shanmonster | What a Year Already

Tonight I checked my email for a link I was expecting and discovered something else. I have been accepted into the Banff Centre For Arts and Creativity's Horror Residency! I'm so thrilled I might pee myself. I'll be working with Jessica Johns, author of Bad Cree (which has just jumped to the top of my To Be Read pile).

So grateful that I was accepted. I hear the competition was fierce.

In other news, my story "The Tupilaq," a tale of LandBack vengeance, has been published in Iridescence: Speculative Fiction and Poetry Featuring Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.

I'm almost finished my novel immersive program at GrubStreet. I need to work on an elevator pitch for my novel The Everwhen. I'll be presenting it to an agent next week. I'm better with words on paper than I am with words coming out of my mouth, so I'll have to practice.

Today I took part in a workshop about openings for dark fiction. I came up with two potential beginnings for what may very well be my next novel, an ensemble piece about angels, alchemy, and other supernatural shenanigans in a dilapidated shopping mall.

A halo of smoke settled over Gracie’s head as Gnat hit the bong again. Gnat held her breath, coughed, and passed the lighter to Gracie. “Where did you put my runes?”

Gracie reached for the bong and lighter. “Which ones?”

“The bone ones.” Gnat flicked blue-black hair out of her face and sank back into the couch, waving the clouds of smoke away.

And then there's this:

An old soldier peddled red, plastic poppies by the mall entryway. Ed dropped a loonie in the donation box, affixed the flower to his lapel, and with a voice saturated in irony, he thanked the man for his service. The veteran side-eyed him, but Ed was already past, jauntily weaving his way between the old folks filling the mall. It was pension day and the olds were everywhere, their canes and walkers filling the air with asynchronous ticks. A few seniors sagged down onto uncomfortable wire benches to sip cheap coffee out of paper cups, and Ed grinned. Everything was coming along just as it should. He scratched at the itchy nub of one of his missing ears before jogging down the stairwell to the basement.

It was fun to work on something brand-new.