Book launch

The next chapter: November 2025 update

/ Melanie Marttila / Leave a comment

Rebooting …

Picture of a stand of birch trees.

Life in general

What follows may seem like a middle-aged white woman whinging about first world problems, but, you know, I’m learning to listen to my body and honour what it’s telling me. Even small disruptions can dysregulate me, and I hope that sharing my experience will help one of my neurokin validate theirs.

Life isn’t always one crisis after another, even if the world in general seems to be burning down around us.

Now that my travel and writerly events over the last couple of months were over, November started with the return to standard time, which messes me up for a couple of weeks (at least). This happens regardless of whether we “gain” or “lose” an hour.

Occasionally, some politician talks about eliminating the time change, but the various governments and powers that be can never agree on whether to stick with standard time or daylight saving time, and the agreement of one government depends upon the agreement of all the others. So, Ontario won’t repeal DST unless Quebec and the States with which it trades also agree. If one state or province refuses, the proposition is dead.

And now, with Canada’s provincial trade barriers potentially coming down, there may be more domestic players to take into consideration. Even though Saskatchewan has never been on DST. It is to sigh.

Though I’d been using a neti-pot twice a day throughout the year and started taking Ryaltris (also twice a day) since the beginning of September, it became clear in the early days of November that I would be sick for at least part of my month off. I increased the frequency of Cold FX and Emergen-C, planning for the worst but hoping for better.

On the 3rd, I received an invitation to interview for the new Intake Team our directorate was creating on the 7th. It was only a half hour, but I did my best, geeking out about learning and development and my passion to align with the new vision for our department. They said they wanted to make decisions fairly quickly, but as of the end of November, I still hadn’t heard.

Nor had I heard whether I would be one of the many employees to be cut, as per the recently passed budget.

Living on tenterhooks about both situations.

No sooner had I started to recover from the time change than I had my double vaccination of flu and COVID shots. Look, I don’t plan these things, and I think it would be difficult to try to predict my reaction to any given set of vaccinations. They change formulation for both every year. Vaccinations were a thing on my to-do list, and I made the earliest convenient appointment the pharmacy had. It just turned out it was on the 12th.

Besides, other than a day or so of soreness, I’d never had a bad reaction in the past.

Folks, I’ve never had such a bad reaction. This year’s Moderna resulted in two days of Advil-surpassing pain and feeling like utter crap. And, of course, my sinuses ramped up toward infection with the tell-tale post-blow squeal, headaches, and — joy — cough.

I didn’t recover from the soreness and general feeling like crap until the following weekend, though the sinus symptoms persisted throughout the month.

For most of November, daytime temperatures were above zero degrees Celsius, so the various dustings of snow we received melted the next day or were washed away by rain. On the 29th, however, the daytime temperature remained below zero and so the snow stayed. The dusting we received on the 29th wasn’t impressive, but the snow that followed on the 30th required Phil to use the snow blower. And the city ploughs emerged, though they didn’t touch the side streets.

Wonderful things: In the last days of November, I remembered my dreams for almost a week! Nothing story-generating, but weird and fun, nonetheless. And I got a non-dream, super-cool idea for The Fenwoman’s Tale that will make the story SO much better. When I get back to it.

The month in writing

The early days of November were a mess.

Even though I returned from the Writing on the Rocks retreat inspired and ready to devote some time to my writing … I didn’t … (?)

Instead, for some reason, my ND brain decided to start cleaning/reorganizing my office (!) I cleaned out all the candle glass (i.e. the containers candles come in) that had been sitting around my office for a year +, cleaned all the essential oil bottles that had been sitting around for at least as long, cleaned almost all of the glass (hurricane lamps, bowls, jars, etc.) in my office (I always find 1 or two containers I forgot afterward), and removed the prisms from their suction cups in my window and strung them up on a ribbon. I also cut back one of my 2 pothos plants because it was losing leaves at a rapid rate, a sure sign it was pot bound.

My assembly of suncatchers, crystals, and wind chimes.

And then, I realized I was prioritizing the wrong things and returned to writing tasks. This was, in part, why I was late posting about Can-Con, the retreat, and didn’t publish my last update/newsletter until mid-November.

After I took care of those writerly tasks, I finished an overdue review and got back to cutting Reality Bomb down to size.

All of this in the middle of major dysregulation due to the time change and double vaccination and sinusitis. Yay, brain!

By the 23rd, I finished my second cutting pass. The total word counts currently stands at 115,661. I only managed to cut 2,345 words. But progress is progress.

Then, I returned my attention to my office clean up.

Which … I did not do.

My body and brain demanded REST and I had to obey. I did pull up a couple of older short stories and started to rework them. And I was mulling the next round of RB cuts, including a rewrite of the first chapter, in the back of my mind.

My review of Like Water for Weary Souls by Liisa Kovala came out in The Seaboard Review of Books on the 12th.

The cover of Like Water for Weary Souls.

My review of Mona Awad’s We Love You, Bunny was released into the wild by The Seaboard Review of Books on the 19th.

The cover of We Love You, Bunny.

The final SF Canada board meeting of the year (before our AGM) was on the 24th. We’re a friendly bunch and everything was decided fairly quickly. We’re a go for a December 14th AGM.

Filling the well

The full freezing moon in Taurus was on the 5th. It was a rainy day.

I think I’ve finally figured out how to take a good moon photo with my phone! At maximum zoom, this weird grid appears in the corner, and when you focus on the moon, the surrounding sky darkens. When you take the picture, the sky turns black, and the details of the moon come out. Some new feature on my phone. Yay!

After the full, the days alternated. One overcast and possibly raining, the next blue skies filled with sky floof that obscured the waning moon, wherever she was.

Picture of the first quarterish moon.

The new ivy moon in Scorpio was on the 20th.

After the new, the sky was consistently cloudy. Also, we were entering the dark times, and my second dog walk of the day was inevitably after sunset.

I attended the virtual launch of The Pollination Field by Kim Fahner on the 5th. It was a great event co-hosted by Alice Major. Great conversation, great questions, and great poetry. I’m looking forward to the in-person launch in the spring!

Unmasking through our writing with Murgatroyd Monaghan continued Thursday afternoons through November. It’s been a fabulous journey of self-discovery and affirmation. I would highly recommend it to any ND creative folk who want to create/define a process unique to them.

On the 8th, I attended Books Today: Creativity, Monetization, and the Publishing World with Andrea J. Lee, Sam Hiyate, and Katie Curtin. Interesting, although it ended up being a sales pitch for a course they were offering.

I attended the in-person book launch of Liisa Kovala’s Like Water for Weary Souls on the 9th. I had a little trouble getting where I needed to go because there was construction at the 2nd Avenue entrance to Finlandia Koti, and I hadn’t been there since my great aunt was a resident … a long time ago. After being ranted at and threatened by the site foreman (I assumed) he finally told me where I needed to go, and it turns out I arrived just at the interview and reading were getting underway. I love Liisa’s book and wanted to support her. She and Emily De Angelis had a great conversation, and I got to chat with a few friends at the reception. Kahvi oli vahvaa, ja pulla oli hyvää!

The Clarion West workshop Revision: Turning Writing into Art Using Craft Analyses & the Reverse Outline with Naseem Jamnia took place on the 13th and the 20th. It was a great session, combining reading like an author with the reverse outline (outlining after first draft completion). Very in my wheelhouse as I tend to be a discovery writer (or pantser) no matter how I try to outline.

I enjoyed a lovely visit with friends from out of town on the 8th. Our visits always tend to feel short, given we have so much to catch up on, but we had a great time.

I skipped my support group meeting on the 26th to attend my mother-in-law’s birthday party at a local restaurant. Fabulous food and family festivity! Of course, I had to REST afterward.

My leave with income averaging continued through to the 28th. I didn’t accomplish much aside from relaxing and resetting.

I had my semi-annual (soon to be tri-annual) dentist’s appointment on the 4th. My insurance finally approved additional “units” of descaling for me after years of my dentist’s office applying for additional coverage. So now, I have a better chance of staying on top of the staining my teeth are prone to.

On the 10th, I had my next session with my therapist. Mostly, it was decompressing about the month past, but we’re going to get back to values next time.

On the 12th, I got my flu and COVID shots. I already told you how that went.

What I’m watching and reading

The first series I finished watching in November was a comfort rewatch of Gargoyles (Disney +). This series was a favourite, and the animation was done by Nelvana, a Canadian company. I watched the whole series when it originally aired (1994 -7). I appreciated the multiple mythologies used to develop the series, and I fell in love with Goliath (I’m definitely not ashamed to say). Keith David has the most amazing voice.

I’ll refer you to the Wikipedia entry, so you can think about whether you’d like to go down the Gargoyles rabbit hole.

I had no idea that Diane Duane and Peter Morwood were on the writing staff in season 2! Now I love the series even more.

Then, I watched the first season of Alien Earth (Disney +). Having finished another Noah Hawley series (Legion) not long ago, I was prepared for some weirdness. Overall, I enjoyed the series, but there are a lot of unanswered questions. FX hasn’t greenlit a second season yet, but Hawley has said that the series is intended to be 5 seasons. It’s supposedly the highest rated offering in the Alien franchise, so we’ll see.

Set after Alien: Romulus but before the events of the original Alien movie, Alien: Earth follows 6 terminally ill children as their consciousnesses are uploaded into synthetic bodies by Boy Kavalier, trillionaire CEO of the Prodigy Corporation. Shortly after their uploading, the “Lost Boys” as the hybrids are known, Wendy, Slightly, Curly, Smee, Nibs, and Toodles are sent to the crash site of the Maginot, a Weyland-Yutani ship. Because of their synthetic bodies, Boy figures they will not be targeted by the alien payload. While they do recover the aliens, including the title creature, Weyland-Yutani wants them back, and shenanigans ensue. As you may have surmised, Peter Pan is the framing metaphor for the series.

Next, I finished the first season of Chief of War (Apple TV +). Jason Momoa executive produced and starred in his latest passion project, relating the struggle to unify Hawai’i under Kamehameha I. Set at the end of the 18th century when the four major kingdoms of the Hawaiian Islands were in a state of war: Hawaiʻi, Maui, Oʻahu, and Kauaʻi, the series follows Kaʻiana (Momoa), a warrior chief (aliʻi) of Kauaʻi. Picked up by a British ship when he falls off a cliff and is presumed dead, Ka’iana experiences the world outside of Hawai’i and returns with a shipload of guns. They had cultural advisors in every department to ensure authenticity and to present these historical events with as much accuracy as possible. Most of the dialogue is in Hawai’ian, so make sure you have captioning on. An amazing epic about a culture I’ve had the curious for.

Then, I watched Fantastic Four: First Steps (Disney +). I liked it. A friend had just watched it and said it felt like an incomplete story. It wasn’t an origin story (they took care of that in the opening montage), but I also felt it was merely the beginning of a bigger story, which conforms to the subtitle, first steps, and to the postscript advising that the Fantastic Four would return in Avengers: Doomsday. Add to that the post-credit scene in the Thunderbolts*, and it’s very much giving “to be continued …” vibes. For all that, I did enjoy the story and how Sue Storm and Shalla Bal end up being the best characters of the bunch. And the family dynamics were great. The F4 really demonstrate how a healthy family interacts. There are a lot of other reviews and analysis videos out there, so you can peruse those if you wish. For me, Thunderbolts* is still the standout Marvel movie of the last few years, though.

Next, I finished the second season of Hazbin Hotel (Prime). The first season culminated in the ascension of Serpentous/Sir Pentous. In this season, Charlie struggles to spread the good news that redemption is possible while Vox undermines her at every turn and foments war with heaven. Musicals aren’t my favourite, but the songs are bangers (!) And I love the animation style.

