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Cat Rambo

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Early February Newsletter

Onward and Forward

Greetings and salutations! We’re a twelfth of the way through the year now, and it’s definitely interesting times we’re living in. Remember to be kind to each other; the world needs it more than ever right now. Here in South Bend, it’s been cold and snowy, so the cats and I spend a lot of time either near the heater or under the electric blanket. I have finished up the most recent rewrite of the fantasy novel and am sending it off to meet its fate today. Wish me luck!

Here’s what you’ll find in this newsletter:

  • Details of my March/April Advanced Short Story Workshop
  • Details on my upcoming Flash Fiction Workshop
  • A reminder – The Ins and Outs of Outlines is next weekend!
  • How to hire me for editing projects
  • Patreon events happening this month
  • Community News

Text, which looks as though it is pinned on a bulletin board, reads Advanced Story Workshop with Cat Rambo.

Advanced Short Story Workshop

This multi-session, advanced workshop is intended for students who have already taken a short story workshop or have comparable experience. Class material is determined by student questions and needs. Each session will feature a deep drive on a particular craft aspect, including optional writing and reading assignments, as well as workshopping each other’s stories. Students are expected to write a story and workshop it over the course of the workshop. You must submit a writing sample when applying of 250-500 words.

Applications close February 26 or when the class fills, whichever is sooner.

Meets Saturdays, 12:30-3 PM Eastern time, March 1, 8, 15, 22 and April 6 and 19. (No class May 29 or April 12).

Cost is $499 for Patreon supporters; otherwise $599. Full and partial Plunkett scholarships are available.

Flash Fiction Workshop

In this workshop we will explore and write different forms of flash fiction, including critiquing each other’s work. You will produce multiple pieces of flash over the course of this workshop and can submit up to three for critique. You will also learn strategies for marketing and submitting flash as well as best practices for revision. You do not need to submit a writing sample.

Meets Sundays, 12:30-3 PM Eastern time, March 2, 9, 16 and 23.

Cost is $299 for Patreon supporters; otherwise $399. Full and partial Plunkett scholarships are available.

Applications close February 26 or when the class fills, whichever is sooner.

To register for either class, send an email to cat@kittywumpus.net with the following details:

  • Whether you would prefer to pay via Paypal, Venmo, or some other means.
  • If you are applying for a scholarship, please indicate whether you need a full or half one.
  • For the story workshop, please include a writing sample 250-500 words pasted into the body of the e-mail.

Ins and Outs of Outlines on February 9

An outline is one of a writer’s handiest tools – when it’s used correctly. Will it surprise you to find out that it’s not just useful when starting, but even after you’re finished? In this class, you’ll learn how to use an outline without getting tied down or constricted by it, as well as how it can be used as a valuable tool for revision. Through a mixture of lecture, discussion, and in-class exercises, you’ll learn all the ins and outs of using outlines.

Class happens on Sunday, February 9, 1-3 PM Eastern.

Cost is $59; $49 if you are a Patreon supporter. Scholarships are available. To register, mail me at cat@kittywumpus.net, indicate whether or not you are a Patreon supporter for the discounted price, and how you would like to pay. If you are applying for a scholarship, please indicate whether you need a full or partial (50%) one.

Taking Editing Projects

I edited two novels and a couple of stories for clients in January, but my docket’s pretty clear right now. If you’re curious about my skills, here’s a page of testimonials, including Harry Turtledove saying he’d work with me any time at all.

Find out more about getting your novel or story edited here.

Patreon Events This Month

Events offered to my Patreon community this month include: weekly motivational meetings, a short story discussion group, weekly writing to prompts and co-working, two Writing with Tarot sessions, an author discussion with Premee Mohammed, and Nisi Shawl talking with the Craft Book Discussion group. Check out my Patreon if you’d like to join a writing community focused on writing fantasy, science fiction, and horror that’s full of kindness, creativity, and inspiration.

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Get Fiction in Your Mailbox Each Month

Want access to a lively community of writers and readers, free writing classes, co-working sessions, special speakers, weekly writing games, random pictures and MORE for as little as $2? Check out Cat’s Patreon campaign.

Want to get some new fiction? Support my Patreon campaign.
Want to get some new fiction? Support my Patreon campaign.

