Itās April. For the last couple of months, it felt like a time warp. I blinked and the month just disappeared. March slowed down the pace a bit, but a lot happened, most of it good.
Your monthly PSAs:
All lives cannot matter until Black and Indigenous lives matter. This is front and centre in my mind as I watch the coverage of Chauvinās trial.
Wash your hands, wear your masks, keep physical distance, and stay home as much as you can. The moms have both received their first vaccinations and are scheduled for their seconds. Philās registered for the Astra-Zeneca vaccine when we receive our supply. But this pandemic still aināt over. Variants of concern are on the rise. Be careful out there.
The month in writing
I was supposed to start working on next round revisions of Reality Bomb. And I did start, but I didnāt get far.
At the outset of the year, I was thinking positively. I had worked hard on rewriting and improving RB in 2020. I hoped that the critiques would validate the work. They did. In part. But they also reflected that I had a lot more work ahead of me, and the prospect of that work, in February, when the first critiques came back, felt daunting.
As I mentioned last month, I suffered a crisis of confidence in February (and in January before that). I was feeling like a fraud. In March, I turned a corner, though. More on the specifics in the next section of this update.
I started working on a new first chapter, which I already had an idea I would have to do. Beginnings and endings are very difficult for me. I never know how to identify the right place to start or finish. Part-way through March, another critique came in and it did two things. First, it opened my eyes to several of my weaknesses in a gentle way that broke through my resistance. Second, it gave me a very concrete path forward.
Then, I put on my big girl pants and asked a question of the critique group. The discussion gave me a place to start. The place to start, in fact. So, Iāve started working on RB more diligently.
With respect to my optimistic goal, I had originally hoped to revise the whole MS in Marchālol! I knew that wasnāt going to happen at the first of the month and set a much lower goal of 1,500 words. I wrote 1,330 words on the new beginning, not all of which will go to waste. So, 89% of my revised goal.
I wrote two new poems for the Laurentian University SciArt Poetry Competition and ā¦ won the community category with āEncodedā! I read the poem online at the SciArt Gala (you can watch it on the Science North YouTube channel, if you wish) and it will be published in the Fall issue of LUās literary journal, Sulphur.
Just to keep the poetry news together, I was informed on March 31st that two more poems were accepted for future publication. Iāll offer further details when theyāre published.
I wrote my next Speculations column for DIY MFA. It came in at 850 words, or 85% of my 1,000-word goal. Iāll put up my referral post when the post is live.
In short fiction, I finished revising the story I was working on last month and revised a second. Iād aimed to revise 2,500 words and revised 3,978. 159% of goal. Less impressive was my attempt to write a new short. I only managed 131 words of my 1,500-word goal, or 9%. The anthology call that I was hoping to submit to was due March 31st. When I checked the site, just to be sure, I saw (with joy) that the call had been extended to April 15th. Iām hoping to finish the story this month.
I blogged 5,302 words of my 3,750-word goal, or 141%.
It was a productive month, but a bit of a mixed bag for all that. I met my overall writing goal (101%) and exceeded my revision goal (133%).
Iām going to have to amend my annual goals. And Iāve decided not to work on Marushka after all and change focus to another standalone novel idea. Iāll have to think about what a reasonable writing goal should be while working full time. I also have a lot of committee work I have to do for the Canadian Authors Association (CAA). Itās becoming a burden, but I donāt want to leave the board at this critical juncture. Leaving would be the better choice for me and my wellbeing, but I made a commitment, for better or worse, and I need to see it through.
Filling the well
With respect to online events, I had four in March. A reading by Asian speculative fiction authors, including Melissa Yuan Innes/Melissa Yi, on March 4th, A Writerās Guide to the Genre Universe with DIY MFA instigator Gabriela Pereira on the 12th, Lisa Cooper Ellisonās workshop on how to get better critiques, another Jane Friedman offering, on March 24th, which, because it was during the day, I caught on the replay, and the aforementioned SciArt poetry reading on March 30th.
Iām enjoying a more reasonable pace to my online learning and entertainment these days instead of signing up for everything that comes across my inbox in some frantic need to ā¦ do what, exactly? Yeah. Iām starting to learn some lessons.
My mom wanted to prearrange her cremation and interment, so I accompanied her to the appointment as her only child and executor. After her health scare back in November, she wanted to get this last piece of her end-of-life planning in place. I wouldnāt say this was necessarily a āfunā thing to have done, but it was reassuring for both of us.
I also had a DIY MFA columnist call, and then a finance committee meeting, an email āmeetingā of the board, a fundraising and sponsorship meeting, and a special general meeting to attend for the CAA all in the space of a week. It was an exhausting week. I am not a financial whiz.
In other, more personal, news, I had a follow-up appointment with my doctor, and I am in good health. All of my tests came back, either negative (breast screening and gynecological exam) or in the acceptable range (bloodwork, blood pressure). I broached the topic of counselling and he suggested I start with my employerās EAP (which I expected) but gave me a referral for psychological assessment should I need it.
I had my first appointment with my counsellor and, though the worst of my anxiety had passed by the time I spoke with her, it was good to have a safe space to āget it all off of my chest.ā She also suggested a few organizations that could help me if I wanted to proceed with an autism/Aspergerās assessment. She has several family members who are on the spectrum, both child and adult.
She listened patiently to the reasons I suspected I was on the spectrum and confirmed that my situation met many of the criteria. Iām going to continue in counselling and enquiring about an assessment and will update you in the future about any progress in this area.
Iāve also lost my ācovid 19ā breaking my goal of 170 lbs. at the end of March. Iām going to stick with my new psychologically informed and reinforced way of eating (thanks to Noomāpandemic struggles require additional support) and see where my body finally settles.
