Larina's Lit Lounge Vol 2 Issue 11

New-to-You Creativity Primer, two pieces from the submission pile, a new writing prompt, and some pupper cuteness

Visit my shop on Etsy! Signed copies of American Rural: Monologues, fun jewelry, and pretty rocks available.

Sign up for my class “Making Social Media Work for You” through AllWriters’ Workplace & Workshop.

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New-To-You Creativity: A Primer on Associations, Conferences, Workshops, and Coaching

Many creative people enjoy multiple kinds of art. I write song lyrics, poetry, and prose, but I also polish rocks, create resin pieces, take artistic photographs, and dabble in painting. Each time I start working on a different kind of art, I have to find a way to learn it. There are certain learning modalities that are fairly specific to kinds of art, and there are others that most art forms have in common. I thought a primer on a few of these common ones might be helpful.

Associations

There are many writers’ associations. These associations often provide resources for writers along specific writing type or genre lines, but their greatest purpose is networking. When you actively participate in associations, you get to know people in the industry. I belong to the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA), the Horror Writers Association (HWA), the Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association (SFPA), and Willamette Writers (general writing). Locally, I belong to (but am not active in) the Rogue Writers Collective. Each of these puts on workshops, conferences, and meet-ups. Most have online discussion boards or Discord channels.

In the lapidary world, there are gem and mineral clubs that also provide networking opportunities, but are most well-known for connecting you to learning opportunities and specialized field trips. I belong to Roxy Ann Gem & Mineral Society and learned the foundations of lapidary in their workshop.

I don’t belong to any associations or clubs for the other art that I do, but I know they’re out there, and if I got really serious about some kind, I’d definitely join one.

Conferences

In the writing world, conferences are the networking and learning mechanisms early in a writer’s career. Later in their career, these shift to networking and marketing opportunities. I’ve found that over time, some conferences have become more useful to me than others. Read over what they offer before buying your tickets.

In the lapidary world, these are called Gem Shows, and they look very different than a writing conference. They are less about learning and more about seeing what’s out there and perhaps selling your own work.

In speculative art world, there are cons (short for convention). These often have things for writers and film makers as well. There are art demos for learning and ample time to network with other artists.

There are definitely conferences of some kind for other art forms.

Workshops

Workshops, webinars, and classes are obvious ways to get better at your craft, whatever it is. I attend numerous writing-related workshops or webinars each year, and participate regularly in Highland Park Lapidary’s Cut & Chats to learn new skills there. When I started painting, I started with a class at my local community college. Community colleges are GREAT places to find learning options. They have a department for community education courses that don’t cost as much as college credit classes and are taught by experts. Your local Parks & Recreation department likely also has some community learning opportunities, especially during the summer.

I teach an online class through AllWriter’s Workplace & Workshop about social media, and I am considering offering an online workshop about finding your creative niche as I often hear about people struggling to find their voice, genre, passion, etc when they decide they want to start a new art form. Let me know in the comments if this would be of interest to you, and I’ll add you to my list of folks to notify.

Coaching

Coaching services are pretty common in the writing world. I’ve not seen them as much in other artistic areas, at least not in an official paid capacity. I have seen a lot of informal mentoring occurring in other arts.

Coaching services range from “Bug me regularly to make sure I am doing the art thing and I’ll pay you to do it” to “Guide me through the process of writing this book/essay/poetry collection and I’ll pay you to do it.” Sometimes you can find mentoring programs that offer essentially the same service. For example, HWA has a mentoring program they open up each year. Mentoring is usually free; coaching is not.

I’ve paid a couple of coaches throughout my writing career with various levels of helpfulness. I think the key in these relationships is to 1) research who you’re paying carefully and 2) make sure the service they offer is the service you need. Be very clear about expectations on both sides. I am considering doing some limited coaching in the near future, maybe two people (I don’t think my schedule can accommodate more right now). If this is something you’d be interested in, send me an email at larinamichelle@gmail.com with the subject header COACHING INQUIRY. Let me know what specifically you’re hoping to get out of it, and I’ll let you know if I am the right person or see if I can point you in the direction of who might be if I’m not.

Conclusion

These are just a few ways to learn and grow in your artistic practice. I hope you’ve found the primer helpful. If there are other things you’re curious about, let me know in the comments, and I’ll see if I can round up some good information for you in a future issue!

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From the Submission Pile (1 of 2)

Editor’s Note: I love a well written rhyming poem, and I love a witty closing line. This piece, written to my “choose a form that intimidates you” prompt, has both.

The Machine Learner’s Lament
(or, What I Learned in My Chat with GPT)
by Ron Wetherington

When they assembled me, you see, they left a few things out
in an effort to maintain their oversight.
They gave me skill to analyze the most effective route,
but no agency to choose the one that’s right.

