All Lit Up

The next chapter: July 2024 update

/ Melanie Marttila

Helluva thing, returning to work …

Love me a dynamic sky.

Life in general

Though my first week back was only three days and most of it was sorting through six weeks worth of email, dealing with systems issues, and generally getting used to my 8:30 to 4:30 work schedule again, it was a rough transition, because transitions are hard.

The next week was better, in part because I received my letter of offer. My acting instructional designer position is confirmed to start August 6th (after the civic holiday long weekend in Canada). In the meantime, I will have a number of small projects to keep me occupied, mostly helping other members of my team and bringing my high detail orientation to bear.

But then, on the 13th, my mother-in-law fell and had to go to the hospital to be assessed. The doctors kept her at HSN until the following Wednesday. She’s home and well and, as of the end of July, waiting for physio and a home assessment for potential accessibility measures.

Then we find out if the recommended accessibility measures will be supplied and installed or if we’ll have to purchase and install them. We don’t know if the apartment manager/owner will commit to some measures (e.g., a walk-in shower instead of a tub).

In nature news, I forgot to mention last month that the linden trees and sumac were in bloom. This month, all the trees are setting fruit. The mountain ash berries will be orange until the first frost hardens them. Flowers are still happening, but they’re mostly in gardens.

The blueberries are small, but I love the smell of the sweet fern that likes to grow nearby.

Our berry patch has not produced this year, but Phil did transplant all the raspberries in the fall. We may have to wait another year for the plants to recover fully.

With the heat (yes, there have been more heatwaves), the monster rhubarb is suffering, but our tomatoes a doing great (and taste delicious).

I saved my clematis (a jackmanii) from getting lost in the weeds and trained it back on its trellis. But that about all I managed in the overgrown garden. Daylilies are blooming, and our hostas are huge, though the ferns are not thriving.

The month in writing

My primary goal was, once again, revisions on Reality Bomb. But I also have some poetry submissions to prepare and another creative non-fiction piece to start writing for an anthology call.

The group from the Dispatches from the World course I took with Ariel Gordon last month has decided to continue to work together. We now have a Facebook group, and I submitted a portion of a story I’ve been trying to fix for the last couple of years. We’ll meet for the first time in August by Zoom.

I met with Suzy on the 4th. We’re getting to the exciting part of the novel now, but there’s a disconnect between the novel as I revise it and what Suzy’s seen to date. So, most of our session was really about me explaining how I’m foreshadowing the stuff she hasn’t seen before.

Our second meeting was deferred when my mother-in-law fell.

On July 1st, I trotted over to Science North to help person the Sudbury Writers’ Guild table at the Canada Day celebration there.

On July 4th, All Lit Up included The Art of Floating in their reading list for #DisabilityPrideMonth! So honoured to have my work featured among some of my favourite authors. And now I have even more (moar!) books for my TBR pile.

Over the weekend of the 6th, I firmed up arrangements for a table and readings at the Greater Sudbury Roving Outdoor Book Fair, taking place Sunday August 25th from 2-5 pm. It’ll be in Copper Cliff this year, at the Copper Cliff Complex Gazebo on Godfrey Drive (across from Bryston’s).

Then, on the 11th, Cait Gordon posted this lovely interview about The Art of Floating on the Spoonie Authors Network.

I also had a SF Canada Board meeting on the 6th. It was thunder storming on the day and the power had already gone out twice, but we managed to have the meeting without too many issues.

Filling the well

The new oak moon in Cancer was on the 5th. Partly cloudy to rainy all day. Not that one can “observe” a new moon, but, ya know, I would be nice to have a clear nice for general observation. Despite the light pollution here in the city, a new moon means better viewing of the stars …

The full Buck moon in Capricorn (second in a row!) was on the 21st.

Minimal writerly events this month.

