short story

I will be offering 6 weekly sessions of my writing short stories workshop on Saturdays, 9:30 AM-12 PM Eastern time, starting January 4, 2025 and going through February 8.

In these six sessions, we will cover plot and story structure, character, world-building, style and technique, and how to move forward to begin (or continue) selling short stories. Each class will consist of lecture, discussion, and writing exercises for the first half and then turn to a critique of each other’s work. Students are expected to turn in at least one story for workshopping as well as critiquing each other’s stories.

Classes will be recorded for student use only.

To apply, please mail cat@kittywumpus.net a 1000 word writing sample (does not need to be a complete piece) as well as a brief (1-3 paragraph) statement about why you’d like to take the class. If accepted, the cost is $400 for Patreon supporters and other Rambo Academy community members; otherwise $500.

 There will be three Plunkett scholarships; to apply for one, simply mention that you would like to be considered for one, and whether you need a full or partial scholarship.

Announcing my new collection, Neither Here Nor There. If you’re familiar with earlier collection, Near + Far, this is the same double-sided format, with secondary world fantasy stories on one side and fantasy set in our own world on the other, including an original story, “The Wizards of West Seattle,” that will appeal to fellow Seattleites.

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Publisher’s Weekly gave the book a starred review, and other advance reviews have been very kind. Will you help me get the word out in time for people’s holiday shopping?

What can you do? Well, sure, buying the book is great. Here’s the links to the physical and electronic versions.

Amazon (hardcopy) (Kindle)

I’ll make B&N, Kobo, Powell’s, etc links available when I have them as well.

But here’s some other, better ways that you can help spread the word:

1. Request it through your library. Most will even let you do this online. The information you need is publisher: Hydra House and ISBN: 978-0989082877

2. Request it at your local bookstore. It’s available through Ingram, a major book distributor, so they should be able to get it.

3. Write an Amazon, GoodReads or other booksite review. Amazon reviews are great! So are other book selling/reviewing sites such as Goodreads, LibraryThing, and Shelfari!

Here’s the book listing on GoodReads. While there, enter the giveaway.

4. Blog about the book. Any mention of the book, particularly one that explains why you liked it, is awesome. Or come blog for me! I’m looking for guest posts about writing, F&SF, or related subjects. Mail me if you’re interested; the offer has no expiration date, since this is something I’m planning on doing on a regular basis.

5. Share news of it on social networks. Sharing links on Facebook and other social networks is great. Just favoriting, plusing or liking posts helps give them a little Google juice. Even going to the Facebook page and clicking “Like” helps. I’ve attached a couple of images that can be used as social media icons and/or backgrounds.

6. Share news of it on mailing lists and other groups. Pass the news along to your fellows on writing, literary, or SF-related discussion boards, BBSes, mailing lists, and other forums

7. Let me know if I’ve overlooked something! Many of you are writers and creative types who also often have something to promote. Please feel free to send me your notices, and if you like the idea of this post, feel free to use what you can from it.

Thanks for reading through all this, and thank you very much for your support in the past. I’m pleased with how lovely this collection looks, and very happy that it’s out in time for holiday shopping!

All the best,
Cat

Life in the new place continues pleasant; this morning it is raining, but the construction workers across the way are slicker-clad and working away doggedly. I’ve been listening to Vienna Teng’s album, Aims. Here’s one of my favorites from it:

As I listen and witness the cars passing by on California Avenue – black egieb blue yarg etihw – I’ve been working on a bespoke near future SF piece where I get to play around a bit with ideas of body augmentation, virtual life, and the access to either of them afforded by economic class. Here’s some of this morning’s writing:

Malady could understand the concept of the artificial hand and how useful it could be in this life, but she didn’t understand why they put so much emphasis on it at first.
After two weeks at University, though, she did, because here they spent most of their time in meat life and very little in mind life, even in classes. And when they went into mind life, the things they got there were like the meat hand to Malanie ““ fripperies, seldom used.

Still, even here, plenty of other ways to do things presented themselves: rather than reach your hand for food, have it come to you in a floating dish or handed to you by a helper, probably mechanical but here they even had human helpers, which was truly deeply madly odd to her way of thinking.

She said as much to her roommate Michelle. Michelle was short and peppy and purple-haired today, with turquoise stars over her cat-pupiled eyes. While her appearance changed from time to time ““ she had full mods, the best old money could buy ““ she was invariably a combination of irritated and amused at her scholarship roommate’s oddities. She said, “For gosh sakes, Mal, surely you want to do things for yourself? That’s what humans do.”

“That’s what humans do,” was one of her more frequent expressions, along with “That’s just how it is” and “That’s how they always do it.” The latter two had figured plentifully in her orientation conversations with Malady, who’d spent her flight and taxi ride in her Memory Palace and had only fully come into meat when Melanie demanded it.

Enjoy this sample of Cat’s writing and want more of it on a weekly basis, along with insights into process, recipes, photos of Taco Cat, chances to ask Cat (or Taco) questions, discounts on and news of new classes, and more? Support her on Patreon..