The latest Author Talks: M. R. James

 It's the first Sunday of the month, so it's the day when I release the episode of my one-person podcast Author Talks, guaranteed no AI included. This time, it's a look at an author I've recently delved into both in his fictional writing, his life, and analysis of his work. That person is M. R. James, a father of the modern folk horror and maestro of the ghost story. Not only do I look over his work and what makes his work appealing, and how aspects of him and it haven't aged that well, but I also give an abridged reading of one of his stories. That story, 'The Mezzotint', is possibly one of the best introductions to the M. R. James short story.

YouTube link

Spotify link

Writing as a bisexual; being the quiet one.

 Last month, it was talking about my relationship to gender. This time, writing with my own sexuality in mind in a modern world where performing sexuality is...a thing, unfortunately. This post was inspired by Emily Inkpen's own article on the topic, "Writing Queer Experiences as a Bisexual Woman". It's only within the last five years that I realised there was nothing wrong with being attracted to both men and women. I found women attractive and alluring, but then I started having the same feelings for men and wasn't processing it well internally. I wasn't acting out, I just kept it bottled up to work through. And I found that just because I liked both didn't mean I was potentially promiscuous or anything. I was just me.

I fully admit, my experience with real life is limited. Due to various factors, I don't get out a huge amount, so many of my experiences of queer representation have been through media. And on the whole, bisexual characters have it pretty rough. Either they are labelled as gay or straight if they settle with one gender or the other, or are given negative character traits such as commitment issues or some variant on classical depravity and personal issues. Truth be told, one of my upcoming stories has elements of that, which will need to be addressed during edits.

Something that I've ended up being conscious about with regards to my characters, as I tend to put both men and women in my casts, is the inevitable "shipping". Obviously "shipping" happens regardless, but it's more the tacit assumption that of course man and woman will get together. It's not a fact of life, but it's a dictate of the society we inherited from the Victorian middle class that man and woman must get together at story's end. Some of the great narratives have been permanently crippled by this pressure.

I've also found a penchant for writing a certain type of character dynamic; a duo where one is gay, the other is straight, and they aren't the same gender. Or having the only real romantic element be outside the straight zone. I used to be concerned about this kind of thing, wondering what people would think. Then I realised that I shouldn't have to care about it, and if I just wrote what I wanted to and stood my ground, that would be better. Not just for others on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, but for me. If I could write bisexuals with stable lives and characters, gay and lesbian relationships that weren't tragic or traumatic, trans and intersex characters living their best life, and asexual characters able to be who they are without being judged.

It's genuinely tricky to write about the queer experience when you haven't been that greatly immersed, having spent a lot of time online and living in an out-of-the-way part of the world where I don't know if someone being very openly queer would go down well. It helps that my usual gender presentation is very subdued male-coded, to the point I've heard some people surprised when I mentioned my orientation. But I've also learned through that and my tastes in fiction to never, ever judge someone by their external appearance. Because of that lack of stock or weight in external looks, I tend not to gravitate towards extravagant or extroverted characters. Instead, I've found myself writing people who are...just people.

That can make me feel almost guilty, combined with the fact that as a white man, I've got several engrained cultural prejudices working in my favour. Surely I have to be loud and proud, it's the expected thing, it's the norm! I say, who sets that as the norm? The more I looked, the more it felt like what started out as a genuine sign of rebellion against the establishment is now being encouraged by the establishment to act like an ID tag, and because of that I don't see people like me. I see angst and flamboyance, which is all well and good, that does happen. But it's still saddeningly rare to see.

I guess this is less about writing as a bisexual man, and more about writing as me; someone retiring, shy, a listener and writer who still likes to talk a lot, but also likes his quiet times. I'm not a party animal, I'm comfortable in my gender. I don't fit into the 'pattern' that it feels like queer romance or queer existence is still being squeezed into. I understand there's an appeal of seeing any kind of queer representation, but it's starting to feel rather one-note. I'm pleased there's increased diversity being pushed through, especially now with basic freedom of expression under attack.

I write as a bisexual man regardless of what I look like, and write to include as much diversity as my stories and characters will allow. And I try to write about my own experience of bisexuality; the sort who's just part of the crowd, walking down the street in everyday clothes, but still able to--to appropriate a phrase--have my emotional bread buttered on both sides.

Looking back at my study books...

 So, I've been going through the process of getting myself an English Language and Literature degree with the Open University. Still got stuff to do (not the end of Academic year yet), but in the name of education, I needed to read through not one, not two, not three, but...FOURTEEN books. As a reader, on the one hand, that was great. But as someone who had to read Dickens during my Level 1 studies last year, I also know that some of these pieces were likely to be something I didn't enjoy and would be going on an out/charity shop pile. So I'm deciding to make use of them outside my education and post my opinions on these fourteen books I had to read through between October last and now.

Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray: This was easy to assess. I enjoyed it. I also enjoyed the greater academic insight given into this definitive piece of Gothic literature. I'd already read through the story via audiobook, so this was an easy yes in terms of keepers. I still think most people focus far too much on the sexual elements of the story, which if you actually read the darned book play third fiddle to other themes, but it's still interesting.

Zadie Smith, White Teeth: Our first dud destined for the out pile. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure this book has fans and it's interesting to look at how it's written. But it's also a prime example of a culture I wasn't part of, and I don't mean it's Muslim Indian and Jamaican diasporas (the former actually resonated with me a lot because Batley, where I grew up, had a Muslim Indian community dating back to the Partition). I mean how White Teeth treats subjects like suicidal depression, marital relationships, Islamic radicalisation, and cultural pressure to conform. It treats them all...as jokes, ala lowbrow 90s comedies. Seriously, the opening chapter plays a suicide attempt as a joke. The 'wit' in this book either hasn't aged well, or was always in poor taste. Also the ending... Very Dickensian in the worst way.

Sylvia Plath, Ariel: The Restored Edition: I'd never encountered this poet's work, and it's not for the faint of heart. Even untangling it from the context of Plath's own struggles and tragic death which followed hard upon completing this collection, these poems aren't for the faint of heart. Self-doubt, dark pasts, familial strife, all feature as themes here. This edition also comes with Plath's reproduced type-written versions of the poems, complete with amendments to the rhyme and metre. I'm stull not sure whether I'm keeping this one, but it...has something. Just not something I'd dive into for comfort reading.

Colston Whitehead, The Colossus of New York: Another one I'd never heard of, and one I'm definitely keeping. This exploration of New York City, dated to around the same time as White Teeth, explores not from the POV of a travelogue, but more akin to a bird's eye view. As if the city itself is guiding you. And in this case, the wit of the writing has aged pretty well, and the context is deliberately ambiguous enough that you can see more than just one demographic enjoying this. This book doesn't self-isolate through being of its time, it makes itself timeless. A keeper for sure.