I finished watching season five of Only Murders in the Building (Disney +). Lester the doorman was found dead at the end of last season, and then Oliver gets tangled up with a second corpse in the dry cleaner’s next door. The main suspects are four of the richest people in the world, who sabotage the podcast to keep their secrets off air. And one of them buys the Arconia and kicks everyone out to build New York’s first casino (!) It felt for a moment like this would be the final season, but the gang sorted things out. Also, an old frenemy of Mabel’s shows up to complicate things, the board wants to have a robot doorman, and Charles is involved in a drug study. A slightly different tone to the season, but very fun. The murder setting up next season is killer.

Then, because Amazon snagged the rights, I watched both seasons of Helluva Boss (Prime). Blitzo (pronounced Blitz — the O is silent), an imp raised in the circus, goes independent as an adult, after having made a deal with goetia prince Stolas (to whom he was once “sold” as a playmate) to obtain a book that facilitates travel to the mortal realm in return for sexual favours. Yes, this is an adult animated series. Blitzo founds IMP (immediate murder professionals) offering his team’s services to kill mortals at the request of various of hell’s denizens. Blitzo’s team consists of Millie and Moxxie, passionate partners as well as assassins, and Loona, Blitzo’s adopted daughter and hellhound.

This is the background against which the real story — that of love between deeply damaged people — plays out. The main romance is between Blitzo and Stolas. Stolas, trapped in a loveless, arranged marriage, falls deeply for Blitzo. He loves his daughter, Octavia (Via) but, not having had loving parents himself, he cannot show Via affection in a healthy way. Blitzo loves Stolas, too, but feels unworthy of love because of his own upbringing. Other relationships — Millie and Moxxie, Ozzy and Fizzie — compare and contrast, while Blitzo’s relationship with Loona plays against Stolas’ relationship with Via. Amazingly complex for an animated series. Absolutely loved it.

My first listen of the month was Hex Around and Find Out by Molly Harper, the second in her Moonshadow Cove series. This cozy paranormal romance focuses on middle sister Coral (Cora) Seaworth. All three Seaworth sisters have lived in isolation after the deaths of their parents. They’ve had to figure everything out on their own, including that they are fae fin folk as well as witches charged with the tasks of managing the ghosts of Starfall Point and guarding the egg of a kelpie (AKA the Loch Ness Monster AKA a seahorse-dragon). Cora’s the quiet one who’d rather curl up with a book, but when she runs into charming but shiftless Igor (Iggy) Galinsky, it’s not long before irritation turns into infatuation. When Iggy is shot in the ass with a tranquilizer dart, Cora has no choice but to take him to Moonshadow Cove … and keep him there until they can be sure he’s not going to spill the magical beans. Another fun, lighthearted read.

Next, I finished reading Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune. Wallace is a lawyer and, if we’re being honest, a jerk. When he dies of a heart attack and Mei reaps him at his funeral, he’s desperate to return to the corporate hamster wheel. He has work to do! Instead, he’s taken to the Charron’s Crossing Tea Shop, where Hugo, the owner and ferryman, promises to help him cross over. The ghosts of Nelson, Hugo’s grandfather, and Apollo, Hugo’s dog provide no end of irritation to the newly deceased Wallace. Complicating Wallace’s journey of undead self-discovery are husks (remnants of ghosts who refuse to cross over and wander the world outside the tea shop), charlatan psychics, grieving mothers, and the most terrifying being of all, The Manager. Another lovely, and loving, Klune novel.

So, of course, having read a couple of cozy (or cozy-adjacent), paranormal romances, I headed for the epic grimdark romantasy of Danielle L. Jensen’s The Tempest Blade, the sixth in the Bridge Kingdom series. It’s not out yet in print but Audible released the audiobook early.

This is the second novel of Ahnna’s story. At the end of book five, though Ahnna and James have fallen in love, Ahnna learns that James is part of a plot to claim the Bridge for Harendell, and Ahnna is framed for the brutal murder of King Edward, James’ father. She flees and he pursues her, swearing bloody vengeance. The previous couples — Lara and Aren of Ithicana, and Zarrah and Keris of Valcotta — all have POV chapters in this book. Lara and Keris’ sister Zarhina has ceded to a democracy in Meridrina, but there’s still the rulership/governance of Amarid and Cardiff to settle. Though the ending felt pretty definitive, which may indicate that this 6th book is the last in the series, I’d think the author would want to ensure all the countries of her world are established with passionate couples that have been through literal hell for one another. Cardiff and Amarid have yet to be explored in detail, and Cardiff has an interesting, witchy culture to delve into. I guess we’ll see when the print book comes out next March.

Then I read Tobias S. Buckell’s The Executioness. Tana’s father is an Executioner, given the task of beheading those who use magic, causing the irrepressible and poisonous bramble to grow. But he’s dying when the call comes from the Jolly Mayor that his services are needed, and because her husband is useless and she needs to feed her family, Tana takes up her father’s axe, dons his hood, and goes to do his duty, in a move reminiscent of Mulan. And like Mulan, Tana is caught up in war when raiders burn her village and abduct her sons. Immediately, she sets out to rescue them. Buckell writes Tana’s grief and rage well.

Next, I finished reading The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness. When Matthew and Diana return to the present, it’s to find that Emily has been murdered. The Congregation’s been up to their old tricks and though the witch responsible is removed, the de Clairmonts still have formidable obstacles to overcome if they want their happily ever after. Like rescinding the Covenant, which prohibits “inter-species” marriage, which Diana and Matthew are in violation of. Like Benjamin, the son Matthew abandoned, who now wants to possess Diana and her children. And like finally finding the Book of Life and restoring its pages so that the riddles of blood rage and weavers can finally be solved. A satisfying conclusion to the All Souls trilogy.

Then, I listened to The Quantum Labyrinth: How Richard Feynman and John Wheeler Revolutionized Time and Reality by Paul Halpern. This fascinating biography documents the development of Feynman and Wheeler’s academic and personal relationship. Over the years, nearly every great mind in physics becomes a part of the story from Einstein and Bohr, through Oppenheimer (both men participated in The Manhattan Project), to Thorne. It’s as much history as it is biography and science book. Fascinating.

I listened to J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, having been prompted by Alien: Earth (see above). I hadn’t actually read it before, and it was interesting to compare the ominous narration of Boy Kavalier with the original text. Mother’s “cleaning up” their children’s minds after they’ve fallen asleep. Peter “culling” the lost boys from time to time. More interesting was the narrator’s overt critique of Mrs. Darling as a bad mother because she was kind to her children. Mr. Darling’s outright incompetence is given a pass. There’s a lot in this children’s book that bears examination.

Next, I listened to American Fairy Tales by L. Frank Baum. Originally published in syndication (much like Dickens published much of his fiction) following the publication of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the twelve stories in this collection include knooks, ryls, and other fairies, how the king of the polar bears loses and then recovers his pelt, a beetle that grants the poor woman who saves him with a pump that produces gold, a storefront mannikin that comes to life, a young cowboy who lassoes Father Time, and other entertaining tales. Many of the stories offer somewhat clumsy morals at their conclusion, however.

Then, I listened to John Wiswell’s Someone You Can Build a Nest In. Sheshesen is a shapeshifting monster just trying to survive and avoid the human monster hunters who killed her mother. When one of those hunters, Catharsis Wolfire, disturbs her hibernation, Shesheshen has no choice but to defend herself. Though she kills Catharsis, the other two monster hunters with him escape. Again, Shesheshen must pursue them if she hopes to protect her home and privacy. They’ll come back and bring even more hunters with them. But Shesheshen is exposed during her investigation in the local town and, like many a monster before her, she is pursued by an angry mob and falls off a cliff, it is thought, to her death.

A kind woman named Homily nurses Shesheshen back to health and the two begin to bond. Distressingly, Shesheshen’s eggs have decided that Homily would make a most suitable nest and Shesheshen is conflicted. Explore the bond they share or implant her eggs and lose Homily forever? Things get even more complicated when Shesheshen learns that Homily is a Wolfire, and her family has dedicated themselves to killing the shapeshifting monster who cursed them years ago, who is apparently Shesheshen, and she has no memory of cursing anyone. A fabulous novel with a series of truly surprising twists. And Shesheshen is autistic-coded! Hear me out. I’ve often felt like and alien or, yes, a monster. I related to Shesheshen HARD.

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. https://melaniemarttila.ca

I acknowledge with respect that I am in Robinson-Huron Treaty territory, that the land from which I write is the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe and home of Atikameksheng Anishnawbek and Wahnapitae First Nation.

The next chapter: April 2025 update

/ Melanie Marttila

My brain, she does not brain. Oh! And … May the fourth be with you. See what I mean? My priorities are all messed up.

A picture of the almost-full moon through birch branches.

Life in general

With the political pandemonium and continuing chaos at work, it was all I could do to manage my spoons day-to-day.

April started with a dysregulating week at work. My project co-lead (really, the project lead—I was more of an assistant) went on holidays and I and another instructional designer attached to the project tried to divide up her duties between us.

I could not deal, people, especially when I discovered something that would make the lot of us look incompetent in courses that had already been uploaded to the learning management system. Add to that two incomplete translations (we risk-managed due to time constraints) coming back at the same time as client content reviews with additional changes (that were also not included in the translation), and I had a shutdown.

My brain refused to process any of it, but I did what I’ve done for the 20 years of my career prior to diagnosis and kept working on other parts of the project. You can imagine how well all that went.

This resulted in my usual case of Sunday scaries transforming into full-on weekend scaries. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights, I woke up at 2 or 3 or 4 am and ruminated in overdrive. Friday night, my heart was bounding out of my chest. It felt like a panic attack. I did work out part of a solution, though.

Saturday, part 2 of the solution came through. And Sunday, I rehearsed the plan, ‘cause it involved a discussion with my team leader, and I had to feel confident in what I had to say.

But all 3 nights, I was sleeping with my weighted blanket and my weighted sleeping mask and my ear plugs. Sensory input minimized (to the max)! I shouldn’t have had an internal meltdown like this if my shutdown was due to sensory overwhelm.

That leaves the disruption to my routine and sudden demands. Autistic inertia and demand avoidance for the win!

I was exhausted. And vibrating. I hadn’t had a shutdown/meltdown this bad since August of 2021.

Fortunately, my plan resulted in a validating meeting with my TL and actionable steps to delegate some work, defer other work, and make space for my brain to process. Also reassuring: there will be a full content review conducted by our client’s Executive Head. Any changes identified/required by this review will mean amendment to the e-learning and reuploading to the LMS anyway. So, the problem I identified would not really be a problem.

I slept through the night on Monday and felt more level on Tuesday. Still a little dopey, but also calmer. I delegated work and accomplished a satisfying amount of work myself.

In the health arena, I’ve survived the change of seasons without an outbreak or blepharitis. As soon as the weather rose above freezing, I added the Ryaltris nasal spray to my regime of twice-daily neti-pots, Emergen-C, and ColdFX. So far, so good (she says, knocking on every available wooden surface).

I forgot to mention it last month, but I got Torvi in for her annual checkup. This year, she was due for her vaccines, which expired at the end of January, but post-pandemic, my vet has experienced some challenges. Last year, Torvi’s annual exam was pushed into March and though I booked this year’s at that time, they didn’t have an opening until May 1st. Torvi was unprotected, in the middle of her mid-winter shed, and groomers require a vaccination certificate.

So, I called, and the receptionist suggested a virtual exam. I jumped at the opportunity. The technicians conducted the physical exam and vaccinations with a vet supervising over zoom. A friend was offered a virtual exam for her dog but felt that paying full price for half an appointment was a bit of a cheat. I’d rather have my grrl protected.

Voted in the federal election on April 18, 2025, in the advance voting period with Phil and Mom. There were lineups! And initial numbers indicated that people voted early in record numbers. As of the end of the month, the Liberals have a minority government, but there are several outstanding polling stations where validation is still in progress.

And I haven’t even mentioned the shit show that was RFK Jr.’s autism registry. Mutant registry, anyone? Even though it was in the US, when the initiative was announced, the Canadian federal election hadn’t yet been decided, and the possibility of a maple MAGA government was real. Fortunately, the NIH walked things back thanks to the focus efforts of the autistic community, but the fight isn’t over.