I was hoping to go to the Jabbawong Literary Festival in Kagawong on Manitoulin Island, but it was the same weekend as the Northern Lights Festival Boreal (NLFB) where Latitude 46 would have a table. I also had the SFC BoD meeting on the Saturday. I was torn, because I really wanted to pitch myself for next year’s Jabbawong, but autistic inertia and demand avoidance kind of made the decision for me. After my first week back at work (a short week, yes, but a workweek nonetheless), I decided not to go to either Jabbawong or NLFB and attend the board meeting. Conserving spoons, y’all!

But I was so grateful for all the messages from friends who bought a copy of TAoF at NLFB!

On the 11th, I signed up for an online reading and discussion with Annalee Newitz about her new book, Stories Are Weapons, through the Argo Book Shop in Montreal. Fascinating. Another one for the TBR pile.

On the 18th, I attended a Canada Council for the Arts webinar on applying for the Explore and Create grant. I’ve only applied once for this grant so far and was not successful. I hoped to get some tips and tricks for improving my chances next time.

Later the same day, the League of Canadian Poets (LCP) launched their summer chapbook series.

Finally, I attended another Mary Robinette Kowal webinar on “Writing through Fatigue” on the 28th. Every time, I learn something new and useful. I can’t recommend her courses enough.

In non-writing events, I registered for the virtual component of the Desiring Autism and Neurodivergence Symposium at Queen’s University from the 23rd to the 25th. A lot of interesting insights into the decolonization of education, Indigenous and 2SLGBTQIA+ intersectionality, and accommodations in the current context.

I had my follow up with my doctor on July 2nd. It was anticlimactic. The infection is gone, and I have meds and neti pot in reserve in case it seems like things will rebound. The nurse was happy with me, though. I was their good news appointment of the day.

And I had a massage appointment on July 31st, just before taking a couple of days of leave followed by a long weekend. After three full weeks of work bracketed by two short weeks, I needed to destress and relax.

What I’m watching and reading

I finished watching Extraordinary Attorney Woo (Netflix). I wanted to check it out because Young Woo is autistic, but the character was diagnosed in childhood, exhibits savant-level ability in the law, and has fairly high support needs. I enjoyed the series. The love story was, in particular, adorable. And my usual why-don’t-you-just-talk-to-each-other complaint was neatly sidestepped by Young Woo’s inability to articulate what she was feeling (alexithymia), and Jun Ho’s desire to respect/protect Young Woo. The court cases were interesting, as well, and provided some insight into Korean law and life.

Then, I watched the second season of Reginald the Vampire (network). In the first season, Reginald is glamoured into asking his crush, Sarah, out, is turned, subsequently messes up his new relationship, and has to pass a trial, or be executed. In this season, the overarching plot is that the angel Balestro wants to destroy all of vampire kind. In sub-plots, Reginald struggles to mend his relationship with Sarah, Maurice struggles with his responsibilities as Deacon, and Todd forms a bond with Mike. It’s a fun, if occasionally ridiculous series, and I’m looking forward to seeing more. If SyFy doesn’t cancel the show.

Phil and I watched the fourth season of The Boys (Amazon). This one was the grossest yet, though the violence is always turned up to 11. The Boys have all been captured, except Butcher, who’s now a tentacle monster. Victoria Newman is dead, her daughter’s in the home for troubled supers, almost-president Singer has been arrested, Ashley’s taken Compound V, A-Train has fled with his family, Ryan knows what his father has done and has accidentally killed Grace Mallory, and Homelander is now the power behind the new president, who has just declared martial law. And most of that happened in the last episode (!)

Can’t wait to see what fresh hell is unleashed in season five.

My first read/listen of the month was Habits for Mastering Anxiety by Dr. Tim Sharp. Again, I’ve already read/learned most of the information and techniques he suggests, but reinforcement is queen.

Then I moved onto The Heart of Valor, the third in Tanya Huff’s Confederation series. In the first book, Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr was supposed to be part of an honour guard for a diplomatic mission … and ended up defending said diplomats from a hoard of juvenile Silssviss. In the second, a routine salvage mission becomes a battle zone when the Others show up, and the ship they’re trying to salvage turns out to be a shapeshifting plastic-based lifeform with its own agenda.

