august newsletter
I need everyone to know I wrote down in my calendar that the end of August was today, September 1, and that is why the newsletter is hilariously off by one day. So happy end of August and beginning of September! What have I been up to?
I Started College!
I do not think I mentioned this last newsletter (oops!) but I am going back to college for a Business degree with a Marketing concentration. Thankfully it’s a fully online degree, so I can go back to school safely being the immunocompromised gremlin that I am. I dropped out as an English major about exactly a decade ago, and it’s exciting to go back and finish. It’s a bit of a “I need this degree to get a dayjob that pays bills because I have to exist under capitalism” degree choice, but I found marketing was enjoyable when I was marketing things I felt passionately about as a streamer—like indie games, books often by queer or otherwise marginalized authors, etc. So I hope to go into publishing marketing! We’ll see. I have about two years of college left.
Novel Progress—It’s Finally Entered the Second Drafting Stage
I thought I would be solidly into the second draft/rewrite phase of my novel by now, but life slowed down a bit and I took a little time to rest before college started. I finished a reverse outline and am in the process of completely rewriting the beginning. It’s much snappier now and I’m absolutely in love with the new twists and character developments. Especially between the primary love interest for the book. (Yes, there’s more than one, yes there’s a polycule.) It’s starting to feel like a real, solid story with proper character development and mechs that don’t get renamed halfway through the narrative. Amazing!
Upcoming Short Fiction Publications
As for short fiction, “Emotional Resonance” comes out in The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2024 October 22, which is very close now and I’m definitely nervous and excited for folks to be able to read it in print and find my work in bookstores. It’s so surreal.
My short story “On Lunar Magic and Gryphons: Sofia’s Edition” in Flame Tree’s Moon Falling anthology will now be releasing in November. Fun fact: these two anthologies are my first print publications! And I’m really excited.
Non-Writing Updates: Coworking Stream Prioritization!
Every Wednesday stream @ 1:30pm Eastern Time is coworking now, and there might be some extra Tuesday or Thursday coworking streams to help me hold myself accountable on college homework.
As for VODs and let’s plays on YouTube and even posts on Instagram or TikTok (either gaming or writing) have been a bit nonexistent lately. One day I’ll be more consistent about promoting myself—but it’s very tough with my current workload, between college and writing in my spare time and also still streaming two days a week. I’m still disabled and need rest. Anytime I’m not working on homework or doing a bit of novel writing, I’m trying to relax and decompress so my health issues stay in the tenuous equilibrium I’ve kept them in all year (so far). It’s tough.
General Life Updates
My partner Ian’s birthday was last week. It was also our six year anniversary, so I’m being sappy about it. You can read more about it in this Mini-Space on Patreon (public) and perceive cute photo of us (and our cat, Bella, as always).
Also I wanted to express appreciation again to the folks who helped me pay for my college textbooks. Seriously, it means so much. Y’all are the best.
And Now For Some Short Story Recs
“The Clown Watches the Clown” by Sara S. Messenger
I am infinitely late to the party to this one, but I still think about it from time to time. There’s a lot of commentary on queerness, existing under capitalism, and just trying to be yourself. Also, clowns? Normally I deeply hate clowns, but it works in this one.
“Painted Surfaces” by Guan Un
I am lucky enough to call Guan a friend, and this flash fiction piece is beautifully unsettling.
And that’s it for this newsletter. I feel a little insecure, if we’re being honest, at only getting one new short story acceptance this year. But I’m trying to remind myself I’m focusing on novel and college, and my time is so limited right now. I haven’t had much time to write new short stories (though I did just submit one I am really happy with and is super sapphic and I hope it finds a home).
Hopefully I have more acceptances to share with you in the future. And hopefully, by the end of the year, I can say I’ve finished this novel. Let’s see. See you next month, ideally actually on September 30 and not Oct 1 💜