So it's a fifth Monday...
by
R.F. Gammon
- January 30, 2023
...which means it's time for a newsletter! I'll be sending them every month, but here are signups for this month. Official launch, haha.
a question (with an answer)
by
R.F. Gammon
- January 23, 2023
Once upon a time, a girl sat down and opened her Bible.
She'd read this chapter a few times before--she was familiar with Romans. She knew what the words meant on a grammar level. There were few surprises.
But she hadn't let it sink into her heart. The words were distant, far from her actual soul. And as she read them again, she realized: she was angry. Understanding was not enough--she needed belief.
That was hard to come by when her prayers went unanswered.
She pounded her fists against her Bible. She screamed. She prayed. Her diary became far more faithful a companion than her prayer journal, but then the diary started to veer into a darkness she hadn't expected. Later, talking to her therapist, she'd realize just how awful that moment had been. "I started writing about myself in the third person," she'd said. "Do you think that's relevant?"
Her therapist had chuckled and leaned back. "People tend to do that to distance themselves from traumatic experiences," she said.
The girl stopped writing entirely, and she stopped asking. Her questions weren't for God. They were for her parents, for other people, for the void. God could hear them--that much she knew. But it felt like nothing got to him. There was a fence on the way up, and her questions snagged like balloons in a ceiling net, tapping relentlessly, but unable to go any higher. The questions were corralled, and she could not seem to read past that chapter of Romans.
More. More than conquerors. The words were a mockery. What did it mean to be more than a conqueror when she couldn't even overcome her own questions?
She wrote a list for her mother: questions God can't answer. "The only thing keeping me here is that nothing else has better answers," she explained to her mother. That was really the only thread she had--none of the other possible worldviews made sense even on a molecular level.
One day, during prayer, the reminder came again: more than conquerors. Outside, rain poured down in the middle of a dark spring evening. The girl looked out the window at the rain and sighed. More prayer. More asking God for something that wouldn't happen. More begging for answers.
The prayer ended. The family wandered. The girl's younger sister looked out the window and gasped. "Guys, come look," she said urgently.
The church building where they were praying was empty, but that had no effect on them at that moment. Because there, stretched over the parking lot--a rainbow. It spanned the church building, bright and unmistakable.
You are loved, that rainbow whispered. It was a reminder--a promise. Hope. hope.
The answers were not all right there, but the girl took a deep breath, looking at that rainbow.
That wasn't a direct answer.
But it was a start.
And for the first time, the balloons of her questions were breaking past the net and soaring, free, into the great blue sky.
REINTRODUCING THE OLD PROJECTS: I start querying?
by
R.F. Gammon
- January 16, 2023
Hello guys! I know I said second Mondays were going to be flash fiction, but I'm giving myself a brief window of time to prep some stories before I start posting them. As a result, I'm going to switch weeks for January and discuss my current main project, Holding Up the Sky!
A world where the sky could crumble at any moment and only the power of music checks it. A world where magic runs rampant, controlled by white robes and powerful glances. A world where blood is your currency.
Dulci lives alone in a tower. Her very existence is illegal, for she is a Player, tasked with holding up the sky—but no one knows she is alive. In an arsenal of musicians, she may well be the most valuable member. If only she were free…
Daverby, a young gang lord, roams the poor quarters of the city with his found family, always on the lookout for more money. When he and his gang are hired to find a threat to their world’s very existence, they brace for the worst of fights. None of them could have expected to find the threat in the form of a young, terrified girl who has no idea why they’re looking for her.
A world at stake… a lonely girl… and a desperate gang of assassins who just need to eat for another day.
The song must continue.
This little story has my heart. It's about piano music that keeps the entire world safe. It's about magic carpets, a world where blood is currency, and portals to other worlds. It's very high-concept and very fairy-tale retelling. It has lots of tropes.
And my big news is that I'm going to be querying it!
I've queried once in the past, mostly to small presses, with a very old version of The King's Daughter. I pulled it because a gut feeling said it was the wrong time, and I'm so very thankful I did--I needed that book, and it needed time to become what it's becoming now. But I'm ready to dive back into the querying waters with a much lighter and less personal story.
It's been a LONG time since I've shared anything about this story, so here are the characters!
