Deadlines, they are a-comin’. (Don’t forget to complete your backer survey!)
5 months ago
– Fri, Apr 05, 2024 at 06:42:52 AM
75% of you have completed your backer surveys and are all set to receive your rewards this fall! Gold stars all around! For those of you haven’t had a chance to respond to your Backerkit surveys, please search your inboxes and spam folders. Your survey should have come from Viable Paradise 2023 at [email protected]. The survey is simple. You’ll just confirm your shipping address, pay any shipping fees for physical goods, and add any additional rewards that strike your fancy.
Once the survey closes, we’ll be reaching out to our Lion’s Mane Jelly backers to connect you with a Viable Paradise alum so they can review your 8000-word writing submission. All other rewards will be fulfilled this fall.
Revising, Organizing, Editorializing
Our writers are busy, busy, busy.
A by-the-numbers anthology update from our Lead Editor, Chris Campbell:
Four writers were not satisfied with their first story and submitted entirely new stories. Nothing was wrong with the first ones, but all of the new ones are more ambitious and much, much weirder.
Three writers did what was effectively a page-one total rewrite of the stories they submitted. The results of these rewrites have been nothing short of amazing and are a real testament to how engaged and open these writers have been to the editorial process.
Seven writers have also made significant structural changes that helped everything snap into place. It has been very cool to watch these stories reach their full potential.
Some more fun numbers to share:
We have three timey-wimey, wibbly-wobbly stories that are a lot of fun, four weird-ass ocean stories, four very cool AI stories, four prophets/shamen of various levels of repute, and four exciting space adventures. Plus, a few stories are so weird you'll just have to read the book yourself and decide what they are.
Things are shaping up to make this anthology something special, and we’re excited to get the book in your hands!
Publication Corner
From F.E. Choe, an encounter with a stray dog on a dying planet forces an alien hive mind to wrestle with the dilemma of love. [“Swarm X1048 - Ethological Field Report, Canis Lupus Familiaris, ‘6’” — Clarkesworld]
From Chris Campbell, a haunting voice from the past warns about the mysteries lurking “In the Palace of Science.” [Asimov’s]
Meet the Publication Team, Part II
In this mini interview we’ll hear from pub team member Allison Pottern, who crafted New Year, New You’s marketing copy and promotional graphics—while being a general marketing strategist and cheerleader.
Allison is a writer, marketing coach, writing instructor, potter, and parent. With over 15 years of experience in writing, publishing, and publicity, she can be found teaching craft and book marketing workshops at Grub Street Inc., Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance, and the MetroWest Writers Guild. She has a B.A. in Creative Writing and is a recent graduate of the Viable Paradise writing workshop. Allison is currently working on her second novel, drinking many cups of tea, and chasing after her two young children. Her writing can be found in The Rumpus, The Oakland Review, Sarah Gailey's Stone Soup, and her newsletter, Books, Marketing & More.
How do you navigate the intersection between marketing and your fiction?
Honestly, when I transitioned from book marketing and author events to writing novels and consulting, marketing often hindered my ability to write fiction. I knew how the book marketing sausage was made and I’d get so fixated on how my (not yet fully drafted) book would be promoted. Where would I have the launch event? Would readers show up to an event for a book like this? Would it make a bestseller list? Would it command top marketing dollars at a publisher?
In my years since, working on my own writing and supporting fellow writers in their work, I’ve learned to follow my own advice and, during the drafting stages, keep in mind the idea of audience. Instead of asking: would someone deign to buy or review this book? before I’ve even finished writing it, I instead consider: who am I writing this book for? How can I best reach those readers? Whose career/work do I find inspiring and what can I learn from them?
Much of what I write is, as a fellow VP writer put it, “dark, depressing fun.” It’s sometimes hard to remember that there’s an audience for that beyond me, party of one. But researching how and where I want my work to find its audience in the broader publishing landscape has led me to discover new stories and authors, literary communities, and all kinds of inspiration.