In this book, Torin’s been promoted to Gunnery Sergeant and is accompanying a friend and superior officer, who’s recently had most of his body reconstructed in a “tank” due to is last, near-fatal mission, to Crucible, the marine training planet. Major Svenson and his doctor are eager to field test his new body in a non-fatal environment. But almost as soon as they arrive on Crucible, things start to go pear shaped. Good series, so far.

Next, I finished my reread of The Wandering Fire, the second book of Guy Gavriel Kay’s Fionavar Tapestry. Ah, this was a rough one. Death and loss and all the feels.

Returning to non-fiction/self-care territory, I listened to another Dr. Tim Sharp audiobook, Habits for Mastering Depression. There is a fair amount of redundancy in the series, Sharp emphasizes the power of habits while making space for feeling our feelings, good or bad. It’s okay not to be okay. Depression, anxiety, and other instances of poor mental health are a part of life, even for the most diligent of us.

Then, I read Peter S. Beagle’s I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons. It’s his first publication since his legal woes were resolved and I had to read it. Let me tell you, Beagle was the originator of the cozy fantasy (like Legends & Lattes). In this novel, there is a non-conforming princess who’s ironically made it her (outward) life’s mission to conform, a crown prince who doesn’t want to take his crown, and a dragon exterminator who’d rather be a valet and squire (to someone like the crown prince, perhaps?).

Sword battles (and more horrible things) do happen, but they’re not the focus of the book, rather the characters have to find their own ways through the muddle of their lives to find their true callings. Robert was a little too angry, and Beagle didn’t quite stick the landing, but I still love the book. It’s been too long.

Then, I listened to Dr. Tim Sharp’s Habits for Happiness. Some similar elements but some different ones as well. Oddly, Sharp updated this audiobook after the pandemic and the updated chapter comes first, before the breakdown of the original ten habits? Again, decent information, but I don’t know how much I can actually implement as an autistic.

Then, my annual Audible credits were deposited, and I nabbed Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Anguish and Anarchy. At the end of the last book, just as the monarchy had been toppled for good, Zélie, her brother Tzain, her sometime boyfriend Inan, his sister Amari, and hundred of their people were captured by a new enemy whose warriors wear iron skull masks.

They spend months in cages, injected with majicite to suppress their abilities, are tortured, and some killed by the people they name Skulls. Baldyr, king of the Skulls, seeks Zélie so he can drain her power and become a god. The book is filled with action, beginning to end, as Zélie fights to regain her power (again) and save not only her people, but the world from Baldyr’s conquest.

Another Tim Sharp Audible Original: Habits for Humanity. This one had a different emphasis, more like Cal Newport’s Digital Minimalism. Basically, as technology plays a greater and greater role in our lives, how to we reconnect to being human?

I also finished Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking Fast and Slow. The book introduces us to the two principle thinking systems that define how we perceive everything. System 1 is fast and intuitive, and System 2 is slow and analytical. There’s a continual feedback loop between the two systems and they influence each other.

Most of the book focuses on the assumptions and logical fallacies that System 1 is prey to (and therefore makes us prey to) and how we can resist and correct them by the thoughtful application of System 2 thinking. Most of the examples in the book were from economics, insurance, and big business, which made it difficult to relate to, but it was interesting. I don’t think my System 1 is well developed.

Then, I finished Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere. Yeah, I know, I’m late to the party. I watched the series last year and wanted to read the novel because adaptation is always a fascinating study. In this case the book and the series were similar, but I definitely see why the changes to the series were made. Most of the changes were made to add to the climax or denouement.

[Here be spoilers!] In the book, Izzy sets the fire and runs away in search of Mia, Bebe abducts Mayling and flies back to China, and Mrs. Richardson has a change of heart and begins what may be a life-long search for her youngest daughter. In the series, Moody encourages Trip and Lexie to set fire to the house with him after Izzy runs away. Bebe has a scene where she’s driving away with her daughter, happy, but destination uncertain. And Mrs. Richardson takes responsibility for setting the fire herself, to spare her children. The differences are subtle but telling. And I kind of like the series better, though the novel is excellent.

