Very late start this morning, thanks to a Narrative Damage then me fiddling with Ghost themes late into the night. But! The website looks mostly pretty good!
I'm very glad to have my books front-and-centre on the homepage, for example, though I'm going to try and tweak the design to highlight my blog a bit more, since it's, like, 95% of the stuff on this website.
ON DECK: Zero words this morning. It happens sometimes. But I fixed some stuff I couldn't work out last night for the website, answered a couple of emails and made a cup of tea. Take the wins where you find them.
TOOLS AND PROCESS: For those interested, I use Ghost as my website content management system and my newsletter software. And I've used Prose from Bright Themes to re-do the visuals and site structure. It's the same basic site, but it's no longer using the default Casper theme from Ghost. I'm particularly pleased with the typography on this theme, which makes everything, imho, much more readable.
LISTENING: I enjoyed Ava Glass's return to the Read and Buried podcast this morning - a very fun interview and an insight into writing under new pen-names. I included Ava in my list of eight great writers working in the genre right now over at the Express recently, so it's great to hear about her new book.
WATCHING: Didn't have time for any telly last night, as I was recording with the Narrative Damage crew, but I did see this incredible trailer for the new release of NO MAN'S SKY. I really wish I could get past the tutorial on this game, but it's so pernickety and annoying (you have to rebuild your ship engine to even get off the ground) I've never quite managed it.
READING: A tiny sliver of JOE COUNTRY by Mick Herron (Bookshop, Waterstones, Amazon) before passing out last night. Excellent stuff.
KIT: Yes, I've seen the foldy iPhone. Haven't watched anything detailed about it yet. Really not sure I want to pay two grand for a phone though. Although how much that's down to the RAM-pocalypse remains to be seen.
LINK: Absolutely delighted this morning for my friend, critique partner and fellow writer Nick Binge, who got to announce an incredible deal with Netflix, Steven Yuen and Lord & Miller yesterday - we've been fizzing with excitement in the group chat about this for some time, let me tell you. And the short story that is the basis of UNDERSTUDY is phenomenal.
UP NEXT: Tomorrow I'm working on the Project SUNSHINE writing sample and not, absolutely not fiddling with my website theme all day. I'll also be putting out the first issue of The Sitrep, so if you're a paid subscriber, look out for that in your inbox.
Onward!