An indie author’s regular spoiler-free update on his writing, editing, cover design, marketing, publishing, website maintenance, and blogging. Issue 75.
This week in one word: normal.
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Previously on WWW…
So given my lack of progress this week, my priorities for next week are mostly unchanged: 1) design the cover for The Spike Volume 1 second edition; 2) revise The Spike Volume 2; 3) write my next blogpost; 4) edit short story 0.6 and add the shorts to The Spike Series Bible.
After a head cold wiped out most of the previous week, this past week has seen a return to normality, some solid progress, and a milestone.
The cover design for The Spike Volume 1 second edition is taking longer than I’d like. I’m not as confident in my artistic ability as I am with my writing, so every time I sit down to work, I’m hesitant to start for fear of messing up what I’ve already done. It’s a little silly – that’s what the undo function is for – but at least I’m aware that’s what I’m doing so I can improve.
I can only work on the cover design when I’m at home, and unfortunately I need to go into the office for my day job three days a week; on those days, I continued revising The Spike Volume 2 and got another 11 chapters done. That leaves 14 to do in part 2. My list of edits has been heavily weighted to these last chapters, so there are more changes to make now, but I should be able to finish this round of revisions to part 2 in the next couple of weeks.
Part 3 doesn’t have stacks of revisions, but some are quite hefty. For example, there’s two chapters near the end that need complete rewrites; they’ll be difficult but I’m looking forward to them because the idea I have is pretty damn cool.
I mentioned last week that I had an idea for my next blogpost, but before I started it, I came up with a better idea, which I’ve begun writing. There’s no rush as I’m going to post it early July to tie in with a certain movie release. I think it’s quite an interesting topic and I’m enjoying writing it; I can see the format being repeated for other subjects if it comes out well.
I’ve had an idea for another series that could be interesting too, so I may start work on that shortly with the intention of it going live in the gap before the July post.
I may still do the idea I had last week, but it’s been shelved for the moment.
Yet again, I didn’t touch the short story 0.6, or add anything more to The Spike Series Bible, but I’ve decided it’s ok for that to wait until after this stage of revisions to Volume 2.
Yesterday was my 700th consecutive day working on my writing. It’s got to the point where I don’t ask myself if I’m going to write, I ask myself what I’m going to work on, and the only time it’s a struggle to maintain it has been when I’ve been unwell. The system I’ve developed piece by piece is certainly working – you can read about that in the piece I wrote to mark one year of writing every day.
If that system helps me work consistently, my creativity vs consumption percentage helps me spend a higher proportion of my free-time writing. This week, I hit 48%, and it’s been nice to get back to my normal figures after some ups and downs. Here’s hoping I can maintain this for a while, and even push up to the even 50/50 split I like to aim for.
For the coming week, my priorities are: 1) design the cover for The Spike Volume 1 second edition; 2) revise The Spike Volume 2; 3) write my next two blogposts.
I’m close to finishing Bat Eater by Kylie Lee Baker and need to write my review for that too – it should go live at either the end of next week or the start of the following week.
After some less productive weeks recently with various illnesses, I want to make the most of times like these when I’m not feeling too bad.
Reading this week: Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Bat Eater by Kylie Lee Baker
Watching this week: Mint season 1
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 finish 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 (that keeps growing) 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.
Musk’s AI told me people were coming to kill me. I grabbed a hammer and prepared for war
Facial recognition data is a key to your identity – if stolen, you can’t just change the locks
UK age-gating plans risk breaking the internet, privacy groups warn
Robot wars – what an operation in Ukraine tells us about the battlefield of the near future
The Economics of Using AI to Churn Out Code Are Looking Worse Than Ever
weekly_inspiration
Every week I share something that’s inspired my creativity.
This week, I revisited In Rainbows by Radiohead, which to me is their second best album just behind OK Computer (my favourite album of all time). There are several tracks I love, but I’m sharing track ten, Videotape.
Even if they’d kept it simple, it would have been beautiful, but Radiohead being Radiohead, their piano ballads sound nothing like anyone else’s. What a way to close out a special album.
What’s inspired you this week? Please share in the comments.
See you next week.
Arrowmaker Books 