Rachael Arsenault's Blog - Posts Tagged "writingcommunity"
June Wrap-Up
I feel like these months keep getting shorter, but I'm going to stop making excuses for it. Sometimes I read and write a lot; sometimes I don't. These wrap-ups aren't about meeting an arbitrary quota - I just want to share what I've enjoyed so other people can enjoy it too.
So, without further ado: Let's dig into June!
What I’ve Enjoyed:
Books:
Maiden, Mother, and Crone: Fantastical Trans Femmes by Gwen Benaway et al.
It took me longer to get around to reading this than I would have liked, but I loved it once I dug into it. Literally about a third of the stories in here could be considered my favourites, which says a lot about the quality of work presented. Plus, I just love being able to read a variety of stories about such an underrepresented group. I definitely gotta find more collections like this.
I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
Listen. Sometimes, your brain needs a break. You want to read, but you don’t want to deal with heavy stuff or stressful topics – you want fluff. And this book does a good job of that, especially since I’ve read it before and already know what to expect as I read. I will probably be reading more fluff like this in the near future, so be warned.
Articles:
Why Do Dogs Love Us? Science Explains
What did we do to deserve dogs, honestly? They’re an endless source of cuteness and love, and now we can say that’s scientifically proven.
Thoughts on Hysteria
It shouldn’t come as any surprise at this point that women and their problems are routinely dismissed as irrational and/or trivial, and the history of hysteria shows that quite well. While it’s funny to think about 19th century physicians prescribing orgasms to treat hysteria, it’s also disheartening to remember that hysteria was not a silly little thing – it was regarded as a serious condition, to the point that accusing a woman of hysteria could paint even the most rational and justified behaviour as completely illogical and deluded.
The Ancient Peruvian Mystery Solved from Space
So, the title of the article obviously hooked me in. Native American history? Check. Bizarre and weirdly specific premise? Check! But I obviously couldn’t exactly predict what the article itself would be about – and I was pleasantly surprised. It discusses puquois, these massive, spiralling holes whose exact age is uncertain and whose purpose has only recently become clear: They allow reliable access to water from aquifers, which is of critical importance in the extremely arid region. This means the Nasca people who invented them had incredible knowledge of geology and engineering, and I, for one, LOVE seeing indigenous ingenuity properly spotlighted.
Eleanor Roosevelt and the Soviet Sniper
I read this while doing research for one of the articles I wrote this month (it won’t be hard to guess which one once you see the titles), and it made me fall a little in love with Lyudmila Pavlichenko’s steadfastness, wit, and unwavering determination. I love learning about women who forced history to make room for them.
What I’ve Created:
Books:
She Who Rises
This book came out last year, but the sequel releases July 15th, plus it’s currently available for free download, so I wanted to share the link and give a heads up to make sure anyone whose interested doesn’t miss out on the sale. The deal ends on July 3rd.
Articles:
4 Cute and Chaotic Cats from Mythologies Around the World
There’s a lot of weird folklore throughout the world, which I love, and there’s a lot of different kitties around the world, which I also love. So I combined those two awesome things into one cute, quick little piece here, for your reading pleasure.
Storytelling in Critical Role: What We Can Learn, and What Can’t Be Replicated
I’m a nerd. A big, big nerd. And one of my biggest nerdy obsessions over the last three years has been Critical Role. I fell in love with D&D a few months before I started watching this show, and the love of the game combined with the amazing acting, storytelling, and shenanigans of the cast is just a match made in heaven. I could gush about this for hours, so it was hard to condense my thoughts on CR’s storytelling into just a short article. There is a none zero chance that I will write more of this in the future. Especially since they’re FINALLY BACK FROM HIATUS! (Just pretend there’s an explosion of confetti, okay?)
Badass Women Who Killed Nazis
The rise of fascism, neo-Nazis, and the alt-right is equal parts disheartening and infuriating, and sometimes you need to read about killing Nazis for some catharsis.
That's it for June. What have you guys been enjoying this month?
So, without further ado: Let's dig into June!
What I’ve Enjoyed:
Books:
Maiden, Mother, and Crone: Fantastical Trans Femmes by Gwen Benaway et al.
It took me longer to get around to reading this than I would have liked, but I loved it once I dug into it. Literally about a third of the stories in here could be considered my favourites, which says a lot about the quality of work presented. Plus, I just love being able to read a variety of stories about such an underrepresented group. I definitely gotta find more collections like this.
