"But—really, you know, Mr. Stryver—"

Mr. Lorry paused, and shook his head at him in the oddest manner, as if he were compelled against his will to add, internally, "you know there really is so much too much of you!"

Some days I feel like there really is so much too much of me. And of everything. Of these floods of newsletters that I’d like to be full of yearning and philosophy and humor, but end up as hodgepodge symphonies of a month, riddled with time’s messiest dynamics: death, politics, triumphs, clowning, art, sadness, ennui.

There is no fix to this except, perhaps, greater curation. A focus on one thing instead of twelve. Resisting feature creep! Resisting the urge to write three metaphors where one will do! Perhaps, one day, I shall be this sort of newsletter writer/blogger/first drafter.

BUT NOT TODAY.

So what’s happening?

Things You Should Probably Know:

The amazing Doctoras of the Carterhaugh School of Folklore and the Fantastic, blessed be its name, have opened registration for their Fairy Tale Heroines course. Enrollment’s open till January 31st.

Last Friday they offered a free 1-hour workshop that I attended on my usual whim, and came out so moved. I don’t know why I was surprised. The last time I attended one of their free workshops on a whim, I came out all shook and luminous as well. I even wrote a poem out of it—“fowlskin”—which was published last year!

This time, I discovered things about myself, through the lens of fairy tales, that I didn’t quite realize. Maybe that’s all that will come out of that workshop. But I doubt it. It’s like I went to a picnic and was idly digging in the dirt with a spoon I was done using, and struck the first stone bones of an ancient city, buried just under me.

I know we’re always discovering things about ourselves. I know that. But I never expect to be hit over the head with revelation while journaling over a fairy tale prompt. I should know better.

Anyway. What can I say? I recommend this course. It requires the purchase of an anthology of fairy tales by Jane Yolen, Fearless Girls, Wise Women & Beloved Sisters, which I already own. Which I also recommend, even separate from the course. (You can find it used fairly easily. Looks like new copies are on back order right now.)

So. If you’re curious, sign up for the course here.

the poem “fowlskin” I wrote for Uncanny Magazine, off one of Carterhaugh School of Folklore and the Fantastic’s fairy tale workshops

Twitch Channel

I have… started a Twitch channel. I probably said that last time. We had our first event, showing backers of Negocios Infernales how to use the Roll20 instance Carlos put together for them exclusively. That was more of a test. It went well!

Now to put together a schedule for the year. And stick to it! I’m starting small.

Each week on Tuesdays at 11 AM EST, I’m reading a chapter of Dark Breakers, Book 1: The Breaker Queen.

Throughout the next few months, I hope to host literary salons, workshops, actual play of games, shop talks, and authors who have books coming out this year.

We’re calling that Twitch space “The Phoenix Quill Tavern: Stories Written in Fire.” If this is the year of cozy fantasy, let us create a cozy, fantastical space where ludic humans are welcome, and see what comes of it.

It’s kind of intimidating. There’s a lot to learn. So I’m starting small and slow.

So, if you’re interested, find me at https://www.twitch.tv/csecooney

I’ll post more about the schedule as it occurs to me, and I grow less nervous. :)

Gaming

Last month, we recorded—not the ultimate episode, not the penultimate episode, but—the pre-penultimate episode of our Hearthglow actual play with Dr. Greg Wilson for his Twitch TV channel twitch.tv/arvaneleron.

I think it was my favorite episode yet. I’m still forming vast opinions about TTRPGs, or as the trained actress/fantasy writer in me thinks of it: long-form fantasy improv, or “collaborative fantasy novels/tv episodes/radio plays written in the air:"

But one thing I’m finding—as Hearthglow is so, far, short-form though it was meant to be, is still the longest campaign I’ve ever been in—is that the longer you play, the better you are at it, the deeper the characters, the more profound the connections. Play gets richer, wilder—if you keep at it.

But… it has to be fun to start with in order for you to have the patience to keep at it. To get to the good stuff. And right now, as fun as it’s been up to this point, is where I’m starting to feel, as an actress—or a gamer—the good stuff is. Like… it’s just starting.

Which gives me great hope for the ending. The last show, apparently, is going to be another live one. More on that later.

So far, all the episodes can be found here: https://www.arvaneleron.com/hearthglow/

For this latest, Greg’s daughter Senevene (on Instagram @sunnysennyart) made us some fan art:

Fan art for Hearthglow by @sunnysennyart on Instagram

Writing

This month I’m working on my novel Fiddle, and also I wrote a 10-minute play to submit to the Red Bull Theater’s Short New Play Festival. The theme this year is “defiance.”

Check out their guidelines, try your hand. I double dog dare you.

I’ve also been trying to write a poem for my friend Howard Andrew Jones.

I guess I was saving this for last. Howard died on the 16th of January. 8 days ago. I am still mostly just crying about it. So.

But he deserves a poem, doesn’t he? He deserves a whole month elegies and wailing. Or songs and theatre and games and dancing. Bonfires, at least. Bards, at least.

I wrote something for Locus about him. I was hesitant when they asked me to do so; I didn’t want to be the one to say anything definitive about Howard. I’m no expert. But the Locus editor was so great; he assured me they’d asked several people. And that, that felt right.

Anyway. I might be writing that poem for a long time.

Some books by my friend, Howard Andrew Jones.