An indie author’s regular spoiler-free update on his writing, editing, cover design, marketing, publishing, website maintenance, and blogging. Issue 80.
This week in one word: holiday!
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Previously on WWW…
After what feels like a long wait, my holiday started today. I will still write every day (I can’t end the streak now!), and my priorities will be: 1) finish and post the Crime and Punishment review; 2) finish my next blogpost; 3) revise The Spike Volume 2.
I was away on holiday this week, staying in a peaceful lodge in Devon. I took my laptop with me so I could keep up my writing streak, which marked its two-year anniversary on Monday. If you want to know how I stay so consistent, I wrote a piece about it when I passed one year and it’s still relevant.
On Tuesday, I posted my review of Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. A commenter helpfully pointed out that the translator makes a difference – the version I read was translated by Oliver Ready for Penguin Classics.
It was a bit of a slog (it’s a big book and the text is heavy-going), but I found it quite interesting and I’m not disappointed I read it. I’m not sure who I’d recommend it too, though.
I’ve been working on my next blogpost for a while and finally finished it this week. I haven’t fully decided when to post it yet, but it will probably be in the next week or two, so keep an eye out for that.
I haven’t done any revisions to The Spike Volume 2 this week. A character who features heavily in part 3 of Volume 2 also features in a yet-to-be-published short story, and there’s a trait I’ve given her which I really like for the short, but would be difficult to make work in a full-length novel. In trying to decide how to deal with this, I did another pass of editing on The Spike 0.5, and I think I now have a rough idea what I want to do. The next step is to work out exactly what needs to be changed in Volume 2 as there’ll be at least a couple of chapters impacted.
The last thing I did this week, other than this WWW, was to devise a loose social media schedule for the run-up to publication of The Spike Volume 1 second edition. I worked out a few different types of post that I’ll need to create, and the cycle I’ll post them in. There’s still much work to do to create some of that content, and I can’t do that until I have the new cover ready (and the covers for parts 1 and 2 that I’ll be publishing individually for the first time), so they’ll be my top priorities in the coming weeks.
After a few weeks off from recording my creativity vs consumption, I’m going to restart it from next week. I’m feeling refreshed after my holiday, at least at the moment. I felt the same after my last week off from the day job, and it only took until Monday lunchtime back at work before I felt knackered again. Hopefully I can maintain it longer this time, but we are going into my busiest couple of months of the year, so we’ll see.
My priorities for the week ahead are simple: 1) cover design for The Spike Volume 1 second edition; 2) revise part 3 of The Spike Volume 2.
I’m close to finishing both of the books I’m reading, so there’ll likely be a review of one or both in the coming week too. As long as they stick their respective landings, both should be positive.
Reading this week: Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid and Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
Watching this week: The Leftovers season 1
Playing this week: Cardboard Town
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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.
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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.
The More Data We See About SpaceX’s IPO, the More We’re Wincing
Signal says UK plan to scan devices for nude images ‘endangers us all’
Meta Removes Face-Recognition System From Its Smart Glasses, Is Mad About it
AI agents lag far behind human workers. Why are tech companies laying off the humans?
The Dangers of AI Inaccuracy — Why Human Verification Is Non-Negotiable
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Every week I share something that’s inspired my creativity.
This week, I continued my first watch of The Leftovers season 1, and it’s been getting better and better. I thought the first episode was ok, but it struggled a little under the burden of all the characters and the world it needed to introduce. I watched episodes five and six last night and they were really, really good, so I’m looking forward to seeing more.
The show is an ensemble piece, but a couple of times it’s given almost an entire episode over to a different character. It’s a structure I enjoy.
What’s inspired you this week? Please share in the comments.
See you next week.
Arrowmaker Books 