Rachael Arsenault's Blog - Posts Tagged "writing-community"

I was going to save this announcement for November's Wrap-Up Post, but I decided I'm too excited to wait that long.

She Who Rises is now out in paperback!



I've been working on this for a while, and now that I finally have all the kinks sorted out, this beautiful little book is available for purchase!

As demonstrated by the link above, you can order paperbacks through Amazon, but since I set up printing with Ingram Spark, you should also be able to order copies in at your local bookstore or library. If you do get your hands on a copy, I'd love to see it! Tag me in photos over on Instagram or Twitter, which are both @rachaellawrites

Somehow, we managed to make it to the end of 2020. I don’t think I’m alone in saying it felt like this year would never end.

December was a quieter month than usual this year, but it still managed to be hectic nonetheless – getting stuff ready for the arrival of my baby, signing paperwork to officially tie the knot with my husband, navigating Christmas when I can’t travel to visit any of my family, etc. But it all turned out for the best! That being said, I’m more than ready to move on to a new (and hopefully better) year.

What I’ve Enjoyed
Books
Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins II #2 by Matthew Mercer, Jody Houser, Olivia Samson, MSASSYK
One of my current favourite shows is Critical Role, so I am more than happy to consume these narratives in new mediums. The comics thus far do such an awesome job at capturing the characters of Vox Machina and their dynamics with each other, and I loved finally getting to meet Pike and Percy. Makes me wanna rewatch Campaign One!

Critical Role: The Chronicles of Exandria The Mighty Nein by Critical Role and Dark Horse Books
I guess I’ve been on a bit of a Critical Role kick this month. Well, no, let’s be honest: I’m always on a Critical Role kick. In any case, this book is GORGEOUS. Not only is all the art featured incredible, but I loved looking back on the Mighty Nein’s journey through this lens – the idea of framing the narrative through collected notes of Beauregard and other archivists is really fun and interesting. Hoping to see another edition of this capturing later events of the campaign sometime.

Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card, Vol. 7 and Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card, Vol. 8 by CLAMP
While certainly not as nostalgic as going through the omnibus collection of the original manga, I’m enjoying this series nonetheless. It’s a quick read, and I’m intrigued by the new magic and how the plot is unfolding. Plus, even when things are serious, I always find CCS has a delightfully lighthearted, optimistic slant to it.

Articles
Researchers “Translate” Bat Talk. Turns Out, They Argue – A Lot
I don’t care what anyone says, bats are super cute. Also apparently much smarter than we previously thought, since their communication turns out to be super nuanced and individualized rather than broadly group based. Neat!

Why Detroit Residents Pushed Back Against Tree-Planting
A super insightful piece about the importance of community outreach and involvement in decision-making, no matter how beneficial a planned initiative might be. This quote puts it best: “However, environmental justice is not just about the distribution of bad stuff, like pollution, or good stuff, like forestry projects across disadvantaged communities. It’s also about the distribution of power among communities that have historically only been the subjects and experiments of power structures.”

What I’ve Created
Articles
How to Slow Down and Write the Quiet Moments in Your Novel
Just a quick bit of writing advice for anyone struggling to slow down their novel – or for underwriters! I really like putting these pieces together. It helps me think critically about my own writing and the techniques and strategies I use, while also helping other writers improve on their work.

7 Ways to Feel The Christmas Spirit When You Can’t Be With Family
I know I’m not the only person whose Christmas looked a lot different this year. It was the first time I spent the holidays away from my parents, and I definitely missed seeing my family – but I did my best to find ways to bring some Christmas traditions and Christmas joy into these much quieter, smaller celebrations with my husband. With that in mind, I wrote this piece to share some suggestions on how you can do the same.

What to Know Before You Publish Your First Short Story
All publishing can be daunting, and short stories are no exception. So I put together some advice to help guide people trying this out for the first time.

Other
2020 Reflections / 2021 Resolutions
I uploaded this blog post earlier in the month, but I thought it was worth sharing here, too. 2020 was a hard year, and I think it’s easy to get disheartened looking back on all the goals and plans we made that never came to fruition. However, I’m trying not to be down on myself – it was a wild year, and not one we could easily predict or prepare for – so I count any accomplishment as significant at this point. So if you’re looking for that kind of reflective positivity, please give this a read!