Iāve decided to put health/mental health progress in the filling the well section of my updates because self-care encompasses more than just my efforts to continue my education as a creative soul.
What Iām watching and reading
Phil and I watched what will be the last season of the troubled American Gods series. We enjoyed it. This season tried to bring the series back into line with the book and did a reasonable job in that respect. Apparently, the Gaiman wants to finish the story with a limited series or movie, or possibly find a new home and continue the series. Weāll see how that works out.
I finished watching four series, three on Netflix and one on Amazon Prime.
The first was The Queenās Gambit. I really liked it, despite the limited seriesā tendency toward āeveryone loves Beth.ā
The latest season of The Alienist was dark, focusing on child abduction perpetrated by a troubled woman. I enjoyed it despite the darkness, but I disliked the crazy woman villain trope. They really need to give it a rest.
I finally finished The Man in the High Castle. The final episodes had to wrap things up quickly and there were a number of contrivances, but most plotlines worked out satisfactorily. It was good.
The last season I finished was Bridgerton. I liked the way Shondaland envisioned the book but agree with some critics that their attempts to address race issues was on the weak sauce side. I enjoy a fake relationship to true love trope, but Daphneās violation of Simonās consent (rather than talking things out rationally, or even arguing ferociously) broke me out of the story. It seemed something too damaging to overcome in three episodes. Yes, Simon was being a bit of a stubborn twit about his vengeful vow to Daddy, but people in a relationship worth its salt respect each other.
I read four books (well, three books and a short story) in March.
The first was Emily Teshās Silver in the Wood. I really liked the twists on the Green Man legends and the incorporation of eldritch terrors.
Next was Donna Tarttās The Goldfinch. The story was good, and the protagonistās plight was compelling, but I got the same gut-twisting distaste from this novel that I did from reading Crime and Punishment. A lot of (in my opinion) needless chest thumping and dissipation. I figured out the twist before it was laid out on the page and I didnāt feel sorry for the protagonist. The betrayal felt like just desserts. And yet the guy trusts his traitorous āfriendā who then drags him through seven kinds of hell in as many days including murder, only to do what the hapless protagonist told him to in the first place? Gah! So ā¦ I both liked it and didnāt?
I gave myself a palate-cleanser by reading Marcy Kennedyās short story āThree Wishes,ā the prologue to Cursed Wishes. Sad and desperate, but good all the same.
Finally, I read Return of the Trickster, the third book in Eden Robinsonās Trickster trilogy. It was fabulous. Love! Jaredās not your typical hero. Heās been repeatedly traumatized by his aunt (the trickster Weegitās sister), whoās turned into an ogress because of her ambition and lust for power. Heās wounded and weak and not smart in the ways the people around him need him to be. But heās unfailingly kind. Heās not going to be the same kind of trickster as his father was, thatās for sure. You have to read this one. Thatās all Iām going to say about it.
And that brings me to the end of this very long post recounting a month in this writerās life.
Until tomorrow, be well and stay safe, be kind, and stay strong. The world needs your stories!
Sweet Lord! Why canāt time stand still for a moment? Here we are in March, just days away from the anniversary of the pandemic declaration, weeks away from the onset of my working from home, and ā¦ the vernal equinox.
All lives cannot matter until Black and Indigenous lives matter. Just want to keep that front and centre.
Pandemic life
Epidemiologists have been warning for weeks now that the variants could open up a third wave. Today, after less than a week of daily case counts in Ontario below 1,000, weāre back up to 1,299. Itās a far cry from the 3,000 to 4,000 cases per day we were seeing back in January, but itās still concerning.
Locally, there are 181 cases, which is significant because there have only been 784 cases in Sudbury (total) since March of last year. There are two group homes, one seniorsā residence, and seven schools with outbreaks.
Just because vaccines (four of them now, in Canada) are being distributed and administered, we canāt stop implementing public health measures. A vaccine isnāt a cure. Itās a mitigation. Covid can still be contracted by someone whoās been vaccinated. The chances of extreme outcomes (hospitalization, death) are lessened.
Please continue to wash your hands, wear masks, and maintain physical distance. This isnāt over yet.
The month in writing
I worked mostly on short fiction this month, revising 3,683 words of a single story. My goal had been 2,500 words, but the thing kept on growing. It still is. Iām having trouble with the ending. Beginnings and endings always give me trouble. Actually, everythingās giving me trouble these days. So, I revised 147% of my goal, but itās not necessarily a good thing.
I blogged 5,359 words of my 3,500-word goal, or 153%.
For a low-goal month, itās been a good one.
Of the projects Iām not tracking (because theyāre mostly long hand ramblings on paper), I continued work on the Ascension series document, made revision notes for two more short stories, and submitted more poetry and a piece of short fiction.
Another of my poems was published in Polar Borealis Magazine.
I had a couple more rejections come in, but at least Iām getting my work out there. Itās a win.
Trying to move on
This month, I had intended to move on to next round revisions on Reality Bomb, and Iāve started, but itās not going well. Mostly because Iām trying to rework the opening of the novel (see my comment above about beginnings and endings).
Iām continuing to revise the one short story and, as Iāve mentioned, am having trouble with the ending.
My confidence is suffering because of the personal crisis I mentioned last month. Things have improved, though. Physically, Iāve lost 13 lbs. There is more daylight and I think some of my SAD symptoms have been alleviated. Iām not suffering the continual heart palpitations I was. I have also received the results of my most recent physical exam and Iām in good health, overall. Thatās reassuring.