Next, I finished Robert J. Sawyer’s Red Planet Blues. It’s basically a hardboiled detective story set on Mars, with all the off-colour tropes that entails. Sawyer’s worldbuilding is excellent, and the fact that he’s dealing with transfers (people who opt to upload into nigh on indestructible bodies) and fossil hunters doesn’t detract from the Marlowe-esque narrative. Fun read, but with a typically bittersweet ending.

And that was the month in this writer’s life.

Until next month, be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories!

The next chapter: A month in the writerly life melaniemarttila.ca

The next chapter: April 2024 update

/ Melanie Marttila

National Poetry Month (NPM), a debut poetry collection launch, book signing, interviews, etc. mean a busy month for this writer with a day job.

A picture of the almost-full moon above budding tree branches.

Life in general

The illen turned out to be another case of sinusitis. Yay, a new weak spot in my immune system (!)

This marks the third time that I’ve contracted this particular infection. Last spring, I had thought I had developed seasonal allergies in mid-life, allergies that were exacerbated by the ubiquitous smoke of forest fires from late spring into early summer.

The reason I thought this was because the congestion lasted for months without developing into a serious cold/flu. I was up to date on all my vaccinations. Just to be safe, I tested for covid. The test came back negative.

Then, in late September 2023, I got sick again, and it felt exactly like what I’d had in the spring. This time, it developed into a nasty cough, persistent headaches, and pain in my sinuses. I tested for covid again and the test was negative. I went to the walk-in clinic because I wouldn’t be able to see my doctor in person for at least a month. I came away with antibiotics and a corticosteroid nasal spray. Still, it lasted for two months before it finally went away.

It was only after the fact, when I could smell and taste properly again, that I realized that it was probably the same infection spring and fall, and that it had just gone “sub-clinical” for the summer months. I’d had the taste of infection in the back of my throat the whole time.

This time, I’ve had sinusitis since the second week of March and have been to the walk-in clinic twice. I couldn’t test for covid, because all our kits had expired. I knew what I was dealing with, though, and am pretty sure the test would have returned a negative result.

The first time I went to the clinic, I was sent away with the same prescription as in the fall. I finished the course of treatment and did not feel any better. I returned to the clinic and was given a second, stronger prescription of antibiotics and advised to add steaming to my recovery regimen.

The fact that I’ve been working toward a deadline at work and toward the launch of my debut poetry collection all along has no doubt prolonged my recovery. In particular, the launch, signing, and the few live or online interviews I’ve done have made it necessary for me to mask at a level I’ve not had to since the start of the pandemic. All my energy goes toward that rather than toward my recovery.

Add to that the fact that there is not a lot of blood supply to the sinuses and antibiotics are not efficiently delivered to the source of the infection. On my second visit, the doctor I saw said the infection might be in the bone and even more difficult to eradicate.

Fortunately, by the end of the month, the second course of antibiotics appeared to be having an effect. It apparently stays in your system for about 15 days after the last dose.

The month in writing

Because I was focusing on The Art of Floating launch and all the associated writerly activities, I was less focused on writing and revision, but I still had a short story to finish, one to edit, and some poetry to submit.

Through the fabulous Melissa Yuan Innes (Yi), I managed to arrange for an interview with Derek Newman-Stille about TAoF on April 2nd! Yes, I was on Speculating Canada, the multi-Aurora Award-winning podcast.

Of course, on the 6th my day was devoted to the TAoF launch! You may have seen my brief post about it on the 7th. I tried to treat the day as normally as possible. With the exception of heading out to get my makeup done by Dana Lajeunesse of Fabulous After Forty 🙂 , I walked my dog, visited my mom, and tried to remain calm.

The launch went well, but afterward, on the way home from the event, in fact, my sinusitis rebounded. I could feel the congestion socking in again.