Wordsworth and Coleridge, Lyrical Ballads: I'm gonna say it, Wordsworth is one of the most boring and uninspiring poets I've come across. There's only one of his poems in this absolute slog of a tome, 'Michael, A Pastoral Poem', that I think even vaguely enjoyable. The book as a whole is standard, droning, and if you know anything about real rural history insultingly patronising and romantic. And don't even get me started on Wordsworth's 'Introduction', which says with fifty words what could be said with ten. Coleridge's 'Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner' is its one redeeming property, and I don't need to keep one book for one poem. Out pile.

Anne-Marie Fyfe. No Far Shore: Described by Fyfe herself as a book of 'lyric essays', this is a strange little thing and not one I expected to enjoy as much as I did. Baring one poem about a dog trapped in a harbour, I found everything enjoyable, engaging, and entertaining. There's a distinct quality to this book that's difficult to quantify beyond; it's good. Being someone who lives near the coast myself, it resonated with me strongly, and how Fyfe incorporated poetic elements into her prose was something else. Keeping this.

Patricia Grace, Potiki: A story I didn't know I needed in my life. I've had some mild contact with Maori culture through pop culture influence, but this in-depth piece of work from someone within the Pākehā (colonial white-Maori) population was truly eye-opening. There's a fine dance along the line between low fantasy and social history, immersing you into the culture. It also has a strong anti-colonial message, and ultimately a hopeful message. A keeper for sure.

William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure: This doesn't need much space. It's just the notorious problem play in an academic edition with a massive introduction and footnotes galore. I enjoy Measure for Measure, and this book has good reference material for writing essays and similar, so keeping it.

Abdulrazak Gurnah, Gravel Heart: Again not an author I'd encountered, and once again I was impressed. It's not a read I'll go back to in a hurry, because oh boy is it a hard read. If White Teeth is the over-optimistic and jokey view of the immigrant experience, Gravel Heart is a more realistic and occasionally cynical one. The main draw for me was its examination of a broken family, familial expectations and abuse, and the outsider finding something of value in a place they're othered in. Keeping it, but not re-reading for a while.

George Orwell, Essays: You can really tell a lot about Orwell as a person from this collection of his essays. From his anti-colonial stance to the complete lack of faith or belief in any kind of governance, to the remnants of Imperialism that colour how he sees and talks about non-English groups. Many of these essays are also quite funny to read through, and led me on a bit of a rabbit hold about his life. So, yeah, keeping.

Thomas More, Utopia: This book...is such a waste of space in my shelves. I didn't connect with it. I got it a bit more after having gone through the first half of the book, not just the second fictive half as most seem to. But still, it feels more like something for academia than pleasure reading. Interesting to see how the concept of 'utopia' emerged and how different it is for a Tudor man compared to today, but... Yeah, out pile.

Mary Elizabeth Braddon, Lady Audley's Secret: A crown jewel of sensation fiction, and one of the best books from the Victorian period I've ever read. The writing is so good, sparkling even, and the story kept me hooked even when it strayed into the stereotypes of its day. Braddon has crafted one of the great anti-heroines, and her writing has aged magnificently compared to others of her day, or even most others that came decades later. Keeper. I also got her Aurora Floyd for good measure.

Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden: This is a good piece of writing, no question. A classic, indeed. And I'm keeping it. But... Some parts of how the story changes during its second half really don't sit well with me. I came to this after having watched in my youth the 1993 film version, and there's a shocking amount of context they add without actually changing the narrative. They also keep Mary Lennox as the focal character, while the book basically boots her into the chorus in favour of REAL PROTAGONIST COLIN NO FOR REAL HE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT CHARACTER IN THE BOOK FOR REAL WAIT COME BACK HE'S REALLY IMPORTANT. Can you tell I don't like this shift?

Isabel Allende, The Stories of Eva Luna: My very first exposure to South American literature, and also my first dip into what has been called 'fantasy realism'. And I couldn't have struck a better first time. Written in a Scheherazade-style narrative of loosely-connected short stories, this book hooked me hard and wouldn't let go. I was lost in its stories of love, connection, innocence, and the subtle magic of reality. A keeper for sure.

And that's it. Fourteen books, fourteen opinions, and only three definitively going on the out pile. Quite an achievement. Here's to reading for pleasure and for learning, and to not hating books after needing to study them.

Me, Gender, and I.

 

Provocative title? Yes, but it'll make sense when you read the rest of this. Also, yes, potential trigger warning for people dealing with issues of gender identity and associated discrimination.

I decided to write about this because recently, in a context where I was just sharing something fun, I believe I was on the receiving end of what I think was indirect transphobia. I referred to a character I'd created and was playing as in Baldur's Gate 3 as a trans man. And...well, suffice to say there were some gif-based comments that made 'feelings' felt. I felt happy and bouncy, enjoying playing as this character. And I got...Obama Raised Eyebrows and Bruce Willis Look of Horrified Disgust? I don't know whether it was the phrasing or the fact I just mentioned it, but this otherwise inclusive community that I shan't name here and I'd been on the edges of for fun showed a proportion had seemingly excluded the "T" in LGBTQIA+. I've left that community, never to return.

That interaction reminded me of a part of my youth that for a long time I thought was just silly. When I was under ten years old, I once thought I might become a ballet dancer. Of course with how I've grown I'm now too tall and the wrong build. But the dancers I saw, and the characters I enjoyed most in the media I consumed, made me think something; I can best sum it up with the sentence, "Maybe I'll become a woman at some point."

At that point, I didn't know anything about biological sex, presented gender, chosen gender, questions of sexuality and gender dysmorphia, or the whole thorny issue of transgender people's right to be who they were. I was brought up in an immediate and extended family with a lot of strong-willed women, most of my fictional role models were women, and my private life didn't have any solid gender binaries forced on me. My sister and I wore similar clothes, and the only people I'd ever seen wearing skirts were complete strangers.

This initial feeling was from the 1990s, when the infamous Section 23 was still in force in the UK. You know, THAT bit of media censorship. As I grew up, I became more settled into my biological and presented gender. I did see some bits of media that played into unpleasant tropes and stereotypes including the depraved lesbian and a trans character being treated as a punchline. But I didn't know about the prejudices, so they didn't connect with the "you must find this funny" part of my brain. In fact, in the latter case, I didn't find it funny. I found the rest of the movie funny, but not that bit, because I didn't understand why it was supposed to be funny. And when I did understand years later, I still didn't find it funny.

I've now come to fully accept myself for what I am; cis male, bisexual, and while I don't broadcast my sexuality I'm also not the type to be uncomfortable around those that do. If anyone's seen me being stiff, I'm like that around everyone I don't know. It's my shyness showing. But when I get to know something, at least in a 'we know each other by sight' situation, I just see everyone as people/ Straight or queer, anywhere on the spectrum, cis or trans or fluid or neutral, we're all just people. Anyone can be great, anyone can be mean, most are just average and normal.

I'm very fortunate in that I've had an upbringing that left me without internalised homophobia. I have near relations that are on the spectrum, I myself am on the spectrum, and I've made a circle of friends and colleagues who are either within that community or completely open-minded and chill. I'm glad of that, but I think that early internal fluidity about my gender was a seed for what would grow. I used to cringe at that early idea, but now I'm just content to remember when I thought changing my gender was as simple as shapeshifting in fantasy.