Iām in a better place mentally, as well. At work, things are getting better. Iām learning more. Iām doing more. Iām getting some validation from my colleagues and manager. The imposter syndrome is lessening there. I am going to look into accessing our employee assistance program (EAP) to investigate mental health and management options.
Creatively, Iām still at sea. I have no idea if the revisions Iām working on are actually improving the story. Iām going to keep working as see where it takes me. Itās all I can do.
Filling the well
Iām cutting back on virtual events, but still managed to attend quite a few in February.
On February 1st, I attended the Grub Street launch of Nancy Johnsonās The Kindest Lie. The last Free Expressions webinar on the Show/Tell Solution was on the 4th. I attended a webinar on MS Word for Writers from the Canadian Authors Association on the 9th (very helpful, even though Iāve been using Word for YEARS).
I attended a watch party for the Perseverance landing on the 18th. There was a one-day world building conference offered by Diana Gunn on the 20th, and I signed up for Pro Writing Aidās free fantasy conference from the 22nd through the 25th, attending four sessions.
Other than that, Iāve continued to walk Torvi twice a day and took as many pictures of dynamic skies as the weather allowed.
What Iām watching and reading
There are just three series that I saw the ends of in February.
I finished the last (and final) season of 13 Reasons. It was incredibly difficult to watch because of all the anxiety and PTSD. They did a good job of portraying the ongoing consequences of trauma, racism, homophobia, and policing in schools. It was a lot, though. So much that the ending felt rushed. You canāt resolve such serious problems in so little time. And I still wonder why it was necessary to continue the story of Jay Asherās book for so long.
I also finished The Good Place. This story came to a much more satisfactory ending. In fact, Iād say it was a Mary Poppins endingāpractically perfect in every way. Feel good hit, just when I needed it.
Finally, Phil and I watched the fifth season of The Expanse. It was amazing and continues to be one of our favourites. Season six will be the last.
In the reading department, I finished seven books (!) in February.
First was Jean Shinoda Bolenās Goddesses in Everywoman. I appreciated how she, as a psychologist, interpreted the lives of women in terms of the archetypes of the ancient Greek goddesses, but I found that her overall message was contradictory. After indicating that a woman is not restricted to any one goddess, she later presents exclusionary life paths for each archetype. There was little wiggle room for interweaving. I enjoyed the book, but Iām not sure Iāll actually make use of it in a practical sense.
Next, I read P. DjĆØlĆ Clarkās Ring Shout. Loved it. Read it.
Then, I finished Will Do Magic for Small Change by Andrea Hairston. It was a story of stories lovingly interwoven.
Liz Harmerās The Amateurs was next. Itās an apocalyptic tale about what happens when time travel becomes the next iPhone.
Then, I read Silvia Moreno-Garciaās Mexican Gothic. A bit of a tribute to Gilmanās āThe Yellow Wallpaper,ā but darker. The patriarch of the antagonistic family has made a deal with fungoid eldritch terrors, but they need ānew bloodā to refresh the family line. Enter the protagonist and her cousin, the ānew bloodā in question.
M.L. Spencerās Darkmage wasnāt what Iād expected. Iād been warned that it was dark, but I wasnāt prepared for it.
Finally, I read Tochi Onyebuchiās Riot Baby. So good. Not going to say much about it because this is another book you should read for yourselves.
And that was the month in this writerās life.
Thanks for reading and until tipsday, be well and stay safe, be kind, and stay strong. The world needs your stories.
I hope everyone had a good January (after the 6th) and that the slowly lengthening days are infusing you with new energy.
Iāve felt better in recent weeks myself and am taking steps to lose the ācovid 19ā I put on since March. Iāve recruited Phil, who does the shopping and cooking, my mom, and a friend as a support group. Iām already measuring progress.
While the numbers of covid infections have been dropping due to provincial lockdowns and curfews, I think talk of reopening is premature. We need to stay on track long enough for the vaccination supply, distribution, and scheduling gets back on track. Once the manufacturing issues have been resolved, we should be good.
If we can get daily infection numbers to less than 1000 in the worst-affected provinces (Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, and BC) on a stable basis and have our most vulnerable populations (front-line health care workers, seniors, Indigenous peoples, and other POC) vaccinated, we can reconsider. Yes, itās inconvenient. Yes, the economy is suffering. But I think public health is more important than the economy at the moment. Weāll recover. Weāll survive. The economy will, too.
Locally, weāve had outbreaks (defined as two or more cases) in several public and high schools, seniorsā residences and nursing homes, a group home, and the hospital. Weāve even identified cases of the āvariants of concern.ā Again, cases are going down, overall. All sites report that people are self-isolating, getting tested, and that all outbreaks are considered to be under control at this time.
The month in writing
There wasnāt a lot of writing this month. As I mentioned in my last update, Iāve decided not to dive into another novel right away. I want to give myself time to recover from 2020, solidify learning, and prepare to apply lessons learned to existing and new projects. More on this in a bit.
I wrote eight new poems. Iād planned to write seven, and so achieved 114% of my goal. I also submitted two batches of poems, both of which were not accepted, and I sent a proposal for my poetry collection to another small press.
I revised one short story, which was my goal. Iād allotted 1,500 words but ended up deleting more than I wrote. I wrote 187 new words, or only 12% of my goal. Just now, I realized that I forgot to update the word count on the story before I submitted it, but I did submit it. Iāll call it a win.
I also wrote my latest Speculations column for DIY MFA, which was published last week. The column came in at 768 words, or 77% of my 1,000-word goal.
And I blogged 4,532 words, or 129% of my 3,500-word goal.
Overall, I wrote 107% of my goal and revised 12%.
Other than those projects, I have a number of things Iām working on that Iām not tracking. Iām making revision notes for various pieces of short fiction, continuing work on the Ascension series guide, and making some revision notes for Marushka.