I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
Listen. Sometimes, your brain needs a break. You want to read, but you don’t want to deal with heavy stuff or stressful topics – you want fluff. And this book does a good job of that, especially since I’ve read it before and already know what to expect as I read. I will probably be reading more fluff like this in the near future, so be warned.
Articles:
Why Do Dogs Love Us? Science Explains
What did we do to deserve dogs, honestly? They’re an endless source of cuteness and love, and now we can say that’s scientifically proven.
Thoughts on Hysteria
It shouldn’t come as any surprise at this point that women and their problems are routinely dismissed as irrational and/or trivial, and the history of hysteria shows that quite well. While it’s funny to think about 19th century physicians prescribing orgasms to treat hysteria, it’s also disheartening to remember that hysteria was not a silly little thing – it was regarded as a serious condition, to the point that accusing a woman of hysteria could paint even the most rational and justified behaviour as completely illogical and deluded.
The Ancient Peruvian Mystery Solved from Space
So, the title of the article obviously hooked me in. Native American history? Check. Bizarre and weirdly specific premise? Check! But I obviously couldn’t exactly predict what the article itself would be about – and I was pleasantly surprised. It discusses puquois, these massive, spiralling holes whose exact age is uncertain and whose purpose has only recently become clear: They allow reliable access to water from aquifers, which is of critical importance in the extremely arid region. This means the Nasca people who invented them had incredible knowledge of geology and engineering, and I, for one, LOVE seeing indigenous ingenuity properly spotlighted.
Eleanor Roosevelt and the Soviet Sniper
I read this while doing research for one of the articles I wrote this month (it won’t be hard to guess which one once you see the titles), and it made me fall a little in love with Lyudmila Pavlichenko’s steadfastness, wit, and unwavering determination. I love learning about women who forced history to make room for them.
What I’ve Created:
Books:
She Who Rises
This book came out last year, but the sequel releases July 15th, plus it’s currently available for free download, so I wanted to share the link and give a heads up to make sure anyone whose interested doesn’t miss out on the sale. The deal ends on July 3rd.
Articles:
4 Cute and Chaotic Cats from Mythologies Around the World
There’s a lot of weird folklore throughout the world, which I love, and there’s a lot of different kitties around the world, which I also love. So I combined those two awesome things into one cute, quick little piece here, for your reading pleasure.
Storytelling in Critical Role: What We Can Learn, and What Can’t Be Replicated
I’m a nerd. A big, big nerd. And one of my biggest nerdy obsessions over the last three years has been Critical Role. I fell in love with D&D a few months before I started watching this show, and the love of the game combined with the amazing acting, storytelling, and shenanigans of the cast is just a match made in heaven. I could gush about this for hours, so it was hard to condense my thoughts on CR’s storytelling into just a short article. There is a none zero chance that I will write more of this in the future. Especially since they’re FINALLY BACK FROM HIATUS! (Just pretend there’s an explosion of confetti, okay?)
Badass Women Who Killed Nazis
The rise of fascism, neo-Nazis, and the alt-right is equal parts disheartening and infuriating, and sometimes you need to read about killing Nazis for some catharsis.
That's it for June. What have you guys been enjoying this month?
August Wrap-Up
What I’ve Enjoyed
Books
Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover by Ally Carter
The stakes have started ramping up in the series now, with this being the first book that has a real major plot twist. Definitely one of my favourites in the series, and I’m looking forward to digging into the next one.
Articles
Why A Medieval Woman Had Lapis Lazuli Hidden in Her Teeth
The way we find out stuff about past societies and peoples is really wild to me sometimes. I never would have imagined it was possible to figure out someone was a painter by the particles in their teeth, but that’s what happened when examining the teeth of this medieval nun. And that means a lot of really interesting things! People always talk about monks as being involved in high-quality book production, but this new evidence helps show that nuns were involved, too, and that they were highly-skilled in their own right.
Teaching Indigenous Star Stories.
Astronomy has been a largely Eurocentric field for a long time, and it’s exciting to learn that efforts are being made to incorporate more diverse knowledge bases, such as indigenous star stories and teachings. Oral histories are often dismissed as myths or unreliable narratives, but these stories are often centuries or millennia old and can carry really important, interesting insights – for example, a lot of stories about great disasters line up with evidence of actual geological events. Stories about the night sky and its constellations are no exception to that.
