Again, will he offer me his hunger?

Status Report 2022-01-24

Obviously “the shrieking of nothing” would’ve been a better title for last week’s, rather than Funk to Funky. Hey ho.

This week’s music and title is from the late, great Meat Loaf. RIP big man.

This is a really interesting track. The filthy darkness of that intro, giving way to a jolly retro tune — sounding like a Phil Spector early 60s production in 1977 is pretty cool.

I’m aware there’s a lot of old stuff in this section, so I’ll do some new music soon. Promise. That said, I’m just back from a jolly weekend at my parents’ home in Carnoustie where I picked up my dad’s old turntable (along with my entire comics collection, ruh roh) so…

Here’s a photo of what’s left of my old High School. The swimming pool (a real rarity) and theatre were all that was left of the tower of misery:

Carnoustie High School, Mark Two

And here’s Bessi making herself at home:

Bessi caught in reflection from the conservatory window

Last week

Last week, I managed to finish the first edit of SECRET SCI-FI PROJECT (PREQUEL) (PART ONE). It ended up at 34,000 words and there are a couple of places I could expand it out. Before then, I’ve got the second part to write, so I also edited and updated the outline (with more work to do this week). It’s become a very different project to what I anticipated, which was a low-key short prequel to give away as a mailing list reader magnet, but is now pretty bombastic and also has lots of character stuff I like, which I will develop further in the second part (and then revise in the first part).

At some point I will write SECRET SCI-FI PROJECT, but I can’t help but wonder if I shouldn’t just release this. Weirdly, I’ve got a strategy here on how to build up a new author name, using SECRET SCI-FI PROJECT (PREQUEL) (PARTS ONE and TWO) as a free reader magnet to build up a decent-sized mailing list and get solid preorders for SECRET SCI-FI PROJECT.

I should probably stick to that, but bloody hell, writing. It’s good having a weird level of freedom to do what I want, but trying to make decisions is a tough one.

Driving through Dundee on Saturday and today and visiting her home town gave me big inspirational energy for the next Vicky Dodds book. The first four are selling very healthily just now, so I’m excited to capitalise on that. I should put it on preorder this week, along with LOST CAUSE. It’s going to be based in a lot of other locations than Dundee (I think you can guess which other two cops Vicky might encounter on her travels…) but I’m feeling like my police procedural books have a bit of stability now the Cullen books are closed, but the Cullenverse has expanded out to other cities.

This week

Well, it’s going to be focused on writing SECRET SCI-FI PROJECT (PREQUEL) (PART TWO), which is 11 chapters, so hopefully very doable. Not much physics, but a lot of character stuff, so definitely more in my wheelhouse and playing to my strengths. And then I’ll re-read the whole lot to see how it works.

Sincere apologies for using the phrase “in my wheelhouse” there.

Oh, oh, oh, and the first two of Vicky’s audiobooks are live on audible. TOOTH AND CLAW got through the sausage machine on Saturday, while FLESH AND BLOOD should be in the next few days. Angela Ness is narrating SKIN AND BONE in February, and we hope to align so that THE GUILTY is available at the same time as ebook and paperback. If you want a FREE copy of the first two, please reply to this and if there are codes left, you can have one.

Have a great week.

Cheers,

Ed