #writingcommunity27 Sep 2025 04:09 +0000at://did:plc:ocbmfcsrr4udvyys3ffbe5pa/app.bsky.feed.post/3lzs4cam2y22shttps://bsky.app/profile/r-shackelford.bsky.social/post/3lsscmukrmk224th (and final!) round of edits on my debut novel. Then the dreaded query letter… and finding agents into goth-adjacent, irreverent YA fantasy with vampires, witches, small towns drenched in folklore—and a protagonist who refuses to stay dead. 🥀 #amediting #writingcommunity30 Jun 2025 04:06 +0000at://did:plc:ocbmfcsrr4udvyys3ffbe5pa/app.bsky.feed.post/3lsscmukrmk22https://bsky.app/profile/r-shackelford.bsky.social/post/3lljsl2bthc2kReleased my first #lofibeat ! When writing my first book (officially on the 2nd round of editing) lofi playlists helped me focus. Paying it forward by creating my own. Hope you enjoy & I'd appreciate making it onto your writing/study playlists https://open.spotify.com/track/1PpBkzTYhruylTqWxsPGVM?si=2022932ff0c5416e #lofimusic #newmusic29 Mar 2025 17:01 +0000at://did:plc:ocbmfcsrr4udvyys3ffbe5pa/app.bsky.feed.post/3lljsl2bthc2khttps://bsky.app/profile/r-shackelford.bsky.social/post/3lgyzq7ajys2fWhen I write I listen to lofi. Spent a year+ listening to it everyday as I worked on my novel, so naturally I’m now starting to record some beats of my own. It’s kind of a full circle moment, as I started my music journey in high school making loops in GarageBand before getting into bands. #diymusic31 Jan 2025 03:13 +0000at://did:plc:ocbmfcsrr4udvyys3ffbe5pa/app.bsky.feed.post/3lgyzq7ajys2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/r-shackelford.bsky.social/post/3lfxiqiw2h22p📖✍🏼 When I first started writing, I dreaded getting to editing because I kept hearing how horrible it was. But now that I’m there with my first novel, I’m having the most fun. There’s just something so satisfying about it all! #writing #amwriting #writingcommunity #writers #editing17 Jan 2025 19:11 +0000at://did:plc:ocbmfcsrr4udvyys3ffbe5pa/app.bsky.feed.post/3lfxiqiw2h22phttps://bsky.app/profile/r-shackelford.bsky.social/post/3lf3pcbd4m22uEditing begins because I finished my first draft! Aiming to shave off 30k words🔪😅 Wish me luck! #writingcommunity #writing #editing #amwriting06 Jan 2025 17:54 +0000at://did:plc:ocbmfcsrr4udvyys3ffbe5pa/app.bsky.feed.post/3lf3pcbd4m22uhttps://bsky.app/profile/r-shackelford.bsky.social/post/3lennmacadk2gWriter friends—what are your writing goals for the year? I’m ONE chapter away from being done with the first draft of my first novel, and plan to spend 2025 editing + querying. Going to start on a second novel (a much shorter one this time! 🤣🫣) #writingcommunity #writer #amwriting #fantasywriter01 Jan 2025 03:46 +0000at://did:plc:ocbmfcsrr4udvyys3ffbe5pa/app.bsky.feed.post/3lennmacadk2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/r-shackelford.bsky.social/post/3ldegjevck225Writers! Come join the Writer's Block on Discord. It's been a pretty chill and supportive group so far. Here's your invite! discord.gg/Gs9h4MxuPJ #writers #writingcommunity #amwriting #writingdiscord https://discord.gg/Gs9h4MxuPJ15 Dec 2024 18:20 +0000at://did:plc:ocbmfcsrr4udvyys3ffbe5pa/app.bsky.feed.post/3ldegjevck225https://bsky.app/profile/r-shackelford.bsky.social/post/3ld35hkcrvk2iAny writer's using Discord? New to it and looking for some writing channels #writingcommunity #writing #discord #amwriting12 Dec 2024 01:44 +0000at://did:plc:ocbmfcsrr4udvyys3ffbe5pa/app.bsky.feed.post/3ld35hkcrvk2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/r-shackelford.bsky.social/post/3lcirb5fncc2cWhen I write, I have playlists of dark ambient synth music and lo-fi beats playing in the background. They help me focus and set the mood. Judging by this year’s recap, I wrote a lot. Honestly, I couldn’t have named a single artist on this list without it 😆 #writing #amwriting #writingcommunity04 Dec 2024 18:18 +0000at://did:plc:ocbmfcsrr4udvyys3ffbe5pa/app.bsky.feed.post/3lcirb5fncc2chttps://bsky.app/profile/r-shackelford.bsky.social/post/3lc6ms6uoms2tSit with it. Even when you want to run away from your writing. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from working on this first novel, it’s that we can do the hard things. #writingcommunity #amwriting #writer #writersky30 Nov 2024 17:31 +0000at://did:plc:ocbmfcsrr4udvyys3ffbe5pa/app.bsky.feed.post/3lc6ms6uoms2thttps://bsky.app/profile/r-shackelford.bsky.social/post/3lbyii734j22mWhere my indie musicians at? #indiemusic #diymusic #band #indieband [contains quote post or other embedded content]28 Nov 2024 06:58 +0000at://did:plc:ocbmfcsrr4udvyys3ffbe5pa/app.bsky.feed.post/3lbyii734j22mhttps://bsky.app/profile/r-shackelford.bsky.social/post/3lbxabhd3r22gDeadlines vs. daydreams. Is there any worse feeling than wanting to write but being buried in work? My characters are tapping on my shoulder, begging for attention, while project deadlines lurk beneath my desk, ready to pull me under and devour me 😳 #writingcommunity #writer #amwriting #writing27 Nov 2024 18:58 +0000at://did:plc:ocbmfcsrr4udvyys3ffbe5pa/app.bsky.feed.post/3lbxabhd3r22ghttps://bsky.app/profile/r-shackelford.bsky.social/post/3lbll3upvf222One of my favorites from a while back 🌷 #illustration #draw #illustrator #drawing23 Nov 2024 03:40 +0000at://did:plc:ocbmfcsrr4udvyys3ffbe5pa/app.bsky.feed.post/3lbll3upvf222https://bsky.app/profile/r-shackelford.bsky.social/post/3lbkjntkcik2zI’m *only* three-ish chapters away from being done with my first novel 😊😭✨ #writingcommunity #amwriting #writing #yafanstasy https://media.tenor.com/H8giFjAp-qAAAAAC/gone-insane.gif?hh=370&ww=49822 Nov 2024 17:42 +0000at://did:plc:ocbmfcsrr4udvyys3ffbe5pa/app.bsky.feed.post/3lbkjntkcik2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/r-shackelford.bsky.social/post/3lbdf7sdj7c27I’m doing that terrible thing of rereading the chapters I’ve written instead of writing new ones today. #writingcommunity #writer #amwriting https://media.tenor.com/NPNo-t8V9-4AAAAC/ron-swanson-parks-and-rec.gif?hh=239&ww=49819 Nov 2024 21:34 +0000at://did:plc:ocbmfcsrr4udvyys3ffbe5pa/app.bsky.feed.post/3lbdf7sdj7c27https://bsky.app/profile/r-shackelford.bsky.social/post/3lbb6eq2yas24Where my YA fantasy authors at? I need more vampires, witches, and trolls in my feed. Say hello and make yourselves known! 🧌🔮✨ #writingcommunity #fantasy #fantasywriter #writing #yafantasy https://media.tenor.com/BnapX68CPnkAAAAC/what-we-do-in-the-shadows-wwdits.gif?hh=498&ww=49819 Nov 2024 00:26 +0000at://did:plc:ocbmfcsrr4udvyys3ffbe5pa/app.bsky.feed.post/3lbb6eq2yas24https://bsky.app/profile/r-shackelford.bsky.social/post/3lbarpoh6yc2rOfficially cringeless [contains quote post or other embedded content]18 Nov 2024 20:39 +0000at://did:plc:ocbmfcsrr4udvyys3ffbe5pa/app.bsky.feed.post/3lbarpoh6yc2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/r-shackelford.bsky.social/post/3lbapfhqop22rI see @markhamillofficial.bsky.social has joined the resistance! Welcome to BlueSky(walker) Still one of my favorite illustrations I’ve done. Can’t go wrong with Pilot Luke #illustration #art #starwars #skywalker18 Nov 2024 19:58 +0000at://did:plc:ocbmfcsrr4udvyys3ffbe5pa/app.bsky.feed.post/3lbapfhqop22rhttps://bsky.app/profile/r-shackelford.bsky.social/post/3lb7ariifzc2nGood reminder. I just changed my settings and you should too! 😊✨ [contains quote post or other embedded content]18 Nov 2024 06:04 +0000at://did:plc:ocbmfcsrr4udvyys3ffbe5pa/app.bsky.feed.post/3lb7ariifzc2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/r-shackelford.bsky.social/post/3lb6wwhlo6c2tWhen I’m not writing my novel, I’m writing songs. Here is my band’s most popular one (580,000+ streams 👀) Would love to connect with fellow musicians on here—say hello if you see this! #music #musicians #indiemusic https://open.spotify.com/track/2ju5TLC9mW2FAhXjKn0hMb?si=E8f-VHdDQoKBZpYmCodqCQ18 Nov 2024 03:07 +0000at://did:plc:ocbmfcsrr4udvyys3ffbe5pa/app.bsky.feed.post/3lb6wwhlo6c2thttps://bsky.app/profile/r-shackelford.bsky.social/post/3lb6i673pwk2gIf you see this, quote skeet [one of] your favorite Muppet[s]. [contains quote post or other embedded content]17 Nov 2024 22:43 +0000at://did:plc:ocbmfcsrr4udvyys3ffbe5pa/app.bsky.feed.post/3lb6i673pwk2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/r-shackelford.bsky.social/post/3lb6hm74mz222The energy I bring to Bluesky [contains quote post or other embedded content]17 Nov 2024 22:33 +0000at://did:plc:ocbmfcsrr4udvyys3ffbe5pa/app.bsky.feed.post/3lb6hm74mz222https://bsky.app/profile/r-shackelford.bsky.social/post/3lb6cwpk4ak2dA lot of new writer friends on here, so I thought I’d say hello and repost my introduction. What are we all working on today? Tell me all about your WIP 🖤✨ 📚 ✍🏼 #amwriting #writingcommunity #writersky [contains quote post or other embedded content]17 Nov 2024 21:10 +0000at://did:plc:ocbmfcsrr4udvyys3ffbe5pa/app.bsky.feed.post/3lb6cwpk4ak2d