From the Desk of The Calm Scribe
June was an interesting month. With most writing groups and programs going on hiatus or winding down for the summer, AGMs, panels, work, and writing, there were a lot of meetings and connections with people. This time of year is always a mix of emotions. Excitement at the time off to create, sadness at taking a pause from working with all the wonderful people in my sphere, and a release of tension as the schedule opens up for a couple of months.
This month I will be focusing on supporting causes I am passionate about, working on my various WIPs, and drowning in reading. Story Cube Fridays are back and now featured in their own new section here on Substack, more cocktails are being developed, and surprisingly, poetry has started to flow forth once more. As always stay literary & libatious, my friends and continue reading for writing tips, news, and a new cocktail featured in the Literary & Libatious book club.
Writing Tips
Read, Watch, and Consume Mindfully
The summer is here and while most people I know haven’t seen the dog days in some time, we may be able to carve out a bit of extra time for reading and catching up on our shows and movies. But, what do I mean by consume mindfully?
As an author, or reader, it is important to consider what we consume and pause to give some reflection. If you are watching a show or reading a book, pay attention to how it makes you feel. Do you like or dislike a certain character? Did a scene or episode cause you to have an emotional reaction? Perhaps, you stopped enjoying a book series or show ? Perhaps you fell in love with something new? Whatever it may be, don’t just feel the emotion and move on. Pause and linger with it.
What is it about that character made that made you love or hate them? What made you dislike the book or show? Did it have a bad plot, poor dialogue, or flat characters? What made you fall in love or made you pause and consider what was written? What inspired you and why?
Being critical and questioning in what we consume, allows us to be better writers and readers. It allows for informed opinions and allows writers to avoid missteps or find inspiration. I recently listened to a story from Never Whistle at Night, and at first was inspired and began thinking about how I would finish the tale, feeling proud of myself. Until I finished listening to the story and was thoroughly humbled. The author took the story to heights I never knew existed and inspired me to expand my craft and do better. Remember, no matter how long you have been writing, or how much success you have seen, there is always room to grow and space to be humble.
Literary News
Saying No to AI, Controversies at Noon with the Writers’ Guild of Alberta
I was invited to participate on a panel discussion AI and its impact on writers and the creative field. It was a wonderful one-hour panel with great insights from all. Below is a link to the replay in case you missed it.
The International Booker Prize Winner Announced
The end of May saw an exciting announcement from the International Booker Prize; this year’s winner.
Congratulations to Kairos, by Jenny Erpenbeck!
Click here for more information on the prize and the winning title.
The longlist for the Booker Prize 2024 will be announced on Tuesday, July 30th, 2024 at 2PM BST.
Time to Engage
Join the Literary & Libatious Book Club on Fable
The L&L Book Club brings together lovers of fantastic cocktails and amazing stories. Operating through the Fable app, we remotely read the novels, add our thoughts to each chapter and the book overall in the app, and have the option to meet virtually to discuss the fantastic novels and sip on custom literary cocktails. A custom cocktail is designed for each book, often with a non-alcohol variation if wanted. (See below for a sample cocktail!)
We are currently reading Before the Coffee Gets Cold, by Toshikazu Kawaguchi until the end of July.
Click the banner below to be brought to the WSP website for more info and to join.
Reader’s Corner
Current Reads
I am unable to disclose all the books I am currently reading because I am deep into reviewing two books for the Whistler Independent Book Awards. I will update about the books as I can and when I am able. Look for more information in a future post.
As stated above, the one book I can post about currently reading is Before the Coffee Gets Cold, by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. It is the current book with the Literary & Libatious book club. Look for my review and cocktail designed for the book in a future post. Don’t forget to join the book club, it is free and we have cocktails!
Calm Scribe Reading Challenge 2024 Updates
Here are the 18 of 26 books read so far!
