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The dogwoods are blooming, and I’m hitting the road again for various events (much to Elsie’s disappointment).
This past month I had the pleasure of hosting a workshop on the MICE Quotient for the Emerald City Romance Writers in Seattle. I also ventured to Austin to meet up with the other hosts of the Writing Excuses podcast. It was delightful to see everyone. We successfully recorded seventeen episodes and laid some important groundwork for the future of the podcast.
On the topic of Writing Excuses, I’m very much looking forward to our September Writing Retreat and Alaskan Cruise. We’re already at 80% capacity, and I can’t wait to meet the writers who are attending. You’re certainly invited, if it’s within your ability to attend. Full registration information is available here.
Looking ahead, I have a few exciting classes coming up in April. I’d love to see you in attendance. I also uploaded a free session about writing heists to YouTube, so you can get a taste for what it’s like to attend one of my workshops.
More information on each of the classes, as well as my upcoming events, can be found below.
NOTEWORTHY NEWS
(Public Classes, Awards, and More)
Award season is officially upon us. I encourage you to take a look at the latest award announcements.
- Nebula Finalists Announced: The event was livestreamed and can be watched back.
- Award Eligibility: I’ve compiled a brief list of my own works which are eligible. I’d be honored if you kept me in mind during voting for the Hugo Awards, Locus Awards, and any other book awards.
Upcoming Public Class: Barriers to Writing
April 23, 2023 at 3pm Eastern
This class looks at what keeps people from writing. This is less about problems with the story and more about all the external things. It’ll cover environmental factors, mental health, and tricks for pushing past all of this to write.
| I’m teaching classes throughout the year, on a variety of writing topics. Click here to take a look at the full 2023 class schedule and save your space for future sessions. |
| Writing Workshop Grant: For each of my workshops I offer one or more seats for a person of color of a marginalized gender or sexuality, funded in part by my Patreon supporters. Head to the registration page for more information. |
Free Class: How to Structure a Heist (Recorded)
| When you’re trying to figure out how to write a heist, you have to balance an ensemble cast, elements of thrillers, and the need to deliver satisfying twists while also keeping the story moving forward. This was originally recorded for Mary Robinette Kowal’s Patreon Supporters. If you enjoy it, consider joining my Patreon at the Livestreaming Classes level or higher. |
PATREON EVENTS
The below events are open to anyone who becomes a Patron at a participating level. If the below sessions are of interest to you, you can head here to become a Patron.
Not only will you gain access to upcoming events, but you will also unlock my archive of past interviews, workshops, and Q&As.
April Interviewing Experts
Each month, I invite an expert to join me in conversation about their speciality. The topic rotates based on their area of expertise, and I interview them as if I were preparing to write something featuring their job.
Expect to learn about the interesting jargon, behind-the-scenes-challenges, and unexpected joys each expert faces.
The interview is live streamed on YouTube, but at the end of each session I host a Patreon-exclusive Q&A session, where you can talk with the experts yourself!
I’m thrilled to have lined up TWO experts for April, making it a perfect month to try out the Interview level of my Patreon.
Expert #1: Babatunde Akinboboye, Opera Singer
April 18, 2023 at 8:00PM Eastern
Interviewing Experts continues this month with Babatunde Akinboboye. Baritone, Influencer, and HipHopera Artist, Tùndè unapologetically combines his operatic training, love for hip hop, and affinity for stylistic juxtaposition.
His hundreds of thousands of followers know him for his humorous takes, impressive rap skills, and centering of Black contributors to opera and classical music.
Expert #2: Dr. Melinda Hutson, Meteoriticist
April 19, 2023 at 8:00PM Eastern
Dr. Hutson is a meteoriticist with a PhD in Planetary Science. She helped create the Cascadia Meteorite Laboratory (where she serves as curator), teaches and mentors students from Portland State University, and researches and classifies new meteorites.
Join this session to learn more about her work and how it has helped her appreciate how unique and weirdly wonderful Earth is.
April Patreon Class: Tension, It’s More Than Just Conflict
April 24, 2023 at 8:00pm Eastern
Each month, I host a private writing class for Patrons at the Class Level. This month, we’re talking about tension.
Readers are pulled through stories by various forms of tension. Conflict, as a relatively external form of tension, is easy to see and to teach. Other forms of tension, such as juxtaposition, doubt, twists, or unanswered questions, can pull a reader through a narrative by creating a sense of anticipation.
Monthly Q&A and Writing Date
April 25, 2023 at 8:00pm Eastern
Join me for monthly online Q&A and co-working! I’ll open a Zoom session and we’ll start off with a half hour of Q&A, followed by quiet co-working, and finish off with a bit of social time. I’ll take questions about my most recent writing class, general writing topics, and more.
WHERE TO FIND MRK
(Upcoming Events and Appearances)
I have quite a bit of travel coming up in the next few months. Here’s where I’ll be:
- May 5-6 in Berkeley, CA: Panel speaker at the Bay Area Book Festival. Learn more about the event.
- May 18-20 in Berlin, Germany: Speaker at Metropol Con. Learn More.
- June 2-4 in Kansas City, MO: Guest of Honor at ConQuesT 54. Learn More.
To look further ahead, you can view my entire event calendar here.
I hope to see you at one of my upcoming online or in-person events!
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.
