My regular update on my novel writing progress, including insight into living and working as an indie author with a full-time job and Crohn’s disease.
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Previously on WWW…
I’m wary of setting any targets for the week ahead now, not just because I don’t know when my home internet will be working properly, but also because it feels like I’d be tweaking the nipples of fate.
I had to wait until Thursday evening before I had a functioning home internet connection, and that impacted what I chose to work on. As mentioned last week, most of my files are cloud-saved, and whilst I do have local versions, I’ve had issues in the past with offline copies not properly updating or losing work I’ve done.
So, on Sunday, I spent the afternoon in my day job’s office and added three chapters from The Spike Volume 1 to the series bible, which felt good after only adding one the whole of the previous week.
I would have worked in the office on Monday, but I had a routine hospital procedure related to my Crohn’s in the morning, so worked from home. Overnight, I’d had an idea for a new first line for The Spike Volume 2; I’d planned to redraft the prologue shortly anyway, so I decided to work on that. The basic structure has remained the same, but I felt the first draft provided too much unnecessary information and not enough that the reader needed to know.
Writing the prologue for a direct sequel is like balancing a thin pane of glass vertically on the head of a pin. It continues straight on from the epilogue from Volume 1 (no spoilers here) and, as it’s the second book, it needs to jog the memory of anyone who read the first, without confusing new readers. There are six characters present, plus one who isn’t, that need to be mentioned, without going into too much detail too early; and I need to explain why they’re there, where “there” is, and what everyone’s part is in what’s happening.
I’ve applied some of the lessons learnt from the opening scene of “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33”, from my previous post analysing it, but by necessity they have very different tones. Gustave and Maelle joking with each other is the ideal way to start the game, but jokes wouldn’t be suitable for the situation my characters find themselves in at the start of The Spike Volume 2.
For Tuesday, I was back in the office for my day job. During my lunch-hour, I began adding another long chapter to the series bible; and in the evening, a new blog post went live: Slow down, idiot, slow down – how one song, 28 years ago, taught me a life lesson I still follow to this day. You can listen to that song below in the weekly_inspiration.
After getting home, I spent more time on the Volume 2 prologue, mostly editing and polishing what I’d written the day before.
On Wednesday, it took two more sessions to finish adding the chapter I started on Tuesday to the series bible; and I spent more time polishing the Volume 2 prologue.
I worked from home on Thursday, so an engineer could come fix my home internet. Whilst waiting for him to arrive, during my lunch-hour I spent yet more time on the Volume 2 prologue, for a total of nearly five hours this week. Not every chapter in the book will get this much attention (although that would explain the long wait between volumes), but the prologue is a special case. It will get more passes before I’m finished, but for now, I need to put it to one side and let it sit.
On Thursday evening and Friday, I allowed myself some time to catch up on what I’d missed from being offline, like the latest vids from the AuthorTubers I follow.
On Friday, I did begin adding another lengthy chapter to the series bible. There are now only three and a half remaining from Volume 1, and like last week, I’m not going to set myself the target of finishing those chapters before my week off from the day job. Fate will have to remain untempted.
Getting ahead of myself, on Saturday morning I went through another of my notebooks (the one I keep next to my bed) and added the ideas I’d had for Volume 2 to my Edits spreadsheet, ready for the start of revisions.
I have further notes at the bottom of the drafts I’ve written, so will need to go through and add those, but I’m already at 101!
If I ever state my intention to write three books at once again, please, a quick reminder of “Volume 2” will be enough to change my plans. Probably.
Reading this week: Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
Watching this week: The Wire season 2 (rewatch) and Californication season 7 (rewatch)
Playing this week: NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139
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I’m still wavering on a new cover design for a second edition of The Spike Volume 1, and have begun work on a different idea. I think I’ve proven the concept — more work required.
I’m also working on covers for the two individual parts, 1.1_Application Infiltration and 1.2_Laying Down The Law, which are going to be published separately for the first time. I want both to have a similar style and layout, and I have an idea I like for each. The drafts I’ve created feel a little too minimalist, so I’m investigating what I can add that will make it more visually interesting without distracting from the main image.
Draft 2 of The Spike Volume 2 is complete! It contains three separate books from the perspectives of seven characters.
I’ll be working on a revision plan in the next week or two. Draft 3 has already begun with a new prologue.
The aim is to publish Volume 2 in 2026.
Early brainstorming has been done for The Spike Volume 3. I know how it must begin; I have an ending that I think will be great; and I have a long list of ideas to get from one to the other that needs to be whittled down and put in an order. I’m not intending to do much more work on this until revision is complete on Volume 2.
There are a couple of other projects in the works that I’m not ready to share yet – they’ll be announced here first.
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The Spike is set in our world, incorporating real events; the links below are relevant to the themes and overarching storyline, and may or may not provide clues to the direction of the series.
I do not necessarily agree with or endorse any of the views within.
Tech industry calls on UK to embrace immigration
AI gone rogue: Models may try to stop people from shutting them down, Google warns
The AI bubble is the only thing keeping the US economy together, Deutsche Bank warns
What happens when the people building the AIs are replaced by robots?
Companies are losing money to AI “workslop” that slows everything down
weekly_inspiration
Every week I share something that’s inspired my creativity.
This week, I had to share the song that inspired my latest blog post.
Radiohead’s “The Tourist” is the last track on their classic album, “OK Computer”, and is truly stunning. Thom Yorke’s vocals are fantastic, Jonny Greenwood’s guitar soars, and the simple ting of a triangle at the end is the perfect way to end my favourite album of all time.
Besides the musicality, though, it’s the message of the song that’s stuck with me most: slow down, idiot, slow down. If you want to read how it influenced me, the link again is here.
What’s inspired you this week? Please share in the comments.
See you next week.
Arrowmaker Books 