Me Time
Taking A Break from Overwhelm and From the Usual
It's Election Day and, as you can imagine, for those of us in NYC it's been overwhelming and at times emotional. I'll be glad when it's over though I'm sure this new phase will usher in its own set of challenges and emotions.
So changing the subject here to something more pleasant seems like a good idea.
I've been reading Advance Review Copies of books on NetGalley and once in a while something really impresses me. This week it was a debut novel called "Like Family" by Erin O. White.
It might be because I read a lot of romances that a novel exploring the ins and outs of long-term relationships and the people in them feels different and refreshing. The book focuses on three couples--two lesbian and one heterosexual. All three live in a small town in the Hudson River Valley in New York state and all three have small children.
The precipitating incident that opens the book involves the 16-year-old daughter of one of the lesbian couples who gets a letter from an attorney informing her that she's been named as a beneficiary of the will of someone she doesn't know. It turns out that someone is her biological dad, a former boyfriend of one of her moms from before her two moms met. Upset that this has been kept from her and that this man's death means she will never meet him, she's angry at her parents and this issue becomes a plot thread that takes us through the rest of the book.
But in addition, we learn about each of the couples--their relationships and their connections with one another. It's an excellent portrayal of the interiors of long-term marriages, long-term friendships (two women from two of the couples are best friends), and familial relationships (the husband in the straight couple is the cousin of one of women in one of the lesbian couples). The author does a great job of portraying the regrets, hopes, disappointments, resentments, needs, and confusions of the adult parents as well as their early lives and histories.
I'm sure there are many books that explore these same issues, but I don't usually come across them, and it's my guess that most don't include queer couples. So that's why this book felt like a find.
If you want a break from only-one-bed, ice queen, enemies-to-lovers, second chance, etc. tropes, take a look at Like Family.
Sapphic Lit and Other Book Stuff
6 Ways to Create Amazing Character Chemistry - WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®
six tips for creating that oomph between characters in any genre
Good News About Bad Reviews – Writer Unboxed
So don’t worry that negative reviews of your book are out there. Not every book will land how you want it to land with every reader. But if you’re lucky, the exact thing that one of your reader-reviewers hates will be something other readers will love.
Prologues That Work and Why | Jane Friedman
Done well, they can intrigue readers and ignite interest in the story to come. Several different types of prologues are reviewed here, along with examples of effective ones.
Writing 101: Popular Structure Models that Work - WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®
Whether you’re a dedicated plotter or a discovery writer who prefers to see where the story goes, structure still plays a role. You don’t have to outline every scene and know everything that will happen; just figuring out the key turning points can help you shape a satisfying beginning, middle, and end (and avoid the dreaded saggy middle).
Confessions of a Neurodiverse Writer: Encouragement and a Spoonful of Hope – Writer Unboxed
encouragement and perhaps a spoonful of hope to others who, like me, didn’t match an obvious profile in childhood and may have lived decades struggling before getting answers. Knowledge truly is power and there is no shame in seeking help.
Authors Guild Victory: Plaintiffs Prevail as Judge Rules READER Act Violated First Amendment - The Authors Guild
On October 21, 2025, U.S. District Judge Alan D. Albright ruled on summary judgment motions filed by the parties after discovery in the case, finding the Restricting Explicit and Adult-Designated Educational Resources (READER) Act unconditional and permanently enjoining key provisions of the law. He ruled that the law unconstitutionally compelled speech, imposed impermissibly vague standards, and functioned as an unconstitutional prior restraint on protected expression.
11 Successful Query Letter Examples for Writers in Various Genres - Writer's Digest
The best way to learn what to do is to study examples of real query letters that have been effective for recently published books. So here are 11 successful query letters from our Successful Queries series on the site.
News For A Challenging Time
LGBTQ federal workers face growing strain, fear of backsliding rights
The Washington Blade spoke with two LGBTQ federal employees from different parts of the government to understand how the shutdown has disrupted their lives and added stress to an already uncertain future.
Both sources spoke on the condition of anonymity, citing fear of retribution amid the current political climate surrounding federal employment and their sexuality. For LGBTQ federal employees, the stakes are often higher, as they must navigate not only financial and professional uncertainty but also a political environment that can threaten hard-won rights and recognition.
Texas judges who don’t perform gay weddings for faith reasons won’t face sanctions, high court says – Houston Public Media
Judges who decline to perform weddings based on their religious beliefs won’t be violating state rules on judicial impartiality, the Texas Supreme Court said in a comment added to the state judicial conduct code Friday
Series Of Attacks Target LGBTQ-Owned Businesses In Denver, Police Investigating - GO Magazine
The attacks, which targeted a range of queer spaces from a wellness studio to the region’s largest LGBTQ organization, have prompted police investigations and renewed conversations about safety in queer spaces.
Chappell Roan Launches Fund for Trans Youth "Midwest Princess Project” Raising Over $400,000 | Them
Per its official website, the Midwest Princess Project has distributed funds to six LGBTQ+ organizations in three cities: The Center and The Ali Forney Center in New York City; the Trans Wellness Center and TransLatin@ Coalition in Los Angeles; and the GLO Center and The Center Project in Missouri, Roan’s home state. It’s a natural progression for Roan, who has remained outspoken about politics on tour
JoJo Siwa Responds To Trad Wife Comments
The people who are criticizing me for saying that I'm moving away from the queer community — which literally is not possible for me to do — those people are not doing the same for me."
