2026 is upon us. Whether we’re ready for it or not. And it seems like as good a time as any to introduce myself. Or, reintroduce myself.
My name is Nicole Luttrell. I’m thirty-nine, and I live in Western PA. I write speculative fiction. I tend to inject at least a little horror into everything I write.
I’ve written two series. One is a fantasy series called Woven, about a boy who weaves visions and a girl who spins light. The second one is called Station 86. It’s about a police officer and a chef living on the space station of First Contact. I’ve also written a standalone horror novel, called Quiet Apocalypse.
Here on Paper Beats World, we talk about stories. We talk about writing them and keeping yourself healthy enough to do so. We talk about reading them and watching them. We talk a little bit about the business of writing. Something I want to do more of this year is talk about money management, because writers don’t make a lot of it, and we’ve got to make it count.
I like to take books I read and shows I watch, break them down, and talk about why they work. I talk about books about writing and tools for writers. I post here once a week, usually on Fridays.
Of course, as writers, we have to experience the world. Otherwise, what the hell are we writing about, and who the hell are we writing for? So from time to time I’ll talk about politics, religion, and world events. So you’re not caught off guard, I am, in fact, a bleeding heart feminist liberal who uses pronouns (She/her). I stand strongly against AI writing ‘art’. I defend banned books, trans people, immigrants, and drag queens. I am fiercely pro-choice. I am also bisexual and a Christian Witch.
I have a husband who’s disabled after a stroke, a dog named Oliver, and a cat named James. I also have a full-time job. It should be no surprise at all that I’m a big fan of coffee.
And wine.
My goal here is the same as it’s always been. To entertain you and teach you to fit a fulfilling writing practice into your life.
Now, for those of you who have been around for a while, I have bad news and good news.
The good news is that we have another year of writing, reading, and complaining about politics together to look forward to. I’m going to be refreshing the site to make it a little more personal and on brand. And I’m going to be posting new poetry or microfiction on Instagram most days.
The bad news is that I will not be publishing a new book this year. And it’s because I’ve been trying to write the book that I know some of you are waiting for, the finale of Station 86.
No lie, I have written two full rough drafts that were just terrible. They didn’t work at all. And this is the finale, you guys. It’s got to be what you deserve. What the story deserves.
So, this year I’m taking some time away from the project. There’s no sense in my beating myself bloody over something that clearly isn’t ready to exist yet. I’m working on a new-ish novel before I dive back into the Station 86 world.
That doesn’t mean, of course, that there will be nothing new from me. I have some fantastic ideas for the year. And I hope, whether this is your first visit or you’re an old friend, that you enjoy the journey with me.
If you love what we do here and want to support Paper Beats World, please like and share this post. You can also support us financially on Ko-fi.
Want to start of the year with a free book? Check out Seeming, book one of Station 86.
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