The World Grows Small: A Poem

This year I’ve decided to share some poems. If you look wayyyyyyyyyy back in my blog post history, you can find some VERY old ones I posted. I find poetry an interesting creative medium. It’s not one that’s really resonated with me very strongly, like it does for some people. But I am interested in rhetorical devices, and I do occasionally delve into poetry to express a feeling or idea, or as a creative exercise.

I do not think of myself as a poet, and I do not take my poetry particularly seriously nor do I expect anyone else to. but do feel free to compliment me if you want lol

This poem is about wearing glasses. I’ve worn them since I was about 8; nearly everyone in my immediate and extended family wears them. And recently, my eyesight has begun to grow worse, so I’ve been thinking about it a lot. I have a long-standing, low-level fear of completely losing my eyesight. Hopefully that won’t happen, but you never know.

At any rate, thinking about my eyesight produced this poem.

The World Grows Small

When I take off my glasses the world grows small
Smaller and smaller and smaller and small.
I can’t see the sky or the moon or the stars.
I can’t see the reddish glow of Mars.
I can’t see the hawk that lives in the trees.
I can’t see the wind that tickles the leaves.
I can’t see the dandelions bright in the lawn.
I can’t see the cat’s teeth when she yawns.
I can’t see the paintings hung on the walls.
I can’t see the way my handwriting scrawls.
All I see is a haze, a fuzz,
like the whole world’s shifted to a visual buzz.
But if I bring it close to my face,
sometimes I can read the words on the page.
When I take off my glasses, the world grows small,
Smaller and smaller and smaller and small.

Writers On The MOON

In 2021 I was offered the opportunity to send my books to the MOON.

Yep.

Last night was the launch of the rocket and it was a success (so far). It’s all very exciting. Which is why I made a vlog about it. Sorry about the sound quality. I’m not in my normal pace

Swampy salutations! Today, I want to share an extraordinary experience that has left me in awe and excitement. Last night, a rocket called Peregrine Mission One was launched into space, carrying a payload of books and creative works from writers all over the world.

And guess what!

My books are on that rocket, headed to the moon! I

In the video, I explain in depth how I became a part of the Writers on the Moon project and why it's such a remarkable endeavor, but here’s a high-level overview.

In 2020, a company called Astrobotics opened up the opportunity for people to purchase a payload on their rocket. Susan K. Quinn, an author, seized this chance and bought a payload to send her own books. She quickly learned she had more than enough space to involve more writers, and slowly opened up the opportunity to more and more authors.

Including me! We each had a specific amount of space to fill with our work. I gathered my books, some artwork, and even invited others to contribute their creations.

If these files survive, they could serve as a time capsule, a message from our present to future generations, so also wrote a letter introducing myself, sharing fun facts, and explaining the themes of my books. I also included artwork and submissions from others, showcasing the power of community and connection.

Last night, I watched the rocket launch with wonder and emotion. I’d been waiting three years! And the moment had finally come.

The realization that my books were on their way to the moon was simply mind-blowing.

The rocket will orbit the Earth and the moon before landing, and if everything goes according to plan, I will watch the landing on February 23rd as well. Even if something goes wrong, I'll always cherish the fact that my books were part of this incredible journey.

The Writers on the Moon project is a testament to the power of collaboration and human ingenuity. It's not just about sending books to the moon; it's about the countless hours of work, the scientific advancements, and the interconnectedness of our world. The launch drew thousands of viewers, and it made me realize how space exploration captivates our collective imagination. Being a part of the Writers on the Moon project has been an exhilarating experience. It has reminded me of the importance of connections, both with our loved ones and with the wider world.

Space truly is a realm of endless possibilities, and I can't wait to see what the future holds.

So, keep an eye on the Writers on the Moon website and join me in celebrating this incredible project.

Writers on the Moon! Happening January 8th

Today I have some news that is literally out of this world! I know, lame pun. But I’m good at those lol.

If you’ve been following me for a few years, you might remember in January 2021, I was offered the opportunity to participate in a project called Writers On The Moon.

And “the moon” part here is not figurative, either. It’s literal. Literally literal. As in the real moon. The Moon moon.

Well, this project is finally happening!

Back in 2020, speculative fiction author Susan Kaye Quinn spearheaded this incredible initiative, securing a payload slot on the Peregrine Mission One lunar lander. The idea was simple but profound: send a digital time capsule filled with indie fiction to the moon! She opened up the opportunity to her network of authors to join her, and I jumped at the opportunity.

This means that some of my books, specifically the first five of the Land of Szornyek series, are part of this project. Plus, I was able to include some 'stowaways'—a few works from my wonderful writing friends, as well as a memorial tribute to a few special souls we've lost.

The launch date is set for January 8th at 2:18 AM EST.

If all goes according to plan, early in the morning on January 8th, our digital payload will take a giant leap for writerkind. (I know, another lame pun!) The payload will hitch a ride aboard Astrobotic's Peregrine Lander, tucked inside a 0.75" capsule, and land at Lacus Mortis—a site carefully chosen for its potential for future exploration. You can watch on NASA TV!

But, as with all space missions, there's a caveat. There's always the possibility of a delay. Malfunctioning equipment, bad weather, and various unforeseen circumstances can push back the launch. It could be hours, days, or even months—space travel is tricky like that! But as of now, everything is set and prepped for launch. We're all crossing our fingers that everything goes off without a hitch!

