32 | Get exclusive access to my big 2025 project!

Join me in creative experimentation 🪄

Samantha Garner
December 15, 2024

Deadmedia shares monthly peeks behind the scenes, writing updates, and creativity thoughts from SF/F author Samantha Garner. Learn more here.

Hi everyone,

In my last edition, I talked about having “an idea percolating that seems exciting.” Weeks after writing that, the idea is still exciting. I want you to be the first to know about it.

Introducing: Undone Rituals Mixtape Project on Patreon

Okay so this is really two announcements in one. Let me start with my Undone Rituals mixtape project.

As I wrote about in November’s newsletter, I want to focus on momentum in 2025, and on creativity and expression in all the forms that takes for me. In conversation with some brilliant friends, the perfect idea came to me.

Throughout 2025, I’m going to create four seasonal "mixtapes," inspired by a song or artist. These mixtapes will feature exclusive writing from the intersection of music, creativity, life, and the seasons. They’ll be in 1-3 formats (depending on length) like lyric essays, personal essays, short stories, poems, photos, and/or zines - whatever suits the mood of that season's mixtape. Each will be finalized in its respective season, leaving room for inspiration, fresh ideas, and conversations with you.

The writing won’t be stritcly SF/F. This project is an exploration of general creativity. It’s a way for me to interweave all the creative outlets I have, to explore the questions I don’t always get to explore in my writing, and to prioritize creating what I want instead of what I’m expected to do. (Don’t get me wrong, I love creating what I’m expected to, but the balance has been off for a long time. I miss experiments!)

If you’ve been here a while you’ll already have a sense of the sorts of things I’ll write about, but I’m excited to dust off some old forms I haven’t visited in a while. I already have a vague, cool idea for the first season’s mixtape, which will be a sort of conversation with my younger self through recreated poetry. How have I changed in the world and in my work? Can I dig it out and reveal it like a fossil? Can I go back to the poet I once was, even for a moment? And why is The Cure involved?

For the first time in a long time, I’m excited to just create whatever and not think about marketability, and I hope you can be part of that.

Why start a Patreon?

If you’re unfamiliar with Patreon, it’s a membership platform where people can subscribe to connect with creators, offer support, and get exclusive content. I support a few creatives on Patreon myself and I love its personal, community-focused feel.

I started a Patreon mainly for this year-long project, but it’ll support my writing overall too. It’ll give me the opportunity to devote time to writing while giving you more behind-the-scenes access and exclusive content that I don’t normally get to create in a sustainable way. You'll be able to engage with the project too, whether it's through polls, discussion, or the "digital ephemera" I'll offer as supplementary content throughout the year.

As I wrote in my Patreon’s About section: “I came of age on the late '90s internet, a very small world of DIY creativity and un-algorithmed self-expression. I've always loved exploring ideas and putting them out there, rough edges and all. This'll be a place for me to share creative experiments outside of my traditionally-published work.”

There’s a membership tier for Undone Rituals, and a separate “tip jar” tier if you just want to support my creative work in general. It’s called “Eternal Gratitude” because, well, you’ll have my eternal gratitude.

What does this mean for Deadmedia?

Nothing! Absolutely nothing will change here.

Please don’t feel you have to subscribe or contribute to my Patreon in any way. I truly appreciate you being here and reading Deadmedia. The fact that anyone is interested in anything I say never ceases to feel miraculous, and I’m grateful.

What if we don’t like the same music?

Hopefully the music I like isn’t too far from your own tastes, but don’t worry—music is the inspiration but writing is the focus!

Join the Undone Rituals Mixtape project on January 2

On January 2 at 10am Eastern Time, I’ll open my Patreon to memberships. Here's what you'll get with the Undone Rituals Mixtape Project tier:

Four mixtapes per year,inspired by a song or artist. These mixtapes will include formats (1-3 depending on length) like lyric essays, personal essays, short stories, poems, and/or zines - whatever suits the mood of that season.
Each season's playlist of supplementary music.
Exclusive access to each mixtape and playlist in March, June, September, and December, but I'll be in touch every month with digital ephemera, behind-the-scenes updates and craft notes.
A photographic element with each mixtape.
A chance to be involved in my process through polls and discussion.
Access to my entire archive of posts and mixtapes, so you can subscribe at any time!

Oh, and for the Winter mixtape period (Jan-March), I’m offering early bird pricing at 10% off. Anyone who subscribes at that price will stay at that price for the whole year.

And the Eternal Gratitude tier comes with goodies too:

A monthly behind-the-scenes photo from my writing desk.
A monthly one-card tarot pull (this is just for fun - I don’t predict anything, just offer an avenue for introspection).

So stay tuned! I’ll send out an email on January 2 with a link where you can subscribe. I’m excited to create this exclusive content for you and I’m excited for you to be involved! And thank you always for your support, in any way you give it.

PS, more gratitude

Something really fucking cool happened to me since my last edition: I’m honoured to be the inaugural Captured Phantoms “Pay It Forward” Scholarship Award Recipient. The fund was established by the wonderful book coach and editor Karen A. Parker, and I’m excited to work with Karen on developing Seeker of the Lost Song! The fund helps subsidize the cost of coaching, consultation, critique, and editorial services for systemically oppressed storytellers—learn more about the Captured Phantoms “Pay It Forward” Scholarship Fund here.

And lastly but defintely not least-ly (?) I want to say thank you to you for being with me this year. I’ve had a weird relationship with social media for a while now and it feels less and less like a place to actually connect with real people. So it means a lot to me that you’re here, accepting my ramblings like the good ol’ days. It keeps me going in an algorithm-powered world I simply am not interested in participating in. I hope you have a restful end of 2024 and I look forward to another year of chatting about random things with you!

I want to hear from you!

Thanks for reading Deadmedia today. I’d love to hear what you thought or answer any of your questions—leave me a comment or hit reply to send me an email!

Talk soon,
-Sg.

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