Florrie Auclair - Querying and Drafting

@florrienne

🌷 Writer and Data Engineer 🩷 she/they Querying a weird bureaucratic sci-fi romance with first contact and iridescent aliens 🚫 No AI Co-writer for the #CroverField comic banner: @croverfield icon: @almakrowan

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Bluesky

Ist das dein Profil?Übernimm es — dann gehört dir florrienne.dirty.social.Profil übernehmen

Florrie Auclair - Querying and Drafting@florrienne· Jul 9

Oh I have the perfect one for this haha Emeric is always ready to serve #SummerOfStories

He had his pearly hair up today in a ponytail, still long enough to pass his waist even tied up. With his hair out of the way, the variety of silver earrings dangled from his long ears freely. Was this man a middle manager or a fashion model? The other Saturniians wore basic, solid colors, form fitting pants. Shirts ranged from a mix of tank tops and strangely cut sweaters with asymmetrical necklines, all sleek, tight fabrics. No patterns. In contrast, Emeric was currently wearing a loose, cream blouse with a neckline cut deep enough to show a salacious amount of blue skin, the edges embroidered with bright red thread in swirling patterns. This was the first time she had seen him in similar pants to his colleagues, form fitting and black, with the front of his shirt tucked into the waist. A maroon cloak tossed over the back of his chair matched the color of the embroidery.

She futilely smoothed the wrinkles on her gray tank top; at least she had managed to put on real clothes.

Florrie Auclair - Querying and Drafting@florrienne· Jul 4

I love this template so much and am now stealing it 😘 A quick guide to Gloria and Emeric 💕

Understand by ship template featuring Gloria, a human woman, and Emeric, an alien man.

Please note Emeric's shameless horny level and lack of awkwardness compared to Gloria's reasonable level of horny but contrasted by her terrible anxiety lol

Emeric keeps her alive via cooking, but Gloria drives and kills every bug in the house.

Florrie Auclair - Querying and Drafting@florrienne· Jul 4

I don't have a ton of action in my story...but this is probably the most goosebump inducing scene! We thought this planet was supposed to be docile... #SummerofStories

As silently as she could manage, she crept over to his side. A horrible noise squelched and tore. Much closer than she would like. Inside the cave, the vines pooled in heaps, coalescing around various mounds—ones that Emeric nearly became. One of the vine bundles was large, with matted, blood orange hair peeking out of the crevices between the strands. More importantly was the creature crouched over it, tearing out chunks of flesh from the dead herbivore. It was as though rust had fused into one nightmare figure; with four legs too long, skin too bare, and claws too sharp.

Three sets of slanted eyes, all of which were stacked in the middle of its face, darted toward them. A sliver of sinew dropped from its jaw. Her breath hitched as Emeric pulled her behind him. The creature clicked, its head twitching one way, then the other—and then its face split into two halves, each taking a column of eyes, as it unhinged its jaw in a creaking screech.

Florrie Auclair - Querying and Drafting@florrienne· Jul 2

Intros are the HARDEST for me! They inevitably change a lot, but I tend to start with either a hooky sentence or description that will weave in our main character. Opening lines to Meeting of Honesty, where we get our pretty Monet inspired planet and Gloria who is not having it 😆 #SummerOfStories

Gloria had seven hundred and twenty days to build a functioning colony.

While the Amaryllis swooped down into the atmosphere, the ship's landing gear whining and clicking, Gloria stared at her crumpled notes for their colony road map. She sat on the edge of a table, pen tapping over her own messy scrawl in time with the nervous bounce of her leg. The rest of the crew pressed up against the window as the ship cut through wisps of peach clouds. Their sighs and tears fogged the glass, unconcerned about the challenges they were about to crash into. So what if the planet was pretty? Let her know how the dreamlike aesthetic made construction more feasible and her anxiety any blunter. Those rosy treetops stretching across the ridges of the terrain would need to be cleared. Steep slopes and ravines marring the bruised palette of the surface, unsuitable to develop without significant terraforming. To the west, their destination boasted flatter land but inconvenient spires of amber glass jutting up from the ground.