Strength to your sword arms, my American ND friends!

The month in writing

Reader, it was not good. At least at first. The above-mentioned difficulties at work meant that I had few, if any spoons in the evenings to devote to my creative work.

But I persevered. Writing is, if nothing else, one of my special interests. I created a rough query last month and finished the synopsis early in April and, as I’d hoped, creating these two documents allowed me to see in a bird’s eye sense where I could focus my trimming efforts.

Then, I moved onto fixing my final chapter. I struggled initially, not having the brain power to sort out the way forward ‘cause no spoons = no brain power.

But with the respite of the Easter long weekend, I rallied and made some headway.

On the 12th, as I publicized last month, I joined the lovely Vera Constantineau for a spring/National Poetry Month reading at the South End branch of the Sudbury Public Library. It was an intimate event, with 3 friends from the Sudbury Writers’ Guild and two of my former high school teachers. Vera and I read and went a little overtime with the Q&A.

We’re going to do it all over again on May 10th, at the Copper Cliff branch of the GSPL, just in time for Mothers’ Day.

Then, on the 21st, I recorded an episode of Show Don’t Tell Writing with Suzy Vadori! We had a fabulous time.

And in a super quick turnaround, it was released on the 22nd! It turned out great! Have a listen here and consider subscribing to Suzy’s podcast.

Show don't tell writing podcast, episode 42: Writing as a neurodivergent author with Melanie Marttila.

In a lovely surprise, periodicity journal’s virtual reading series #33 featuring me, Kate Cayley, Mahaila Smith, Susan Gevirtz, and Noah Berlatsky was posted on the 28th. So grateful to rob mclennan for all he does for Canadian poetry and poets.

Filling the well

The full sugaring moon in Libra was on the 12th. The night before, the almost-full moon was a delightful pink. I honoured the night with a guided meditation.

The new alder moon in Taurus was on the 27th. A truly lovely day. Sunny, warm, and low-key. Did another guided meditation.

In writerly events, the last session of Starting it Right with Cece Lyra was on the 3rd. This session, she critiqued submissions. Useful analysis. And food for thought.

I attended the launch of A Thousand Tiny Awakenings at Laurentian University’s Indigenous Learning Centre on the 5th. It was lovely to hear Connor Lafortune, Lindsay Mayhew, and Blaine Thornton read in person and enjoy several audio or video recordings from other anthology authors. And there was cake (!)

The 12th, when my poetry reading with Vera at the GSPL was scheduled, was also the day of Can-Con Virtual—oops! But I caught the sessions I wanted to, before and after the reading and a couple days later, I was able to catch the sessions I missed with replay links.

Finally, The FOLD started on April 27th. I watched most of it in replay, because working.

Finnish classes continued throughout the month on Monday nights.

I had a lovely massage on the 9th. Have I mentioned how much I love my RMT?

My semi-annual dentist appointment was on the 23rd.

My support group also met on the evening of the 23rd. The topic this month was meltdowns and shutdowns.

And I enjoyed the long Easter weekend rest.

What I’m watching and reading

I finished watching the whole run of the original X-Men (Disney +). I remember seeing a few episodes, here and there, but I was mostly past my cartoon-watching phase by the time the show ran. And yes, I’m that old. Enjoyable, but the animation does not age well. I wanted to watch the series mostly as a background for X-Men ’97, which is what I’m watching now.

Then, I finished watching the second season of Severance (Apple TV +). Just, OMG, so good! I can’t really say anything about this series without spoiling it. Several major reveals. Mark S and Mark Scout have a conversation. How many severed personalities does Gemma have? And is she safe now? What do Mark S and Helly R intend to do? And yeah, it’s all vague-booking. But it is one of the, if not the, best series on streaming today.

Next, Phil and I watched the third season of Wheel of Time (Prime). Everyone (almost) levels up. Perrin becomes Lord Perrin Goldeneyes after his defense of Two Rivers from the Trolloc hoards, but Loial sacrifices himself to close the Waygate and Perrin hands himself over to the Whitecloaks. Rand travels to the Aiel Waste and enters Rhuidean where he undergoes a trial. He finally sheds Lanfear’s influence and becomes the Ca’ra’carn while Morgaine defeats Lanfear. Nyneave finally overcomes her block when Leandrin tries to kill her. Mat reunites with Min and encounters an Eelfinn who grants him three wishes. Though he gets rid of the memories haunting him since he blew the Horn of Valere, the Eelfinn hangs him as part of the “price.” A lot (and I mean a LOT) more happens, but that’s all I’ll say here. It’s worth watching.

Then I watched Flow (Crave). A-MA-zing! I can see why this movie won a Golden Globe and Academy Award. This is a movie that will stick with me for a while, and it may take some time and potentially additional viewings to tease out all the implications. No humans, no dialogue, and no narrative or voiceover. Just animals, the sounds of nature, and story. First impressions though . . . a fable about climate change; a non-human version of the flood myth; a post-human (post-apocalyptic?) world; an affirmation of animal intelligence and emotion; a bittersweet tale of found family and unavoidable loss; a secretary bird as Christ figure. Like I said, I’m going to be thinking about Flow for a while. Loved this movie SO HARD.

I also watched The Electric State (Netflix). This movie was a little different from the other robot-related media I’ve been taking in recently (The Wild Robot, A Psalm for the Wild-Built). Definitely not as cozy. In this world, Robots and humans went to war in the 90s. Protagonist Michelle is the only survivor of a car crash that happened as her family tried to escape the conflict. Shortly thereafter, Sentre CEO Ethan Skate invents neurocaster technology, allowing humans to remotely control drone robots and win the war. Neurocaster technology becomes universal after that. Everyone works, learns, and plays using their neurocasters. Everyone, that is, except Michelle, who is traumatized by losing her family and years of trying to survive foster care. Until a robot shows up that she figures out is her brother and she sets off to rescue his body from Sentre.

This movie was adapted from the graphic novel of the same name and has been largely panned, despite being written by the McFeelys, produced by the Russos, and having a star-studded cast. It’s also one of the most expensive movies ever produced, which may have something to do with the critical response. I didn’t think it was that bad. Yes, there were a lot of missed opportunities, but it was a perfectly enjoyable post-apocalyptic action movie. You can’t really go all in on the action movie vibe and have a deep philosophical conversation about technology, humanity, and whether the kid in Omelas needs to be freed at the expense of the society their suffering made possible. That’s one of the missed opportunities I was talking about.

My first read of April (April!) 2025 was Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune, the second of the Cerulean Chronicles. This novel continues the tale begun in The House on the Cerulean Sea, in which Linus Baker, a hapless drone in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth (DiCoMY), finds his life upended in the most pleasant way when he is assigned to assess the conditions in one of DiCoMY’s orphanages for magical children.

This novel is told from Arthur Parnassus’s perspective. He’s worked hard to make a good life on the ashes of his old one. Literally. Abused as a child in the same orphanage he returned to run, Arthur still hasn’t overcome the trauma of his past. Though he now has a loving partner in Linus and six wonderful magical children, the Department in Charge of Magical Adults (DiCoMA) and DiCoMY have it out for him, calling him to testify in a thinly veiled attempt to discredit him and take the children he has applied to adopt.

Somewhere Beyond the Sea is a story of resistance, lovingly told, about the daunting experience of fighting for the life you want to live and doing the work to keep it. Loved!

Then, I read A Thousand Tiny Awakenings, an anthology edited by Connor Lafortune and Lindsay Mayhew. This elegant, slim anthology features the poetry and prose of 15 dynamic young voices. Every piece in the anthology is a wakeup call.

I listened to English Fairly Tales by Flora Annie Steel. A lot of familiar material in this collection of tales, and a lot of surprising intersections with the Norwegian Folktales I read last month.

Next, I read Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao, the second in her Iron Widow series. At the end of the first novel, Zetien had just revived Emperor Qin Zheng and lost Shimin when the gods took the wreckage of the Vermilion Bird to the Heavenly Court. Now she and Qin Zheng are reluctantly thrust together as Emperess and Emperor and Zetien must play the part perfectly. The gods are watching. Qin Zheng sets off a Communist revolution and Zetien uses her influence to improve the lives of women. Secretly, Qin Zheng trains Zetien so they’ll be ready to attack the Heavenly Court and kill the gods. Excellent!

And I caught the place where Zhao wanted to include “The Peggy Hill Amendment.” IYKYK. LMAO.

Then, I read Indian Fairy Tales, collected and edited by Joseph Jacobs. The more folk and fairy tales I read from different cultures, the more similarities I find. It’s interesting to get this taste of another culture’s tales. Very good.

I finished reading A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers. Gave me the same vibes as The Wild Robot. It’s set in a post-industrial world in which robots decided they would no longer work in factories for humans. Centuries after the robots wandered into the wilderness, society has settled into a kind of ecological utopia. Small, self-sustaining communities, green energy, but there is still technology. In this world, the best tea monk (read therapist) in Panga finds themselves dissatisfied with their life. They set out to find an ancient hermitage. And then, a robot walks out of the wilderness. Truly lovely.

Next, I listened to Zen Cho’s short fiction collection Spirits Abroad. These ten speculative stories weave together Malaysian myth and folklore with everyday life. A Datin recalls her romance with an orang bunian; a teenage pontianak struggles to balance homework, bossy aunties, first love, and eating people; an earth spirit gets entangled in protracted negotiations with an annoying landlord; we watch Chang E evolve over the course of four generations; an imugi is foiled in its ascent to dragonhood, but when it seeks revenge on the human responsible, it falls in love with her instead (such a lovely story!); and a timid second wife tries to escape her life in hell. When these stories are brought to life by a narrator who knows the language and idiomatic speech of the characters, it’s even better. Loved!

Then, I finished reading Linghun by Ai Jiang. This Nebula-Award-winning novella is a modern gothic. Set in the mysterious town of Home, a place where people who can’t release their beloved dead move to reunite with them, Linghun tells the story of Wenqi, Liam, and Mrs. Wenqi’s family has moved from Toronto into one of Home’s haunted houses to summon the ghost of her brother, who died when he was a child. Wenqi barely remembers him and wants to go back to Toronto and live an actual life. Liam and his family are “lingerers,” people who can’t afford a haunted house and engage in blood-sport auctions when one becomes available. Liam has been assigned the task of making Wenqi and her family give up their house, but Liam has other ideas. Mrs. lives and dies in the house where her deceased husband refuses to apparate, but she has a strange connection to both Wenqi and Liam. Great, creepy read!

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. https://melaniemarttila.ca

I acknowledge with respect that I am in Robinson-Huron Treaty territory, that the land from which I write is the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe and home of Atikameksheng Anishnawbek and Wahnapitae First Nation.

The next chapter: September 2024 update

/ Melanie Marttila

Getting back into the swing of things…until the swing breaks.

Picture of a cloudy sky.

Life in general

Even though we’ve had another lovely stretch of warm weather through September, I’ve given up on the idea of swimming this year, for several reasons.

  1. My swimsuit. I haven’t bought a new one since I lost weight and it’s baggy. Baggy enough that it would probably fall off my shoulders while I swim (!) I definitely need a new one but haven’t gotten around to sourcing one yet. Speedo designs have also changed a lot over the years and I’m not sure what would suit—lol—me now.
  2. My rituals in the covid endemic age. Because I continue to work full time, and devote a good portion of the rest of my time to writing, I’m finding it challenging to fit a swim in. I really struggle in the mornings and don’t think I could get up any earlier to swim then, and after work, I often don’t have the spoons to do something that isn’t writing. I’ll have to give it some thought before next June.
  3. I’m far enough away from a beach that it would take a half hour to an hour to walk (depending on which one I go to) there and back, or I’d have to take my car, and there may not be enough parking, particularly on hot summer days. It’s another time sink and ritual adjustment that I have to account for.