One other marketing tool I’ve found useful as a discovery writer, comes from my days working on press releases and marketing copy. Once I’m several chapters into a novel draft, I try to write the flap copy for the novel it will become. That audience I was talking about, how would I entice them to read this? I find this exercise does two things: 1) It forces me to summarize my plans for the story in an enticing way, and 2) it immediately reveals the most important aspects of the story, as well as potential gaps. This isn’t to say the draft I write has to fit this snappy synopsis, but I find it both illuminating and motivating. If my marketing copy gets me excited about my book? Then you better be sure I’ll want my draft to live up to the hype. 🙂
What's inspiring you right now?
This is going to sound corny, but lately I’ve felt really inspired by the idea of creative community. It took me a long time to build a supportive writing community, and the last few years I’ve been especially grateful for both the directions it’s taken me and the way it’s expanded. Working on this anthology with Viable Paradise folks has been such a treat – I didn’t realize how much I missed truly collaborating on a writing/publishing project. I’m in a bookclub of ladies I’ve known for years who make sure I read at least one book a month. I host a free, monthly speculative fiction discussion group, and every month I’m in awe of our little community that consistently shows up to talk and expand our minds about geeky SFF stuff. And a couple years ago I took up pottery at a communal studio where learning, excelling, and failing are all celebrated. When making art feels hard, I’m so grateful that I have many different people I can turn to for inspiration, commiseration, and motivation.
Your anthology story is about time travel! Who’s your favorite fictional time traveler and why?
I love time travel stories of all stripes and could talk about them for days, but the time traveler I imprinted on was Sam Beckett from Quantum Leap. He’s a hyper-intelligent nerd, a musician, and just a really genuine person trying to do good in the world. I really dig the idea of the smaller, more personal time travel stories where we’re not trying to prevent an apocalypse or time-bending paradox; just trying to make someone’s life better.
That’s all for now, but stay tuned for more news as we chug onwards to getting this anthology completed! Deadlines, they are a-comin’.
Love,
The Viable Paradise 2023 Cohort
How to Get Your Book
6 months ago
– Thu, Mar 14, 2024 at 10:27:45 AM
Dear wonderful New Year, New You backers,
A quick note to let you know that we will be sending you each a backer survey this weekend from Backerkit so we can confirm your address, collect shipping fees, and ensure you get your anthology when it ships this fall.
The survey will also allow you to add additional books and rewards to your order.
Please keep an eye on your inbox and be sure to complete the survey when you receive it. If you don't receive a survey within the next week, please let us know so we can problem-solve together.
We can't wait to share these stories with you!
Love,
The 2023 Viable Paradise Cohort
We did it!
7 months ago
– Fri, Mar 01, 2024 at 06:31:29 AM
Thanks to your support, we get to bring our book baby into the world. This anthology was a dream project only four months ago, and now it is actually happening. We can’t wait to share our stories of reinvention, rebirth, and transformation with you.
For many of us, this is our first publication. We’re no strangers to slush piles and rejection letters, and this project lets us get our work out there—on our terms and in great company. For those of us with a few pubs under our belt, this anthology will still hold a special place in our hearts and on our shelves; it’s brought us all closer together as a cohort and budding writer family. And, whether you like it or not, you’re part of that family now, too. We expect to see you at the cookouts.
So thanks again for coming along on this journey with us! We’ll be checking back in down the road with major milestone updates, and we can’t wait to get the anthology in your hands.
Love,
The Viable Paradise 2023 Cohort
3 days left!
7 months ago
– Tue, Feb 27, 2024 at 06:37:56 AM
We’re just $1,500 shy of our $10K stretch goal, but we’ve only got 3 days left to get over the finish line. This is the perfect time to share this Kickstarter with anyone who likes speculative fiction and/or who wants to see the New Year, New You mindset taken to very satisfying and strange extremes (seriously, check the log lines below).
Don’t forget about our new reward tiers, either. We’ve got hand-knitted jellyfish softies and custom artwork all up for grabs! These are two jellyfish that you for sure want to get your hands on.
Oh, and we’ve also got one VERY IMPORTANT update regarding the Lion’s Mane Jelly tier, where a Viable Paradise 2023 cohort member reviews a workshop application.
Get your story critiqued!