All this is relevant now as the LGBTQIA+ community are coming under attack from discriminatory laws, and the world is leaning more conservative in its governorship. Also the world is inured in another time of open and brutal war, where people want stability and are more liable to lash out at groups who are seen as out of the ordinary. Which is why need to remain obvious and push back against laws that seek to belittle and hide us. This applies across the world at the moment, including the UK. Just remember those times in your youth when you had silly ideas. They can be the gateway to a tolerant and inclusive view of the world. And they may help you walk away from a community where you suddenly seen a deeply unpleasant streak of discrimination.

Plans: Author Talks S4

 I know, I know, it isn't this huge thing. But this podcast I create, edit publish on YouTube and Spotify is something that has become an interesting exercise as much as a way for me to potentially help publicise myself or vent things. The podcast has changed over time from a complete unscripted flood of words to scripted episodes with more obvious production values.

The thing is, I don't have this series planned out that far by any stretch. Last year's set of eight episodes were pretty ambitious, and I was doing them alongside other real-life stuff including production of 'The Angry House', university work, and real life concerns. This year, university work still takes priority, my own writing work may or may not change course or shift, and I'm definitely heading to BristolCon after a year's needed break.

So until then, I hope you enjoy this playlist that I put together for the podcast. If nothing else, you can see how I went from stumbling first steps to smooth presentation. Find within short story readings, work samples, and general ramblings on a number of topics.

YouTube Link

Spotify Link

Farewell 2025. Here comes 2026.

 A few days late, but I think it still counts. Last year was...so much. Much more than I had anticipated or intended, and there were things that happened which I needed to...basically...reorient myself to get done. Things were stressful, but things were also interesting and great.

*Handling my personal space: Due to how the world has been trying to destory itself--or rather certain current leaders of nations who should know better or should be committed are trying to destroy everyone else--I've needed to take stock of myself. As someone who spent most of their life in a time of relative peace, recent world events have forced me to adopt a more...stoic attitude. And also an attitude where, for the sake of my mental health, I actively adjust my social feeds to exclude the names of certain persons. I still check the news, but now my face isn't being virtually shoved into it.

*The Angry House actually released: This is what turned this year from the planned complete rest and calm into something of a new experience. The Angry House, an audio drama I wrote based on a short story, won an award in script form and got produced. It's now out in the world, available, and I hope it's been a help to Chris Gregory's Alternative Stories, where it made its debut on their Spex Fic Radio Theatre program. I don't know if there will be any long term stuff that emerges from this, but I know it was a great time and I met some people I'm glad to have met in person and gotten to see in action.

*My family and personal live have been slowly but surely shifting. Some things happend last year that were positive like sorting out some aspect of our living conditions for the long term, others that were less so such as the older of our two dogs passing away. On the whole, I think this year has been one where I've become more sure of myself as a person and as a creator. As I work towards a university degree, an official qualification that will help make me more employable (not guaranteed, but a lot better than nothing), I've also been getting some new mental space unlocked in my head and overcoming some very long-standing hangups regarding aspects of my mental makeup. Not all the way there, but I'm a good chunk.

*I've been expanding my online presence: through YouTube and my revamped Social Media presence, I've been trying to make myself more...available. More...there. More...out there. In this modern world, especially with the cesspool that some parts are becoming, creating a comfortable and personable presence has become very important. So I've got my YouTube channel growing slowly but surely. And my latest project as a gamer and story enjoyer, I've started an edited commentary-style playthough of the Mass Effect trilogy. Lots of shenanigans and thoughts on something that I like, but I won't say hasn't got problems.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCPsNUSX2K2aBbEfC4C_pBN-TeT3EaxyJ

So, here's to 2026. Hopefully it's a less horrible year all around. Hopefully I'll have more updates on The Cluster Cycle because my publisher is going through a lot, like everyone sane in the United States right now. And unlike last year, I've booked into this year's BristolCon event. I'll almost certainly have more Author Talks episodes, and I'll hopefully have more fiction and posts and general shenanigans that will keep you informed and entertained.

And so, ladies and gentlemen and everyone in between, until next time...see ya.

New Video: Me on Ivalice

 So...this happened a while ago. Other stuff was going on at the same time, specifically the recent release of The Angry House. But here is something I created not long ago. My look at the development history and timeline for one of my favourite fictional worlds: the land of Ivalice, from the Final Fantasy franchise. Hope you enjoy!

It’s here! The Angry House by Thomas Wrightson

 It's here! It's finally here! After the epic trilogy of its origins and development (part 1, part 2, part 3), The Angry House -- a horror audio play written by me, Thomas Wrightson -- is releasing into the world first through Alternative Stories's Spec Fic Radio Theatre; Monday 15 December (tomorrow) for their silver-tier Patreons, then everyone else on Wednesday 17 December.

This post will be updated with links to versions as they release.

Spec Fic Audio Theatre release - Wednesday 17 December 2025 - Podlink, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, PodBean,

Alternative Stories and Fake Realities release - Friday 19 December 2025 - Spotify, Apple Podcasts, PodLink

This audio production, produced by Alternative Stories and directed by Chris Gregory, is a Christmas chiller. In 1999, on the eve of a total eclipse, a brother goes with his sister and life partner to refurbish an old house. But as they work there, strange events suggest a hostile presence is haunting them, threatening their lives.

With a wonderful cast bringing it to life--Charlie Richards, Marie-Claire Woods, David Monteith, and Sarah Golding--this is my very first time writing for the radio format and my first production of this kind. Where things may go from here, who knows. But I know this will be a fascinating thing to have floating around for people to listen to.

Read more here!

New podcast episode: Mass Effect!

 It's finally come to pass! Several months ago, before I recently went down to be in at the recording of my audio drama, I put together a script and recorded it. It was my thoughts on Mass Effect, a series I do enjoy but that I also have some major gripes with. Herein are my thoughts in audio/video form.

Also, today, I saw if I could do something with my aliens in Belle Époque era idea, which had thoroughly stalled. I think because I wasn't actually using humour. At all. And in these times, humour isn't just an option, it's a necessity. We must laugh, and though laughter trimuph! So before the episodes below, have a sample of some dialogue that flowed out and had me laughing when I re-read it. Two Parisian gentlemen observing a fellow diner.

The two gave commiserating nods to each other. It was an unspoken truth among the upper echelons of French society that being English was a malady only trumped by being syphilitic. Or a royal family. Or American. In that order.

And now, the YouTube and Spotify links to the penultimate episode of this year's Author Talks, diving into the realm of Mass Effect.

