News
Books
Another reminder that Tales of Christmas is out! Youâll find my story under my non-fiction penname, Virginia Mueller. Iâve been able to read other stories in the book too and recommend âGrandmaâs Christmas Sweaterâ by
. Reading this has reminded me how much I love anthologies. Each story is a bit of popcorn -tasty and easy to consume.
Events
Illinois Novel Quest finished on Nov 30th! It really took over my November. I hosted twelve events this month to help people with writing and I had a lot of fun on themed nights. This soundscape we used for silent writing time on ninja night 100% caught some eyesâŚ.
No December events planned, but Iâm gearing up for the Emerging Author Expo at Glen Ellyn! Iâll be a vendor on the 25th of January, but will also do a marketing presentation during the lead-up on Jan 11th.
Gwenâs Writing Gossip
I finished my Novel Quest goal of editing The Adventure List! 𼳠I finished the month by starting to send out queries. After three drafts, this book is ready to be seen, and while I have independently published titles I feel like this one would benefit from the traditional route.
Spent part of this month also riding high on compliments about Returning to You. Someone on Tumblr let me know itâs a book theyâve reread (OMG) and someone else mentioned how it provided a âhow to do it rightâ guide on handling their daughterâs coming out. I have always wanted my stories to have an impact, and knowing they have 100% brought me to cloud nine.
I almost have a final cover for the anthology Iâm co-editing, itâs so pretty! There are a lot of last-minute details to handle - interior page layouts, proof passes, and developing marketing materials. I feel like that will be a lot of December - not writing but more of the business, technical stuff of getting a book ready.
Relatedly, Iâve been thinking about how I want to manage my writing time and share content next year (which Iâve shared before with Ko-Fi Subscribers) which will probably lead to more content in your inbox other than these monthly updates. Stay tuned!
Media Recommendations
I finished When Women Were Dragons this month, and loved it. Itâs a dense read, very character-driven, about what happens to society when thousands of women suddenly turn into dragons and leave. Itâs hard for me to describe - it weaves together patriarchy and McCarthyism and feminism and the draw of ignoring social trauma to continue as normal. The main character struggles to deal with her abandonment even as itâs something she canât talk about. But at the end of the day, society does change. It takes years, decades, but watching that slow awareness bloom in the next generation and society start to acknowlege and heal was amazing.
I also really liked Catâs Cafe. I had seen sporadic comics on social media, but when I found the collection on Hoopla snagged a copy. Theyâre cute comics about a coffee shop run by a cat and all the characters that visit the cafe, from a deaf fox to an anxious alligator. Theyâre soothing and positive, and Iâm currently reading the next volume. Itâs the book equivalent of tea and a blanket.
The holidays are around the corner - are you reading something specific for the season?
Reading about Ye Olde England in WOLF HALL. Congratulations on finishing your editing. Keep us apprised of your other activities.