Spring Blossoms, My GenCon Schedule, Links for Writers, and More!

Hello admirable and excellent readers,

It's been a cold Spring and, despite that, I've been playing in the dirt. Gardening at my local zoo started last month, I tried seeding my containers this year (but have had trouble with combative squirrels), and I've been helping a friend with their plants, too. The dirt has been wonderfully relaxing and stress-relieving--hopefully it'll be a bountiful year.

I've finished a cotton shawl that I've had fun designing, and after I knit a linen-cotton blend shawlette I am diving into embroidery. I really love to have small art projects I can do at my desk or on the patio. Sometimes, I'll knit while I'm reading or watching a video if I'm not taking notes.

I've also been engaging in lots of apartment therapy between writing sessions and reading. (Apartment therapy is what I call making improvements to my living spaces). I recently got a kneeling chair to help with my back pain, and it's been lovely—since I can't use it for more than an hour at a time, it helps me get up a do little things before getting back to work.

Recommended Nonfiction Reads

I've been reading a lot more lately, both for research and pleasure, and two books stand out from my pile. The first is called Scarcity Brain: Fix Your Craving Mindset and Rewire Your Habits to Thrive with Enough* by Michael Easter. Hands down, this deep dive into the evolutionary aspects of scarcity is one of the best nonfiction books I've read in a while. It explains everything from overspending to psychological hacks in game design and the current political climate. Really great read.

The second book I've read lately is Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do Is Healthy and Rewarding by Daniel Lieberman. This book also underlines movement from an anthropological perspective and bashes many of the myths surrounding exercise. It clearly talks about why it's so hard to exercise on purpose, how our modern lifestyles fail us, and how to get moving again. For data junkies and science lovers, this is a great read as well.

Got a nonfiction book you’d like to recommend? Feel free to share a title with me!

A Link Salad Dumas** Would be Proud Of

Are you a writer? If so, you may be interested in this special selection of links I've tossed together.

• Locus Magazine 2025 on IndieGoGo: This crowdfunding campaign will help Locus Magazine, “the” genre ‘zine covering science fiction, fantasy, and horror, remain committed to writers and readers. Rewards include generous donations from authors and so much more.

• Diverse Narrative Structures 2.0 Online Class: Writing the Other has two, upcoming classes. The first is Diverse Narrative Structures 2.0 with Henry Lien. This is a fantastic class if you want to delve deeper into non-Western methods of storytelling.

• Writing Revolution Online Class: The second upcoming class is led by Helen Gould, who’ll teach you how to create believable resistance movements.

• Carl Brandon Society (CBS): Did you know that the Carl Brandon Society offers classes, too? CBS has three upcoming classes you can check out!

  • Intro to the Inactive Protagonist with Vida Cruz-Borja

  • How to Author like a Strategist with Suyi Davies Okungbowa

  • Tapping into Speculative Fiction’s Revolutionary Potential with Naseem Jamnia 

• Clarion West Summer Events: Clarion West has planned several events that will help you write and find new stories. You can also sign up to help fundraise for the nonprofit organization by joining the Clarion West Write-a-Thon. Takes place in July and only requires a two-week commitment!

Returning to the Gen Con Writer's Symposium

I'm so pleased to mention that I’m returning to Gen Con: Indianapolis to speak on panels and lead my popular Tarot for Writers workshop—and a shiny new game pitching workshop, too! Excited? Me, too. You can sign up for my Gen Con Writer's Symposium Events today! I've included an infographic at the bottom of this newsletter to highlight my schedule.

‘Til next time!

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*This post contains Amazon affiliate links. You can also find my recommended books at your local library and other bookstores, too.

**This is a tongue-in-cheek reference to Alexandre Dumas and the Dictionary of Cuisine, which was posthumously published.