We're sprinting rapidly towards the midpoint of the year, it seems. Certainly the weather seems to think it's already summer. It's been nice to be out in the sunshine and to get in a lot of walking in the woods. And it's also been a very, very busy month on the writing front, preparing for the release of my second novel in just four days time.
But that's June, and we're still (just) in May, which means it's time for another edition of The Decrypt, my monthly newsletter on all things writing, publishing, craft and media. I've submitted another novel to my editor, been to a tonne of events, read a load of great books, bought a car and probably said yes to too many things. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Pour some kind of refreshing (and probably cooling) beverage for yourself and let's take a closer look at the month of May.
I started May by waking up in a hotel room in York, which is a fine place to start the month. I had travelled down to go to my friend Alessandra Ranelli's UK book launch for her superb Vienna-set spicy whodunnit MURDER AT THE HOTEL ORIENT (Bookshop, Waterstones, Amazon), alongside fellow mystery writer Kristen Perrin. We had a brilliant event and a very nice dinner the previous night, then reconvened at the phenomenal Criminally Good Books to sign copies.
I also got to meet two readers who had stopped in and had, respectively, just bought a copy and just finished reading my novel. It's always fun meeting readers, especially when you're able to pop into a bookshop and surprise them.
The following day I had a very nice lunch with my friend and critique partner Nick Binge, where we got caught up properly and had a long and very useful talk about our respective writing careers. Making new friends in the writing business is brilliant in and of itself, but being able to compare notes, talk through fears and worries and strategise with your peers is absolute solid gold. I left that lunch feeling very excited about the next few years.
The next week was a heavy one on the drafting front, but a blessedly quiet one otherwise, aside from one brief trip to the cinema to see PROJECT HAIL MARY (see below), which I really enjoyed. I did get to see Alessandra hit the Sunday Times bestseller list that week though, which was fantastic and a real vindication of the amount of work she's put into her first novel. I also got a very nice blurb from American thriller author and former US Navy SEAL Jack Carr, which came off the back of me very politely emailing his publicist to see if he'd like a copy. It's amazing what can happen when you just send that email:
The following week was absolutely jam-packed, both with me pushing hard to get through my novel edit and a whole flurry of events and podcast recordings.
Over the course of the week, I saw Frances White in conversation with Hannah Kaner at Waterstones on a beautiful May evening, discussing THE BONE DOOR (Bookshop, Waterstones, Amazon), Frances's second book:
then saw Nick Binge and Gareth Brown talking about ABYSS (Bookshop, Waterstones, Amazon), Nick's new novella:
In between those fantastic events, I did podcast recordings with Page One, Quick Book Reviews and The Le Carré Cast. Phew. It was a hectic seven days.
The following week was... differently hectic. Mostly it was me just getting through chapter edits as fast as I was able to, but on the Wednesday, after several months of texting each other Autotrader links, my wife and I went and bought a car!
I've been driving for eight years, but always in a combination of rented vehicles and borrowed family ones (because we lived in central Edinburgh without easy parking, then we were out in the country but saving up to buy this one). We're both extremely excited about all the options and possibilities this will open up, both in our day-to-day lives and, specifically for me as a writer, in travel for events, book club visits and bookshops.
In an ideal world, we wouldn't need a car, but this will let me get to places that are difficult or impossible to reach by public transport without spending a fortune or losing half a day to travel time. It's a Honda Jazz, perhaps the dictionary definition of 'boring but sensible' car, but I already love it. We've named it Stan (as in Stan Getz, the jazz saxophonist, because it's a Jazz that Getz us places). No, I'm not in the least sorry about that joke.
This last week of the month has been another busy one, with handing the book in on the Tuesday, then recording another scenario with Narrative Damage on the Friday.
Now it's Sunday, the last day of the month and I'm just four days away from the launch of SOLITARY AGENTS (Bookshop, Waterstones, Amazon), my second novel. More on that below. But yeah, overall, wow, a busy one.
As alluded to above, this month was almost wholly concerned with getting Project VAULT ready for submission. I finished the first draft of VAULT in mid-April, then took a few days to edit a short story called SKILL BASE and build the beginnings of a timeline for VAULT, then returned to the draft to begin a proper readthrough edit on April 29th.
I worked pretty steadily this month, hitting about 40 hours total for the month, split across train journeys, regular morning sessions and a couple of hefty Writing Fridays that helped me push to the end in really good time. I eventually finished the redraft, adding 4,436 words and cutting 6,904 (in addition to 12,000 I cut by removing a whole slew of chapters) in intensive line editing sessions.
The more that I do this the more I think I'm just not a non-linear editor. When time is tight or I don't know where to start with an edit, I increasingly default to what I call a front-to-back readthrough - starting at page one, editing and making notes as I go and identifying both micro and macro concerns that I need to address. I work differently when I have notes from other people in hand, but for a simpler 'I just need to make this book better and shorter' edit, I can't beat starting at the start and working all the way through to the end.