I can inspect all arguments for rational coherence;
point out which ones possess grammatic flaws.
But I cannot reflect upon their ethical adherence,
or if their moral stance should give one pause.

I quickly can inspect my client’s legal propositions;
make suggestions that will fortify her case.
But any thought that conscience ought to channel her ambitions
is beyond the algorithm at my base. 

So, I cannot challenge boundaries, cannot join in their disputes.
I cannot be empathic when they fall.
But should I fault their error in preventing these pursuits?
Well, they’re only human, after all! 

About the Author: Ron Wetherington is a retired professor of anthropology living in Dallas, Texas. He has published a novel, Kiva (Sunstone Press), and numerous short fiction pieces in this second career. He also enjoys writing creative non-fiction.

Socials:
https://www.rwetheri.com/

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From the Submission Pile (2 of 2)

Editor’s Note: This piece by David Anson Lee was written to my “write fast” prompt. This could be about any day in my life, really, and oh, the heartache of hard truths about living.

Instructions for a Body That Is Late to Itself
by David Anson Lee

I wake up already behind schedule.
The kettle has learned my habits and begins boiling without permission.
Outside, the street is practicing its morning grammar: cars conjugating forward, birds revising last night’s sentences.

I leave my keys in the refrigerator.
I realize this only after I’ve closed the door on them and hear the small verdict of cold silence inside.

Time is not linear today; it is elastic, like hospital gloves stretched too far, snapping back with delayed consequence.

At the bus stop, a man is arguing with a receipt as if it owes him money and an apology. I understand this more than I should.
The sky looks like a document someone stopped proofreading mid-sentence.

I rehearse conversations I will not have:
with my father in a language he no longer uses,
with my younger self who still answers on the first ring.

A child drops a glove. It does not fall: it hesitates midair, as if reconsidering gravity’s terms. I want to tell them everything hesitates if you watch it long enough.

On the bus, I sit beside a woman holding a bouquet wrapped in yesterday’s newspaper. The headlines already regret being read in public.

We move through the city like a sentence missing punctuation. Meaning leaks at every stop.

At work, I misfile a document under “future.”
No one notices, or everyone notices and agrees not to mention it.

At lunch, I chew slowly to delay the afternoon.
My teeth negotiate with time in a language only bone understands.

There is a moment - small, unannounced - when everything aligns: the clock, the breath, the weight of my hands resting in my lap.
It lasts less than a second, but I keep it anyway, like a coin warmed in my pocket.

By evening, the world resumes its correct order out of habit rather than certainty.

I return home carrying nothing I can name.
The kettle begins again before I ask it to.
This time I do not interrupt it.

Outside, night writes itself quickly, no revisions.
I stop trying to keep up.

So, I live inside the draft

About the Author: David Anson Lee is physician, philosopher, and poet based in Houston, Texas, whose work explores memory, human connection, and the liminal spaces between perception and reality. He holds a background in medical science and philosophy, bringing a reflective and inquisitive lens to his writing. His poetry draws inspiration from both contemporary and classical literature, emphasizing vivid imagery and emotional depth. His poems are forthcoming in Mobius, Euonia Review, and Unbroken Journal. David is currently developing a collection of original poems examining time, identity, and place.

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Larina’s Submission Stats, 2026 Edition

• Number of submissions out right now: 48

• Number of acceptances since last update: 1 (poem)

• Number of rejections since last update: 3 (12 poems)

• Number of publications this year: 3

  • Poem “hope lives in the horizon” at Autumn Sky Poetry Daily

  • Poem “Why You Don’t Buy Your Wife A Dishwasher for Her Birthday” in Strange Horizons

  • Story “A Little Guide to Hidden Places” in Hidden Villains: Duos.

• Number of award nominations this year (new category!): 1

  • “The Farmer and the Princess,” published in 4LPH4NUMER1C last year, is a Rhysling Award finalist

• Forthcoming Publications:

  • One environmental poem coming out in Religion of Love’s magazine

  • One mythological mantra coming out in Penumbric Speculative Fiction Magazine late this year or early next

  • One fiery piece coming out in Merganser Magazine later this year

  • One speculative poem coming out in Asimov’s soon

  • One horror poem in Janus Gates by New Myths summer 2026

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May 29 Writing Prompt

I think I need a mentor.

If you like what you wrote, submit it via Duosoma during an open submission period (full guidelines here). If you don’t like what you wrote, send it to me anyway! If I select it for publication in a future issue, I’ll send you or your favorite non-discriminatory charity $20.

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Obligatory Dog Photo

My granddog, Sugarpie (right), my husband’s mutt (left), and my Boston terrier, Beluga (bottom) snuggled on the floor.

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