Iris Juniper Verblenk
LightNews LightNews
banner
iris-j-verblenk.bsky.social
Iris Juniper Verblenk
@iris-j-verblenk.bsky.social
200 followers 110 following 620 posts
30s | Urban Fantasy Romance | NO AI!

WIP: Steeped in Shadow #SteepedInShadow

https://www.tumblr.com/iris-juniper-verblenk
https://youtube.com/@irisjverblenk

#WeeklyWritingWednesday #SteepedInShadow
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
iris-j-verblenk.bsky.social
Iris Juniper Verblenk @iris-j-verblenk.bsky.social · Aug 14
#SumLuv
I am very bad at keeping things to only one sentence so I think I failed this challenge, still like the blurb that came out of it!

#SteepedInShadow

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts #Novel #NovelWriting #Writer #FemaleWriter #AmWriting #UrbanFantasy #Blurb #Romantasy
Virtual Photography made in the game Baldur's Gate 3 of my OC's Adrian and Judah. Adrian is in wolf form, one eye glowing white against a dark brown pelt. Judah is crouching next to him, one hand buried in his fur; they look down from a perch high above. Judah's hair is strawberry blonde, and he wears all-black leather armor. Text says: Steeped in Shadow by Iris J. Verblenk “Let the Shadows reveal you.” When humanity discovers the existence of Immortals, they scramble to claim their gifts for themselves. In the midst of it, Judah, dying of a brain tumor, decides to trust the wrong people. After the Immortals claim him as one of their own, he needs to decide whether he accepts the offered hand or honors a contract that will see him fight the man he fell in love with.
iris-j-verblenk.bsky.social
35 pages doneeeee!!!

One more read-through and then I'll send it off to be graded.

I'M FREE! I'M FREE, YOU GUYS!
September 15, 2026 at 2:34 PM
iris-j-verblenk.bsky.social
18 pages written! 17 more to go.
The end is in sight.
Elmo Fire
Alt: Elmo Fire
static.klipy.com
September 14, 2026 at 4:19 PM
Reposted by Iris Juniper Verblenk
kiraofthewind.com
#WIPSnips #WriteSky

The reason Shallot didn't send her kids to be formally educated at the local school...
Welcome to the Good Thyme Inn While waiting for Old Man Egg’s arrival, Shallot read the news. She sipped on an iced tea Parsnips had made for her. She loved cold drinks and was grateful to have such a caring husband who made ice cubes with his breath every morning for her on these hot summer days. Relegated to the sideline news was a story concerning a pair of twin boys who’d gone missing in Dawndorrel. Mornese boys. Shallot had lost track of how many missing children that was now. The fourth pair of twins this month, and that wasn’t counting single-child abductions. Always kids on their way to or from school… Always a boy in the pair, too. Never Takyufon, either. She had to assume the delivery kid was safe. She shook her head in disappointment at this wretched society. She would not let her kids go to school. Even though the schoolteacher in Aleton was a lovely lady who’d never hurt the kids, Shallot could not in good conscience let her kids walk alone to or from the school building, nor could she spare time away from the inn to escort them every day. She would have to teach them herself.
September 14, 2026 at 12:19 PM
Reposted by Iris Juniper Verblenk
amaralynn.bsky.social
#queerwriters Monday: Goals Day!

What do you hope to accomplish this week? Can be anything, big or small! Let us know so we can cheer you on!

#WritingCommunity #lgbtqwriters
Background: a plain background with colored pencils along the bottom half. Text: #Queerwriters What are your goals this week? Monday, Saturday, Sunday All LGBTQIAP writers welcome
September 14, 2026 at 11:57 AM
Reposted by Iris Juniper Verblenk
thefellowsnip.bsky.social
Day 32 - September 14th

Today’s word is: Neighbour

Won't you be my neighbour? (Doxxing myself as a Canadian with that "U").

