New Horror Short Story + Some Thoughts

Hi all! I hope you’re doing well.

Things are pretty hectic here. We’re now only NINE (9!) DAYS from the release of the Whispering Depths.

I would be a poor salesman if I didn’t remind you that you can enter into the draw to win a FREE SIGNED COPY. All you have to do is head on over to instagram, like and comment on one of our posts, and you’re in the race. Names will be drawn on release day (Friday, 20th of June) and copies will be shipped out as soon as I receive my author copies.

Of course, we do have a new horror short story this time around. ‘The Archivist and the Mirror’.

A dusty library. A mirror that's wrong.
An archivist that doesn't know what's real anymore.

Now, because I live in a capitalist hellscape that only values things that generate clicks or revenue, this short story will be for subscribers only. Subscribing is free, of course, and you can opt out any time. New subscribers will be taken to the story page when they enter their email, and existing subscribers will receive an email link to read it at their pleasure.

BUT, with that out of the way, I thought this week, with all the craziness and all the chaos, I’d take some time and just chat. I thought I’d talk about my upcoming books, my creative process, my thoughts and fears, and where I see things going from here.

On Art and Money

Firstly, I want to talk about the state of the medium right now. Specifically, how money influences our art. Money is, unfortunately, a huge part of our lives, and it plays a role in pretty much everything we do. I hate it, but it’s here to stay, it would seem. For example, it costs me money to host this website and bring you short stories. It costs money to publish and sell books, money that would have gone towards food, shelter, and basic necessities.

When I first began writing, I was in a position where money was not a concern. I didn’t want to sell copies, I didn’t need subscribers or readers or fans, I only wanted a book on my shelf that had my name on it. If it took off, great, if it didn’t sell a single copy, so be it. That is the attitude, in my opinion, that allows artists to produce their absolute best work. But times change, and money shrinks.

Now, I’m no longer in that position and it’s left me with fears and anxieties about how I’m going to stay afloat. Are there ways to monetise a blog without exploiting readers? Are there strategies that will lift a book above the hundreds of novels published every day?

All of these things are uncertain, and uncertainty breeds fear. Fear can be good for writing, in certain circumstances. But, in general, we will do our best work when the dogs of poverty aren’t nipping at our heels. Is every moment I spend writing better served working, and producing revenue? Or is the pursuit of money a flawed endeavour, and my time is best spent exploring the world, creating, and bettering myself?

But then, how can one afford to travel, eat well, and explore their hobbies without a safety net of money in the modern world?

It seems, more and more every day, that ‘hustle culture’ is driving away any second not spent grinding away at your soul, selling minutes for the privilege to stay alive.

I dislike this, obviously.

The solution is balance and contentment. This is easy to say, but almost impossible to do when billions of dollars are spent every year trying to convince you that hustling is the only way.

In response to this, my answer is simply to say no. My answer is to recognise that money is an imaginary number on someone else’s screen, and it does not dictate who I am. My books likely won’t sell millions of copies.

That’s ok.

I do this because it brings me joy, and I cannot imagine not doing it. Pennies or penthouses, I will publish these books because they are stories I want to write, and for no reason beyond that.

It’s my choice, and money will not make it for me.

That being said, I’m not against selling a million copies. Please buy my book!

Phew… That got a bit dark, didn’t it? But, it’s important to acknowledge these things, or they’ll consume you from the inside out.

My Creative Process

The next thing I wanted to discuss was a bit more cheerful! My creative process. Where do ideas come from? How do you solidify them into a story? What then?

All good questions.

So it all starts with an idea, but any author will tell you, the idea is worthless. Any schmuck can come up with an idea for a story. “What if hamlet but lasers?” comes up way more often than you’d think, and it’s just as valid as any other idea. There are no truly original stories, after all. The real effort comes with taking an idea, planning a story, and actually sitting down and writing down one hundred thousand words in a row. Most of my ideas start with a simple premise.

“Ok so there’s this kid, and his Uncle disappears, and he really loves his Uncle so he runs away to find him.”

That’s all the Whispering Depths started as, and that’s all you need to start. After this comes inspiration. I loved pirates as a kid. From Pirates of Penzance, to Treasure Island, to Pirates of the Caribbean, any pirate media I could find I would absorb immediately. So, I knew I wanted to draw on that old love of mine to tell this story.

Arno could just have easily been a space cowboy, a medieval knight, or a Chicago detective, but the underlying heart of the story, the idea, would have stayed the same.

But I liked pirates, so a pirate he will be.

Once you have a few ideas, concepts and themes will start to organically emerge. I knew Arno was a slave, so fate, power, and corruption naturally leapt out as themes this story could explore, even before I’d written the first line. It’s about feeling what this story is really about, and playing to it.

It’s also important to note that once you finish your first draft at the story, you’re only halfway done. I finished my first draft of the Whispering Depths in mid 2023. It’s been TWO YEARS, and the book is only now releasing this month.

Now, granted, I’d been very busy, but it’s important to note that editing, marketing, and launching are much more work that writing your first draft.

That’s not to dissuade you from writing yourself, it’s only to let you know the true amount of work that goes into this.

Author blogs don’t write themselves, you know!

Wrapping Up

Well, that’s it for this week, folks! I’m glad you stopped by, and I hope you consider picking up your copy of the Whispering Depths on release day! (June 20, mark your calendars!)

As always, subscribe below if you haven’t already for an exclusive short story, and be sure to check in next week for one last post before release.

Truly, thank you so much for allowing me to pursue this dream. It means the world.

Thanks for reading!