My regular spoiler-free 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…
My main task for the next seven days is to continue revising The Spike Volume 2, but there are some other bits to do over the next couple of weeks as well: a new social media profile image; a slight website tweak; my final reading_report of 2025; and a new blogpost to write.
After all that build up, Christmas Day is done for another year. I hope you had (or preferably are still having) an enjoyable and restful time.
On the last WWW, the mention of “a new blogpost to write” was added in the final few seconds before posting – I’d just had the first spark of an idea, but hadn’t had a chance to think it through.
I didn’t expect it to dominate this week.
On Sunday, I finished reading Slow Horses (Slough House #1) by Mick Herron. It had its problems, but I enjoyed it. I wrote a quick review for my reading_report_2025q4, which should go live on Monday 29th.
The “new blogpost” idea was a 2025_wrapup: a summary of my writing progress, the books/TV/games I’ve enjoyed, and the events that have coloured my past twelve months, plus setting the targets I won’t hit in 2026. I knew I had a lot of ground to cover, but didn’t want to make it too dry, so I outlined a way to interlace the different parts into a storyline.
Whilst working my day job on Monday, I had a cool idea for a new revision to The Spike Volume 2. I noted it down; when I looked at it in the evening, and realised it would take a little more work to implement than I first thought, I put it aside for later.
Having completed the outline for my 2025_wrapup, I was aware it would take a long time to pull together, and the clock was ticking – it wouldn’t make much sense to post it in the middle of January – so almost all my writing time on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday was spent on it.
I was with family most of Thursday/Christmas Day, and was tired when I got home, so spent some time on the new cover for The Spike Volume 1 second edition.
A little while ago, I digitally-painted the sky with a sunrise, and liked what I’d done, but couldn’t logically make it work with the way the lighting needed to be for the rest of the image. I’d been putting off working on it because I knew I needed to scrap the sky I’d done, but didn’t want to. Part of being a creative is knowing when to delete your babies, sad as it may be.
On Boxing Day (Friday), I added a different sky that should work better with the final piece. I may still add some more subtle detail to it, but with that mindblock out of the way, I can continue with the rest of the cover.
Also on Friday, I tackled the cool Volume 2 revision I came up with on Monday, and it works well.
And I wrote more of the 2025_wrapup.
And and I had another go at creating a new social media profile image (the fourth or fifth attempt over the past few weeks), but wasn’t happy, so I binned it.
Today, Saturday, was mostly spent doing chores and relaxing, other than this WWW.
Given I didn’t push myself to write this week and allowed myself time to unwind, I’m not too disappointed with my Creativity vs Consumption percentage of 41%, even though it’s my lowest for eight weeks – it’s still higher than when I began recording it, which I take as further evidence it’s been working really well.
In the week ahead, my reading_report_2025q4 should go live on Monday, and my 2025_wrapup will go live on Wednesday.
Otherwise, I still have a website tweak in mind to do, but my twin main focuses will be the Volume 1 2nd ed cover, and revising Volume 2.
Thank you to everyone who’s read anything I’ve written this year. I’ve already got some interesting things lined up for next year, and hopefully more wonderful books/games/TV will inspire me as we go along – my two most-read posts, about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Alchemised by SenLinYu, were analyses of new artworks.
And, maybe, I’ll publish a book or eight.
I hope 2026 treats you well.
Reading this week: The Blacktongue Thief (Blacktongue #1) by Christopher Buehlman
Watching this week: The Wire season 4 and Cunk on Britain
Playing this week: Red Dead Redemption 2
status_report
In addition to the three short stories available to read for free here, there are three more yet to be published that make up The Spike Volume 0. The new three are in the final stages, and will be available some time before Volume 2 is published.
Work continues on a new cover design for a second edition of The Spike Volume 1.
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 3 is under way for The Spike Volume 2! I’d tentatively like to finish revisions by the end of February 2026.
Volume 2 is my biggest, most complex project to date, containing three separate books from the perspectives of seven characters.
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.
connecting_links
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.
Millions of Private ChatGPT Conversations Are Being Harvested and Sold for Profit
Europe gets serious about cutting digital umbilical cord with Uncle Sam’s big tech
1,000 AIs were left to build their own village, and the weirdest civilisation emerged
Humanoid robots are still novelty acts, but investment is surging to make them real tomorrow
weekly_inspiration
Every week I share something that’s inspired my creativity.
This week, I gratefully received the Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds album Live God for Christmas, and this closing track somehow squeezes an uplifting crescendo into just 1:40 (the remaining time of the vid is the audience’s appreciation).
The chorus felt fitting:
Peace and good tidings to the land
Peace and good tidings to the land
And as the waters cover the sea
And as you wake and turn to me
Peace and good tidings He will bring
Good tidings to all things
What’s inspired you this week? Please share in the comments.
See you next week.
Arrowmaker Books 