Spec Fic for Newbies Vol 3 is Out!

I never expected a book launch—of a book I had a hand in writing—would happen and I’d be too busy to really go wild shouting about it. But, lo, here we are!

Spec Fic for Newbies Vol 3 (the green one), the final volume in the trilogy, was released less than a month ago and had an official launch at Eastercon at the tail end of me being rather ill for a couple of weeks. So I basically just had to get through it. Then work piled up (see: was sick), and now I’m distracted looking at the calendar and what’s looming in the near future, and the book has sort of been left to float on its own.

This isn’t to say that I’m not proud of Vol 3 (I am! despite a stinking typo I found the day before it came out on 24 March! But, hey, typos happen. I’m not at all anxious about it. Nope!). Instead, the life of a freelancer means that things are very carefully scheduled, and when germs invade, that schedule goes out the window and there’s barely time/space to breathe before the next deadline.

So, hey, if you’re interested in snagging a copy of Volume 3, filled with 30 more subgenres and major tropes, everything from Swashbuckling Fantasy to Kaiju, Fungal Horror to Spy-Fi, you can find it at all your regular paperback and ebook retailers: https://linktr.ee/specficfornewbies

And if you’re attending Cymera in June, there should be some copies there and I’ll be on hand to sign them…

Calling all very Newbies: Cymera Masterclass Tix Available!

This year, Cymera (June 5-7 in Edinburgh https://www.cymerafestival.co.uk/) is featuring a 2+ day in-person only masterclass from June 3-5 to lead into the festival start on the Friday. Oh, and guess who’s running it? Me!

It’s built especially for writers very new to things with a look at critique/writing workshops and info on how to run one along with with an actual critique circle the first day (where you’ll get feedback on a story or a novel excerpt from your classmates and me); a close look at the various levels of editing and the publishing industry (short fiction and novels) the second day with lots of practical advice on editing your own work, dealing with editors, how to find markets for your stories, and the ins & outs of the different types of publishing (including questions about money!); and a writing workshop on a SFF/H subgenre/trope (TBA) on the Friday morning. The class size is limited to 12, so grab a ticket while you can! Tickets available here (the very first item on the page): https://www.cymerafestival.co.uk/programme-26

The Milford Retreat

Before Cymera, I am running away for a week to the Milford Writers Retreat in North Wales to actually write!

Because I spend my work life helping other writers improve their work, I am often way out of spoons when I have any time to myself to write. Hence, running away where there are no chores, no work emails, and no daily stuff. This year, the plan is to finish editing a novella I finished there 2 years ago (and that a publisher would like to see!) and write the synopsis for the novel I finished there a year ago (and start sending it out to agents). And, hopefully, start a new project.

Interested in a week in an en suite room, breakfast and dinner included, and access to a pin-drop silent library? Check out the Milford Writers’ Retreat, held every May at Gladstone’s Library. You don’t need to be a SFF/H writer or be published to sign up. More info here: https://milfordsfwriters.wordpress.com/about/

And if you’re interested in a week of critique/feedback on your fiction, take a look at the Milford Writers’ Conference, which runs at Gladstone’s each September.

Until next time,