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Happy December! Somehow we’ve made it to the end of another year. I’m preparing to travel home to Tennessee for the holiday season, and very much looking forward to it.
I hope that, however you close out the year, it brings you some measure of warmth. On my end, I have three offerings for you:
- I’m running a free Lady Astronaut book club beginning in January, complete with discussion questions and live AMA sessions.
- A new short story cohort will kick off in late January, and applications are now open.
- Writing Excuses is now accepting reservations for its 2025 retreats! If you register before January 12th you’ll also get to join a virtual meet-and-greet with me in January.
The end of 2024 also means we’re just three months away from the launch of The Martian Contingency. If you haven’t placed your pre-order yet, you can do so here. It will make a great holiday gift while also helping me tremendously. If you want to go all-in on the Lady Astronaut Universe, my store also has signed editions of the first three books available.
MRK’s Mundane Moments
A quick snapshot of what I’m…
- Crafting: Christmas ornaments as party favors.
- Reading: The Champagne Letters by Kate McItosh
- Writing: “The stubble of his cheek was a vibrant burr under her lips.”
- Watching: The Repair Shop
The Martian Contingency: Behind the Scenes
Since The Martian Contingency is only a few months away, I thought it would be fun to give you a peek behind the scenes as we close in on the release date.
Starting with: Why this story?
I’ve known for a long time that Elma’s story wasn’t finished. The events of The Lady Astronaut series have all built towards the idea of creating a life off Earth. Now that the foundation has been laid, the true work begins: Preparing for a sustainable, enriching Martian habitat where civilians can thrive.
When I sat down to write The Martian Contingency I wanted to explore a few different ideas:
- How to import Earth culture, language, and diversity without also importing the darker aspects of humanity.
- The dynamics of a full-fledged habitat, with different personalities and expectations mingling together.
- Taking a scientifically grounded sci-fi story about characters we’ve followed for years, and wrapping it in a cozy mystery.
That last bullet point may seem like a deviation from previous novels, but it really isn’t. The Lady Astronaut books have always invited readers to look at what happens when people talk to one another and make the kinder choice.
The Martian Contingency will have the danger, misunderstandings, and very real stakes you’ve come to expect. But I also hope you walk away feeling like you’ve just received a big hug from Elma and her community.
Click here to pre-order The Martian Contingency
Noteworthy News
Short Story Cohort: Applications Open
I’m once again opening the doors to a short story cohort. This application-only, three-month writing experience will help you learn the craft of short stories while also generating new work.
Join the Lady Astronaut Book Club
Prepare yourself for the upcoming release of The Martian Contingency! Join us for a group read-along of the first two Lady Astronaut books. It’s free to join. Discussions will happen through Discord, email, and Instagram. I’ll also host several live video calls where you can ask me anything.
Writing Excuses: 2025 Retreats
The Writing Excuses podcast will host two retreats this upcoming year, and I’ll be at both of them! Register for one of the events now to receive an invitation to our virtual meet-and-greet in January.
Scholarships are also available, and applications close soon.
2025 Patreon Overview
If you’re planning to make writing a priority in 2025, consider joining Patreon at the Class or Make Me Write levels.
Class Level: Uplevel Your Craft
Patrons who join at the class level will have the chance to join me for 12 live classes throughout the year (one a month), plus access to our entire class archive.
Topics are still being finalized, but past classes have included:
- Diagnosing Story Problems
- Building Character Conflicts
- Methods of Worldbuilding
- Structuring a Heist
Make Me Write Level: Curate Dedicated Writing Time
And if you want dedicated time to put words on the page, the Make Me Write tier includes all of the classes plus dedicated writing time with me, every single week.
Head to Patreon and make your 2025 commitment to your writing.
Elsie’s Corner: Messages From Your Feline Overlord
Elsie is famous! The Allusionist, a fantastic podcast all about language, just released a two-part series about Elsie (and me). Give it a listen here:
The reason I love buttons is because she can tell me exactly what she wants. And we can negotiate when I can’t provide.
For folks who are familiar with Elsie, I recently swapped her OR button to CHOOSE.
Looking at the logs from her Fluent Pet Connect I realized that she was tending to use it like a question word.
And every time I was modeling OR it was in the context of a choice.
Our communication has been much clearer since I made that swap.
Want to start your own communication journey with your animal?
Click the link below and use the code “elsiewant” for 12% off FluentPet buttons.
Learn What Your Animal Has to Say
As always, I’m deeply grateful for your presence here. Thank you for your ongoing support.
Yours,
Mary Robinette Kowal
