Reading: 

Rakesfall by Vajra Chandrasekera (I'm not sure what I'm listening to or where it's going.)

Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar

Study:

Structuring Your Novel by K.M. Weiland 

New Writing:

started a file in Scrivener

Submissions:

2 submission; plus reaching out to about a dozen independent bookstores about carrying my book in preparation for April (National Poetry Month) - this is work that I do not enjoy, but I set a goal and got it done 

RESULTS:  acceptance from PAN-O-PLY

Connections:

Yes, MA'AM check in and continued email conversations; 

Reading: 

Children of Anguish and Anarchy by Tomi Adeyemi (Was thrilled to finally finish this series! HIGH action. Taught me the value of restraint early so that you can ramp up at the end of a book or series.)

Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz (I Love-love-love this one. Some big ideas about what makes a person and autonomy, couched in some good basic people-stuff: food and relationships and community. Highly recommend.)

Murder by Memory by Olivia Waite (Enjoyed this "cozy mystery" in space.)

Study:

Wonderbook by Jeff VanderMeer (I took lots of notes and created an enormous future-reading list.)

New Writing:

a few poems; notecards of ideas for the novel

Submissions:

no submissions;  curteous declinations (2)

RESULTS:  BIG NEWS on the post-publication awards for Midlife Calculus

Connections:

Yes, MA'AM check in and continued email conversations; press-releases (4 places picked up the story); 

made contact about joining a critique group

Reading:

The Bear  by Andre Krivak (National Book Award Finalist)

A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders (taking notes on this one, which was recommended by another writer friend in an MFA program)

How to Steal a Galaxy by Beth Revis (Ok, this one is mostly for fun. Yet, I've met her. She was a high school teacher in the county over and she writes fast-paced YA scifi and her personal experience of hard work makes me believe that I, too,  can do this.)

North Continent Ribbon by Ursula Whitcher (She's a *mathematician* (swoon) and this book was short listed for the Ursula Le Guin Prize! Plus, it's short stories and I need to study those more closely.)

New Writing:

just ideas so far

Submissions:

no submissions; waiting to hear back from August submissions - 

RESULTS from PSA fall contest: 3rd place in the "Peace Category" and I won prize $!

Connections:

posting to socials, creating this page, registers for fall PSI event 

Reading:

Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky (sci-fi)

False Value by Ben Aaronovitch* (hilarious mystery series - speculative)

Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki (work in translation - cozy speculative)

Study:

On Becoming a Novelist by John Gardner - I didn't take notes on this one, but underlined frequently... it reaffirmed my plan for the next month which is to work through The Art of Styling Sentences  by Ann Longknife, Ph.D and K.D. Sullivan and do the long, fundamental work of practicing writing the 20 different types of sentences included. His insights helped me to see my potential pitfalls moving from poetry and reminded me that one can learn. Perseverance in practice, self-believe, and editing is key. 

Lots of articles about tomato seeds in space after I learned about the Park Seed - NASA project from the 1980s. HOW did I MISS THAT!?!

New Writing:

reworked old poems; began a short NF piece; wrote a long letter so I could trick myself into getting the NF piece spit out; rough drafts of new poems

Submissions:

2 batches of poems to literary magazines

Connections:

• Volunteered at and attended Proof: a Midwest Lit Fest  UHhhhh. This was pretty fantastic. I was able to listen to many of Indiana's contemporary writers, get inspired, learn about Indiana literary magazines and meet editors, find out about indy book stores, and meet fellow writers and readers. Came away excited and motivated to write.

• Reached out to another poet and bookstore. 

• Volunteered at the local library.

Reading:

Sweep of Stars by Maurice Broaddus (sci-fi writer living in Indianapolis (so important local lit-scene knowledge); also, this book is particularly interesting is that it deals with a question that's been on my mind quite a bit: What do the 'colonized' have to say about colonizing space?)

Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick (sci-fi adjacent -- classic band of strangers get thrown together to go on a trip structure, but it is does what it sets out to do: examine ways of experiencing and moving through grief without providing easy/trite answers)

Floating Hotel by By Grace Curtis (sci-fi - part strangers on a boat, part romance, part first contact, part murder mystery spy thriller, part code decryption... It had it all. And it was a light read. Characters came alive.)

Study:

The Art of Styling Sentences by Ann Longknife, Ph.D. and K.D. Sullivan (Upon advice from both Gardner's and Saunders' books about going back to the basics and practice writing sentences, I'm doing just that: I'm working through one type of sentence each day this month. (That was an example of Pattern 3, a compound sentence with explanatory statement in which the clauses are separated by a colon.) I made it through Pattern #14

New Writing:

poems, planning joint long-term project with another artist, and continued work on NF piece

Submissions:

4 poetry submissions sent out / 1 acceptance

2 rejections from previous months

Connections:

Yes, MA'AM meeting (Monthy Artist Accountability Meeting); trading work with 2 different writers

Reading: 

Because I Did Not Drown by Pat Riviere-Seel & Martyrs and Chickens by Kirstin Eve Beechy 

      both of these are essay collections that touch on the writing life and I found them helpful for remaining perseverant 

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid (made several "favorite of 2025" lists, so I wanted to check it out)

Salt by Helen Frost (heard the author speak recently and I want to learn more about the Myaamia people - seemed a good place to start)

The Garden by Nick Newman (interesting post-apocalyptic take about change or putting one's head in the sand to survive)

A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr. * (Trying to read the classics in the sci-fi genre.)

Nombono: Speculative Poetry by PIPOC Poets edited by Akua Lezli Hope (more on the persisting question about space colonization from the perspective of the colonized.)

After the Flood by Kassandra Montag* (another near-future read but global flooding...)

Study:

The Art of Styling Sentences by Ann Longknife, Ph.D. and K.D. Sullivan

New Writing:

two new CNF pieces fine tuned; several poems in rough drafts

Submissions:

only 3 submissions this month; two acceptances

Connections:

Yes, MA'AM check in and continued email conversations;