Babies Prefer the Sounds of Other Babies to the Cooing of Their Parents
I know, I know – I’ve had some serious baby-brain lately. But this is also just a genuinely interesting article with some useful info for new parents or parents-to-be who want to help their little gremlins with early language development.
How the Library of Congress Unrolled a 2,000-Year-Old Buddhist Scroll
I never thought I would find it nerve-wracking to read about someone unrolling a piece of paper, but oh boy, did parts of this make me feel tense. It’s absolutely mind-boggling the lengths experts can and will go to in order to both preserve and study artifacts like this, and I can’t even wrap my head around how much history would be lost to us if they didn’t.
Bessie Coleman, the Black Cherokee Female Pilot Who Made Aviation History
I’ll never get over the incredible perseverance and accomplishments that go unacknowledged or deliberately hushed up throughout history, especially when it comes to women and people of colour. Bessie Coleman should be a household name, just as much as Amelia Earhart is.
Other
Woman dancing ‘on a river’ finds fame online in China
I don’t have a lot to say about this except that it’s really, really cool and beautiful to watch. I hope this unique tradition is preserved for generations to come.
Castle in the Sky
I remember seeing the trailer for this film when I was super young – I think it was one of the previews included on the Lion King VHS. I was fascinated by it and always wanted to watch it, but I was never actually able to until early this month. And I loved it! It’s such a cute movie, with beautiful animation and whimsical world-building. Definitely need to watch me some more Ghibli in the near future.
What I’ve Created
Articles
Don’t Talk to Me About My Stretch Marks
Just some thoughts that have been percolating in my mind recently.
A Study of Scarlet: Storytelling on Social Media
As I writer, I love storytelling in all its forms, and I especially love seeing how less conventional mediums tackle narrative. That also means I’m more sensitive to when those types of stories fail to deliver, which, unfortunately, is the case with Scarlet.
Plotter, Pantser, Plantser: What Are They, and How Do You Know Which Type You Are?
I’ve come across some people in the writing community who expressed confusion about the difference between plotters, pantser, and plantsers, and how to tell which they are, so I thought it might be helpful to explain it all in one little article.
Books
Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover by Ally Carter
The stakes have started ramping up in the series now, with this being the first book that has a real major plot twist. Definitely one of my favourites in the series, and I’m looking forward to digging into the next one.
Articles
Why A Medieval Woman Had Lapis Lazuli Hidden in Her Teeth
The way we find out stuff about past societies and peoples is really wild to me sometimes. I never would have imagined it was possible to figure out someone was a painter by the particles in their teeth, but that’s what happened when examining the teeth of this medieval nun. And that means a lot of really interesting things! People always talk about monks as being involved in high-quality book production, but this new evidence helps show that nuns were involved, too, and that they were highly-skilled in their own right.
Teaching Indigenous Star Stories.
Astronomy has been a largely Eurocentric field for a long time, and it’s exciting to learn that efforts are being made to incorporate more diverse knowledge bases, such as indigenous star stories and teachings. Oral histories are often dismissed as myths or unreliable narratives, but these stories are often centuries or millennia old and can carry really important, interesting insights – for example, a lot of stories about great disasters line up with evidence of actual geological events. Stories about the night sky and its constellations are no exception to that.
Babies Prefer the Sounds of Other Babies to the Cooing of Their Parents
I know, I know – I’ve had some serious baby-brain lately. But this is also just a genuinely interesting article with some useful info for new parents or parents-to-be who want to help their little gremlins with early language development.
How the Library of Congress Unrolled a 2,000-Year-Old Buddhist Scroll
I never thought I would find it nerve-wracking to read about someone unrolling a piece of paper, but oh boy, did parts of this make me feel tense. It’s absolutely mind-boggling the lengths experts can and will go to in order to both preserve and study artifacts like this, and I can’t even wrap my head around how much history would be lost to us if they didn’t.
Bessie Coleman, the Black Cherokee Female Pilot Who Made Aviation History
I’ll never get over the incredible perseverance and accomplishments that go unacknowledged or deliberately hushed up throughout history, especially when it comes to women and people of colour. Bessie Coleman should be a household name, just as much as Amelia Earhart is.
Other
Woman dancing ‘on a river’ finds fame online in China
I don’t have a lot to say about this except that it’s really, really cool and beautiful to watch. I hope this unique tradition is preserved for generations to come.
