It’s weird to think the last time I posted on this blog was at the end of October last year. Since then, the wheels just kind of came off the cart and we went tumbling off into the abyss of winter, which always feels like the time of year where I get lost in life; you get caught up in the workdays, the 5 or 6 hours of weak sunlight before the blackness of December absorbs everything again, and while Christmas is a time associated with eating lots, I end up drinking and sleeping a lot in some form of ritualistic hibernation.
I’ve been studying in the evenings as well, with term starting again in October. I’m 5 months from finishing my Master’s degree in Creative Writing, as well as being 41k into my novel. Short story writing hasn’t had much of a look-in, though I still feel the pull of flash fiction thereabouts. The desire to whip up the odd 100-word story is intermittent, but they are useful vehicles for bursts of creativity that might not be enough to sustain a longer work.
In the background of all this, I have been working on the lore of the story universe behind my novel. Part of me wants to write more stories in this universe, and I would like to go beyond the Kraethen quadrumvirate presented in my current work, to look at the other races in the fictional universe, including the downfall of Planet Earth. Various story strands are making their way out of the cracks, but I am tempted to continue with the established universe after finishing the first draft of Conclave.
For the time being, work is still being produced. Sometimes there will be a burst of creativity and 1,500 words will form. Other times less. It all depends on exhaustion levels, and up until the last week, I wasn’t sleeping very well at all. I’m now feeling more human again (you can decide whether or not that’s a bad thing), and the production line is moving ever onward.
If you’re interested in checking out my previous works, they can be found in the three fiction tabs, with ‘Other Publications’ containing a link to anthologies on Amazon, and other online marketplaces.
Until next time, however, stay safe and take care. Thanks for reading.