#writesky #writingprompts #TFOTSnip #writingcommunity
September 14, 2026 at 10:00 AM
iris-j-verblenk.bsky.social
#AwesomeCharacters

How #MakerOfShadows would interact with the world...

tenor.com/de/view/hees...
September 14, 2026 at 9:37 AM
Reposted by Iris Juniper Verblenk
tarasgeir.bsky.social
I’ve used a few Kuzco gifs for Grio in the past but this one also fits. The world is there solely for his entertainment and pleasure. #Writesky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
September 13, 2026 at 6:08 AM
Reposted by Iris Juniper Verblenk
thefellowsnip.bsky.social
Day 31 - September 13th

Today’s word is: Consideration

A word for your consideration!

#writesky #writingprompts #TFOTSnip #writingcommunity
September 13, 2026 at 10:01 AM
Reposted by Iris Juniper Verblenk
kiraofthewind.com
#WIPSnips #WriteSky

Grilled and Garlic are runaway slaves who were just found and adopted by Shallot. Grilled is 8, Garlic 9 or 10 here. Turnip is about 4. This is from a scene where Turnip sees their current room for the first time...
Welcome to the Good Thyme Inn “But where are their toys?” Turnip asked. “I haven’t bought any yet,” Shallot explained. “I’ve had to buy their clothes and other essentials first, baby.” Turnip nibbled on her lip. “Can they play with mine?” “That’s very kind of you to share.” The only reason Shallot hadn’t requested it of Turnip yet was because her toys were simple and girly—cute stuffed animals, basic building blocks, a tiny house. Things Shallot did not think older boys would have any interest in. “I’ll get you your own toys when I can,” she said to the boys. “But in the meantime, if you would let her play with you, I would appreciate that.” Grilled and Garlic nodded. They had never had toys. An Ophidian mother would never bother giving her slave-sons anything that could distract them from their work.
September 13, 2026 at 11:37 AM
Reposted by Iris Juniper Verblenk
charliedeltawrites.bsky.social
#Septopolis 13

As a place where few things live and nothing grows, and a place that is simultaneously everywhere and nowhere, the signature dishes are a bit unusual in the City of Gates.

The one specialty they have is fresh ocean fish, so, many of their local dishes are centered there. 🧵
khonri.com Khonri 🫜 @khonri.com · 5d
Good morning, #Septopolis.

Food is everything. And a huge part of culture.

So focus here on up to two things here and why it matters or even how it/they earned a place as being cultural icons for these people.
A daily prompt card for #Septopolis 2026, hosted by @khonri.com. Cultural Elements, 13. What is a signature dish and/or famous regional ingredient specific to this place, and what makes it special? What history does it have with the local region? Interpret each prompt as suits your needs! Talk about relevant characters! Yap! Or don't! Develop a new city or whatever or talk about one you already built. Make friends. The background features a slightly blurred and purple hued image of the upper section of a set photograph of Main Commercial Street in Fritz Lang's Metropolis (UFA, 1927) of towering buildings.
September 13, 2026 at 8:38 PM
Reposted by Iris Juniper Verblenk
tarasgeir.bsky.social
Cailo and Alitzah have a rivalry that gradually becomes more bickering than violence. Alitzah hates Cailo because he can do magic and she hates wizards and he is the worst of the worst.
Cailo enjoys the rare moments he can feel vaguely superior but it takes him saving her life, twice, before
charliedeltawrites.bsky.social 🌱🫜 Charlie (Chelizabeth) Delta 🦊🪻 @charliedeltawrites.bsky.social · 5d
Tell me more about your #AwesomeCharacters

Does your character have a rival?

Not necessarily an antagonist, but someone they feel competitive towards?

Is it a friendly rivalry, or more contentious? Does that change over the course of the story?

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
September 13, 2026 at 10:55 PM
Reposted by Iris Juniper Verblenk
charliedeltawrites.bsky.social
September 14th – month

Nik has some advice for her new second-in-command.

They are still establishing their working relationship.

