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Wayward Wormhole: Carousing in the Castle

The latest dispatch from Janet:

This is the Castell de Llaes courtyard. The building on the right is the entrance area I wrote about a few weeks back, and the main castle is straight ahead, with the cemetery past the entrance, but also on the right.

The courtyard is walled in by 10th-century blocks of stone and surrounded by trees, shrubs, and flowers that grow along the hilltop’s edge. At night it’s going to be pitch-fricken-black out there! I can’t wait to see the stars from this amazing dark-spot. My travel telescope should fit into my suitcase””if you see me wearing the same clothes over and over, you’ll know I made a difficult choice when packing.

And yes, it’s nice during the day, too. You can expect daily temperatures around 66F or 19C, with lows down to 44F or 7C at night. Now, I’m Canadian, so this means a light sweater in the evening, but whatever it means to you, day or night, I think spending time in this protected courtyard may be a highlight of the trip. There are private benches along the outer edge, a large, long-table for meals or drinks, and several shady tree spots for notes, story-catching, or plain old zoning out.

Cat and I are planning several BBQ nights, so bring your appetite.

THE APPLICATION WINDOW ENDS ON MAY 31 AT MIDNIGHT EST ““ THAT’S IN 15 DAYS!!

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"For anyone who finds Cat Rambo’s online classes helpful, the Wayward Wormhole is the Rambo Academy on steroids. The instructors were not only brilliant writers but also experienced teachers adept at leading seminar-level classes and providing one-on-one guidance. They shared a wealth of insights into the business side of being a fiction writer. For those wary of traditional critique circles, Wayward Wormhole relies on a far more useful approach to supply writers with feedback that is both helpful and kind. I came home with sparkling ideas for improving four short stories, three of which I wrote from start to finish during the workshop. Bonus: The Wayward Wormhole sent out tapes of the classroom lectures and discussions one can revisit afterwards."

~Rosemary Claire Smith

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Announcing a New Wayward Wormhole Effort

Presenting a Workshop Aimed at Professional Writers

Working together, Donald Maass and C.C. Finlay have created a workshop for mid-career writers: those novelists who are already creating income from their books, whether they are traditionally or independently published, but still want more.

Donald MaassDonald Maass, a renowned name in the craft of writing, and founder of the Donald Maass Literary Agency, along with C.C. Finlay, a successful novelist and award-winning editor, will co-teach a workshop for professional novelists in conjunction with the Wayward Wormhole. Scheduled for September 2026, this critique-focused weekend offers a twist on most craft workshops by assuming applicants are already well past the basics and are interested in forwarding their skills with professional guidance and quality peer critiques. This workshop is for those who reach higher.

Donald Maass founded the Donald Maass Literary Agency in New York in 1980. He is the author of The Career Novelist, Writing the Breakout Novel, The Fire in Fiction, The Breakout Novelist, Writing 21st Century Fiction, The Emotional Craft of Fiction, and over sixty novels.

C.C. Finlay. Photo by Robert Chang.
C.C. Finlay. Photo by Robert Chang.
C.C. Finlay has published five novels and a short story collection. His fiction has been nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novella, the Nebula Award for Best Novella, and the Sidewise Award. In 2003 he was a finalist for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer In January 2015, Finlay was named the ninth editor of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, and served until the January/February 2021 issue. In 2021, he won a World Fantasy Award for his work editing the magazine.

The Wayward Wormhole is an off-shoot of the Rambo Academy for Wayward Writers, which has been serving up classes, workshops, and community for writers since 2011.

To find out more about the Sandusky workshop, which is open to traditionally and independently published writers, see https://www.catrambo.com/wormhole/workshop-for-professionals/ or contact Janet K. Smith at janetwaywardwormhole@gmail.com.
This workshop is now open for applications.

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Glimpses from the Wayward Wormhole: Castle Refuges

Here’s another moment from Janet:

A month in a castle in Spain sounds lovely. But add the idea of talking and being around fifteen other people 24/7. It’s enough to make the more introverted reconsider their need to write in a castle””if””it weren’t for the multitude of balconies, cubby holes, and garden (or graveyard) spaces where one can go to read or write in private. Writers need time to think. So on our preview of Castell de Llaés, we looked for those special places where a person could reflect and recharge.

You can find a quiet place inside or outside at castle level or discover the perfect balcony that balances both. Every side of the castle offers views to satisfy every mood and the tranquility to mellow even the most angst-ridden muse. Being from British Columbia, I like seeing the Pyrenees mountains, and I can’t help but imagine the people who marched from France and attacked Castell de Llaés in 1635.

Below the castle, there’s ground cover and grasses, perfect for tucking in with a good book or capturing one of the stories that swirl through the air above us.

Join us and stake out your own private nook.

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