Florrie Auclair - Querying and Drafting@florrienne· Jun 26

You know my OCs hehe but I will slide you Gloria and Emeric 🫡

Florrie Auclair - Querying and Drafting@florrienne· Jun 25

MEETING OF HONESTY it's like Project Hail Mary if these were the two idiots making first contact but also they're middle managers who don't know science and also the alien is hot #UnhingedPit #Q #SF #R #100KPleaseGodLetThisRevisionMakeItUnder100K

Florrie Auclair - Querying and Drafting@florrienne· Jun 1

I guess I'm adding a new flag this year. Started writing an enby character and it resonated a little too much 🫠 I might have OC'd too close to the sun with this one. Anyways hi I'm Florrie. I'm bisexual and apparently enby. Happy Pride 🏳️‍🌈

Florrie Auclair - Querying and Drafting@florrienne· May 23

HORIZON ZERO DAWN X VIOLET EVERGARDEN When a blight strikes, an optimistic archivist must track down the legendary garden of her hero with the help of an old world engineer—but discoveries about her idol make her question everything. ☀️ Solarpunk 🌷 Floriography 💚 Enby love interest #WIPPit #A #SF

Mood board for Mending Glass, a Solarpunk Romantic SF. The board includes a cottagecore woman holding a basket, heirloom roses, a cluster of asphodel flowers, PLC circuits, a person wearing outerwear, and glass panels.

Florrie Auclair - Querying and Drafting@florrienne· May 23

MENDING GLASS ☀️💾🌼 When a blight strikes, an optimistic archivist must track down the legendary garden of her hero with the help of an old world engineer—but discoveries about her idol make her question everything. ☀️ Solarpunk 🌷 Floriography 💚 Enby love interest #WIPPit #A #SF Currently drafting!

Floral background with the text Mending Glass. By Florrie Auclair. Solarpunk Romantic Sci-Fi

Comp slide with Horizon Zero Dawn, A Psalm for the Wild-Built, Violet Evergarden, and Fruits Basket. The text pointing at the various media are Ruins of a fallen industrial world, Solarpunk, Flower Motifs, Traveling to help others and find self discovery, Joyful but melancholic character connections, and Sunshine MC x Sunshine Protector

Character portrait of a blond woman making a heart with her hands. Juniper Penrose. An archivist specializing in botany. She idolizes the old world botanist, Miriam, who helped lead the resistance centuries ago. Optimistic and a little reckless, she seeks to uncover the past and find Miriam’s garden. Her drive to help people, sometimes comes at her own expense—like the reason for the mechanical leg she now cherishes.

Next to that is a character portrait of a nonbinary character with light blue eyes and duotone hair in black and blonde. Eli Winter. An aloof engineer who specializes in old world infrastructure programming trying to prove their skills are just as important as the nouveau programmers of the city. They leave their home and grandfather to help Juni break into archaic servers and hard drives—and often pull her out of trouble.

The Pitch
Data is as fragile as flower petals. That’s why Juniper, an archivist in a recovering solarpunk world, wants to immortalize the past in the Glass Archives. Safe from time’s decay, unlike the archaic hard drives of the old world. Specifically, information on her hero, Miriam, a botanist who legend says grew a garden of resistant plants—ones that could survive the blight ravaging their crops. But to find it, Juniper will need the help of Eli, an engineer who specializes in old world technology. Together they traverse ruins and follow a trail of flower language from village to village to unearth what led to the dark age of information. But Juniper starts to question her identity when they uncover that the woman she modeled herself after was not the hero she believed.

Florrie Auclair - Querying and Drafting@florrienne· May 20

My husband got me the most beautiful flowers today for our nine year anniversary. Thank you so much @dantegamer.bsky.social 💕 I love you!

Florrie Auclair - Querying and Drafting@florrienne· May 8

New blorbos? In a solarpunk world? 👀 @croverfield.bsky.social helping me cook once again 💚 Meet Juniper (she/her) and Eli (they/them). You'll get to learn more about them during WIPPit sooooon #OCSky #MendingGlass

Character designs for Juniper, a blonde woman with soft features wearing a white blouse and pink skirt with a purple cloak. She's carrying a brief case. And for Eli, an enby engineer with black and blonde hair and an oversized red jacket looking far too cool.

Florrie Auclair - Querying and Drafting@florrienne· Apr 30

🙂 #CampRevPit #ScavengerHunt #CRPLyrebirds

"So, am I the first alien you've met?"

