An indie author’s regular spoiler-free update on his writing, editing, cover design, marketing, publishing, website maintenance, and blogging. Issue 93.
This week in one word: consequence.
my_writing_week
Previously on WWW…
Next Monday, my review of The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones will be published. Otherwise, my top priority for next week remains revising The Spike Volume 2.
I did spend more time on The Spike Volume 2 revisions than I did on anything else this week, but that’s partly because I skipped between more activities than a Rocky training montage.
Last Sunday, I saw a report speculating that a particular piece of entertainment news will be revealed soon. I’d long had an idea for a blogpost I want to publish when that news hit, so if it was coming soon, it made sense to have it ready. I’ve written it; it needs one more editing pass, but is essentially ready. I hope you find it as interesting to read as I did to write.
On Monday, I posted my review of The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones. If the writing style hadn’t been so awkward to read, it would have scored highly because there were some really good things about it.
On Wednesday, I finished the first in a series of blogposts that will go live around publication of the second edition of The Spike Volume 1.
I then started the second blogpost, and am about halfway through.
I estimate there’ll be between eight and eleven, depending on whether I decide to split or combine some of them.
The last few days, I’ve encouraged my subconscious to work on the cover for The Spike Volume 1 second edition, because I’m not completely happy with what I was working on before.
Today, I got one new idea, and when I was looking for a reference image I thought I’d saved that would work for that, I came up with two completely new ideas.
So now I don’t know what I’m going to do.
In between all those other tasks, I did revise The Spike Volume 2. Eight chapters done this week, which leaves three plus the epilogue to do. I would have got further but I hadn’t realised a relatively small change in chapter 0.2.3.54 meant rewriting all of 0.2.3.63…
I added two paragraphs to 0.2.3.54 to add more depth to a character, but when I followed the logic through, that meant the location (and therefore some of the action and dialogue) for 0.2.3.63 needed to change.
With I discovered the rewrite would be necessary, I considered removing the two new paragraphs from 0.2.3.54, but I decided they were important enough to keep.
I rewrote the chapter. Afterwards, when I thought about how the new character depth would play out in Volume 3, it lead to a link with another character that I hadn’t been sure what to do with. So it’s all worked out really well.
The main reason why I skipped between projects this week was because I was feeling a little mentally drained, and revisions are particularly taxing because you need to keep as much of the story in your mind as possible. When the story is three books that all interlink, it’s even harder.
In other weeks, I’d probably have allowed myself more rest, but I had a streak to continue…
This week is the eighth in a row that I’ve reached at least 50/50 for my creativity vs consumption percentage, and I hit a new personal best. My previous record was 55%; this week I spent 57% of my free-time writing.
I’m not going to aim that high every week; I think a 50/50 split is still a good target.
I’ve very nearly finished reading Parable of the Sower by Octavia E Butler, so my review should go live on Monday or Tuesday. Beyond that, my priorities for next week are 1) complete this pass of revisions to The Spike Volume 2, and 2) decide what I’m doing with the cover for The Spike Volume 1 second edition.
Reading this week: Neuromancer by William Gibson and Parable of the Sower by Octavia E Butler
Watching this week: Peaky Blinders season 3 (rewatch) and Schitt’s Creek season 1 and Colin from Accounts season 3
Playing this week: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
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. One of the new three is ready to go; the other two require some final editing. I may submit the new three to journals or short story collections, but all will be published by Arrowmaker Books some time before Volume 2 is published.
I’m working 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. Both have a similar style and layout.
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 begun brainstorming for Project Lawless Fang, which is unrelated to The Spike series (at least for now).
weekly_inspiration
Every week I share something that’s inspired my creativity.
This week, the track Naeem by Bon Iver has been playing on repeat in my head.
I have a lot of respect for Justin Vernon of Bon Iver as an artist.
He wrote, performed, and recorded the first Bon Iver album by himself in a remote cabin, with a few minor additions later.
When it was successful, it would have been easy to play it safe and keep churning out similar records, but he took risks, and has made some really interesting music.
He doesn’t seem to be afraid of putting his feelings out there for all to see, and when he sings, he’s more interested in expressing emotion than making sure every note is “perfect”. The point is to make people feel things, and he’s never lost sight of that.
What’s inspired you this week? Please share in the comments.
See you next week.
Arrowmaker Books 