Iām also slowly updating this site and other social media images. Nothing major.
A vulnerable time
Three members of my critique group paused and submitted what theyād reviewed to date and asked me if they wanted me to continue. I completely misunderstood one of these messages, thinking that critique partner had chosen to stop altogether at that point.
I was thrown. I sorted out the misunderstanding and asked them all to continue but had to wonder if Iād given everyone the impression that I was especially fragile.
In reviewing the feedback, however, I felt reactive. I didnāt want to be, though. Maybe I am fragile. How can I learn to improve if I donāt know what the problems are? Itās a battle Iāll have to fight with myself.
Last year, Iād rewritten Reality Bomb, not referring to the earlier draft and then I gave it two passes to cut the word count down. I was trying a new approach to revising, because I have a habit on not making substantial revisions if Iām working in the same document. I may cut too much, though, or the wrong things. I may have focused on all the wrong things in the rewrite. Whatever the situation is, there are still significant problems with the draft.
Maybe Iām too much in my head. I approached the whole rewrite and revision too cerebrally. I canāt seem to get the emotion on the page. But Iām very closed down emotionally, in general. I donāt seem to respond to people like they expect. Maybe Iām neurodiverse. I just paused to take a self-assessment and scored high. Maybe I should get formally assessed.
Ultimately, Iāll need this month to develop my approach to reviewing the feedback and the next round of revisions on my novel. It was my hope to address the revisions in the month of March, but there may be so much to improve that I wonāt be able to do that. I have to set that worry aside, though. Until I review all the feedback, I wonāt have an idea of how much work there is to be done or how Iāll have to adjust my yearās writing plan and goals.
Add to that the fact that Iām in learning mode at work for the first time in 12 years. Iām feeling stupid and wrong and that this acting wonāt be extended because I wonāt be able to prove myself or be accepted as a member of my new team (cause Iām socially awkward). Iām doubting myself on all fronts.
I know that they way Iām feeling isnāt based in truth. Iāve won contests. Iāve been published in paying markets. Iāve been validated. Iāve had a successful 20-year career in the public service. When I was offered this acting position, my old team offered me an equivalent promotional position to stay. I do not, objectively, suck.
Iām just struggling at a point in my life when I think I shouldnāt be. Itās a massive case of imposter syndrome.
Iāll let you know how it goes, as always.
Filling the well
With the continuing lockdown, there hasnāt been any getting together with friends or family and, for the first time since I started to work from home in March, Iām feeling the lack of community. I have our household: me and Phil and Mom and Torvi. And Iām with them every day.
And thatās it.
I attended four virtual events in January, two workshops, and two readings. I also attended two board meetings for the Canadian Authors Association.
And thatās it. There are a lot of MS Teams meetings for work and Iām still at my peak zoom saturation level.
Iāve just been walking Torvi twice a day (which I must pause to do right now) and living in my own little world. I have to reach out to some friends ā¦
What Iām watching and reading
The most recent season of His Dark Materials finished in January. Iām quite enjoying the series, particularly the chemistry between the actors who play Lyra and Will. There are some distinct differences between the series and the books, but I appreciate the choices made. For example, introducing Willās plot in the first season.
Discovery also wrapped up its season in January. Though I like the series overall, this season seemed to find its stride better than some of the others. One reason may be because Michael and the Discovery are now in the distant future. They can, for the first time, write their own stories free of the legacies of other ST series.
I finished watching Warrior Nun on Netflix. It was okay. Confusing. And it took the protagonist seven episodes to get over herself and commit to her role as the halo-bearer. The last three episodes were the best of the season, but they shouldnāt have taken half as long to get there.
Also on Netflix was the first season of Snowpiercer just in time to start season two. Iād seen the movie but hadnāt read the graphic novels and liked that they chose not to do (another) reboot.
Finally, Phil and I caught up on the first half of Supernatural, season 15. We just needed to fill in a few gaps (How did Rowena become the queen of hell? How did Jack come back from the divine dead?) and now we have the full picture.
In January, I read/listened to seven books. The first was an Audible Original, Tanya Talagaās Seven Truths. Loved it. Seven Indigenous teachings. Seven stories told with an emphasis on reconciliation and what it could be if we open ourselves to the possibility.
Louise Erdrichās Future Home of the Living God is a dark, post-apocalyptic novel with an unreliable narrator and a disturbing end. Itās a great book and Erdrich is a master of deep POV. It just leaves you thinking about how horrible people can be and how easily the world could turn into literal hell.
Then, I read Rivers Solomonās The Deep. Itās the story of how the slaves thrown overboard on Atlantic crossings spawned a race of merpeople whose collective trauma is so deep that they decide to entrust it to one of their number. Itās the story of what happens when that one decides to share the burden.
The next book I listened to was Kazuo Ishiguroās The Remains of the Day. The narrator has striven for most of his life to be a āgood butlerā but, in the process, has remained uncritical of his employerās shortcomings, and of the feelings (his and hers) developing between himself and the housekeeper. The series of the butlerās reminiscences are framed by a road trip to see that housekeeper. In the end, he chooses wilful blindness. Itās the easier path.
Then, I read L.L. McKinneyās A Blade So Black. Loved. A retelling of Alice in Wonderland with several twists. Iāve already picked up the second in series.
I finished off the month with another Audible Original (it was a freebie), Mel Robbinsā Take Control of You Life. Itās about listening to your fear and learning how to move past it. Youād think Iād have learned something from this one, eh? Itās probably one of the reasons Iāve come down with this case of imposter syndrome. Iām facing my fear. Maybe I should listen to it again š
And that was the revelatory month in this writerās life.