Pentagon Ordered To Reinstate Banned Race and Gender-Themed Books In Military Family Schools - GO Magazine
In its quest to suppress diverse ideas and uncomfortable truths, the Pentagon (under Trump Administration directive) had banned books that included many classics, such as To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee; The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood; The Color Purple, by Alice Walker; and material about Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, and Rosa Parks. Beyond subjects of enslavement and racial discrimination, material speaking to Native American history, women’s history, sexual abuse prevention, and LGBTQ identities and history was purged.
Ohio teacher loses lawsuit against New Richmond schools
U.S. District Court Judge Douglas Cole dismissed the complaint. He argued that Cahall must have known the books were controversial because they were placed in the bins after teachers were banned from displaying LGBTQ+ flags, stickers and pins.
The WNBA Has Become Extremely Popular. Ticket Prices Are Now Rising. - The New York Times
During the 2024 season, Logitix, a ticket inventory management company, reported an average price of $88, a 75 percent increase from $50 in 2023.
Culture and Joy
Women’s Week sweeps through Provincetown
The annual event, held for decades, totaled more than 150 events, including workshops, comedy shows, meet-and-greets, and music performers.
Organizers Promised a Lesbian Apocalypse And Delivered – 700 Scholars, Activists and Artists Descend on NYC For Lesbian Lives Conference 2025 - GO Magazine
Gen Z mixed with movement-makers from the 70’s and 80’s – like women’s music luminaries Margie Adam and Judith Casselberry, and photographer Morgan Gwenwald who gave us erotic mag, On Our Backs. A few were delightfully surprised to see what the queer foremothers were up to (think photos of semi-naked women perched in trees on “the land”). Intergenerational dialogue as queer resistance? That was a panel too.
November 2025: What's New, Gay and Streaming on Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV, Peacock and HBO Max | Autostraddle
Perhaps though you will find yourself sitting on the couch watching some television with lesbian, bisexual, queer and/or trans characters? Well here’s what we have cooking!
Katy O'Brian dishes on going toe-to-toe with Sydney Sweeney in Christy & honoring a lesbian sports icon - Queerty
And, at the end of the day, we’re both we’re both open, we’re both out, we’re both biracial, we both have a sports background—she had done even a bodybuilding competition back in the day—so we just had a lot in common. And she said that she felt represented by me, and that was the most important thing for me. I wouldn’t have wanted to play someone who just didn’t feel like I was the right person to portray them, but she was happy about it. So she was excited, and I was super excited to play her.
Marissa Bode's queer take on Wicked made fans swoon - Queerty
Though Bode was out and proud before Wicked hit our screens last November, it was only after the movie’s release that fans realized just how queer the cast is, herself included. Her adorable relationship with journalist Lauren Brooks, whom she’s reportedly been dating since 2023, caught the internet’s attention.
Bode and Brooks have appeared together on red carpets, in Chappell Roan-inspired Halloween costumes and at Pride marches.
Nia DaCosta and Tessa Thompson on Their Queer Period Film ‘Hedda’
it was the decision to change Hedda’s former flame from a man to a woman that had me most hooked. What could have precipitated such a decision, I wondered.
Paige Bueckers, WNBA Rookie of the Year, to Star in 'Jess & Pearl' Film | Them
The new project, which Deadline reports is being developed by Apple Original Films, “follows two phenoms who forge an extraordinary bond as teammates until fame, competition and the ruthless business of college athletics threaten to turn their friendship into an epic rivalry.”
Iconic NYC lesbian bar Meow Mix reunites regulars two decades after shuttering
The East Village venue that helped set a new tone for sapphic spaces in the '90s celebrates lesbian history and culture with a nostalgic anniversary weekend.
Did Padma Lakshmi just hard launch her sapphic relationship? - Queerty
While Lakshmi came out as bisexual in her 2016 memoir Love, Loss, and What We Ate, this seems to be the first time she’s stepped out publicly—and quite romantically—with a woman.
Finding Herself First, Then Finding Love - The New York Times
When Lauren Chan, the first lesbian Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition cover model, met Hayley Kosan, a film director, Ms. Chan was navigating a journey of self-discovery.
Women’s Pro Baseball League Announces Its Four Inaugural Teams - GO Magazine
he league aims to bring women’s baseball back to mainstream sports. The response has been phenomenal. The WPBL official Instagram page has already amassed more than 47,000 followers, all eager to see what this league will bring to the sport.
The first season, scheduled to launch in May, will feature four teams across major baseball cities: New York, Boston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
Submit Nominations For Women We Love, Class of 2026 - GO Magazine
We want to hear about the phenomenal advocates, entrepreneurs, performers, writers, athletes, celebrities, chefs, politicians, educators, comedians, and everyday heroes! And hey—if it’s you that’s amazing, feel free to nominate yourself. Don’t be shy!
Helpful Tools
Excalidraw Whiteboard
Excalidraw is a virtual collaborative whiteboard tool that lets you easily sketch diagrams that have a hand-drawn feel to them.
