Over halfway through the year, and here’s some of the happenings for July.
Online I taught workshops on Story Fundamentals, Flash Fiction, Writing Steampunk & Weird Western, Moving from Idea to Draft, and Editing 101. I’ll announce September and October classes next week. I also got a chance to teach at the Pacific Northwest Writers Association conference mid-month, which was terrific.
I wrote short stories “Say Yes,” “A House Alone,” and “Another Selkie Story,” all of which were posted for Patreon supporters. (You can see a pictorial version of my July Patreon here.) As always, I’ve got a crop that I’m working on: highlights include a story about a woman who buys a magical talking mask only to find she doesn’t agree with what it’s saying. I also worked on urban fantasy Brazen, about a magic-wielding post apocalyptic hellion.
Videogames I’ve been playing are Stardew Valley and Dream Daddy. Curse whoever introduced me to them. In RPG news, my Star Wars RPG game managed a session. You’ll be glad to know my prophet/conwoman continues to talk her way out of things successfully but the rest of the party didn’t want to take her suggestion of throwing a mysterious crate out a fifth-floor window in order to discover the contents.
I continue using Habitica, which I blogged about here. I have a follow-up post in the works.
SFWA work included working with the Galaktika settlement, answering a bunch of e-mails, a multiplicity of video calls, and nudging a couple of projects along.
Books I read included the following. I’ve bolded the ones I particularly enjoyed:
Karen Abott, Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War R.S. Belcher, The Brotherhood of the Wheel
Mike Caro, Caro’s Book of Poker Tells
Ramsey Campbell, Demons by Daylight Tori Curtis, Eelgrass
Laurell K. Hamilton, Crimson Blood Elizabeth Hand, Winterlong
Georgette Heyer, The Grand Sophy
Alice Hoffman, The Probable Future Michael M. Jones (editor), Scheherezade’s Facade
Damon Knight, The Futurians Tanith Lee, Red as Blood
Gabriel Squalia, Viscera
Glynn Stewart, Starship’s Mage
R J Theodore, Flotsam
Kentaro Toyama – Geek Heresy
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"(On the writing F&SF workshop) Wanted to crow and say thanks: the first story I wrote after taking your class was my very first sale. Coincidence? nah….thanks so much."
~K. Richardson
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Poem for Sarah
Some deaths hit you
like a broken bone.
That sharp. That painful.
They stick with you, hurting even when healing,
a dull throb keeping
you from sleeping;
a startled, knifeslash pang when jostled.
And you know that, decades later,
it’ll still be that ache, that pain,
that returns whenever you are standing,
alone, in the melancholy rain.
At least a glass saucer or plate will get added to this project as "petals," but the painting part of the process is pretty much done. I've used both sides of the plate in order to create additional depth. The center piece is a wooden stopper for a long-ago broken decanter. It's decorated with metallic paint pen. I'll finish it off with a layer of something to water-proof it. I was pleased with the look of it overall, though.When I set out to make the glass garden flowers for Mom, I found plenty of pictures but very few tutorials. So here’s a walkthrough of the process, which should illustrate one important thing about these: they’re not a last minute project. The paint takes time to dry, as does the adhesive, which you will need to do in at least two stages.
What you need:
Glass or ceramic pieces to make the body of the flower from
3 to 5′ (suggested) length of rebar or other stake-like material
Terrycloth
Duct tape
Step 1: Assemble What You Have
Assemble the glassware you’ll be using. I suggest checking cupboards first. You’ll want several sizes that can be layered on top of each other, and (usually, depending on your other pieces) something for the center, like a short candlestick, round glass ball, or other object suitable for a focal point.
Go through your crafting supplies and look for beads, bits of jewelry, beach glass, shells, and other pieces that can be used to decorate layers.
Step 2: Find What You Don’t Have
If you can’t find everything you need at home, go shopping. In the thrift store, look for interesting pieces that are chipped or otherwise deeply discounted in both the ceramics and glassware sections. Check the metalware and mirrors as well. My local Value Village has a wall in which they bag oddments and sell as lots. If you have this, browse through it. Things you’re looking for: glass pebbles, large beads, holiday ornaments, mosaic pieces, and other things that can be glued onto plates. Pick up old shot glasses or small bottles to use for the backs.
I prefer to let what I find dictate the piece. You can also try to replicate or improve on an existing pattern or otherwise plan it out. In such a case you may need to visit multiple stores to find what you need.
In the dollar store, look for glassware and remember that you are able to paint it.
Step 3: Figure out the Layers
Bring home the pieces and arrange them, trying to figure out the order in which you will want to glue them. You may choose to work from the front to the back or vice versa. Attaching the shot glass will be a final step.
Step 4 (optional): Paint Glass
Decide if you’re going to paint the glass, which must be finished before any gluing can take place. If so, I used DecoArt Gloss Enamels, which can be used on wood, glass, and ceramics. Be aware painting add time to the process. You will paint the piece in stages, letting each color dry in turn, and then letting the overall piece dry for four days before you bake it to set the colors. Is it worth it? Here’s another of the pieces I painted today.
This plate will serve as the back layer of a flower. I suggest not worrying too much about being meticulous with the paint. You want an organic feel for the flower (in my opinion). I'll let this piece dry and then bake it to set the colors before I start adding anything to it. Because pieces will overlap the center, there's no point in getting too elaborate with it.
Once you have painted the glass, let it dry and bake it.
Step 5: Glue the Layers
Once the step involving glass paint has been performed or skipped, you can begin gluing. I suggest putting down the back piece, gluing the next layer atop it, etc. You can assemble all the front layers and glue them. Set to dry on a level, ventilated surface that is reasonably warm. Let them dry at least 24 hours.
Step 6: Decorate the Layers
At this stage you may glue other things in as decoration. Among what I’ve used so far: Christmas ornaments, gold foil, a cat toy, glass flowers, marbles, large pearl beads, glass pebbles. Let dry at least 24 hours.
Step 7: Add the Back
Now you’re ready to add the back. I use a plastic cereal container to hold the pieces while gluing on the backing, since many of them have delicate front pieces that they cannot rest on. Again let the piece glue for at least 24 hours.
Step 8: Assemble the Stake or Holder
To assemble the holder, if using a shot glass, cut a small piece of terrycloth and duct tape it to the top of the rebar. You can adjust it to make it fit snugly into the glass. Otherwise, you do not need to pad the rebar.
Finito. Now you know enough to make more and probably new ideas have occurred to you already. I’d love to see your creations, please post links if you have them!
Over halfway through the year, and here’s some of the happenings for July.
Some deaths hit you
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