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January was the proverbial quiet before the storm. Long and winding—with endless memes about how long January is—it’s also the month that saw Burden finally regain some real momentum as crucial pieces clicked into place. We creep ever closer to the finish line and publication, and I’m stoked to have you along for the ride.
Alongside the Burden progress, Your Paper Quest shared some awesome clips from an interview, I got an unfortunate shock regarding Steen, and, on a more personal note, I could finally jog after months of being hurt.
(Spoiler: jogging after being hurt sucks!)
So, without further ado, with a new look, section names, and newsletter provider, let’s jump into the first issue of 2025’s Recap! |
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Fresh (Re)Cap
For those who have been reading The Recap for a while, you’ll find a few segments have been renamed:
Write On has become Write Steve Write, a throwback of a reference I’ve used a few times for different things.
Given the chant-like origins of Write Steve Write (whether it’s the old-school “Fight Steen Fight” chants I first riffed off of, or the more contemporary “Go Canucks Go”), it felt fitting to use for a section that covers my writing process, progress, and all related updates.
Lifelines & Save Points has also changed. I only began trialling a subheading for the life musings/updates section in December’s Recap, with previous issues having had a pithy headline that encapsulated the news instead. Going forward, the section is now simply The Save Point.
An obvious reference to my lifelong love of video games, The Save Point acts as a means of reflection and mindfulness for me as I slow down, reflect, and share life updates with you.
After all, sometimes it feels like nothing happens, with days slipping by in the blink of an eye. The Save Point is my attempt to counter that and be mindful of the lessons, learns, and wins found in the everyday.
It’s by no means the focus of The Recap—that would be, as always and forever, my writing process and progress—but it’s an important element nonetheless, for how can a writer write if their creative or emotional well is empty? These moments of purposeful reflection are the things that help refill the well. They are the moments I want to save.
It’s also a direct reference to the gaming bar that features in Steen!
Past that there’s On My Radar, the recommendation section for whatever is on my entertainment radar that month. And finally One More Thing, a segment that isn’t always going to be a part of The Recap, but will be rolled out if and when it’s needed to highlight something important I want to share.
Edging Towards The Finish Line
Burden was sent back to my editor in early January after I went through the 455 notes left throughout the manuscript.
Going through them a second time wasn’t as arduous a task as anticipated. You see, rather than putting on a definitive editor’s cap, ready for a deep dive, the process was just double-checking I was happy with the changes I’d already made.
That being said, I’m glad I still committed to the stringent double-check as I discovered a few errant spelling errors after I’d made some changes and was able to catch them before sending the manuscript back. To my editor. Who is now going to proofread it for errors and typos and correct them…
Wait…
That’s a Wrap
While we’re talking about Burden, I know I've previously mentioned the final cover had been finalised and was ready to go. Since then, the full cover of the book has been completed.
After a bunch of back and forth and deliberating with some great options (seriously, this was a tough choice!), the print version of Burden will feature a gorgeous wraparound image that draws you in and, in my opinion, demands your attention.
Stark, bleak, intimidating, and intriguing, there is such a beautiful, seamless harmony between the front, spine, and back cover. I truly think my cover designer knocked it out of the park, not only with the cover’s tones and colours but in its immediately recognisable themes and sense of isolation and danger.
Remember how one of the major perks of being subscribed to The Recap was to get behind-the-scenes information and updates before I share them online or on social media?
Well, please enjoy the first tease of the front cover of Burden (Publication Date TBD):
5…4…3…2…
From positive momentum to…less good news regarding my last novel, Steen.
I’m sad to let you know that everybody’s favourite surly Canuck demon hunter received his first one-star review ever at some point in January.
Now, reviews are a natural part of the creative process regardless of the medium. Movies, novels, music, comic books…if you put yourself into your art and want to try and find an audience, that means exposing it to people who may not like it as much as you’d hope. This is one of those occasions. It is, as Agent Smith put it, inevitable, but it doesn’t make it sting any less.
The review in question left no comment. It was just a rating left by someone who I’m grateful gave Steen a go but ultimately found the novel wasn’t for them.
This whole game is subjective, and there’s always such a wild confluence of factors, but seeing Steen had finally accrued an extra review after so long, I can’t deny I was excited to see somebody had reviewed it and was curious to know what they’d rated it. Clicking through and finding a one-star rating staring back at me was…disheartening, as I’m sure you can imagine.
Still, what isn’t for them could be perfect for someone else, and I hope that my stories can find and connect with that audience elsewhere. Crucially, I also hope those who did enjoy Steen take a minute or two to review it and help shift that overall star rating back up. I know I’ve mentioned it before, but I can’t stress enough how impactful leaving reviews is in helping others find and connect to the books.
We are all subjects to the algorithm gods, after all.
“Everything to service the story. Always.”
On a more positive note, because I didn’t want to leave Write Steve Write on such an introspective bummer, Your Paper Quest shared some fun interview clips with me talking about self-publishing, what it means to be an indie author, and more.
I really enjoyed doing these and would love to do more if the opportunity arises.
You can check out Part One and Part Two, but you’re going to have to excuse my looking like a potato-headed Sontaran.
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Run, Forrest, Run!
As I mentioned earlier, the herniated disc and pinched nerve pain in my neck have finally receded to the point I can finally start jogging again, something I missed greatly over the past 2 1/2 months.
Don’t get me wrong, numbness persists in my upper arm, and my neck still aches, hurts, and cracks like a toddler playing with bubble wrap, but it’s still a marked improvement, and, honestly, I’m just happy to be getting some movement in again.