"Yes," he said, his enthusiasm brightening, "How fortunate that if I were to meet an alien, it would be a friend."

She rolled her eyes, fighting off the flattery. "No others though? Just us in the universe?"

Emeric leaned in over the table. Without breaking eye contact, he moved one of his pieces up next to hers. "If there are, I have yet to meet them. I am killing your emperor now, by the way."

Sure enough, he flicked over her piece, revealing the emperor symbol, and laughed at the howl of frustration that escaped her.

Florrie Auclair - Querying and Drafting@florrienne· Apr 29

THE LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS X CALAMITY A territory dispute with aliens wasn't on Gloria's colony roadmap, but neither was falling for one. ✨ First Contact (But make it workplace rivals-to-lovers) ✨ Iridescent Aliens ✨ Corporate Satire ✨ Monet Inspired Planet ✨ Grumpy X Flirty #QuestPit #Q #A #SF #R

Florrie Auclair - Querying and Drafting@florrienne· Apr 29

MEETING OF HONESTY—If it isn't enough that aliens arrive at the same time as her crew on an uninhabited planet, Gloria now has to facilitate first contact, resolve their territory dispute, and not get distracted by her new feelings for the ostentatious leader of said aliens. #QuestPit #Q #A #SF #R

First page of an agent's guide with dreamy colors in the background.

An Agent's Guide to Meeting of Honesty
Science-Fiction Romance
104,000 Words
Florrie Auclair

Querying Now!

Colorful Sci-Fi | Monet Inspired Planet | First Contact | Workplace Rivalry

Pitch Slide:
Oh brave new world, with such paperwork in it. When aliens arrive at the same time as her crew on an uninhabited planet, it’s up to Gloria to solve their territory dispute. And figure out her feelings for Emeric, an alien man with iridescent hair and mothlike antennae. For Gloria, that last part may be the most harrowing. She’s spent her life running from the truth: of what she wants, who she is, and her complicity in her company’s technostate intentions for their colony.

Gloria and Emeric must collaborate to protect the disputed land from an invasive moss. Despite the paperwork and his constant teasing, she starts to let him in. Until their growing feelings are cut short by the revelation he has lied to her about his own goals on the planet. If she wants to protect her crew and humanity itself, she will need to weaponize her wits and even bureaucracy against him. Their culture clash asks: what is honesty? And what will it take for Gloria to finally be honest with her crew—and herself?

Comps:
Translation State by Ann Leckie for Alien Diplomacy & Communication
Overruled by Lana Ferguson for its prickly FMC and workplace rivals-to-lovers
Swallowed by Meg Smitherman

Excerpt Slide

Next to the text, art of Gloria and Emeric is on the right. He is leaning her back in a dance position, their hands together. He looks devious, while she is angry at him but blushing. His hair is iridescent and billowing around them. A note in red ink points to him and reads "Asshole and an idiot!!"

Excerpt text:
His other hand pointed to their adjoined palms. Beginning at their pinkie fingers, he bounced to the next digit and enunciated a new, unintelligible word. Each finger anointed until reaching her thumb. This was the oddest difference between their hands; his was longer with an extra joint. Clarity crashed into her. Her inhale sharpened.

Five fingers.

Across the universe, she met a new lifeform and they both had five fingers on each hand.

"Oh my god," Gloria breathed. Ironically, it was their shared features that overwhelmed her. Comfort should accompany commonality, but instead, it made this fever dream of an experience harder to deny. It was tangible that she was standing here with a bipedal humanoid with five fingers, even if his skin was blue and he had rainbow hair and feathery moth antennae. Either she was going to start laughing hysterically or throw up.

Warble, the alien agreed (she had no idea if that was an affirmative).