YouTube Version

Spotify Version

The Angry House -- Its Author's Behind the Scenes

 At the invitation of Alternative Stories's Chris Gregory, I've created this behind-the-scenes article-come-production diary for 'The Angry House', an audio play in the horror genre that I wrote for the Pen to Print Awards. You've got the opening section of this story from several months ago, when The Angry House won their Audio Play Competition, with the most significant part of the award being that the play would be produced by Alternative Stories, an audio production company that you may know for Emily Inkpen's Dex Legacy project. I was sort of acting as an assistant for Chris, as well as having input as the original play's writer. I initially thought "eh, split into two articles", then I decided "nah, do a longer article after it's been recorded". That recording date was Monday 20th October 2025.

One thing that I was expecting, but turned out to be both more or less harrowing overall, was the edits that came after the script won the award. Just because it won doesn't mean it was perfect. For one thing, because of the script's inspirations in late 19th to early 20th Century pieces, I needed to update the language to be less formal and--by modern standards--stilted. After that came scheduling meetings, and after that a full hour and a half dedicated to just going through the script with Chris, reading through it, checking for anything I'd missed on a first pass, trimming out some bits that were maybe a bit too 90s. Because the play is set in 1999.

After that, there was the casting, and on my end that included listening to reels as they came in and once everyone had auditioned who would audition, it was time to make the choice. Two of the actors were the only ones to audition for those parts, and thank goodness because they were very good for those roles. The other two were a choice between four or five a piece, and it was a bit of a process narrowing it down to the final choice. We only needed four actors for the roles, as I'd deliberately wrote it to be a small cast, and I was able to get two of the actors to double up roles.

Then, on this last Monday, there was the table read. For those who've seen behind-the-scenes stuff from television or film productions, a table read is basically a run-through of the script so people can get a feel for it. In this case, it was a virtual table-read with some scenes done out of order to accommodate for one member of cast that needed to head off in a hurry. It was also a little longer than expected, as I had added some extra bits at Chris's suggestion for one of the cast members who initially had just one scene. Oh yes, the cast. What a cast it is, all Alternative Studios alumni and with notable CVs in their own right. The recordings well done by the time this goes up so I don't think it should be a bother to reveal them. The cast is;

*Charlie Richards as Harry Wells -- An actor who among other things worked on Emily Inkpen's Dex Legacy as Ren Dex, and also appeared in a recent production of The Play That Goes Wrong.

*Marie-Claire Wood as Agnes Wells -- An actor with range, with credits across multiple Alternative Story productions, feature films, television and classical theatre.

*David Monteith as Gerald Fairly -- A voice and mo-cap actor who has done extensive voice-over work across podcast, films and video games. To some he is Minister Rizet from Emily Inkpen's Wasteland, to others Neueirus from Metaphor re Fantazio or a number of voices in Baldur's Gate 3.

*Sarah Golding as Samantha Gregory -- Creator of Quirky Voices, a versatile actress with too many credits to roll off. Just...so many.

The table read went surprisingly well, and it was still a little odd hearing my words out loud from someone's lips other than mine. Or with the cast of actors I've got as simulacra in my head to bring them to life. I was braced for rough reads, fumbles, awkward moments. There weren't many, just a couple of edits that needed to be made; one based on a suggestion, and one that was a genuine mistake. There was also the question of accent, which was mostly RP (received pronunciation), but there was one Devon accent needed and some question about the kind of RP to be used. I also had to account for the fact that the actors were doing it virtually over a Zoom meetings call, so...not ideal. It wasn't a studio environment with specially-designed microphones and a sound-proof space. There were also a couple of casual interactions that were just funny and broke the ice a bit.

With that cast, and joined by the production crew including Chris and myself, we gathered together at Orpheus Studios in London. After, of course, slightly losing my way. Cities always do that, it's always one door further back or further on than I think it must be. The rest of this article is more in the line of a journal or diary. So...enjoy.

(The events of the day during recording start at time codes.)

Cast and Crew at Tea

10:30-ish; At the studio. At this moment, the actors are warming up. The likes of "pepperoni macaroni" and lip burbles are emanating from the green room. I struggle not to burst into unseemly fits of laughter. The sound engineer Richard Campbell is setting up, and the studio is preparing to enter into the realm of "oh help I'm really going to be listening to my dialogue being recorded". The set-up is a large soundproof room with four mics and two booths. The first scene recorded is Scene 3, with Charlie and David. Marie-Claire is a little late, due to other commitments. Edits were required due to some issues related to repetition of some phrases or some odd wording.

11:02: Marie-Claire has manifested during the second take. The takes are going quite well so far, with some adjustments and talk with the actors to get the right tone for scenes. After a time between scenes where we chatted in the green room, we dived into the first scene. Some stumbles, but otherwise some good chemistry appearing to help get the scene on point with the different character interactions. Always important. Golding also doubled-up the voice of another bit part, which was a huge help. After the scene was completed, we completed some isolated parts for a smaller part that book-ended some scenes. Genuinely moving.

12:15: The beginning of another session with lots of stuff. A scene with a lot of dialogue, including some bits of humour that I was afraid would sound better on the page. Turns out, they sound great. It sounds strange in a way, without the sound effects or anything else, but there is a feeling of it coming together. Also, some questions about pronunciations. And then....LUNCH! (or rather, lunch, which wasn't that great in my case, because eating out for me is like spinning a semi-rigged roulette wheel)

Sound engineer
Richard "Orpheus" Campbell.
Image courtesy of
Chris Gregory,
Alternative Stories.

14:11: Back onto scene recording, an emotional scene now and struggling to keep my head straight after the phenomenon of lunch. This one needed some more fine tuning for the script, specifically some word choices so that the actors could have the dialogue flow better. This bit is really showing how much smaller inflections and additions from the actors can make the scene fully come alive. Also the scene in particular is a pretty pivotal and emotional one, so we needed to do an extra take to get as much of it down as possible. And then David had to do some extra bits for a smaller part.

15:24: Next was a very long two-hander between Sarah and Charlie. It's a long and narratively-important scene, and also one with some pretty intense content. Sarah is a great actress, and Charlie was coping very well with a pretty chunky sequence. And yet more pronunciation. Also some small adjustments needed, one in particular at Charlie's suggestion. It's the one that went the best at the table read last Monday, so as expected this went fairly smoothly.

16:24: After a tea break once the scene was completed, we headed into another scene that was a three-hander. It seemed to go fine overall, although the names of some of the characters did somehow derail a performance or two--plus the banter--into the cursed realm of She-Who-Will-Not-Be-Named-Ever-More. Overall, it's been going well. Only two scenes left to go; the two final ones obviously.

16:44: The penultimate scene, which has a prolonged period of one person both narrating a scene and being part of it, and this one went so incredibly smoothly. The only one that didn't need three takes, only two. And this was the one scene at the table read we didn't have the time and facilities to go through in full. Moving forward, we hit the final scene, where all the actors came together to perform in one crescendo. We were all feeling a little tired and quite relieved. I got the chance to set the opening fear factor of the scene (on a scale of 1 to 10, a solid 6). The first run went well, although there was some adjustment to tone and wording needed. That seems to be the running theme. Once the big scene was completed, and a b-roll for the final section was recorded, we moved onto Charlie's final narration. He got it first take essentially, but we took a second for the sake of safety.