If all goes well, the lander is scheduled to touch down on the moon on February 23rd. The journey involves an Earth orbit period, a three-day trip to the moon, and a lunar orbit. Once landed, it's scheduled to operate for 8 days.

And if you have questions, feel free to reach out. I might not have all the answers, but I'll certainly try my best. You can follow the project at the Writers On the Moon website, which includes a link to the official newsletter. Also, you're invited to join the Writers on the Moon Facebook group, where you can connect with other writers, participate in the official countdown, and share in the excitement of this unique project.

I can't express enough how thrilling and amazing this opportunity is. Having digital copies of my work on the moon is an honor. It's an extraordinary venture, and I'm grateful for the chance to be part of it.

This isn’t just a trip to the moon. It’s our stories, hopes, and dreams venturing beyond the reach of the average person. It’s a slice of 2021 preserved for future generations or perhaps even otherworldly readers. It’s a tribute to human creativity and our unending thirst to better understand the cosmos.

And it’s really fricking cool.

Stay tuned for more updates, and let's hope for a successful journey to our lunar neighbor!

Writing Tips (Sometimes): On Being A Feral Author

This is part of my series of essays for writers. Get them delivered to your inbox by signing up here!

Sometimes, when the weather is nice, I grab my grandpa’s old reading chair out into the lawn and sit in it and… you guessed it, read. It’s Rowan’s favorite thing. She’s the only cat allowed outdoors without supervision, so she gets all her favorite things at once: outdoors, grandpa’s chair, and me!

I consider myself a mostly feral author. I like to do things my own way, no matter what the experts and gurus say.

The more time you spend in the indie author world, the more opinions you’ll come across. There are a million things we all “should” be doing—writing to market, having our books in Kindle Unlimited (or not, depending who you talk to), running Amazon ads, running Facebook ads, posting regularly on TikTok and Twitter, getting Bookbubs, writing every day, not using adverbs, releasing a book a month, having free books (also not having free books), hiring professional editors and designers, doing huge launches, having all of our books up for preorder, sending out regular newsletters, doing newsletter swaps, having a website, going to conferences, getting an MFA… I could go on, possibly forever lol.

At a certain point, the realization hits that we can’t do everything. And at least in my experience, once you have this realization, the next step for most authors is to focus on what you think will have the most impact. The right answer to this question depends on the author—some focus in on rapid release, others invest in CPC and CPM advertising, others start (or stop) doing in-person events. A lot of experimenting goes on, followed by a lot of frustration that their efforts aren’t working, or at least aren’t working as well as they’d like.

Some authors stay in this phase for a long time. Others, such as myself, go feral.

In other words, we disregard all the advice. All of it.

We instead focus our energies on being who we want, writing what we want, and building our business (or lack thereof) however we want.

I once met a lovely feral author who wrote and published books and refused to do a lick of marketing. I knew another feral author who was retired and sold paperback copies of his books at local festivals—didn’t even have ebook options available and didn’t care. I knew another feral author who forwent all suggestions to write to market or write what readers want, and instead wrote for their own pleasure only.

I personally have mostly ditched social media, write what I feel like, and have started designing most of my own covers. I write the books I want to write, publish them when I feel like, and only do marketing when and how it suits me.

At a certain point, I think we have to decide what it is about writing we love. Is it the writing itself? Is the connection with other people? Is it the storytelling? Is it the prestige? Is it the networking? Is it business development? Is it the challenge of trying to succeed in a highly volatile, constantly changing industry?

But what about making money? you might ask.

What about it?

We all find ways to make our lives work, and sometimes that means struggling to make our own businesses profitable, and sometimes that means working for a company, and sometimes that means cobbling together an eclectic combination of income and lifestyle that gives us the freedom to do what we want with our time.

Sometimes my business makes money and sometimes it doesn’t.

Sometimes I work for other people and sometimes I don’t. And I’ve figured out ways to make that work for me.

I’ve become truly and fully feral.

Only one of these cats is feral (Rowan, the gray one) the other one is spoiled af and would probably perish if his food wasn’t delivered at promptly 7:30 every morning and 5:30 every evening.

I Started A Video Blog

During November, some shit went down. There was a controversy within the National Novel Writing Month organization that is as of yet resolved, and so about halfway through, I lost a lot of my typical motivation. That meant I had to get creative.

First I tried ignoring the conflict. I was unsuccessful.

Then I tried making some other challenges. Like bingo. Those were fun, but didn’t really push me toward writing the quantity of words I needed.

Then I decided to make a vlog.

I dunno why. Maybe it’s because I’m a millennial. But I did it one day when I couldn’t focus. And weirdly enough, I liked it.

So I’ve kept it up.

I only have a few episodes, and there’s no guarantee I’ll do it indefinitely. But if you want to listen to me ramble on about my projects, philosophy, my values, and my pets, then by all means, you can subscribe to my YouTube channel.

I’ll occasionally embed them here in my blog, if there’s a topic I want to elaborate on more than I did in the vlog. Otherwise, click here to find the playlist of the ones available so far.

And I did hit 50k words in November, if you were wondering. Win!

Was it the vlog? Maybe. Probably not. But it certainly didn’t hurt.