An indie author’s regular spoiler-free update on his writing, editing, cover design, marketing, publishing, website maintenance, and blogging. Issue 65.
This week in one word: iterative.
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Previously on WWW…
After a week of diversions, I want to return to revising The Spike Volume 2 and creating the cover for The Spike Volume 1 second edition. In addition, I’ve selected a topic for my next blogpost and want to at least start that.
Minimal diversions this week: most of my writing time has been spent working on one chapter. But I’ll come to that.
Last week, I got the basic shapes in place for the cover of the The Spike Volume 1 second edition; this week I fleshed those out some more and added some detail. I’m working on the silhouettes first, to ensure they are interesting enough and will work when I use them as the background for covers of the two individual parts, 1.1_Application Infiltration and 1.2_Laying Down The Law.
Next steps are to add a little more fine detail to the silhouettes, then to start on the sky.
I knew what topic I was going to write my next blogpost about, until it came to writing it. I think it needs some fire and indignation behind it, but I’m not feeling it at the moment – hay fever and the day job have me feeling drained most of the time. That idea has been shelved until I’ve bottled some anger to spill onto the page.
Instead, I pivoted to a different subject and began research. And now, as I typed that previous sentence, I came up with a way to do it that will make it more interesting, to write and to read. I might tackle that next week, if I can fit it in.
I’m getting close to finishing Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor, which has been a really interesting read so far. I’ve got 80 pages to go and don’t know how it’s going to end, beyond (I assume) the spoiler in the title. My review should go live before next week’s WWW.
Back when I didn’t read as much, I didn’t have more than one book on the go at a time, mostly because I had enough trouble remembering where I was up to in one story without worrying about a second. But now, as I’m reading every day, I’ve decided to read two at a time: one will be a physical book at home; the other will be an e-book that I can read in breaks at work or if I have the opportunity when I’m out somewhere, instead of scrolling social media.
As I’ve nearly finished my fifth book of the year, I’m pretty confident I’m going to blow past my target of eighteen for 2026.
My main writing focus for this week was a new chapter 0.2.1.55 for draft 3 of The Spike Volume 2, and a new finale for one of the two main characters. I wasn’t happy with how the character’s story ended in the previous draft – they deserved more.
In last week’s WWW, I wrote about creating a new character for this showdown. Deciding how they would deal with this situation, and how the main character would react, has been difficult. I knew how the main character had to end this book, I just wasn’t sure how to get there.
Outlining a chapter can be an iterative process. I’ll usually begin with an opening and ending in mind, and can draw a straight line from one to the other. But the straight line is boring: there needs to be a surprise, a twist, a U-turn, something to make it more interesting.
The twist I began with didn’t make sense for the main character, so attempt one was binned.
The second attempt went too extreme and still didn’t make sense, so that was binned too.
For the third attempt, I scaled it back, made it more personal between the two characters. That felt better, and when I found a way for them to connect, with a motivation they could share, I finally had my satisfying moment.
After several days, I have an outline for the chapter that I like, and I’ve begun drafting it.
Whilst it’s felt like I haven’t made much progress on the page this week, the time spent has been necessary. My creativity vs consumption percentage, which was 46% last week, increased to 52% this week, which I’m pleased with, especially considering I haven’t felt 100%.
For the next week, I’ll write a review of Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor (once I’ve finished reading it), but my main focusses remain revising The Spike Volume 2 and creating the cover for The Spike Volume 1 second edition. If I find time, or feel like a change, I’ll begin my next blogpost.
There’s never enough time.
Reading this week: Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor and Dating After the End of the World by Jeneva Rose
Watching this week: Succession season 1 and Colin from Accounts season 2
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.
I’ve resumed work 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.
Draft 3 is under way for The Spike Volume 2!
Volume 2 is my biggest and 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.
I have other project ideas that are on the backburner:
Project Lawless is a non-fiction book.
Project Fang is a fiction book that I’m still trying to work out a way to incorporate into The Spike.
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.
Anthropic boss rejects Pentagon demand to drop AI safeguards
A fluid can store solar energy and then release it as heat months later
AWS outages caused by AI coding bot blunder, report claims
Get a grip: Robotics firms struggle to develop hands
weekly_inspiration
Every week I share something that’s inspired my creativity.
This week, I discovered the original soundtrack for One Battle After Another by Jonny Greenwood.
Jonny’s appeared on previous WWW’s as a member of Radiohead, but he doesn’t appear to believe in limits as a musician and has composed several film scores. Having made his name as a guitarist, he’s a true multi-instrumentalist now.
The opening track of this score is fascinating, as he somehow makes so much out of one repeated note. I haven’t watched the film yet, but it’s on my list.
What’s inspired you this week? Please share in the comments.
See you next week.
Arrowmaker Books 