An Update (and the A Kind of Death anthology!)

It's been a hot minute, hasn't it, my friends? xD

"I come back to you now at the turn of the tide" with a post in two parts! An update, and then some exciting news (which I really should have shared WELL before now ... but better late than never, yes?).

Let the show begin.

The Update: 

If you follow me on Instagram (@savannahgraceauthor), you'll probably have seen most of this update already - but! The reason for my absence (and the fact that I will probably continue to be pretty absent, at least on my blog) is attributed to these few things:

1) College! I started college in September, and MY WORD. While it isn't as totally overwhelming as I'd worried it would be, there's still quite a heavy workload. I've had to push a lot of things to the side (even things I really love) in order to protect my sanity, ha!

2) Since college has stolen so much of my free time, I'm trying to spend what free time I have /away/ from the computer, and preferably with people, which is another reason why I haven't been around as much.

3) TONS of out-of-the-house activities going on. I can't even begin to list all the gazillion things I've done and have had to do over the last few months. This introvert has built up a grand armor that makes her look an awful lot like an extrovert. If I had a dime for every time this conversation -- Me: "I'm an introvert" Them: "...no, you're not." -- has happened, I'd be a rich woman xD.


So that's where I've disappeared to. And the fact that I disappeared is why you've yet to get this news ...

The A Kind of Death anthology: 


My first short story is being published in THREE DAYS!!

"The Swan Women of Skye", one of my favorite stories that I've written thus far, was selected to be published in Uncommon Universes' Press first anthology, A Kind of Death. I'm so excited, I could burst - and even more so because the anthology is going to be available in both paperback AND hardcover! (it's always been a huge goal of mine to have something published in hardcover)

And since I'm TERRIBLY late to tell you this news, I feel like I owe you a little bit of information about the story, yes?

Some Details:
- it's a fantasy story
- it's set in Skye, Scotland
- it's the longest story I will have ever had published (by a L O N G shot) 
- thematically, it's about letting go and finding your strength

The Blurb: 
A princess who makes dangerous bargains with the afterlife. A man desperate to save his wife, no matter the cost. An uber driver for the undead.

Death, whether real or metaphorical, comes for us all. Yet it is not always the end. And in the depths of grieving can be the promise of hope and redemption. 
 

The tales and poems in this anthology explore the depths of love, loss, and transformation. Whether in a reimagined folktale or a modern urban fantasy, A Kind of Death features a fine balance of tragedy and comedy, but always with a hint of wonder and hope.

  

As this anthology concerns matters of loss (all handled tastefully and without graphic depiction), certain stories might prove challenging for sensitive readers. Recommend reading with a hot beverage and/or a packet of tissues.

Aaaaall the rest of the info (including  purchase links and pre-order info) that I needn't recount here can be found on Uncommon Universes Press' website (specifically in this blog post) - and there's also a great giveaway going on for it over at this post, so make sure to check them both out! I'm beyond excited that I get to share The Swan Women of Skye with you all - it's a story that I really love, and I can't wait for it to be out in the world <333.

*deep breath* Alright! That's all I have for y'all today. I can't promise that I'll be any more active on my blog than I have been lately, but I do post life updates a little more often on my Facebook page, and writing-things on my Instagram now and again if you're wanting to know I'm still alive ;).

And with all that out of the way - how are all of you? I've missed the blogging community!


~ Savannah Grace 

so 

how are you all? 

Story Embers: How Writing Creative Nonfiction Benefits Novelists

Another of my articles went live on Story Embers! This time around, it's on a branch of writing that I recently delved into and absolutely love -- creative nonfiction.

Creative nonfiction is so incredibly useful (and also incredibly fun) and yet somehow, so few people have heard of it? So I thought I'd take the chance to show y'all what creative nonfiction is and why it's such an important tool for novelists to use.

 

I used to avoid nonfiction—in both reading and writing—until I discovered that creative nonfiction employs literary techniques usually associated with fiction. How could this be? And would trying it expand my skills?

Creative nonfiction seeks to capture readers’ attention by describing actual people, places, and events in narrative format. For example, if I invent a motorcyclist character who travels across the US, that’s fiction. But if I record the experiences of a real motorcyclist I’ve spoken with, that’s creative nonfiction.

I broke out my pens and gave this hybrid genre a shot. My conclusion? That it’s an underused training weapon. Because the goal is to communicate facts in a meaningful way, you’ll add nuances to your writing that you wouldn’t have otherwise.

Read the rest of the article on STORY EMBERS

~ Savannah Grace

have you ever written creative nonfiction? 

Story Embers: Three Ways to Avoid Stagnating Your Skills as a Storyteller

Y'all have probably figured out by now that I really love writing for Story Embers ;D. My latest article just went up yesterday, and it's one of my favorites. Why?

Because it's about expanding as a writer, which is a topic I love. And I'm excited to get to talk with y'all about it!  

image not mine

Many of us, myself included, struggle to break away from the types of stories we gravitate toward. We assume that we need more training before we can tackle a different genre or point of view. But expanding is one of our responsibilities as writers, and it’s a precursor to growth!

Growing means honing the talents we already have and becoming stronger writers overall. Expanding simply involves venturing outside our comfort zones. It stretches us and introduces us to techniques we wouldn’t have come across otherwise.

No writer can claim to be bad at expanding, except if they don’t try. Maybe you’ve never thought of this as a valuable habit to form. It’s not difficult or painful, and it can even be fun. By sharing my own experiences, I hope to show you how.

Read the rest of the article on STORY EMBERS

~ Savannah Grace

what kinds of stories do you gravitate towards?