Would love commercial high concept #MG, written in a literary style, that explores some important emotional competency for the characters (death, loss, catastrophe, violence, race, differences/disability, social justice, growing up, etc) contemp, fantasy, sci-fi, etc. #MSWL

Elders who contribute meaningfully, whose experience & wisdom are respected. Collective policymaking (even in monarchies).

Just because Western (esp. American) narratives default to youthful, heroic individualism doesn’t mean it’s the only way to build a protagonist.
#MSWL #SFF

Domesticated species, architecture, etc. that make sense for the terrain/biome depicted. Even—or rather, especially—in #SFF, consistency in worldbuilding makes a story that much better.

Yes, I want more battle rhinoceroses. I admit it. #MSWL

Addendum: anger that masquerades as love, as idealism. Characters who persuade themselves of the righteousness of their own cause, who rationalize extremism born of a seed of compelling truth—because that’s how it so often begins.

You know what I’m talking about.
#MSWL #SFF

Different types of love & loyalty at war with each other, esp within the same person. Romantic love. Familial love. Love of country. Love for one’s people. Love for the downtrodden.

Love is stronger than hate, and opposing loves often make the most powerful conflicts.
#SFF #MSWL

Beautifully choreographed fight scenes that advance plot, develop character, and worldbuild.

Yes, #BlackPanther has the advantages of a visual medium. It’s harder in prose fiction, but it can be done so, so well. (See @FondaJLee.)
#SFF #MSWL

Accents, dialect, and non-English languages in English-language fiction, used in ways that enhance characterization and worldbuilding rather than othering or exoticizing the speaker. #SFF #MSWL

White characters interacting with non-white societies at a disadvantage. Non-white civilizations that do not exist for the white gaze, that treat with outsiders on their own terms. #Wakanda, and hundreds more nations like it. #SFF #MSWL

Postcolonialism 2.0: multifaceted conflicts that go beyond colonizer and colonized. Give me diaspora, give me infighting on all sides, give me vehement disagreement about a nation’s future that is borne of genuine patriotism and idealism. #SFF #MSWL #BlackPanther

Economically realistic motives for colonialism & war. Vibranium is spot-on as an analogue for resources that drove (historical & current) conquest: oil, gold, tea, slaves, spices...

#SFF is full of war stories; give ‘em better reasons than righteousness & border conflicts.
#MSWL

Female characters of all stripes with interior lives and motivations that don’t revolve around the male main character. Even if the male protagonist is supposed to save the world. #SFF #MSWL

WOC in science who are brilliant, fearless, multifaceted, and celebrated for their contributions. (This last point is important.)

Shuri is the Disney Princess of my dreams. (I was a STEM kid; I have FEELS, ok?) #MSWL #SFF #BlackPanther

BLACK PANTHER. My heart is full; my brain is on fire.

I want stories like it in my inbox. I want to help them reach readers. But, as one wise writer notes, “#MSWL = #BlackPanther!” is reductionist—however truly felt.

So, a list of specific things I LOVED & want more of in #SFF:

Seeking:
Adult: thriller, fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, contemporary romance, & romantic comedy.
YA: thriller, fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, horror, historical, & contemporary.
Send query & 1st 5 pages pasted in the body of email to: querylynnette (at) theseymouragency (dot) com #MSWL

Hey! It's Thursday! You know what that means?
Nothing really I guess but plz go write me some wild sci-fi/fantasy with stakes that just skyrocket through the whole book and relationships that make me weep. #MSWL

If I don’t see your #KissPitch pitch, send query & 1st 5 pages in body of email to: querylynnette (at) theseymouragency (dot) com. Seeking: Adult: fantasy, thriller, cont. romance, rom. com., mystery & sci-fi. YA: fantasy, sci-fi, horror, contemporary, thriller & mystery. #MSWL

#MSWL LGBTQ+/Diverse characters a plus in all submissions.

#MSWL sci-fi that has an unexpected&captivating structure. Characters that have layers upon layers of depth. Sci-fi elements that inspire MC to change. One of my favorite SF movies/stories is ARRIVAL/STORY OF YOUR LIFE(Ted Chiang), for the unique time&relationship layout.

#MSWL This! I'm sure a million people have asked for this, but put these ladies in space and give them an adventure that saves the galaxy. Every time this photo crosses my path, I pet it lovingly and say "one day."

"Actively and hungrily seeking diverse YA fantasy and sci-fi." @ericsmithrocks #MSWL ericsmithrocks.com/mswl/