#DawnsBlood

#WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
“I feel the need to protect my people…” J’ossu began. “I know, I have heard all the justifications before. It is a common trait in military commanders.” Nik rolled her eyes. “They think that if they maintain constant vigilance, constant control, they can keep bad things from happening. To them, to their team, to their family. It doesn’t work, and it only drives everyone around them crazy. “You need to pass responsibility on to others for many reasons. For your own sanity, for theirs, so that they can learn, grow, gain the respect of the troops, teach you things you didn’t think of.” She ticked off points on her fingers. “Find someone promising, make them your second, and show them you trust them by allowing them control while you take regular nights off.” “I will, as soon as our situation is not so urgent.” “Our current urgency is long term, J’oss. It could last for months; it could last for years. You can’t live your whole life like you are in the middle of a pitched battle. The human body is not designed for it. For the time being, as important as everything is, as urgent as everything is, this is just regular life. You have to live it like it is. Know what I mean?”
September 14, 2026 at 5:12 AM
Reposted by Iris Juniper Verblenk
tarasgeir.bsky.social
Some ominous pillow talk for Halla and Strope. #WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
"I needed this," Halla finally said. She lay on her side and faced Strope, her fingers idly ran through his chest hair. He chuckled and did his best to draw her closer. "You needed this?" "Of course. It's not every day you find out you'll be dead in a few months." She made it sound like a joke but Strope didn't take it that way. The bed was small and the mattress was thin and he wrapped her in his arms to draw her as close as possible. "You're not going to die, Hal." Rather than answer, Halla kissed him but it was a small peck that hinted more of wanting to change the subject. "It's been a long time since I was this close to anyone." "Me too," Strope kissed one of her curls. "Of all the things I've discovered in Dragaul, I think this is what I'm most scared of losing. You will tell me if I start. You know. Start changing into a waden." "The first thing you hear will be my screams."
September 14, 2026 at 5:54 AM
iris-j-verblenk.bsky.social
#OCAsk #OCQOTD
It once was #JudahOC 's dream to become a tattoo artist. But he never got the chance.
If he had the chance now, he'd finally develop his style. It'd be flowy, like smoke, fog or water.
A tattoo of a fox. Drawing of two wolves palying A tattoo of a dragon an abstract tattoo
September 13, 2026 at 5:47 PM
Reposted by Iris Juniper Verblenk
charliedeltawrites.bsky.social
#Septopolis 12

This one connects to yesterdays answer somewhat, but yes! Everyone who lives permanently in the City of Gates worships the Pantheon, but more specifically, Niona, god of travel.

The City is the nexus of both her power and her portal network. She even lives there herself, often. 🧵
khonri.com Khonri 🫜 @khonri.com · 6d
Good morning, #Septopolis.

Feel free to tag your MythAugust if it applies here, but today's question is generally about the more "formal" guiding principles for this place, whether that be a structured religion or more philosophical path.

How does their practice impact their way of life?
A daily prompt card for #Septopolis 2026, hosted by @khonri.com. Cultural Elements, 12. Is there a predominant religion or philosophical system held by a majority of citizens? What impact does it have on how they approach their immediate life and surrounding world? Interpret each prompt as suits your needs! Talk about relevant characters! Yap! Or don't! Develop a new city or whatever or talk about one you already built. Make friends. The background features a slightly blurred and purple hued image of the upper section of a set photograph of Main Commercial Street in Fritz Lang's Metropolis (UFA, 1927) of towering buildings.
September 12, 2026 at 9:38 PM
Reposted by Iris Juniper Verblenk
amaralynn.bsky.social
Sorry for the lack of #queerwriterschat yesterday! Theo wasn't feeling well and I was resting my wrist!
September 12, 2026 at 3:13 PM
Reposted by Iris Juniper Verblenk
amaralynn.bsky.social
#queerwriters Saturday: Check in Day!

How was your week? Did you accomplish what you set out to do?

Share your progress, encourage, cheer, and support others!