And that's that. It was a busy month, a weird year, and I'm ready to see what 2021 brings.

2021 started off pretty hectic, both in my personal life and the world at large. As I predicted in my 2020 Reflections / 2021 Resolutions post, I didn’t get a whole lot of reading and writing done this month. But hey: I was busy doing a bunch of adulting and paperwork, I was struggling through my last few weeks of pregnancy, I was recovering from a C-section, and – oh yeah – I was taking care of my newborn baby. So I think it’s fair to give myself a bit of leeway.

So, without further ado, here’s the small but wonderful selection of things I’ve enjoyed and created this month!

What I’ve Enjoyed

Books
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
Aaaah, this was so good! I’d been seeing this book all over Twitter for a while, so I was stoked to finally actually get my hands on it. And it didn’t disappoint! Yadriel, Julian, and Maritza are a delight, and Yadriel and Julian had amazing chemistry together. Also, a trans protagonist, queer romance, and Latinx culture all made for a fresh read amongst the standard fare of contemporary fantasy and paranormal romance.

The World of Critical Role by Liz Marsham and Critical Role
Yet more nerdy indulgence – you didn’t think I’d completely leave it behind in December, did you? ;D This was a Christmas gift from my husband, and I’ve loved reading through it and getting more insight into the history of this amazing show and its incredible cast.

Articles
Portraits of Matriarchy: Where Grandmothers Are Still in Charge
An interesting look into a very different society from the one I grew up in, as well as the ways in which colonization and Westernization have impacted the traditions and values of the Mosuo. It’s also an easy read, full of gorgeous photos and insightful captions.

How Modern Mathematics Emerged from a Lost Islamic Library
I’m not much of a mathematician, but this article is still full of things I love: libraries, history, and dismantling Eurocentric ideas about history.

What I’ve Created

Articles
How Many Times Can You Defy Death in D&D?
Working on this was pure, nerdy self-indulgence, and it’s given me some ideas for fun character builds (though certainly nothing as extreme as the end result I came up with here). I definitely want to tackle more pieces like this!

Other
Is it too cheesy to say my favourite thing I created this month is my son? Too bad: It's true 😋


So that was January. Quite the way to start out the year – here’s hoping the rest of 2021 is less intense, but has just as much awesome reading material to offer. :D

How did you kick off the year?

Normally, I try to write some opening thoughts at the start of these. But I'm posting this while my baby is squirming and whining, so I gotta make it quick.

What I’ve Enjoyed
Books
Sweetest Kulu by Celina Kalluk
I can’t handle how adorable this book is. If you have a little one and are looking for new story time books, I highly recommend this one.

A Universe of Wishes: A We Need Diverse Books Anthology by Dhonielle Clayton et al.
Incredible collection of short stories – some are heartbreaking, some are hopeful, and some are a mix of both. I’ve really been enjoying reading more short story collections, and this one in particular is absolutely top tier.

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger
This was a wonderful book. I loved how magic and the supernatural were presented as a part of every day life, the inclusions of stories from Six-Great’s time were fantastic, and the plot was expertly paced and unfolded. I wish I could’ve stayed in this world with Ellie and Kirby a little longer, but the ending was perfect.

Articles
Adopting a Dinosaur
This is honestly a really interesting, funny little article, complete with photos of the author’s wonderful tortoise through the years.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Henrietta Lacks and her (unknowing) contributions to medical science have long been uncredited. It demonstrates how racism, sexism, and health inequality intersect and the long-term ramifications that can have over generations, and how the privileged stand to benefit and profit directly from this inequality. Always glad to see someone shedding light on issues like this.

Because You Like Him
I’m always happy when I can find some good quality ace rep, and this little story ticks that bill.


What I’ve Created
Articles
How to Write a Book Series as a Pantser
Writing a book series is hard enough already, but not being one to plan or outline in advance only makes it more complicated. If that’s something you’re struggling with, this article has some strategies you can try out.

How to Make Meal Planning and Meal Prepping Work For You
Definitely a lot different from what I usually write, but sometimes it’s nice to switch things up. Especially if it can potentially help other people!

Sugar Bush and King’s Head Inn
Sugar Bush is one of those local traditions that people from away probably think is absurd, and King’s Landing is a wonderful place to experience it for the first time. Maybe this will entice you to visit there once the world is a little more normal?