Hello lovely readers!
Winter is here, and it’s time for a little newsletter update. If you’d like to hear about what I’ve been upto while the weather has gotten colder, read on!
Writing
I was grateful to make it to the final of the 2024 Sorrento Creative Writing Prize for a speculative fiction short story I wrote. Huge congratulations to the winners!
Working on short stories is a new approach to writing for me, so it was definitely a leap to enter the contest, and I’m thrilled with how far I got in the contest. Thanks to the judges and to the Sorrento Writers Festival, and Future Leaders for putting on the contest.
At the moment I’m working on finishing off the early draft of Project Cruise. Thank you to my wonderful critique partners who patiently waited for me to resurface after the end of semester. I’m almost at 50,000 words for this project, so things are coming along!
I’m definitely ready to wrap this project up and let it rest for a bit while I plan what’s next. I’ve definitely been battling distraction from a few ideas for other projects.
Last week I returned to weekend cafe sessions for writing and it was great! It’s definitely a rhythm of my life that I look forward to.
Editing
Lately I’ve been editing a range of exciting projects. From developmental edits of a YA fantasy, to line edits on sci-fi graphic novellas, middle-grade mystery chapter books, and contemporary fiction, there’s been a little bit of everything.
I really enjoy the variation of projects I get to work on, and the different authors I collaborate with to bring each book to readers. It’s a rewarding process!
Here’s just a couple of titles I’ve worked on recently:
Studying
I’ve wrapped up for semester (yay), but I haven’t necessarily slowed down. I’ve taken on additional work during the break between semesters. While I’m super excited about the different projects I’m working on at the moment, it’s definitely a season of reminding myself to rest well during the busy seasons
To that end, I will be taking a brief break soon which I’m very much looking forward to.
Next semester will (all going to plan) be the final semester of my Masters degree! I’m incredibly excited to graduate. It’s been the right choice to do this degree, but one which is often tiring due to the juggle of life, work, and study.
In my final semester I’m hoping to work on an extended creative project, one that I’ve been mulling over for some time now. I’m excited to finally have a bit of scope to explore the idea more.
Resting
If you’ve been following this newsletter for a while, you’ll know that rest is something that I truly value. Hustle is overrated, and while I don’t always get the balance right, there’s a few things I’ve been doing to take care of myself.
Recently I’ve been playing more videogames, and recently began Coffee Talk which is a cozy, narrative driven game set in a fantasy version of Seattle. As a cafe owner, your role in the game is to make the drinks and learn the stories of your various customers – from vampires, shapeshifters and orcs, there’s a little bit of everything. It’s been a relaxing play-through so far, though perhaps shorter than I expected.
As I alluded to on Instagram recently, I’m in my graphic novel era (when was I not?)
- Nimona by ND Stevenson. This was my end of semester reward. I’ve been wanting to read this since I saw the Netflix adaptation (worthwhile) and it didn’t disappoint. Heartwarming and imaginative, found family at its best.
- Lore Olympus Vol. 5. by Rachel Smythe. I’m sad that this graphic novel series is coming to an end fairly soon, but this instalment was just as enjoyable as the others.
Audiobooks:
- Kilt Trip by Alexandra Kiley. The wanderlust is strong with this one. Made me wistful for travel, and specifically travelling back to Scotland. Dual narration.
- Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree. A prequel to Legends and Lattes this cozy fantasy novel about an Orc recuperating from their injury in a seaside town and assessing their life goals is just as cozy as I hoped it would be. The audiobook is narrated by the author and Baldree has a real knack for engaging character voices. If you like to have an audiobook humming away in the background as you do housework, or drift off to sleep, Baldree’s books are perfect for that.
E-book:
- What The Hex by Jessica Clare. I’m seeing a bit of a trend with my reads this month – cozy, light-hearted fantasy. What The Hex was a library read, the sequel to Go Hex Yourself that could easily be read as a standalone. Romantic comedy with a fun take on the fake dating trope. If you like closed door or fade to black, you might have to skip some pages…
Other rest? I recently took a trip with some girlfriends to a hot springs and it was glorious. Definitely one of those ‘why don’t I do this more often?’ things. The Mister and I have also been meal-prepping, which might sound like an odd thing to count as ‘rest’ but it’s made our life that little bit easier during the week which is a definite win with our schedule.
Cat Corner
Luna was recently very “helpful” when I completed a puzzle.
What have you been reading lately?
If you’ve made it this far, I’m impressed by your dedication. Tell me what you’ve been upto, and what books you’ve been enjoying. I’m always looking for new recommendations, so leave one in the comments.
Steph Huddleston 