 

"(On the writing F&SF workshop) Wanted to crow and say thanks: the first story I wrote after taking your class was my very first sale. Coincidence? nah….thanks so much."

~K. Richardson

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Cyber Monday 2025

Cyber Monday Deals

It’s Cyber Monday and so I’ve put together a list of deals! These prices are good through the end of the year, but some items are limited.

  • Class Discounts
  • BOGO deal on Patreon Memberships
  • Editing Services
  • Query Letter Services
  • Coaching Sessions

To keep things interesting, I included images from my early November travels.

Images from a recent trip to Spain, scouting Wayward Wormhole locations. Here’s street art in Valencia.

Class Discounts

Here are the upcoming classes. Book them now and save as follows:

  • $10 off any and all single session classes
  • $25 off any and all three session classes
  • $50 off any and all six session classes

Upcoming by Date:

Classes are held online via Zoom and are recorded for participants. They consist of lecture, discussion, and in-class writing exercises; six session classes include some homework and critiquing fellow students’ stories.

To register for a class or classes, mail me at cat@kittywumpus.net and include the name of the class(es) and how you would prefer to pay (Venmo, Paypal, check, or some other alternative.) If you support me on Patreon, mention that so I know to give you the Patreon price.

If the cost is prohibitive, remember there are full and partial scholarships available for all classes. The Plunkett scholarships are need-based. If you could not otherwise afford the class, but feel it would help you with your writing, you should apply. I particularly urge QUILTBAG and PoC writers to apply; the third slot is specifically reserved for such a candidate, although all three are open to them.

To apply for a scholarship, mail me at cat@kittywumpus.net with the details of which class or classes (up to 3) you wish to attend, 2-3 sentences about why you would like to take it, and whether you are requesting a full or partial scholarship. That’s it. Please include whether or not you’d also like access to the chat server community. You are requested to limit your application to three scholarships total per quarter; it is okay to list alternates.

Here’s more from Valencia, including some plants from the Botanical Gardens there. I never like to miss a garden and this one was both extensive and well-tended.

Buy-One-Get-One Deal on Patreon Memberships

Curious about my writing community, which offers weekly Zoom events, a Discord server, market news, and mutual supporter, and want to check it out with a friend? When you sign up, drop me a note at cat@kittywumpus.net with the name and e-mail address of your friend, and I’ll send them a three month membership at the same level you’ve joined at.

What is Patreon? It’s a platform that allows you to connect with creators. Mine is the Rambo Academy for Wayward Writers, a community for new, emerging, and established fantasy, horror, and science fiction writers focused on craft and encouragement. Weekly and monthly Zoom events and a lively Discord server allow you to connect with awesome fellow writers. Find more details here.

Some street shots from Alicante including an amazing building with a living facade, delicious gelato, and flamingos in the Valencia Aquarium.

Editing Services

I do developmental editing for short stories and novels.  Right now I’m offering a story edit/query letter bundle – 10 for $450, which allows you to buy 9 and get one free  Each edit is good for a story or chapter up to 5k words, a query letter, or a synopsis. Turnaround is 2 weeks. Mail me at cat@kittywumpus.net and I can provide more details. Limited amount.

If you’d like to see some testimonials, here’s a page of them.

Delicious paella from our last night, a menu detail, doorway, and graffiti from Alicante. I should have taken shots of the sangria that became a group favorite; we certainly drank enough of it.

Query Letter Services

I will critique your query letter for $50 for the initial version and $25 for subsequent versions.

Or buy the $100 query letter bundle and get three 30-minute Zoom sessions in which we plan, write, and refine your query letter as well as discuss comps and talk about how to approach agents. Limited amount.

Mail me at cat@kittywumpus.net to set up your appointment in 2026.

One site I always have to visit in Barcelona is La Sagrada Familia, the church designed by Antonio Gaudi, which has been in the process of construction for 100+ years now. The light there is extraordinary; it’s one of the world’s wonders.

Coaching Sessions

I offer coaching sessions, which can be done as one-offs or scheduled meetings. Some clients come for motivation or encouragement on a regular basis while others seek help with a specific project like finishing a novel, planning a book release, or learning how to create a newsletter.

Lock in a monthly 30-minute coaching session (normally $100 per session) be prepaying $1000 for 12 sessions. Mail me at cat@kittywumpus.net to set up your first appointment in 2026.  Limited amount.

