Announcing the On-Demand Version of Writing Interactive Fiction with Kate Heartfield

A few days ago, I implemented #Critclub, tying the Chez Rambo Discord server more tightly into the Rambo Academy for Wayward Writers and providing a way for F&SF to swap critiques online. People seem excited about this, and the Patreon campaign has seen an uptick. A few people have taken me up on the offer of scholarships – thank you!

A nice little bump of people have appeared on the channel as a result and we’ve been doing things like sorting out how the critiquing system will work. We have added the first custom emoji, a rainbow kittywumpus 🙂 courtesy awesome community moderator, Frances KR.

Writing sprints and discussion of process as well as substantial amounts of con discussion have all taken place, as well as some swapping of market news and much use of the rejoice and venting rooms. In short, happy small steps towards the sort of thriving writing community I’m hoping to build, happening at a manageable rate and letting people invest in it by helping shape it.

On September 19, 5 – 6 PM Pacific time, participants will be able to submit live questions for the class I’ll be doing for Gregory Wilson’s channel on Twitch, “Applying Algorithms” in which I’ll talk about how to use the rules of storytelling to make your fiction more effective. This is the fourth of these classes I’ve done, and they’re always a lot of fun, plus a chance for me to beta test classes I’m thinking about teaching.

In other news I’ve been working away on checking the edits from my editor for Tor novel, You Sexy Thing, which will come out in November of 2020, and putting together an initial list of potential blurbers to send him. At the same time, I’m getting The Five, the MG space opera I’ve written, ready to go out to beta readers, and prepping to add some scenes with writing sprints next week. After that I’ll turn back to getting Exiles of Tabat (due out May 2020 from Wordfire Press) ready for beta readers and writing the sequel to You Sexy Thing, tentatively titled Devil’s Gun.

If you’re at the Pacific Northwest Writers Association next weekend, please come to my workshops! I will have postcards with a free class on them, plus books for sale. 🙂 Similarly if you’ll be at the Surrey International Writers Conference in October, please check out my classes there! Can’t make it to either of those? I do have some live classes coming up; you’ll always find the latest news and most comprehensive list of those listed here.

Class: Different Kinds of Love: Writing Relationships that Aren’t Romantic
Next class date: Saturday, February 13, 2021, 9:30-11:30 AM Pacific Time.
Instructor: Cat Rambo

There are plenty of loves that aren’t romantic in nature, ties of friendship or family. What sorts of speculative stories come from those alliances, and how does a writer convey the relationship in a way that makes the reader feel its strength? In this class, we’ll talk about how to write about non-romantic relationships as well as performing writing exercises designed to fine-tune your ability to convey these nuances.

Class: Where Babies Come From: Speculative Reproduction
Next class date: Saturday, February 13, 2021, 1:00-3:00 PM Pacific Time.
Instructor: Evan J. Peterson

How do magic and technology change the possibilities of reproduction? Whether on Earth or in alien lands, through futuristic science, historical alchemy, or outright sorcery, this class examines ways to reinvent the process of reproduction in your fiction.

Class: Consent is Sexy: Writing Consensual Scenes
Instructor: Sarah Buhrman
Next class date: Sunday, February 14, 2021, 9:30-11:30 AM Pacific Time.

Consent is sexy. But how do you include consent without throwing ice water on the seduction? Keep those steamy scenes hot while making sure all parties, even the fictional ones, are respected and respect boundaries. Specific examples may include references to actions and kinks, however, content will be kept at PG-13 levels.

Class: In Flagrante Delicto: Writing Effective Sex Scenes
Instructor: Catherine Lundoff
The next class date is Sunday, February 14, 2021, 1:00-3:00 PM Pacific Time.

Live classes are taught online, are limited to 15 participants, and require reliable Internet connection, although in the past participants have logged on from coffee shops, cafes, and even an airplane. A webcam is strongly suggested but not required.

See http://www.kittywumpus.net/blog/upcoming-online-classes/ for the full list of upcoming online classes.

Tired of fading to black every time your characters get intimate? Not quite sure what to do once they’re in the clinch? Want characters whose romantic moments have some spark, sizzle, and steam to them? Learn some of the building blocks for writing about sex and writing it well.