Keith's December Newsletter

Hi Folks

Welcome to December, the backside of the year, when everyone hunkers down to do nothing until 2026.

It’s also the time when people tend to reflect on the previous year, and think about what they want to do in the next one, so let’s reflect (a bit).

Where Does The Time Go?

First a quick update on the flat. Very close to completion but for a few forms and everyone going on holiday for two weeks. Hopefully some time in January I’ll know when I can move in.

March

In March I finished my latest novel, Odds Bodkins and the Night Mayor of London. It took about five months to complete and would require another few months of rewrites to get completely done but it was a significant achievemnt for me this year.

I’ve yet to send it out in a significant way to agents. That’s going to be one of my first jobs in the new year.

May

Finished my solarpunk short Weather Station 451 in May, which will be appearing in a solarpunk anthology some time next year. It’s nice to know something of yours is going to appear in print. Makes you feel like you’re actually getting somewhere.

July

I went to the Town That Never Was in July, which is always a good day out. Only managed the one day because of my bad back, one of the joys of getting older, but still I enjoyed myself. Hopefully I can get along next year as well.

August

A quick nod here to my keto diet, which helped me lose a few kilos. It also pushed my cholesterol a little high so I won’t be doing that again, but it’s nice to know I can shift weight if I want to (which I kind of want to now, after Christmas).

October

I had two significant events in October, Sigur Ros at the Albert Hall and the author event organised by the British Fantasy Society at Urmston Books and Games. Both were great in their own way, and I’ll remember them for a long time.

Hopefully there’ll be more BFS events in 2026, and fingers crossed for more Sigur Ros as well. Seen them three times in concert now and it never gets old.

November

And finally Oslo. Enjoyed my visit there, despite the weather being a bit grim. Look forward to taking advantage of flights from Manchester airport more in 2026 once the flat move is sorted. Next on my list is Copenhagen, plus there’s always Vienna to check out too. I do love me a bit of Austria.

News From The Steam Factory

My writing summary for 2025 is that I finished one novel (Odds Bodkin), got one short accepted (451), and had a whole bunch of other stuff rejected. Bascially, aside from those two things, everything else was turned down, including my SFINCS submission which didn’t make the cut.

I have an edit booked in April for In The Valley Of The Wind. Looking forward to that. My first job in the new year will be to do one final pass on that before the edit, to make sure it’s the best that it can be. I’ll also be doing agent subs on Odds Bodkin in 2026, as mentioned above, although I’d like to give that a final polish as well before doing that.

All this polishing means I’ll probably have to put Attack Mars!! on the back burner for a little while. Things have been going good on that, I’m up to 83,000 words (with about half my notes still to go) so I’m not too worried about setting it aside. I have a strong sense of where it’s going so I’ll be able to pick it back up again no problem. Plus I won’t be setting it aside completely, I’ll still be tinkering here and there, I just need to do these other things first.

When I’m Not Writing

Bit of a random recommendation for you this month. Only came across this yesterday but it is fantastic! Simply one of the best things I’ve seen all year.

Exactly what it says on the tin, this guy put 1000 players into a Mincraft server for ten days, half of them on an island of abundance and half of them on a desolate rock, and then watched what happened.

I know, I know, sounds lame right. It isn’t. This thing is like Game of Thrones in its storytelling and scope. It’s amazing what goes on. I was completely hooked from the very beginning, and by the end I was in awe what a fantastic job the maker had done in telling such a rich and engaging story.

Seriously, watch the first couple of days. Hell, just watch the intro! If that doesn’t get you hooked nothing will.

NB: You don’t have to know anything about Minecraft to know what’s going on. I certainly don’t.

And that’s it from me, for this newsletter and for this year. Thanks for sticking with me throughout 2025, I really appreciate it. Without your support I’d just be some weird loony writing stories full of stranage characters. I mean, I kinda am that anyway, but with you here at least I have an audience, lol.

Next year I’ll have a new book out, possibly two, and I might even have a steampunk card game, Airship Armada, to share with you! I’m in negotiations now with an illustrator/designer now. Fingers crossed I’ll have news on that for you in the new year.

So stick around, stay happy, have a great new year, and I’ll see you again at the end of January.

Toodle-pip for now.

Keith

ps. Just one more thing…

Gotcha! 😂