Many exciting cross-format writing updates this month! And my first time being interviewed for a podcast! The title references Bastille’s latest tour, celebrating 15 years of the band, which I was lucky to attend this month. But this November… things really were coming at me from all sides!

Things I did

It was a great start to the month, meeting so many of my WIP Comics colleagues in person for the first time, or for the first time again after my first appearance at the Southbank Centre in March! We picked up our copies of the anthology I contributed to, sorted all the other Thought Bubble (comics convention) stock, and I even added to one of the jam sketch rewards for Kickstarter backers on the con. You can see my jam jar - not an original pun!

I met a bunch of people who don’t regularly come to the zooms too. Very uplifting and inspiring, and with something promising on the horizon.

I won’t make the same mistake with that potentiality as I did with something else later this month. Something that was out of my control - and after talking about it so much on here, starting the instagram account and recruiting actors (more on that later!) - is that what would’ve been my first short film, A Wake, is on hiatus. It’s a lesson in collaborating for me, and I’ll leave it at that. It’s also a lesson in announcing things too early. Well, not too early for my schedule… anyway. You signed up to follow my journey and setbacks are certainly a part of that. Don’t worry, there’s plenty of good stuff if you keep reading!

Visits to The Amelia Scott museum in Tunbridge Wells as a home educated child were what cemented my interests in things like flint tools and Ancient Egyptian mythology. It was about time I finally revisited to see all the old rocks again - and learn new things! I’d forgotten how my local area really was a hub of first dino discoveries - something I learnt even more about later in the month.

Actually, there was some more bad news, and something else I haven’t shared but may have been obvious to keen readers. I’ll address both here, before really moving onto good stuff, I promise.

You may not know that after 30+ years and 237 issues. Star Wars Insider is coming to an end. Here’s the article that announced it all - quite a shock!

Something I wrote the day of the announcement:

Insider changed my life. Chris Cooper changed my life when he let me pitch. My first traditionally published writing, in the Star Wars magazine! I'm honoured to have contributed to the galaxy that's been my escapism all my life. And I'm so thankful Chris's kindness has connected me with so many other wonderful writers, artists and the whole Star Wars community.

Now the magazine’s ending, there’s also the matter of the article I told you about back in May, due for this year’s (the last!) Halloween issue. You may have noticed last month… that did not materialise. My spooky article got too spooky for Lucasfilm’s Story Group…

But onto the positives! I had a fantastic time spending a day on set of Kane Wilson’s upcoming film We Dream in Colour. As an extra, I wore three different outfits, including some neon paint, trendy shades and glow bracelets. Kane is a friend of a friend. I was so impressed with his style of directing, of the incredible work of everyone else in the art departments, the whole crew.

It was a really immersive location that they’d expertly dressed, in a dark cyberpunk style. I had a lot of fun, and got to know a few of the other extras, and despite my A Wake setback, hope to work with them all someday. I’ll share when the film is released! And share more about my favourite part.

The next day, I wore my same great uncle’s vintage bomber jacket to Bastille’s show at the Brighton Centre. It was absolutely brilliant hearing old songs for the first time live, witnessing the mashup of Other People’s Heartache covers, and just to be near the front of a big Bastille gig for the first time, seeing the whole band at work, plus Charlie Barnes and AK Patterson again, names regular readers will recognise. The first support, Nadia Sheikh, was brilliant too. And having the company of two concert friends made queuing on the cold seafront worth it!

On the 19th, I had a fantastic call with a comics editor/publishing house creator/podcast host, which I will tell you more about in time! And later that day there was a brilliant Sussex Archaeology and History lecture on the Medway Megaliths. I learnt so much about the ancient landscape around where I grew up!

The history continued as I attended a special screening in Combe, near North Leigh Roman Villa where I volunteer. I don’t know how much I can say other than Music of Mosaics. Hopefully another thing I can share more in the future.

On the way back from Oxfordshire, I took a walk through Kensington Gardens to the Natural History Museum. I took the time to fully explore the zones. Some parts, like the earthquake simulator and animatronic T. rex sent me back to a time when I was a lot shorter and more easily frightened. Though he never wore a Christmas jumper back then! The museum did seem smaller and it was strange rediscovering memories as I moved through what felt like new spaces. I learnt a lot of new things though, and saw some that meant a lot more to me as an adult storyteller.