It was very reassuring to find that the 'messy' ending I thought I'd written actually hung together fairly well. Barring some continuity stuff introduced by a compression of the timeline I had to do, it mostly read clean and my edits were (relatively speaking) quite painless.
With the book handed in, I jumped back over to Project DRIFT, a completely different piece of work (different genre, not contracted, super sekrit) that I last worked on during November last year. Once again I was very pleased to find that my first draft was actually fairly readable and fun and I've had a whale of a time, at the tail end of the month, revisiting that novel to do an initial consolidation edit. My plan at the moment is to spend the summer doing a three-way alternation of projects - managing initial edits on Project VAULT with one editor, then picking up edits on SHARDS OF STARLIGHT later in the summer with another editor, and in the spaces and gaps in between, gently pushing Project DRIFT forward, with the aim of a finished first draft by September-ish. After that I will likely need to be thinking about another contracted book, but what that book is or when I'll be able to pitch it, I have no idea.
Suffice to say, my writing time is pretty safely booked for the next 18 months at least and I feel great about that.
Speaking of the (near) future, my second novel SOLITARY AGENTS (Bookshop, Waterstones, Amazon) comes out this coming Thursday, on June 4th 2026!
If you're reading this newsletter, it's probably safe to say you are interested in me, my books, and my writing career. I'm often asked what's the best way to support writers. There are lots of different answers, many of which don't cost anything (posting about our work, leaving reviews, recommending books to others), but if you want to talk about the absolute most bang for buck you can do to support any author whose work you enjoy, it's buying a hardback copy of their new book, during release week, from your local independent bookstore.
Why? Good release week sales can drastically improve the visibility of an author and their novel, get them onto bestseller lists, puts money in the pocket of local bookshops and have a significant long-tail effect on the viability of both this specific book and the overall career. So, please do think about it. I would be very, very grateful.
Plus, if you live in or near Edinburgh, you can come to the launch event I'm doing at Waterstones West End and I'll sign it for you!
I'll be in conversation with the aforementioned Nick Binge and we'll be heading to the Amber Rose on Rose Street for drinks afterwards. I'd absolutely love to see you there.
That same day, I will also be in Stirling (thanks to the new car!) for the Bloody Scotland programme launch. I'm on the programme, as well as attending as last year's winner of the Debut Prize. I'm really looking forward to meeting this year's group of debuts. I will definitely be advising them to start a group chat, since the one we started for last year's shortlist group is still going strong.
The very next day, on 5th June, I'll be heading to Cymera Festival, Scotland's incredible, three day science fiction, fantasy and horror book festival. I've been attending since 2020 (I missed the first year in 2019) and it's one of my favourite weekends of the year. I'm chairing a panel with Claire North, Adrian Tchaikovsky and Fonda Lee on Saturday evening, as well as appearing at a Narrative Damage live event, but otherwise I plan to swan around, go to panels, chat in the bar and otherwise have a truly excellent time. Please do say hello if you see me there.
A couple of weeks later, I'll be returning to Capital Crime in London, this time appearing on a spy panel with James Wolff, Paul Warner and Chris Humphreys, chaired by Jane Thynne. I'll be there from Thursday evening through until Sunday morning, and I'm really looking forward to catching up with lots of other authors, hopefully my editor, and, of course, all the amazing readers who will be coming along. Hopefully the temperatures in London aren't quite as baking as they have been in the last week or two of May. I don't do well in the heat.
Finally, right at the end of June, I'll be heading along to Toppings in Edinburgh for the launch of my friend Benedict Anning's debut horror novel, ATOMIC COFFIN (Bookshop, Waterstones, Amazon). Everything I said about supporting authors goes double for debuts, so if you like the sound of a novel that's essentially EVENT HORIZON on the set of HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER, you're going to want to get yourself a copy of this one.
I anticipate being basically a puddle at the end of June.
Reading
This month has been heavy on the reading for events, but I've been completely fine with that because the books have been absolutely cracking.
- Children of Strife by Adrian Tchaikovsky - I read this one for my Cymera panel and it was excellent. It fascinates me how Adrian is able to take the same basic setup (uplifted animals in spaaaaaace) and continually reinvent it on a plot and character novel, while also managing a series narrative at the meta level. It's really wide-screen stuff. Loved it. (Bookshop, Waterstones, Amazon)
- Slow Gods by Claire North - This is the second book for my Cymera panel and I loved it just as much - as epic in scope as Adrian's novel, but a very different tone, POV and characterisation. I've enjoyed Claire's work since reading NOTES FROM THE BURNING AGE, and this is just as compelling - a beautifully written exploration of how many different civilisations react to the oncoming wave of a supernova front, seen through the eyes of a man who went into the dark of 'arcspace' and came back as a 'very poor copy of myself'. Highly recommended. (Bookshop, Waterstones, Amazon)
- The Last Contract Of Isako by Fonda Lee - And this is the third novel for my Cymera panel (told you it was a panel-reading-heavy month) and I'm having a great time with it. It's another very different setting (a far-future, partially terraformed planet) with a rigid class structure that involves corporate samurai 'retiring' troublesome rivals and employees for the Executive class. Of course, things go very badly wrong when Isako's client ends up 'retiring' himself. Great fun and a really interesting world. And it's a real change from Lee's Green Bone Saga, jumping into the future with both feet. (Bookshop, Waterstones, Amazon)
- Becoming A Writer, Staying A Writer by J. Michael Straczynski - I picked this up after seeing it discussed online and it's a really great book for an early-career writer like me. A lot of very useful insights on the behaviours and mindsets that can carry you through the ups and downs of the writing life, from the guy best known for writing BABYLON 5. I haven't finished it yet, but I'm pretty sure it's going on my (pretty short) list of writing craft books that are actually worth your time. (Bookshop, Waterstones, Amazon)
Watching
Starting and finishing a few series:
- We continued with FOR ALL MANKIND this month, though we're a couple of episodes behind now. It's been a pretty good season so far, and the focus on Mars and the budding interplanetary culture is really great. Also, I'm kinda glad (spoilers) Angry Ed Baldwin finally copped it, because he was entirely too predictable as a character in the way he'd always do the precise opposite of the sensible thing, while making the same super angry face.