Florrie Auclair - Querying and Drafting@florrienne· Apr 26

in MEETING OF HONESTY you get... ✨ First Contact Communication ✨ Lush Alien Planet ✨ Bureaucratic Satire ✨ Pretty Humanoid Aliens ✨ Humans are Space Orcs ✨ Aliens are So Advanced™️ (subverted) ✨ Grump x Sunshine (a very flirty sunshine) ✨ Workplace Rivals to Lovers #CampRevPit #CRPLyrebirds

Florrie Auclair - Querying and Drafting@florrienne· Apr 25

Cabin raid! Crashing this prompt because who says sci-fi can't have that 'oh' moment 💕 #CRPCabinRaids #CRPLyrebirds

Emeric had changed in the bathroom, now wearing a loose black shirt that still showed a decent amount of skin with the sharp cut collar, and navy pants with a geometric pattern of gold. He had brought out with him an oversized needle of a tool, a stainless steel rod with a hollow end. Casually, he flicked something on the rod and a low sound thrummed from it. He began working it through his wet hair, still sporadically dripping onto the floor. How mundane; to see alien technology at work and it was a hair dryer. An effective one to manage his mane of hair. Gloria watched him openly. He was slightly bent to the side, his hair draped over one shoulder while he carded fingers through it with the dryer. Her eyes slid unintentionally, a syrupy drag down his arm and down his exposed torso.

Heat pooled in her stomach, and the subsequent realization was a icy shock in contrast.

Oh god, she was attracted to Emeric.

Florrie Auclair - Querying and Drafting@florrienne· Apr 24

A snippet of Gloria and Emeric's banter. They take turns antagonizing the other 😆 Buuuut also they can sometimes be soft 💕 (I couldn't choose so I'm adding both lol) #CampRevPit #DialogueDrop #CRPLyrebirds

"Gods above, woman. Has the day broken your mind?"

"No, I just. It's nice seeing you not acting all perfect and like nothing bothers you for once," Gloria said through receding giggles.

"It is my job to not show when things bother me." His voice was a little lower like maybe he hadn't fully recovered from her laugh knocking him off kilter, "But I do have limits. Obviously."

She nodded, still smiling a little. "I mean, yeah. But I like seeing that you're really a person underneath all that bullshit."

"Bullshit? As in, nonsense?" He asked incredulously, "Surely the translator did not hear you correctly."

"Utter nonsense. You heard me."

"I am wounded."

She snorted. "No, you're not."

He laughed and released his tousled bun. The motion of shaking out the pearly waves of his hair brought with it a waft of something floral and spiced. Midway through gathering his hair back to his neck, he grinned at her. "I am not."

"I can take care of myself," she murmured.

"I know you are capable of it, but you should not always have to."

Gloria hesitated, rubbing the back of her hand in her lap. "I always had to. I need to hold it together for everyone else. Even Zane wasn't around if I was sick," she said, then suddenly stopped herself abruptly, not intending to let the floodgates of those feelings pour out.

"I see," he said softly, "You have a partner then?"

"No. Not in years," she said quicker than she meant to, then tentatively broached forward, "Do you?"

"No," he shook his head and she wondered if his subtle relief was a delusion on her part, "But that man was a fool then, not to care for you."

She smiled wryly. "Maybe. Caring for me can be awful work, though."

He tied off the bandage and his eyes gleamed. "Well, thank you for letting me take on such wretched work."

Florrie Auclair - Querying and Drafting@florrienne· Apr 23

A bonus snippet of Gloria's translation: #VillainVoices #CampRevPit

'In light of your most recent report and the circumstances on Earth, Khloris leadership is advising that you accept the terms of the alien party's agreement immediately. Retrieval of enterprise property is of the highest priority; please ensure company assets are secured. Khloris is aiming to consolidate and identify key metrics that will give an edge during these tumultuous times. Due to the recent transformations in Terran governments, this proposal will offer our company new and exciting options as not only the industry leader, but to move the needle as a global influence.'

Behind the multiple layers of business jargon and grime, Gloria understood the real message: 'The riots got bad enough that we are suddenly being held accountable and need an ace in the hole. Now be a good drone and hand your planet to the aliens on a silver platter. Our bottom line is in danger.'

Florrie Auclair - Querying and Drafting@florrienne· Apr 22

this was my runner up, but it's more than one line 🤭 #CampRevPit #OneLineMC #CRPLyrebirds

There had to be a third option. And if there wasn't, she was going to make one. Gloria knew her methods were clumsy, that she had not done right by anyone until now. But she thought of her crew and their earnest hopes and protectiveness surged through her.

She couldn't keep running away from this.