Daverby//laughter is medicine//I hate emotions//is anyone else suspicious?//gold//insults for self protection//brokenness//exhaustion//all i have is my hair//angel with a shotgun, the cab
Emery//grew up too fast//little pink flowers//beauty to tempt fate//oldest sister//fights for love//no friends, only family//loneliness//journey, natasha blume
Drex//self sacrifice//we'll win, don't worry//always the optimist//guns//magic carpets//a purple vest//in need of help//whispering magic//young and beautiful, lana del rey
Dulci//afraid//music in fingertips//life in a tower//never cut her hair//scared smile//a whole new world//love is worth the fight//atlas, coldplay
(this art is actually Tarek; credit to @inscape.studio for this amazing art!)
Tarek//musician forever//never certain//broken hand, broken boy//strange//flute and piano//just one yesterday, fall out boy
Lissa//music in the soul//lost voice//lost hope//this world is unforgiving//bright eyes//red hair//sadness runs deep//starlight, starset
Malice//the little brother//always alone//uncertain//mom and dad are gone//what happens next//animals love him//always a bright tomorrow//winter of our youth, bastille
Talia//it's hard to be a criminal//wanted//never needed//why fit in when you were born to stand out//found family//protect what's yours//breath of life, florence + the machine
That's the post! I'm so excited to be moving forward with sharing this story with the world, and I hope you enjoyed this peek at it :) Chat with me down below! What are you working on right now on the WIP front?
My Goals for 2023
by
R.F. Gammon
- January 09, 2023
Hello guys! as it turns out, my blogging in 2021-2022 was so inconsistent that I simply...never shared goals for 2022. Suffice to say, I did not make most of them, so we're going to scrub that all clean and start over with my Hyper Realistic Goals for 2023.
Something that I've realized lately is that if you want to grow, you have to start by bursting out of the ground. For the longest time, I've felt like I was stuck in a bleak hole of depression and sadness. I've taken some important steps toward getting out of the hole, and now I think I might actually be out of the hole and standing on level ground. As a result, maybe I can actually grow.
That's where my goals come in. These aren't crazy ambitious, but they're a start. My hope for this year is that I'll be able to thrive.
I have WAY more goals than I'll be sharing here (some are personal; some are spiritual), but of the ones I'm striving for, here are the most important. A few of them. We be vibing this year.
1) ACTUALLY achieve my fitness goals.
I'm so close, y'all. So so close. My relationship with food has gotten so much better over the last couple years, and I don't have far to go to heal my body either (at least on that front). It's a constant effort and it's not easy by any means, but I'm so proud of how far I've come and I'm still working.
2) Read 52 books.
My book count for 2022 was somewhere in the 30s, which was extremely disappointing. I own a lot of books I haven't read, and I'm an English major. I should be reading, dangit! One per week feels doable, especially if I'm counting all of the Shakespeare and Lewis I'll be reading for class in the spring. (I'm already at 2 at the time of the writing of this post. I'm sure I'll have more when it publishes. I'm an addict send help).
3) Reach 1,000 Instagram followers.
This, of course, means I have to actually post. Heh. That's always a challenge at school, but I feel like I've gotten back into the swing of it over December. shameless plug that if you haven't yet, you should go follow my instagram I'm going to start doing both writing-based posts (instead of just reading) AND reels (ew), and while my follower count is out of my control, I see no reason I can't reach 1,000 followers by the end of the year. I'm at almost 740 right now, which means I only need 260 more. Not too hard, right? Right??????
4) 50 Flash Fictions Challenge
I'm going to finish out this year with 50 completed short stories if it's the last thing I do *breathes heavily*
5) Put $500 in short term savings.
Paying for my college usually puts my short term savings on the back burner, but I'm realizing: I might, possibly, actually need money for a *coughs* apartment haha at some point. Or an air fryer. I'd love an air fryer.
6) Work out three times per week.
Working out is one of my favorite activities, actually. I know, I know. But I love the gym, weightlifting, and the effort that leads to me being healthier, happier, and more active. I'm so excited to get back into it this year.
7) Write the first drafts of 2 novels.
This is a huge goal, especially with school, but I did manage it in 2022 so I think it's possible for 2023. One of these is going to be an artsy, atmospheric thing that I know nothing about except Vibes. The other is the sequel to my assassin book, which I'll probably share more about later this year. These shouldn't be awful, and I'm excited to dive into both of them.
8) Learn at least 3 new vegan recipes.
I'd love to be sustainably vegan/pescetarian (I have a ton of food sensitivities, and eating sustainably vegan leads to much better health for me personally). Vegan recipes tend to be very, very hit or miss. My goal is to find a handful that I can make over and over someday--some new favorites that don't incorporate dairy or meat, if you will. Some kind of pasta recipe? Who knows, haha.