#WritingCommunity #lgbtqwriters
Background: white background with colored pencils along the bottom half. Text: #Queerwriters Check in day! How was your week? Monday, Saturday, Sunday All LGBTQIAP writers welcome
September 12, 2026 at 2:55 PM
iris-j-verblenk.bsky.social
Five more papers to read and then it's write write write!
Research papers in two piles: done and pending
September 12, 2026 at 12:31 PM
Reposted by Iris Juniper Verblenk
tarasgeir.bsky.social
Things I was frightened of when I was a child.
1. Sharks in the swimming pool
2. Mice in the margarine
3. Crocs coming out of the toilet. Thanks to Round the Bend.
peterrobin.bsky.social Robin Herbert @peterrobin.bsky.social · 6d
Things I was frightened of when I was a child.

1. Locks in canals (on the Clyde and Forth canal they were frequently very high and in a poor state of repair)
2. The Necropolis in Glasgow
3. Vampires
ddwardiswriting.bsky.social DD Ward ..."Interim Pirate Queen" @ddwardiswriting.bsky.social · 6d
Things I was frightened of when I was a child.

1. Heights. I jumped off my deck until I got over that.
2. Razors etcetera. My little brother almost cut his index finger on my dad's new fishing knife once.
3. Velociraptors. Look I saw Jurassic Park. I still occassionally have raptor nightmares.
September 12, 2026 at 9:42 AM
Reposted by Iris Juniper Verblenk
thefellowsnip.bsky.social
Day 30 - September 12th

Today’s word is: Staff

Red Weddings, Purple Weddings, White Weddings, Black Weddings; so many weddings! All are welcome.

#writesky #writingprompts #TFOTSnip #writingcommunity
September 12, 2026 at 10:01 AM
Reposted by Iris Juniper Verblenk
tarasgeir.bsky.social
youtu.be/ciCe5NaOY4U?... the original vid’s been scrubbed off the internet but ‘stop me’ by Mark Ronson always made me think of Halla and Strope when they were apart. #Songsofseptember
September 12, 2026 at 10:15 AM
Reposted by Iris Juniper Verblenk
tarasgeir.bsky.social
Using 'chunk', Grio should be celebrating, instead he's being chased after yet another wizard explodes and blows up a chunk of the city walls. #WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
Tonight should have been one of celebration. The Festival of Chains was to commemorate when Dragaul had taken a god, the Sixth Sister, and imprisoned her under the city. Now she lay there, shackled to the walls for all eternity and Dragaul covered itself in chains to remember. Grio had been celebrating in a bar up in Keepylbas. He'd worn a jacket that was pulled together with tiny chains instead of buttons. It had cost him a weeks wages and now it was splattered into mud. He'd heard a dull boom from the distance. Someone had run in and said there'd been an explosion in the Osservarn district. An energy wizard had died and almost taken out a chunk of the walls. It was the third explosion that month and Grio realised that the whole bar had gone silent and stared at him in a mix of fear and anger. So now he ran for his life. Trying to find somewhere safe until it was confirmed that the energy wizards were not part of some secret conspiracy to destroy the walls.
September 12, 2026 at 8:20 AM
Reposted by Iris Juniper Verblenk
michaelwarburton.bsky.social
“Do you think HUMAN CREATIVITY matters?

Most people don't spend a lot of time thinking about poetry until their father dies, you go to a funeral, you lose a child, somebody breaks your heart & that's when Art’s not a luxury it's sustenance.” — ETHAN HAWKE
September 11, 2026 at 10:28 AM
Reposted by Iris Juniper Verblenk
amritac.bsky.social
Morning #5amwritersclub.

Today I wish all rejections were like this. That's all.

#amwriting #writingcommunity #writerscommunity #authorsky
September 12, 2026 at 7:35 AM
Reposted by Iris Juniper Verblenk
rayhourigan.bsky.social
The cryptid displayed
Unnatural eloquence,
Even with no mouth.
#WeirdMicro #UnnaturalEloquence #haiku #senryu #poem #writing #writingcommunity
@weirdmicro.bsky.social
September 12, 2026 at 7:37 AM