Castle in the Sky
I remember seeing the trailer for this film when I was super young – I think it was one of the previews included on the Lion King VHS. I was fascinated by it and always wanted to watch it, but I was never actually able to until early this month. And I loved it! It’s such a cute movie, with beautiful animation and whimsical world-building. Definitely need to watch me some more Ghibli in the near future.
What I’ve Created
Articles
Don’t Talk to Me About My Stretch Marks
Just some thoughts that have been percolating in my mind recently.
A Study of Scarlet: Storytelling on Social Media
As I writer, I love storytelling in all its forms, and I especially love seeing how less conventional mediums tackle narrative. That also means I’m more sensitive to when those types of stories fail to deliver, which, unfortunately, is the case with Scarlet.
Plotter, Pantser, Plantser: What Are They, and How Do You Know Which Type You Are?
I’ve come across some people in the writing community who expressed confusion about the difference between plotters, pantser, and plantsers, and how to tell which they are, so I thought it might be helpful to explain it all in one little article.
February 2021 Wrap-Up
I know February is the shortest month of the year, but this February felt especially short. Even still, I managed a decent amount of reading! It helps that I've been reading library copies of ebooks on my phone so I can snuggle the baby while I read. Also, I've learned that I can read anything - not just kids books - to help lull him to sleep.
What I’ve Enjoyed
Books
A Phoenix First Must Burn
I really, really enjoyed this anthology – I loved the variety it offered, and new spin some of the stories put on familiar tropes or subgenres. Definitely something for everyone in here. I highly recommend you check it out if you’re ever in the mood for some SFF short stories.
Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
AMAZING! Not only was the plot of this story really intriguing and well-executed, but the characters were all extremely well-developed and I LOVED the magic system and world-building. Give me more giant rideable crows, please! Plus, Serapio and Xiala’s relationship was wonderful and heartbreaking. The inclusion of multiple queer characters doesn't hurt, either.
Articles
A 3000-Year-Old Painter’s Palette from Ancient Egypt, with Traces of the Original Colors Still In It
A super fascinating peek into Ancient Egyptian history and culture, as told through the symbolism of paint colours in art.
The Lost World of Socotra – One of the Most Alien-Looking Places on Earth
Super interesting look at the history and ecology of one very strange island. I loved the photos included in this article – makes me wish I could visit Socotra and witness its bizarre beauty for myself!
What I’ve Created
Articles
4 Tips For Titling Your Book
I’ve always struggled to come up with titles, and I know I’m not alone. So I decided to put together a quick little list of tricks that have helped me over the years!
5 Strategies for Overcoming a Reading Slump
I’ve struggled with various reading slumps throughout my life, including recently during quarantine. So I put together a little list of some strategies I’ve found helpful. Hopefully they’ll help you, too!
And that was February. I really enjoyed the work I read this month, and I'm glad I managed to find time to write a little, too. Now to see what next month and the anniversary of the pandemic have in store.
What I’ve Enjoyed
Books
A Phoenix First Must Burn
I really, really enjoyed this anthology – I loved the variety it offered, and new spin some of the stories put on familiar tropes or subgenres. Definitely something for everyone in here. I highly recommend you check it out if you’re ever in the mood for some SFF short stories.
Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
AMAZING! Not only was the plot of this story really intriguing and well-executed, but the characters were all extremely well-developed and I LOVED the magic system and world-building. Give me more giant rideable crows, please! Plus, Serapio and Xiala’s relationship was wonderful and heartbreaking. The inclusion of multiple queer characters doesn't hurt, either.
Articles
A 3000-Year-Old Painter’s Palette from Ancient Egypt, with Traces of the Original Colors Still In It
A super fascinating peek into Ancient Egyptian history and culture, as told through the symbolism of paint colours in art.
The Lost World of Socotra – One of the Most Alien-Looking Places on Earth
Super interesting look at the history and ecology of one very strange island. I loved the photos included in this article – makes me wish I could visit Socotra and witness its bizarre beauty for myself!
What I’ve Created
Articles
4 Tips For Titling Your Book
I’ve always struggled to come up with titles, and I know I’m not alone. So I decided to put together a quick little list of tricks that have helped me over the years!
5 Strategies for Overcoming a Reading Slump
I’ve struggled with various reading slumps throughout my life, including recently during quarantine. So I put together a little list of some strategies I’ve found helpful. Hopefully they’ll help you, too!
And that was February. I really enjoyed the work I read this month, and I'm glad I managed to find time to write a little, too. Now to see what next month and the anniversary of the pandemic have in store.