Happy Cyber-Monday and remember to support small business owners whenever possible!

peace,

Cat

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Guest Post: Writing Holidays with Evan J. Peterson

Every culture tells stories. We keep our history alive this way. We all have rituals, whether they are secular or deeply religious. When you’re worldbuilding, you can communicate a plethora of culture and history through the traditions and festivals your characters observe.

Coming up on December 10th, I’ll teach Christmas in Narnia: Creating Traditions for Fictional Cultures for the Rambo Academy for Wayward Writers. Pardon the frosty pun, but a fictional holiday is an excellent tip to the iceberg of your world’s history. Consider the wealth of similarities and differences of the festivals of lights that originate from the Northern Hemisphere of our planet alone:

During the season of autumn into midwinter, things get darker and colder in most of the NH. The further north you go, the more stark that dark and cold becomes. Many traditions originating in the Northern Hemisphere have celebrations and rituals revolving around light and warmth at this time. India and its diaspora bring us Diwali and Deepavali, two different but similar multi-day festivals of lights, color, and life. Judaism celebrates Hanukkah as the observance of a historical miracle”“eight nights of light produced from barely any fuel oil. A fun side note: we eat fried foods like latkes and donuts on Hanukkah to represent the bounty of the oil! Who wouldn’t love a holiday that prescribes feasting on greasy carbs?

On Christmas, people celebrate the birth of the Christ child, destined to bring light, love, and goodness into a harsh world. As Christianity spread through Europe, this tradition appropriated, fused with, and replaced several midwinter traditions, such as the birth of God of the Wood on the winter solstice. This nature-based deity literally brings the light and warmth back into the world as the days finally grow longer instead of shorter. In addition to a festival of eating and drinking (lots of drinking), popular Christmas tradition involves putting candles and electric lights on everything, particularly an evergreen tree. That tradition did not come from Nazareth.

Notice that these traditions change over time and will even be different in each family or community. Just as no ethnic group is a monolith, neither is any religious or secular culture. There’s so much room here for worldbuilding, not to mention internal as well as external conflict. Some progressive Jewish families have introduced an orange among the symbolic food (roasted egg, lamb bone, bitter herb, et al.) of the Passover Seder plate, meant to remind us of the struggle of women, lgbtq+ folks, and people of color in Judaism as well as all who face intersectional struggles and are often left out of the popular image of the Jewish community.

I have a Jewish mother and an essentially Unitarian father. I grew up with secular Christmas as well as a heritage-rich Hanukkah, but I’ve always gravitated toward Pagan traditions. As a kid, I was particularly smitten with the Egyptian and Greco-Roman pantheons and stories, and I assume this is because I grew up in Miami, Florida. Flowers, fruit, and flowing water made more spiritual sense to me than the scarcity theme prevalent in Abrahamic traditions. This is the sort of subtlety that can communicate the history of a culture; temperate or tropical traditions are more likely to celebrate abundance and indulgence. Desert cultures are more likely to emphasize struggle, scarcity, and abstinence, but also patience and most importantly, charity. It’s no coincidence that Islam, Judaism, and Christianity share these values and emerged from cultures living under harsh political and geographical conditions.

This brings us to another important subtlety of cultural norms. How hot is “hot?” How cold is “cold?” For that matter, how far is “far?” Does “nice” mean polite and friendly, or does it mean kind and empathic? These are the questions that shape so many nuances of a community and its culture, whether macro scale or micro. And don’t overlook the secular traditions”“what does Tax Day tell us about capitalist cultures? What about the Queen’s Jubilee? For that matter, what about Juneteenth?

For more on this, please join me for Christmas in Narnia: Creating Traditions for Fictional Cultures on December 10th. Happy holidays!

Bio:

Evan J. Peterson is an author, game writer, and Clarion West alum. His latest book is METAFLESH: Poems in the Voices of the Monster (ARUS Entertainment), and recent work includes Drag Star! (Choice of Games), the world’s first drag performance RPG. His writing appears in Weird Tales, Arcana: The Tarot Poetry Anthology, and Queers Destroy Horror. Evan’s serial novel, Better Living Through Alchemy, will be published in 2023 by Broken Eye Books. linktr.ee/evanjpeterson can tell you more.

Site: www.evanjpeterson.com
Twitter: @evanjpeterson
Insta: @evan.j.peterson

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