Read a book…
…published in 2023/2024. - Prophet Song, Paul Lynch
…by a Middle Eastern Author. - The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine, Rashid Khalidi
…in a genre you don’t usually read. - New Erotica for Feminists, Kaitlin Kunkel
…of poetry. - Handwriting, Michael Ondaatje
…that will expand your world view. - On Palestine, Noam Chomsky & Ilan Pappé
…that won an award. - Study for Obedience, Sarah Bernstein
…that is a graphic novel or Manga. - Batman: Dark Knight Returns, Frank Miller
…that is just for fun. - The White Man’s Guide to White Male Writers of the Western Canon, Dana Schwartz
…that is a debut novel. Are you there, God? It’s Me, Margaret, Judy Blume
…about a major historical event. Rosa, Nikki Giovanni
…written by a BIPOC or LGBTQ+ author. Yellowface, R.F. Kuang
…written by an Indigenous author. Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology, Shane Hawk (Editor, Contributor)
…chosen because of the cover. At Night All Blood is Black, David Diop
…of short stories or essays. Gaza Writes Back, Refaat Alareer (Editor, Contributor)
…by a famous author you have not yet read. Klara and the Sun, Kazuo Ishiguro
…that is an audio book. The Haunting of Hill House, Shirly Jackson
…that is an epic. Celtic Mythology: Tales of Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes, Philip Freeman
…with under 200 pages. We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Shirley Jackson
Monthly Literary Cocktail
Literary & Libatious Cocktail designed for Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro: Youthful Promise
The third book of the Literary and Libatious book club was Klara and the Sun, by Kazuo Ishiguro. The youthful feeling and central theme of the heart inspired our latest cocktail Youthful Promise. Due to the fact that this book is ostensibly about youth, there is also alcohol free option with the exact same flavor profile. The bison grass vodka represents the field Klara walks through, the pink grapefruit juice and wheel represent the setting sun, with the cranberry juice and lychee liquor representing youthfulness. Finally the cherry in the bottom is to signify the heart and the central theme of the book. A perfect cocktail to sip while reading and engrossing book!
Youthful Promise
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Bison Grass Vodka
1 oz SoHo Lychee Liquor
1 oz Pink Grapefruit Juice
1 oz White Cranberry Juice
1 Amarena Cherry
1/2 Grapefruit Wheel
Preparation:
Add ice, vodka, lychee liquor, white cranberry juice, and pink grapefruit juice to a shaker.
Shake until chilled.
Double strain into a coupe glass.
Garnish with grapefruit wheel and cherry.
Youthful Promise (Alcohol-Free)
Ingredients:
2.5 oz Lychee Juice
1 oz Pink Grapefruit Juice
1 oz White Cranberry Juice
1 Amarena Cherry
1/2 Grapefruit Wheel
Preparation:
Add lychee juice, white cranberry juice, and pink grapefruit juice to a rocks (or juice) glass with ice.
Stir until combined and chilled.
Garnish with grapefruit wheel and cherry.
Bonus Tip
There is more than one way to be a reader. If you enjoy reading and want to add a little extra fun, consider signing up to be an Alpha, Beta, Sensitivity, or A.R.C. reader.
Alpha readers help the author by reading an early draft of the novel. There will be plenty of mistakes and issues, but the focus is on the overall story, pacing, interest, plot issues, or other mistakes. Alpha readers help the author nail down the larger chunks of the story before final edits and drafts.
Beta readers read a practically complete version of the novel. It has been through drafts, edits, and is almost ready to be published. This is a final test read to confirm there are no major issues with the story. It is exciting to be a part of the conclusion of a new book.
Sensitivity readers are readers that belong to a diverse community or have a specific area of expertise like military or medical. These readers help authors by ensuring appropriate representation of diverse groups and specialized subjects. If this sounds like you, sign up to help an author today.
A.R.C. readers are people who receive advanced reader copies of books. They read the completed book before publishing and write reviews that can be used in the launch of the book when it is published. This can a little more tricky to get onto a list, but it is well worth the effort.
Visit the Wax Seal Productions Reading Room for more information and to register to become a specialized reader today.
Enjoy your reading and your summer!
-The Calm Scribe, Travis J. Croken
Have a suggestion for the recommendation of the month or a topic you would like to see covered? Let me know in the comments! Please share with anyone you feel may enjoy this Substack.