Florrie Auclair - Querying and Drafting@florrienne· Apr 22

Choosing a slightly different showcase for Gloria. She's a grump, she's got intimacy issues, she's a workaholic. But more importantly she's ✨ self deprecating ✨ #CampRevPit #OneLineMC #CRPLyrebirds

She was struck by how beautiful it was and felt bitter that once again, something so breathtaking could be wasted on someone like her.

Florrie Auclair - Querying and Drafting@florrienne· Apr 21

Haha it's basic! For now. He keeps has threatened to put his woodworking skills to use for a fancier one. It's deceptively simple. You not only need to figure out your opponent's pieces but remember which of your own are which! It's very espionage and memory themed 😆

Florrie Auclair - Querying and Drafting@florrienne· Apr 18

First contact has more paperwork than Gloria ever imagined. A MEMORY CALLED EMPIRE X CALAMITY X SWALLOWED ✨ First contact but make it workplace rivals to lovers ✨ Aliens with rainbow hair ✨ Grumpy X (Flirty) Sunshine ✨ Anti-Capitalist ✨ LGBTQ+ Cast ✨ Colorful Sci-Fi #PosterPit #Q #SF #R #A

Movie poster of a blurry field of flowers tinted to look like early morning.

A Sci-Fi Romance Novel by Florrie Auclair
Meeting of Honesty
Workplace Rivals to Lovers
Monet Inspired Planet
Corporate Satire

A Burnt out former lawyer must facilitate first contact, fight back against her own corporate overlords, and not fall for the alien man keeping secrets from her.

Querying now.

Florrie Auclair - Querying and Drafting@florrienne· Apr 18

If it wasn't enough that aliens arrive at the same time as her crew on an otherwise uninhabited planet, Gloria now has to facilitate first contact, resolve their territory dispute, and not get distracted by her new feelings for the ostentatious leader of said aliens. #PosterPit #Q #SF #R #A

Now Querying
A Sci-Fi Romance Novel by Florrie Auclair
Meeting of Honesty
"Oh brave new world, that has such paperwork in it!"
First contact on a Monet inspired planet with corporate satire and rivals to lovers. May cause attraction to moth antennae.
Art by Croverfield

Florrie Auclair - Querying and Drafting@florrienne· Apr 11

When aliens arrive at the same time on an uninhabited planet, Gloria must facilitate first contact, resolve their territory dispute, and not get distracted by her new feelings for the ostentatious leader of said aliens. AKA If first contact was an office rivals romance 👽💕 #ProfilePit #A #SF #R #WIP

Moodboard for Gloria, a brunette human woman, with the text "Meet Gloria. Age: 35, Lawyer turned Project Manager, Workaholic, Grump, Dependable, Touch starved, Just made first contact" and the quote "She wore her obligations like a second skin, the expectations were the weight of her bones." Images include amaryllis flowers, a retro phone, office supplies, empty coffee cups, and whiskey.

Moodboard for Emeric, a blue alien man, including the text "Meet Emeric. Age: 37. Project Director, Chaotic Bisexual, Traditional, Charming, Dramatic, Was the first contact." and the quote "That depends. Ama I an idiot or an asshole?" Pictures include a chess board, blue orchids, a book, music sheet, tea, and a bath with flowers.

Florrie Auclair - Querying and Drafting@florrienne· Apr 11

But I did get to see my favorite band (Friday Pilots Club) and eat some good food 💕

Florrie Auclair - Querying and Drafting@florrienne· Apr 6

also!! this absolutely adorable page doll of Gloria I comm'd from the lovely @almakrowan.bsky.social

Florrie Auclair - Querying and Drafting@florrienne· Apr 6

Some more art by @croverfield.bsky.social because they spoil the heck out of me

Florrie Auclair - Querying and Drafting@florrienne· Apr 6

I am so weak to art comms 🫠 especially because @croverfield.bsky.social is the best 💕 they've helped me with the character designs and their art is to die for #RevPitWaiting

Florrie Auclair - Querying and Drafting@florrienne· Apr 3

My office is where I write 95% of the time 💖 #RevPitWaiting

Florrie Auclair - Querying and Drafting@florrienne· Apr 1

omg the preview for the audiobook of MEETING OF HONESTY just dropped 👀 #ChaosPit #WIP #A #SF #R