val's very hectic not-nanowrimo november

It is, in fact, December now but that’s because I think I am just going to start releasing (publishing…? sending…?) these on the second or third day of the month—which works because turns out I need set dates, not vague “end of month” deadlines. Work with your brain! Also my birthday is tomorrow, yay!

short story updates

November was quite the month! In case you missed it, I had a short story come out in Flame Tree Press’s Moon Falling anthology. You can order a copy here if you want to read my piece “On Lunar Magic and Gryphons: Sofia’s Edition”. It’s very shiny and pretty.

Also! Earlier in the month a local bookstore, Birch Tree Bookstore, kindly had me come and take pictures with a copy of The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2024 earlier this month. Still pretty amazed I have gotten to sign copies of that now!

Not-NaNoWriMo results: success!

If you didn’t know, NaNoWriMo was an event many writers participated in. The goal? Write 50,000 words in November. This was a thing I had done regularly for almost a decade, and was a big part of my yearly writing pattern.

Of course, the organization has imploded, supported AI in a really gross way, and also had a whole moderator problem that was legitimately disgusting and disappointing. Any one of those things on its own would’ve been a good reason to never use their website or support the organization again, so both is pretty damning.

So! I decided to do a less intense Not-NaNoWriMo this month. My goal? A totally doable 30,000 words! Did I manage to accomplish that? Well, I am again being very pro-active and am writing this about halfway through the month so I am going to say yes, yes I did totally nail my goals and see what my future self says below.

Good news, past me! I totally nailed my 30k word goal for the month. Actually, I made it to 41k total and am in the final 25% (ish) of my novel rewrite! Yay!

free queer cozy sci-fi microfic

Hi yes may I interest you in a tiny piece that will likely someday end up a cute little novella series? Someday. Maybe. Who knows!

“Coffee with Her at the Edge of Existence” ☕🌌 - 261 words on Patreon (public post)

I’m going to PAX Unplugged!

If you are going to PAX Unplugged—which is in Philadelphia Dec 6-8, AKA this weekend, it’s fine—let me know! I would be happy to at least wave hello briefly at you during the convention while I run away from all the people. This is the biggest con I’ve ever been to, and I will do a few write-ups about all the fun TTRPGs I check out. A bit terrified and also so excited to see friends!

finishing my college semester

I only have one final left and then I’m done with my very poorly conceived five-class semester. Never, ever again am I taking so many at once. The last final was supposed to be today (Monday, Dec 2), but my professor threw a curveball at the last second and restricted it to Friday-Saturday—which I managed to convince them to change to Wednesday-Saturday, so I didn’t have to take a final at PAX Unplugged. Do I want to cry about this? Maybe so. I hate surprise shifts in plans, the neurospicy brain just screams in a corner when that happens. But it’ll work out in the end! I can take it at home and not have to figure out if hotel wifi will be reliable enough to take a major final exam on.

Despite that final complication, I feel really proud of myself and for not avoiding the stressors, no matter what the grades turn out to be. The hectic schedule has forced me to reckon with my perfectionism, that’s for sure. There’s no time to write a novel and do five classes if you angst too long over if any of it will be good enough or perfect enough, turns out.

(That’s for after.)

writing goals for december

There is a contest with a December 18 deadline—the Andromeda Award—that I am hoping to have a (very rough) version of my current book rewrite ready to submit to. This is less about winning so much as it is about combating perfectionism. We’ll see if I can make it!

Afterward, I plan on letting the rewrite rest for a couple weeks, taking notes on what all I want to revise, and begin revisions in January. Hopefully I can get it to beta readers not long after. The goal is to begin querying in March-April of next year. Which isn’t as far away as it sounds, horrifically. I’m so scared this book is hot garbage, but I’ve been having fun writing it—well, and a lot of other big emotions, which I think is also a good thing!

awards eligibility

I felt a bit insecure mentioning that “On Lunar Magic and Gryphons: Sofia’s Edition” is going to be the only new short story of mine published this year. Actually for a good percent of the year I felt like an utter failure. But I’m proud of this story and am trying to remind myself that not getting a bunch of publications per year doesn’t make me a failed or bad writer 💜

reading recommendations

Recently have been trying to catch up on short stories, so this month’s recs are from that!

“The Memory Shop” by Melissa Ren (Fusion Fragment, 2024)

This story is so powerful, the loop of choices so intense that it felt inevitable. Definitely check the content warnings on it, but it was a great and profound read!

“Song for a Star-Whale’s Ghost” by Devin Miller (Diabolical Plots, 2024)

SPACE WHALE GHOSTS??? SPACE WHALE GHOSTS!!! Truly the worldbuilding on this one was so great and up my alley.

Actually these two recommendations encompass my two primary reading moods: amazing and punchy prose that leaves you thinking about the concept for days and also fun and vibrant and unique worldbuilding. Sometimes they overlap! That’s very fun!

media recommendations

Arcane season 2

I just finished it last night, so it’s fresh on my mind. The complaints that this season wasn’t as good as season 1 is pretty well founded. However, that bar was so high that I still really enjoyed season 2—the soundtrack is going on so many playlists, the animation is iconic. Worth a watch, it’ll tear your heart out and you’ll say thank you for the pretty animation and soundtrack emotions at least. The nostalgic part of me that was once an ancient, age-old Vi main back in like 2012 was very happy with this show overall.

in conclusion…

November was a stressful month—it always is. I got a lot accomplished. I defeated the worst college semester of my life, while writing a novel. That’s so much!

The holiday season in the US is a time of year for me that is always both tense and happy, reflective and stressed about the year to come and completing all the things I wanted in this year. If this time of year is difficult for you (especially given the hell we’re all charging at speed towards with the incoming political shifts), you’re not alone in it, at the very least. I’m right there with you, complicated emotions and all.

Going forward, newsletters will come out at the beginning of the month, within the first few days (likely the second or third). I like the energy of wrapping up the last month and starting fresh with goals. With the exception of the last month of the year (… this month, heck). I will likely do a big year wrap-up on New Year’s Eve! Somehow the year is almost over! My birthday is literally tomorrow (as of sending this newsletter out). On the whole, 2024 is winding down and the time has flown by.

Thank you for following along my writing journey and caring about my work 💜