My every post is linked to this page by category. Click images to view posts!

About Life

Queer Life

Neurodivergent Life

Chronic Illness

Text: Identifying as Nonbinary Image: headshot selfie of Elise wearing glasses in the gumtree covered mountains.

On Being Asexual

On Being Aromantic

Text: What Does Pride Mean to you (written in progress pride flag colours) Image: a rainbow at Aruthur's seat in a cloudy sky over Edinburgh

Simple Ways to Support Trans People

Why Writing Nonbinary, Aro-Ace Characters Matters to Me

General Life

Mental Health & Wellbeing in a Mad World

Social Media, Connection, Isolation & Conversation

Resisting Enshitification 2026

Overload, a 2026 Poem

Text: Managing My Neurodiversity Image: selfie of Elise Carlson standing before rockie creek wearing long sleeve blue, white and grey horizontal strip stop, a beige cap and glasses, blonde curls protruding from both.

ADHD Struggles & Starting ADHD Meds

Text: Managing My Neurodiversity Image: selfie of Elise Carlson standing before rockie creek wearing long sleeve blue, white and grey horizontal strip stop, a beige cap and glasses, blonde curls protruding from both.

Oh, I’m Also Actually Autistic!

Minimising Visual Sensory Overload

Society Should be More Autistic

ADHD & Relationships

Text: Living With Long Covid -My Experience Image: Elise's feet as they sit on a lawn at a city park, trees and a high rise building in the background.

Disability; Doctors, Diagnosis & Community

Life With Fibromyalgia

Text: 2021's Journey -A Poem Image: Palm trees a sun dappled footpath, stone framing a garden bed left of the path, sun covered lawns slopping down to the right.

Chronically Ill and Neurodivergent Guide to Protests

Low spoons travel with Autism and Chronic Illness

Advice For Authors

Self Publishing

Social Media

Author Platform

Text: Why I Chose to Self Publish Image: Birds eye view of a market stall table with customers on one side and sellers seated on the other.
Text: Becoming an Indie Author Image: Elise smiling at the camera and holding theirdebut novel, Manipulator's War under their chin before a bookshelf full of fantasy books.

Becoming an Indie Author Part 2

Publishing Paths; A Multi Author Interview

Social Media for Writers; Getting Started

Text: Blue Sky Newby Guide Image: Elise's first Blue Sky post. Reads 'Hello Blue Sky. Where are my Fantasy/ SFF/ ND/ pantsers/ indie author people?I'm all of the above and writing my third epic YA Fantasy set beneath sorcerous skies, where a continent-wide war is brewing. Happy to talk all things authorly/ writerly!

Diverse Bsky Guide

Avoiding Social Media Burnout for Creatives

Formatting a Novel Tips

Indie Author Interviews

Twitter and Instagram #WritingCommunity Hashtag Guide
(last updated 2022)

Text: Author Website Tips Image: Top: lone soldier stands atop battlements at night, fire arrows arching down at them. Centre text: Elise Carlson, A Fantasy Author's Adeventures in Fiction & Life). Bottom: pink clouds and blue sky reflect in rectangular rockpools (foreground), cloudy sunset sky (background). Centred text reads: Follow me and i'll take you on an adventure -through fantasy worlds & Life
Text: Author Newsletters, The Basics Image: envelop background, bronze armoured soldier (right), blue background with text: Fiction Frolics Newsletter, Jan, March, May, July, Sept Nov (left)

Abandoning Amazon as Author and Reader

KU, Twitter & Author Ethical Dilemas

Indie Author Marketing & Time Management

Books & SFF Author Interviews

Text: SFF Author Interview, Character's Inner & Outer Dreams + Inspiration Image: portrait photo of Natalie Kelda with a black and white small cat draped across her shoulders.
Text: Where Fantasy Worlds Come From Images: SFR Coates with an emu and his bookcover for Reborn. Mindi Briar and her book cover Adrift in Starlight. Joyce-Reynolds Ward and her covers for Becoming Solo and Pledges of Honour
Text: Fantasy Author Feature Nikky Lee Short black haired, blue eyed caucasian smiling Nikky wearing a grey and black striped top.
Peeling paint of Manipulator's War's cover Text: Manipulator's War (book cover) Image: red glyphs outline a stone archway, through which fire arrows rain down on torch-lit battlements atop a castle, at night time. Spears in the foreground indicate an advancing invading army.
Text: Writer Pantser Interviews Image: short blue haired, caucasian Miriam Cumming holding xer first two fantasy books.
Text: Fantasy Author Feature: Mara Lynn Johnstone Image: head and shoulder photo of Mara Lynn Johnstone with toy dragon perched on her shoulder, wear elf ears, her brwon hair straight, blue framed glasses and a big smile.

Stories Behind Walking the Knife’s Edge

Itch, ‘Censorship’, Collective Shout & My Banned Book

Craft & Critical Reader Blogs

Writing

Editing & Feedback

Critical Reader/ Self Editing Prompts

Engaging Readers (of Your Novel)

Text: 9 tips for the first 5 pagesImage: Trail of open books winds along autumn leaf scattered lawn.

How Not To Write Marginalised Characters (1)

Writing Neurodivergent and Disabled Characters (2)

Writing Marginalised Characters (3):
LGBTQIA+ Inclusivity

Neurodivergent Writing Tips

Writers Resources

Character Development Checklists

Text: Editing a Novel: Scene & Line Edit TipsImage: white woman's hands with beringed fingers types on silver laptop at round table with pot plant, glasses and phone beside her.

Finding Critiques; 7 Options

12 Tips for Critical Reader Partnerships

Critical Reader Checklist Chapter 1

Text: Critical Reader Checklist Act 1Image: young black woman with long black curls sitting cross legged reading on a couch, wearing black hat.

Critical Reader Checklist 2

Critical Reader Checklist 3

Querying Tips

Pitching

Querying

Signing With an Agent/ Publisher/ Publishing Paths

Text: Crafting a Quality PitchImage: open book floating around books stacked to form a wall with circle window, more shelves in background.
Text: Querying ResourcesImage: silver computer on desk with notebook and glasses (top). Envelopes beside a bunch of flowers (bottom)
Text: Querying Your First NovelImage: wax sealed envelop with wooden seal and Querying Resources written on it.
Splayed envelops with words 'Query Letter Specifics' written over them.
Bsky & Other Pitch Parties
Text: Signing with an Indie Publisher3 images: Alexandra Beaumont, CG Volgars, Nikky Lee.
Text: How Halla Got her literary AgentImage: smiling Halla holding up her contract seated before her computer desk.

Publishing Paths; interview with authors on the Traditional, Hybrid & Indie Publishing Paths

World Building Blogs

Text: World Building Power and Conflict Image: fwo white birds fight in flight
Text: World Building GeographyImage: black basalt rocks on the calm shores off Auckland, New Zealand, with a volcano in the horizon, and clear blue sky roofed with soft white clouds
Text: World Building CulturesImage: pillars in the Temple of Karnak, Egypt, engraved with hiergrlyphs.
Text: World building humanoid LifeImage: four boys leap into the air after a ball in the grassy lane of an orchard with tall trees.
Text: World Building Food & FashionImage: green dressed brunette woman with red hairpiece sits in a black chair wielding a broad bladed silver knife.

MISC Pages

Diverse Books
(A set of curated lists)

Elise’s Press Kit