Until tipsday, be well and stay safe, be kind, and stay strong. The world needs your stories!
Here we are, in January 2021. While we may have hoped that our situation changed with the dawning of a new year, this is just not so. Despite the slow distribution of vaccines and lockdowns, we still havenāt seen the impact of holiday gatherings and numbers of infections in hot zones continue to rise. Hospitals in those same hot zones are on the verge of overwhelm. Some have already started to ship non-covid patients to hospitals in less affected areas.
Until we have most of our population vaccinated, which may not be until late summer, or early fall this year, we must continue to wear our masks, wash our hands, maintain physical distance, and avoid gathering outside our households.
Institutionalized racism is still a problem. A HUGE problem. We canāt stop learning how to be good allies, fighting the good fight in whatever ways we can, and working to dismantle racist institutions. All lives cannot matter until Black and Indigenous lives matter.
The month in writing
All I did in December is give Reality Bomb another pass, and blog.
With respect to RB, my goal was to cut back to 90k words. I would have accepted 100k words, but I didnāt quite manage it. I did cut almost 15k, ending with 101,024 words. I posted it for my critique group on Christmas Day. I donāt know how much of a gift it will be. Weāll see at the end of February, when critiques are due.
I set my revision goal for 90k words, but ended up with 102,105 words, or 113% of my goal, with the addition of the last three days on the initial revision from November.
In the blogging department, I set my goal at 3,500 words and ended up writing 4,527, or 129% of my goal.
Filling the well
I started off the month with the launch of Stellar Evolutions and a reading of my poem on December 1st. I had three more Free Expressions online workshops, the last class of Writing the Otherās Diverse Narrative Structures, and another Jane Friedman webinar on writing your second draft with Allison K Williams.
The holidays have been quiet. Phil and I only got together with my mom (because she lives alone, sheās part of our household) for Christmas and a couple of other meals. No gifts. No parties. Quiet.
What Iāve been watching and reading
In the viewing department, I finished watching the most recent season of Anne with an E. This takes Anne to her departure for Queenās university and her confession of love to Gilbert Blythe. I wonder what this means for the Black and Indigenous story lines the writers added into this iteration of the tale.
I also watched the last season of The Order. And it was the last season. Netflix has elected not to renew the series. It was okay. Problems from past seasons cropped up in both plot and in the writing. It wasnāt a must-see, but I wanted to watch it to see what would happen and how conflicts would be developed.
I read four books in December.
Emma Donaghueās Room was brilliant. Jackās voice grabs your heart right out of your chest. Heās an innocent in the midst of a horrific situation that he canāt understand. His eventual realization that heās outgrown Room made me weep.
I finished N.K. Jemisinās The Fifth Season. Some readers have disliked the mix of second person and first person narratives. I didnāt mind it. In fact, I think the use of second person (you) narratives have frequently been used when the subject has experienced some form or trauma. It is effective.
**SPOILERS**I also figured out that the three main POVs are different parts on one characterās life before it was revealed in the narrative. Again, some readers found this to be a cheat. I enjoyed it. I think The Fifth Season was deserving of its Hugo Award.
Then, I read Sabaa Tahirās A Sky Beyond the Storm, the finale to her An Ember in the Ashes series. Tahir resolves the seemingly insurmountable problems of her characters cleverly and satisfactorily. It was a good capstone, but I still donāt think it measures up to something like A Song of Fire and Ice (to which An Ember in the Ashes was compared when it debuted).
Finally, I read Alice Seboldās The Lovely Bones. Like Room, The Lovely Bones is told from the point of view of an unusual narrator. In this case, itās Suzie, the dead victim of sexual assault and murder. Suzie watches her friends and family from heaven as they come to terms with her never-solved murder and move on with their lives.
Sebold made a bold choice for her resolution. I kept waiting for someone to find the clues that they were standing right next to. I was disappointed in the fate of the serial killer, but I think that was Seboldās point. Some things in life donāt turn out the way we hope. You have to accept it and move on. It might have been a little too realistic in these pandemic times. I really liked it, but it wasnāt my favourite read.
I did read 62 books of the 60 that I aimed for, though. Thatās nice š
The year in review
At the beginning of 2020, Iād set myself some lofty goals. I wanted to finish my rewrite of RB much earlier in the year, rewrite Marushka, and have the first novel of Ascension ready for rewriting in time for NaNoWriMo. Iād wanted to write some short stories. Iād wanted to get my poetry collection out.
Then the pandemic hit, and I had to shift the goal posts.
I let Ascension slide completely. I didnāt finish the initial rewrite of RB until October. I never got to Marushka. I did write a couple new short stories and even submitted them (to no positive response). I did send out my poetry collection.
My year-end summary sheet looks a little skewed because I didnāt adjust all of my goals from the start of the year.
This year, Iām taking a different approach. Because Iāve just posted RB for its second critique, which wonāt be due until Feb 28th, Iāve decided to start off the year slowly. Iām going to work on the outline for my rewrite of Marushka, work on some poetry, send out my poetry collection to another publisher, revise a short story each month January to March, and work on revision notes for other short stories.
Iām going to continue work on Ascension as time allows, which may not be much at all, but itās still there.
March will be devoted to another revision of RB and preparing my query and synopsis in anticipation of querying starting in April.
In April, Iāll start working on the rewrite of Marushka at a reasonable rate. I donāt anticipate being done before mid-September. If this pans out, I hope to post it for critique at that time and get feedback in time to start on revisions in November.
Then, I donāt know if Iām going to plan on tackling anything else in December.