Friday the 13th wasn’t kind. My mom was feeling poorly enough that she asked me to call 911 for her after work. After a 20-hour odyssey in the waiting room (during which she did not sleep, eat, or drink anything), seeing a doctor, tests, and a CAT scan, she was observed overnight. In the morning (Sunday) the surgeon called, recommending surgery. I agreed and laparoscopic surgery to repair/remove a bowel obstruction proceeded that afternoon.

So, I had to put a few things on hold.

If you’ve been reading my blog for a few years, you may remember that Mom had a similar surgery in November 2020. It was why we went with the option of an ambulance and agreed with the surgery when it was recommended. The illness that preceded it was familiar.

She was in the hospital until the following Thursday (Sept. 19) when Phil brought her home and life started its slow return to normal.

Work is still a source of stress. Transitioning to a new team is not easy, and doing it in the summer, when vacations mean that half your team is away, just makes it more difficult. I’m starting to get a handle on the projects and hope to feel like I’m making headway soon.

I’m pretty sure I’ve tipped the scales toward burnout.

The month in writing

I focused primarily on the climactic chapter of Reality Bomb when I could, but it eventually became apparent that words were not wording.

I was supposed to meet with Suzy once on the 18th, but Mom’s surgery forced me to postpone.

On September 1st, there was a flurry of activity for the anthology I’ve been included in. For most of August, I’ve been quietly reviewing proofs and the draft contract. On the 1st, I reviewed and signed my contract and reviewed and approved final proofs.

I’ll let you know more when I can. It’s kind of killing me not to be able to share the news.

On the 24th, my Sudbury Writers’ Guild member page went live.

And on the 25th, three of my poems appeared in The /tεmz/ Review! Trauma cluster I, II, and III can be read online. Please be advised that TCIII includes mentions of suicidal ideation. The whole tryptich is dark, so be aware if you choose to read. Take care of yourselves, y’all!

I met with my Dispatches writing group on the 3rd. Always good to catch up and share with writer friends. But then, because Mom, I had to withdraw from the next round of submissions and critiques.

I received another lovely review of The Art of Floating from Ramblings on my Bookshelves on the 11th. So, so grateful for each reader and every review that comes in!

The Wordstock annual general meeting was on the 11th, followed immediately by the Wordstock 2024 lineup announcement and open mic night. There are so many stellar authors in the lineup: Alicia Elliot, Drew Hayden Taylor, Hollay Ghadery, Danielle Daniel, Yvonne Blomer, Ariel Gordon…and the list goes on!

Heather Campbell and Kyla Heyming announcing the 2024 Wordstock Sudbury lineup.

I’m honoured to be in the Poetry Primer session on Friday, November 1st from 5:30 to 6:30 pm with Kelsey Borgford, moderated by Poet Laureate Alex Tétreault. If you’re in the Sudbury area in November, please come out to Place des Arts and take part in Wordstock 2024!

Here’s the link to the Wordstock website where you can look at all the author biographies, download the schedule-at-a-glance, and buy tickets 🙂

On the 19th, Emily De Angelis featured The Art of Floating in one of her five adjective reviews (on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads). She took a break over the summer, but otherwise Emily posts one of these charming, brief reviews every Friday.

Five Adjective Review of The Art of Floating.

In writing business, the SF Canada board met on the 24th. It was a brief, productive meeting.

Filling the well

The new Hazel moon in Virgo was on the 2nd, which was also Labour Day.

The full Corn/Leaves Changing Colour moon in Pisces and partial lunar eclipse was on the 17th. I watched the Time & Date coverage of the eclipse in various parts of the world where the eclipse was more pronounced and walked to the window to watch the wee nibble of shadow on the moon here. The moon was distinctly orange in the days leading up to the full.

And the autumnal equinox fell on the 22nd this year. I did my usual altar-lighting and contemplated the changing of the seasons.

Writing-related events started to ramp up again. I’d signed up for that series of Odyssey workshops last month and they continued through September. I also signed up for several Clarion West Workshops. And there were several book launches and events to attend.

On the 8th, I attended the Odyssey workshop “Point of View” with Paul Park. Solid writerly learnings.

On the 10th, I attended “playing with Perspective” with David Ly, a poetry workshop through the League of Canadian Poets. Since it was during the workday, I audited, but the workshop was verra interesting. I’ll have to work through it on my own time.

That same night was “Avoiding Common Science Pitfalls in Your SF with Ashley Christine, the first of the Clarion workshops I signed up for. Lots of science-y fact checking for worldbuilding and plotting.

Then, on the 12th, Rod Carley launched his latest novel, Ruff, at Place des Arts. It was lovely to meet Rod in person (we’ve only ever interacted online).

Rod Carley is conversation with Marcus Schwabe.

The 13th through the 15th was the DIY MFA Author Life Summit. Because that was also when my mom had her surgery, I just watched the sessions I was most interested in.

The next week, on the 19th, Kim Fahner launched her debut historical novel, The Donoghue Girl. Kim’s launches are always events. She invites musician friends to play, sings a couple of Irish songs, and then does a reading or two. This time, she asked Judi Straughan to interview her and livestreamed the event for out-of-town friends and fans. Her dress was absolutely gorgeous. Fabulous night!

Kim Fahner in conversation with Judi Straughan.

That weekend, I attended the virtual launch of Sara Letourneau’s debut poetry collection, Wild Gardens. Sara was a contributor to DIY MFA at the same time I was, and she was also one of the book coaches I considered before deciding on Suzy. I wanted to support a fellow debut poet.

The same evening, I attended the 2024 Anne Szumigalski Lecture, “Call and Response,” presented by Titilope Sonuga. Amazing presentation!

On the 22nd, Terese Mason Pierre presented the Clarion West Workshop “Discovering Speculative Poetry.” Loved! Generated some great ideas.

On the 27th was “Molecular Description” with Escher McDonell-Maulsby. I have to watch the session again. It. Was. Stellar!

Then, on the 28th, I attended an all-day virtual retreat, “All About Fantasy” presented by Bianca Marais and featuring lectures and workshops by authors Tomi Adeyemi, Amber Chen, and Andrea Hairston, agents Mary C. Moore and Elizabeth Hitti, and editor Saana Ali-Virani. There was so much writerly goodness going on, it’s another event I have to watch again.

Finally, on the 29th, I attended “The Business of Writing” with Arly Sorg, another Odyssey workshop. Excellent.

In non-writerly events, I attended “The Wisdom of the Witch” with Phyllis Curott. I have two of her books on witchcraft and was curious to hear her present. It was a good presentation and guided ritual.

On the 3rd, I picked up my new orthotics and glasses. It’s so nice to be more comfortable walking again and to be able to see better. I did need a tweak in my prescription.

Picture of glasses.
The picture doesn’t capture the colours. Pink and burgundy with gold-toned metal. Looks rose-gold.

What I’m watching and reading

I finally watched Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (Crave). It was fine, and I did enjoy the performances, but overall, it suffered from the same issue many prequels fall prey to: viewers know where the story is heading. And while it was interesting to see Furiosa’s backstory, it really had little impact on the events of Mad Max: Fury Road. I really didn’t see the point of it. If they were books, I’d almost say combine the two, interweaving the past and present timelines, but I guess that wouldn’t have worked as well as a movie.

Phil and I zoomed through KAOS (Netflix). It’s an alternate reality in which the Greek gods still exist and what we think of as mythic stories play out in the modern day. Zeus (Jeff Goldblum) is obsessed with his prophecy—the Fates give everyone a prophecy at their birth—and is getting increasingly unstable. Hera and Poseidon are having an affair, Hades and Persephone are having a rough go (spoilers, if I tell you with what), most of Zeus’s children aren’t speaking to him except for Dionysus, who wants to do more than party all the time, and Prometheus has a plan, having to do with his own prophecy, to get out of his eternal punishment.

Enter the mortals. Eurydice, “Riddy,” is falling out of love with Orpheus, the rock star who obsesses over her as his muse. When Riddy dies and Orpheus is determined to rescue her from the Underworld, you think you know how the story goes (but you’d be wrong). Caeneus died but cannot enter The Frame. He must work in the Underworld until he earns his right to cross over. He and Riddy discover a conspiracy and begin to fall in love, as the dead do. Ariadne, “Ari,” has lived with the burden of having killed her twin Glaucus in their infancy. Riddy, Caeneus, and Ari all have critical roles to play in bringing about Zeus’s prophecy, freeing Prometheus, and bringing about the downfall of the gods.

This just touches the surface. It was an amazing show with awesome actors and ended on a cliffhanger. Phil and I are hoping Netflix doesn’t cancel the series, as they have with so many others we’ve loved (RIP Lockwood and Co. and Dead Boy Detective Agency).

Then, I finished watching Dark Matter (Apple TV) based on the novel by Blake Crouch that I read last month. So, here is the comparison I promised, and be warned [HERE BE SPOILERS]. Avoid if you want to read the book or watch the series without the benefit on my completely biased opinion 🙂

The plot is roughly the same between the novel and the series. Jason Dessen, college professor of physics, lives in Chicago with his wife Daniela, and their son, Charlie. After celebrating his neuroscientist friend Ryan’s win of a prestigious science award, he is abducted and drugged, waking up in what looks like a laboratory medical facility. Eventually, he figures out that he is in another world in which he decided to pursue the development of a prototype he once created, the Cube, which allowed a particle to exist and be observed in superposition without collapsing its waveform into one state or the other. The Cube has become the Box, which allows people to exist in superposition and choose the state, in this case world, they want to exist in. He realizes that this world’s Jason (forthwith called Jason2) regretted his decision not to marry Daniela and have Charlie.

Jason escapes with the lab’s psychiatrist, Amanda, and the two journey through multiple harrowing worlds before they figure out how the Box works. Amanda leaves Jason, and after a period of despair, Jason finally finds his world. But hundreds of Jasons have come into being in the Box, with every decision made and every world visited. And they’ve all come to Jason’s world seeking to reclaim their family from Jason2. What ensues is a farcical thrill-ride in which Jason avoids being killed by his numerous other selves, convinces Daniela and Charlie that he is their “real” Jason, escapes to a remote and unoccupied vacation home where Jason2 and a gang of his other selves track him down, manages to kill Jason2, and kill or avoid the rest of his others, returns to Chicago and the Box, where hundreds of other Jasons wait. There is more fighting, but most of the Jasons just want Daniela and Charlie to be safe and happy and make it possible for protagonist Jason to escape into the box with his family.

The first difference is that, in the novel, Daniela notices that there is something different about Jason, but it’s all good. He’s a more attentive husband and father. So, when protagonist Jason returns at the end of the novel, Daniela and Charlie illogically and immediately trust him.

The series fixes this in several ways. First, series-Charlie has a twin, Max, who died shortly after they were born. Every year, the family hold a memorial for Max. Jason2 misses this significant observance because he’s off trying to bilk an old friend out of millions by showing him how the Box works and sending him on his way. Then, Charlie has a severe allergy to nuts and Jason2 gives him ice cream with nuts in it, setting off anaphylactic shock. And Jason2 doesn’t know how to use Charlie’s EpiPen.

After this, Daniela grows suspicious and confides in Ryan. Ryan discovers that Jason2 somehow has a drug that Ryan is secretly developing. He confronts Jason2, who kind of confesses and takes Ryan into the Box, trapping him in another world. Jason2 then seals the Box in concrete (also filling another plot hole from the novel, where Jason2 leaves the Box open and unprotected throughout) to keep anyone he’s sent into its quantum maze from returning to this world. But when Jason2 becomes a suspect in Ryan’s disappearance, he breaks the concrete, finds another world’s Ryan and brings him back to halt the investigation.

Whew! This is already a lot.

In the novel, Amanda sneaks off while Jason sleeps, leaving him a note. Is the series, they visit a world that is a utopia compared to ours and she decides to stay.

