Yukimi Ogawa's Blog, page 3

Join me--counting down to release day! Day 17

It's June 3 2023; 17 days left before the release day of Like Smoke, Like Light! I'm so nervous--to somewhat mitigate the stress I'll start counting down the days here.
(...Wait, will that mitigate the stress, or just strengthen it?)
I'll post something about each of the 17 stories in this collection everyday, starting today.

The final story in this collection is "The Tree, and the Center of the World." This one is original to this collection, about being (or feeling like being) trapped, and finding family.
For this one, I crafted a thing:



Pre-order here!

Book!!!

You have no idea how I've been dying to tell this to the world.
Just as announced over at Mythic Delirium Books here--My! Collection!! Will be out next year!!!

Obviously, I'm still trying to digest this. Just wanted to tell you all how grateful I am, for your reading my not-for-everyone fiction. More news to come.
Stay safe and keep warm, stay with me for a little bit longer on this strange journey.

My stories

Something made me do this. A half hour in I was regretting starting this, but I saw it through to the end anyway.
So: my stories, available somewhere in the wild as of today.

The Seed Keeper
http://www.jabberwocky-magazine.com/2...
Jabberwocky, 2012

Town's End
http://strangehorizons.com/fiction/to...
Strange Horizons, 2013
Reprinted: The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy, 2014

Icicle
https://mythicdelirium.com/about-the-...
Clockwork Phoenix 4, 2013

Rib
http://strangehorizons.com/fiction/rib/
Strange Horizons, 2014

Perfect
https://www.thedarkmagazine.com/perfect/
The Dark Magazine, 2014

The Giant's Tree
https://mythicdelirium.com/featured-s...
Mythic Delirium, 2014

In Her Head, In Her Eyes
https://www.thebooksmugglers.com/2014...
The Book Smugglers, 2014
Reprinted: The Apex Book of World SF 4

Not Her Garden
https://lackingtons.com/2014/08/18/no...
Lackington's, 2014

Hundred Eye
http://strangehorizons.com/fiction/hu...
Strange Horizons, 2015

Left Behind
https://mythicdelirium.com/featured-s...
Mythic Delirium, 2016

Ever Changing, Ever Turning
https://lackingtons.com/2016/10/25/ev...
Lackington's, 2016

Blue Grey Blue
https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/ogaw...
Clarkesworld, 2016
Reprinted: The Best of World SF: Volume 2

The Secret Mirror of Moriyama House
https://www.amazon.com/Magazine-Fanta...
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, 2016

Kokuri's Palace
https://www.foxspirit.co.uk/books/ant...
Asian Monsters, 2016

Nini
https://www.thebooksmugglers.com/2017...
The Book Smugglers, 2017

Like Smoke, Like Light
http://strangehorizons.com/fiction/li...
Strange Horizons, 2018

Warashi's Grip
https://www.amazon.com/World-Horror-K...
A World of Horror, 2018

Taste of Opal
https://www.amazon.com/Magazine-Fanta...
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, 2018

Ripen
https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/ogaw...
Clarkesworld, 2019

Welcome to the Haunted House
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/178...
The Outcast Hours, 2019

Grayer Than Lead, Heavier Than Snow
https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/ogaw...
Clarkesworld, 2020

The Shroud for the Mourners
https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/ogaw...
Clarkesworld, 2021

Her Garden, the Size of her Palm
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, 2021
Reprinted: The Year's Best Fantasy: Volume One

My 2021

December? You're kidding, right? No? Really? No???
...Okay, so here are the things I've been up to this year.

Short stories:
"The Shroud for the Mourners"
Clarkeworld, Issue 177

"Her Garden, the Size of Her Palm"
The Magazine of Fantasy &Science Fiction, Jul-Aug 2021

Translations:
"Her Garden, the Size of Her Palm" in Hebrew
http://www.blipanika.co.il/?p=5243

"Town's End" in Japanese
https://virtualgorillaplus.com/storie...

"Like Smoke, Like Light" in Japanese
https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E6%97%A9%E7...
(Amazon JP link to the magazine)

Hope everyone enjoyed the year as much as the pandemic allowed you to.
Stay safe, keep warm.

Stories available online (updated)

I realized I haven't done this for a while--mostly because there wasn't much to update. But with one story (seemingly) lost to ether, two stories added, and a bonus translation, I thought this deserves another blog post.
As usual I neglected to format links and venue names accordingly--don't make me organise anything, you'll just find yourself in a worse mess then.
Here we go!


The Seed Keeper
http://www.jabberwocky-magazine.com/2...
Jabberwocky, 2012

Town's End
http://strangehorizons.com/fiction/to...
Strange Horizons, 2013

Rib
http://strangehorizons.com/fiction/rib/
Strange Horizons, 2014

Perfect
http://thedarkmagazine.com/perfect/
The Dark Magazine, 2014

The Giant's Tree
https://mythicdelirium.com/featured-s...
Mythic Delirium, 2014

In Her Head, In Her Eyes
https://www.thebooksmugglers.com/2014...
The Book Smugglers, 2014

Not Her Garden
https://lackingtons.com/2014/08/18/no...
Lackington's, 2014

Hundred Eye
http://strangehorizons.com/fiction/hu...
Strange Horizons, 2015

Left Behind
https://mythicdelirium.com/featured-s...
Mythic Delirium, 2016

Ever Changing, Ever Turning
https://lackingtons.com/2016/10/25/ev...
Lackington's, 2016

Blue Grey Blue
http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/ogawa...
Clarkesworld, 2016

Nini
https://www.thebooksmugglers.com/2017...
The Book Smugglers, 2017

Like Smoke, Like Light
http://strangehorizons.com/fiction/li...
Strange Horizons, 2018

Ripen
http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/ogawa...
Clarkesworld, 2019

Grayer Than Lead, Heavier Than Snow
http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/ogawa...
Clarkesworld, 2020

The Shroud for the Mourners
http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/ogawa...
Clarkesworld, 2021

*Japanese translation*
Machi no Hate (Town's End)
https://virtualgorillaplus.com/storie...

