Welcome to the first issue of my newsletter, where I’ll be charting my ups and downs and musings on life as I try to make it as a science fiction and fantasy writer.

This is a bit of a bumper issue, mostly because it took me so long to figure out how to set it up that I’ve combined January and February into one issue. It’s been a steep learning curve, so I hope you forgive me as I find my feet. But that’s what life is about, right? Having a go and learning from your mistakes.

What's in this issue?

• My writer’s journey

• Rejectomancy

• Book club recommendations

  • Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

  • The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

• What’s got me hooked this month?

• Meme of the month

My writer’s journey

My dream is to become a full time writer. How’s that going, you ask? Well, why don’t you check out these blog posts and find out. They are a mixture of news and musings on my writer’s journey.

Hello world!

Much to my surprise, in August 2024, I was announced as a winner of the Writers of the Future contest, which is one of the most prestigious contests in speculative fiction. In addition to prize money, I’m getting flown out to Hollywood in April 2025 for a weeklong writers workshop taught by leading writers such as Jody Lynn Nye and Orson Scott Card, and a fancy awards gala too where I’ll be presented with a trophy. My mind is still reeling. But, in order to make the most of this opportunity, I’ve stepped up my writing game by setting up a website (and this newsletter) to help promote myself and my stories. It’s been a real step into the unknown. My first blog post looks back at my eventful 2024 and a look ahead to 2025.

You can preorder my Writers of the Future winning story

Exciting news! You can now preorder Volume 41 of Writers of the Future, which contains my winning story “The Stench of Freedom”. It’s available in paperback, ebook and audiobook, whichever you prefer, and will be available from 22 April 2025. Check out the awesome cover art for Volume 41 below. My story will be illustrated by John Barlow, who was one of the winners of the Illustrators of the Future contest. Though I won’t get to see the illustration until a reveal party in Hollywood - I can’t wait!

Dare to believe - five years chasing my writer’s dream

Five years ago this month (February), I became a father. It was a truly transformational moment in my life, and it made me realise I needed to pursue my dream to become a writer. Otherwise, why would my children listen (or believe it is possible) when I tell them to follow their dreams? I’ve reflected on the last five years, where I’ve started writing more seriously and ended up winning Writers of the Future. None of this would have happened without the determination to make my children proud.

Rejectomancy

For those of you unfamiliar with this term, it basically means analysing a rejection letter and trying to put a positive spin on it. For most writers, rejection letters are an inevitable part of life. What’s important is how you deal with rejection, as it will happen. This is something I’ve been working on over the last few years, trying to develop a thick skin and accept it and keep going with a smile on my face. It’s all part of the writer’s journey, after all. And it’s not personal.

So, to give you an idea of what level of rejection a (not very successful) writer faces, I’ll keep a running total of my submissions this year.

If you want to know more about “rejectomancy” in general, check out Aeryn Rudel’s Rejectomancy.

Book club recommendations

Reading brings me so much joy and contentment. But alas, life commitments mean I only get to read about one book a month. I’m always looking for book recommendations as it’s a great way to make sure that the one book I read is a great book. So, each month, I’ll recommend a book that I love. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

What better place to start than with the original science fiction novel? And forget what you’ve seen in movies and television adaptations, nothing comes close to capturing the brilliance of this book or the tortured character of Dr. Frankenstein’s “monster”. My wife and I love this book so much that it even featured in our wedding as one of the table names (along with themed favours of chocolate eyeballs and gummy body parts).

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

I think of this as a dreamer’s book and for anyone who has a dream, read this and feel inspired. It’s about Santiago, a young shepherd who leaves home in search of his personal calling. It is simply one of the most powerful, moving, and life-affirming stories I have read. And, as I write this, I think I'm going to go and reread it.

Disclosure: To cover some of my running costs, I have incorporated affiliate links from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops, and, if you prefer ebooks, Amazon Kindle. If you buy books linked to my site or newsletter, I may earn a commission.

What’s got me hooked this month?

Sometimes, after a long day in work and a challenging evening getting my kids to eat their dinner and go to bed, there’s nothing better than flopping down on the sofa with my wife and watching a bit of TV.

For January, I was hooked watching Silo on Apple TV+. This is the adaptation of the Wool trilogy by Hugh Howey (who is now a quarterly judge for Writers of the Future), which I’m a big fan of. For those who don’t know, Silo is set in a dystopian future where the survivors of humanity live underground in a strictly controlled society. The story starts a year or so after the Sheriff’s wife asked to go outside to “clean”, which is a death sentence due to the poisonous atmosphere outside. The Sheriff is struggling to cope with his grief and a new person is soon drafted into the role, which causes a whole host of problems. The setting is fantastic, there is political scheming, tension and a class divide between those working in the lower levels (Mechanical) and those at the top of the silo (IT and Judicial), not to mention a suicide / murder mystery, and plenty of action. It is a pretty faithful adaptation, which really benefits from the television series format, rather than trying to squeeze it all into a movie. I’m really looking forward to season 3, but fear I’m going to be waiting a long time.

We then turned to watching season 2 of Severance, also on Apple TV+. It’s about a man called Mark S. / Mark Scout (Adam Scott from Parks & Recreation, who is excellent in a non-comedic role), an employee of a mysterious company called Lumon, who works on the “severed floor”. Basically, when Mark Scout takes the lift down to his floor in work, a chip in his brain severs all memory of his outside life (his “outie”) and he becomes Mark S., an “innie” completely unaware of his life outside the small confines of his office. I wasn’t expecting to like it from the adverts, but I gave it a go after my brother raved about it, and I’m glad I did. The style and fashion is like a Wes Anderson inspired 1970s, and the acting is brilliant (particularly Trammel Tillman who plays Mr. Milchick and Patricia Arquette who plays Ms. Cobel). As the story unfolds, the suspense really ratchets up and it’s hard to turn it off. You could easily watch this in one go. I’d also say the series 1 finale was one of the best cliffhangers I can think of—frustratingly brilliant. Thankfully, you have season 2 to immediately start, which you will. Trust me.

Meme of the month

I’m not going to lie, I love a good meme and this is the one that has tickled me most this month. The age-old issue of getting your kids to tidy their room, captured by The Princess Bride.

Can you relate?

Until next time, keep dreaming.

Joel