Category: about writing

April 21, 2018

Garden plot has moved me away from the good NaNoWriMo group at Waves Coffee downtown to a place near garden… Black Sheep Coffee. Nice spot and I’m typing outside now, watching trees across the street and hearing loads of Dunbar Street traffic.

But I saw that I have at least one 2-leafed plant coming up in my 4 beds. It’s progress.

I was reminded that you need to keep working at something to succeed this week, by the garden. You plant and tend for a long time before you harvest. There is a Japanese saying, I’m told that expresses how art is attained:

“Learn, master then transcend.”

April 14, 2018

Got this blog Google verified tonight. Not that hard to do. Working on writing a lot lately even though the day job is being stubbornly time consuming. I don’t mind 40 hours a week, but 60 recalls the bad old days of film & TV…

Accomplishments this week

  • Finished first draft of a new story and sent it to my beta reader.
  • Found out about another Polar Borealis upcoming poem publication.
  • Got a very nice rejection from Strange Horizons.
  • Sent out my On Spec and Tesseracts 22 submissions. These are important Canadian publications to be in and I hope I make it in!
  • Sent out another short story that is a hard one to get published. Unlike a lot of authors, I find my comic stories easier to sell than the more tragic ones.
  • Getting my own garden plot and going to first meeting about it.
  • Planted some more early flowers on balcony. I have a few 2 leaf plants now from last week’s early attempt. The petunias didn’t come up but the mixed hardy wildflowers had a few sprout!
  • Hyacinths almost done but were great! Street is full of cherry blossoms!
  • Enjoyed an hour at Southlands Nursery and bought way too much for a balcony and a small garden plot.
  • Emailed Garden Manager to see if I can have another plot.

December 30, 2017

I’ve been revising and sending out stories this month. Its been great to have a few days off corporate job.

Spent Christmas Eve worried sick about elderly father, who was moved from his care home to a hospital.  Made the usual large Christmas feast for friends on the 25th. Saw a few movies since: The Big Sick, Downsizing and Murder on the Orient Express.  All enjoyable, loved The Big Sick, was pleasantly surprised by Downsizing and enjoyed the Orient Express as a good Agatha Christie film.

Hoping to get back into writing quick enough to finish the WIF Darkside Contest this year. Especially as I have a committed teen cowriter for  one idea.

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Buy my Story for the Holidays!

News: At last, the new story is out and available in print:

The Vancouver Sci-Fi Anthology

This features my story “Night Market” as well as the stories of Rob Boffard, Holly Schofield, Nicholas Jennings, David Wright, Elisha Betts and Alban Goulden. This was edited by up and coming SF/F editor Ellen Michelle. The front cover art which is terrific is by Elisha Betts.

Story Accepted by Neo-opsis Magazine!

“Wrasse” accepted by Neo-opsis Science Fiction Magazine! October 2017

Really excited to be in Neo-opsis which is one of Canada’s leading SF magazines!

For subscriptions, go to  Neo-opsis Science Fiction Magazine

Compostela Tesseracts 20 Reading

Tess20_Reading2Link to Recording of Cat reading a poem.

Reading took place September 18, 2017 at the Cottage Bistro, Vancouver. It was part of a double reading series with Pulp Literature launching their issue 16.  White Dwarf Books attended to sell copies of the books! It was a great night! I thoroughly enjoyed it and it reminded me of the Edmonton poetry scene where I first read my poems.

Many thanks to all who organized and attended!

Tess20_Reading_hand

 

Prix Aurora Awards 2017

It’s the time of year when Eligibility Lists form for the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Awards – the Aurora Awards.

This year, I’m happy to report, I’m on  the eligibility list. If you’d like to nominate my story, “The Cup” in Polar Borealis & thus allow me to proceed to the Nominations List, click here:  Aurora Awards site.

This is a really great deal, btw, because for Canadian Aurora voters, you can download a package of the top novels in the field before voting for them. It’s been an incredibly great way to see what’s new in SF&F and have nice pdf versions I can read on my Ipad.

And, you could, ahem, nominate my little story 🙂

To read my story: Just go to http://polarborealis.ca and click on “Current/Back Issues” in the header, then scroll a short distance down to the link.

Thanks!