In the novel, Jason2 tracks Jason and his family to the remote vacation home where they are hiding, changes clothes with Jason, and then Daniela and Charlie show up to witness their fight to the death (but who’s the real Jason?!). In the series, Jason2 is held hostage by another of the Jasons and learns what the other Jasons have suffered because of him. He still tracks Jason to the vacation home, but he does it to make up for the wrong that he’s done, gifting Jason with the means to use the Box to escape to another world with Daniela and Charlie. He also gives them Max’s ashes to take with them. Then, he stays behind to deal with the other Jasons.

Finally, the series provides a better denouement. Ryan is in Amanda’s utopian world, and they meet. Jason’s billionaire friend is having the time of his life, and we see Jason and his family enter another world, but we don’t know which one, though the light shining through the door seems to imply that it is the same utopian world Amanda chose to stay in.

By now, you’ve probably deduced that I liked the series better than the novel. Sometimes, an adaptation—if the author of the novel is involved—can provide opportunities for the author to make the changes they wished they’d been able to make before the novel was published. Or the adaptation demands changes that improve the story. [Here endeth the spoilers!]

Next, I finished the first season of Shogun (Disney +). I honestly can’t remember much of the original mini-series starring Richard Chamberlain and I never read the book, but I enjoyed this series. The actors were excellent. And I didn’t even mind the tactful absence of subtitles in the first few episodes. Suitably epic.

I watched Inside Out 2 when it was released on Disney +. Charming, sweet story about what happens when Riley hits puberty and a whole group of new emotions take over. The principle takeaway is that emotions don’t get to determine who Riley will be. It’s a lesson that Joy and Anxiety both have to learn.

My first book of the month was a The Great Courses and Audible Original collaboration. Victorian Animals in Literature and Culture by Deborah Morse considers the works of Anna Sewell (Black Beauty), Margaret Marshall Sanders (Beautiful Joe), Virginia Woolf (Flush), Beatrix Potter, Sir Arthur Connan Doyle, and Ernest Thomas Seaton. Morse brings the conversation into the 21st century with a discussion of Karen Joy Fowler’s We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves. The book includes discussion not only of animal welfare and rights, but also slavery, disability, social justice, and more. I was impressed and touched. An excellent listen.

Then, I finished reading The Stones of Burren Bay by Emily De Angelis. Loved! Norie (short for Honoria) can only bear witness as her beloved grandmother dies. When her father—always angling for a way to make money—wants to sell the antique artist’s box her grandmother left to her, Norrie protests. Unfortunately, he doesn’t tell her until he’s driving Norie and her mother to meet the buyer, and the resulting argument leads to a car fiery crash that kills her father and seriously injures Norie and her mother.

Of course, Norie blames herself. Norie’s journey is one of spiritual healing and reconciliation that takes place in a lovely lighthouse museum on Manitoulin Island among people who become Norie’s new “found” family. A second timeline runs through the novel in reverse chronological order detailing Oonagh’s journey from Ireland to the same Manitoulin lighthouse where her father was to be keeper and the fire that takes her life. Yes, I know the author, but I would have loved the book every bit as much even if I didn’t. Highly recommend.

Next, I read Mirrored Heavens, the third book in the Between Earth and Sky series by Rebecca Roanhorse. This is one of those books that to say anything of the plot automatically means spoilers. So, I won’t get into it except in very general terms. Serapio now rules Tova, but enemies are amassing on two fronts to take back the city. Xiala returns to Teek and has to defeat a warlord come to enslave her people. Naranpa travels north to a fabled graveyard that may be the key to mastering her powers as the sun god’s avatar and saving Tova from a fiery fate. Shifting alliances, political intrigue, betrayal, and sorcery. All the good things. Loved, though I did want a better ending for Naranpa. Just saying.

Then, I listened to A Beginner’s Guide to Numerology by Joy Woodward. I first encountered numerology years ago when I read Linda Goodman’s Star Signs. Goodman focused on Chaldean/Hebrew numerology, however. Woodward presents Ptolemaic numerology, and it’s a more straightforward, but more complex system of divination. I rediscovered an old special interest and had fun calculating various numbers. Since it’s all basic addition, it’s super easy.

Next, I read The Book of Elsewhere by Keanu Reeves and China Miéville. I hadn’t read a Miéville novel yet, though they’re on my TBR list. Not having read the BRZRKR comics on which the novel’s based, I wasn’t familiar with the specific context, though I do know of other series that deal with immortal warriors.

These day’s, he’s simply known as B but, over the aeons of his existence, he’s been called Unute, and Death. This last is pertinent, because he does tend to go into a true berserk rage, which even his allies can’t escape. It’s gotten so bad that some of his black-ops colleagues have attempted to kill him. And that was before a shadowy cabal actively began to subvert them. When one of his dead (like half-his-head-blown-off dead) colleagues comes back to life, it starts a whole series of events that culminate in a confrontation between B and the children of other gods. It was a great, if challenging read.

My next listen was Susan Cain’s Audible Original, Seven Steps to a Quiet Life. Narrated by the author, this was a short and sweet look at life, finding your purpose, moving through difficult life events and grief, seeking oneness, and having compassion for your fellow beings. Lovely.  

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 https://melaniemarttila.ca

The next chapter: May 2024 update

/ Melanie Marttila

Every month is poetry month. For now, at least.

Picture of the waxing moon above trees.

Life in general

The sinusitis hasn’t relented. On the 5th, my right ear was completely blocked, and I was half-deaf. I literally could hear nothing out of my right ear. It was the weirdest thing. On the afternoon of the 6th, something popped, and I could hear again, but another night of steam treatment and restless sleep, the ear was clogged up again. At lunch on the 7th, the ear opened up again, but by then, I was beyond the 15 days the second antibiotic was supposed to stay in my system.

Wednesday was, once again, clinic day. This time, the doctor figured the infection had been cleared up (after the two courses of antibiotics) and that it was just inflammation resulting from the prolonged infection that was the issue. I left with a prescription for antihistamines and recommendations to begin using a neti pot, mineral oil in my ear to help clear up the blockage, and to make an appointment with my doctor in two weeks in the event that the new course of treatment didn’t take hold.

Fortunately, my doctor’s office is next door to my pharmacy and while I was waiting for my prescription to be filled, I went up to the receptionist’s desk and asked if there were any openings in two weeks. There was exactly one availability. I took it. More on the results of that appointment, below.

Phil got the tires changed and a tune up for the car in advance of my trip to North Bay (see below). We had to get new summer tires, the ones that came with the car having worn to the nubs. In the past few years, we’ve had issues with air leakages. We should be good for another few years, now.

At work, I’m moving toward another deadline in the project I’ve been working on since spring 2022. Of the four courses in the curriculum I’ve been working on, one has been updated and posted to our learning management system, one is in the process of being re-written and won’t be ready for design, accessibility, or posting until later this year. Of the two courses I’m working on, one has been completely redesigned and the other has been updated. I’m in the process of finishing the accessibility (alt-text, long descriptions, etc.) on the redesigned course. A colleague has done most of the work on the other.

I didn’t finish the work before my six-week leave with income averaging (LIA) started, but guess what? The deadline isn’t hard this time! My colleagues can finish the work while I’m off.

Also, I received some great news. After two years of budget challenges, my division finally has some wiggle room for staffing. After I return from my leave, I’m going to have an acting instructional designer position with another design team for a year (!) It will be a nice bump to my pay (now reduced by my LIA) and a lovely break from the project that’s occupied me for so long. The final course for that project should be completed in my absence.

It also opens up the opportunity for other, younger colleagues to progress in their careers and make room for me to move back to my existing team as an instructional designer instead of a courseware developer next summer. Or to stay with my new team. We’ll see where the future takes me.

Spring has sprung and I’m enjoying the scents despite not being completely recovered.

The distinctively astringent smell of poplar sap has given way to the pollen, seeds, and general messiness. In past years, the pin cherry blossoms emerged on Victoria Day long weekend, followed a week later by the lilacs, and then the honeysuckles. This year, they’re all coming out at once. It’s glorious! And then the mountain ash blooms come out and muddle the lovely scents of spring with their odd, musty odour.

The bumble bees have been very active in the honeysuckle. I’ve even seen one crawling into a hole in the ground next to a paver driveway. Weird, the things you see when you pay attention 😉

Another pleasant discovery was that when I walked Torvi out on the boardwalk behind Moonglow toward Robinson Lake, the missing bridge has been replaced! This now expands our walking options.

The month in writing

The first part of May was dedicated to recovery, to be honest. I’m burning out, professionally, creatively, all of it. It’s why I wanted to take another leave with income averaging. It’s not that I haven’t been writing at all, but I’ve been focusing on commitments, stories for anthology calls and open submission periods, poems as I have the spoons.

But I returned to Reality Bomb on the 7th, in anticipation of resuming work with Suzy Vadori in what should be my final book coaching package.

On the 26th, I made my first of the last 6-submission package working with book coach Suzy. This should complete this revision of the novel (!) We met the following Thursday, May 30th. The session was very much the same old, same old. I still haven’t managed to master Suzy’s lessons despite working with her for the better part of a year and a half and participating in her developmental editing mentorship.

I’m trying to be kind to myself because we’re resuming work after two months of me focusing on The Art of Floating. It’s going to take me time to get back into the swing of things. I’m still feeling resistance. I am a slow cooker …

I attended the launch of my friend Emily De Angelis’ YA novel, The Stones of Burren Bay on May 5th, which was a beautiful, sunny day. The launch was at the Northern Water Sports Centre and was packed. So happy for Emily and her new book!

On the 8th, I was informed that “Cedar Waxwings” would be published in Commuter Lit on May 16. I had submitted the poem to their contest last month but didn’t place. It was a pleasant surprise.

On the 14th, I zipped over to North Bay after work for the Conspiracy of 3 reading series. You may have seen my post on Facebook and Instagram about it. In case you didn’t, it was a lovely evening.

First, Denis Stokes offered a brief reading from Alice Munro and we held a minute of silence to honor her passing. Then, Ric Desmuelles read from Pity the Minotaur. I read from The Art of Floating. And several lovely people shared their work in the open reading.

I got to catch up with old friends, not just Denis and Ric, but Natalie Wilson, Tim and Karin Robertson, and Barry and Jen Grills.

I brought seven copies of the collection with me, well, eight with the copy I read from, just in case, and ended up going home with only my reading copy (!)

This event conflicted with the launch of Sudbury Superstack: A Changing Skyline, in which I have a creative non-fiction piece, that took place the same night in Sudbury at the Steelworkers Hall. I was sad to miss it, but such is the life of a professional author.

But I was able to arrange to pick up my contributor copy, honorarium, and my new Sudbury Writers’ Guild bunny hug and the May SWG meeting at the end of the month.

Picture of the back of a Sudbury Writers' Guild forest green hoodie and the cover of Sudbury Superstack: A changing skyline.
The back of the hoodie (actually, a bunny-hug) showing the SWG logo and the Sudbury Superstack: A Changing Skyline anthology.

My interview with rob mclennan came out on his blog on May 18th. It was fun answering his 12 or 20 questions 🙂

In the realm of the business of writing, there were a trio of TWUC meetings around the AGM. On the 16th was the pre-AGM town hall. Then the AGM was on the 25th, followed by a post-AGM networking event.

And on the 28th, there was the quarterly board meeting for SF Canada.

Filling the well

Beltaine (I spell it the way I spell it, ok?) was May first. Unfortunately, I was in recovery and used all my spoons for the day, so I didn’t get my altar lit. Not on the 2nd, either. Managed it on the 3rd.

The new Willow moon in Taurus 🙂 was on the 7th. It was overcast, as usual.

On the 10th, the mass coronal ejection hit our atmosphere, and while we didn’t get more than pale wisps here in town (too much light pollution from the streetlights, etc.), we got to see the aurora borealis. It wasn’t bright enough to take pictures, but other friends in other parts of the Sudz were able to see a spectacular display. Just grateful to have seen something.

And I have seen the aurora before, so I wasn’t terribly disappointed. When I was still in my teens (can’t remember the exact year, honestly), Mom, Dad, and I went down to the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ camp near Parry Sound with my cousin Margot and her family, and we got to see the aurora and a lovely display of the Milky Way.