We’re excited to announce that we’ve expanded the Lion’s Mane Jelly tier to include not only workshop application reviews, but also reviews of any speculative piece up to 8K words that you want to throw our way!
That means we’ll review your short stories, your novel excerpts, your flash fiction bundles, even that one super weird novella you wrote that you don’t wanna show your friends because they’ll hold some kind of intervention—whatever speculative fiction pieces you’d like.
For only $50, this is an excellent gift for the writers in your life who’d like to hone their craft. As working writers with countless workshops, critiques, published stories, and even a few writing degrees under our belts, we've faced our share of rejection and criticism. Meaning: we won't be d*cks about it. Every critique will be considerate and professional, not “brutally honest.” Like our beloved jellies, we are a bunch of softies ♥️. And we know writing is very personal; your brain babies are safe with us. (We love brains!)
Loglines Galore
Three more teasers from stories that will grace our anthology:
- Determined to reach the pinnacle of the basilica's hierarchy, one woman will take ungodly measures to outdo her charismatic rival.
- There are lights out there in the desert now. Strange glowing things that seem to beckon and call out. And Salome is worried that William is going to answer them.
- A lonely, sentient ship and her human employee must learn to trust each other when the boring process of mining asteroids turns deadly.
Thanks again for supporting this eclectic crew of emerging Sci-Fi and Fantasy writers. Let’s make it to $10K!
Love,
The Viable Paradise 2023 Cohort
Who wants a cyborg jellyfish sticker?
7 months ago
– Fri, Feb 23, 2024 at 07:58:51 AM
Big news! With only a week left before this campaign comes to a close, we are excited to announce a new reward tier and an expanded stretch goal.
Alec J. Marsh, one of the New Year, New You writers and a member of our fabulous publishing team, will knit beautiful jellyfish softies for three lucky people who back at the new Crochet Jelly reward tier! For $200, you get a print copy of New Year, New You, an e-book, a limited print bookmark, a credit in the acknowledgments, and an original piece of (very snuggly) handmade art!
And there’s more! We still very much want to unlock our $10K stretch goal so we can pay our hardworking writers a professional rate. We want it so much that we’re adding a special thank you gift to that goal for our backers. If we reach our $10K goal, everyone who backs the project at the Sea Nettle reward tier and above will receive a gorgeous die cut cyborg jellyfish sticker designed by one of our writer/artists. The sticker has yet to be officially designed, but here’s our fun placeholder!
If you love this project (and you want a cool sticker), please help us spread the word before the campaign ends. Let’s do this!
Meet the Publishing Team, Part I: Brigitte Winter
Brigitte is a writer, photographer, and game designer based in Maryland. She is also a co-founder of Scryptid Games and the Executive Director of Young Playwrights’ Theater, a DC-based nonprofit dedicated to inspiring young people to realize the power of their voices through creative writing. She started applying her fiction-writing and theater background to tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) a few years ago, and she was honored to be a 2023 Dicebreaker Tabletop Awards Finalist for Designer of the Year. Brigitte describes the capacity of storytelling to connect, inspire, and incite as central to her art and her activism, and she aims to create and consume stories and storytelling games that are queer, feminist, intimate, and deliciously weird.
Brigitte serves on the publishing team for New Year, New You, helping to run the Kickstarter campaign and supporting the editorial team. Get to know her better with this mini interview!
Tell us about your experience in writing and publishing immersive storytelling.
Through my fiction, my publishing, and my game design, I’m focused on creating and platforming immersive stories and storytelling frameworks for queer people, women, people of color, and others who too often don’t see themselves reflected in mainstream literature and gaming.
My stories typically include genre notes of weird fiction and low fantasy, introducing magic and monsters into otherwise contemporary settings as tools for driving and deepening themes. I have a background in theater, and I often access story through character, writing from a close point of view and inviting readers into characters’ inner worlds. I strive for world-building that is rich but light, leaving space for the reader’s imagination. My work typically centers queer characters and bodies, polyamory, and unconventional communities and family structures. I grew up on monster-of-the-week narratives, but I’ve always been on the side of the monsters.
