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Another month over, and another Season as well! September has concluded, and with it, the Summer gives one last flicker before conceding to Autumn. The transition this year has been gradual at best, with temperatures still high during the day, and not quite cold enough at night for most trees to begin their abscission. That’s such a cool word. It sounds like a surgical maneuver, but not around here. This is the ZMT Dispatch for October, your monthly recap of everything that’s been going on for this crazy self-publishing journey of ours. This post is only visible on the web if you’re logged in, but don’t worry, it’s free.
This has been a busy month, to be sure. Between school events, camping trips, and just the bustle of life, sometimes it takes all I’ve got just to get through each day. Sundays are about the only time to really sit down and relax, which is why this newsletter is even happening! It was supposed to come out on the 1st, which then got pushed to the 3rd, and then I realized that the only person who was expecting anything from it was me, so I stopped worrying. And here we are!
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Outside- Gardening, nature, life
That enormous rock from the beginning of the email is on a hiking trail called Hemlock Cliffs, which is important enough to be designated a “special place” by the Forest Service. After hiking there with a group of boys over the weekend, I would agree. It’s more challenging than a flat graded trail, with lots of opportunity to clamber up and down, but the rewards of waterfalls, an enormous natural amphitheater, and Native American rock shelters are all worth the time. I would recommend it if you’re in this area and enjoy getting out in nature.
By the way, abscission is the term used in botany to describe trees and other plants separating their leaves from the rest of themselves. A special layer of cells forms protection over the main plant while weakening at the same time, allowing the leaf to drop without allowing in other problematic organisms. Amazing, as usual.
Inside- Writing, reading, other stuff
Like I mentioned at the beginning, it’s been rough to get any writing done lately. The Seasons are changing, which always brings new challenges, but also new opportunities.
Way back at the end of August, I mentioned that I had completed the latest Frontier Flora short story, and had submitted it to the Inkwells & Anvils Sore Must Be The Storm anthology. Turns out it wasn’t the right fit for the collection, which I’m really not that surprised about. It ended up being a much more complicated story than I had originally intended, and didn’t quite fit into the box that the coordinators needed to put it in. And, I didn’t have the time to try and make it fit in that box, since I had waited so long to write it in the first place.
All lessons learned! It also makes the second FF story that was intended for an anthology and didn’t make it in. Frontier Flora is a great world to use for short stories, since it’s so broad and there are so many Florabeasts that can make appearances. Does that mean I’m going to stop trying to submit with them? No way.
The original release date for the story was October 3rd, which didn’t end up happening either. I had wanted to produce audio to go along with it, but if I’m having trouble finding time to write, recording and mixing is right out too. So, it will be released when it’s done. And not a moment sooner.
Oh, and don’t forget about September’s Florabeasts! This month the Panthurium and the Lupine got a turn in the spotlight.
What I’ve been reading
I was a little hesitant to start the Cradle series, since I haven’t been impressed with others of its kind, but it was recommended by a reliable source, so I thought I would give it a go. And I wasn’t disappointed at all!
12 books sounds imposing, too, but they’re quick reads, or at least I found them to be so. The never-ending battles never got tedious, because of the endless variety of opponents, and the humorous banter between the characters is absolutely amazing. Top-shelf excellent. It’s moderately violent, since not all conflicts can be resolved peacefully, but usually not overly gory. I still give the whole series a hearty endorsement.
What I’ve been listening to
It was really, really hard to pick just one album for this month, since there have been so many musical joys to be had. So, I give you both.
The story behind this game is a post unto itself, but for now I can confidently declare it a fantastic musical accomplishment, made only more amazing by the fact that it was performed by real people with real instruments (and their voices). The sheer beauty emanates out of every note and melody. Even if you never intend to play the game, the Hollow Knight: Silksong soundtrack is an experience you shouldn’t pass up.
My second-favorite soundtrack of all time has gotten a second half! Slime Rancher is my favorite first-person shooter, and the music pairs unnaturally well with my writing in multiple ways. It’s a common strategy nowadays to release games incrementally, with new levels and features coming out as they are finished and developed. This means the soundtrack isn’t really complete either. Monomi Park’s tactic has been to follow up the initial release with a “Volume 2” edition that contains the rest of the music for all the content that was added after volume 1. And, after three years (!) it’s finally here.
There are plenty of Serene and Dreaming tracks to study/collect plorts to, alongside the anticipated weather themes, which take the entire collection to another level altogether. Whether you’re listening to for hype or for relaxation, you’ll find what you need across both volumes.
And here we are at the end once more. Oh look, a sunset! I’ve still got a few of those. Autumn has begun, the harvest is in full swing. Everything we’ve worked for all year is finally coming to fruition. Get outside and enjoy the cooler weather, watch some leaves, and as always, remember that all is well.
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