Initial Notes from the Engine Room
Notes from the Engine Room
Why am I getting this email?
Last year in 2019 (!), you signed up for the Story Factory mailing list. Or I wanged your email address into the subscribers list. Sorry.
Words started to trickle out, and you may have even found some small part of them useful or interesting. Or not. I boldly pledged to post regularly, a nebulous term that I could bring to mean absolutely anything. Or, as it turned out, absolutely nothing.
And then the pandemic hit, at the same time as a big work promotion. So not only was I busier than ever, they locked me in a room!! For over a year now!! It's not been the most creatively positive time for me. While people have been teaching themselves Russian or becoming sourdough masters or writing novels, I've been fighting to do as much self-care as possible, just to keep myself level. Level-ish.
I'm perfectly capable of sitting in a room and cranking out words, or photos, or ideas. But for me, a classic ENFP, if I can't riff off someone, if I don't have an audience, if I can't inspire, I can't be inspired. I'm just treading water to stay afloat.
However, last year I started toying with the idea of zines and low print-run periodicals, and I came up with a plan for The Engine Room, a quarterly Print-On-Demand magazine filled with stories, poems, recipes, essays, photos and general thoughts. There was some interest from both contributors and potential customers, but this project got put on hold too. If I was struggling to commit to creative output, how could I keep to a fixed schedule? How could I coordinate or inspire other people? I decided the only way to avoid disappointing people was not to go ahead. Who has time for a project whose time probably passed 15 years ago, right? Who would pay money for a physical copy of some random guy's thoughts and curated content?
So I talked myself out of it. Not forever. But for now.
And yet, the idea lingered The need to send my thoughts out into the world persisted. And the thoughts circled back around. To this: A newsletter. Not flashy, not big, not clever. And if you don't like it? Please do unsubscribe. No harm, no foul, I won't even take it personally.
What can I expect?
I suppose after 400 words I really ought to get down to brass tacks.
- What will future contents hold?
It'll vary, it won't be that formally structured. But reviews, essays, maybe a photo, interesting links; basically a lot of stuff you could find on Story Factory, but with a more personal, chaotic slant.
- What about other people's content?
Sure! Feel free to submit! 250 words max, no guarantee of publication, nothing in return but gratitude and kudos.
- How regular will this be?
Every time I want to send one out, and have enough content, I'll send one out. Surely I could manage weekly? Or fortnightly? But there's no guarantees.
- What if I want to point someone else at this newsletters?
Send them here: buttondown.email/storyfactory
The archive, empty until I send this one out, is here: buttondown.email/storyfactory/archive
What I'm watching
I've not watched the second episode of Falcon and Winter Soldier yet, but it seems... fine? Unless the creator has been lying, and there's a massive case of bait and switch, this will do exactly what it says on the tin.
I'm about a year behind the times, which isn't bad for me these days, but I'm enjoying Netflix's serial adaptation of Bong Joon-ho's Snowpiercer. I'm really glad it's not a straight adaptation, because while I loved Bong Joon-ho's movies, SP was a little linear, a little too on-the-nose for me. Jennifer Connelly is always watchable, but the show really revolves around Daveed Diggs' character, who I last saw in Hamilton.
Moxie was fine. It was let down by a lack of chemistry amongst the cast, and quite a predictable plot, but it was solid fare. Book Smart's DNA is visible throughout, and maybe allusions to Misbehaviour but sadly it's not of the same calibre, and it relies a little too heavily on Bikini Kill's 'Rebel Girl'. Three times.
I'm looking forward to starting on Netflix's The Irregulars, a period supernatural mystery series about the Baker Street Irregulars.
What I'm listening to
New music
Not new, but I've got gig tickets
- Foals
- Garbage
- Blondie
- London Grammar
- Maybe Wolf Alice?
Denouement
And that's it for the first newsletter, all 800 words of it. Barely filtered brain filth, from my fingers to your eyes. But seriously, thanks for reading...