There will be a lot of stuff that Iām not going to track in terms of word count (poetry collection, querying, outlining, revision notes, Ascension), and if I donāt get everything I want done, Iām not going to panic. The pandemic hasnāt gone anywhere, after all.
Iām taking a more casual outlook on planning than I have in the past.
Weāll see how it works out.
And that was the month, and the year, in this writerās life.
Until tipsday, be well and stay safe, be kind, and stay strong. The world needs your stories!
October has ended. NaNoWriMo has begun. This year has been temporally bizarre. Covid time moves both slower and faster than normal time. Months have passed at a snailās pace, and then I blink and the next month is gone.
Black and Indigenous lives matter. All lives cannot matter until Black and Indigenous lives matter. Marcellis Stinnette and Jonathan Price were killed by police in October. The RCMP has refused to protect Miākmaw fishers and their rights.
Iām so afraid for what will happen, not just in the US, but also to countries and economies all over the world if Trump gets in for a second term. Not a little of my anxiety these days is due to this election.
Pandemic Life
Worldwide, weāre in the second wave. Numbers of infections are exceeding those seen in the spring in many countries are increasing restrictions. While I understand that people are tired, if we donāt recommit to reasonable restrictions like wearing masks in public, maintaining physical distance, washing your hands, and getting your flu shot, governments will have no choice but to implement lockdowns again.
It’s not about inconveniencing you. Itās not about violating your civil liberties. Itās about protecting other people. Itās about preventing the spread of disease.
Do your part.
The month in writing
Having finally finished my rewrite of Reality Bomb in September, Iād hoped to map things out and revise by the end of October. Once again, my ambitions exceeded my capabilities.
I didnāt finish mapping the story until October 20th. When I got to work on revisions, it wasnāt too bad. With eleven days left on the month, I set the goal of revising 30,000 words. I managed 24,714 words, or 82%. Iāve not just been cutting words, Iāve been rewriting whole sections again, so this is not bad. This is also the first month Iāve posted substantial revision numbers all year.
For NaNoWriMo this year, Iām doing the rebel thing again and Iām hoping to revise the remaining 60,000 (and a bit) words. Iāve already cut over 2,000 words from the over 120,000-word draft. Iām hopeful that Iāll be able to tighten everything up and end up with a 90,000-word story that I can present to my critique group. Iām sure there will be further revisions, but this is my short-term goal.
Thanks in part to these long monthly updates, I once again outstripped my blogging goal by 174%. I wrote 6,532 words of my 3,750-word goal.
I also drafted most of my next Speculation column for DIY MFA. I managed to write 840 word of my 1,000-word goal, or 84%.
Overall, I wrote 155% of my writing goal of 4,750 words.
Also, my poem āVisiting Endymionā was published in Polar Borealis 16.
Filling the well
My family did get together for a low-key Thanksgiving at my Momās. Even though there were just five of us, we had more than enough food to send everyone home with leftovers.
For my birthday, Phil ordered sushi, I had wine, and we watched a seasonally appropriate movie (more on that, below). Iām a level 51 human now. I still behave like Iām a kid š
Virtual event-wise, I started the month with the launch of Ariel Gordonās Tree Talk on the 1st. On the second, I attended a Carl Brandon Society lecture by Desi authors called Our Literary Mothers.
On the 6th, I attended a talk with Waubgeshig Rice and Eden Robinson in anticipation of the CBC series Trickster, based on Robinsonās books. Itās awesome. You need to watch it. CBC Gem.
I signed up for a series of webinars from Free Expressions. So far, Iāve attended a couple of Donald Maass lectures/workshops, and a Lisa Cron presentation on story and the brain.
I also registered for Surry International Writersā Conference (SiWC) online, which combined their usual weekend offering with the Writing Excuses virtual retreat. I have to admit that I hit peak zoom saturation on Saturday night, but the recorded sessions will be available for a month for registered attendees. Iāll catch up.
Almost full/blue/hunter’s moon
What Iāve been watching and reading
In the viewing category, the month started off on a lowish note.
We finished Wizards: Tales of Arcadia. It wasnāt as good as Three Below, but it was okay and a better interpretation of Arthurian legend than Cursed.
Season two of The New Legends of Monkey was fun, but dumb. It doesnāt pretend to be anything else.
We watched The Boys, season two, and it was awesome and bloody and surprising, but Lucy traumatized me.
Lovecraft Country blew my freaking mind. Iāve seen some less than stellar reviews, but Phil and I loved it.
Utopia was good as well. I enjoyed it more than Phil, but I think what got him was the lack of resolution. Every plot line ended on a cliffhanger. Iām more comfortable with this than Phil is.
We also watched two movies. The Old Guard was good, but fairly standard and somewhat predictable. Zombieland Double Tap was as delightful a romp as the first one.
Reading-wise, I finished Jade City by Fonda Lee. Iāve been diversifying my reading and quite enjoyed the Asian-based fantasy world. The characters were fabulous.
Then, I backfilled a gap with Sabriel by Garth Nix. I quite liked the world of the Abhorsen.
I consumed Harrow the Ninth, Tamsyn Muirās follow up to Gideon the Ninth. I went in prepared for the second person narrative, the apparent retconning of many of the events of the first book, and the lack of Gideonās exquisitely kiss-my-ass voice. There is a point to it. Trust me. The second novel is as much a mystery as the first and part of the delight is trying to figure out what the hell is going on. The pay off is worth it, though the ending still leaves a lot of questions unanswered. Loved.
I also read K.M. Weilandās Writing Your Storyās Theme. You may have noticed my book review š Yes, Iām A K.M. fangirl, but her analysis is on the mark and she has a way of making theme accessible to the reader without too much brain twisting.
