(Novel Update) and 2025 Writing Goals

Post this after I've sent novel out.

Echoes from the Trapdoor is finished

Okay I’m here, I can clap the dust off my hands. The novel is done. Just short of eight years on from when I typed the first words, it’s out for the final round of pitches. This is it’s final edited form (until it gets picked up) it’s as good as I’m capable of making it at this point. It came in at 85,000 words which is lighter weight than any previous versions, so I’m happy with that.

From here the novel updates to come will be agent feedback, rejection and hopefully— that elusive white stag—an acceptance letter.

In any case, there’s nothing more I can do to control that, so moving on.

Goals for 2025

I’ve got a bit of a disjointed year ahead. I’ve only got four weeks left in London, I’ve just started working for a moving company to get some extra cash (which I thought would be shit, but I’m finding I’m enjoying to a surprising degree) so my writing time is not as consistent or focussed as I’d like it to be—but for my immediate goals, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I’ve got a lot of short projects planned which harmonise fairly well with this stop/start schedule.

After London I’m headed to Portugal for two months.

Then my brother’s wedding in Malta.

Then a three week house sit in the Cotswolds. Followed by (though there’s a question mark on this still) a six week trip starting in Scotland moving into Europe, with a final stopping point of Greece where I’ll be on an island for another month.

After that: a slow trip home via Canada, maybe America, maybe another stop over in Vietnam, then back home to New Zealand loosely by October November— the only hard deadline being a Metallica concert on the 19th of November.

As I said, disjointed.

As for the writing: