Category: Writing

Writing Goals for the 2023 Summer Season

Because I’m a teacher, summer has always been my chance to get some solid writing done. Every year, I set myself a bunch of writing goals. Last year was a wash, sadly, because I spent the summer recovering from a somewhat substantial surgery and lacked the energy to do much of anything. This summer, though. This summer I am healthy and ready to go. Also, I just found out that I’ve been accepted into the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Associations Mentoring Initiative Program for the June 10th–September 10th session.

So yeah, this summer is going to be all about writing, and identifying my writing goals is a way to help me stay on task and not waste time. Therefore, in the spirit of making the most of the next twelve weeks, here are my writing goals for this summer:

Goal #1: Short Story Revisions

I’ve got two short stories that I need to rework and revise. They’ve both been workshopped by my amazing writing group gals and have been sitting, waiting for my attention. I want to shape them into something good and get them out on submission (since I’ve been having some recent luck in that department). One is a fairytale style romance, very uncharacteristic for me. The other is a dystopian science fiction thriller in the same vein as The Manchurian Candidate. Currently, it’s a mess. It might not be sellable, but I need to at least try to turn it into something submittable.

Goal #2: Write a Bunch of New Flash Stories

I’m very new to writing flash fiction. Prior to this year I’d have laughed at anyone who suggested I try my hand at writing a complete story in under 1,000 words. Uh, do you know me? I’m normally the “why use one word when ten will do” kind of writer.

But in early January, the online writing community I’m a member of–The Codex Writers–announced that their annual winter flash fiction challenge would be starting soon. I hadn’t done much writing since early November and was both hating on myself for it and also unable to climb out of the pit of lassitude I’d fallen into, so I thought I’d give the flash fiction thing a try. Why not? It’d get me writing, and it’d push me outside my comfort zone and challenge my skills as a writer.

It was awesome.

Luckily for me, Codex runs a summer flash challenge as well. It’s a bit less intense in terms of pacing and word count limits (I can hardly believe I now think 1000 words is luxurious). It runs for three weeks, and we get seven whole days to write and submit each time! More time, more words, I’m 100% doing it.

I also recently found out about s second flash fiction challenge hosted by Clarion West that’s happening this summer. This one has a participation fee associated with it ($25). It’s actually a fundraiser that supports Clarion West’s programs for emerging and underrepresented writers. Registration opens on June 12th. Sounds awesome. I’m doing it.

So, between those two community hosted events, I should end up with a bunch of new flash stories.

Goal #3: Finish a Rough Draft of a Novel-in-Progress

Okay, I might be biting off more than I can chew here. Of course I am. I’m a Try Hard, YOLO, overachieving Extra by nature. Do all the things! All of them!! In that spirit, I’ve got a half-finished draft of a middle grade adventure story that I really want to finish writing, and I really want it to be good, not sucky. Rather than discovery write my way into 70,000 words of bloated rambling nothingness (which has been my failed strategy with my last two novels), I need a plan. I need to actually map out the story before I write it. Unfortunately, I suck at plot structure. Fortunately, I’ll have a SFWA mentor who will be able to help me out with tips and tricks and regular check-ins to keep me honest.

So those are my goals for this coming summer. Write, write, and write some more. I’m sure I’ll also want to spend time with the fam and do some gardening and hiking and beaching, etc. Are you a writer or creative artist? Do you have a “season of productivity” like I do? If so, how do you keep yourself on track and productive so you don’t lose time and opportunity?

Thanks for stopping by, and as always, happy writing!

June 12, 2023
Three Times the Publishing Charm!

I’ve been grinning a lot these days. It’s been hard not to. I had a big publishing milestone this past April when I received my first story acceptance at MetaStellar Magazine. For someone who has dreamed of being a published author since childhood, that first acceptance really is a very big deal. It comes with thoughts of, I did it! I finally did it! and a sense of unbridled joy and satisfaction that only comes when something you’ve been working at for ages finally happens.

I remember spending the summer of my 11th year trying to hit a baseball all the way across my yard from between the two peach trees to under the outer most bows of the white pine. In truth, it wasn’t a far distance, but to 11-year-old me it was grand slam material, and I wanted to be able to hit a ball that far so badly. So every day I went out and swung and hit and swung and hit until I was dripping sweat and had to stop. I remember the day the ball soared up in a high and perfect arc, came down within spitting distance of the target. I will never forget the feeling of victory, of bone deep pride and satisfaction that exploded inside of me when I saw that ball vanish into the bows of that pine tree. After weeks of swinging and coming up short over and over again I did it!

That’s how it felt when I got that email from MetaStellar. I f**king did it.

Once is a Fluke, Twice is a Stroke of Luck

Funny thing, though. A couple of weeks went by and I found myself mentally minimizing my publishing success, doubting it. Once is a fluke, I thought. Once doesn’t mean anything. But then it happened again. Another acceptance showed up in my inbox in early May, this time from Metaphorosis Magazine. It’s been an amazing spring season. I mean, to get even one story published was amazing, but two? And so close to one another. The acceptances at least; the first one’s coming out in mid-July. I don’t yet know when the second story will be published. Still, that little voice has been nagging at me. What if this second sale was just a stroke of dumb luck?

Three Times is the Charm!

Two weeks ago, my spouse and I went to an art opening at the Salem Art Association in Salem Massachusetts. He’s a member and had/still has art in the show. I was still glowing from news of my second story sale, but when Lover introduced me to someone and called me an “author,” I immediately felt compelled to clarify that I was a teacher, not an author. Calling myself an author felt hubristic. After all, I’d only had two stories accepted for publication, and neither of them have even come out yet.

But this past Tuesday I got a third acceptance email! A cozy sci-fi story I wrote back in February is going to be published in Uncharted Magazine!! I can’t believe it. Maybe the next time my spouse introduces me to someone as an “author” I won’t feel the need to demur.

In the meantime, I’ve got a story I need to get back to and do some work on, then send it out on submission, see if I can ride this recent wave of publishing success. But I had to take a quick moment and share the news.

Thanks for stopping by, and as always, happy writing!

June 2, 2023
Author Update: Milestone Moment (Part 2)

Last time I posted, I shared some general life milestone moments culminating in the discovery that I need reading glasses. This time, I have far more exciting news to share.

Life: A Long and Winding Road

I started submitting short stories to science fiction, fantasy, and horror magazines in 2000. Back then, the internet was clunky and only accessible via dial-up modems. Barely recognizable compared to what it is today. Most (all?) fiction magazines only accepted submissions via regular mail. I remember making multiple photocopies of my stories at Staples, buying manilla envelopes and business envelopes in bulk, and regularly hitting up the post office to buy stamps. If you think the submission process is slow now, Odin Allfather, you have no idea.

For about a year, I wrote and submitted a lot of stories. Sadly, I was too full of self-doubt to sending anything to Asimov’s or Analog or the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. I mean, I loved writing, but I was a nobody, so I spent that year submitting my stuff to non-paying markets. Two pieces found homes in small zines that paid in contributor copies. Boneworld Publishing (no longer extant) gave me my first authorial milestone moment when they accepted a mother-daughter-survivor’s-guilt ghost story for their magazine, Barbaric YAWP. The second venue I landed a piece in was Samsara: The Magazine of Suffering. Have a look at my very first acceptance letter! Handwritten on what looks like a piece of scrap paper. No contract sent or signed or anything. It was a different time back then, for sure.

Then, a whole bunch of general life milestone moments happened. In 2000, I started teaching high school science–biology, chemistry, and physical science. I had no background in teaching at all, just a bachelor’s in science. To say the learning curve was steep would be an understatement. For about two years, my life looked like this: Wake up at 6am. Eat breakfast, go to work and teach until 3:30. Go home and sleep for 3 hours. Wake up and eat dinner. Grade and lesson plan until midnight. Repeat. There was no room for anything else. Creative writing fell by the wayside.

In 2003, I got married and switched schools. I gave birth to my first child in 2006. In 2007, my spouse went back to school. The banks went belly up in 2008. The economy tanked, and I switched schools again. In 2009, I switched schools yet again. In 2010, I had another kid…

I didn’t return to writing and submitting stories until 2016. Even then it was only in sporadic and inconsistent bursts. Between 2016 and 2021, I wrote a total of five short stories and submitted them unsuccessfully to a total of eighteen places. Five stories in five years is underwhelming. I would be embarrassed by that lack of productivity, except I don’t really count 2019 or 2020 (or even 2021). I’m a teacher, remember. The pandemic was a time of fear and confusion and frustration and many moments of despair for me. I’m still not fully recovered from the trauma of it (who is?).

So, a flurry of writing and trying to get my stuff published a little over two decades ago and then a whole lot of not much. Until this past year.

Having a Community to Support and Motivate You Matters

In the summer of 2020, trapped in the isolation of the early days of the pandemic, I joined an online community of writers and authors called Codex Writers. The effect of doing so was immediate and motivating. I started writing more consistently than I had been, and I started submitting what I was writing with more intentionality. It was great, but it was also kind of terrible.

The Codex Writer’s community is largely made up of published speculative fiction authors, and I’d kind of snuck in because I’d gotten a masters degree in creative writing in 2018 (a fact I felt barely qualified me for membership). Despite trying my hardest to write something good enough to get published in a pro- or even semi-pro market, the rejection letters piled up. Very occasionally, I got a personalized message from an editor. Usually not. That’s just how it goes, but I’d be lying if I said it hadn’t been slowly wearing me down. Failing because you aren’t trying feels a lot different from failing when you’re trying your hardest, you know?

In interacting with other members of the online Codex group, though, I felt supported and encouraged to to keep writing and keep submitting my stuff.

Milestone Moment: This is the Year I Get A Story Published (and Get Paid for It!)

One of the stories I wrote in 2020 was a slipstream piece of science fiction that I loved, but it was tricky and difficult and experimental. I wanted it to find a home so badly. It had a couple of near misses, but I just couldn’t seem to place it.

At the very end of December 2022, B. Morris Allen over at Metaphorosis magazine sent me a revision invitation on the story. The offer wasn’t an acceptance, but it was a huge step in the right direction. It felt pretty great to know that someone saw potential in the piece and wanted to work with me to make it great. Let’s call that R&R a “mini” milestone moment.

I spent a lot of this past winter juggling work shenanigans and family demands, but every so often I was able to draft a revision and send it Morris’s way. Each time, he responded with very encouraging feedback, suggestions, and a follow-up revision request.

Meanwhile, the Codex Writers Group announced a mid-winter, six-week-long flash fiction challenge they called: Weekend Warrior. Here’s how it worked. Every Friday evening for six weeks, the contest runners posted five writing prompts. Participants (who registered and got sorted into groups) then picked a prompt and wrote a not-longer-than 750 word story that had to be submitted by Monday morning. Your story got read, rated, and given constructive feedback by the other 15 to 20 people in your group. It was amazing. Amaaaaaazing! I wrote six stories and got encouraging and helpful feedback on them from successful and talented authors, some of whom I secretly harbored (and still harbor) hero-worship-style crushes on.

Truthfully, I had no intention of doing anything with any of the stories I wrote for that challenge. I’d never written flash fiction before. I didn’t know what I was doing, and I certainly didn’t expect to produce anything good. I took part in the challenge to keep myself writing, try something new, and make some new friends.

The thing about communities, online or in real life: They nurture and support you and build you up. After the competition, I kept reading posts by other folks who were submitting their “WW” stories to magazines. Apparently, it was a common thing to do, and some very kind and incredibly talented authors (Carol Scheina and Phoenix Alexander) told me I should, too. Okay, I thought, why not? Out I sent them, with no real expectation of anything coming of it.

In April, however, I opened my email inbox and gasped like they do in the movies. A flash story I’d written had been accepted for publication. That little voice in my head that had been saying, “You really should stop this nonsense,” went “Huh, maybe you aren’t a complete hack.” You know what that means? Not counting the two stories I sold for contributor copies, 2023 is the year that I get a story published and get paid for it, because it was MetaStellar who took the story! They’re one of the top paying pro-level magazines out there, and the stuff they print is damned good. You should 100% check them out.

Milestone Moment #2: This is the Year I Get TWO Stories Published!!

Less than a month after getting the great news from Metastellar, B. Morris Allen emailed me with an official offer of acceptance on that strange slipstream SF story he’d been editing with me since December! That makes not one but two story acceptances in 2023, both in paying markets. Metaphorosis isn’t a top-paying magazine, but they publish equally fine stories, and I just can’t believe mine will be one of them!

I’m thrilled. I’m also quietly terrified that I won’t see anything else published for another 20+ years, except I know that won’t happen. I’ve still got several other stories out on submission, and now I have actual evidence that I can in fact write publishable stories, so I’m feeling highly motivated to keep at it. Consistency really is the key, it seems. Maybe I’ll give the Ray Bradbury method a try and attempt a story a week for 52 consecutive weeks.

Summer vacation is right around the corner, too. The timing of all of this couldn’t be better. This spring is the first time since we all went into lockdown and life went sideways that I’ve felt mentally healthy again. Not 100%. I take life one day at a time now, but this is the first time in a very long time that the good days outnumber the bad days. I’ll be going into the summer months feeling fresh and excited and ready to go.

2023 has been quite the year for milestone moments so far. Let’s see if I can’t create a few more great ones in the coming months.

That’s all for now. Thanks for stopping by, and as always, happy writing!

May 26, 2023
Author Update: Milestone Moments (Part 1)

In the months since I last posted an update, I’ve experienced a few milestone moments and thought I’d share. Some have been related to general life stuff, but some are exciting and relate to writing. Both merit some words. This is part one of my milestone moments update. I’ll get you caught up on the exciting writing-related stuff in part 2.

General Life Milestone: This is the Year I Get Readers

According to my eyes, I’m officially becoming Sophia Petrillo from the Golden Girls. Or, my 8th grade math teacher, who–come to think of it–looked a lot like Sophia Petrillo.

First, Let’s Back Up a Bit, to 1992

Since middle school I’ve been nearsighted with astigmatism. I actually remember the day I found out I needed glasses. It happened during 8th grade math. It was it’s own milestone moment. The school nurse was doing the hearing and vision tests, calling kids out of their classes in small batches. You know, I’m sure. You probably remember it yourself.

So, I was in math class with totally normal vision, following along with what the teacher was writing on the chalkboard. The nurse called me down to get tested. I ran through the vision test and she told me I needed glasses.

Uh, no I don’t, I thought. My eyes are fine. You don’t know what you’re talking about, Lady.

But when I got back to math class, I could no longer read what the teacher was writing on the chalkboard without squinting. I was horrified and furious. Clearly, the school nurse had cursed me because my eyes were fine until she told me they weren’t. That’s how I remember it, anyway, and we all know how trustworthy memories are. Take it with a grain of salt. Anyway…

Jump to 2020

Me looking happy in my glasses, mask free.

I switched from wearing glasses to wearing contacts when we all masked up. As a teacher, the mask combined with teaching/talking equaled breath-fog clouding up my glasses all day. So, contacts.

Had my eyes dilated when I was fitted for contacts

They worked great, until…

Fall of 2022

I found myself squinting to read the text on my computer screen. The font seemed ridiculously tiny and out of focus. Leaning in closer to the screen almost helped, but it was still a struggle to read the screen. By the end of the day my eyes were literally tired. I’d never experienced that sensation before. Tired eyes. Huh. Who knew it was actually a thing and not just a turn of phrase.

Hoping the issue would resolve itself, I switched back to glasses to “wait out” the strange phenomenon. At first, everything was fine again. All I needed to do was take my glasses off and then I could read the screen no problem… Well, the text still seemed smaller than I remembered it being. But if I zoomed everything in to 125%, I could read stuff no problem with my glasses off.

Winter of 2022

At some point in December, however, I came to the startling realization that I’d fallen into the habit of not only taking my glasses off but also leaning in ridiculously close to whatever screen I was trying to read.

Have you ever seen an “old” person with their glasses hanging off the tip of their nose, their chin dipped to their chest, phone screen three inches away from their face as they tried to read the tiny print with their “old” eyes? If you have, I bet you’ve had the same thought I did. I am never going to let myself do that. Joke’s on me. I’d been doing it for months and not noticing.

Odin help me, I thought. Do I need reading glasses?

Turns out, yes.I do. Because I’m old. Which is fine. What’s not fine is how flipping expensive it will be to get bifocals. (Which have been rebranded, apparently? They’re called “transition” lenses now. Because that sounds less “old” than bifocals, I guess.)

My question is this: Why does insurance in this country cover the cost of finding out you need glasses to see clearly, but then you’re on your own if you want to actually buy said glasses? Who decided that clear vision is nonessential for good health? If I buy a new pair of glasses (frames and lenses) from my optometrist’s office, it will cost me almost $1000 dollars! If I use an online service or go to a Target or Walmart place, I can likely cut that down to $500, but still. What the heck! I cannot afford to pay $500+ dollars to see clearly.

And so, for the past several months, I’ve been living with my glasses dangling off the tip of my nose while I hold my phone three inches from my face to read my text messages and AP News articles.

Spring of 2023

My beloved partner-in-crime recently suggested I swing by Walgreens and pick up a set of readers from the spinny rack next to the pharmacy counter.

“Great idea,” I said sarcastically. “How about I pick up a couple of dangly neck straps, too, so I can look just like my 8th grade math teacher.”

A pair of readers hung around her neck on a bejeweled strap while she wore a pair of distance glasses. Each time she turned back to the chalkboard to write something, she’d switch between them. When she turned back to the room, she switched again. Just like her, I’m sure I’ll be switching back and forth between sets all day, so like her I’ll need not one but two dangly glasses straps. And just like 14-year-old me thought my math teacher looked ridiculous with her two pairs of glasses, I’m sure my 14-year-old students will think I look utterly ridiculous, too. What goes around, comes around.

Actually, there’s an oddly comforting symmetry to this year’s milestone moment. A cycle of some kind is completing itself. It feels karmic and proper, if inconvenient. I’m getting old. My eyesight is failing me. I can’t afford a proper pair of bifocals, so…

This is the year I get readers.

Which is good. I need them. I’ve been spending a lot of time at my computer this year, writing. And, if this year is any indication, I’ll be spending a lot more time at my computer moving forward, too. Exciting things are finally starting to happen. I’ll tell you more about them in my next post.

Thanks for stopping by, and as always, happy writing!

May 21, 2023
My Futurescapes Writing Workshop Experience
This past November, I attended the Futurescapes 200-Page Intensive Writing Workshop. Overall, I’m glad I took part. That said, I’m not sure I’d do it again.

What is Futurescapes?

In my last post, Writing, Revising, Resting, and a Writing Workshop, I shared the exciting news that I’d applied to and gotten accepted into the Futurescapes 200-page intensive writing workshop. At the time of that post, I was scrambling to revise the manuscript I planned to submit for the workshop. I was also still trying to figure out what to expect from the workshop. Their website was woefully lacking in specific details. Now that I’m on the other side of the experience, though, I’ve got lots to share with you.

There are actually several different Futurescapes Workshops that happen each year, each with a different focus. There’s the horror-focused workshop, Fearscapes, as well as a 3,000-word and a 50-page workshop. (They’re accepting applications for the 3,000-word workshop right now, by the way.) I took part in their 200-page intensive program. This year, the workshop was entirely virtual, and though it has happened as an in-person workshop in the past, I’ve heard that the organizers plan to keep the program virtual moving forward.

How It Worked

Participants were organized into small critique groups of four or five, each led by a faculty mentor. We received a survey in which we got a list of all the authors and literary agents who would be mentoring, and we ranked how interested we were in having each one as our group leader. Researching the participating faculty took a bit of time and energy because Futurescapes only provided names. They didn’t provide bios or even links to bios, which was a little annoying. However, after doing my due diligence and googling each and every participating agent/author, I ranked my preferences, and to my absolute delight, I got my first pick! Author Matthew J. Kirby, winner of the Edgar Award and the PEN Center USA Literary Award, led my critique group.

I and my fellow group members were introduced to each other via an email and encouraged to “get to know” each other, though how we did that was left up to us. Futurescapes doesn’t use any sort of learning management platform the way Gotham Writers or Writers Digest programs do. I created a google chat space, and my critique group used it to communicate in the weeks leading up to and during the workshop.

We exchanged our 50,000-word (200-page) manuscript excerpts (by email) and then set about reading and providing feedback in the form of editorial letters based on a list of guiding questions provided to us. My group members did an amazing job, and the feedback I got from them was thoughtful, reflective, specific, and useful. I suspect that mileage may vary on that front depending on who’s in your group.

The Workshop Sessions

The actual workshop consisted of a series of 2 to 3-hour-long zoom meetings spread out over a single week in the following order:
- (1 hour) Futurescapes opening Welcome session
- (3 hours) Students-only (and student-led) critique session.
- (3 hours) Students and faculty critique session (faculty-led).
- (15 minutes) One-on-One meetings with your faculty mentor.
- (1 to 2 hours) Query letter critique session with a literary agent.
- (1 1/2 hours each) Several back-to-back Saturday Zoom classes taught by various authors and/or agents.
- (1 hour) Futurescapes closing Wrap-up session
Was It Worth It?

Futurescapes boasts a much lower price tag than some other well-known writing workshops such as Clarion, Viable Paradise, Taos Toolbox, or Odyssey Writing Workshops, but it’s still quite expensive. The feedback I got from my fellow group members was not significantly higher quality than what I’ve gotten from my own personal writing group. Don’t get me wrong, it was good feedback. But was it worth the cost of the workshop? For me, maybe not. If you don’t have an established critique group or a trusted critique partner, however, Futurescapes might be worth the cost.

A huge missing element of the Futurescapes experience (for me) was the social piece. One of the things that make the more expensive in-person workshops mentioned above so attractive are the the peer-to-faculty and peer-to-peer networking opportunities and friendships that form during the off-hours of the programs. At Futurescapes, networking opportunities were practically non-existent.

There was a Discord group. I’ll give them that. But it was informal (not actually run by the organization), and it was not widely (or uniformly) publicized. Some but not all participants and faculty mentors used it, and it was mostly used to troubleshoot technical difficulties.

A month out from the workshop, I have not communicated once with anyone in my critique group. We scattered to the four corners, which is unsurprising. There was no opportunity for us to socialize and get to know each other embedded into the structure of the program. Not that there couldn’t be. Maybe (I hope) the organizers will find ways to build that into the Futurescapes experience moving forward.

I also lamented how little actual interaction I got with my faculty mentor. He shared some great insights in his editorial feedback letter, but I only got a single 15-minute one-on-one meeting with him to discuss that feedback outside of the group critique zoom that he led. Eva Scalo ran my group’s query letter critique session, and she was great. But, again, we got a single group zoom session with her that lasted just over one hour.

So, unless they change the format of the 200-page workshop moving forward, you shouldn’t expect a lot of contact time with any of the participating faculty members.

Final Thoughts on Futurescapes

I’m glad I got the chance to participate in the Futurescapes 200-page intensive virtual workshop, but I don’t think I will do it again. Based on my experience, it’s an excellent “entry” level workshop for writers who either can’t or don’t want to take part in one of the in-person workshops that exist.

If you have thoughts about writing workshops in general or questions about Futurescapes, drop them in the comments.

Thanks for stopping by, and as always, happy writing!
December 14, 2022
Writing, Revising, Resting, and a Writing Workshop

Way back in February, I wrote a post about how I struggle to finish projects. Since then, I haven’t written anything here. Life got busy. Again. In about a week I’ll be disappearing once more as I take part in a week-long intensive writing workshop. I’m very excited and can’t wait to tell you all about it when it’s done. Before then, however, allow me to catch you up on what I’ve been up to since last winter.

Transferring hand edits into Scrivener. A slow but effective process for me.

A Spring of Revisions

I had a very productive spring. I got lots of writing done, even got through a full draft read of The 42nd Queen complete with revision notes and line edits. Over my March break–two weeks thanks to teaching at an independent school instead of a public school–I transferred the first 12 chapters of hand edits into my Scrivener document. At the time, I was working on an iPad and using the Scrivener for iPad app.

A Summer of Recovery

Then, I got sick. Sick as in I needed surgery. The month of April vanished in a flurry of getting the rest of my year planned out and set up for the interim sub who would fill in for me for the final six weeks of school once I went out on medical leave. Then came May and the actual surgery. Then came summer and recovery, physical and mental. To my credit, I wasn’t entirely unproductive. Nothing like not being able to get up and walk around to inspire you to write. Or read. I did a lot of reading and listening to audiobooks.

In June, I bought a new laptop. Thank Thor! No more wrestling with the clunky Scrivener for iPad app!

Sadly, when I transferred all my files to my new laptop and synced all my cloud accounts, those first 12 chapters of hand edits… yeah, they vanished into the digital ether.

Cue the sobbing.

Kidding. I didn’t cry, and I only panicked for a few minutes. All was not lost. The original, unrevised digital draft still existed. Unfortunately, I had committed the grievous mistake of throwing away the physical pages of my hand-edited draft as I’d entered them in the digital version. So, while I still had all my revision notes for chapters 13 onward, those first 12 chapters needed to be re-revised.

Cue the heavy sighs.

I re-printed the first 12 chapters and sat down to attack them… again. I’ll never know how my “do over” revision compared to the original, but I’m happy with the end result (if not with the extra time it ate up). By the end of August, I had all 12 chapters re-edited and the edits re-entered into my Scrivener document. And, I made sure to hold onto the physical pages, just in case.

Also, Some Story Submissions

I sent a few short stories out on submission over the summer, too.

My surgery–the mad scramble to get all my ducks lined up prior to it and the long, slow recovery afterward–gave me an odd case of writing amnesia. Somehow, I forgot about several finished short stories waiting to go out on submission. In early August, I remembered them.

Submitting short stories for publication is a slow process though. The average response time for most venues is 3+ months, with some variation in both directions, of course. Clarkesworld Magazine, where I’ve slushed, has an average response time of 2 days. That’s a remarkable outlier though. Over the years, I’ve developed this strategy: submit a story for publication, log it using the Submission Grinder, and then forget all about it.

Which is how I got a big surprise in September, though it wasn’t related to a story acceptance.

Applying to Writing Workshops

One of the many things I read over the summer what an article by author S. L. Huang titled The Ghost of Workshops Past: How Communism, Conservatism, and the Cold War Still Mold Our Paths Into SFF Writing. The article was fascinating. Truly thought provoking. In her discussion of writing workshop critique methods, she mentioned several well-known, highly respected SFFH workshops. Some of them, I have applied to (unsuccessfully). The Odyssey Writers Workshop and Viable Paradise, for example. Others, such as Clarion and Taos Toolbox, I know of but have never applied. One writing workshop mentioned, I hadn’t heard of–the Futurescapes Writing Workshop. Curious, I investigated.

I learned that Futurescapes had a 200-page intensive writing workshop in November. It would be 100% online and was remarkably affordable (affordable being a relative term for a highly competitive and well-known writing workshop, anyway). Still, nothing ventured, nothing gained. As my summer drew to a close, I applied to the program. Then, as is my cultivated habit, I forgot all about it.

A Fall Full of Surprises

Summer ended, and I went back to teaching. I continued to chip away at my revisions, entering hand-edits into Scrivener a page here and a page there, whenever I found a pocket of time to do so and could stay awake.

Near the end of September, an email appeared in my inbox from a guy named Luke Peterson from the Futurescapes writing workshop. Oh right, I thought. I remember applying to that. I wonder if this “thank you but no thank you” email will sound anything like the ones from the other workshops.

It did not. It sounded much better. I got in.

My scream of shock and delight woke my entire family. However, my elation quickly turned to panic as I read further and discovered that I had two weeks to get all my hand-edits entered into Scrivener so that I could submit a non-first draft manuscript for critique.

The Race to Revise!

The bad news. I did not succeed in transferring all my hand-edits before the October 11th submission deadline. I did my best, but two weeks just wasn’t enough time.

The good news. I submitted a 70% revised excerpt. Not too shabby, considering that when I received my acceptance email at the end of September, I had exactly 20% of my revisions entered.

And now, finally, you’re all caught up on what I’ve been up to over the past several months. I’m taking a time out from reading workshop manuscript excerpts and drafting editorial feedback letters to drop this post. Don’t worry, I’ll have them all finished before the workshop starts.

Thanks for stopping by, and as always, happy writing!

November 1, 2022
On Finishing What I Start

I’ve always struggled with finishing what I start. It’s probably a foundation stone in my personality. Great at starting things. Trash at finishing them. Except books, for some reason. Reading them, I mean. Writing them? Well… let’s talk about that. And some other stuff.

I’m a Sprinter by Nature

Physically, for sure, I was built for speed. Growing up as a kid, the only kid in elementary school faster than me was John Cena (yes, the WWE wrestler). No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t catch him, but I loved trying. Sprinting is my safe place. Maximum power right out of the blocks. Hold nothing back. That mentality bleeds into literally everything I do in life, really. I suppose the apt term to describe me is “Hardo.” It’s generally used disparagingly, but I embrace that identifier. You better believe I’m a Hardo, folks. YOLO. Go big or go home. Do, or do not. There is no try.

The problem with that all-out, 150% mentality is that I have a tendency to… hit the wall. If I can’t crank through a project quickly, there’s a real danger that I won’t ever finish it. I guess I’m like Gimli. Very dangerous over short distances.

But, sometimes (like with Gimli) I surprise myself with my own long-distance fortitude. Which brings me to the main point of this particular post.

I Have a Finished Draft!

If you didn’t know, I’ve been working on a novel. It started as my MFA creative thesis at Lesley University under the guidance and encouragement of one of my favorite human beings, author Chris Lynch. You can read about some of my earlier adventures drafting this book HERE. That was was in 2018.

True to myself, I went full throttle from day one. And, I wrote a full draft of a novel. Huzzah! But… it was broken. Hey, at least I realized it was broken, right? The problem was repairing it. That took about two years, with lots of stops and starts and wrong turns that required backing up and starting again. In between those stops and starts were long bouts of not writing because I just didn’t know how to move forward. Frustrating? You bet. I kid you not, about two months ago I was on the verge of just abandoning it.

When Lightning Strikes, Write!

I was going along in my day, minding my own business, not even thinking about the book when, BAM! The problem revealed itself and the solution became obvious in an unexpected flash.

I was not allowing my characters to drive the plot forward. Duh. So focused was I on having my MC do X, Y, and Z to finish things that I didn’t realize her antagonist would never in a million years allow any of those things to happen. Too bad, author. It’s just not going to fall out that way. Back up, and let the characters take the reins. Finally, I understood.

So, I set a goal. Life was busy. I didn’t have a whole lot of time each day for my creative endeavors. Still don’t (teaching during a pandemic is bananas). How about 500 words a day? That’s two pages. I could do that, right? Yes, I could. And I did. In just a week and a half, I finished the draft I’d been struggling with for years. Seems fitting that I sprinted to the finish line. I mean, that’s who I am, apparently. A sprinter.

Owning Our Own Personal Processes

I envy writers who are super consistent. The ones who plod along, getting a little farther in their projects every day, week by week, month by month. Their consistency. Their routine. I hunger for that, but I don’t think that will ever be me. Just like I wish I could run three miles (heck, let’s be real; I wish I could run just ONE mile) without doubling over and sucking wind. It’s just never going to happen.

The more honest I can be with myself about who I am and how I operate, the more likely it will be that I achieve my goals. You can’t trust the process if you don’t know the process. For me, the process will be HIIT sessions of writing: fast, furious bursts of productivity interspersed with long periods of downtime and metal recovery. If I can learn to be okay with that, maybe even enjoy it, then maybe I’ll start finishing more projects.

What Now?

What now, indeed! I’ve got a draft of a novel. One that is NOT broken, just dirty (as all first drafts are). Huzzah! My brain is screaming, sprint!!! Run at that thing as fast and as hard as you can. But I don’t think that would be a smart approach. When I emailed Chris Lynch to tell him I’d finally found the ending to that creative thesis he got me started on way back in 2018, he wrote back with the sage advice that I tuck it away for a while and turn my attention to something else.

So, what shall I work on next? There’s a corkboard on my office wall with hand written pages pinned up in various shades of fountain pen ink, and they all bear the same title: “Story Idea.” Guess it’s time to peruse my options.

What’s YOUR process, fellow creatives? Do tell. Are you comfortable with how you naturally tend to operate, or do you wish your brain worked differently? Regardless of what your struggles might be, I hope you are able to overcome them and be successful in whatever it is that you are doing.

Thanks for stopping by, and as always, happy writing!

February 27, 2021
Boskone 58 – This Time, It’s Virtual!

It’s become an annual February event in my household. What has, you ask? Valentine’s Day weekend? No. Presidents Day weekend? Definitely not. No, I’m talking about Boskone weekend!!

What is Boskone?

Boskone is the longest running science fiction convention in New England. When I was studying to get my MFA in creative writing at Lesley University back in 2018, one of my professors directed me to it, and since I do love my speculative fiction, it made sense to go. Also, I live close by–just north of Boston (home of Boskone). On top of that, it’s one of the most affordable SFFH writing conventions around. A $55 membership gets you full access all weekend long.

That first convention back in 2018 hooked me. To read about that awkward but incredible first experience, check out my blog post, Gearing Up for Boskone56.

This Year, Boskone went Virtual

The good folks who put on this convention each year – the New England Science Fiction Association (NESFA) – had the foresight to put together a micro-virtual convention in July called ReCONvene. Much shorter, just one day. I attended. It was great. Especially since ReaderCon, the other wiring convention I strive to attend each year, had been cancelled because, you know, pandemic.

The NESFA folks learned lots of important tech and logistical lessons from the mini-con in July. From that experience, they crafted a truly excellent virtual Boskone event. Check out the line up of special guests!

The Pros and Cons of a Virtual Conference

It goes without saying that a virtual event can’t fully replace an in-person experience. After almost a whole year of social isolation, I definitely missed seeing and talking with other real-life people as opposed to in-the-computer people. Still, I think this year’s virtual Boskone had some uniquely positive elements.

How nice to snuggle on my couch under blankets with a cup of coffee while listening to panelists talk shop. I certainly couldn’t have sat and painted my nails during a panel discussion last year. The virtual dealer’s room didn’t have the same feel as the real thing. What could? The look of all those shiny books, the smell of their pages, the feel of the paper beneath my fingers. Nothing will ever replace that, but because I didn’t drop $300+ on hotel and travel, I was able to buy more of the books panelists recommended when someone asked the inevitable question, “If you could recommend just one book that you think exemplified X, what would it be?” Yeah, my TBR list got a LOT longer this weekend, and what a wonderful problem that is!

Here’s what I bought (a fraction of what was recommended):

Motivate Your Writing by Stephen P. Kelner, JR PhD

The Exorcist 40^th Anniversary Edition by William Peter Blatty

In Search of and Others (short fiction collection) by Will Ludwigsen

Judges: Psyche (a Judge Dredd novel) by Maura McHugh

Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay

The weekend proved to be a whirlwind of wonderful. Here’s what I got up to.

Let the Friday Fun Begin!

I wanted to kick things of with the “Fountain Pen Show & Tell Discussion Group” at 3:30, but I didn’t finish up my teaching day until 3:30 and didn’t get home until 4:30. But, through the grapevine I hear it was a lot of fun.

Bouncing Round the Rooms

At 5:00 pm, I hopped in and out of the Opening Ceremonies event, the “Science of Fantasy” panel discussion, and “The Transformative Power of Women in Horror” panel. All while ordering dinner online and writing end-of-trimester comments for my students. Being able to unobtrusively enter and leave zoom panels was definitely a plus. So was knowing that most of the panel discussions would be recorded. No more agonizing over which panel to attend at time X because they’re both so amazing I don’t want to miss either one. They’re all available for viewing at my leisure moving forward! Huzzah!!

A Conversation about Craft

“Admiring the Scene-ry” was a fantastic panel to listen in on as I ate dinner in my living room. John Chu made some great connections between improv theater techniques and writing crisp, in-the-moment, engaging scenes. Scott Edelman offered up the time-honored advice to get into a scene as late as possible and get out of a scene as early as possible. Michael Swanwick swooped into the conversation to defend the effectiveness and merits of the narrative “hook” in writing.

What does the future hold for us?

From there I tuned into the 8:00 pm panel discussion, “Bizarre Biotech” with Jeanne Cavelos, Colin Alexander, Frank Wu, and S L Huang. Frank cued up some google slides showcasing several examples of authentically bizarre biotech in development around the globe. The panelists (and attendees via the zoom chat) spent the hour cracking each other up as they discussed the merits (or lack thereof) of various tech ideas. Energy producing “urine socks” anyone? No? No takers? Shocking.

Snuggle In and Tell Me a Story

I capped off my Friday evening listening to Joe Hill and Paul Tremblay take turns reading from existing or in-progress works. After the reading, they hung out with the audience members who had zoomed in and we all had a relaxed and down-to-earth chat about… oh, you know, stuff and things. It was super chill and really excellent.

Final Thoughts on Virtual Boskone

This post would grow much too long if I attempted a summary of every panel and kaffeeklatsch I attended on Saturday and Sunday. If you’re desperate to hear more, let me know in the comments and I’ll consider a “part 2” post. For now, know that Saturday and Sunday were as good if not better than Friday. Despite never leaving my house, I was surprisingly exhausted by the end of my final activity on Sunday night (a kaffeeklatsch with Joe Abercrombie).

Boskone 58 was a smashing success, even in its modified virtual form. I’m glad I went, but I do hope it’ll be in-person next winter. Nothing can replace the excitement of traveling to the hotel, eating way-too-expensive hotel food, dressing up a little nicer than usual, and bumping into like-minded folks I haven’t seen in six months between panels and at the “after-con” evening gatherings.

If you’ve got questions about Boskone, drop them into the comments or you reach out on Twitter and we can compare notes!

Did you attend Boskone this year? What were the highlights for you?

Thanks for stopping by, and as always, happy writing to you.

February 15, 2021
Writing and Submitting Stories – First Impressions

It’s been a year since I started reading slush submissions for Clarkesworld Magazine. Time certainly does fly. These past twelve months have been educational, to say the least. I’ve learned so much about writing and submitting stories for publication. Back in September, I wrote a post titled A Summer of Short Stories, in which I talked about my first six months as a slush reader. You should check it out.