The full Flower/Budding moon in Sagitarius was on the 23rd. I got to see the moon after it rose that night, but I’ve given up trying to take decent pictures at night.

Waning fingernail moon and two planets visible in the daytime sky.
Not related to the full or new moons, but this cool shot of the waning fingernail moon and two planets visible in the daytime sky.

The FOLD online concluded on May 1st. I had to watch several sessions in replay and returned to watch the live sessions that were added after the fact. But the FOLD remains one of the best conferences, online or live, that I’ve attended.

On the 9th, I attended the TWUC webinar featuring the Danuta Gleed finalists about “Constructing a Story Arc.” Kim Fu, Saeed Teebi, and Gillian Wigmore shared their experience construction short story arcs.

Later that same night, was Janice Hardy’s “How to write characters with agency” presented by Free Expressions. I watched the replay ‘cause spoons.

There was another Free Expressions webinar on the 16th with Donald Maass on “Advanced Voice.” Again, watched the replay.

And I signed up for a three-part poetry workshop with Ariel Gordon called “Dispatches from the World.” The first session was on the 28th. We did some freewriting that I hope to be able to use in another project and workshopped almost everyone’s submissions. I have another assignment for our next workshop on June 11th that’s due on June 3rd.

The last of the spring session Finnish classes was on the 6th. While I am learning a lot, the intermediate class was verra challenging.

In terms of health/mental health, I had my last (for now) session with my therapist. I figured I’d just need some extra support to get through the first few months of the year with the launch and work deadlines and trying to manage my energy level/executive functioning/mental health. Again, it was an amicable parting.

My support group met on the 22nd. The topic this month was meltdowns and shutdowns.

On the 23rd, I had two appointments. The first was the follow up with my doctor about my persistent sinusitis, mentioned above. I came away with the recommendation to continue with the antihistamines and neti pot, and another prescription for antibiotics. Back to the amoxicillin, but for two weeks this time. Though I was asked to make an appointment in a month, the earliest I could get on was July 2nd.

I have already seen some improvement. Not as many headaches or sore teeth, though both still occur. Not as many feverish times. And the persistent tickling/feeling there’s something in my sinus has abated. So, I seem to be heading in the right direction.

The second was an appointment with my RMT. It was good to get some self-care in after the hectic of the last month and a half.

And the BIG news this month is that I started a six-week LIA after the Victoria Day long weekend! I’m off until July 2nd!

What I’m watching and reading

I watched Palm Springs (Amazon). Interesting take on the Groundhog Day trope. Nyles has already be stuck in the time loop—for years?—by the time Sarah finds her way to a mysterious glowy cavern. They’re both revealed to have made terrible choices, both in the real world (Sarah) and within the time loop (Nyles). Though they both grow during their time in the loop, that’s not what breaks the “curse.” I won’t spoil it because it’s a worthwhile watch.

Then, I finished watching The Other Black Girl (Disney +), a thriller based on the novel by Alyssa Cole. An uncomfortable and surreal parable about internalized racism and the lengths some people are willing to go to change the system.

I finished watching Bodies (Netflix). This limited series was an interesting take on time travel and I’m sorry, but some spoilers are necessary to explain. In the future, an anomaly called “the mouth” allows time travel into the past. The antagonist uses it to create an empire that will eventually allow him to create the post-apocalyptic utopia/dystopia he now controls in the future. Another character is splintered when he is shot while attempting to foil the antagonist, and ends up in four different times, 1890, 1941, 2023, and 2053, the last mere days before he leaves. The story follows the investigations of Detective Inspector Alfred Hillinghead, Detective Sergeant Karl Weissman (Charles Whiteman), Detective Seargent Shahara Hassan, and Detective Constable Iris Maplewood as they discover the body in each of their times.

Next, Phil and I watched the second season of Extraordinary (Disney +). I’d watched the first season myself, but as I was watching the second season, Phil decided he liked it and binged the whole of the first season in a couple of days. We finished watching the second season together. At the end of the first season, Jizzlord (Rob), the amnesiac cat-shifter, went to the shop to get some milk and is recognized by his son and wife just after he and Jen decided to date. The main through line of season 2 is Jen’s conflict with Nora (Rob’s telepathic wife) over Rob while she embarks on a treatment program that should result in her developing her latent powers. It’s hilarious and I highly recommend.

I finished watching my one and only reality TV show, So You Think You Can Dance (network). With Paula Abdul accusing Nigel Lithgoe of sexual harassment and the death of Twitch, the show has undergone a slight format change. They decided to include what happens in the house where the contestants stay during the competition, so it’s like SYTYCD and The Real World had a baby. And the dance competitions are now focused on real world challenges, like making ads, being back up dancers, and the like. Not as thrilled with this iteration of the show, I must say.

Then, I watched the whole of Our Flag Means Death (Crave). A bit late to the game with this one, but I’m glad I decided to check it out. Queer pirate love conquers all. Loved! Watch it if you haven’t.

Will Trent (network) completed its second season on May 21st. I really like this series and the second season finally was a gut punch. I can’t say anything without spoiling the season and you really should watch it if you can.

On the same night, The Rookie (network) also had its season finally. Short because of the writers’ strike, but pretty solid. Ended on a cliffhanger with several familiar past villains on the run and/or gunning for Nolan. Some of the Rookie Feds team showed up as well.

I also caught up on Only Murders in the Building (Disney +). I have now watched all three seasons and I’m enjoying this cozy podcast murder show. In season 1, the crew investigated the murder of one of the Arconia’s residents who had history with Mabel. No sooner had that mystery been solved when the second occurred in the season 1 finale, and Mabel was under suspicion. In the third season, Oliver and Charles are distracted because Oliver is trying to direct his off, off (possibly several more offs) Broadway comeback and Charles is in the production. When the leading man is murdered on opening night (yes, in the Arconia), you’d think Oliver and Charles would jump back on the mystery-solving bandwagon, but Oliver’s trying to save his show by turning it into a musical and Charles is in another messy relationship, which leaves Mabel in the lurch. Season 3 ends with another murder in the Arconia, which will be solved in the fourth (and I think final) season.

Then, Phil and I watched The Dead Boys Detective Agency (Netflix). It has the flavour of Lockwood and Co., but the plot is delightfully inverted and twisted. It’s also set in Neil Gaiman’s Sandman universe. Two young ghosts, evading Death their assigned afterlives, set up the titular detective agency, solving the mysteries of other ghosts so they can move on. A psychic trying to evade her demonic ex joins them in Port Townsend, Washington, where all kinds of supernatural shenanigans ensue. Loved.

I finished watching the short season of Grey’s Anatomy (network). A new batch of interns and troubles for the whole team. Looks like almost everyone has been fired or is in danger of being fired at the end of the season finale. I keep watching, just ‘cause.

And, finally, I also finished watching the final season of Star Trek: Discovery (network). The series wasn’t cancelled until after filming wrapped, and they had to make some hasty last-minute changes to wrap things up. The season’s arc was about finding the Progenitors’ tech, a call-back to The Next Generation. Racing Burnham and the crew are Mol and Lok, who want to trade the tech to the Breen in return for their freedom.

The series finale was two hours and though satisfying in some respects, was disappointing in others. [SPOILERS!] For example, after finally activating the tech and being named its new guardian, Burnham decides that it’s too dangerous for any one person to control and sends it off into a black hole. This invalidates the whole season. The Federation brass, even Kovacs, who sent them on this “red directive” mission in the first place, agree. So, off she goes. I get it, but it was deeply unsatisfying. The revelation of Kovacs as Agent Daniels (a callback to Enterprise) was cool, I guess. It was nice to see the happy endings, but to have Burnham fly Discovery and Zora out to a predetermined point in the galaxy to wait for some mysterious contact with no human crew … strikes me a cruel. Hardly the send-off either the ship or the AI deserved. So, a mixed bag.

My first read of May was Catherynne Valente’s Space Opera. A has-been band is chosen (last on the list—the rest of the candidates are dead) to defend Earth in a pan-galactic music competition. A loss will result in the annihilation of the planet. No pressure. Info-dump central, a bit deus ex machina at the end, and the climax was rushed, but enjoyable just for Valente’s voice-y prose.

Then, I read Piers Anthony’s Wielding a Red Sword. It’s the fourth book in his incarnations of immortality series. It was okay. A lot of objectification of women. A prince of Gujarat with a stutter disguises himself and joins a travelling circus as an acrobat and mime called Mym. He falls in love with Orb, an Irish musician, but is precipitously recalled home when his brother, who was to become Raj, dies. His father forces his marriage to Rapture, a princess, but because of his ability to become a “controlled” berserker, Mym becomes the incarnation of Mars, the god of war. He is then tempted by Lilith/Lila and must defeat Satan. There is a dead princess he must save from hell, too. Like I say, there’s a LOT of objectification.

Next, I finished Ada Hoffmann’s The Infinite, the third in her Outside series. The cruel AI Gods have abandoned Jai and the Chaos Zone to the Keres, but Yasira Chien and the Seven discover that the Keres and Nemesis are one in the same. The Keres is the bigger stick the Gods use to keep humanity in line. Allies are gathered but they won’t be enough to save humanity, and Dr. Evianna Talirr returns to ask Yasira to make the ultimate sacrifice. A satisfying conclusion to a series that centres neurodiversity, trauma, and the healing power of found family.

I also read Cathrynne Valente’s The Refrigerator Monologues, a fabulous collection of connected vignettes about women superheroes or girlfriends of superheroes who all end up in hell (why hell? It’s never explained) after they’ve been killed or lost everything to advance the character arcs of the men in their lives. A lot of critique of DC superheroes (the fridging trope arose when the body of Green Lantern’s girlfriend was literally stuffed in his fridge by a nemesis) but great snarky fun.

Then, I finished The Better Part of Valor by Tanya Huff. It’s the second novel in her Confederation series, the first book of which I read last month. This time, Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr is separated from her team and sent on a top-secret reconnaissance mission. A big, yellow ship that reads as part organic has appeared out of nowhere and Torin finds herself contending with the civilian salvage officer who found it and wants dibs on the salvage, the Others, who also show up to investigate, and Big Yellow itself, which seems to have plans of its own. I’m really enjoying this series.

I followed this up with Nancy Kress’s If Tomorrow Comes, the second in her Yesterday’s Kin series (I have not yet read the first book—reading a series out of order, I know!). It’s part military SF, part first contact, and part disaster/thriller. Years ago, a ship came to Earth from World, a alien-transplanted human colony, to warn of a space-faring spore cloud that is deadly to humans. Now, Earth is sending a mission to World with a crew of scientists carrying the vaccine for the spore cloud and a team of rangers as military escort. Things go to hell pretty quickly.

World is not as technologically advanced as Earth and its people work hard to keep it that way, living in balance with the planet and its resources. They have not developed a vaccine and the ship was a gift left for them by the advanced species that transplanted them to World over a hundred thousand years ago. When another contingent from Earth arrives and bombs three of the four World cities and the other Earth ship, the survivors have to figure out how to synthesize the vaccine because the spore cloud is only weeks away. Fascinating worldbuilding. Well-developed, if derivative, characters.

Then, I read The Oathbound by Mercedes Lackey. Tarma is sword-sworn and bound to the goddess. Kethry is a sorceress of the white winds and the bearer of the sword Need, that directs her to women under dire threat. The two are bondmates, and Kethry has promised to help rebuild Tarma’s murdered clan. At first, the novel seems to be an unconnected string of adventures, but eventually, everything comes together in a final confrontation. Quite good.

Finally, I read Terran Tomorrow by Nancy Kress, the third in the Yesterday’s Kin trilogy. At the end of the last book (above) [SPOILERS!] a colony ship is recalled. There are no World survivors, but the ship is filled with the purple, naked, and smelly World-equivalents of mice who survived the spore cloud thanks to a virophage. The virophage is released on World and saves most of the population. So, a team of Earth and World humans return to Earth to find it devastated. Though Earth humans were mostly immune to the spore cloud virus, it combined with avian flu virus and wiped out most the people on Earth. There are now about 120 million humans world-wide and in America, two factions are fighting for supremacy, the remnants of the US military, and New America. And then, people affected by the virophage and infected with the mutated r. sporae avovirus (RSA—how prophetic was that?) fall into comas. More science and military hijinx. Interesting series. And now I’m reading the first book in the series to find out how it all started (!)

