Dust yourself off and try again
It's been a long time... so here's what I've been working on this summer!
Whenever I find myself returning to a platform after an unplanned absence, I always get the first few lines of the late great Aaliyah’s “Try Again” stuck in my head on repeat:
It’s been a long time
I shouldn’t have left you
without a dope beat to step to (step to, step to…)
I’m telling you this in hopes of exorcising Timbaland’s voice from my brain, but also to apologize for leaving you without a dope beat to step to.
These last few months have been a lot, y’all. This summer has been spent dealing with unexpected drama in my personal life, sickness, and the kind of heat that turns me into a whiny toddler. But it hasn’t all been bad. In the midst of all this chaos, I’ve also taken the time to rest and visit friends and family (many of whom I haven’t seen in years) — all of which has helped re-fill my creative and emotional well.
And, even though it doesn’t look like it from the outside, I’ve been creating too. Ever since I decided to take a step back from social media, I’ve struggled to reconcile the time and effort I’m putting into making things with the feeling of having nothing to show for it. My logical brain knows that this is just a withdrawal symptom of my social media addiction: after spending years feeling like my value and productivity could only be measured in likes, comments, and follows — which, of course, led to a destructive feedback loop of creating art other people wanted to see rather than what I wanted to make — I’m having to re-learn that the act of making art is often quiet and private.
A lot of my creative work this summer has been focused on revisions and outlining; neither of which are particularly exciting or glamorous. But maybe some of you are interested, so here’s a quick rundown:
I finished rewriting the first act and an updated outline of my novel The Many Ghosts of Magni Lamont for a revise and resubmit request I received from a publisher. Even though I’m feeling really good about the changes, I’m still stunned by how long this process took. The updated materials are back with the publisher and I’m… trying not to obsessively check my email while I wait for news.
Speaking of revisions, I’ve also been revising chapters of The Witch’s Patron behind the scenes in order to stay on top of my weekly posting schedule over on Wattpad. Given that the first draft of the book was written back in 2016, this project has been a great way to see just how much I’ve improved as a writer over the years. I also decided to submit the book for consideration in the 2023 Watty Awards. The shortlist will be announced on October 16th so keep your fingers crossed for me!
Outlining! As a planner, I love the outlining stage of new projects. I get out the sticky notes and use the white board in my studio to visually develop a story from start to finish, and it feels like working on a giant jigsaw puzzle. I recently outlined The Wistfeld Project for the third time this way (third time’s the charm for this one), and now I’m working on the outline of a brand new novel and the final chapters of Serve and Protect (Yes, it’s actually happening). So many things!
In addition to all this writing work, I also got to take advantage of a couple fun opportunities this summer:
I finally had some proper professional pictures taken for author photo-related purposes. I don’t typically like having my picture taken because I rarely feel like I recognize the person in the photo, but when the talented Scott Hemenway decided to celebrate the opening of his new studio by offering limited portrait sessions, I figured now was as good a time as any. I’ve been a big fan of his work for a long time and I’m so happy with the results!
I accepted an invitation to co-host The Writer’s Studio Reading Series! After a three-year hiatus (thanks for nothing, Covid), this popular monthly reading event is starting back up on September 18th at Container Brewing in Vancouver. Join my friend and fellow TWS alum James Duncan and me as we welcome a curated line-up of talented readers to the stage every third Monday of the month and connect with other members of Vancouver’s writing community. You can find out more about the series and RSVP for the September 18th relaunch event for free over on Eventbrite!
That’s all for now. I’ll be back soon with an article I’ve been working on about responding to constructive criticism as well as some new comics, but if there’s anything else you’d like to know more about or see from me in these newsletters, please let me know in the comments!