Recording wrapped up bang on 17:30.

There was of course a nice post-wrapping meet-up at a local pub, where I spent some time with them hearing stories and enjoying the vibes, but I'm not usually someone who stays out late. And I needed food. So I regretfully bowed out, but not because I didn't want to stick around despite being with this small collection of people since around 10 AM that day. It's no exaggeration to say I loved my time during this recording, working with these actors, and I look forward to both the rest of the production cycle, and potentially working with these cast and crew on something again. If the opportunity ever arises.

Lessons I've learned during this session that I shall take forward.

*I have an ear for general mood, but Chris beats me hands down when it comes to particular inflections and line-to-line needs.

*I have a knack of creating complicated sentences and long stretches of dialogue that can easily trip actors up, but that they also love getting used to.

*I must prepare to clarify pronunciations for words that I might think "Really? That needed clarification?"

*Editing on the fly is a necessity up to even this stage when everything's recorded.

*Adlibs aren't dead, and in fact can and will pop up in unexpected places to often enlivening effect.

*Actors in the green room and the pub, and the recording box, have a filthy sense of humour. More please.

*It's never one and done, even if the first take was so good it might as well be. A second is always taken. Sometimes it can run to 4+, or bits of a scene may be re-recorded in isolation.

*Having visited London three times in ten months for various reason, I'm decided: I don't like London that much compared to Oxford or Bristol. I just don't vibe with it.

*I really love being part of a diverse group of people, be that based on ethnicity, background or sexuality.

Thanks to everyone. And here's to the next phase, for all of us.

Cast and writer after recording; 17:40, 20 October 2025, Orpheus Studio in London. From left to right; Sarah Golding, David Monteith, Thomas Wrightson (me), Charlie Richards, Marie-Claire Wood. Image courtesy of Chris Gregory, Alternative Stories.

Next Time on Dragon Ball Wrightson...

 This is gonna be a short, sharp, sweet post. Next week will be a long and involved post on the production to date of my audio play 'The Angry House'. So this week, I'm posting a little early today (as I need to travel down) with some stuff that may tide readers over if they would like to read until next week, when stuff will really be happening.

*A Writer's perspective on Baldur's Gate 3: One of my recent favourite posts, mostly because I got the chance to talk a lot about something I really enjoyed.

*Mononoke yokai explained — For Fun!: By some strange mechanism, my most popular post on the website ever.

*Review – Novel – Stephen Cox’s The Crooked Medium’s Guide to Murder: My latest review of a genuinely great story, the author's first indie title.

*A (reasoned) defence of Ghibli's Tales from Earthsea: My second most popular post recently. And it's in the title.

*Writing and working for a future beyond sorrow: A piece that I wrote after s*** hit the fan in North America when a certain senile certifiable lunatic got re-elected.

*Short story - The Village: A two-part short story that I published here. Something you may enjoy for the spooky season.

See you next Sunday!

Two new Videos, for your enjoyment.

 Another month, another episode of my podcast. Or rather, a new episode, and a video that came about in--no joke--less than a week.

First, after much research and slight hair-tearing, an episode on the origins and modern version of Sinbad. I go into the character's origins, the whole issue of being bundled in with the Thousand and One Nights, some prominent portrayals in the 20th Century and how they compare to the original tales, and why Sinbad as we know him is anything but the original that entertained audiences since the 14th Century.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXKUvC755lo

https://open.spotify.com/episode/489EOojhSfghGqGZOunBt4

Second, a video that I published on Friday. In it, I take a retrospective look at a Final Fantasy project that's close to my heart ans one of my early inspirations. My very first Final Fantasy game experience at that: Fabula Nova Crystallis. I look at its representative titles, how the notorious mythos was supposed to work, and generally do the rounds of analysis and nostalgic but not rose-tinted retrospection.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCRvsVnLWn4&pp=0gcJCfsJAYcqIYzv 

October. Oh October...

 For some time, October's been a busy month for a number of reasons. And this year...wow, I guess the Fates are making up for the amount of stuff that had not to happen during the high COVID years. This is going to be a short update more than anything.

First up, from October 4th to 5th, I'll be participating in Rainbow Space Magic, an online convention focused on LGBTQIA+ writers and readers of speculative fiction. I'll be one of seven authors doing readings from their work on Saturday, which take place from 21:30 to 22:20 UK time. Next I'll be taking part in the panel "Writing About the Past as a Way of Talking About the Present" alongside Jessica Lucci, Robin S. Blackwood, E. H. Lupton and Gideon Marcus at 17:00 UK Time. Find the full schedule on their website (all times are Eastern or Pacific).

I'll also be embarking on the next stage of my Open University degree, my first Level 2 module, and consequently I'll be getting into the swing and flow of things. It's been nerve-wracking, but I also know it will be fun. I just need to get into the flow and swing of things.

And finally, I'll be attending both the online table read, and the recording of my audio play, The Angry House. As I've previously written of, it won the Audio Achievement award in July at the Pen to Print Awards, and since then I've been working with Alternative Stories to refine the script, choose the appropriate cast, and schedule recording. That means I'll be travelling down to attend the recording, and... Well, let's just say it will be tiring.

And that appears to be the overall summary of October. It'll be tiring. I had decided to skip BristolCon this year, hoping to have a quiet year. But it turned out to be anything but quiet. Both on a world stage (insert lunatic, nationalist or warmongering policy here) and in my personal space. Here's to...2026? I guess?

Author Talks S3 E4: Updates, and Voltaire

It's that time again! The next episode of Author Talks has been released. This time, I give listeners updates on how my work and life are going and what's coming. For the fiction offering, I do a reading of Voltaire's 1756 short story "Plato's Dream", which can be classified as either an example of science-fantasy, or of proto-science fiction depending on who you ask. Basically, a fun time for this fairly short episode.

Spotify link

YouTube version

Oh lord, I really wrote that...

"Nobody's perfect." It's a very common phrase. It's a joke, an excuse, a trope and a cliché. But it's also an unfortunate, literal fact. Personally, I dislike perfection. I think of it only as an unobtainable abstract. Leaders creating a "perfect" society, creatives striving for that "perfect" project, people trying to lead "perfect" lives. Aiming for perfection is an easy recipe for inferiority complexes.

At the same time, maybe try not to make colossal mistakes which undermine what you're trying to do. Let's start this off with what triggered these thoughts. The use of the word "female" as a noun. It's actively insulting, especially today, and it makes reading some pieces of fiction more difficult unless you put in a metric tone of cultural relativism or some hefty world-building that explains why they aren't using some other noun to describe an entire gender. This is present in Mass Effect because obviously 'woman' can't be applied to non-human non-male members of a society, right? Except when the writers slip and do use that, and wouldn't translation devices approximate for humans so that genders would be described using their own words--and I'll save this for November.