I finished off the month with Alice Munroās Runaway. There are only two standalone stories in this collection and the rest are linked in two groups. The title tale is chilling.
And that was the month in this writerās life.
Just a reminder, I wonāt be doing curation for most of the month of November. There is just one each of tipsday and thoughty Thursday, and then Iāll be devoting most of my time to RB revisions/NaNo. Of course, I hope to provide you with a weekly update on my revision progress.
Until tipsday, be well and stay safe, be kind, and stay strong. The world needs your stories.
The good fight goes on despite losses. There was no justice for Breonna Taylor. Joyce Echaquan died after enduring racist abuse from the people who were supposed to be helping her. Two of the staff were fired, but it looks like there wonāt be justice for Joyce Echaquan either.
On the positive side, Annamie Paul is the first Black leader of a Canadian political party. Iām watching with interest.
We have to keep educating ourselves (those of us who benefit from white privilege), listening, reading, promoting Black and Indigenous artists and entrepreneurs, and bringing issues affecting Black and Indigenous people to the fore. We need to do better.
Pandemic life
Ten months into this hellacious year and seven months into the pandemic. Weāre firmly into the second wave in many areas of the province and country. Pre-reopening restrictions have been institutes again. We all have to do our part to protect each other.
Wear your masks, maintain physical distance, wash your hands, donāt go out unless you need to, and get your flu shots as soon as theyāre available.
Iām just boggled that Trump decided to break quarantine to give his supporters a āgift.ā What gift is that? The rona? I shake my head and wait to see what happens next.
Work wise, while front line workers have returned to the office (with appropriate protections), the rest of us are teleworking for the foreseeable. So, nothing new there. Iāve adapted to my new work laptop and the shelf Phil made for me to elevate my monitors over my laptop also provides additional storage space.
With respect to the assessment process I was involved in for the new job at work ā¦ the manager wanted to proceed with next steps in the informal process. If I was interested. To which I responded with a resounding āYES!ā The potential start date has been pushed to November to accommodate any approvals that might need to be obtained. And then I was called for the interview in the formal process. Still nervous about it, but they did proceed to contact my references from there.
And now ā¦ we wait. Again. Did I mention these things tend to take a fair amount of time?
The month in writing
Please excuse the block caps, but I think some shouting is in order. THE NEVERENDING DRAFT FINALLY ENDED! Yes, I finished this iteration of Reality Bomb. It was basically 120k and I have to cut around 30k, but Iām optimistic. Iām currently mapping in anticipation of revising later this month.
So, 5,234 words, or 105% of my 5k-word goal.
I finished the short story I started last month and promptly submitted it. It was rejected and so will be added to my pile of revise and resubmit stories, but I feel that it was an accomplishment, nonetheless. Then, I started on another story, not expecting to finish it, let alone submit it, but I did both! I probably wonāt hear from that submission process for a while yet. Iām just happy to have done it.
I also submitted a previously published story for consideration in a Canadian reprint special issue of a popular SFF magazine. Iāll definitely let you know if anything comes of that š
2,489 word of short fiction in the month, or 124% of my 2k-word goal.
I blogged 6,815 words of my 3,750-word goal, or a whopping 182%. Whop.
Overall, I wrote 14,538 words. Iād aimed for 10,750 and surpassed my goals on all counts. 135% of my monthly writing goal aināt bad.
In the poetry arena, āFire and Ice,ā one of the five poems accepted for publication in Polar Borealis was also selected for Stellar Evolutions, an anthology featuring the best of the first 15 issues of PB. The pieces for the anthology were selected by Rhea E. Rose of RainWood Press. Pre-orders start October 15th, and the anthology is officially out on October 31stāmy birthday!
Isn’t the cover beautiful?
It’s nice to get some external validation again.
Filling the well
Over Labour Day long weekend, our small family gathered at my sister-in-lawās for whatās probably our last outdoor family gathering of the year (itās too cold for the moms, now). Chicken wings on the barbeque and fresh-cut fries. The sandhill cranes (AKA dinos) were EVERYWHERE.
Later in the month, I went out with Torvi a couple of times for walks in the fields.
In September, I attended Jane Friedmanās workshop on Researching Agents and Publishers like a Pro, a Word on the Street event with Michael Christie (Greenwood), Kerri Sakamoto (Floating City), and Doreen Vanderstoop (Watershed), the Writing Excuses Retreat fall reunion, How to Astronaut with Mary Robinette Kowal and Terry Virts, a NaNoWriMo session on How to Unlock the Key to Your Novel (adaptation to screen) with Jenny Han (To All the Boys Iāve Loved Before), Angie Thomas (The Hate U Give), Nancy Springer (Enola Holmes), and Roshani Chokshi (Aru Shah), a world building tutorial with Mary Robinette Kowal, and a presentation on The Inner Workings of Spacesuit Design with Adam Savage, Cady Coleman, and (again) Mary Robinette Kowal.
Whew! That was a lot of virtual events.
I also attended several meetings for the Canadian Authors Association and the AGM for CIRA as well as several learning events at work (virtual facilitation, Orange Shirt Day, anti-racism, and mental health). What can I say? Iām a learning mutt.
What Iām watching and reading
Because many series stopped filming and/or production because of covid-19, there hasnāt been a lot on cable these days. Donāt get me wrong, Iām kind of grateful. I get more writing done of an evening if I donāt have regular series to watch. Iām actually catching up on my streaming viewing, but I havenāt finished any more series/seasons that way, either.
I watched the first six episodes of Wynona Earp. Itās the usual wacky shenanigans, but we didnāt get much of anywhere before covid intervened. Apparently, the rest of the season should start coming out in January. Iāll reserve full judgement until then.
