35 | Giveaway! New title for Seeker of the Lost Song!

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

Hi everyone,

It’s almost the end of winter here in the Northern Hemisphere, and I’m really feeling my yearly spring restlessness on the horizon. It feels like, as I wrote once, “I am a bear dynamiting myself out of my cave.” I’m trying to stay present in these last few days of winter, but it’s not easy. It doesn’t help that I have things to look forward to this spring. I mean, it’s great, but I’ve never been good at patience so I’m getting restless too early I think. Swings and roundabouts, eh?

Here are a few cool things.

Author Katie Li & I are hosting a giveaway!

A few days ago I had the honour of guest-editing the March edition of Katie Li’s incredible zine The Beautiful Worst, which shares thoughts on a different aspect of creativity along with prompts and ideas for readers to use in their own creative practice. My theme was “Creativity + Convergence,” and it was really fun to examine all the different forms my creativity takes and the way they weave together.

As part of that issue, Katie and I are hosting a really cool giveaway. Not only does Katie write The Beautiful Worst, but she also writes a new story on Patreon every month, and shares the process with in-depth craft notes. Stories have included personal essays about mixed-race identity, fabulist fiction, or genres of her own design like East-Meets-Westerns or New American Fables. If you like what I’m all about, you’ll love Katie.

The giveaway includes a 3-month subscription to her story subscription program PLUS a subscription to my Undone Rituals literary mixtape project for the rest of 2025!

Subscribers to both The Beautiful Worst and Deadmedia are entered into the giveaway—you can subscribe to The Beautiful Worst here. The deadline for entry is 3/25/25. Our current Patreon subscribers are welcome to enter and the winner will be announced in April’s issue of The Beautiful Worst. Good luck!

Speaking of Patreon…

Don’t forget that my Undone Rituals Mixtape tier is $1 off until the end of this month (if you join at that price, you’ll stay at that price all year)! Undone Rituals Mixtape (and Cover Song) patrons will get four mixtapes, one at the end of each season. My first one is going out to patrons in four (!) days, and I’m really excited about how it’s come together.

☾ Seeker of the Lost Song updates—featuring a new title!

There are two Seeker of the Lost Song-related updates I’m excited to share.

The first one is that I’ve finished working with book coach Karen A. Parker on developing Seeker of the Lost Song for round 2 of submissions. If you remember Deadmedia 32, I wrote about being their inaugural Captured Phantoms “Pay It Forward” Scholarship Award Recipient. Working with Karen was a very enlightening experience and I’m enjoying editing the manuscript. It already feels stronger, but still me, you know? A positive sign!

The second bit of news: Seeker of the Lost Song isn’t called that anymore! This wasn’t a result of working with Karen—I had been mulling over new title ideas for a long time. I wanted one that I felt better represents the story and its particular fantasy novel vibes. And, to be honest, I wanted a shorter one too. I don’t mind long titles but since it’s my own book and a title I’ll probably have to say for years, I fancied something a little more manageable. I also wanted one that would work well with the book’s sequel, and I didn’t even know I was writing a sequel when I chose the original title.

Okay, enough waffling. The novel formerly known as Seeker of the Lost Song is now called Twist the Branch.

It’s fun to say. It’s active. It fits the vibe so much better. It pairs so nicely with its sequel title (Corrode the Song). And I think they both sound pretty metal, which is always something I like in a fantasy novel title. I actually feel such a deep aversion to titling projects, so having one I actually like is nothing short of miraculous. 🤘🏼

PS, what I’ve been up to:

In my latest Open Book column, I shared some writing lessons I learned from making zines in my early-mid twenties—lessons that I still draw on today in my non-zine writing life.

I’ve also been reacquainting myself with long walks! We had a massive snowstorm at the end of February which felt especially maddening since, this being Canada, plowing priority was given to roads and not sidewalks and I couldn’t go out as often. And over the years I’ve realized just how much my mental health depends on going outside for a walk every day. But those maddening snowsidewalk days seem a distant memory now and I’m loving my reintroduction to neighbourhoods that had been all but cut off before. I’m also excited about soon being able to wear the biker jacket and vintage trenchcoat I thrifted in the winter. Soon, my babies, soon.

I want to hear from you!

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

Talk soon,
-Sg.

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