Hi.
It’s hard to become a better writer if you’re not writing. The first step of improving your writing is simply to write more, which is what this newsletter is all about.
“I am in awe of Simon, who continues to thrill and delight with his vast Triverse Saga whilst…perfectly encapsulating everything that’s great about science fiction. Brilliantly done.”
I’ve been writing serial fiction for over a decade, publishing a new chapter every week. I’ve talked about serial storytelling at festivals, have delivered workshops and been on panels. But before I started serialising my work, I struggled to ever complete projects.
This newsletter is where I share my latest fiction and offer advice for other writers who are struggling with their productivity.
Subscribers get two newsletters in their inboxes, entirely for free:
Write More is a weekly dose of writing tips, interviews and inspiration, sent out every Monday to help kickstart your week.
Tales from the Triverse is my ongoing serial fiction epic, with a new chapter published every Friday. You get to see the book taking shape in real time and can see my techniques in action.
You’re in control and can customise what you receive or unsubscribe at any time.
Almost everything is free to read when published. Some of the archive is paywalled.
“Fantastic science fiction serials and indie publishing.”
Starter kit
If you want to sample some of my stuff before subscribing, check out these packs:
“Packed with how-to info for the newbie to Substack + an interesting take on serialised fiction.”
How to read Tales from the Triverse
My current fiction project is a crime thriller that blends science fiction and fantasy into quite a heady mix.
It’s hard-hitting speculative fiction that explores current day political and social issues. It also has dragons and spaceships, obviously.
It’s free to read, and if you enjoy it you can help fund the project by taking out a paid subscription. That also gets you the ebook collected anthology of everything published so far, which is a great way to catch up.
“Substack's serialisation expert. Years of experience in helping writers to write both more and better.”
My previous projects
Reading an online serial is different to picking up a finished book. You get the opportunity to share your thoughts while the words are still being written. That also means you’re placing a lot of trust in the author. I’ve been writing online serial fiction since 2015, and have completed three major projects. Tales from the Triverse is my fourth and most ambitious. Point is, I finish my stories, and you’re in safe hands.
“Simon is working hard to crack the code of publishing serial fiction online. He's also a hell of a great storyteller with a wide and deep imagination. For your consideration.”
Some info on my previous books:
No Adults Allowed (2020) is an optimistic, post-apocalypse mixture of Lord of the Flies and Heart of Darkness, about responsibility and parenting and well-meaning but murderous AI. You can get this one as an ebook or paperback from Amazon.
The Mechanical Crown (2016 - 2019) is my epic fantasy adventure, packed full of airships, swords, battles and politics. It’s big and exciting and I’m very proud of it. Currently on Wattpad, but I have plans.
A Day of Faces (2015 - 2016) was my debut and is a YA coming-of-age story about a snake girl and her shape-shifting friend who accidentally wind up changing the world. It’s hard to explain. Also only on Wattpad at the moment, but watch this space.
“Not only does Simon write serialised science fiction of the most enviably thoughtful kind, he also *really* understands the newsletter-delivered serialised fiction space - I don't think anyone else gets this stuff better than he does - and on top of all those signs that he has a brain the size of a planet, he's a really nice guy. I kinda hate him? Go read, learn and enjoy.”
A bit about me
I’m a writer based in Norwich, England. Here’s me looking serious and overly beardy:
You might have heard me on The Writing Life podcast which I produced for several years. I’ve spoken about writing serial fiction at Primadonna Festival and for the National Centre for Writing. I’ve also taught for the BBC, FutureLearn, LinkedIn Learning, Access Creative and the Africa Game Developers Community. These days I work at One Further helping cultural organisations do exciting digital things.
“This newsletter is why I have a newsletter! And he’s an amazing fantasy, time-hopping sci-fi crime fiction writer.”
AI declaration
I experimented briefly with MidJourney in 2022, but as of February 2023 I no longer use generative AI for images. You might encounter some AI images in older posts, although I’m working to replace those. Everything I publish now is created by real humans.
I’m not against using interesting technology as part of my creative process. At some point in the future I might incorporate AI tools into my larger creative workflow, but that’ll require resolving numerous ethical concerns first, and ideally wrestling the tech away from the 'orrible lot currently in charge.
To find out more about the company that provides the tech for this newsletter, visit Substack.com.