- We finished the last season of RESIDENT ALIEN this month. It was terrific and a really nice capper on a very fun and ultimately quite wholesome show. My initial read of it as NORTHERN EXPOSURE with aliens remains pretty much valid.
- Absolutely loved this season of RACE ACROSS THE WORLD - I continue to marvel at the skill of the casting directors in finding these fascinating, resilient people and making me root for all of them. And the final episode round-table reunion with behind-the-scenes footage was as fun and fascinating as always. I hope they never stop making this show.
- I saw PROJECT HAIL MARY at the cinema and had an absolute blast - one of those Hollywood adaptations that really nails the tone and feel of the book but does something new and interesting at the same time. Incredible production design, fantastic performances and visuals to die for. Loved it.
- We've also been watching THE BOYS, which holds the record for TV shows that makes me chuckle and mutter 'fuuuuck me' several times an episode. Mostly because of incredibly squelchy foley work. Gross-out fun and sledgehammer-subtle satire.
Playing
Old favourites and new experiences...
- A bit more of STAR WARS: OUTLAWS, which is still holding my attention pretty well. I've got about half of my heist crew assembled, but keep getting distracted pick-pocketing traders on Tatooine.
- I've jumped back into BATTLEFIELD 6, which has had a major overhaul and a bunch of new maps and is pretty damn good now.
- I've also picked up SOUTH OF MIDNIGHT, a visually stunning third person action-adventure set in the swamps of the American Deep South. It's gorgeous, beautifully animated and, importantly, is a lot of fun to play.
The results of another month swinging a mouse in the click-mines.
- I loved this beautiful short film about living and eating in Rome.
- A great article about the power of 'mono-tasking', which squarely lines up with my own experience.
- A great episode of Confessions Of A Book Collector previewing Capital Crime.
- Sunyi Dean appeared on SFFAddicts talking about writing for the reader's experience and it was an absolutely fascinating discussion.
- Loved this piece from Caro Clarke of Portobello Literary about how to work with a publisher's PR team.
- A cheeky bonus chapter for CHILDREN OF STRIFE from Adrian Tchaikovsky, which is very worth your time (but read the book first)
- Joe Stech of the Think Weirder anthology and Compelling Science Fiction made this amazing SFF random idea generator. No LLM-slop in sight, this is all just cool ideas combined in random combinations. And it can produce some very compelling results.
- A great piece from the Honest Editor on how and why publication dates are set and sometimes end up moving.
- This piece from Buzzy Jackson on The Race Of The Unknown Distance was one of those absolutely perfect metaphors for creative work that I know I'm going to use all the time now.
- Pine State Publicity has this brilliant list of all the things you can talk about before your book comes out.
Dang. A busy newsletter, reflecting a very busy month indeed. Once again I've managed to write way more than I thought, simply by thinking back over the previous thirty days and saying 'ohhhh, that's why I'm so tired'.
Of course, the unseasonable heat and long summer evenings here in Scotland have not helped on that front, with either heat or light or both keeping me awake far later than in the winter. But it's been a good month for moving my body. I finished Couch to 5k for the third time this month and started running regularly and I'm finally at the point where I'm kinda-sorta enjoying it rather than suffering through it. And I've managed to get out into the woods more mornings than not, which has coincided with them springing into life in a big and verdant way.
This month felt like a run up, spinning up the gears to go full-speed into the summer season of festivals and events, so I'm very glad I managed to get another book finished and make a plan for the rest of the year that will keep things ticking over. Hopefully you've got your own plans for the warmer months of the year, whether they involve writing, reading a good book or heading off somewhere for some well-earned rest. If instead you're slogging through a busy summer season and not getting a break, I hope you manage to get one soon.
In the meantime, as ever, keep reading, keep writing and keep moving.
If you have a question, suggestion or something else you'd like me to write about, please get in touch over on Bluesky or Instagram, or send me a message on my contact form.