I took quite a few photos of things I found interesting but I’ll share this deinotherium skull. The extinct creature featured in my self-published books, specifically The Watchers series. I remember researching it in my teens for a reality where dinosaurs didn’t extinct - and with more peculiarities than that. I also really appreciated the museum’s new section about climate change…

The last show of the last tour for the last album of the band To Kill a King was a brilliant end to an era. Keston Cobblers Club were a great support. I was so lucky to be standing front row to witness Ralph and JB play through tracks old and new. And like February 2024, the support and guest Dan Smith joined for a final Choices, a song surely in my top three TKAK tracks.

There many special moments throughout the show, like when Ralph and JB came out almost into the crowd and it felt like singing a duet (or when Dan recognised and smiled at me!). I got my vinyl signed by four of its contributors, and took a one of a kind sheet with the chords for Choices and the lyrics to the last song of the show, the last song of the last album, The Whole Things Comes Around.

The King is Dead. Long Live the King!

Yesterday, I was at Gosh! Comics for the launch/signing of Golden Rage: Mother Knows Best writer Chrissy Williams and colourist Sofie Dodgson. I took that snap on the way back to Charing Cross.

Signings at Gosh! are always great, but for this one we went to the pub afterwards. Many new faces, both in comics and not. That trend should continue into December - I have a Directors’ Club on the 1st and Film Club on the 2nd!

Things I wrote

This newsletter…

Another A Long Time Ago... launched this month. I loved how Jason tied together his experience of The Hight Republic with towering trees!

A Long Time Ago… with Jason of This Dad Reads

Sometimes I tier the writing news, but there’s so much exciting stuff I’m going chronologically! Starting with things carrying over from last month, I read three more fantastic ARCs from Jendia Gammon, two of her novels and another upcoming one from her imprint. I’m so grateful to receive these amazing stories in advance!

First was The Vale of Seven Dragons. I snuck this screenshot of my blurb from Jendia’s instagram!

David Quantick’s Imagine a Friend is out from Stars and Sabers in March! I was very happy to see my quote in proximity of a much funnier HH!

Then it was back to Jendia’s next book from Sley House, the poignant standalone Godfestation, out in August!

MY FIRST INTERVIEW ON A PODCAST RELEASED! I still haven’t had the courage to listen to the whole thing, so listen for me! (I say Lego way too many times...)

But honestly I had a fantastic time chatting with Dave and Elora on What Does Star Wars Mean to You? I couldn’t believe that they’d researched my stuff, and posed such great questions! In the follow up episode, they also came to a great realisation that I’m still reflecting on… that my loves of Star Wars and history are tied by worldbuilding.

Another fantastic first this month was seeing the game I’m lead writer on receive its Steam page! (For those who don’t know, Steam is like a shopfront for games! But also more than that.) It’s available to wishlist at the moment, which means you can express your interest, and the free-to-play game will be added to your library when it comes out! If you or anyone you know has Steam, please hit that button! You’ll be supporting me and a team of over twenty who are pouring heart, soul and time into this passion project.

I'm having a blast seeing all the different 2D and 3D assets and levels come to life. The game is a tribute to DanTDM's journey as a creative. I won’t share screenshots here - you have to go to the Steam page for those!

My first professionally acted and directed script released this month too, a bespoke two-pager to be rehearsed and performed on Be Scene: Director's Cut!

It was incredible to see my words acted and directed by professionals, something filmed in February (as you may remember from that month’s roundup)! I was honoured to write a script for such a unique show which combines interviews with the creatives, footage of rehearsals and scene takes. I've watched every episode and there's always a unique angle, so to see the thoughtfulness put into my words was special. Actors thinking of backstories for the characters! The movement expert dissecting the text!

Please give it a watch and subscribe to the show's channel!

I sent off some writing to a couple of awards this month too! Fingers crossed!

Plus, I collaborated with English Heritage on their version of a press release for the Minecraft competition I ran for North Leigh Roman Villa. The prize presentation is organised for next month at Blenheim Palace!

Things I gained

This month’s Star Wars comics! I’m loving the variety across the timeline. That first person POV issue of Jedi Knights was particularly special!

Blanket Approval are one of my new favourite bands! And they sent me a letter from New York! There was a lovely handwritten message, but above are the stickers and magnets they provided! If you like indie rock, give them a listen and spread the word! I’d love if they could play a UK show.

Apart from my Chrissy Williams bundle - the two volumes in her Golden Rage universe (with limited edition art prints!) and poetry comic I Know The Way Out - there weren’t any new books this month. Well, some have gone away for Crimbo! Which will have already past next time I write to you. So, though it’s early - Happy Holidays!

Thank you so much for reading!

See you next month for both a December and a yearly roundup!