Happy August 31!

With the whole month ahead of us, it’s time again to check in with news from RT-world.

First, I have another story out in Clarkesworld, this one titled Slight Forms. I’m quite pleased with how it turned out and I’m continuing to count my blessings that I have now had my first two published stories (Meddling Fields before this one) in the pages of such a prestigious science fiction magazine. It’s still very difficult to process at times. I think, at the risk of tooting my own horn, one thing I excelled at with each story was including that surprise factor Neil Clarke often mentions as something he looks for in submissions. And to balance things out, I think one thing I don’t have that may be working against my submissions elsewhere is a clear command of current genre conventions and tropes. That’s something I would definitely want to improve on, even if it’s just so I’m better at giving feedback on stories I beta-read.

I’m currently tied up in revisions for my novel. It’s been a slightly grueling process so far but also very educational. For example, I had the thought recently that, as much as I hate getting too detailed with world-building before I begin drafting, it helps to have some kind of encyclopedic document to help jog your memory when you haven’t looked at the story for more than a year and it’s now time to revise and get it read for sub. I’m excited about going on sub whenever that happens. I hope acquiring editors like my story about a sentient ship and its lone human passenger recreating the scorpion and turtle fable in space.

In more short story news, the first of three stories I sold to Interzone has a release date that’s right around the corner. October 2022. The Building Across the Street is a story I’m very excited about and I still can’t believe it’s going to be in the pages of Interzone. Gareth Jelley, the new editor, has been one of the coolest people I’ve connected with since embarking on this journey. And he has excellent taste in stories. I’ve read all these. Some even twice.

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What I’m currently reading: To Sleep in a Sea of Stars

What I’m currently watching: House of the Dragon

What I’m currently listening to: Upside Down by Diana Ross (this one makes an appearance in a story I recently finished writing)