The blog is two years old!

Hello readers! On the 27th November, this blog reached its second anniversary. We now have two whole years of miscellaneous waffle in the post archives, all tangentially related to fantasy and science fiction. This week I’m taking the opportunity to look back over the last twelve months, picking out my favourite posts and acknowledging some life events that happened quietly in the background. I’ll round off by looking to the year ahead, with ideas for future posts, and an update on the progress of final book in the Highmoor series.

The second year

For those that aren’t aware, the posts on this blog are divided into five themes: reviews of science fiction and fantasy media; reports of my “adventures” to inspiring parts of the world; mini-biographies of scientists, writers and creative thinkers; rambling discussions about the creative process; and posts directly related to my books (e.g., art, maps, promotions). These themes emerged partway through the blog’s first year, and since then, they have provided a framework that enables some degree of blogging consistency. The focus may not be as sharp as most blogs, but the variety stops me getting bored – and hopefully you readers feel the same way.

There were plenty of reviews this year, with the subjects ranging from awe-inspiring excitement (Godzilla Minus One) to miserable drudgery (3 Body Problem), as well as some baffling, undefinable craziness (Dune 1984). Incredibly, I only managed three six-minute summaries in twelve months, but at least they were a diverse bunch: Henry Cavendish, Mary Shelley and James Croll. I could have sworn I had written more than that, but there we go – the time has flown.

Perhaps the biggest change in the blog this year is that I have been sharing more artwork and maps from my books (there are now dedicated pages for these). However, I can’t help but feel as though these posts are less worthy than the others. Sharing my own creative endeavours still feels too self-absorbed, and I’m definitely more comfortable discussing other people’s work – especially if they published it over a century ago. That way, they can’t complain about my misinterpretations.

Some of my favourite miscellaneous posts of the last year include “The Twelve Wasps of Christmas”, which was a melodramatic account of a bathroom wasp infestation last December, and the semi-serious essay “What is science fiction?”, which I enjoyed so much that it spilled over into two parts. My trip to Lanzarote was also big enough to split across multiple posts, and it gave me a chance to effuse about rocks and volcanoes, and to whinge about mass tourism – two of my favourite topics! I think there were some solid posts this year, even if there were fewer of them overall.

Behind the scenes

I set up this blog to share my books and associated works, and to stay in touch with readers. However, I still don’t consider myself to be a proper author. I’m far from being a full-time writer, and none of my creative ventures are close to being economically viable. This is all just a hobby that I have to squeeze around actual work – which is to say, work that earns me enough to survive. Only recently did I escape the career grey-area of “PhD student” and get employed for the first time, but this has come with its own challenges (yay, taxes!). I have no intention of giving up on the books or the blog, but having a “proper job” on top of publishing PhD work and writing novels forces me to ration my time. More so than ever before, this year has been a balancing act for me and my hobbies.

So, if you’ve wondered why the pace of posting has changed, that’s why. This has been a year of upheaval, with me moving house and changing job (still in the north of England, thank god), and having more on my plate than ever before.

With that in mind, I have a small plea to those of you who have read my books. I hope you can forgive the spelling errors and the lack of polish. I don’t have an editor. I have a very small team of proof-readers (indeed, “team” is probably an overstatement) and a fairly small pool of actual readers. Errors take a long time to come to my attention, and changes take a long time to implement. So, if you have stuck with me so far, thank you for your patience.

What next?

In August, I published my sixth book on Amazon’s Kindle store. It was the third in the Highmoor series, which is where my efforts are currently focussed. The Starlit Ship series was written a few years ago now, back when I was an undergraduate, and I’m currently in a phase of resenting its existence. I might be oversharing here – but writing a blog is already oversharing, so what do I know? In potentially happier news, the fourth and final instalment of the Highmoor series is in progress, and has 94 pages already. Obviously this number means nothing without the font size or line spacing, and that’s intentional. Just know that the book exists, and that the page count is increasing.

My hope is that this new book will be out within the next two years. After I send it off to the “review team”, I may turn my attention back to the first book, and tidy up a few things that have been pointed out to me (spelling errors, inconsistent ages, etc.). I might even go back to tidy up the Starlit Ship, if I can find the courage. And after that, I’ll have to take the plunge into something new and unknown. It might be a long way off, but it has already started lurking on the horizon. I always get a sense of dread when I’m winding down a project, because what comes next? Will it be any good?

Ending on a high note…

I need to think of something positive to say now… How about promising you another six minute summary? There’s one going out next week. We’re going to be looking at the life of Ada Lovelace, a Victorian aristocrat who is widely regarded as being the first person to realise the revolutionary potential of computer algorithms. I have some reviews in progress too, including a terrible but beloved fantasy film from the 2000s, and a colossal, Victorian era geology textbook. It’s a strange theme that ties this blog together, but I swear there’s logic in it somewhere.

In summary…

Thank you to everyone who has stuck with the blog! And here’s to another year of whatever this is. Happy reading, and have a lovely week!