A Wolf's Tale

Been sitting on this… now it’s out!

What a month. Attended a kidlit conference (had to opt out attending the last day, because I had/still have lower back pain). Met people. Met good friends.

Giant Oarfish’s planning is going ok. My finances… well, not so good. I am in the process of republishing a YA fantasy series. So May was spent coordinating, emailing, discussing and talking to editors and cover designers. (Please hire me as a project manager)

Had a couple of days of burn-out.

Plus another wave. People are freaking out. But aren’t we trying to live with it as an endemic illness? I often blame the way how the media frames it – and relentless fear isn’t the right way.

So, what do I have in store for June?

1. Giant Oarfish planning.

2. Duan Wu Festival!

3. An Oyster Girl storytelling session.

So April came and went. The significant moment is that I registered Giant Oarfish as a official legal entity. And there was… is… much planning. I am still waiting for that 10k to appear miraculously. cries

There was an unexpected visit to the ER (not me), a hospital admission (not me), in my immediate family. So expenses are a bit tight. Joy.

I am still not sure why I am doing this to myself. Setting up a publishing imprint, all the logistics.

So, what does May have in store for me?

1. More planning.
2. Hamilton!
3. Publishing decisions.
4. TBA.

Some of you might have heard me talking about setting up a publishing imprint for Southeast Asian sff written by Southeast Asians in Southeast Asia.

So, I did have a talk/chat with a friend of mine – now, I do have a domain (!). Now we are going to start the groundwork on logo, planning the crowdfunding and prepping an anthology.

We benchmark 2025 for the start/launch of Giant Oarfish.

I am going to strap in. Wish me luck.

March came and went. My birthday month. Turning a year closer to 50. As I am typing this update, I have just returned from a short vacation. I needed the recharge and the feeling of wonder. I saw fireflies!

I also did my first school visit as an author! (Note: I did workshops in schools before – but this time, I visited the school as part of their Language Week). I signed a lot of books and the wonder from the kids was amazing. I realised how different kidlit and adult sff is. Adult readers are so judgemental, so drawn to award winners and tastes/preferences. Kids… kids are honest, blunt and upfront.

So, what does April have in store for me?

1. Meeting my mentee!

2. A Zoom/online conference call to talk about setting up an imprint.

3. More writing.

The genre publishing scene can be a soul-crushing industry. And for many, it IS a soul-crushing industry. Markets move according to tastes/preferences, seats given to favourites.

Doors remain closed. Gates are guarded by watchdogs already comfortable with the ecosystem.

People are put on temporary pedestals. The awards go to favourites, the current darlings. The years go on. New darlings take their place. The circles of power remain close, intact and clinging on.

Meanwhile, writers continue to jump through flaming hoops.

Some throw integrity out of the window, present their bellies for non-existent pettings, some become pets (for a while) only to be given up when the new shiny things show up.

For those who want to write, where do we go?

We go underground, stick to friends we know we can trust, and find our paths, like mushrooms throwing out their threads. We find our networks, somehow. But gosh, the path is treacherous, thorn-filled, and jagged.

Oh yes, the “allies”? Only skin-deep. So many memories of folks (white) who want to help, only to snap back like vicious dogs, and scream “I will blacklist you!” They are erasing their tracks. We remember.

March is my birthday month! 

February was Lunar New Year and writing and arting and getting back to my independent scholar stuff.

What do I have in store?

1. Complete YA draft.

2. Arting (hopefully, back to the Mice).

3. Celebrate my birthday month!

There are many sff works by the Sino/Chinese diaspora out there, not just in North America. The diaspora is everywhere.

But to focus on a few and say that they are representative of the race or culture is an error people have been making since day one.

We should celebrate inclusivity and inclusion.

And the Chinese isn’t a monolith. Nor are they just found in NA or Anglo countries.

Now though, a lot of the diaspora are doing self-reflection since our identity can be used against us. Weaponised. It’s an awful realisation, to be honest. We have better things to do like celebrating Spring Festival…

It’s already February. And for us, February is important because Lunar New Year falls on the 10th!

Also Star Pattern Traveller is released into the wild world.

January was spent crafting an outline for the collection of short stories, essays and art. 17 years is a lot of years and I have written a lot. Likewise, it is back to the independent research stuff (reorganising and redefining research parameters) as well as writing a 80s mecha anime ttrpg.

I still need to illustrate some Mice stuff.

So, February… what do I have in store for the month:

1. Illustrate Mice.

2. Start adding the stories in (for collection).

3. Not fall sick (heh).