I’ve said this before and I’ll say it till the world gives them more credit: my students are awesome.
Every week at our creative writing group meeting, one or more of them blow me away with their compassion, creativity, writing ability, and overall heart. Because I believe the world can never contain too much ambient teen optimism, here you go:
No one was prepared. Least of all the city street sweepers.
It’s the middle of November–the time of year for fall color and cozy sweaters and cute pumpkin-bedecked porches. It is most certainly NOT the time of year for several inches of wet, heavy snow that sticks around indefinitely even in the sunshine. But that’s exactly what my state got a few days ago. Out of the blue, in defiance of all reasonable weather reports, this region got dumped on in a rush of sloppy, slushy winter mess.
I am honored to announce my flash fiction story “Fish Bones” has been named a winner of the “Get to Work” flash fiction contest sponsored by the SVSU Writing Center. It will be published in an upcoming edition of the community journal Still Life.
I was also invited to read my piece at “The Work Project,” an evening of creative art centered on the theme of work. The event took place at a REALLY cool local arts collective called Counter Culture, and on top of the joy of reading my work, I got to judge a fun open poetry slam.
My community rocks. 🙂
I am pleased to be returning to Shore Leave sci-fi convention this year in Baltimore, MD. Here is my panel and workshop schedule for the weekend and a the link to my author guest page on the SL website.
End at the Beginning (Fri 5-6pm):
Our panel will talk about non-linear approaches to narrative structure, and will discuss stories in which it worked, and not.
Heather E. Hutsell (M), Kelli Fitzpatrick, David Mack, Joshua Palmatier, Stephen Kozeniewski
Science Fact (Sat 9-10am):
What really cool recent technologies and scientific breakthroughs or discoveries will shape our near future reality, as well as the way we tell genre stories?
Kelli Fitzpatrick (M), Phil Giunta, Christopher L. Bennett, Glenn Hauman, Mary Louise Davie
Outside In by ATB Publishing (Sat 2-3pm):
Meet the contributors to these essay collections on the likes of Doctor Who, Star Trek, Buffy, and more.
Laura Ware (M), Bob Greenberger, Amy Imhoff, Derek Attico, Lorraine Anderson, Kelli Fitzpatrick, Joseph F. Bernato
Character Creation Workshop (Sun 11am):
by Kelli Fitzpatrick, Aaron Rosenberg, Russ Colchamiro
Looking forward to seeing you all there!
Shore Leave 39 has officially announced me as an Author Guest. I am honored and excited to attend. It’s going to be awesome!
Books are the best surprises. And the most interesting mysteries.
This book recently showed up at my local library, held in my name. I didn’t request it (at least, not that I recall–I request a lot of books).
Since I know all the library staff very well, and they all know me and my writerly inclinations, I’m fairly certain one of them saw the book and set it aside for me, knowing I would appreciate it. (I haven’t asked who yet–that’s part of the fun).
This book is a collection of short “stories” by Colum McCann, MFA professor at Hunter College in New York. Each entry, only a couple of pages, is comprised of cuttingly real and relevant writing advice for emerging creatives. I can’t put it down.
One day you might find yourself hating writing precisely because you want to make it so good. Yet this awful truth is just another form of joy. Get used to it. The sun also sets in order to rise. — from Letters to a Young Writer
I am not even a quarter of the way into this book and I already can’t live without it. Pick up a copy for yourself. And support your local library. They are the keepers of words that move.
I am honored to have been interviewed by Carl Slaughter for File 770, a fanzine about the news of sci-fi fandom. Carl’s questions were detailed and thoughtful, and it was a pleasure to work with him and to be featured on the site. The interview, entitled “Kelli Fitzpatrick, Breakthrough Author,” looks at my current publications, my works in progress, as well as my interest in the sci-fi world.
Here’s a story game called “Without Borders” I wrote and coded a couple years ago about a doctor who becomes an astronaut rather unwillingly. “Story game” means that it is a choose-your-own-adventure style story where you play as a character and have choices and different possible endings.
There’s a link at the end of the game to give me feedback on what you thought, as well as links to get you started creating games of your own if you are so inclined.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Mild language in a couple spots. No endorsements given or received. All photos my own or public domain.
Photo above from NASA, public domain.
“We are part of this universe, we are in this universe, but perhaps more important than both those facts is that the universe is in us.”
—Neil deGrasse Tyson
Just received the confirmation email that I’ve been accepted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America as an Associate Member! SFWA is an organization for published authors and industry professionals in the scifi/spec fiction world. I could not be more proud to join the ranks of such an amazing group of writers and look forward to meeting many more of them.
The title and beginning of the article written by Rich Schepis for Women at Warp.
Writer and journalist Rich Schepis interviewed me about my recent Strange New Worlds story “The Sunwalkers.” His full article, “Teacher Takes Lessons from Star Trek to Enter new Frontier,” discusses the impact Star Trek has had on both my writing and teaching, and is published on the Women at Warp website.
Huge thanks to Rich for his adept communication and professionalism, and to Women at Warp for celebrating women in Star Trek and scifi everywhere.
