Summer School is in Session

Well, if last month was the famine of writerly news, this month is a feast! Not a big one, but I’ve got a solid couple of courses here to share with you. Let’s start with the big one:

Out Now!

My flash fiction story “Ms. Anaria’s Classroom Rules for W̶e̶l̶l̶-̶B̶e̶h̶a̶v̶e̶d̶ ̶K̶i̶n̶d̶e̶r̶g̶a̶r̶t̶n̶e̶r̶s̶ When Alien Ambassadors Dock with the Wrong Ship” is out now with Nature Futures!

“Ms. Anaria’s Classroom Rules” is about a kindergarten teacher who suddenly finds herself thrust into politics when the alien ambassadors dock with her ship instead of the government ship by mistake. She then decides to make lemonade out of lemons and get some injustices sorted.

Futures stories are only free to read for a short time, and include a short behind the scenes tidbit at the end, so please do check it out and share it on socials/with your friends right away. I hope you enjoy it.

Back in the writing groove

June also saw the return of a more regular writing routine for me. I am currently participating in a summer flash fiction contest with my online writing group, Codex. For the next month, I will be writing three stories and getting to read countless others from my fellow Codexians. Round One is already submitted. I am hoping to have three new, ready to submit flash fiction pieces from this contest and probably round out my flash writing for the year. I want to spend the second half of the year focusing on longer form projects ranging from novelettes to novels.

Libraries for the win

As the summer heat cranks up, I find myself seeking out cool places to write. I’ve recently begun to explore one of my local libraries as a workspace for writing, and I have been loving it. It’s not perfect, but it’s quiet, cool, and, oh yeah, I’m surrounded by books!

I know the writer's aesthetic is all about that Instagram-worthy cafe, but please do seriously consider checking out your local libraries for workspaces, quiet corners, or just in general. Libraries are honestly the greatest thing to come out of civilization, and they are unfortunately under threat right now. The more support the community can show for their libraries the better.

So, sign up for a library card, participate in the summer reading program, check out movies and TV shows and BOOKS, see if your library has any classes or workshops you’re interested in, snag passes to state parks, or just hang out in the AC. Any little bit you do helps. Be kind, be respectful, and go head to the library today.

Tell me what you want, what you really, really want

In light of the awkward feast/famine nature of publishing and therefore this newsletter, I thought I’d ask you, my readers, what you’d like to see from me when there is no traditional news to report. Behind the scenes of my stories? Insights into craft? WIP tidbits? Let me know with a comment here on the post what you’re interested in.

Stay cool out there and

Keep on writing on.

—Catherine