Teaching English

I work as a teacher for Montreal Language Studies.

This is what I do...

Walking the World: Canadian Pagans in Print

I have been mentioned among several other authors in this article written by Dodie Graham McKay. It can be found at The Wild Hunt.

The article is called: Walking the World: Canadians in Print.
You can read it here: http://wildhunt.org/2014/09/walking-the-world-canadians-in-print.html

NANOWRIMO 2014

Gearing up and getting excited for this year's NaNoWriMo. I hope to finish the next section of my Trust & Guardianship series.

Also this year, I am hosting a Young Writers Program! This is through Stepping Up Resource Center. Check out the set-up and later on the progress here: http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/node/1810355

Inspiring young minds to achieve great things in writing and learn life skills about publishing and marketing themselves.

2014 Cosplay Self-Crafted Shadowhunter Components:

This is a VERY long post of the creation of weapons and props for cosplay. Nothing teaches you more about your characters than how things are made and used. Great learning experience. Also... this is VERY picture heavy. Enjoy!

Bow Creation:

1-      I spray painted an old hickory self-bow with black tremclad.

2-      With a silver sharpie, I drew on three runes for :deflecting and for precision.

Arrow Creation:

1-       I snapped 2 wooden dowels in half, sanded them, and used them as arrow shafts.

2-       I made the arrowheads and the fletching from craft foam.

3-       I glued on the arrowheads and the fletchings with a glue gun

4-      Then I spray painted them silver and used a black sharpie to mark runes on them for Angelic Power and Pain to Demons

 

Stele Creation:

1-       Cut the tab off a sharpie and glue 3 long stir sticks to the sharpie, tie the end with thread

2-       Glue a quartz crystal to the end of the cap

3-      Cover with foil tape

4-       With a black sharpie, mark runes on it.

Seraph Daggers & Glowing Swords:

1-      First, I got a huge piece of plexiglass and cut it into strips for daggers and swords.

2-      The daggers were stenciled from a real dagger I own and then cut out of the smaller plexiglass pieces.

      3-      The sharp edges of the daggers were sanded down with a mop sander, as were each flat side.

4-      I stenciled a broad sword for the swords and cut it with a scroll saw (thanks to dad’s help).

5-      Each sword is 3 layers of plexiglass with holes cut in 2 layers for the mini LED light.

6-      The layers are then sealed together with a special acetone/keytone liquid that melts the plexiglass and makes the layers stick together

7-      I then popped the LED light into the hole to light the sword up.

8-      Then sharp edges are cut smooth with a saw I cannot name (thanks dad).

9-      The plexiglass was too clear to glow properly, so the flat sides were scuffed with sandpaper so the light had something to reflect off of.

Newly published: My contribution to an anthology available for pre-order

Naming the Goddess is written by over eighty adherents and scholars of Goddess and Goddess Spirituality, and includes contributions from Selena Fox, Kathy Jones, Caroline Wise and Rachel Patterson. Part 1 is a series of critical essays focusing upon contemporary Goddess issues. Part 2 is a spiritual gazetteer featuring over seventy Goddesses.

Part 2 on Naming the Goddess hosts my writing on the Goddess Sophia.

http://www.amazon.ca/Naming-Goddess-Trevor-Greenfield/dp/178279476X/

The Best Parts

Who says that only children should dress-up?!

Sometimes the best parts of writing are the things you read. And the best parts of the things you read are the worlds and characters that draw you in and inspire you.

So in honor of Cassanra Clare and her various Shadowhunter books, I will be cosplaying a shadowhunter from her fantastic world. I will have a preliminary costome on Saturday of Montreal's Otakuthon (August 23, 2014) and then reprise the role with the finished work at Montreal's Comic-Con (September 13, 2014).

Much of the costume is pieced together with some creative aspects and some arts & crafts. I will post step-by-steps of the craft work here. And if you want to see some of the incredible things my friend did, check out Ethan's shadowhunter accessories!

Ethan's Shadowhunter Stele: http://heythisismyjob.wordpress.com/2014/08/17/shadowhunter-stele-project/

Ethan's Shadowhunter Bracers: http://heythisismyjob.wordpress.com/2014/08/18/shadowhunter-bracers-project/

I will be working on a bow, arrows, leather armor, silver knives, and later special item. These special items will include a witchlight (a glowing stone) and crystal blades (that will hopefully glow too).

Let's Write!

SO! You or your son or daughter want to be a writer!
Contact me if interested.

Welcome to the Young Writers After School Program (part of NaNoWriMo: National Novel Writing Month: http://nanowrimo.org/ ) where your child will have an opportunity to learn fun writing skills, learn to compose a short story, edit their work, and then see it manifest into a published anthology! Children will also learn valuable life skills as they organize and promote a Book Launch in the spring.

This after school program will run on Fridays 2-6pm (open sessions, come anytime within these hours) from September 26th through February 27th. There are 20 planned sessions (October, November, January, February). September session is an introduction for parents and children. December is open and free for extra writing practice over the holidays. When the session is over, there will be a formal book launch in March and every student will receive a free copy of the anthology.

Schedule Fridays 2-6pm:

September 26th - Introduction: So you want to be a writer!
October 3rd - Character Development
October 10th - Conflict and Challenges
October 17th - PLOT
October 24th - Settings
October 31st - Storyboard / Outlining the Story
November 7th - 28th - Write WRITE Write with NaNoWriMo Challenge
December 5th - 19th - FREE Writing Time to Finish Up
January 2nd - 23rd - Editing, Refining, Draft Printing
February 6th - 27th - Publishing & Planning Book Launch

Saturday Mark 21st OR 28th will be an official Book Launch of their work!

Cost: $500 or $100 per month per child starting October 1st
Workbook FREE in a Dropbox, please print in advance.