I know it’s the end of January when this drops in your inbox, so there’s some distance between then and now, but, man…when you’re hurt over the holidays, believe me: all you do is move less and eat so much more.
And so, finally, as a somewhat huskier version of myself, I did the Forrest Gump thing and just started running. Again.
And…damn…
Look, I wasn’t a peak-level jogger when I got hurt, but where I am now compared to then, I feel like Jabba the Hutt.
I’m heavy, slow, and gassing out in no time.
But I’m jogging.
Moving.
Getting exercise in.
As much as it sucks right now (which it does), as difficult as it is (which it is), and as frustrating as it is to compare my current situation to that previous version of myself before I got hurt, the takeaway is this: I can jog again.
And that’s a fucking win, man!
The Gentle Art
My son started Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes this month.
Now, in case you’re not aware, I’ve been a BJJ practitioner for about 10 years now (minus one pandemic). It’s been a consistent part of my life for a decade, whether I was happy or sad, motivated or unmotivated, hurt or healthy, the Gentle Art was there for me.
It’s one of my life’s great interests, hobbies, and passions, and I’m so glad to be able to share this wonderful martial art with my son.
Watching him from the sidelines has been such a fulfilling experience so far, and I love seeing how curious and engaged he is with the movements and games he’s playing. I have no doubt he’ll be better than me in no time, and I hope BJJ is something he trains into adulthood if he wants to.
Seeing him on the mats in his gi with a huge smile made me so proud and excited for him and the journey ahead. Also, I was able to watch a YouTube video and tie his belt into a nice diamond knot—something I wasn’t sure I would be able to do as I’ve only ever tied my own belt before.
Believe me, trying to tie someone else’s belt when you don’t know how, even as a high-ranking practitioner and coach, humbles you fast!
The Writer’s Cap
As a final update, I’ve started a new Instagram account to chronicle my cap collection.
You’ll notice in my author bio I highlight a “burgeoning baseball cap collection” and note how I’m a “cap connoisseur” on social media, so I figured it would be fun to start collating and sharing the caps and hats I’ve collected over the years.
As a quick primer, I’ve been collecting since about 2010 with a pop culture niche: movies, TV shows, comic books, video games, wrestling, etc.
Since becoming a Canucks fan, I’ve naturally been copping a few more Canucks caps, but the bulk of my collection is, and will remain, pop culture based.
I’m kind of grateful I never fell into the “one team” mindset when I started. If I had been a sports fan then and wanted to express my fandom through caps, I’d probably be bankrupt—especially if I were an Anaheim Ducks fan, given the amount of almost daily exclusives they get!
Now, for me, every cap has a story.
In fact, when I first started sending out my newsletter, they featured an exclusive section called “The Writer’s Cap”, where I uploaded something from my collection and explained the story behind it, so this whole thing is somewhat of an extension of that.
Some stories may be longer than others. Some may be straight to the point. I dunno. I’ll keep it fluid for now and see how it goes. It’s all for fun (as I also use it as an excuse to finally fill out an extensive spreadsheet to inventory my collection).
But, yeah, if you’re interested, you can follow @thewriterscap. I’ll always appreciate a follow, a like, and a share if you enjoy my posts. |
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This month’s recommendation is Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian. I read McCarthy’s The Road a long time ago and enjoyed both the novel and the movie adaptation, but still hadn't read more of McCarthy despite that. Until now.
So, laid up in bed in pain, nerves along my arm alight with an electrical fire crackling under my skin, strong painkillers in my system doing their best to try and null the discomfort, I settled in for a long reading session of Blood Meridian.
(Note: This is probably not the best way to engage with this book. Or, alternatively, given the book’s themes, violence, and style, being hopped on pain pills whilst dealing with nerve issues may be the best way to read it.)
Here’s the official blurb:
“Through the hostile landscape of the Texas–Mexico border wanders the Kid, a fourteen year-old Tennessean who is quickly swept up in the relentless tide of blood.
A group known as the Glanton gang hunt Indigenous Americans, collecting scalps as their bloody trophies. At the centre of this violence stands Judge Holden: a massive, hairless man, mysterious if not supernatural, erudite and cold-blooded. He is singularly extreme in his sadistic violence.
But the apparent chaos is not without order – the Glanton gang, too, are stalked as prey.”
I have to say, it’s been a long time since I’ve been so immediately taken by a book. Blood Meridian is recognised by many as an American classic and notable anti-Western novel, and for good reason. I ended up down a rabbit hole of essays and YouTube videos analysing the Judge, the Kid, the ending, and everything in between after finishing the novel.
It’s violent, twisted, dark, bleak, and, to me, endlessly engaging despite the stylistic choices that are a hallmark of McCarthy’s writing.
I’ve seen some call it the most violent book of all time and, although graphic violence was present throughout, I don’t know if I’d agree—or maybe I’m just hopefully desensitised and my opinion of the violence says more about me than it does the book…
*Slowly stares into the middle distance, lost in an introspective loop*
Anyway, if you’re looking for a new read and don’t shy away from violence or challenging characters, Blood Meridian is a fantastic, layered, thematically rich novel that truly has something to say about the ending of a way of life and the evil that men do. |
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Thank you for subscribing and checking out this evolution of The Recap. I really appreciate your time and support and only ask that if you have any friends or family you think may like my stories, you don’t hesitate to share them.
Word of mouth helps so much, as do reviews, and so if you could help spread the word this month, even if it’s just to one or two people, I’d really appreciate it and have no doubt it would help connect the novels to new readers! Thanks! |
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UNTIL NEXT TIME
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Take care and all the best. |
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