A month ago, Ryan Campbell asked me if I’d be interested in joining his blog team over on the Writescast Network. He thought I might like to share some of what I’ve learned as a slush reader. My first article for Ryan dealt with common macro- and micro-pacing issues I’ve seen in stories. If you’re curious, you can read the article, Pace Your Way to Pro-level Publishing.

Today on the Writescast Network, I’m sharing my thoughts on Making Good First Impressions when writing and submitting stories to paying markets. I encourage you to check it out.

Thanks for stopping by, and as always, happy writing to you.

February 27, 2020
Writing in a Time of Climate Anxiety

A couple of weeks ago, I took part in a panel discussion during Lesley University’s 2020 Creative Writing MFA winter residency. The topic: “Writing in a Time of Climate Anxiety.” Joining me on the panel was author and photographer Tony Eprile, children’s author Tracey Baptiste, and poet and environmental activist Andrea Read.

What Was on Everyone’s Mind?

Tony shared some of his gorgeous photographs of wild places, green spaces, and rare species. He opened up about his fear that the next generation will grow up having no knowledge that these species and places ever existed. What kind of psychological and social impact will losing our green spaces have on our children, he asked?

Tracy talked about how she dealt with the theme of climate change and loss of habitat and home in the third book of her Jumbies series. She revealed that sea-level rise is predicted to eat up her childhood home of Trinidad. The island is going to vanish beneath the waves, where it might become mythologized like Atlantis in the minds of future generations. Who will she be, Tracey wondered, without her home?

Andrea spoke about her experience purchasing 500 acres of clear cut land in Maine. She (and others) planted thousands of hardwood saplings on the site to restore the native habitat. The farmhouse and barn on the property sat atop a plot of land whose topsoil had been stripped off and sold. Andrea and her husband used permaculture techniques to bring it back to a lush and productive garden in a single season. She then co-founded an art and nature nonprofit called the Newforest Institute (no longer in operation).

I focused on the power of writers (and all creative artists) to inspire the imaginations of the general public. I pointed out that, when it comes to writing about climate change, we have generally failed to do our jobs well. For decades, there has been a collective failure of the imagination. I challenged the audience of MFA candidates to do better.

With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

We are, as the title of Jonathan Gottschall’s book indicates, storytelling animals. The stories we read (and write) have the power to influence cultural values. They can spark technological innovation. They can inspire people to take action and make changes. Consider the works of H. G. Wells, Arthur C. Clarke, Jules Vern, Isaac Asimov, Jack London, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Mary Shelley, among others. Their stories changed the people who read them.

Writers are a rare and valuable breed. We’re blessed with active imaginations paired with an ability to use the written word in ways that let others imagine things they might not otherwise. And sometimes, when we do things right, our stories influence humanity’s path forward. Consider Jules Verne, who wrote about men flying to the moon in rocket ships in 1865. Or Mary Shelley. To this day, Frankenstein invites readers to consider what consequences may result should science and morality become uncoupled. Michael Crichton updated that cautionary tale for modern readers. He got people thinking about the unforeseen repercussions of genetic engineering technologies and demanding regulation and oversight.

When it comes to imagining mankind’s future in the face of large-scale environmental disasters, however, writers have historically given the topic only the most superficial of examinations.

Most of what’s been written thus far are plot-focused action and adventure stories. While such stories definitely have their place, they are meant to be an escape for readers or viewers. They are entertainment. They are NOT stories intended to spark reflection in the hearts and minds of the masses.

Dig Deeper

What we need right now are stories that will get people engaged and thinking, not checking out. Only when people engage with a problem and start thinking about it can they then solve it. If you, as a writer (or an artist), feel anxious when you think about climate change, dig into your emotions and unpack them. Use that brilliant imagination of yours to visualize your fears in a visceral way.

Worried about widespread famine, war, disease, a population crash? Nuclear Annihilation? Write about it, but do so in a way that is emotionally honest and that has character, not plot, at its core. Make it believable. Draw your audience in, connect readers to your characters. Write a narrative that strikes a deep emotional cord and demands reflection for years, decades, centuries to come.

We need climate change stories that will get people thinking–really thinking–about the messy moral and ethical issues tangled up in large-scale ecological disasters. I’m thinking of stories like Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, or P. D. James’s Children of Men. More recently, HBO’s dramatic series Chernobyl highlighted what a failure of leadership could bring about during an environmental crisis.

Is There Space for Happy Endings?

I would argue yes. Showing hopeful outcomes is not just okay but necessary, as long as they’re handled in ways that are emotionally honest.

Neal Shusterman’s YA novel Dry is an excellent example of how to write a hopeful ending that doesn’t patronize readers. Shusterman wrote about characters uniting despite differences. They pooled their resources, developed believable solutions, and then implemented them successfully. But they made all kinds of mistakes along the way. They suffered, and they almost failed. Shusterman used his power as a writer to make his readers care. He made them WANT to avoid a catastrophe. And isn’t that the point? Because if we can divert the disaster, we can avoid the suffering that will come with it.

A Call to Action!

If you’re a writer and you’re feeling anxious in this time of climate change, pick up your pen and do what you do best. Write a story daring enough and honest enough to inspire the masses, influence thought and maybe change the future. Be the next Mary Shelley, the next H. G. Wells, the next Jules Vern. That was my message to the audience at the panel discussion two weeks back, and that’s my message to every writer who reads this post.

Do you feel anxious whenever you think about climate change? Have you attempted to explore your fears through your writing? If not, maybe it’s time to start.

January 18, 2020