Phil and I endured Cursed. Itās okay to envision a new interpretation of traditional myths and legends, but you have to have some kind of cohesive story going in. This was just stuff happening, just to have stuff happen. Pirates and Vikings and fairies, oh my? In what timescape do these all coexist with Arthurian legend (the fairies, okay, but the rest)? Itās fiction. I get it. But it all felt contrived, like, oh yeah, now we have the Inquisition (nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition)!
By all means, let Nimue be the one true queen, but she should act like one (some of the time, please?). She can have (indeed should have) conflicting goals and desires, but sheās running away with Arthur one minute and then making deals with Uther to save her people the next? Everyone was changing allegiances, left, right, and centre, again, apparently for no reason.
In short, nothing came together for us. Weāve watched and enjoyed shows that have done truly bizarre things with Arthurian legend, but they worked because there was a cohesive story to wrap all the crazy in. Someone let their idea monkey out of its cage and the poor dear just started flinging poop everywhere.
The rest of my viewing was long form, that is movies.
I watched Birds of Prey (and the fantabulous emancipation of one Harley Quinn) and it was fabulous. I think itās the best DCEU film Iāve seen yet. It was all style and fun and it had a legit story. Margot Robbie was *chefās kiss.* Nice to see strong women coming together to kick some ass and save each other.
Then, I saw Knives Out. Hilarious and clever, though I did wonder how Benoit Blanc, master detective, missed the distinct scent of vomit when he got into the car. You know the scene Iām talking about. This movie isnāt a whodunnit, but a who-woulda-dunnit-if-the-intended-victim-hadnāt-dunnit-first ā¦ and committed murder, extortion, and arson to cover their tracks. Itās about true friendship and kindness and a suspect who vomits every time she lies. A feelgood movie. Yeah, thatās what Iām going with.
Finally, Phil and I watched Enola Holmes. Another feelgood movie. Itās a plot wrapped in a mystery. Millie Bobbie Brown was perfect and got to use her own accent (sort of). Henry Cavill and Helena Bonham Carter were lovely. There were a few key differences from the book as I understand it, but I think Iām going to pick it up. Iāve always enjoyed Nancy Springerās novels š
In terms of reading, I have four offerings, two short story collections and two novels.
The first collection was Lynn Coadyās Hell Going. This collection won the Giller in 2013. I enjoyed the stories, but they all seemed to revolve around absences, and how people only end up hurting themselves by not communicating.
Then, I read Justina Irelandās Deathless Divide, the sequel to Dread Nation. As dark as the first novel was, DD is darker. You have to read them both to get the full effect, and Iām not going to spoil it. The metaphoric nature of the story is killer (pun intended).
Finally, I read Barneyās Version by Mordecai Richler. Well, I listened to it. Audible offered Giller prize winning novels for free back in the spring and I got a bunch. I didnāt expect to like this novel, but I did. The twist in the final pages is perfect. The narrator ā¦ Iām not as impressed with. He persisted in pronouncing yarmulke (yah-muhl-kah) as yarmuckelāthatās not even how itās writtenāgah! I would think a professional voice actor would care enough to look up these things before he began narration ā¦ but Iāll leave it there.
Barney is the ultimate unreliable narrator. Heās starting to forget things and eventually dies from complications related to Alzheimerās. So, basically, the reader canāt trust a word heās written. Heās writing his memoir, such as it is, in response to former friend turned rival, Terry MacIvorās fictional expose.
The problem is that Barney readily admits his faults and he does terrible things, but heās adamant on one point: he did not kill his best friend as everyone thinks he did.
And that was the month in this writerās life.
Until next time, be well and stay safe, be kind, and stay strong. The world needs your stories.
Welcome to tipsday, my humble curation of informal writerly goodness.
Before we get to the resources, Black and Indigenous (and all other racialized or marginalized) lives matter. All lives cannot matter until Black and Indigenous lives matter.
Weāre officially six months into #pandemic life and here in the northeast, weāre waiting for the other show to fall following the return to school last week. Weāre already experiencing a bump in infection numbers, likely due to covid exhaustion and the relaxation of safety measures over the Labour Day long weekend.
Wear your masks, maintain physical distance, and wash your hands. We donāt have a vaccine yet.
Now letās move on to supporting your creative endeavours.
Black lives matter. Indigenous lives matter. All lives cannot matter until Black and Indigenous lives matter.
Trans women are women. Trans men are men. Trans non-binary folks are non-binary folks.
These pandemic times are increasingly complex ones. Protests against anti-Black racism and anti-Indigenous racism continue even as the world begins to āreopen.ā Black and Indigenous people continue to suffer from and die because of police violence but, as has been pointed out, police violence is only the symptom. Institutionalized racism is the virus that must be eradicated.
Here in Canada, the RCMP has recently done an about face, first denying their endemic racism, and then admitting it and committing to do better. In the meantime, Indigenous and Black lives continue to be threatened.
People across the publishing industryāacross all media, in factāhave been fired for their racism. Various governments are seriously considering defunding their police. Monuments to white supremacy are falling.
And TERFs who expose their prejudices are being publicly and thoroughly schooled.
The world is still in chaos. But with the continued protests, change is coming. I continue to hope and to support efforts to achieve reform and justice. I continue to listen and learn, because thereās so much I donāt know, and I want to do better.
Onto the informal writerly learnings!
Why poetry is so important/powerful/relevant right now. āHollowā – Bristol’s City Poet, Vanessa Kisuule.
Hard worldbuilding vs. soft worldbuilding. And yes, Tim does discuss Harry Potter as an example of soft worldbuilding, so be warned if J.K.ās recent TERF-dom is offensive or triggering for you. Hello, Future Me