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 Art of Floating Launch is in two weeks!

/ Melanie Marttila

Join me for the launch of my debut poetry collection The Art of Floating.

The Art of Floating book launch. April 6, 2024. 7 pm. Studio Desjardins, Place des Arts, 27 Larch St. Sudbury, Ontario.

Date: Saturday, April 6, 2024
Time: 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Location: Place des arts, Studio Desjardin

Melanie Marttila captures the solace and healing she has found in the terrestrial landscapes, flora, and fauna of northeastern and southwestern Ontario while balancing the ebbs and flows of her mental health.
There is similar reprieve in looking skyward as she shares in beautifully crafted poems the reflections of celestial patterns on moods, perceptions and relationships. Through the often insignificant and mildly miniscule moments in life, Marttila demonstrates the truth and hope that lie within each, whether connecting with land or sky.

The Art of Floating is dedicated to the poet’s father, who taught her how to surrender to and survive the rough waters of mental illness.

The evening will include Q&A with Kim Fahner, a reading by the author, and a book signing.

For those who would still like to attend via livestream, select the link here: https://boxcast.tv/…/heather-book-launch…

Books will be available for purchase for $22.95 (plus tax) at the event, online at www.latitude46publishing.com, or through your favourite bookseller.

If you have any questions, please contact info@latitude46publishing.com.

Book Launch: Enlightened by Defilement by Vera Constantineau

/ Melanie Marttila

Yesterday, On Saturday, April 15, 2023, I attended the launch of Vera’s collection of haibun, Enlightened by Defilement, at the Hilton Garden Inn, in Sudbury.

It was a lovely afternoon and I saw many members of the Sudbury Writers’ Guild, who came out to support our former Poet Laureate. Heather Campbell, the publisher behind Latitude 46 was also there, and I reconnected with an old friend (hi, Linda!—waves frantically).

Emily DeAngelis conducted an interview with Vera and asked her to read a few poems. It was a different format, and I appreciated it. The Sudbury Star interviewed Vera, as well.

The event was catered with sushi, spring rolls, fruit, cheese, meats, and crackers. Very good!

There was something for everyone.

I’ll encourage everyone to support Vera and Latitude 46 by purchasing a copy, either directly from the publisher’s page, or through Amazon.ca.

Tipsday: Informal writerly learnings, Oct 2-8, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

Fall is in the (very chilly) air! Hope all my Canadian friends had marvelous Thanksgiving weekends, but now, it’s back to the grind. Hello, Tuesday-that-feels-like-a-Monday. It’s time to reward yourself with some informal writerly learnings 🙂

K.M. Weiland explains (very briefly) how to pull off a plot twist. Helping Writers Become Authors

Karen DeBonis recommends you celebrate every writing milestone. Lisa Norman: welcome to the future, part 2. Stefan Emunds shares three principles to make your story experience as real-to-life as possible. Writers in the Storm

Tikbálang, the Filipino nightmare shapeshifter. Monstrum | PBS Storied

Elizabeth Spann Craig shares five tips to make your life easier as a writer.

Greer Macallister: knowing your no. Donald Maass returns with more novels that shouldn’t work but do, and why. Then, Sarah Callender is stealing style, structure, and subject from other writers: imitation and emulation. Susan DeFreitas: I’ll feel what she’s feeling.  Yuvi Zalkow is rewriting the bookstore event. Writer Unboxed

Jill Bearup gets creative: the fantasy heroine vs. the writer.

Joe Ponepinto is writing small for a bigger impact. Then, Allison K. Williams says motivation doesn’t finish books. Allison also starts her “Ask an Editor” series answering this question: when should writers stand their ground rather than defer to an editor? Jane Friedman

Tim Hickson fixes the final season of Legend of Korra. Hello, Future Me

E.J. Wenstrom helps you overcome the book promotion scaries. Then, Sara Farmer presents her favourite Jane Austen mysteries. Lori Walker interviews Carol Van Den Hende about finding inspiration and writing purpose-driven fiction. Then, Mason Engel reveals the secret to maintaining the motivation—and discipline—to write: writeforce. Rita Zoey Chin shares five tips for writing dynamic characters. DIY MFA

How to brainstorm effectively. Reedsy

Janice Hardy explains why “the worst that can happen” is terrible writing advice. Fiction University

Becca Puglisi says themes and symbols go together like peas and carrots. Writers Helping Writers

Tiffany Yates Martin discovers how Emi Nietfeld revises: writing and real life. Fox Print Editorial

How to structure a short story. Shaelin Writes

Chris Winkle explains when to kill a hero—or not. Then, Oren Ashkenazi hosts another three-way ANTS death match between Three Parts Dead, House of Blood and Earth, and A Master of Djinn. Mythcreants

Emily Zarevich wonders if Mary Wollstonecraft’s Letters Written During a Short Residence in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark was the original Eat, Pray, Love. JSTOR Daily

Justyna Pawlak and Simon Johnson announce that the scrutiniser of self, France’s Annie Ernaux, beats long path to Nobel literature prize. Reuters

And that was tipsday. Thanks for spending some time with me, and I hope you found something to support your current work(s) in progress, whatever stage they’re at.

Until Thursday, keep staying safe and well, my writerly friends.

Tipsday: Informal writerly learnings, Dec 5-11, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

Now I’m back to full-week curation, tipsday is back to its regular size 🙂 Enjoy!

Greer Macallister offers a gift guide for the writer in your life. Then, new contributor Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai considers climbing many mountains. Kathleen McCleary: stories will save you. Then, Kathryn Craft reveals the hidden—but crucial—mad skill. David Corbett: for the sheer joy of it. Desmond Hall drops some writing wisdom: respect for your craft, captain happen, and excavating perspective. Writer Unboxed

Ellen Brock provides her advice for the methodological pantser. In case you need a reminder, Ellen presented her four types of writers about a year ago …

Penny Sansevieri lists ten keys to successful publishing. Then, Colleen M. Story wants you to channel your inner James Bond to boost writing success. Piper Bayard gives you ten steps to get from NaNoWriMo to publication. Writers in the Storm

Jill Bearup says, size does matter …

K.M. Weiland reveals the two halves of the third plot point. (Links to the entire series at the bottom of the post.) Helping Writers Become Authors

Heather Campbell explains how to overcome perfectionism and achieve your writing goals. Then, Tiffany Yates Martin advises when—and whether—to hire a developmental editor. Then, Barbara Linn Probst considers a book launch: baby, art, or product? Jane herself makes a bold statement: yes, social media can sell books, but not if publishers sit on their hands. Jane Friedman

How to self-edit your manuscript. Reedsy

Chuck Wendig delves into the latest publishing controversy: does social media sell books? A vital inquisition! Terribleminds

And Dan Blank offers his reasoned perspective: does social media sell books? We Grow Media

Angela Ackerman explains how symbolism adds depth to a story. Lisa Poisso: when are you ready for professional editing? Writers Helping Writers

The Dragon Lady trope. Regaining her power. The Take

Lauren J. Sharkey is finding the joy of writing. Then, Adam W. Burgess says that if you want to write your best, find your writing community. Angela Yeh shares five ways to change the world with your creativity. DIY MFA

Roz Morris explains how to cope with a hefty report from a developmental editor. Nail Your Novel

Chris Winkle tells you how to keep readers happy with your novel series. Then, Oren Ashkenazi wonders which show is the most engaging, Voltron, The Dragon Prince, or She-ra? Mythcreants

Xiran Jay Zhao does a Chinese cultural breakdown of Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Kristen Lamb explains how to harness the true power of dialogue: talk is cheap.

Sophie Gilbert reveals what the sexual violence of Game of Thrones begot. The Atlantic

Blair Braverman: I moved to a remote cabin to write, and I hate it. Outside

Thank you for visiting, and I hope you found something to support your current work in progress.

Until Thursday, be well and stay safe, my writerly friends!

The next chapter: July 2020 update

/ Melanie Marttila

Another month has passed. July was eventful and not in the all the ways I expected.

And yes, this post is late. A week and a day late. You’ll understand.

Black lives matter. Indigenous lives matter. All lives cannot matter until all Black and Indigenous lives matter. This is a fundamental truth.

The lives of all BIPOC, LGBTQ2A+, disabled, neuro-atypical, and all other racialized or marginalized people matter. We all need to listen, learn, and do better.

That is all.

Pandemic life

So. 24 new confirmed cases of covid-19 have occurred in Sudbury over the last couple of weeks, most of them in people under 30. While there hasn’t been any confirmed written report on the topic, the rumours are that a group of young people went down to a huge party in southern Ontario and brought the virus back with them. Police have also reported breaking up a couple of large parties within the city.

Some people are blaming covid exhaustion. Indeed, it’s taxing for people who haven’t been able to engage in any of their pre-covid social activities, but going from isolation to parties that exceed the safe gathering limits? Travelling to do so? Not smart.

The worrisome part of it all is that we now have community spread in our area and health officials haven’t been able to determine where some of the newly infected might have been exposed.

It’s a drop in the bucket with respect to covid cases nationwide, and we’re faring so much better than other areas of the country. Overall, Canada is doing better than some countries and worse than others. Considering that we had, in total, 68 cases and 2 deaths up until this new rash of infections, though, I think that we may be heading for a second wave. Those 24 new cases represent a 35% bump for our relatively small city. It’s not necessarily going to happen the same way everywhere, but even extrapolating a 15% increase elsewhere means a lot of new infections.

I’m still worried about what’s going to happen when kids return to school. The “plan” we have in Ontario is missing a lot of key details. I think now is not the time to experiment. “Let’s wait and see” is not an acceptable strategy.

Wear your masks, people. Stay safe. Keep your distance when you can. Gather in safe numbers and watch out for your friends and family.

My situation remains status quo with the one key excitement of being invited to write an exam for an internal position I applied for pre-covid. As the position is one that I am very interested in (in many ways, it’s my dream job), I confirmed my participation and awaited next steps.

It turned out the exam was to be written over the course of a week, well, six and a half days, most of which would be while I was working my substantive job. So, evenings and on the weekend, which in this case was the Civic Holiday long weekend.

Then, due to a technical issue, the exam materials, which I was to have received Monday morning, were not issued until that night, but they were sent to my work email (which, admittedly, I had requested because of the technical issue). This means I didn’t even see the email until the next morning when I logged in to my remote desktop. The due date was extended, but only considering the time of issue, not when I would have, in fact, received it. So, I lost any time I could have devoted to the exam on Monday and the due date was now the morning of the Civic Holiday.

It was a lot of work. By Friday, I’d only managed to devote about three or four hours a day to the exam. I determined that I would submit the exam on Sunday night, rather than work through the night to submit the exam in the morning. I know my limits. Going without sleep is not something I can do without consequence. I planned accordingly. I devoted eight hours to the exam on Saturday and 12 on Sunday and I still didn’t have the time to do all I’d wanted to do.

For better or worse, I submitted the exam at 11:57 pm on Sunday.

Because I was catching up on all the work I hadn’t done during the exam week, I didn’t get around to writing this update until today.

The month in writing

Once again, I failed to finish my rewrite of Reality Bomb. I’m closer, but I’m not done yet and the draft is over 108k words. Once I do bring the story to a conclusion, more or less, I’m going to be going over it again and cutting like mad. I have to tighten it up and make sure that the overall story has continuity. I want to reduce the draft to 90k if I can. I’ll settle for 100k, but I want a trim beast to present to my critique group.

I also critiqued a draft for one of my group members.

JulyProgress

I set another modest goal of 5,000 words and wrote 6,628 words, or 133% of my goal.