The mainspring is that Emily Inkpen made a point about men who use "female" as a noun. I assume in their everyday speech and writing. She, with impressive restraint, told them to get off her feed and unfollow her as she didn't have the time. I thoroughly understand, using "female" as a noun is just insulting. But then, a penny dropped. I have read some older literature, and as was raised during a recent discussion for an in-progress project related to this event here, I let some of my archaic inspiration leak into how the characters were talking. And I checked: had I used "female" as a noun? And...well, the results were slightly mixed. More usually I realised I'd been using the word "female" as an adjective, but sometimes it did seemingly slip. I haven't checked to see whether I was doing it to help characterise the person in the writing, but regardless the point stands.

For those who don't get what I've been going on about, let me define noun and adjective as simply as I can, as I'm by no means an expert in the technical side of language. A noun is a word used to refer to something, that being an object or a named person or a location in a sentence. So "noun went to noun" or "have you seen noun". There is the further distinction between common and proper nouns. For proper nouns, think of all the esoteric terminology in fantasy and sci-fi. Meanwhile, an adjective is a word which defines a noun, so "an adjective noun" or "out with that adjective noun", or even "noun, adjective, did this three times".

This was something else Emily Inkpen brought up on a reply through one of her socials, where she was pretty angry at the people trying to defend the use of "female" as a noun, probably without realising that the examples being used were technically "female" being used as an adjective. As in "a female voice", or a "female creature". In the Cluster Cycle, I was faced with the unenviable task of creating three other distinctly not-human species for humans to interact with, and I didn't want to use the terms "man" and "woman" to refer to their traditional genders. Mostly because to me, those words are strongly linked with the word "human".

Now, to deliberately use "female" as a noun is insulting and degrading. One might use it in a character's dialogue to signal as such. One shouldn't use it willy-nilly in their own speech, or their prose description, or whatever else. So when I came across those points, I felt more than a little embarrassed. I'll have to be extra careful going forward, because I know I might end up slipping again. I might write something unintentionally insulting and belittling. And today, with many people on a hair trigger, I need to be more aware of that.

I can take a small comfort in the fact that when double-checking, I found that I generally used both "male" and "female" as adjectives, which seems acceptable. I don't know if there's been any update on that, because not only are cultural taboos changing at lightspeed these days, but English is an inherently difficult language because it's both extremely gendered and gender-neutral enough that it causes problems. It's not like French, German, Japanese, Chinese, and dozens of other languages where gender is baked into words and grammar.

All I can do is remember that before it became an excuse and a cliché, the phrase "Nobody's perfect" had a real meaning. And while I can't be perfect, I can try not to be an insensitive author.

My first awards ceremony (and my first award....ever)

So, on Thursday 24 July 2025, I attended my very first awards ceremony; the Pen to Print Awards 2025. It took place in the Learning Centre in Barking, a town on the outskirts of London. And I had enough fun there that I feel the need to dedicate this week's blogpost to it. I'll recall as much as I can, but apologies if I forget some names.

A small introduction may be warranted. Pen to Print is a publicly-funded initiative which effectively sponsors writers and creatives who are residents of the UK. Their goal is to foster and expose new talent, be that in poetry or prose, accepting fiction and opinion pieces for their magazine, and of course hosting their awards for competitions they run. They have been going for close to a decade at this point, and their awards are varied and offer genuine exposure. The full list of winners and runners-up can be found here on Pen to Print's Instagram. This post is more of an emotive impression from an audience member.

The event that I attended on Thursday took place in a medium-sized conference room on the building's second floor, and while it was very hot, it was nice meeting fellow writers and publishers, and talking shop about aspects of publishing and writing. I was sure it would be an enjoyable evening regardless of what happened regarding me personally. At 7 PM, the ceremony started, with an opening speech from the main organizer Lena Smith, and from the sitting mayor of Barking and Daganham, Princess Bright. The first event was a special "Staff Writing/Poetry Award" as the organizers of the event weren't allowed to participate but it was felt that something should be done for them. The winner was Mazedda Bellevue for "Seasons Of Life", with the runner-up being Samiul Kayes for "Echoes Of Gaza". For the major awards after this, many of them were announced in a semi-joking manner using a golden envelope. It brought a chuckle to everyone, considering how meme-worthy the Oscars have become.

Then came two Speech And Drama performances on either side of the second award, which I'll get to at the end of this piece. Basically, we were given the performances, which were basically a monologue of sorts with some mild dramatization, then we were given paper slips to vote on which we preferred between Liyana Abhram's poem "A Walk In The Woods", and the monologue "News from France" by Julian Walker. Both were lots of fun to listen to. Next was the "Michael Feld Award", named for a local notary and patron of the arts, which was aimed at supporting the work of young people. There were two nominees; Key Stage 2 student Sanjana Arunkumar with "Rumble And Grumble" (which was a fun and funny little skit) and Key Stage 3 student Lurmaya Mathews with the poem "Chaos" (a visceral dramatization of what felt like a massive anxiety attack). "Chaos" proved the overall winner.

Then came the intermission, with snacks and drinks and talk. After that, and some minor drama with the mislaying of the voting bag, we were able to cast our votes. Liyana Abhram proved the winner, with a narrow margin that required a recount to make sure of the result. Then came the "Adventurous Voices" competition, which was split across three age groups and featured writing on a particular theme. There were nearly a dozen entrants who got some form of recognition on that stage. The winners in this category Daisy Higgins with "Elara And The Enchanted Rainforest!" in the Primary School category, Musfira Sharif for "Who Am I?" in the Secondary School category, and Patrick Blosse for "Off The Beaten Path" in the Adult category. All great pieces to hear.

For most of these that weren't orated on the platform, we got an audio sample of the winning pieces, which was more than incredible to listen to. The "Portry" award was given to Gillian Davies with "When The Streetlights Blinked To Life", a piece that can best be described as a nostalgic trip through pre-internet teenage urban life. Truly nostalgic. For the "Short Story" award, the winner was Lianne Warr with "Mouse", and...wow. The sample for that was positively chilling to listen to.

Closing out the ceremony was the Book Challenge awards. Basically a challenge to write a full novel in twelve months, with further mentoring and consultation as part of the prize. As it was ongoing, they instead had finalists appear, giving them awards for their efforts. The finalists were The Revenge Pact by Yana Yanovic, Misery Loves Company by Gulnaz Abdullah, Vigilantes Anonymous by Nick Burdett, The Fisherman's Daughter by Lee James Broadwood, and Elderwood by Ruth Frendo. There were no samples, but it was a nice way to round things off with the awards. The ceremony closed at around 9 PM with a final message from Saima Ashraf, including a poetic message relating to the current times of discord and fear being fostered by authorities the world over.

But, and I've saved this for last not to deprive anyone else of their deserved recognition, I was also the recipient of an award. All the way back in March, I submitted an audio play I'd created, "The Angry House", to their Audio Play Competition, which was being done in association with Alternative Stories. You may know them for Emily Inkpen's Dex Legacy series alongside other creations. It was just something I threw together in a brief amount of time, and I'll probably be able to share more about it later. But, in a moment that left me genuinely speechless, I won their award. And part of the prize is that "The Angry House" is going to be produced as a full audio play. The interval and the immediate aftermath before I returned to my hotel was both strange and...oddly euphoric. The nitty-gritty business aspect of what comes next starts after today, but for now I feel like I've arrived in a sense.

