September 2024 Writing News Update
Worldcon, the Hugos, and SEXY COFFEE
I am fresh from my travels to Scotland to attend Glasgow Worldcon and the Hugos Ceremony. So have a short but sweet newsletter.
Glasgow and Hugos
This was the first time I traveled overseas to attend a Worldcon (the only other two times was in Chicago). It felt a bit weird to be in an entirely different country and yet be surrounded by the usual characteristics of a con. Nametags. People who I hadn't seen since pre-pandemic times. Panels. Cosplay.
And yes, the Hugo Awards.
As I pretty much expected, GigaNotoSaurus did not win the Hugo for Best Semiprozine. That honor went to Strange Horizons (very well deserved). But we did get a Hugo pin and certificate, and I got to dress up and attend the reception and ceremony in person.
One of the biggest highlights was meeting one of my associate editors at GNS, Edward Wentz. It’s not often I get to meet someone from my staff; everyone on the GNS Slush team is scattered on different continents, so meeting in person is always a treat.
As for Glasgow, it was GORGEOUS! I got to eat black pudding and haggis, both very tasty. While I did not partake in any whiskey, I did a short exploration of the city, which included the Glasgow Cathedral and Necropolis. I also took a driving tour of Scotland's lochs and castles.
It was a wonderful trip, and it’s already got me planning for next year’s WorldCon, which will be in Seattle.
GenCon
The week before Glasgow, I attended GenCon and had a fabulous time. I led a workshop on revision, did an escape room based on Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” and caught up with even more people. I also got two copies of Interdimensions, the 2024 GenCon Writers Anthology edited by Toiya Kristen Finley, now available for purchase. Once all my travels are finished, I’ll do a giveaway of the second copy, so stay tuned!
WSFA nomination
Also, the nominations haven't stopped. At the end of June, I learned that my short story "By the Works of Her Hands", which appeared in the Never Too Old To Save the World anthology, was nominated for the WSFA Small Press Award for Short Fiction. The winner will be announced at Capclave 2024 at the end of this month.
What’s coming up next
In two weeks, I’m off with my sister to visit Tokyo! Then in October, it’s back to Martha’s Vineyard to help with the Viable Paradise Writing Workshop. After that, I’ll be knuckling down on the AfroFae novel, which is coming along nicely. I’m in the brainstorming and research portion, and it’s been so fun fleshing out my ideas on how I want the story to go. I also got a couple of short stories in the hopper, so yes, I’m keeping very busy nowadays.
Supporting me!
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Thanks for reading! And now to sigh over the fact that there isn’t a “Sexy Coffee” coffeshop like there is in Glasgow.
So good to see updates from you! And I'm especially glad that you'll be carving out time for your fiction - *such* a challenge when filling so many other industry roles, too! Have a great time with writing that AfroFae MS, when you get to it!