The nomination period is open until April 6, 2024, for the 2024 Aurora Awards, recognizing the best of Canadian SF & Fantasy published in 2023.
This year, I have one eligible work in the Best Short Fiction category, “Psychopomps Are Us,” which was published in Pulp Literature No. 38, Spring 2023. (May 6, 2023. ISSN: 2292-2164. pp 107-116.)
I’m proud of this quirky little story told in second person with snarky footnotes. To tell you anything more would spoil the story 🙂 I would be so pleased if PAU made the ballot this year. Consider nominating it, would you?
If you haven’t read it yet, you can support the good people at Pulp Literature by purchasing a copy at the above link 🙂
How to nominate a work for the Auroras
To nominate, you need to be a member of the Canadian SF & Fantasy Association (CSFFA), the organization that administers the awards.
If you’re not a member:
Visit the CSFFA web site and select “Not a member yet?”
Fill out your name, email, and home province.
Select a username and password for the site.
Registration is CA$10, which lets you nominate and vote on the final ballot.
Once you’re logged in, click on “Pay membership fee with PayPal.” Don’t use PayPal? You can also pay by debit or credit.
Already a member?
Visit the CSFFA web site and select “Log in” under “You are a member?” then enter your username and password to access the Awards main page.
If you haven’t paid for 2024, click on “Pay Renewal Fee with PayPal.” Don’t use PayPal? You can also pay by debit or credit.
Nominate:
Select “Nomination” from the middle of the screen to access the online nomination form.
To nominate a work, just select one of the boxes under the category and select the appropriate title of the work you wish to nominate from the drop-down list of eligible works.
You can nominate up to five works in each category, but you don’t need to nominate in every category or that many in any category.
When you’ve finished nominating in a category, make sure you select the “Update nominations” button for the category, then move to your next category.
February’s the month I emerge from winter hibernation. Yes. I’m a bear.
Life in general
The light is visibly returning. Even so, most of the days are overcast. It’s still unseasonably warm, with a lot of days above zero degrees Celsius and not as much precipitation as I’d like. Yes, Phil doesn’t have to shovel as much, but I’m worried about the coming year.
Not a lot of snow means a dry spring, unless it rains every day, and even then, it may not be enough to prevent forest fires from sparking. Last year was bad. I expect this year to be even worse.
Work is work. I’m back on the albatross of a project (I’ve been working on it since spring 2022) but the end (for now) is in sight. There’s always maintenance, and the wholesale revision of the other modules in the curriculum, but it should be off my plate by the end of March.
I’m taking a self-funded leave from the Victoria Day (May 2-4, we call it, even though the holiday Monday rarely falls on the 24th) long weekend until the Canada Day long weekend in July. It will be nice to have a stretch off. I want to do some gardening. I want to go swimming. I want to see what diurnal cycle my body naturally settles into. I want to just enjoy myself for a while.
I also want to see if I can dive into one or two new creative projects, revise a novella, and see what I can get done when I’m not spending eight hours a day working for someone else. It’s been seven years—well, six and a half years—since I’ve taken a self-funded leave. It’s the first leave of this nature I’ve taken since being diagnosed as autistic and, most of all, I want to learn if I can adjust my life and the routines I’ve established so they support me better.
We’ll see how things go.
The month in writing
I’m still working on Reality Bomb revisions. My focus changed a bit this month, however. I signed up for Suzy’s Developmental Editing Mentorship in February program and continued to revise and under the auspices of that program.
We did meet on February 1st to review my most recent submission. I’m to the point in the novel where I’m basically rewriting the second half of the second and all of the third act. I had expected to have a rough go with this critique, but it was a lot better than I expected. I’m learning!
As ever, though, learning is never a straight line.
I’ve given up on trying to track my revisions on the spreadsheet. Now that I’m in the second half of the novel, I’m completely rewriting most of it. It’s hard to compare a sprawling, meandering draft with the tighter rewrite. I’m eliminating whole chapters, combining chapters, and making the whole more cohesive. I’m figuring out when to show and when to tell.
I’m hopeful that I’ll be able to get some interest when I query, later this year.
I paid for my annual membership to the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association and submitted “Psychopomps Are Us” to the nomination list for the 2023 Aurora Awards. I also submitted the story to The Year’s Best Canadian Fantasy and Science Fiction: Volume Two, for consideration.
I submitted my final report for the mentorship microgrant I was approved for through The Writers’ Union of Canada (TWUC).
I applied for TWUC National Reading Program funding and event funding from the League of Canadian Poets (LCP) for my poetry launch.
I tossed my hat into the My Personal Odyssey ring again. I’ll find out some time in March if I’ve made the cut this year.
My associate membership renewal for the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) came due in February.
And I continue to work on the launch, and arranging reviews, readings, and so forth for The Art of Floating.
The venue is booked! It will be in the Studio Desjardins of Place des Arts, at 7 pm on April 6th, 2024. Now to get the livecast details in place so I can start promoting in earnest.
Kim Fahner has agreed to a brief casual conversation about my poetic journey to start the launch. I’m so happy she’s agreed to help me out. She’s been such a central figure in my poetic life.
Now … I have to think about what I want to wear. I don’t have any nice clothes left after I lost weight back in 2021. The prospect of some new clothes is pleasing, but I hate shopping with a passion.
My publisher confirmed a book signing at Chapters on April 13th from 11 am to 2 pm.
On the 23rd, I received a lovely email informing me that my application for The Writers’ Union of Canada’s National Public Reading funding was approved!
My poem, “Time and Tide,” was published in Polar Starlight 13 on February 24th.
And I submitted some more poetry to a themed issue of one of Canada’s best known literary journals. I’m not hopeful, to be honest. They had over a thousand submissions (!)
Filling the well
February 1st was Imbolc, but I was so dysregulated at the time, I didn’t get around to lighting my altar or doing my usual, quiet observation until the 2nd (!)
The new Rowan moon in Aquarius (and beginning of the Year of the Dragon!) was on the 9th. I observed with a guided meditation. It was overcast up here, which it usually is this time of year.
I’m a Rooster and this is what the Year of the Dragon brings for me: Your careful nature and attention to detail will strengthen during Year of the Dragon 2024. You’ll be good at handling difficult tasks with care.
Bodes well, methinks!
The full Snow moon in Virgo was on the 24th. It was overcast, but I got a lovely picture of the moon a couple of days before the full. I again observed with a guided meditation.
As I mentioned earlier, I signed up for Suzy Vadori’s developmental editing course from the 5th to the 29th. Virtual meetups were twice a week, with asynchronous training in between. The course gave me more insight into Suzy’s methodology, and I used the month to once again review the draft-to-date.
I attended the Wordstock and Sulphur open mic night at Books & Beans on the 7th. It was standing room only, but I got to read some of my more recent poetry (i.e., stuff that’s not in The Art of Floating) and promote my launch.
The first Success Series webinar from Free Expressions, “Neurolinguistic Programming for Writers” with Beth Baranay was on the 8th. I was dysregulated and watched the recording. NLP, or neurolinguistic programming is all about changing the connections in your brain to learn, improve, and form and break habits. Beth applied NLP techniques for both authors and their characters. We didn’t quite get to habits, but the grounding is there.
On the 9th, Authors Publish presented a webinar on “The Art of Writing Immersive Worlds,” presented by Cat Rambo. Still dysregulated. Watched the replay. The webinar felt intimate, and Cat is always a good presenter.
I signed up for a Freedom to Read Week event co-sponsored by TWUC and the LCP on the 22nd featuring Farzana Doctor and Gary Geddes. It was a lovely evening.
Then, I signed up for a Black History Month poetry reading featuring Ian Keteku, Asiah Sparks, and Damini Awoyiga. Black poets rock, y’all!
On the 29th, there was another Free expressions SSW, “Character Dynamics” with Damon Suede. Because I opted to go to the poetry reading, I watched the replay.
In non-writing-related events, I attended a Toronto Public Library Black History Month presentation about “Reframing History: Newfoundland and Labrador & the Black Atlantic.” Bushra Junaid, Afua Cooper, and Camille Turner each presented pieces of Black history in Newfoundland and Labrador. Compelling and poignant.
I also had an appointment with my therapist on the 28th. I’m trying to work through the idea that I feel, at least recently, that I’m always on the cusp of burnout. I’m trying to come to terms with the fact that it might just be part of life.
What I’m watching and reading
I finished watching the first season of Citadel (Amazon). A second season has been green lit, but I don’t know if I’ll watch it. I was left confused more than anything. Madden and Chopra-Jonas have zero chemistry and even Stanley Tucci couldn’t save it.
Next, I finished watching Little Bird (Crave). Touching and compelling story about a family divided by the 60s Scoop coming together to heal.
Then, I finished watching the third (and final) season of Res Dogs (Disney +). Bear finds his way home after missing the bus. We get some backstory of the Dogs’ parents and elders, and the series ends with Elora meeting her father (Ethan Hawke) and his kids and the Dogs coming together around the funeral of one of their elders before the ancestor says goodbye, Elora heads off to university, and Bear’s mom leaves for a new job. Bear’s in a good place.
I finished watching the first (and only) season of First Kill (Netflix). It was inspired by a short story by V.E. Schwab and is essentially a modern, queer, and supernatural retelling of Romeo and Juliet. Juliette is the youngest daughter of a legacy vampire family who are pressuring her to make her first kill. In fact, she’s on medication to “take the edge off” her bloodlust and the last thing she wants to do is kill anyone. Calliope is the youngest daughter of a monster hunting family and eager to make her first kill. When Juliette and Calliope fall in love…a whole bunch of people die. The series ended on a weird cliffhanger and wasn’t renewed, so we may never find out what was going to happen. Unless Schwab wants to turn it into a comic or something?
Then, I roped Phil into watching The Marvels (Disney +) with me. It was fun. I loved Goose and the flerkin kittens. I loved Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan. The rest was okay. It wasn’t as bad as reviews led me to believe, but it was like everyone was too tired to make the film as good as it should have been. I mean, it has the name of the studio in its title. You’d think someone would have cared enough to make it at least as memorable as Iron Man.
When I watched Captain America and The Avengers (each for the umpteenth time) shortly thereafter, I was reminded of the kind of story Marvel is capable of telling. Neither is perfect, but they were both so much better than recent Marvel efforts.
Then, I finished watching the adaptation of Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See (Netflix). Loved! Even though it’s a WWII story, the series (and therefore Doerr’s novel) offers a unique perspective. Marie, a blind Parisian girl, and Werner, a German orphan, are bonded through their love of “The Professor,” who broadcasts educational radio programs. During WWII, the two meet in Saint Malo, a coastal French town, where Marie now broadcasts for the French resistance and Werner is a radio operator in the occupying German army. The Americans are coming to liberate the town, but can they do it before Werner is forced to track down Marie for his commander, who has a sinister motive for finding Marie?
I watched The Hate U Give (Amazon). It was a gut punch, but in the best way. Starr Carter is in the passenger seat when her friend Khalil is shot and killed by a police officer. The movie and the book it’s based on by Angie Thomas are a good reminder that systemic racism kills tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of Black people a year. Black lives matter.
I finished watching (most of) the first season of The Irrational (network). Alec Mercer is a behavioural psychologist who helps solve crimes. This season focused on Alec’s backstory of being caught in a church bombing. As the season progresses, the man convicted of the bombing proves to be innocent, uncovering a conspiracy that Alec has to unravel to serve justice and gain closure.
Then I finished watching the second season of the new Quantum Leap (network). The third season is still up in the air. I wasn’t too certain about the 3-year time jump after the first season finale. The Quantum Leap project has been shut down, Ben is thought to be dead, and Addison moves on. But Ian hasn’t given up, and when they find Ben, the team regroups, including Addison’s new love interest. Things get sorted out in the end, but I think the uncertainty of the network series machine means that they had to have a self-contained story arc, just in case. Things felt contrived. I’ll leave it there. Still enjoyed it and will watch season three if it comes to fruition.
My first read of February was Zen Cho’s Black Water Sister. Closeted and broke, Jess returns to Malaysia with her family after living in the US for most of her life. She has a degree from Harvard, but that hasn’t translated into success, or even a job. Then, she starts to hear a voice in her head, her recently dead grandmother, Ah Ma, who’s set on getting her revenge on a mob boss. Dark, but very good.
Then, I finished William Gibson’s The Peripheral. I realized I had the ebook after I watched the Amazon series. Once again, it’s an interesting exercise to compare a novel and its adaptation, to see what creative decisions were made and why. Having said that, I enjoyed both equally, though I must say that I’m not as fond of book Flynn as I was of series Flynn. And, of course, Amazon cancelled the series.
Next, I read The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco. As a child, Tea (pronounced tee-ah) accidentally resurrects her brother and discovers she’s a bone witch, or necromancer. Feared and ostracized by her family and community, Tea is taken under the wing of a more experienced bone witch who whisks her and her brother away to a foreign land to be trained as an asha. This book is the beginning of a trilogy and is very much just the set up for the rest of the series. Although there is a framing narrative told by a bard, whom Tea has asked to tell her story, it doesn’t give much away. One thing is clear, though; The Bone Witch is a story of revenge.
I finished reading Waubgeshig Rice’s Moon of the Turning Leaves. In this sequel to Moon of the Crusted Snow, Nangohns, daughter of Evan Whitesky, begins to see the signs that her people are beginning to exhaust the natural resources around their isolated northern community. She then embarks on a long journey south with her father and several other members of the community. They need a new place to settle. Or an old place. Their ancestral home on the shores of Lake Huron. The problem is, they still don’t know what happened when the lights went out over a decade ago. And the last scouting party they sent south four years ago never returned.
Then, I turned to poetry. Kim Fahner lent me a stack of collections she thought might be in my poetic wheelhouse. I started with Bernadette Wagner’s this hot place. The sections of the collection are named Maiden, Mother, and Crone, and Wagner recounts her life on the prairies in verse. She has a talent for lovely subversions. Verra nice.
I also finished The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty. A retired pirate captain is lured back into the world of supernatural high seas adventure when a northern sorcerer abducts a young scholarly girl. Nothing is as it seems. I’ll leave it there. You should read this.
Next, I listened to Delicious Monsters by Liselle Sambury. A brilliant supernatural mystery told in dual timelines. Daisy can see the dead. When her mother inherits a mansion just outside of Timmins, they both see it as their opportunity for the life they want. For Daisy’s mother, Grace, it’s to finally be free of the ghosts (figurative and literal) of her past. For Daisy, it’s the chance to escape from her mother’s narcissism. But the mansion is haunted. And now people are dying. Ten years in the future, Brittney, co-creator of the podcast “Haunted,” wants to uncover the secrets of the mansion, which her abusive mother calls the “miracle mansion.” She wants to tell the story of a forgotten Black girl but gets more than she bargained for. LOVED.
Finally, I listened to C.S. Lewis: Writer, Scholar, Seeker, an Audible Original based on The Great Courses series of lectures by Sorina Higgins. Interesting insight into one of my favourite authors.
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!
First, I have to apologize for the tardy. I just didn’t have the spoons to get this posted until now (!)
Welcome to 2024?! Holy crap!
This is the year The Art of Floating (plus launch and as many readings as my publisher can arrange for me) and Superstack Stories come out (!) This is the year I finish final (for now) revisions on Reality Bomb and get back into the querying/submission trenches. This is the year I revise Alice in Thunderland, my alternate history/solarpunk novella. This is the year I move onto The Fenwoman’s Tale in a more serious way and git ‘er done! This is the year I hope to place a couple more pieces of short fiction in good homes.
Wow! That’s a lot (!)
Life in general
We’re in the dark months of the year up here in northeastern Ontario, and I have, characteristically, entered hibernation mode. Gremlin mode (which is my version of goblin mode). A friend of mine calls it turtling, withdrawing into her shell.
It’s all about boundaries and taking care of myself in a meaningful way. Taking the time to ensure I can regulate, which I call defragging 🙂 I’m considering trying to nap in the afternoons, after work and walking Torvi. Just for 20 minutes. So far, except for the period that I was on strike last spring, I haven’t been successful at napping. I lie down and close my eyes and my brain just keeps going like the Energizer bunny.
We’ll see how it goes.
My first attempt was a bust. And there wasn’t a second. I’m too bound into my rituals. I need to have a purpose and block the time out. And I need to be able to reorganize my creative time around it. I’ll keep trying.
The month in writing
The month was again focused on Reality Bomb revisions. Once I submitted my assignment for Suzy, though, I took a few days to write other things. Some poetry, some revisions on short fiction. Thinking about The Fenwoman’s Tale and how I’d like to shape it into a more compelling and more emotional story.
I met with Suzy once this month, on the 14th. It was a great meeting and validation after a challenging day (week … month) at work. Our next meeting won’t be until the new year. We both deserve some holiday relaxation.
Preparation for the launch of The Art of Floating continues. The pre-order links are up!
Pre-orders can change the trajectory of any publication. Please consider TAoF for your 2024 to-be-read (TBR) pile 🙂
The year in review
As usual, I set what turned out to be some pretty unrealistic goals. Well, they may have been realistic if I didn’t have an enforced three-month break from writing. From the end of January to April, I was supporting Phil as he recovered from his broken shoulder and then I went on strike for the last week and a half of April.
I was also unable to work with Suzy from January through May because of financial issues. I’ll be honest. My employer was unable to keep me on as an instructional designer because of budget issues (that are still not resolved, by the way), and I had to take a step down in pay. Not great in a year that also saw the cost of everything increase because of runaway inflation.
I intended to revise Alice in Thunderland, my alt-history/solarpunk novella, I thought I’d do some work on my Ascension series, make far more progress on The Fenwoman’s Tale than I did, get through the whole of Reality Bomb and reduce 25k words from the draft, and write more in general.
Very few of these things came to pass. Even the projects I did work on (RB, TFT, short fiction, poetry) I didn’t get as much done as I’d hoped.
A lot can get done (or not) in three months. That could have been six more sessions with Suzy (and the revisions should have been done by the end of the year). I could have done a developmental pass on AiT. And having both of those projects farther ahead would have positioned me to get more work done on TFT later in the year. I could have at least looked at my Ascension master doc and thought about the restructuring that needs to happen to make the series arc more cohesive.
Still. It’s been a good year.
I became a member of The Writers Union of Canada (TWUC), an associate member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA), and a full member of the League of Canadian Poets (LCP).
“Psychopomps Are Us” was published in Pulp Literature.
I received the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association’s (CSFFA) professional development grant, which I used to resume work with Suzy in June.
I judged a poetry contest for the Leacock Museum.
I developed and presented my first webinar for the Canadian Authors Association (CAA) and SF Canada.
I edited my poetry collection, got professional author photos taken, chose its cover, and approved the manuscript proofs.
Two poems were accepted for 2024 publication in Polar Borealis and Polar Starlight, respectively.
My first creative non-fiction piece was accepted into the Sudbury Writers’ Guild’s (SWG) Superstack Stories: A Changing Skyline, which will launch in the spring of 2024.
I delivered my first Writers in the Schools (WITS) presentation, funded by TWUC.
I received a microgrant for mentoring from TWUC which will be paid directly to Suzy when our current sessions are completed in 2024.
I’m still waiting to hear about another piece of short fiction that made the shortlist for an anthology. I hope to hear something in the new year.
I also went to my first conference (non-virtual, out of Canada) post-pandemic. It was a really good experience, but it also reminded me how difficult travel is for me. At least now I know why (good ole autistic brain).
Lots of good things are happening. It’s hard to remember that publishing takes time, and the returns are often overshadowed by the next project in the queue.
I have a lot to celebrate.
Take some time to review your own creative progress. I guarantee that you’ve accomplished more than you think you have. And then celebrate your accomplishments before diving into the next thing on your list.
And take care of yourself. You can’t continue to be productive if you’re not in good health.
Filling the well
The reed new moon in Sagittarius was on December 12th. I observed, as usual, with a guided meditation. BTW, my goto for these is Alina Alive’s YouTube channel. She generally does a guided meditation for each new and full moon and has a bunch of meditations for specific purposes in her archive.
The winter solstice, shortest day of the year, was on Dec 21st this year. I lit my altar and switched over my seasonal sensory supports.
The full cold, or little spirits moon in Cancer was on the 26th, Boxing Day. No guided meditation this time, and it was overcast, so no observation of any kind. I was still technically recovering from Christmas dinner, anyway, so it was a good thing (!)
I kept it light with the writerly events this month.
On the 6th, I attended a virtual reading by the League of Canadian Poets new Poet Ambassador in Residence Tara Borin. I participated in the open mic that followed. So many lovely words! Such a wonderful evening!
I registered for Cece Lyra’s “Hacking Writing on the Line Level” on the 7th, but because it was during the work week and Cece is legendary for her epic webinars, I decided to watch the replay. If you’re not listening to The Shit No One Tells You About Writing podcast yet, you’re missing out!
And on the 8th, I attended “How to Write Opening Pages that Win Over Readers and Agents” with agent and author Eric Smith. Eric’s another agent with PS Literary, like Carly Watters and Cece Lyra, but this webinar was offered through Authors Publish.
And that was it (!)
Christmas was at my sister-in-law, Steph’s this year. Last year, the holidays were hijacked by covid, and my SIL has now joined the ranks of those with persistent long-covid symptoms. Steph went all out, and the spread was fabulous. Tastiest turkey I ever had. Stuffing, potatoes, gravy, turnip puff, Phil made buns, and Mom made jellied salad and cranberry sauce. There was also cookies, pumpkin pie, and traditional Christmas pudding and sauce.
Needless to say, most of us were rolling out of there and caught the post-turkey sleepies. BEST. CHRISTMAS. DINNER. EVAR!
What I’m watching and reading
I watched Candy Cane Lane (Amazon) while I started the Christmassing of the house. It was okay. A disgruntled elf curses humans to become animated ornaments. Chris (wife Carol, son Nick, and daughters Holly and Joy—see the Christmas theme here?) Carver has literally hand carved his Christmas decorations every year, perpetually being outdone by a neighbour with a fondness for inflatables. When he loses his job and the local TV station announces a $100,000 prize for this year’s decorating competition, Chris falls prey to the malevolent elf, only later discovering what he failed to read in the fine print: he’ll be turned into an ornament, too, unless he can find all the gold rings from the “12 Days of Christmas” before midnight on Christmas Eve.
Then, Phil and I watched Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (Netflix). The series is animated in the style of the comics, and they got all the actors from the movie to voice their characters. The first episode seems like it’s going to duplicate the events of the movie, but Scott loses his first battle with Matthew Patel (!) I won’t spoil it except to say that it was a fabulous subversion of expectations. And we loved it.
I finished watching Superpowered (Crave). Interesting comic industry history. DC was a little too self-laudatory. They admitted some faults and difficulties but glossed over a lot.
Next, I watched DC’s League of Superpets (Crave). Fun and sweet. Just what I needed after a rough week at work. And the voice cast is superb (Dwayne Johnson, Natasha Lyonne).
I finished watching the first (and sadly only) season of Kindred (Disney +). I enjoyed it and would rather have seen the full story. The season left off with Dana and her mother Olivia returned to the present, leaving poor Kevin in the past. No resolution. Guess I’ll have to read Octavia Butler’s book. Finally.
I finally watched Frozen 2 (Disney +). When I consider the two films, they’re more properly about Anna. Elsa’s journey is secondary and it’s Anna’s actions that save the day in both. I appreciated the Northuldra as an analogue for the Sami and the effort Disney made to avoid appropriation. Enjoyed.
Next, I watched the first season of Reginald the Vampire (Network). Based on the Fat Vampire series of novels by Johnny B. Truant, RtV follows the adventures of Reginald Andres, who is attacked by vampires and must be turned by Maurice to save his life. Unfortunately, Reginald is frozen in his generously-sized body for the rest of his undead life. Jacob Batalon is charming as Reginald. Fingers crossed for a second season.
I finished watching the first season of American Born Chinese (Disney +). The series is based on the comics of the same name and draws on the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West. Jin is just trying to keep his head down and fit in at school when he is saddled with exchange student Wei-Chen. But Wei-Chen is not who he appears to be. I’m really hoping for a second season.
Then, I watched Noelle (Disney +). I was in the mood for a Christmas movie and John Scalzi recommended this one in his Christmas comfort watch posts on Whatever. A charming movie about the daughter of Santa, who has some big boots (and red, fur-trimmed clothes) to fill when her brother decides he doesn’t want to go into the family business.
I watched Barbie (Crave). Loved. I can see the criticisms leveled at it, but I thought it was fun. Very self-aware. Maybe a little too much going on, but very enjoyable.
Phil and I watched Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse (Crave). It was awesome. The animation is amazing! And the story was great. Miles’ story is being told in a very conscious trilogy. While this movie was the middle of the trilogy, it was anything but muddy/soggy. The Spot is the principle antagonist and he’s tied to the events of the first movie. That story will arc through the third movie, Beyond the Spiderverse. In this movie, though, the immediate antagonist is Miguel, who’s taken it upon himself to keep the web of life and destiny intact by preserving “canon” events. The problem with Miles is that he wasn’t supposed to be bitten by a spider in his world at all. He is the ultimate anomaly.
I look forward to the third instalment.
Phil and I also caught the three 60th anniversary Doctor Who specials with David Tennant and Catherine Tate, and the Christmas special with Ncuti Gatwa as the 15th (!) Doctor. DW is another series I’m totally uncritical of. I just love it.
My first read of the month was Jordan Ifueko’s Redemptor. In this sequel to Raybearer, Tarisai, Empress Redemptor, has promised to go to the underworld to free the souls of all previous redemptor children. But of course, the deal she’s struck isn’t so simple to fulfill.
Then, I finished reading Women Who Run with the Wolves, by Clarissa Pinkola Estés. It’s been on my list for years and I finally got to it (!) I loved the reframing of a woman’s life and development through fairy tales. I aspire to be a wild woman but have no idea if I’ve made it there yet. It’s now on my reference shelf with all the other archetypal journey/writing books.
Next, I read Michèle Laframboise’ graphic novel Mistress of the Wind. A gentle fable set in the author’s Gardener’s Universe about a lower-class girl who has a dream to become a wind master.
Then, I finished book three of Ashley Shuttleworth’s Hollow Star saga, A Grim and Sunken Vow. I don’t know what it is about this series, but I love it. I’m looking forward to the next instalment, but I’ll have to wait until next year.
Then, I listened to Mistletoe Murders 2, an Audible Original by Ken Cuperus. I listened to the first one last year and enjoyed the short, cozy mysteries. Cobie Smulders is a great narrator, and these are, despite the murder, fun, light mysteries with a romantic subplot that just came to fruition. And then, of course, someone from Emily Lane’s past comes knocking. Guess we’ll find out what happens next year!
I also listened to Blood Like Fate by Liselle Sambury. I was a little irritated that the narrator didn’t check her pronunciation of the various Canadian settings (cities, towns, policies, supports, public transportation, etc.) because her lapses took me out of the story, every time. But the novel itself is good. A science-fantasy with a strong romance subplot. Fairly typical for YA.
Next was Jes Battis’s The Winter Knight, a queer and neurodivergent retelling of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Imagine if the figures of myth and Arthurian legend were transported to modern-day Vancouver where they were reincarnated in people who may or may not remember who they are. Knights and Runesmiths and Fates and Valkyries populate Battis’s masquerade Vancouver and strive to solve the mystery when the reincarnation of Mordred is found decapitated at a party.
Finally, I listened to Robert J. Sawyer’s The Downloaded. It’s an Audible Original for now but will be out in print from Edward Willett’s Shadowpaw Press in 2024. Good cast. Good story. With the usual optimistic ending. A little more on the bittersweet end this time, but optimistic, nonetheless. Enjoyed!
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!
I should have posted this on the weekend, but I was having trouble getting into my WordPress account. Turns out all I had to do was delete cookies and history on my browser. Sometimes it gets backed up like that. My apologies.
And welcome to July! The year is passing so quickly.
Let’s backtrack a bit.
This has been a weird spring. After a brief few days of above-seasonal temperatures (I wore shorts in March!) it got cool and rainy. Then there was the strike (more news on that in a bit). Soon after, the temperatures began to rise again, and the last part of May was essentially a heat wave. The first part of June was seasonal, but just in time for the Solstice, we got our second heat wave, and now a third. Thanks, global warming.
Since we don’t have central air conditioning, this meant closing up the house to the degree possible during the day in an attempt to keep things cool. After the first week, the house got hot no matter what we did. And I started to get heat edema (swelling of the extremities due to heat). This meant that I wasn’t keen to go outside and do things except to make sure Torvi got her walkies.
This year has also meant something completely different for me—seasonal allergies (!) I’ve never been so stuffed up before. Complicating this may be the smoky haze blown into the area by the surrounding forest fires.
So, I haven’t been posting/reporting on the seasonal changes as much as I have in past years.
Rest assured; the monstrous rhubarb is still monstrous. We’ve been inviting everyone to come and take what they want. There’s always more than we can use.
The pin cherries blossomed at the end of Victoria Day long weekend. The lilacs followed a week later, and the honeysuckles bloomed a week after that. The pines candled brilliantly. The Finn rose is thriving.
Phil dug up and replanted our strawberries in the fall and, while we lost a few, we had flowers, and the berries began to set. Unfortunately, birds and chipmunks got to them before we could harvest one berry. I’m so disappointed.
The raspberry patch survived the winter and should produce fruit. Now if we can only remember to get out and pick the berries!
And Phil has planted our garden again this year. Swiss chard, beets, some carrots, and radishes, and he’s even giving peas a chance 🙂 We have one tomato plant and hope to soon have more.
Phil’s also set up the patio set and solar panel. He had to rework some of the ‘lectrics, but my summer office is technically open for business. Now if I can just pry myself away from my desk and get out there.
In an update from last month, the tentative contract was ratified by the membership. We’ll get out retro pay, etc. in about six months. So, either a nice Christmas present or a fabulous start to the New Year.
The month in writing
Second round revisions of The Art of Floating (yes, my poetry collection has a name!) were completed by the 4th, and I sent the revised manuscript off to Heather at Latitude 46. She wanted to read it through before we discussed next steps.
On the morning of June 5th, I received an email from one of the granting bodies I applied to informing me that the status of my grant application had changed. I figured I’d been screened out, and logged into the site, hope and dread warring in my gut. But it was good news! My application is moving forward to the assessment process! There’s still no guarantee. I just made it past the initial screening and my application may ultimately not make the grade, but I think moving on to formal assessment by committee is impressive for a first-time applicant (!)
Later that same day, SF Canada member and Aurora Award recipient Graeme Cameron reviewed Pulp Literature 38 in Amazing Stories and had some lovely things to say about my story, “Psychopomps Are Us.”
Sorry, but I just have to copy from the review:
“Premise: Psychopomps are guides leading souls into the afterlife. Leave it to science to add the profession to the ranks of social workers. Not an enviable job.
Review: This story has interesting concepts to express about astral forms, ghosts, spirits, and how they interact. All quite plausible, given the premise.
What is particularly interesting is that the job involves a certain amount of B.S. in that no one has any actual experience of what the afterlife offers, such that all promises made to the reluctant departed as to why they should continue their journey are pure speculation. Can’t tell the “client” that, of course, as it would fail to convince them to get on with it. So, a series of no nonsense and hopefully convincing lies are in order.
The story is a delightful exercise in extrapolation of certain implications in the underlying belief system of modern spiritualism. Turns out the job of Psychopomp is more akin to that of a psychiatrist than a social worker. You not only need to understand the newly dead, but also how to manipulate and motivate them. Challenging, to say the least.
I don’t believe in ghosts, but their point of view, if they were to exist, is well laid out and makes for an amusing contest of wills. I quite enjoyed this story. I believe you will, too. Just plain fun to read.”
Needless to say, June 5th was a very happy day.
On June 10th, I applied to the League of Canadian Poets on the advice of my publisher, whom I met at Ann-Marie MacDonald’s event (see below). I was a member, back in the 90s. We’ll see if they accept my application (again) in 6 to 8 weeks.
I also sent out some initial enquiries about setting up some writers-in-the-schools visits in the fall and winter. I got a response from a teacher in the Catholic board pretty quickly and she arranged to firm things up with me later in June after the crazy ended. She’s now been in touch and firmed things up. Now, I’m just waiting to hear if anyone in the public board is interested. The application is due on July 17th.
My first submission to Suzy was due June 11th and we met on the 15th. It was a good session, but I was frustrated with myself because I’m not internalizing Suzy’s methodology as quickly as I’d like. I’m trying to be gentle with myself, treat myself like I would a good friend. I can do the thing! I will be successful! It’s hard, though.
I finished another creative non-fiction piece for a call on the 15th and submitted it. Again, as I’m such a noob in the CNF sphere, I have no idea how I’ll do. The good thing is that the more I write in the genre, the better I’ll get. Practice makes better. So, no pressure on either of these CNF pieces. It’ll be great if something happens, but I think it’s more likely they’ll both be rejected.
As in recent months, you may peruse if you wish.
The Canadian Authors Association scheduled its annual general meeting (AGM) on the 24th.
Then, the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association’s AGM was on the 25th.
Think I’m AGM’d out, now.
On impulse, I applied for a facilitator’s position with the therapist who organizes my support group. Eep! I’m beginning to feel like I’m taking on too much. Again.
At the end of the month (26th), Heather sent me the first of the next step emails with respect to The Art of Floating. This one was about filling in the marketing information for the collection, including supplying a headshot.
I promptly started querying photographers.
And … I delivered my #ActuallyAutistic Author webinar on the 28th! I think it went well. The feedback I’ve received so far has been positive.
Filling the well
I went to an in-person (!) event on June 5th. Ann-Marie MacDonald came to Sudbury for the Canadian University Women’s Federation’s Celebrate Women 2023. It was wonderful. MacDonald is hilarious. And, of course, I got a signed copy of Fayne.
Free Expressions offered a webinar by Eric Maisel, “Writing Your Book from Beginning to End,” on June 8th. Due to a big project at work and relatively few spoons, I watched the replay. I have several of Maisel’s books and wanted to see what one of his webinars was like. It was good.
I signed up for the video only option for Stant Litore’s “Write Characters Your Readers will Love,” a Writing the Other offering. It was a full day workshop over June 10th and 11th and I needed the weekend to myself to recover. I watched the workshop in parts from the 13th to the 19th. Stant’s one of those presenters with an absolute wealth of knowledge. I took the workshop in the pre-times and just wanted to brush up.
I signed up for another Free Expressions webinar by Janice Hardy, “Make the Most of Your POV,” on the 15th. I didn’t think I’d have the spoons to both meet with Suzy and attend the webinar on the same day (and I was right), so I once again watched the replay. It was one of Janice’s posts on Fiction University that twigged me to the real meaning of show, don’t tell (a lesson I’m still learning). Her webinar on POV was just as valuable.
The Locus Awards weekend was from the 21st through the 24th. I had to miss the readings on the 21st (see below) and 22nd but caught the Friday readings and attended the sessions on Saturday leading up to the Locus Awards ceremony. It was my first time attending virtually and I think their first time producing a hybrid conference. There were some technical glitches, but it was good overall.
The second of Donald Maass’s Free Expressions Webinars took place on the 22nd. Our World in Your Nutshell was a bit more of his usual fare. Making the specific universal.
Then, on the 28th I attended a TWUC webinar called Intersectionality Tomorrow with Tanis MacDonald, Nisha Patel, and Carla Harris. It was fabulous.
I went to Little Current to attend friends’ 25th anniversary celebration on June 21st. They renewed their vows with family and friends. It was a lovely evening.
It was too hot (see above) to light up all the candles on the altar for the solstice, but I took an eerie-cool picture of the moon and Venus through the haze.
The Sudbury Writers’ Guild’s summer social was at College Boreal on June 29th this year. Met up with several friends.
In health news, I’ve purchased a Füm. I’ve finally had it with cigarettes. I hate the taste and the way they stain my teeth and fingers. Füm is a habit alternative. A metal and wood holder for essential oil infused cores. They taste much better than cigarettes and still allow me to satisfy my oral and fidget fixations as well as to satisfy my need to do something socially with Phil and my mom when they smoke.
I’ve been doing some thinking and I didn’t start smoking until I was 25 and away trying to make it through the coursework requirement for my master’s degree. My mom smoked throughout my childhood, and I didn’t start smoking. Phil smoked when we started dating (and still does), and I didn’t start. I’m pretty sure that I started smoking not only because of the stress of my degree, but also because I needed a substitute for stimming.
When I was a kid, I’d chew pencils and pens (and pen caps) to pieces. I think this was one of my stims. But in university, I stopped using a pen outside of lecture notes and started using a computer. The clack of the keys occupied my fingers but did nothing for my oral fixation. Enter smoking.
After the first week with the Füm, I managed to halve my cigarette consumption. And I haven’t had a major nicotine fit … yet. Think I’m going to hang here for a while before I take the next step. A 27-year habit is not broken in a week. And there is a component of addiction that has to be overcome.
Phil had his bone scan scheduled for June 2nd. It went without a hitch. He was advised that they’d be in touch if there was anything of note in a few days. He’s heard nothing, so we’re assuming no news is good news.
What I’m watching and reading
I watched Judy Bloom Forever (Amazon). She’s had a fascinating life! Loved.
Then, I watched Avatar: The Way of Water (Disney +). I remember the first Avatar. At the time, I was blown away. Then I became aware of the problematic nature of the story (white saviourism) and remembered is a bit less fondly. TWoW suffers from some of the same issues, compounded by the fact that despite being in an avatar, Jake Sully’s managed to transfer enough human genetic material to his kids that they all have four fingers. Worse is that Quaritch, killed at the end of the first film by Neytiri, has been cloned into a Na’vi body and his son, left behind with the scientists who were allowed to stay on Pandora, is a kind of adopted son to Jake, though Neytiri can’t forget his origins and rejects him as a part of their family.
I enjoyed the movie, but not as much as I might have if I didn’t know what I know, know what I mean?
Next, I watched Women Talking (Amazon). Based on the novel of the same name by Miriam Toews and on real events (!) In a Mennonite community in Latin America, women and girls were drugged and raped for years. The real case resulted in seven of eight charged men convicted of rape. In the movie (and, I assume, the book) the women gather and decide to leave their community to protect themselves and their children. It’s compelling and terrifying and totally worth watching. The performances are amazing.
I finished the second (and final) season of Warrior Nun (Netflix). All loose ends were tied up. Ava may or may not be dead as she was taken to the other side, halo and all, after defeating Adriel. Fans are apparently trying to revive the series, but I don’t know if they will be successful.
I watched Moonage Daydream (Amazon), a surreal documentary about David Bowie. It was interesting to hear from Bowie in his own words. The last part of his career wasn’t covered in as much depth, which was disappointing because that’s the part of his career I was most interested in.
I seem to be in a docu-mood. My next watch was Stan Lee (Disney +). A fascinating look at a fascinating life in a fascinating industry 🙂
Next, I watched the season three finale of Superman & Lois (network). Lois gets cancer (and survives), Clark and Lois try to take down Bruno Manheim (and they do), and, in the last two episodes, Lex Luthor is released from prison and comes after Lois, but he starts by stripping her of her protection. He gets the General out of the way with a honey pot, and then finds the now-feral Bizarro, torturing him until he becomes Doomsday, and sends him after Clark. It was quite a cliffhanger.
Finally, I finished the first season of Gotham Knights (network). I think this is the best of the DCEU series to come out recently. But of course it got cancelled. Bah.
In reading, I finished Kate Heartfield’s Armed in Her Fashion. In this historical weird, the devil’s wife, only known as the Chatelaine, traps her husband deep within the hellbeast that is their living home. She takes over and brings the hellbeast to the surface in the hope of becoming a ruler in a time when women cannot rule. Enter Magreit and her daughter Beatrix, trying to survive in Bruges after the Chatelaine and her forces attack. The Chatelaine is doing this to win the favour of the French King and win the city as her own kingdom.
Her main force is composed of chimeras, people combined with beasts or objects, or both, in the hellforge to become her faithful warriors. The rest are revenants, killed by the chimeras but somehow brought back to half-life. Magreit’s husband is a revenant, and when she discovers him taking a hidden chest from their home, she demands her rights, and her daughter’s. He is dead. What’s in that chest belongs to his family. It could mean the start of a new life for Magreit and Beatrix.
Though she has contracted the Grief, a wasting sickness that infects revenants’ loved ones, Magreit will go to any lengths before she dies to get her daughter’s inheritance, even into the bowels of the hellbeast.
Next, I read Nalo Hopkinson’s short story collection Skin Folk. Soundly entertaining and a wonderful peek into the Caribbean diaspora by one of our best storytellers.
Then, I finished my re-read of Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater. I realize I’ve just been raving about how much I love the series and not offering anything in terms of the plot. Let’s fix that now, shall we? The Raven Boys — Blue Sargent, who’s always been told that if she kisses her true love, he’ll die, is drawn into the orbit of Gansey and his friends Ronan, Adam, and Noah, as they search for a mythical Welsh king who Gansey suspects is buried somewhere in Virginia. In order to find Glendower, they must revive the ley line, but someone else is on the same quest and wants to beat them to the punch. The Dream Thieves — Ronan Lynch is a dreamer, that is, he can pull things out of his dreams and into reality, like his pet raven, Chainsaw. The ley line is awake, but still needs to be healed, and Adam made a deal with the mystical forest Cabeswater to be its eyes and ears. But someone called The Gray Man’s come to town in search of an artifact called the greywaren which has the power to make dreams real, and Ronan learns he’s not the only dreamer in Henrietta. They’re both in danger. Blue Lily, Lily Blue — Blue’s mom has disappeared and left a cryptic note: Glendower’s underground and so am I. The Gray Man’s employer has come to town determined to find the greywaren, and Gansey’s mentor Mallory has come to help the gang finally track down Glendower. Blue doesn’t care about any of that unless it helps her rescue her mother.
And now it’s onto The Raven King!
Next, I finished William Gibson’s Idoru. Rez, of the rock duo Lo/Rez, has declared his intention to marry an idoru (idol, in Japanese) an AI entertainer. No one understands how this is supposed to happen, including his staff. So, they hire Colin Laney, a man with an uncanny and inexplicable ability to find nodal points in any data stream to find out if anyone is manipulating Rez. At the same time, Chia Pet McKenzie, a member of the Seattle chapter of the Lo/Rez fan club is sent to Japan to investigate.
The next book I read was Patricia Briggs’ Fire Touched. It’s number nine in the Mercy Thompson series. I’ve only read the first book in the series before. Mercy and her werewolf mate Adam must protect a human changeling who has escaped Underhill, where he lived for a very long time and was imbued with the elemental power of fire. The Gray Lords of the fae want Aiden, though, and some of them will stop at nothing to get him.
I also read Nalini Singh’s Angel’s Blood. It’s a steamy paranormal, so be aware of the potential of explicit sex. The world building’s a little weird, but in Singh’s world, angels create vampires as servitors or slaves. Humans, trained or with innate hunter talents, hunt rogue vampires for the angels. Elena is a born hunter and one of the best in her field. She’s called upon by the archangel Raphael to hunt not a vampire, but a corrupted archangel whose bloodlust could consume every mortal in existence.
Then, I read Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. Once again, I am struck by how much I like Dickens. Just in general.
Finally, I read The Prynne Viper by Bianca Marais. Bianca’s the co-host of The Sh*t No One Tells You About Writing podcast and I was curious. Solid courtroom drama set in a futuristic world in which predictive algorithms determine who gets to be born. Naomi Prynne has been to court three times and lost. Now, she’s pregnant again and desperate not to lose.
Intriguing worldbuilding, most of which I can’t tell you without spoiling the story, but I will note the use of Prynne as the protagonist’s last name (harkening to Hester, methinks), and let you know that viper is a short form/portmanteau of viable person.
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!
Welcome to week 14, and, sadly, the last next chapter weekly for a while (see below). I’ve enjoyed this experiment and think I’ll return to it when I have more time or more spoons or what have you.
From the tarot this week, I drew The Moon, which represents dreams, mystery, deception, illusion, fears, and the unknown. Something is not what it seems. So, am I delusional to think I’ll be able to devote more time to my writing and make significant progress toward my goals? I don’t know.
I’d like to hang my hat on the dreams alone, because dreams (the ones you have when you’re asleep) are cool, and aspirations (the dreams you have when you’re conscious) are a motivating force.
From the Shaman’s pack I drew The Mound of Wonders, which represents the empowerment of earth. So, a faery mound. There’s another tale from the Mabinogion about when Pwyll met Rhiannon—you guessed it—at a faery mound. This card seems to be more about elemental power rather than mythic significance. And that’s fine because I love me some elemental magic. Earth is a good place to start, with grounding and steadfast intention.
This week also saw the Pink full moon in Libra on the 6th. That was the night the graupel (I’ve been calling it gropel—yeesh) started, and it was overcast. She’s been out the nights since and has been glorious. I formulated my full moon release and did a guided meditation.
The week in writing
Just blogging again.
I wrote 1,954 words for the week, and 2,535 words for April so far.
Last weekend, Pulp Literature did the cover reveal for issue 38, and—my name’s on the cover! First time ever! Eeeee! And the cover is gorgeous, am I right?
Early in the week, I emailed my poetry editor, Tanis MacDonald, and work will begin on my poetry collection, verra soon.
I got my first Canada Council Grant application submitted! I have no idea how any of these grants will work out. Will wait and see and report back when I have something to report.
I’ve given some thought to what I’m going to do with blogging and social media now that work on my poetry manuscript will be starting and my work with Suzy will be resuming. Rather than a complete hiatus, I’m thinking of something more strategic.
I’ll be giving up curation for the foreseeable and moving these next chapter updates to monthly ones again. So, no weekly tarot draws or other paganish stuff. I’ll still do that for myself, but I won’t be sharing it.
As I mentioned off the top, I’ll probably return to the weekly format at some point, but something else has got to give before that happens. Phil is mostly recovered now and has resumed most of the household responsibilities. This frees up some time, but I’m still working full time, and I only have so much vacation.
Something Phil’s accident and recovery has taught me is that I can’t do it all.
Curation isn’t a burden, per se, but it does take up a good chunk of time that I could be using to write or revise, or really, do anything creative. And there are others out there who are doing a more comprehensive job, like Elizabeth Spann Craig with her Twitterific links.
I also remember how much I enjoy my curation breaks for NaNoWriMo. Not having to do curation has actually made it possible for me to do NaNoWriMo in past years, in any capacity.
I’m going to use the break to rework my website. I have to update some pictures and messaging, redo the header to reflect my more recent publications. I have some decisions to make, as well. The site might become more static, especially if I turn my next chapter updates into a newsletter.
I won’t be as active on Twitter. Not that I was very active before. Other than my blog, the two main places you’ll find me will be on Facebook (just my personal account—I don’t intend to make an author page) and Instagram, where I post all my pictures. I may try doing more on Insta, but not right now.
Again, all these activities cost time and energy, and I only have so much of those, less as each year passes. If anything, I’m my autistic traits are becoming more prominent as I age, not less.
Filling the well
On Tuesday, I attended another TWUC Ontario Region Open Mic. Heard some poetry and some short fiction. It was nice to sit back and enjoy the work of other writers.
On Wednesday, the Sudbury Writers’ Guild Poetry Inner Circle brought in the lovely Tanis MacDonald (yes, my poetry editor) for a brief poetry workshop. Useful tools were shared. I’m sure I’ll be using some of them in the coming months 🙂
I also took Torvi for her grooming last Sunday, and Phil to his next physio appointment on Monday. He’s now starting strength training and his traumatized muscles are sore.
What I’m watching and reading
Phil and I finished watching the second season of Shadow and Bone. Neither of us enjoyed it as much as the first. Again, combining two book series that were never intended to happen at the same time means that each episode is packed with so many things happening, the show seems to hurtle toward its conclusion in a frenzy. And now it looks like they’re adding in the King of Scars duology as well. They’ve also had to make significant departures from the books and move events around. It’s really its own thing now and can’t be compared to the books that were its inspiration. It’s not bad, but I’m nervous about what future seasons will look like.
I watched the end of the first season of the new Quantum Leap. I like it. Ben Song is another kind, gentle soul who just wants to help everyone. I think the season finale ended the way it did in case it’s not renewed. We don’t know who’s coming back. So, they could move in either direction, or even bring Scott Bakula back for a limited run. They’ve made it very clear (repeatedly) that Sam never returned. Maybe part of Ben Song’s plan was to make it possible for Sam to stop leaping. I’ll watch the next season. If it’s renewed.
In reading, I finished Guy Gavriel Kay’s All the Seas of the World. It’s a sequel to A Brightness Long Ago and features many of the same characters. What can I say? Kay’s another author I’m completely unobjective about. I’ll read everything he writes, and I’ll love it.
I also finished reading K.M. Weiland’s latest writing craft book, Writing Archetypal Character Arcs. I’ve posted my review. Unsurprisingly, I loved it. This is a reference every writer should have on their desk. In print.
And that was the week in this writer’s life.
Until next tipsday (which will be the last for a while), be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories!
This week, the tarot card I drew was The Wheel of Fortune. This card symbolizes infinity, boundless energy, turning point, destiny, life cycle, endless possibility, and purpose. It can represent unexpected changes, in either a positive or negative direction.
I’m seeing this card as a positive change in my life, both at work and creatively.
From the Celtic oracle deck, I pulled The Father/Dagda, for the second week in a row. And I shuffled that deck.
Pairing The Wheel of Fortune and The Dagda seems portentous.
The 5th was also the full cold moon (and moon in Leo for the astrologically inclined). I renewed my goal to rid myself of a certain kind of autistic inertia and get to bed at a reasonable hour. It’s getting better, but I’m not as rested as I need to be.
The week in writing
I worked most days on Reality Bomb and finished freewriting ideas for chapter 27 in Alice in Thunderland. I’ve moved on to chapter 28, but I’m thinking I have to rework these last four chapters before I get to the actual drafting. But I will get to it before the end of the month (!)
I took Friday and Saturday off after a full week of work. I just needed a break.
Copy edits for my forthcoming story in Pulp Literature arrived and were actioned promptly.
My application to the Writers Union of Canada (TWUC) was accepted (very quickly—within a week). I’m updating my CV, etc. today 🙂
Here’s how the week broke down:
I managed to reduce RB by a net 401 words for the week, a net -290 words for the month so far, and a net loss of 922 words on the draft overall.
I’m moving on to the next chapter using the pattern I started with Suzy, i.e., combining three chapters and paring down to a reasonable length. In RB, I have this nasty habit of repetition, like everything has to happen three times before I move on. I also write events in an inefficient order. Working on cleaning those issues up.
As I mentioned, I finished chapter 27’s freewritten outline and moved on to chapter 28 in Alice. This week, I hope to finish chapter 28, sketch out the epilogue, and tweak the whole climax and denouement in preparation for finishing the first draft.
In creating my map for Alice after drafting most of it, I’ve been marking in each chapter how it needs to change, what foreshadowing needs to be added, and how cause and effect can be strengthened. I think it’s a good approach. We’ll see how it works out and whether I want to use it for future projects.
I’ve blogged 1,615 words for the week and 2,843 words so far in the month.
Another Shaelin Writes video cracked open the concept of subtext for me. Look for that on tipsday. I really relate to her process and way of thinking about writing, even though she writes literary fiction and I’m a genre writer.
Filling the well
I attended a FOLD webinar, “How to Write a Great Book” presented by Evan Winter on February 11, 2023. It was a good presentation. Unfortunately, Evan’s journey to publishing was anomalous, i.e., he self-published his book, attracted the attention of a publisher, who helped him get an agent before moving forward with the deal.
I had my biannual appointment with the OBSP, AKA the booby squishing, on Monday. Not as bad as the first time.
I took my mom to our next hair appointment on Saturday.
What I’m watching and reading
In the viewing department, Phil and I finished watching The Legend of Vox Machina (Amazon), season 2. The series really strikes the perfect balance between comedy and drama. And most of the characters progressed in their arcs/got their moments to shine.
I also watched The Banshees of Inisherin (Disney +). Good movie, but it made my poor heart hurt.
Moving on to what I’ve been reading, I finished Sue Lynn Tan’s The Daughter of the Moon Goddess. There’s a lot of fighting and battles, but the story had an overall dreamy feel to it. It was gentle and lovely. I really enjoyed it.
And that was the week in this writer’s life.
Until next tipsday, be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories!
Welcome back to the next chapter weekly, my personal update on what’s going on in this author’s life.
This week, I pulled the king of wands from the tarot and the eagle from the Celtic oracle deck.
The king of wands denotes inspiration, charisma, and natural leadership. This may be the week where I find my way back into writing, which is my intention, anyway. I don’t know about the charisma thing or the natural leadership thing. Maybe I’ll take control of my own creative ship? Learn to implement some of Suzy’s lessons on my own? We’ll have to wait and see.
Sorry for my lopsided photography.
The eagle is considered one of the oldest and wisest of animals in Celtic mythology, second only to the salmon of wisdom, which I picked last week. The Eagle of Gernabwy features in the Welsh Mabinogion. In the tale of Culhwch and Olwen, one of Culhwch’s tasks, in order to win the hand of his beloved, is to find the missing and magical child, Mabon. He asks a number of animals for guidance, and eventually gets a handy clue from this ancient and wise bird.
One thing I forgot to mention last week was that I did set a new moon intention to get back in touch with my creativity. I’ve had this feeling lately that we’ve been working at arm’s length. Gonna do some courtin’.
The week in writing
This week was about getting back on track in little ways. Touch Reality Bomb and Alice in Thunderland every day, but not force anything. This will be a week of gentle exploration and playfulness.
I also received and actioned the edit notes on “Psychopomps Are Us,” the story that Pulp Literature has accepted. One step closer to publication 🙂
Here’s what the week looked like:
With respect to RB, I cut a net 71 words this week, bringing the word count for the month to -677. That was four days of playing around.
On Alice, I free wrote my way to the end of chapter 25 (of 28).
On the blog, I wrote 1,286 words for the week, bringing the monthly total to 6,826. I remembered not to enter my curation before my weekly update this time, so the numbers on the spreadsheet reflect reality for once.
And … I’m trying my hand at another application for Your Personal Odyssey. Will the third time be the charm?
This week also saw the quarterly board meeting of the Canadian Authors Association.
Filling the well
I signed up for another Tiffany Yates Martin webinar through Jane Friedman, “The Biggest Mistakes Novelists Make.” Because the webinar was during the workday, I watched the replay.
I also signed up for a webinar on revisions presented by Emily Colin through Authors Publish. Again, I watched the replay.
On Saturday, I went out for supper with some friends, and my best friend and her spouse, visiting from out of town, came back to our house for a visit afterwards. It was lovely. A different kind of balm for the soul.
In the self-care department, I met with my Canada Life financial advisor and took stock of my investments. That ten of swords got me thinking 🙂 Fortunately, it looks like we’ll be in decent shape. I don’t have to go to extremes to ensure a decent retirement.
What I’m watching and reading
I did not finish any series or watch any movies this week. It was bound to happen sometime 🙂
In reading, I zipped through The Mistletoe Mysteries (Audible Originals). Fun, flirty, Canadian cozy mystery—they even mention Sudbury (!) And who wouldn’t want to listen to Cobie Smulders?
And then I moved on to Wildlife Confidential (Audible Originals) with Samantha Bee and Andrew Phung. Fun stories of animals, dramatized by intrepid reporter Cameron the Crow (Bee) and researcher Gordo the Groundhog (Phung). Entertaining and featuring a cast of Canadian voice talent as the interview subjects.
And that was the week in this author’s life.
Until next tipsday, be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories!
Always Looking Up 