Thank you for reading! An important update lingers below. Plus, a few short news as usual.
If you have any feedback—even if brutal, my skin is as thick as my accent—please feel free to comment or send me an email, and if you find some value in what you read below, please share!
What’s in this issue
Avoid being spammed! (by me)
Writing course announcement
Hampshire Writers Society
My New Agent
A few things I’m enjoying
A beautiful quote.
Avoid Being Spammed! (by me)
I know I haven’t been consistent with my publishing lately, and some of you seem to have appreciated the lack of emails.
Especially my wife.
Regardless, in the new year, I’ll strive to invade your inbox at least once a week. So, here’s the deal.
I have various sections on my main page: News, Fiction, Books, and Blog. You are now receiving emails when I publish under any of them.
To reduce our correspondence, please click here and select what sections you want to receive directly in your inbox.
My suggestion is to keep at least the News turned on. I’ll send news roughly every month, maybe even less than that, and if you want to read any of the other articles you can go on my main page.
PS, if you’re not unsubscribing and haven’t read my last article, here’s the link. It’s a good one.
Writing Course Announcement
In 2022 I attended a course on how to create characters using the Enneagram Method, and it blew my mind.
Since then, I’ve read books, watched videos and created my own characters following the same method; and it’s now time to share it with the world.
It will start at some point in 2024, on this platform, and I’ll send out 1 lesson a week for a number of weeks (a bare minimum of 11).
The lessons will be free.
I’ll put together some exercises as well, and I’ll publish them alongside the lessons, but those will be behind a paywall.
The minimum price I can set up here on Substack is £4.99 a month, so that’s how much it will cost. Of course, if you pay and do your exercises, I’ll give you my feedback, if you want it.
I’m really excited.
Hit the subscribe button for more on the Enneagram in Fiction course.
Hampshire Writing Society
During the last meeting of my local writers’ group, the Hampshire Writers’ Society, we had a speaker particularly close to my heart.
Adrienne Dines is one of the best creative writing teachers you can find, and is a lovely person. She introduced me to some great authors and cheered for me when I was shaking in front of a microphone, pitching my novel to a panel of agents.
Her speech (or should I say, lecture?) has been absolutely mind-blowing. You can find the full recording here, if you’re interested.
She was also the adjudicator of the December competition, and guess what, I got second place!
I was over the moon.
Below, you can see a not so flattering picture of myself with Adrienne and the other winners. Don’t I look so happy?
My New Agent
In an unexpected turn of events, I now have a new agent!
Justin Nash, Managing Director of Kate Nash Literary Agency will take on the burden of selling my novel.
I was really sad to part ways with Beth, she’s been the very first professional to believe in my craft, and I’ll always be grateful to her, but Justin seems just as enthusiastic about my WIP, and I can’t wait to reveal some more.
A few things I’m enjoying at the moment
I know I should be suggesting books here, but I’m about to send out my “Book’s Awards” of 2023, and I hate repetitions.
Something unusual I am really enjoying is “It Takes Two.” A videogame.
It’s a beautiful story of two parents who want to get a divorce, but their daughter turns them into dolls, and they need to go through a series of bonding adventures to get their bodies back.
It is absolutely brilliant. And it can only be played in two.
30/30
Affiliate link on the title and cover.
A Beautiful Quote
One must be pitiless about this matter of "mood." In a sense, the writing will create the mood. ... I have forced myself to begin writing when I've been utterly exhausted, when I've felt my soul as thin as a playing card, when nothing has seemed worth enduring for another five minutes ... and somehow the activity of writing changes everything.
Joyce Carol Oates
From “The Paris Review”
Alla prossima.
There's so much variety packed into your newsletter. Looking forward to the Enneagram lessons in 2024 - I know zero about this personality archetyping technique!