This is still a start, but a start is better than nothing. And it's likely the same for everyone else who has gotten exposure and validation through these awards.

This is overwhelming in and of itself, and it's taken me till today for it to truly sink in and for me to find the words to express it. There's nothing like the thrill of getting your first award, especially when you're sure you won't get it. I just froze momentarily when the words "Thomas Wrightson for The Angry House" were read out by Councillor Bright, and I had a photo taken with the award and the mayor. And then, remaining on stage by choice, I heard an audio sample created by Chris Gregory and Emily Inkpen of Alternative Stories, demonstrating a part of what would eventually become...a thing that everyone can listen to. It's an indescribable sensation, hearing your words for the first time being spoken by someone other than you. I imagine that's also how many of the other winners felt.

It may be a ways to go there if you live in distant parts like I do, but it's also worth it if you can. It's a fun event, with a chance to hear great pieces of work across a variety of genres, and perhaps begin either your journey outright, or the next part of it. Here's to the future, whatever that may hold. And congratulations and best to all those who submitted, and all those who have seen this recognition on an evening I won't soon forget.

Author Talks S3 E3: The Glorified Dystopia

So. This was a topic that came to mind due to the...everything that's happening. This episode of my one-person podcast looks at a phenomenon that's been going on for the last several decades; turning what are actually truly terrible times for everyone involved into visual appealing masterworks that I'm sure everyone would be totally happy living in to get that fashion. So sit back, grab a cool drink depending on where you are, and hopefully find something to enjoy or even laugh at in this one person's scripted rant.

YouTube and Spotify links are below (as hyperlinks because this blog can't handle links properly).

Spotify Version

YouTube version

Summary: 30 Days of Pride #2

Over the past thirty days of June, AKA Pride Month, I've been sending out posts on my socials. Once per day, I've highlighted a creative--be they writer, poet, composers or artist--who falls somewhere within the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. I did my best to cover several genders, incorporate ethnic diversity, and as wide a range of the spectrum as possible. You can read this post if you want to know more about how I put this stuff together and drew my lines so it was doable. Now, I'm going to give you my complete list for posterity and ease of reading.

1: Angela Morley, a British composer, prolific but slightly forgotten today. From classic British radio to film and television, perhaps Morley's most enduring work is the soundtrack for the classic 1978 animated film Watership Down.

2: J. C. Leyendecker, an illustrator famous in America's interwar period for his commercial illustrations. From the covers of Colliers to famous advertisements for men's apparel, Leyendecker was a major artistic force in his country.

3: Zanele Muholi, a photographic artist who has been using their medium to portray, document and confront the queer experience within the black communities of South Africa and beyond.

4: Yuhki Kamatani, a mangaka and illustrator who is a more recent arrival. While maybe best known for their debut manga Nabari no Ou, perhaps their most notable work is the highly inclusive manga Our Dreams at Dusk.

5: Jeannette Ng, a fantasy author originally from Hong Kong who is just as famous for her novel Under the Pendulum Sun as she is for her acceptance speech for her what-is-now Astounding Award for Best New Writer. She got it renamed with a speech.

6: Masha Gessen, a Russian-American journalist who has been consistently pushing for truth and inclusivity in both countries, no matter the risks.

7: Francis Poulenc, a French composer who was active in the first half of the 20th Century. His body of work is large and varied, from ballet and opera to songs and orchestral pieces.

8: Ethel Smyth, another composer, this time from Britain, and one disregarded in her day due to her gender. She also campaigned actively for women's suffrage during the 1910s, and was eventually awarded a damehood.

9: Cyril Wong, a poet, orator and literary critic who has also stood up and out as a prominent gay rights activist in his native Singapore.

10: Alan Ball, an American screenwriter whose body of work might surprise. From Six Feet Under and American Beauty to True Blood, Ball can be credited with some interesting pieces of fiction.

11: Audre Lorde, another American writer whose work encompassed a large field. I think the best summation of her comes in her own words: "a Black, lesbian, feminist, socialist, poet". Read her full piece, it's amazing.

12: Vikram Seth, a British-Indian author and poet. While he has a number of other works to his name, many will know him for the novel A Suitable Boy. I might also recommend An Equal Music.

13: Juliana Huxtable, a multitalanted individual from America if there ever was one. Writer, artist, composer, DJ, and rights activist for black and LGBTQ communities. Plenty more to say, but I've run out of space.

14: Manuel Puig, a Mexican writer who created inclusive and confrontational fiction at a time when his country wasn't kind to LGBTQ groups. Broadway goers may know him for the original book for Kiss of the Spider Woman.

15: Gabriel J. Martín, an American writer and psychologist who has made their career out of helping, in person or through writing, people suffering from the pressures created by intolerance of LGBTQ groups.

16: Ocean Vuong, a Vietnamese-American poet, essayist, and novellist. His debut novel is the episelatory semi-autobiographical On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous. Warning, it gets harsh.

17: Ambrosia Tønnesen, a Norwegian sculptor regarded as a pioneer in her field in Norway as rather than a hobby, she made a living from her busts and figurines.

18: Abdellah Taïa, a Mocorran writer and filmmaker who has created relatable and unambiguous queer characters for the Arab world, a feat in and of itself even today.

19: Maddy Thorson, a game designer and writer from Canada who is best known for her work on the platformer Celeste, inspired by her own experiences coming out as a trans woman.

20: F. W. Murnau, one of the defining directors that codified--at least in pop culture--both German Expressionist cinema and later horror. His best known creation--Nosferatu.

21: Rune Naito, perhaps not well known today, but a pioneer in Japanese art in the later 20th Century. He both contributed to the gay magazine Bakazoku, and is credited as a pioneer of the kawaii art style.

22: Lesya Ukrainka, one of the best-known writers on Ukraine's literary tradition, famous for her poetry and also known for her activism on behalf of women and of Ukrainian independence from Russia.

23: Alla Nazimova, a Russian expat probably best known in pop culture as the definitive Salome in the 1922 silent film. She was also a well-regarded pseudonymous screenwriter and producer of early adaptations of Trotsky and Ibsen.

24: Joe Orton, a British playwright who had a short and controversial period of fame before his untimely death. His work included biting black comedy and openly gay characters prior to the decriminalisation of homosexuality in the UK.

25: R. O. Kwon, "a recent name at last" I hear some of you cry. Originally from South Korea, Kown has made her mark as a writer to watch with just two novels: The Incendiaries and Exhibit.

26: Murathan Mungen, a Turkish writer who has worked on stage plays, short stories and poems alongside branching into music. He is also something of a figurehead for the Turkish gay rights movement.

27: Nibedita Sen, born in Kolkata, and a writer who has won multiple major awards for her speculative fiction, focusing on short stories and anthologies.

28: Akwaeke Emezi, another recent writer, this time from Nigeria. She has written across numerous genres, but is perhaps best known at the moment for The Death of Vivek Oji.

