Hey, it’s Shannon. 🍁🌦️

We have much to discuss, and I want your questions about a new written AMA we are trying.

But first…

I must introduce you to our resident instructor and contest judge for the next few months. Many of you will remember Finnian Burnett (bio below) from last winter, but for those new around here, you are in for a tasty Halloween treat 🎃🍫!

If I had to sum up Finnian in one sentence, this would be it: Finnian has an infectious energy that lights everyone up, including myself. My day is always better after a Zoom jam session with Finnian. I ❤️ working with Finnian, and I am positive you will too because everyone does.

If you want to get excited about writing, have your questions answered, and enjoy a fun discussion about the craft, I encourage you to join us for an Ask Me Anything session with Finnian Burnett on November 17.

❓Do you have questions about Point of View?

The theme for the next month or so will be Point of View, and we want your input.

Point of View is one of the more complicated aspects of writing, and I know many of you struggle with all that you need to remember and put into practice.

So…If you have any questions about POV, reply to this email, and I will pass them off to Finnian. Starting next week, we will select some questions to answer and feature them on the AOL. It will be like a bunch of fun mini-lessons you can snack on while procrastinating your writing 😜

📝 New Point of View Workshop

Finnian will also teach a Point of View workshop on December 15. We are trying this new one-day format, so I would like your thoughts.

Enrollment will open next Tuesday, so watch for the email and block off December 15 as a day for learning and socializing with other writers. Staring at the screen by yourself gets old. You gotta spice things up and hang out with other word nerds. I know I do.

About Finnian Burnett

Finnian Burnett is a queer BC-based writer whose work explores the intersections of the human body, mental health, and gender identity. They hold a doctoral degree in English Pedagogy with a specific emphasis on using story-based pedagogy to create equity in multi-cultural classrooms. Finnian is a recipient of the Canada Council for the Arts grant, a finalist in the 2023 CBC nonfiction prize, and a 2024 Pushcart nominee.

Their work appears in Blank Spaces Magazine, Reflex Press, The Daily Sci-Fi, CBC Books, and Pulp Literature, along with local contest anthologies such as Word on the Lake, The Wine Country Writer’s Festival anthology, Federation of BC Writers, and more.

Finnian has published works in various genres, including non-fiction, romance, literary, and speculative, with a focus on diverse topics such as gender identity, sexuality, mental health, and social justice. Finnian’s short fiction has been nominated for awards such as Best Microfiction, Best Short Fiction, and Best of the Net, and they have been shortlisted or won with the Bath Flash Fiction Awards, Reflex Press, The London Independent Story Prize, Oxford Flash Fiction, Bridport, National Flash Fiction Day, and more.

Their two novellas-in-flash, The Clothes Make the Man and The Price of Cookies, are available through Ad Hoc Fiction and Off Topic Publishing, respectively.

Finnian has a passion for teaching and spends most of their non-writing time working on new workshops and craft writing presentations. They also run a full-time novel-writing program through the non-profit organization, the Golden Crown Literary Society.

Finnian lives in British Columbia, where they are currently working on a novel set in Scotland, and they very much feel they must go live in a castle in Scotland for a few months as research.

— Shannon 🖖🏻

PS

The picture below may not look like much, but it is symbolic.

Last weekend, the weather and wind were warm, and I soaked up every last bit until the sun went down and rode my bike 🚴🏼‍♀️ home in the dark. It felt like the last day of summer because I knew the temperature would drop the next day and the rain would start to fall. I watched the clouds roll in over the cemetery at sunset, and it felt like saying goodbye to long days and golden-hour adventures. It’s the end of Daylight Savings in the US on Sunday, my least favorite day of the year.

So…it’s officially winter in my mind, which means lots of reading and writing are in my future. I am looking forward to spending time with you this winter.

— Shannon 🖖🏻