9) Memorize a full Psalm.
I've been bad about Bible memory in the past, and I want to get better with it. The easiest way to do that, imo, will be to pick a relatively short Psalm and just memorize the whole thing. Easy, but it'll poke my mind and get me on track.
10) Get better about giving.
I've felt super convicted about my (somewhat) miserly tendencies with money, and I want to do better about giving away to organizations that are doing God's work, both in America and beyond.
In the end, my word for this year is: live. Not just survive: live. God has given me this one beautiful and precious life, and I am ready to live it to the fullest.
There you have it: my most important goals. I'll be updating on these in December, like I do every year. (Maybe a midyear update too? We'll see). What is your big New Year's resolution? Chat with me in the comments :)
WHAT'S NEW WITH ME IN 2023? (Ft. a Flash Fiction Challenge!)
by
R.F. Gammon
- January 02, 2023
Hello, everybody! This isn't my traditional Wrapping up 2022, Establishing 2023 post--that will come NEXT week, when I've actually made my New Year's resolutions. The purpose of this post is to talk about some very exciting things I'll be doing in 2023 in hopes of growing my author brand and my writing--as well as growing my relationship with you guys!
There are four of these things, so we'll tick them off real quick (except the last one. Hold onto your hats, because the last one is easily my favorite thing I'll be doing this year mwahaha)
If you don't already follow me on Instagram, you should. I'll be posting both reading and writing updates over there, probably far more than I'm posting on my blog. I'm also planning to be posting more reels and just trying to be more engaged--I love my followers, and I want my Insta to be a friend-filled and happy place! So give me a follow over there for lots of writing excerpts, my reading updates, and (probably boring) life things.
R. F. Gammon (@rfgammonauthor) • Instagram photos and videos
Blog
I always say I'm going to do better about blogging, but this year I MEAN IT Y'ALL. We're doing graphic design. We're doing a SCHEDULE. We're doing ALL THE THINGS.
I'll be blogging on Mondays like always, 4 times a month, and my schedule is likely going to be something like:
1st Monday: Writing update or advice
2nd Monday: a short story (EEP)
3rd Monday: something poetic, something about God
4th Monday: Writing update or advice
You may notice that there's no life update type stuff on this list. (Even if you didn't: I'm pointing it out. Hahaha). And that is because OHOHO it's time for the REAL update:
Newsletter
You heard me right, folks. I am starting a newsletter and I am HYPED.
My plan is for the newsletter to come out at the end of each month and include a life update, some writing, Bible verses, and my progress on my goals. All that good stuff. As I work on publication, I'll probably have some updates of that sort in there, too. I've been wanting to start some sort of mailing list FOREVER and I'm so excited that I finally have the chance to do that.
And now for the final thing that I'm SO excited to share:
Fifty Flash Fictions
I'm back to working for Havok this year, and I'm hoping to write a good bit for Havok, too. Flash fiction is such a fun way to flex your writing muscles--it's like the bicep curls you do to warm up before you start setting a deadlift PR. (I'm a gym rat these days, if you missed that). I love flash fiction, so I decided to set myself a challenge of writing lots of it this year.
Well. One thing led to another, and now I'm doing Fifty Flash Fictions, one for each week of the year (plus a little wiggle room because I know myself and two weeks off is probably going to be helpful.) I made a database of 65 prompts, of which I'll choose 50 as time goes on. Each month, I'll be posting one of those stories here, on this blog, on the 2nd Monday of each month. The other ones I'll be holding onto. Some I may submit to Havok. Some might be in the newsletter. Others I'll probably hoard like a dragon mwahahaha. But I'm excited by the prospect of that many finished short stories.
Here's where the newsletter and you guys come in! Each month, I'll be picking a prompt, which I will include in my newsletter when I send it out. At that point, I'd invite you to write your own flash fiction with that prompt, and then I'll be sharing mine on the blog. You don't have to participate in all 50 weeks to use the prompts, although if you'd like to, the more the merrier! Kal Tomson is planning to do the challenge with me, and I think Brooke will also be participating in some of the weeks. Just let me know in the comments if you're interested in joining.
So that's the post! I'm really excited for all that 2023 entails, and I can't wait to see where my writing goes. Talk to me down below! I'd love to hear from you all :)