Untitled Stream of Thought Poem

There was tea and sun
Bitter and sweet the experience
Warm with a cooling breeze
Balanced was the day
To my barren nights

Would that I knew
His inner transpirings
My hand
Touched a shoulder softly
Brushed lightly across a back
Just once
Grazed an arm

Would that I knew
His inner transpirings
Of the body to my touch
Of the mind to my gaze
Of the heart...

Too brief a day
Back to my barren night

Writing Update

There is something greatly satisfying to write something say DONE! Happy dances ensue around the hone then. No... I am not yet done. But so close that I can almost lick the last pages for flavor testing. Hm... that is an odd analogy. I am in an odd but excited mood.

I have joined a monthly wiring group that is helping me with my more exploratory and creative writing. I am EAGER to sink my teeth back into fanfic and fiction writing.

The artwork for "The Magical Blend Book of Secrets, Volume 2 - Book of Spells and Rituals" is almost all added in now. I am working out pagination issues at the moment. Then I will add in a wonderful suggestions from someone. A list of recommended readings. I am still struggling with the color of the cover. I will try to lock that down by Friday.

Self-Publishing is both easy and hard for the very same reasons.

1. You have final say and editing of your work. But, you can sometimes be your own worst critic. Or, you might not be able to see your true errors, blinded by familiarity with your manuscript.
2. You get to choose your cover and payout. Ya... you. That can be good or awful.
3. You don't have to negotiate with publishers and agents for the printing or marketing of your book. But sometimes, you will really wish someone else were handling that.

Marketing yourself is a huge challenge to both your confidence and your time.

I write because I love to write. I am always shocked to hear that someone loves what I wrote. One day, I hope to make some money from this love of mine. Not a lot. That is okay. But something to help me keep going with less worries.

Do what you love and love what you do.

I write.
I teach.
I hope to inspire.

Beltain Fair Plots & Plans

So I have been working on a collection of events to flank The Magical Blend's Beltane Fair.
It will be at Chimeras Cafe and Games.

First (Friday April 26th 7-10pm), I am hosting an Author event where I have 2 authors (3 if you include myself) presenting and selling our creations. Next (Saturday April 26th 10am-6pm), I will have a vending table at the Fair and give a talk on the Introduction to Chakras (at 4pm). Then (Sunday April 27th 1-3pm), I will be hosting a public ritual for Beltain.

Life is full of ups and downs, life's leaps and limbos. My ups and downs have been huge in this planning. The biggest down is that the second volume of The Magical Blend Book of Spells & Rituals will not be ready. It still needs artwork inside. The biggest up is how amazing the students of Crescent Moon School have been in helping with the production and performance of the ritual.

Here are the talks I will be giving and when:

Friday, April 25th 9pm: The Apothecary
Welcome to a short talk about the history of what an apothecary was from the Middle Ages to what it is today, how it influenced and inspired a Pagan shop, and how it has permeated our contemporary media: roleplaying games, films, and literature.

Saturday, April 26th 4pm: Introduction to Chakras
Chakra balancing is an incredible experience for body, mind, and spirit. In this introduction, learn about each of the chakras in brief, along with some of their correspondences. Some techniques for connecting with and cleansing the chakras will also be discussed. Dates for the popular 8-week Chakra series will be announced at this time.

If you are curious about the book (Magical Blend BOS volume 2), then check out my facebook page where I am posting versions of the cover for people's opinions.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/T-Scarlet-Jory-wordsmith-teacher/486853848059740

Published & Launching

I now have a few books published. Some are for sale and others not. The list is on Amazon (.com) for the full three out there. But, I am also in anthologies. You can purchase my books through Amazon (.com or .ca or .uk or.... uhm... whatever) or through The Magical Blend (www.themagicalblend.com) or direct through me if you are local and want it signed.

Here is a list of what I have published:

• Zen of Tea (in a magazine)
• The Magical Blend: Book of Secrets, volume 1 (English)
• Le Melange Magique: Livre des Secrets, volume 1 (Francais)
• Trust & Guardianship: After the Fall, Escape from Kirkwall
• Goddess Sophia (essay in 101 Goddesses anthology pending print)

Here is what is in the works:

• The Magical Blend: Book of Secrets, volume 2 (English) ... due late April
• Le Melange Magique: Livre des Secrets, volume 2 (Francais)
• Trust & Guardianship: Of Snow & Silence, with Starkhaven Affairs ... due June
• Zen and Tea in Wicca

There are events coming up this year (Beltain Fair April 25-27) where you can meet with me and buy books directly or have them signed. A book launch will also happen that weekend. More details to come as they unfold.

Sophia Essay for Moon Books

Writing an essay for publication is a great honor. It is also a great challenge. You want to to be good. You want it well research. You want it to touch people and be remembered.  Yet, it is only an ESSAY. That means it has to be short. You are not writing a full feature article. You are not writing an educational manuscript or a novel. This is 1000 words... only.

I just finished 52K words for a fiction novel in November. 1000 words should be fast and easy.

So why am I still here at the beginning with piles of books and papers around me, all with highlighting and little sticky tabs?

Because the material warrants more than 1000 words and I only have 1000 words. I have written and rewritten the outline no less than 7 times. The number 7 must be lucky here, for I have 5 topics to cover plus the introduction and conclusion.

I.                   Sophia

a.       Historical Context

                                                              i.      Wisdom Literature

                                                            ii.      Gnostic Beliefs

b.      Contemporary Context

                                                              i.      Gnostic Sophian Spirituality

                                                            ii.      Feminist Sophian Spirituality

c.       Personal Context

                                                              i.      Pagan Sophian Spirituality

Sophia is a goddess of Wisdom.

The official essay, you will have to read through Moon Books.