April 2024 Newsletter
The season's starting to get active!
After the winter doldrums, spring is accelerating rapidly! This always seems to be the time of year, no matter what job I’m in, when things start getting more hectic and crowded — which, honestly, I prefer to a schedule with too few things in it. I like having stuff to look forward to and work towards!
News
At the end of this week, I’ll be at RavenCon right here in Richmond, Virginia! Here’s my schedule of panels and appearances:
I will have books available for sale during the signing, at special convention-only prices. And I’m super excited for these panels! Some are familiar territory for me — Historical Speculative Fiction and the one about magical systems are fairly standard — but others are new topics. I think Minor Characters is going to be so fun. Anyone who’s read the Aven Cycle can probably tell that I don’t really think there is such a thing as a minor character, just characters whose stories aren’t happening on this page. And that’s always been true, in everything I write, fanfiction and original. Side characters rarely stay where they’re put within my imagination. If I’ve bothered to name somebody, they’re going to develop a personality whether I intend them to or not.
So that’s this week, and next week, I’ll be in Disney World! I planned this trip back in November as a treat to myself, and I’ve been looking forward to it so much. It’s going to be so thoroughly indulgent. I’m giving myself full permission to do all sorts of things I would usually exercise restraint about. But, I’ll also be working a bit! I really want to up my immersive entertainment game, and there’s basically no better place to study it than the very best parks.
Want to know what I’m getting up to while I’m in the Most Magical Place On Earth? Keep an eye on my Instagram! I’ll be sharing lots of pictures and stories there.
Upcoming Events
After RavenCon, I’ve got a few things coming up in the summer!
First up, on June 22, I’ll be in Harrisonburg, Virginia at the Massanutten Regional Library’s FandomFest! The event is free and open to all ages. I’ll be doing my “Choose vs Presume” worldbuilding presentation!
Then, August 8-12, I’ll be in Glasgow for WorldCon! I’ll share that schedule as soon as I have it—I’ve put in my panel requests, so fingers crossed!
And speaking of WorldCon — voting is now open for the Hugo Awards! You do have to be a member of Glasgow 2024 to vote, but the membership will get you the full voters’ packet, which includes so much stuff. Seriously, you will have reading material for ages — full novels, novellas, short stories, graphic novels, and more (depending on what folks choose to include!). The value is well above the cost of the membership.
So, if you are so inclined, I would love your consideration for Worldbuilding for Masochists for Best Fancast! We think we had a pretty banger year with some truly amazing guests. Win or lose, though, we’re looking forward to celebrating in Scotland!
What I’ve Been Reading
As always, these are affiliate links from which I will earn a small commission!
The Last Note of Warning, Katharine Schellman
A Power Unbound, Freya Marske
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, Kwame Mbalia
Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher
The Hellion’s Waltz by Olivia Waite
Immersive Storytelling for Real and Imagined Worlds: A Writer's Guide by Margaret Kerrison
The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
A Scandal in Mayfair by Katharine Schellman
The Anglo-Saxons by Marc Morris
Immersive Storytelling was a fantastic career-related read, and extremely validating in that so much of what Kerrison talks about being necessary components of building an immersive experience are things that I do instinctively. But, I’ve also largely only worked in experiences that are much more “theatre of the imagination” than immersive environments, and this gave a wonderful view on what else to think about from that perspective. I’ll likely be doing a full response post to this book at some point.
The Last Note of Warning continues Katharine Schellman’s excellent Nightingale mystery series. It’s set in New York in the 1920s and it’s queer af; heartily recommend. This one comes out in June, so you’ve got time to read the first two before it releases! And I also got to read the next book in her Lily Adler series, murder mysteries set in the Regency era. A Scandal in Mayfair is Book 5 in that series and doesn’t come out til August, so, again, plenty of time to catch up before the new release!
I think my other fave of this month was The Familiar, which was basically everything I love in historical fantasy. I also quite enjoyed Nettle and Bone, which had the feeling of a very dark fairy tale.
And, in case you missed it, check out my full round-up of everything I read for the r/fantasy 2023 Book Bingo Challenge!
Wrapping It Up
And that’s it for now! I’ve got a few blog posts in the works, so hopefully I’ll have those up for you in the not-too-distant future. Until then, I hope the spring is treating you well and bringing you many excellent stories!