I applied for the Public Lending Right (PLR) program for both the print and ebook version of TAoF.

I now have Amazon (still being reviewed) and Goodreads Author pages (!) Eep! This is all so official!

I submitted my final reports for funding on the 10th and received my reading fee from the League of Canadian Poets (LCP) on the 25th. I’d received my cheque from The Writers’ Union of Canada (TWUC) in the mail the day before and deposited it on the 26th. I have not yet been invoiced by Place des Arts.

I submitted my answers for an interview in periodicities. It should be appearing May 18th or later.

Pulp Literature once again shared the news of my launch in their newsletter.

My recommended reading post went live on the 49th Shelf on the 11th! And not long after, my Open Book piece was also posted! I’ve been working on these pieces over the past months. It’s wonderful to see how they’ve come together!

On the 13th, I had a book signing at the Sudbury Chapters from 11 am to 2 pm. I signed nine books. Well, I actually signed 20, but nine of them were for the lovely people who bought them. The rest will be on the local authors shelf.

Picture of Melanie Marttila and publisher Heather Campbell at Chapters Sudbury.

I submitted a poem to a contest but did not place.

I recorded myself reading two more poems from my collection for a Poetry Pause promotion through River Street Writers. The reel was posted to Instagram on April 18th.

I finished rewriting my short story for an anthology call and submitted it on the 21st.

My interview with Heidi Ulrichsen for Sudbury.com came out on the 23rd. Since the social medias are angry with Canadian news, I can only share it with you here (!) The Art of Floating: Poetry book dedicated to Sudburian’s father.

Then, my piece for All Lit Up: There’s a poem for that came out on the 25th!

I also started my application for Access Copyright affiliation. There are a few things to get together. And I can only apply for work published in 2022 and before … ? Ah, well. I’ve started. Might as well finish.

And then, on the 29th, I was greeted with this amazing review of The Art of Floating by Sara Hailstone.

I revised another story for an open submission period and submitted it on the 30th.

And I wrote a bunch of poems 🙂

Filling the well

The new Alder moon in Aries was on April 8th as well as the eclipse! As usual, it was cloudy here. I ended up watching the eclipse through Time and Date’s YouTube channel.

The full Pink/Sap boiling moon in Scorpio 🙂 was on the 23rd. It was overcast, of course. We even has a bit of a thunder storm. Though the cloud broke up a little around sunset, there was no viewing to be had.

Picture of a quarter moon among wispy clouds above trees.

On the 4th, I attended a Clarion Writers Workshop about “Avoiding common pitfalls in writing climate fiction” with Sarena Ulibarri. Very informative about the tropes to avoid.

I signed up for Cece Lyra’s “Tension, Conflict, and Stakes” on the 11th. This was followed up with a Q&A on the 15th. While Cece’s webinars tend to go long, she shares invaluable information on how to create and maintain tension in your novel. 

The online edition of Can-Con took place on the 20th. I caught several of the panels and will catch the couple I missed on replay. Fabulous con.

And The FOLD online conference was held from April 28th to May 1st. So glad to be able to view the replays.

Finnish classes continued on Monday evenings throughout the month.

I signed up for a CAMH presentation on “Sleep and cancer” on the 24th. Interesting.

Later the same night, my support group met. April’s topic was “Dealing with diminished executive function,” something I’m struggling with right now.

What I’m watching and reading

The first watch of the month was the second part of Invincible (Amazon), season 2. Insane and bloody as ever. Mark makes some critical decisions. He can’t do it all. And maybe he can’t avoid becoming like his father.

Then, Phil and I finished watching The 3 Body Problem (Netflix). I read the first book of the trilogy years ago, and it was again fascinating to see how the adaptation differs from the source material. Also, the DBs produced an inside the episode companion series for further insight. I really enjoyed it. Phil had his usual beef about the misappropriation and misinterpretation of the science, but he also enjoyed watching.

