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Goodness, I have been blown away by the support my Silent Spaces Kickstarter has received since launching last week.
Not only did we fund in just 8 hours, but we’ve unlocked numerous stretch goals.
It’s been a truly humbling experience, and I can’t thank you enough for coming along on this journey with me. I’m deeply excited to share this volume of Lady Astronaut Universe short stories with you.
I also want to shine a spotlight on another crowdfunding effort: Sandra Tayler’s BackerKit, Structuring Life to Support Creativity.
Sandra is not only a dear friend, but she’s an absolute font of wisdom when it comes to making space for your creative pursuits. If you’re any kind of artist, maker, actor, dreamer, or weaver of ideas, this workbook will be incredibly helpful. I’ve personally experienced almost all of the workshops that inspired this book, and they have changed how I think about my creative life.
Thank you again for your ongoing support. It means the world.
MUNDANE MOMENTS WITH MRK
A quick snapshot of what I’m…
- Crafting: Crocheting this Seda top with some of the yarn I picked up in Japan.
- Reading: All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
- Writing: “Have you ever done a thing and you know it’s a bad idea while you’re doing it and you want to make a different choice, but you do it anyway?”
- Watching: Bridgerton!
- Enjoying: Ethique conditioner bar for curly hair.
NOTEWORTHY NEWS
Structuring Life to Support Creativity
Life is often chaotic. It’s filled with relationships to maintain, responsibilities to meet, and day-to-day stressors.
Sandra’s new project provides a comprehensive resource book those who need guidance around making more space and time in their lives for their creative pursuits.
Silent Spaces Kickstarter
The Kickstarter has fully funded and is now seeking support for its stretch goals! Take a look at what’s already achieved orbit and what’s currently on deck. From shiny new enamel pins to custom coffee, this campaign is has blown away all of my expectations.
Close Reading Series with Writing Excuses
This season, the Writing Excuses podcast is hosting a close reading series, where we all read a single book or set of short stories (including our listeners), then focus on one element of craft over a series of episodes.
Starting his month, we’re doing a deep dive into character using a selection of short stories by C.L. Clark. If you want to follow along, you can read the stories here:
- You Perfect, Broken Thing
- The Cook
- Your Eyes, My Beacon: Being An Account of Several Misadventures and How I Found My Way Home
Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you can listen along.
FEATURED READ
Last month, Patreon members had the opportunity to join me in discussing Liza Palmer’s latest release, Family Reservations.
This book was so good, weaving together a complex family dynamic (think Succession) with some of the most delicious food descriptions ever. The story also does a beautiful job of handling an omniscient narrator. I highly recommend it, though do expect to come away hungry.
Family Reservations
A powerful mother. Three daughters. And a fast-paced, cutthroat culinary legacy up for grabs in a darkly witty novel about a family on the edge by the bestselling author of The Nobodies and The F Word.
Maren Winter is a world-renowned restaurateur who has built an empire. No one heeds the whispers of her retirement more closely than her three daughters, all in service to their mother’s legacy.
On the night of Maren’s annual New Year’s Eve party, a line is crossed, and word of a humiliating family meltdown spreads like a Northern California wildfire through the culinary elite. It’s a golden opportunity for one of them to step into power—and a trigger for a spiraling descent into paranoia and blind ambition.
As the Winter family’s dissolution begins, so does a journey of competition, love, loyalty, self-preservation, and the need for three women to forge a path of their own
WHERE TO FIND MARY ROBINETTE
Retreat season is quickly approaching! In the next few months you can find me at two Writing Excuses events—both of which still have a few tickets available, if you’d like to join me.
- WXR Scotland: Research, Writing, and Swordplay (August 2 – August 7, 2024)
- WXR Cruise: The Business of Writing (September 19 – September 27)
Looking further ahead to October, I’ll be at the Surrey International Writers Con. Tickets are now available if you’d like to attend either in person or virtually.
ELSIE‘S CORNER
In all of the Kickstarter excitement, I’ve been spending far more time on my phone than usual. Elsie, of course, never misses a beat and has big feelings about this turn of events.
On the first day, she kept coming over to my desk and very gently tapping my leg with her paw. I finally followed her over to her button board and she had this to say.
Elsie: Mad
Me: Why mad, Elsie?
Elsie: Device.
All things considered, I think this was fairly polite.
Want to start your own communication journey with your animal?
Click this link and use the code “elsiewant” for 12% off FluentPet buttons.
If you’d prefer to receive this update in your email inbox (along with additional content, like my cat’s latest conversations), you can sign up for my newsletter using the form below. I’ll also send you a short story in thanks.
“Congratulations on the amazing success of your Kickstarter! It’s fantastic to see the Silent Spaces project receive such overwhelming support. Can’t wait to read the new stories!”