Two Is Better Than One (Kinda)

To begin, this newsletter will now adopt a bimonthly schedule—every two months, not twice a month!—rather than the original monthly goal.

This alternative seemed like a reasonable amount of time for talking points to accumulate, as opposed to forcing something out for the sake of having something.

Onwards!

Announcements

You can now read my short story “What We Gather” at Nocturne Magazine.

This is a historical fantasy story set in Scotland, where a nineteenth-century leech collector seeks help in the local sealfolk after finding out she may lost her home.

Content warnings include death, murder, and mention of suicide.

Recommendations

All my reads in the last two months were short stories and novelettes, all which made for brilliant recommendations.

Four were Clarkesworld stories. First up: “The Music Must Always Play” by Marissa Lingen. Aliens land on Earth, but they die before humanity can meet them. A touching diversion on what you would expect with extraterrestrial fiction.

Samantha Murray’s “Of Sight, of Mind, of Heart” was a solemn insight into motherhood as a woman raises a boy born from genetic engineering for the purpose of enlisting in the current war.

An oldie but a goodie, “A Series of Steaks” by Vina Jie-Mind Prasad was my introduction to the author, a fascinating narrative that follows a woman who illegally forges steaks and gets blackmailed for it.

Lastly, “LOL, said the Scorpion” by Rich Larson. While a reread, it was still an enjoyable revisit.

Other stories included “The Ex Hex” by Jae Steinbacher over at Lightspeed. This was a sweet story revolving around witches and separations and accountability.

P. A. Cornell’s Fantasy Magazine story “Once Upon a Time at the Oakmont” was on my list for some time before finally getting round to it, and understanding why it was such a clever and stunning addition to the SFF industry.

And then there was “Linden Honey, Blackcurrent Wine” by M. R. Robinson, published by Beneath Ceaseless Skies, a wonderfully sapphic tale about fae folk and dancing.

Other

My own writing has become frustratingly—well, frustrating.

Perfectionism and imposter syndrome and rejection sensitivity. You know, the usual suspects.

I adjusted my process last month (again) to leaning into clean and slow drafting and working on multiple projects at once. What started to work in my favour gradually manifested into fatigue and restlessness and shitty results.

This made me look back at my old projects from five years ago, specifically those written during my BA degree. Each module required five stories. Out of the five of my final module, I chose three to submit. All three were eventually published. Coincidence? No, feels more like a blatant pattern.

Because all those stories were written one after the other. Putting all energy into one project before moving onto another. Nor was there any obsessing over every paragraph, every sentence. What ultimately seemed to be better success rate than my current approach.

Looks like I’m going to try and change that approach again, rewiring my brain to tolerate not getting things the way I envisioned on the first draft, or even the second or third.

By the time my next newsletter comes out, hopefully there will be some better news to share on that front.

Roll on, December!

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Photo by Adam Wilson on Unsplash.