I came to gaming sideways–through fiction-writing and theater–so I didn’t discover the diverse and amazing world of indie TTRPGs until I was in my thirties. My Scryptid Games co-founders and I started our small press to create and platform more of the innovative, immersive story games that we were hungry to play. Our first release was Psychic Trash Detectives, a game played with actual garbage that I wrote about psychic animals solving mysteries and building community in a world of discarded beings and objects. I learned a ton about designing and running a Kickstarter campaign through that process, and I’ve been excited to contribute all that learning to New Year, New You.
What do you find speculative fiction and roleplaying games have in common? How are they different?
Like speculative fiction, roleplaying games offer immersive story experiences that can enable us to explore both the problems and possibilities of our world. My favorite games, like my favorite stories, center on compelling “what if” questions.
But roleplaying games are special because they are interactive. They do not allow for passive participation. The players are both reader and author, audience and actor, and the story they build together exists only in that moment, just for them. It can be refreshing to lean into storytelling that’s collaborative, playful, and ephemeral by design. Writing fiction makes me a better gamer, and playing games makes me a better writer.
I truly believe that some of the best stories ever told were created by groups of friends sitting together around a gaming table and sharing their snacks, laughter, and creativity.
If you stepped through a portal into an existing game world, who and where would you be?
At the moment, it already feels like I’m living almost every day in the world of Against the Gloom, a new roleplaying game by Dustin Patrick Winter that Scryptid Games is currently crowdfunding on Kickstarter. The worldbuilding in that game is one of its central joys. You play as a kind of punk pirate troubadour sailing across a vast and dangerous void—the Gloom—aboard a ramshackle ship propelled by the power of song. Together with the rest of your band, you use your sonic powers to push back the Gloom as it seeks to obliterate any pockets of community that dare to resist it. The game uses actual music and playlist-building as a central mechanic and is basically an ode to the joy and power of music, chosen family, and building community in the face of the void. Dustin has playfully described it as “Our Flag Means Death Metal” or “Oops, All Bards.”
The cover art for the game book was created by Gigi Wilder, a Japan-based illustrator with a passion for fantasy creatures, sprawling environments, and colorful, expressive characters, and her art makes it easy for me to imagine myself into the world of the game.
The last time I played, I stepped into the role of Truth, a singer who made a Faustian deal with the Gloom to alter her voice so she could perfectly mimic the sound and style of any performer but herself. I played in a whimsical, epic band called Neon Rococo (we even had a mood board!), and I can’t wait to reunite with my bandmates, Tripp or Treat, Calypso Moonchild, Sunshine Panic, and Luminessa Longbottom No Relation, when we return to our ship, the Fluffy Stern, to continue our adventure in a few weeks.
Publication Corner
From Anastasia Kirchoff, a lyrical, very short story about a questionably benevolent creature that emerges to answer humanity’s collective prayers. {“It Answered”—Dark Matter Mag}
From Melinda Smith, a short story examining the question, “What if our skin changed color with every emotion?” {“Skin”—Medium}
Story Tips!
Over the course of getting this anthology off the ground, we’re going through the process of not only writing the stories, but writing the marketing for them, too. The first thing that we needed (and some of us needed a little help on ✋🏽) was log lines.
What’s a log line? It’s usually a one-sentence summary of a story, book, or movie that tells you about the plot and central conflict, plus a “hook” to pique your interest.
Here’s a quick formula (courtesy of our publication team’s very own Alec J. Marsh) to help you write yours: LOCK
Lead—who is your main character?
Objective—what do they want?
Conflict—why can’t they have it?
Kicker—the twist, vibes, or curveballs to entice readers.
Check out a few examples from one of the stories in our collection:
- A chat assistant guides a client through order and checkout of her NuYou™ made-to-order body.
- One woman’s perfect doppelgänger offers her a chance to be better — sexier, wittier, more charming, to be always loved and never alone. All this better self requires in return is one small offering.
- A far-future time traveler secretly seeks therapy in the past, hoping for a cure for his depression and lack of connection from traveling in deep time.
We’ll be dropping more story teasers later in the month, so stay tuned for your sneak peek!
Love,
The Viable Paradise 2023 Cohort