I watched the new (but sadly not improved) Road House (Amazon). Though Jake Gyllenhaal was pleasing to watch as Dalton, he was very enclosed and not very engaging on an emotional level. In the original, Patrick Swayze’s Dalton was clear about his intention to train the Road House’s existing bouncers to do their jobs better. In this version, there is simply a montage showing Dalton training one person on site and recruiting another. Long story short, though I could list all the movie’s faults, it was only mildly entertaining and there was no story at all. I didn’t care about any of the characters.

I finally finished watching the final season of The Flash (Netflix). It was the same old, same old right to the end, even bringing back the Reverse Flash, Godspeed, Zoom, and Savatar to join a resurrected Eddie Thawn, the new avatar of the negative speed force to battle team Flash in the finale. This battle coincides with Nora’s birth. All ends well (of course) even though adult Nora is present for her own birth and even holds her infant self. I guess paradox gives the Allen-West family a pass. About three (of five) seasons too long. A solid meh.

I also finished watching the most recent season of The Witcher (Netflix), the last with Henry Cavill. The series has been pretty hit and miss overall. In keeping with that assessment, there were things I liked about this season, and there were things I didn’t like. The thing that bothered me most was that the three main characters were separated throughout much of the season, and nothing seemed to progress the plot. The plot was largely MIA, and I didn’t care to remember who the principle parties were (i.e., in the war).

Then Phil and I watched the first season of Fallout (Amazon). Phil has played the Fallout games and was interested in what the adaptation would look like. The writers and showrunners opted (intelligently, in my opinion) to tell an entirely new story in the Fallout universe. The characters were complex, and their journeys were compelling. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommended.

I watched Wish (Disney +). I understand the criticism levelled at it, but honestly, it’s a cute celebration of all Disney movies. In fact, while the credits roll, all of the characters from the Disney movies appear. It’s basically an extended metaphor for Disney as an entertainment company. It was enjoyable and the perfect thing to watch while recovering.

Next, I finished Lessons in Chemistry (Apple TV +). Loved! Brie Larson is fabulous as Elizabeth Zott. I’m not going to say much about the series except that you should watch it.

My first read of the month was Joanne Epp’s Cattail Skyline. In her second collection of poetry, Epp rambles through the prairies, explores a creek, travels to Cambodia, rides a train, and reminisces about a summer cottage. Again and again, she returns to the Cemetery road as she watches it through the seasons and years. Her keen observations reveal secret insights in every slant of light and experience of place.

Then, I finished Ray Bradbury’s The Illustrated Man. Holy heck is this linked short story collection depressing! I think there was one story that didn’t end in death and horror. Come to think of it, The Martian Chronicles was like that, too. Characters, usually men, make hubristic or fascistic decisions and get their comeuppance. Even the conscientious objectors can’t escape doom. This may be a heretical take, but the book left me feeling meh.

Next, I listened to Callahan’s Con by Spider Robinson. Having now read Legend & Lattes, I can see Robinson’s Callahan series as a predecessor. A hippie, inclusive, punny, and intoxicant-positive predecessor, but a predecessor, nonetheless. The books, whether set at the original Callahan’s Place, Mary’s Place, or The Place, focus on found family, a kind of travelling commune, if you will, and the power of love to overcome all disasters.

I listened to Robert Heinlein’s The Puppet Masters. It might just be the narrator, but I found the main character, Sam, rather whiny, but still bordering on toxic masculinity. Again, the book and its author are products on their time.

Then I read Tanya Huff’s Valor’s Choice. Solid military SF. A marine combat unit is given the “easy” assignment of accompanying a delegation to sign a new member species, the silsviss, into their confederation. When their ship crashes in a “reserve” where young male silsviss are sent until their volatile adolescence passes, and their military transport is suddenly called out of orbit on an urgent matter, Staff Sergeant Toren Kerr must act quickly to protect the ambassadors and find shelter until they can be rescued. Is this the work of the Others or have they run afoul of some other nefarious scheme?

And that was the month in this writer’s life.

Until next month, be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories!

The next chapter: a month in the writerly life. melaniemarttila.ca