And I'm Feeling Good

Though it's been some months since my last newsletter, I have nothing but good news to share. Fair warning: this newsletter is going to be short, and very sweet, and you'll see why.

First off: my new job. I've been here for nearly two months now, working as full-time English and Humanities faculty for a small, rural community college. For the first time in my varied career path, I have an office. It's a bit spare right now, but it's mine. I relish it, as I relish the other things about my job: kind and patient colleagues and coworkers, supervisors who are readily available, and students who seem dedicated to doing the work of learning.

Second: I'm back in the saddle with my writing. I'm working on my second novel, and revising the query letter and list of agents for The Weight of the Impossible.

Plus, in August, I learned that The Weight of the Impossible is a finalist for Young Adult/Middle Grade novel in the Colorado Gold Rush Literary Awards. I am over the moon about this, and still can't believe that my novel is a finalist. The awards banquet, where the winners will be announced, is on October 3rd. I will be attending, and I'm looking forward to hobnobbing with other writers and just having a good time. (And maybe, possibly, placing or winning? We'll see! Fingers crossed!)

Stars When You Shine

To celebrate The Weight of the Impossible being a finalist in the Colorado Gold Rush Literary Awards, I will share an excerpt and a playlist from the novel. I have shared the excerpts from chapters one and two previously. You can find those excerpts here and here. This excerpt is chapter three, wherein our snarky protagonist, Zach, who is a 15-year-old competitive figure skater, crafts a playlist to pump himself up for the last competition of his season. (Just like I'm pumping myself up for the awards banquet on Saturday.)

Before I share the excerpt, I will link the TIDAL playlist for the excerpt.

Without further adieu, I give you chapter three of The Weight of the Impossible.

From The Weight of the Impossible

3. The Playlist of Champions + Liner Notes

May 1, 2018

I need an official playlist for the Freemont Open, if only for the good vibes and all. I’m fucking going to win the Freemont Open. I will fucking kill myself if I don’t.

But I’m not making another massive playlist like I did for Regionals and Sectionals. It was really stupid to spend that much time stressing out over a single playlist, especially since the whole thing was such a fucking bust. Losing a ticket to Nationals by 1 fucking point. Yeah, I’m fine with it. I’m ok. Totally fine. It’s not like I cried my eyes out when I got home from Sectionals or anything. And it’s not like I’m still seething over it and how I could have should have done better.

But whatever. I made that massive playlist and overthought everything. So, I won’t jinx myself this time and keep this playlist short and sweet.

1. We Will Rock You, Queen -- Obligatory at this point to get pumped up for a comp.

2. All I Do Is Win, DJ Khaled, featuring Ludacris -- What it says on the tin. ALL! I! DO! IS! WIN! Except when I don’t lmao

3. Feeling Good (cover), Muse -- With love to Nina Simone and all, I just like the rock’n’roll treatment here. Because when I’m competing, I’m feelin’ good baby.

4. Seven Nation Army, The White Stripes -- I’m officially reclaiming this song from all the other sports it’s been used and abused for, like hockey/football/basketball insert any sport where guys go around chasing an object. Figure skating makes a lot more sense anyways. Let’s strap on a pair of knife shoes so we can dance on ice and perform some enormous jumps and see how well that goes. At any rate, a seven nation army couldn’t hold me back from winning.

5. We Are the Champions, Queen -- Usually I’d be dead set against repeating artists on such a short playlist, but this is natural. Organic. And I am going to be the champion.

Freedom Is Mine

Well, that's it for this month's newsletter. I may send a second newsletter this month, depending on the outcome of the awards banquet and ceremony on October 3rd.

Until then, you can find me on my website, BlueSky, and Facebook, and read past issues of Wellspring in the archives.

PS. The title of this newsletter and the headers comes from "Feeling Good", a Nina Simone cover by Muse.