Arisia 2018 Broad Universe RFR

I'll be reading at Arisia 2018 with other members of Broad Universe on Saturday, January 13, at 10:00 AM.

If you've never been to a Broad Universe RFR (Rapid-Fire Reading), give it a try. They're a lot of fun, yet sometimes very sobering and thought-provoking as well. You might hear stories of horror, fantasy, or science fiction -- or a delightful combination of all of the above.

The final list of readers includes Anna Erishkigal, Dianna Sanchez, Heather Albano, Julie C. Day, LJ Cohen, Randee Dawn, Roxanne Bland, Suzanne Reynolds-Alpert, Morven Westfield (me), Trisha Wooldridge, and Victoria Sandbrook. (Not all authors may be in attendance for the entire time slot.  Other members of Broad Universe not listed may be reading.)

Come discover your new favorite writer as we read short excerpts from our work. Each writer has just a few minutes to show you what she’s capable of!  We offer chocolate and the chance to win prizes.

Broad Universe is an international organization dedicated to promoting, encouraging, honoring, and celebrating women writers and editors in science fiction, fantasy, horror, and other speculative genres.

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Morven Westfield first became fascinated by the unseen in her childhood, delighting in superstitions and ghost stories. Her interests are reflected in her writing. Her supernatural-themed short stories have appeared in multiple anthologies, and she regularly contributes articles on folklore and the supernatural to The Witches Almanac. Morven lives in Central Massachusetts with her husband. Like many writers, she keeps a messy office and drinks way too much coffee.

NaNoWriMo - DONE!

The folks at NaNoWriMo call finishing 50,000 words in the month of November "Winning." For some reason that's never felt right to me. Maybe it's because I have the metaphor of a race in my mind. At the end of the race, only one person wins.

But I get it. When you complete the challenge of writing 50,000 words in 30 days, which averages out to 1,667 words a day, you've won the struggle against writer's block, fear of failure, fatigue, and in some cases, very real physical pain.

Still, I have a hard time calling myself a winner. Yes, I did hit a verified word count of 50,325 words on November 30, but as any writer knows, finishing a first draft is just the beginning.

I'm letting my text cool, and then, sometime after the first of the year will start the arduous task of editing and rewriting.

To all those who participated in NaNoWriMo this year, I salute you, whether you "won" or not. Just starting it, just accepting the challenge was a big step. I hope that step brought you confidence and joy.