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I was recently an instructor on the final (for now) annual Writing Excuses cruise. A lot of the conversations I had with attendees were about grappling with perfectionism.
As we learn more about the craft of writing and storytelling, we can actually get worse for a little while, because we’re integrating that new knowledge imperfectly. It can be so easy to get down on ourselves as a result.
But the reason we got into writing in the first place wasn’t perfection. It was the joy of telling stories. So, I have been centering joy in my own writing lately, and it has felt wonderful.
While I am thinking about Writing Excuses, we have issued a Save the Date announcement for our 2027 retreat.
We are partnering with Maurice Broaddus and The Ray Bradbury Center in Indianapolis for a writing retreat from June 10-16, 2027.
Current confirmed instructors include Maurice, Jason Aukerman, and me.
The theme is “Do What You Love, and Love What You Do.”
To be among the first to know when ticket sales open, subscribe to the Writing Excuses newsletter.
MRK’s Mundane Moments
Here’s a quick snapshot of what I’m…
- Crafting: Lost in Time shawl
- Reading: Lunar Rendezvous by Vesper Black *
- Writing: “The troubleshooter for the oldest system sent her to the far end of the room to an antiquated set of manual toggle switches.”
- Watching: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
- Enjoying: Being at home for the next month
Noteworthy News
Right now through October 1 at 4 P.M. Eastern, two books I am looking forward to narrating are currently crowdfunding their audiobooks.
Undeniable by Jes Honard and Marie Parks is a supernatural thriller staring an asexual protagonist. I love these books!
The Sapphics Strike Back is a short story anthology published by Space Wizard Science Fantasy featuring all the tropes you can imagine when the writing prompt is “lesbians in space.”
If you contribute to both audiobook campaigns, you will receive a special digital gift.
I previously narrated the first titles in each of these series, and I am looking forward to returning to these speculative worlds.
Upcoming Events
I have a few book signings, festivals, and other opportunities for connection coming up. I’d love to see you at one (or more!)
THIS MONTH:
- Every Sunday, 12 PM ET: Make Me Write session for Patreon subscribers at that tier
- Tuesday, September 22 at 8 PM ET: Writing Excuses Q&A for Patreon supporters
- Monday, September 28 at 8 PM ET: “From Idea to Outline” – Patreon class for Live-streaming Classes tier and above
- Tuesday, September 29 at 8 PM ET: Ask Me Anything for Patreon supporters at the Q&A tier and above
FUTURE:
- Thursday, October 15 at 6:30 PM MT in Carbondale, CO: “Manipulating Tone and Mood” – Aspen Writers Network Third Thursday Meeting
- October 21-26 in Surrey, BC: Surrey International Writers Conference
- February 4-6, 2027 in Colorado Springs, CO: Superstars Writing Seminar – register by September 30 for $100 off
- February 20-27, 2027 in Fort Lauderdale, FL: JoCo Cruise (90+% sold out)
- April 30 – May 3, 2027 in Albuquerque, NM: I’m an instructor (along with Sarah Gailey and Premee Mohamed) at Sandia Starforgers Workshop and Retreat for sci-fi, fantasy, horror, alt history, and other speculative fiction writers. (70% sold out, scholarship available)
Featured Patreon Event
Short Story Intensive (free access for paid members): One-Time Live Event
October 9-11, 2026
One of my favorite workshops I teach is my Short Story Intensive. It’s a three-day workshop designed to give writers tools for writing short stories. My philosophy is that, once you have these tools, if you have 90 minutes available, you can write a short story. Case in point, I wrote my first Hugo-nominated short story, “Evil Robot Monkey,” in 90 minutes.
Typically, I teach this workshop live, and I charge $600 for it. I provide exercises on viewpoint, dialogue, and plot so you can learn how to let nothing go to waste. By the end of the workshop, attendees have completed and received critique on their own short story.
While I do plan to teach it live again in the future, I want to create a more accessible, on-demand version. And that is infinitely more fun to do in good company.
Therefore, I want to invite every paying member of my Patreon to join me live in Zoom as I record the on-demand version of the Short Story Intensive. These recording sessions will take place at the following times:
- Session 1: Friday, October 9 at 8-10 PM ET
- Session 2: Saturday, October 10 at 2:30-4:30 PM ET
- Session 3: Saturday, October 10 at 8-10 PM ET
- Session 4: Sunday, October 11 at 5-7 PM ET
- Session 5: Sunday, October 11 at 9-11 PM ET
I won’t be pausing to give you time to write the exercises, and I won’t be critiquing stories.
I will be teaching all of the material. I’ll give you a chance to ask questions via a 30-minute Q&A at the end of each session. I’ll provide an area within the Lady Astronaut Club Discord for you to cheer read each others’ work. There will be a multi-hour break between sessions on Saturday and Sunday, so you could use that time to work on the exercises, if you like.
This is the only time you will be able to access the curriculum without paying an additional cost for the course. If you’ve been considering joining my Patreon, or upgrading from free to paid, you may want to sign up in time to attend this workshop. To get access to the live workshop recording, join my Patreon at any paid tier.
If you’re looking for more writing instruction, I’m teaching a class called “From Idea to Outline” for the Live-streaming Classes tier and above on Monday, September 28 at 8 PM ET. Often, we have a nugget of an idea that we want to play with, but we can’t find the story. This class will walk you through a toolbox to go from idea to outline. This will also work for people who are pantsers, because they can apply the tools at any point in the process. The goal of this class isn’t “this is how it’s done,” but rather, “here are some tools for when you’re struggling.”
I offer a 7-day free trial for new Patreon members.
Elsie’s Corner
Elsie has opinions about nearly everything. Including music.
This video captures an interesting moment where my husband was listening to opera. There were many places in the apartment that Elsie could have chosen to be, and she chose to be right in front of the speaker.
As one aria ended and another began, she started a conversation with my husband.
Want to start your own communication journey with your animal?
Click this link and use the code “elsiewant” for 12% off FluentPet buttons.*
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