29: Ngāhuia Te Awekōtuku, a writer probably better known in her local academia than in the mainstream West. A scholar of Maori culture and an activist for lesbian rights in Aotearoa (New Zealand).

30: Ryan Sallans, another academic, this time from America. Sallans has built his career on writing, speaking, and advocating for LGBTQ rights.

Now, among the honourable mentions and potential candidates, there were...a lot. Frankly too many. I wanted to limit myself strictly to those for whom definitive evidence beyond their work was included. That's why I didn't include Shakespeare last time, and why I didn't include two female poets who might otherwise qualify--Emily Dickinson and Wu Zao. There were also plenty of others that seem to be included on lists of LGBTQIA+ figures, but didn't have any substantial commentary or reliably cited evidence. I know that may seem restrictive and pedantic, but I'm of the opinion that we should be true to history unless it's deviating in a number of other ways (looking at you, Our Flag Means Death, don't get me started on its complete abandonment of history)

In these times, when queer rights are once more under vicious attack--intentional or not--from exclusionary and discriminatory laws and governments, it's important to remember these people. Creatives old and new who stood outside the Western heterosexual norm that's been enforced for over two centuries. Our past is littered with both triumph and tragedy, and there's still a road to travel to reach acceptance and tolerance being the widespread norm rather than what they sometimes are, legally-enclosed exceptions. I hope you find inspiration in at least some of these people I've highlighted.

As for next year? Well, if I'm still around, who knows? Maybe some mythological role models for people across the spectrum. See you then!

Year So Far: June 2024

So, in what's becoming a minor habit, I sum up stuff that's been going on for me in the first half of 2025, which has been...a year. For a lot of people. So here are the things I've been doing or managed to achieve. Think of it as something that everyone can read and think "Huh, I guess we can do something even in 2025."

Completed dev edits on my third book: My third Cluster Cycle book, The Murderer's Lament, has completed its development edits and is back with my publisher Roan & Weatherford. This was an...interesting one, since it's a murder mystery and I was expecting it to be picked to pieces, but instead most of it was more about tone and delivery proper punch, or eliminating redundancies with characters or exposition. It was fun to do, and gave me more confidence in the series going forward. Still gotta get through the last two, and who knows what'll happen with them.

Started the new series of Author Talks: More details here, but it's been fun and challenging creating a fully-scripted, more professional series of my one-person podcast, choosing a topic or piece of fiction to discuss each month between May and November this year.

Got some stuff done around the house and garden: After last year brought a cascade of upsets, setbacks and illnesses (culminating in five back-to-back flus one of which became pneumonia), I've actually been able to properly help with parts of the garden. Getting the vegetable area sort of prepped and usable, netting up our fruit bushes, bringing other parts of our large area under control again.

Decided to take a rest, didn't go as planned: Last year, I went to BristolCon and had a blast, but I realised I needed to take a year off that event at least for my love and enjoyment of it to still be present. You know, like needing to take a break from a food you really like so you can still enjoy it. I know I disappointed several people, but it was either that, or I wasn't going to enjoy it. But things happened, and it's not going to be as complete a rest as I imagined.

Found full comfort with my sexuality: I'd realised it fully and openly last year, but now I'm truly comfortable with the fact that I'm bisexual. It can be difficult to become comfortable, even for someone like me who doesn't have any hangups of LGBTQIA+ communities. Heck, I've got multiple family members who fall within that spectrum, and a wider family as a whole who is accepting in the best way. But...still took some time to realise about half of my fictional crushes were truly on men, and that I have certain types. It's made my bristling feelings about still-pervasive bisexual stereotypes even sharper, but that's a story for another time.

Got shortlisted for an award: This is EXTREMELY recent, nothing may come of it, and I don't think I can say which award yet (don't know the protocol for it), but I actually got shortlisted for something and I've been invited down to the ceremony next month. First awards ceremony of any kind I'll have attended in that capacity, which is insane.

Played a couple of really neat games: I know that sounds exceptionally trivial, but for me games are a part of my life and entertainment, and also part of my media/story intact. First, Baldur's Gate 3. For a long time I've wanted to have my own time with it, but my last Larian experience put me off their products...just, in toto. But I gave it a shot, and I actually completed it. Wrote a whole blog post about it. And I've decided to do a second playthrough and try to take it easier and not let it impact my work...as much. Hopefully. Seriously it's a real time sink. Second was Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland, which was a delightfully cozy if deceptively deep experience that informed something that I'll detail further down.

Reduced my news intake: That may be misleading, but it's more along the lines of "Get my news from reliable and undramatic sources, and don't stress over them too much." The world right now is terrible. The United States' current leadership is attempting regress the country at record speed, the people of the Near East are suffering en masse at the hands of their governments, and Ukraine is still partially occupied and in the middle of a war. So I needed to filter some stuff out, stop checking certain sites, but also not cut myself off from everything. It was for the sake of my mental health, and I think it's working.

Started a new fantasy project: Trust me, I've got LOADS of stuff in the pipeline with my publisher, maybe too much, but I wanted to write something that would distract me from the everything everywhere all at once going on right now. And I decided on a cosy fantasy inspired by the chill vibes of Atelier Lulua and the rest of its series. The music of Atelier has been one of my go-to writing aids for this project alongside the soundtrack for Frierin: Beyond Journey's End. The premise is a practitioner of "transmutation" (an art combining "magia" with real-world aspects of alchemy) teaching an unlikely apprentice as part of a challenge. Also, I named my lead Khemia. She's a dragon. And I didn't realise until yesterday that I named her after a part of the Greek origin of the term alchemy: khēmía.

Perhaps started a sci-fi project: This one's still a little wobbly, but I also wanted it to be lighter in message if not in outright tone. This one is set in a possible alternate history 1912 where alien species arrived on Earth thirty years before and are well into the process of integrating, granting humans new technology and exposing them to a wider range of social norms. As for why I chose 1912? Well, it's part of the belle epoch of Europe, a time of great change in other parts of the world and...something else happened that maybe can be used to differentiate this timeline from our own.

Aaaand that's it. I hope you enjoyed this summary, found some measure of encouragement that things can be done, and that you will press on and find comfort and courage. Deep down, I do think we can survive these times. It's just difficult to see the end of the tunnel when blocked by obese bodies or overinflated egos.

Author Talks S3 E2: My Writing Journey

 It's all in the title, and all for your enjoyment and cringe. The next episode of my one-person podcast Author Talks is now live, and it's very different from what I've done before. It's a 50-ish minute summary of my writing journey with both extracts of my earlier work (yikes...) and a preview of my upcoming Cluster Cycle book The Murderer's Lament (yay!). The episode is available on YouTube and Spotify, so if you can put up with my narration and some musical interludes/background music that seemed appropriate, then do enjoy. No-one shall expose my early cringe...as I've already done it myself!

(Note: Due to this blog's...quirks, I've needed to create text-based links for both versions.)

YouTube version

Spotify version