Launch Days, Fresh Covers, and Contest Fever

 

The Writer’s Diary

​If you’re reading this on the day of posting—Monday, 2nd February—then, all being well with KDP release schedules, it is officially a "celebratory brew" day in the pond. We’ve reached a major milestone for a past project just as the starting gun fires for the next one.

​Here is what’s happening in my writing world this week.

​The Concorda Files is Live on Kindle!

​I am incredibly chuffed to announce that The Concorda Files is officially available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited.

​This story started its life as my 2025 Open Novella Contest entry on Wattpad, where it fought its way onto the shortlist! Moving it from a web-serial to a formal ebook release has been a major goal of mine since reaching the shortlist.  Seeing it finally ‘out there’ in the wild is a fantastic feeling.

​To celebrate the launch, I’ve given the book a total visual overhaul. I’ve updated the cover and moved away from the original light-coloured aesthetic in favour of a gritty, high-contrast look that fits current sci-fi thriller trends. It feels much more aligned with the tone of the story now.

​If you want a taste, I’ve updated the Wattpad version to include the new cover I've created and a one-chapter preview to give new readers a glimpse into the world.

​The ONC 2026: Choosing the Next Path

​The 2026 Open Novella Contest officially kicked off yesterday, and I have spent the last 24 hours mulling over the prompts. This will be my sixth year. 

​I’m entering this time around with a bit of a 'choose your own adventure' mindset. I have six potential stories currently vying for my attention. It’s a bit of a creative standoff between concepts like "Population 842" (a rogue space station AI story) and an urban fantasy set in modern-day Manchester that currently has the working title of "The Tenth Circle."

​The final decision depends entirely on which prompt speaks the loudest. I have a rough map for a Sci-Fi Crime Thriller and a solar-system-spanning 'HFY' epic, but I’m leaving room for the prompts to surprise me. Sometimes the best stories come from the ideas you didn't see coming.

​Pausing the Veil

​To give the ONC my full focus, I’ve made the difficult decision to pause work on "Sanctorum’s Veil." I’ve left the story sitting at Chapter 12—just over 15,000 words in. It’s currently at a bit of a cliffhanger, and leaving my characters in the lurch is tough, but I’ll be returning to it with fresh eyes once the ONC madness has settled.

​Over to You

​Are you participating in the ONC this year? Whether you’re writing or reading, I’d love to know which prompts are jumping out at you. Drop a comment below and let’s talk shop!

The Writer’s Diary: Close Shaves and Digital Adventures

Updates ... updates ... updates

It’s been a busy fortnight in the home studio. Between narrow escapes in my current manuscript and preparing old projects for new horizons, the "writer’s itch" is in full effect.

15,000 Words into the Veil

I’ve officially crossed the 15k mark on my current work-in-progress, Sanctorum’s Veil. I’ve just finished Chapter 12, and things are getting tense. My main character and his companion have just had a heart-pounding encounter with a new threat, narrowly escaping by the skin of their teeth.

There’s a specific kind of magic that happens around the 15,000-word point—the world feels solid, the stakes are real, and the characters are starting to make decisions I didn’t necessarily plan for.

A Sneak Peek at The Concorda Files

As I mentioned in my last post, I’m working on getting The Concorda Files (my 2025 ONC shortlist novella) onto ebook platforms. To bridge the gap, I’ve updated the story on Wattpad to act as a three-chapter preview.

If you missed it during the contest last year, or if you want to see what all the fuss was about before the full ebook drops, you can go and read the opening chapters now. It’s the perfect primer for the world-building I’ll be expanding on soon.

New Project: The Corrupting Bloom

In a slight pivot from pure prose, I’ve started developing a solo D&D game using Twine. It’s titled The Corrupting Bloom and is designed as a series of eight separate, interconnected adventures.

I’m considering hosting it on itch.io once it’s ready. There’s something fascinating about combining narrative storytelling with the mechanics of a tabletop RPG. It’s a great way to flex different creative muscles while keeping the world-building sharp.

The Calm Before the ONC Storm

Finally, I am keeping a very close eye on the calendar. The 2026 Open Novella Contest announcement is imminent! The contest officially begins on 1st February, and I’m eagerly awaiting those prompts.

Will I stick to my Sci-Fi/Crime idea? Or will a specific prompt take me in a completely different direction? The anticipation is half the fun.

Swapping Resolutions for a Roadmap

Happy New Year

We’ve all been there. It’s the first week of January, and the pressure to "reinvent" ourselves is everywhere. But if I’m honest, I’ve never been one for New Year’s resolutions. They always feel a bit like a deadline with no brief—all of the pressure, with none of the creative joy.

This year, I’m stripping away the "shoulds" and focusing on the "coulds." Instead of rigid resolutions, I’m looking at 2026 through the lens of Writer Goals.