Hello everyone!
As I'm writing this, the wind is blowing in a storm outside. The boys' slackline is making weird wobbling noises, and I can smell the hyacinths Justin bought me, even though they're all the way in the living room and I'm at my desk in the spare room. It's a bit chilly, but I have tea and fuzzy socks and my heated desk mat on, and I'm very much enjoying the slow signs of spring. (Except for the weather-induced headaches, of which I'd had two in the last two weeks.)
How are you? Is spring beginning to be sprung in your part of the world?
I apologize for missing my February newsletter! My youngest son's birthday was at the end of the month, and it snuck up on me, so that I ended up dropping a few plates. After the long drag that January is after the winter holiday madness, February always surprises me with how quickly it passes by. I'm well ready for the weather to warm up more--I'm excited to get to more gardening this year, and we've already decided to expand our vegetable garden, as well as plant some trees and begin work on some of the neglected flower beds. I'll be sure to share pictures as work progresses!
READING
FICTION: I've been so immersed in writing fantasy lately that I found myself needing a break reading it as well, so I went on a search for some good mystery series. I discovered the Perveen Mistry Mysteries, about a female Indian lawyer in 1920s Bombay. Highly enjoyable reads--I blazed through the first four and can't wait until another is published.
I also started reading--and watching--the Phryne Fisher mysteries, also set in the 1920s, but in Melbourne, Australia. The TV show has become my motivation to get chores like washing dishes and folding laundry done.
NON-FICTION: I'm currently deeply immersed in Madeleine L'Engle's Walking On Water: Reflections on Art and Faith. There is so much goodness here! Just like Andrew Peteron's book Adorning The Dark, which I read last fall, I'm finding that Walking On Water is feeding my artist soul so deeply. I have to read it with highlighter in hand! I also, as always, have a couple of good Substack articles to share!
3 Tips for a Productive Sunday Reset For Writers by
is, as the title says, catered towards writers, but I think it's a good idea for anyone to take some time on Sundays (or Saturdays, if your Sundays are always full like mine seem to be) to rest, reset, and prepare for the next week.This next piece, Pericraft, by
, is a lovely little piece that discusses a word she created--pericraft, or, the work a creative does when they're not actively crafting a new bit of art. Things like organizing, plotting, etc...all the things we must do to keep our craft moving. The preparation phase. I absolutely loved it and have so many thoughts percolating in the back of my head that, I hope, change my view of the things I have to do in order to get to the exciting bit of writing more fiction.PLAYING: Minecraft, as always! My server is getting ready to wrap up our horse-collecting competition, and I just finished building the stable for my team. Justin and the boys recently bought a Flight Simulator game, and I tried it, but it instantly made me feel sick, lol. For board games, we haven't been too active on that front, but I recently bought Minecraft: Hero of the Village, which is a resource collecting game where the goal is to protect villagers from plunderers. Co-op, of course--its just easier for any family game to be co-op, nowadays.
WRITING
Thief By Trade: is at the editor's! The serialization wraps up here in a couple of weeks, which has me stoked! But no worries...if you've yet so start, it's going to be available through the end of April, and per some advice I've received, it will also have another (though shorter) run before publication. All that is TBD, but I will be sure to let you all know!
Legacy: I plan to begin a final round of edits for Legacy in April. It will begin it's serialization run in the beginning of May. This one is shorter than Thief By Trade--only twelve chapters (though the edits I have planned may make it a little longer). Regardless, I think it will wrap up by August.
Knights of the Faerie Queens: I'm so, so close to being done with this story! I think I'm in the homestretch of the last 15% or so, and I've already been brainstorming edits I plan to make. I can't wait to finish this book and be able to share it with everyone!
Short Stories: The Devouring Ocean finally has a home! I'm so glad--I've been submitting this weird little found-footage-esque fantasy/horror piece for over a year now, and it's so gratifying to see someone accept it. I've also been working on two more pieces which I hope to either share here on Substack, or submit to a magazine soon. I'd share titles, but weirdly enough, neither of them have titles yet.
Non-fiction: I recently launched my own non-fiction Substack, Tatterdemalion, and have published two articles. The first, Hello To Non-fiction, I Guess? discusses a bit about my own, recently rediscovered desire to write non-fiction, and the second, What Now? discusses how I kind of jumped in without much of a plan. I'm committed to attempting an article a week now, every Monday, except the last Monday of the month, which is reserved for this newsletter. If you'd like to see a primarily-fiction writer attempt to experiment with nonfiction, in public, feel free to come check it out!
And, finally, I think that is all for this edition of the newsletter! Thank you again for being here, and I hope that you have a lovely day!
Thanks for the shoutout! Glad you found my productivity tips helpful :)
Girl you have been BUSY! I'm so excited for Thief by Trade!!!