I blogged 5,448 words of my 3,750-word goal, or 145%.

I planned to write 8,750 words and actually wrote 12,076 words. That’s 138% of my goal.

Filling the well

On July 1st, I attended an online workshop with Roz Morris on backstory, offered through Jane Friedman. Love Roz 🙂

On the 11th, I attended the WXR virtual reunion and the taping of their annual “cruise” portions of the Writing Excuses podcast. The cruise is cancelled this year, and this was a great compensatory virtual get-together.

I also attended the virtual launch of Mary Robinette Kowal’s The Relentless Moon on July 14th. It was fun. The Lady Astronauts Club showed up in period-appropriate/IAC costume, MRK was dressed as her protagonist, Nicole Wargin, and they framed the experience as an orientation session for new lunar colonists at the IAC. There was a lecture on orbital mechanics, a lander simulation (which I managed on the fourth try), and several other entertaining activities. I’ve since received my copy of the novel and an IAC Artemis Base badge.

On July 20th, I attended a virtual lecture by Ibram X. Kendi on how to be an anti-racist broadcast by Prince George’s County Memorial Library System.

Finally, on July 24th, I attended a session on Mythology and Speculative Literature that was sponsored by The Carl Brandon Society. Vida Cruz, Piper J. Drake, Kate Elliot, Rebecca Roanhorse, and Shveta Thakrar discussed the mythological inspiration for their work, problematic or clichéd uses of myth, and other mythic goodness.

A couple of friends from out of town were visiting family and came over for an evening, which we spent on the backyard patio, appropriately distanced. These visits are always too short.

What I’m watching and reading

Phil and I watched all of Penny Dreadful. Though we enjoyed the first two seasons, the third left us scratching our heads. Ethan was taken back to America and Sir Malcolm, recruited by Kaetenay, travelled from Africa to rescue him. Ethan temporarily goes dark side before the resolution to his troubles brings him abruptly back to the light. Then, Kaetenay has a vision that sends them back to London to help Vanessa …

… who has been languishing, abandoned by all her supposed friends and family. At Dr. Lyle’s suggestion, she enters into therapy with Dr. Seward, who looks identical to her witch mentor from the previous season’s flashbacks. She makes progress through hypnosis and ventures out into the world again with Dr. Sweet, who is, in fact, Dracula (dun, dun, dun!).

Frankenstein teams up with an old colleague, Dr. Jeckyll in a subplot that doesn’t really go anywhere.

The creature reunites with his family, only to discover that his wife wants him to take their dying son to Frankenstein for resurrection.

Brona recruits the fallen women of the city and trains them to become her army with Dorian’s help. Her goal: to liberate women everywhere from the power and cruelty of men. Sadly, Dorian bores of the game and delivers Brona into Frankenstein’s hands, where both creator and creation have inexplicable changes of heart. He refuses to use the serum he and Jeckyll developed to tame Brona, and Brona, once freed, knowing that Dorian delivered her into Frankenstein’s captivity, decides not to take her revenge on either of them. She returns to Dorian’s manor and, seeing her disciple dead on the floor at Dorian’s hands, simply leaves. Brona delivers an empowering speech that’s supposed to leave Dorian devastated, but it doesn’t.

Meanwhile, a new friend enters Vanessa’s life, Catriona Hartdegen. Cat knows a lot about vampires and Dracula in particular and together, they figure out that Dr. Sweet is Dracula. Vanessa goes to confront him, intending to defeat him, but—again, inexplicably—decides instead to surrender to him. Darkness and chaos descend upon London.

Ethan, Sir Malcolm, and Kaetenay, newly arrived, team up with Dr. Seward and Cat to save Vanessa. Dracula tells Vanessa that her former friends are coming, and she intimates that she will welcome the opportunity to slay them all. When the battle is joined, however, Vanessa is no where to be seen. Everyone fights valiantly, but it looks like the tide is turning in Dracula’s favour. Ethan breaks away and finds Vanessa isolated in a room where she merely begs him to kill her, which, after some weeping and moaning, he does.

And that was it. I know the series was cancelled while they were in the middle of filming this last season, but in an attempt to compress the story, the writers were unable to set up the appropriate character development that would make the last few episodes feel earned (where have we seen that before, eh, GoT?). Instead, we have uncharacteristic actions/decisions by nearly every character, lose ends, and a lot of lost opportunities. It would have been better if they had changed course and written and ending that made sense, even if it wasn’t the ending they had been writing toward for the whole series.

On TV, I watched the most recent season of The Good Witch. It’s candy and fluff, but sometimes you need a little candy and fluff.

I finally finished Orange is the New Black. They had to do some fancy tap dancing to get everything rolled up and they did leave some loose ends. I’m glad Piper decided to stick with Alex, but I think I would have been just as happy if she’d gone on to have her own life. It was the other stories, Taystee’s, Original Cindy’s, and Gloria’s stories in particular, that grabbed me. Blanca got a happy ending. Pennsatucky’s end was tragic. Maritza and Shani’s deportations were senseless. Aleida and Daya just continued the cycle of violence. Suzanne was left hanging, much as Red and Lorna were. I know it was supposed to be a commentary on the incarceration system, but aside from being largely depressing, I was left with a solid meh.

I watched The Crown’s latest season and it was interesting, but it wasn’t edge-of-your-seat viewing.

13 Reasons, season 3 definitely had me on the edge of my seat, but I kept asking myself why. Why even write a second season? The first season covered Asher’s book and did so well. They just delve deeper and deeper into trauma and its aftereffects to the point that in season four, it’s just painful to watch. That may have more to do with my trauma than anything else, but there you are.

I finished the 2018-19 season of Riverdale, which was already out there (juvenile prison fight rings, a criminal empire based on a D&D analogue, and an organ-harvesting cult) and am trying to catch up on the 2019-20 season.

And I finally finished the 2018-19 season of The Flash. Solid meh. But proceeding with the 2019-20 season, anyway.

Reading-wise, I only have four offerings.

I finished Jenn Lyons’ The Ruin of Kings. I liked it. I wish I could rate a book three and a half stars, but I gave it four. Lyons did play with structure in an admirable way. The book overall is presented as a report to the current empress (a very long report, might I say) and the annotations that appear throughout are not distracting, as you might think, and they do add to the content of the story. Once I learned who the empress was, I had trouble understanding how most of the annotations were necessary and that returned them to the category of authorial intrusion, however.

The first part of the book is told by two narrators, prisoner and jailer (kind of like Black Panther, Red Wolf) but the jailer is a shape-shifter named Talon who has the ability to absorb the memories of the people they imitate. Or come into contact with? Or consume? Really, the process isn’t well-explained. Talon and Khirin (the prisoner/protagonist) use a stone, handed back and forth. It’s a clever conceit that allows Lyons to present other POVs than Talon’s and Khirin’s, by virtue of Talon’s abilities.

Not only that, but Khirin starts telling his story from the point of his enslavement. Talon complains and goes back further, to the point they believe in the true beginning of the story. So, we have a narrative frame within a narrative frame and dual timelines that intersect and the end of part one. That’s another structural oddity. Part two is maybe a fifth of the book.

There was nothing wrong with the story itself and the structural gymnastics were definitely novel, but it made me wonder if Lyons had presented the story chronologically, without the frames and the annotations, if I would have thought differently about the book.

Then, I read The Queen of Katwe. I was hesitant, because the author is a white man (Tim Crothers), but it’s a non-fiction book using a lot of interviews and correspondence and thus presents the book in the words of the people involved. The book was, by turns, depressing and uplifting, but there was no real resolution. It’s an incomplete biography that leaves the reader wondering if Phiona ever achieved her dream of becoming a grandmaster. Wikipedia indicates she holds the title of candidate women’s master, but that’s as far as she got.

Kij Johnson’s The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe was interesting. Rather than starting in this world and entering one of dream, Johnson flips the concept. Vellitt has always lived in the dream world and must travel into our world to recover the favourite granddaughter of one of the gods, who, if he wakes to find his favourite missing, will destroy half the dreamlands. The one thing I wasn’t comfortable with was that the real-world dreamers who travel to the dream world are always men, powerful and ageless. When Vellitt finally reaches our world, she is instantly transformed, has an identity and all the knowledge she might ever need or have gained from living a life in this world, though. Maybe Johnson’s statement is more subtle. Maybe women are the only true dreamers, living lives simultaneously in the dream world and in this? It’s thought-provoking, to be sure.

Finally, I read Justina Ireland’s Dread Nation. What kind of country would America have been if the civil war was interrupted by a plague of zombies? Ireland calls them shamblers and, in her novel they basically make time stand still. In some respects. The protagonist, Jane is biracial, though her skin is not light. She’s at a school for “attendants,” Black girls who are trained to fight shamblers and protect wealthy white women. It’s the best she can hope for in a world in which slavery and indenture still exist and people of colour (Black and American Indian) are seen as biologically inferior. Ireland examines the racism of the world she’s created through the lens of her “finishing school,” the viral shamblers (one plotline involves the development of a vaccine), and the white supremacists who attempt to create their own isolated empire in the midst of the chaos.

Each chapter begins with an excerpt from a letter that Jane has written to her mother and later, after she learns that her correspondence has been intercepted and she comes into possession of them, her mother’s letters to Jane. It’s a good book, but I kept wanting a little more and there were some events that seemed to resolve in the favour of plot convenience rather than where they seemed to be heading. I’ve already nabbed the next in the series, though.

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

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

The Next Chapter

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, Mar 3-9, 2019

/ Melanie Marttila

I have a lot of informal writerly learnings for you this week.

By the way, a couple weeks ago, I decided to group posts by blog/source. Are you liking this slight rearrangement, or do you find it more difficult to read? Let me know, if you wish, in the comments. I can always change things back. More whitespace on the page can be helpful for readers.

Oren Ashkenazi examines six common mistakes in fight scenes and explains how to avoid them. Bunny explains how to use the uncanny in your writing. Mythcreants

Greer Macallister explains what it means to be a working writer. Sophie Masson outlines the options for planning your book launch (‘cause not every publisher has budget for that anymore). Donald Maass eschews his usual concise and pithy titles in this installment: nasty, menacing, and murderous protagonists and why we love them. Alma Katsu offers tips for complex historical research. David Corbett writes about what it means to sink into the bog. Kathryn Magendie wants to thank those who encourage us to write and dig deeper. Writer Unboxed

Joanna Penn interviews Sacha Black on how to create heroes and villains for the Creative Penn podcast. Then Bharat Krishnan stops by to discuss how to write diversity authentically. The Creative Penn

James Scott Bell visits Writers Helping Writers: does every protagonist need an arc? Spoilers: yes, but it doesn’t have to be a positive or negative change arc. Sometimes … it’s flat (no change). Janice Hardy stops by later in the week to point out three ways writers tell, don’t show and how to fix them.

Abigail K. Perry examines another of James Scott Bell’s signpost scenes. This time, #8: pet the dog. Brenda Joyce Patterson takes a deep dive into flash non-fiction. Gabriela Pereira interviews Anita Sarkeesian and Ebony Adams for DIY MFA radio. Rachel Thompson list five ways to celebrate women and non-binary authors on International Women’s Day. DIY MFA

Fae Rowan wants to write the perfect book. Spoiler: it’s not possible. What to do instead 😉 Then, Julie Glover wonders, have you forgotten to have fun writing? Writers in the Storm

Susan DeFreitas: when your query reveals a story-level problem. Jane Friedman

Self-rejection: what it is, why you do it, and how to chuck its ass out an airlock. Chuck Wendig, Terribleminds.

Ammi-Joan Paquette is taming the synopsis with these four steps. Writer’s Digest

Jami Gold says, what makes a story uplifting is more than a happy ending.

Rosa Saba: authors irritated by “smug” defense of the Vancouver website they say is stealing their work. Readers, shun ebook.bike. SHUN! The Toronto Star

And that is tipsday for this week. Come back on Thursday for some inspiration and research resources.

Until then, be well, my friends!

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