Fiyahcon Fringe

I was on a panel, Should I Italicize That?, at Fiyahcon Fringe. I didn't talk much about this before the panel, because I was so, so afraid. As I repeatedly say I don't speak English, and I'm no good at speaking in public.

In the end, the panel turned out fabulous--everyone was so awesome, every point made there interesting and enlightening. Me? No, I was no good, but I think I did my best. And I could stay on that panel to do my best just because everyone there was kind and supportive.

I'd like to thank everyone who was involved in Fiyahcon and Fiyahcon Fringe. It was a very inclusive, safe place even for one like me. And I'd like to show my special thanks to Iori Kusano, who gave me the chance, and gave me the help I most needed, at the most needed timing.

Linked stories (update)

These stories are set in the same world, roughly the same place. I didn't realize there were so many. Just a little bit of spoiler at the end of this post, in case you don't like that kind of thing (I love spoilers.)

The Colorless Thief
No longer available
Ideomancer, 2014

Perfect
http://thedarkmagazine.com/perfect/
The Dark, 2014

In Her Head, In Her Eyes
https://www.thebooksmugglers.com/2014...
The Book Smugglers, 2014

Ever Changing, Ever Turning
https://lackingtons.com/2016/10/25/ev...
Lackington's, 2016

Blue Grey Blue
http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/ogawa...
Clarkesworld, 2016

Ripen
http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/ogawa...
Clarkesworld, 2019

Grayer Than Lead, Heavier Than Snow
http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/ogawa...
Clarkesworld, 2020

Hai in "The Colorless Thief," Tsuyu in "Blue Grey Blue" and Shino in "Ever Changing, Ever Turning" are roughly the same age. Kiriko and her mentor from "Ripen" and "Grayer Than..." come about fifty years after these three. Ai in "Blue Grey Blue" is an older model of Mizuha and Sakura.

My 2019

So. I have very little about this year story-wise. Not much done in the new, Reiwa era. I've been writing a few stories, but only one found a home.

Stories:
"Welcome to the Haunted House"
The Outcast Hours

"Ripen"
Clarkesworld, Issue 151

Interview:
Rikka Zine
(Link to English translation by the interviewer)

Hope everyone had a good time, and that the next year will be even better.

Stories available online

So Heisei era will end within a month, and Reiwa will begin. Before we move on, maybe I can collect links to my stories available online, published in Heisei!
I neglected to format links and venue names accordingly--everyone knows I'm no good at organizing things!


The Earth of Ashes
https://expandedhorizons.net/magazine...
Expanded Horizons, 2012

The Seed Keeper
http://www.jabberwocky-magazine.com/2...
Jabberwocky, 2012

Town's End
http://strangehorizons.com/fiction/to...
Strange Horizons, 2013

Rib
http://strangehorizons.com/fiction/rib/
Strange Horizons, 2014

Perfect
http://thedarkmagazine.com/perfect/
The Dark Magazine, 2014

The Giant's Tree
https://mythicdelirium.com/featured-s...
Mythic Delirium, 2014

In Her Head, In Her Eyes
https://www.thebooksmugglers.com/2014...
The Book Smugglers, 2014

Not Her Garden
https://lackingtons.com/2014/08/18/no...
Lackington's, 2014

Hundred Eye
http://strangehorizons.com/fiction/hu...
Strange Horizons, 2015

Left Behind
https://mythicdelirium.com/featured-s...
Mythic Delirium, 2016

Ever Changing, Ever Turning
https://lackingtons.com/2016/10/25/ev...
Lackington's, 2016

Blue Grey Blue
http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/ogawa...
Clarkesworld, 2016

Nini
https://www.thebooksmugglers.com/2017...
The Book Smugglers, 2017

Like Smoke, Like Light
http://strangehorizons.com/fiction/li...
Strange Horizons, 2018

Ripen
http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/ogawa...
Clarkesworld, 2019

Bye-bye 2018

So...maybe not the most productive year; three stories published, several submissions sent out and most of them got rejected, a few still being considered.
But this year I enjoyed rewriting and copyediting of two stories--the one in Strange Horizons and the one in F&SF. I'm still not sure about my writing skills and doubt I'll ever be, but the rewriting/copyediting processes I went through this year taught me that with the help of editors, sometimes I can make my stories better than I can ever do alone. And also that there are nice people out there who are kind enough to help me with it using their own time and resources. I really appreciate the inputs from C.C. Finlay at F&SF and Catherine Krahe at SH.
I also finished a novella earlier this year. My first! Hope it will find a home sometime, but even if it doesn't, it will remain a very important point in my writing path.

So my stories published this year:

"Like Smoke, Like Light"
Strange Horizons, June 4, 2018
Lamps! Lanterns! Candle and incense holders! And a ghost confined in the shadows.

"Taste of Opal"
Fantasy& Science Fiction, Sep-Oct 2018
A girl with opal blood, her twin, and promises kept and broken.
There's also an interview with me about this story.

"Warashi's Grip"
A World of Horror
Zashiki Warashi is a yokai who is said to bring fortune to the house it resides. But where does that fortune come from?

Because I spent a lot of time writing that novella, I haven't been writing many short stories. I know only one story out next year at the moment.
Best wishes for the New Year, y'all!