Ceallaigh's Blog
Greetings Friends!
This month marks a substantial change from the material you're accustomed to receiving from me. I'm podcasting my second year of archives, and the dispatches are already available at folkloreandfiction.com, so there's no sense shipping them out to you as newsletters. Instead, I'm introducing a new newsletter format that combines my Folklore & Fiction work with whatever insights I happen to have on folklore, storytelling, and spirituality along with any news I might have about my own career. Hope you like the change.
Greetings, Friends!
I had meant to post a year-end writing recap on New Years' Eve, but I had friends over to play D&D for two days straight, and I'm the glass cannon of the party (sorcerers FTW!). Clearly, casting Tasha's Caustic Brew on invisible giant spiders was far more important than writing about writing. Anyway, here I am, and here's the recap.
But I can't really call this a "writing" recap, can I? My first publication of the year was Shatter and Rise, an EP of three songs I released into the world on May Day. Of all the work I brought to the table this year, I'm most proud of these three songs. They were a long, long, long time in coming. Welcome to the world, little musics. If you're Canadian, I hope you'll consider "Shatter and Rise" and "Cruel Johnny" for the 2023 Aurora Award in the Best Poem/Song category.
Buy Shatter and Rise on Bandcamp | Stream Shatter and Rise
If you've been thinking about writing for the Dispatches from the Word Mines series, now is a great time. In terms of general parameters, I have few. I ask that you be working in your craft and have something to contribute to a conversation about writing, whether it be instructional or promotional. I also want a bio and any associated images you'd like added to the post. I don't mind the occasional bit of colourful language, and I don't mind publishing instructional or promotional posts containing adult content (I'd shy away from hardcore pornography, but writing about or promoting erotic fiction is just fine). Finally, I can't use posts about fictional religions right now (I've published quite a few of those already), and the Dispatches series really isn't the place for a broad survey of your work or career. However, I'd gladly accept a post about writing Christian, Pagan, or Buddhist SF (or any other sort of religious SF), and I'd gladly promote your shiny new novel or collection.
You can reach me here if you're interested: http://csmaccath.com/contact
Dispatches from the Word Mines is an irregular blog series about literature and writing from the perspective of writers themselves. This entry comes to us from Nina Munteanu, an award-winning Canadian ecologist and novelist. In addition to eight published novels, she has authored short stories, articles and non-fiction books, which have been translated into several languages throughout the world. She is currently an editor of European zine Europa SF and writes for Amazing Stories. Nina teaches writing at George Brown College and the University of Toronto. Her latest book “Water Is…” (due in Spring 2016 by Pixl Press) is a non-fiction examination of the meaning of water. In this second installment of a two-part dispatch, she discusses intersections between ecology, women, and science fiction. Many thanks, Nina!
Dispatches from the Word Mines is an irregular blog series about literature and writing from the perspective of writers themselves. This entry comes to us from Nina Munteanu, an award-winning Canadian ecologist and novelist. In addition to eight published novels, she has authored short stories, articles and non-fiction books, which have been translated into several languages throughout the world. She is currently an editor of European zine Europa SF and writes for Amazing Stories. Nina teaches writing at George Brown College and the University of Toronto. Her latest book “Water Is…” (due in Spring 2016 by Pixl Press) is a non-fiction examination of the meaning of water. In this first installment of a two-part dispatch, she discusses intersections between ecology, women, and science fiction. Many thanks, Nina!
Dispatches from the Word Mines is an irregular blog series about literature and writing from the perspective of writers themselves. This entry comes to us from Rebecca Buchanan, editor of the Pagan literary ezine, Eternal Haunted Summer. She is also the editor-in-chief of Bibliotheca Alexandrina. She has been published in a wide variety of venues, with most of her work featuring Gods, Goddesses, spirits, witches, and the occasional nereid. In this dispatch, she discusses polytheism in the context of fantasy by walking us through the creation of Gods and Goddesses for fiction. Many thanks, Rebecca!
Dispatches from the Word Mines is an irregular blog series about literature and writing from the perspective of writers themselves. This entry comes to us from Arie Farnham, author of The Kyrennei Series, an epic dystopian thriller. In this dispatch, she discusses building fictional Pagan gods and religious systems. Many thanks, Arie!
An FYI note for writers: I have "Dispatches from the Word Mines" posts lined up through the month of January, which means you have plenty of time to put one together if you'd like to contribute! Drop me a line at csmaccath.com/contact if you're interested. Of note, you're welcome to post on virtually any topic you like, and I do welcome self-promotional posts for forthcoming and recently released books.
Dispatches from the Word Mines is an irregular blog series about literature and writing from the perspective of writers themselves. This entry comes to us from T. Eric Bakutis, author of Glyphbinder, a finalist for the 2014 Compton Crook Award. In this dispatch, he gives us three good reasons to kill a character. Many thanks, Eric!
Dispatches from the Word Mines is an irregular blog series about literature and writing from the perspective of writers themselves. This entry comes to us from Rebecca Buchanan, editor of the Pagan literary ezine, Eternal Haunted Summer. She is also the editor-in-chief of Bibliotheca Alexandrina. She has been published in a wide variety of venues, with most of her work featuring Gods, Goddesses, spirits, witches, and the occasional nereid. In this dispatch, she discusses polytheism in the context of science fiction. Many thanks, Rebecca!
To consider the Earth as the only populated world in infinite space is as absurd as to assert that in an entire field of millet, only one grain will grow. -- Metrodorus of Chios, 4th century BCE