Your days are numbered now, Decepticreeps!

It's live, people. Some small email snafu notwithstanding, the website is now up and running. There were a few hiccups along the way, and there are still a few to sort out, but for the most part I now have a brand spanking new website for my writing and that and it looks all nice and pretty.

This page is linked on the main menu of the website, so hopefully they'll feed each other and increase their traffic a bit. And for those who have found this blog through the new site, there is a 'Home' link at the top of the side column to take you back to the main body of the site.

See how thoughtful I am? I'm lovely, me.

Anyway, enjoy your time touring the new site. I hope to have the email issues resolved this weekend, but in the meantime there are plenty of other ways to get in touch.

In Increments

Don't want to speak too soon, but it's looking good for a weekend announcement. The website issues have been sorted, which has unfortunately resulted in an email account issue that will hopefully be resolved this afternoon.

I'm recklessly soldiering on with my optimism, with nary a thought for the inevitable disappointment.

Frustration

Yeah, so the website didn't launch last weekend. It's proving to be a bit of a ballache to wait for the DNS changes to propogate, which is the only thing between me and a live website right now.

Frustrated is not the word. Imagine how churlish and moody I usually am and double it. The website is done and good to go, but nobody can see it yet because of awkward bloody internet nonsense.

Grr.

Not a happy puppy.

Comments on the launch

In preparation for the imminent arrival of the new website, I want to give a little warning - this site is brand spanking new and is in no way, shape or form to be considered finished. Its contents, as you will see this weekend, are a work in progress. There are a few pages here and there (and you'll know which ones I mean when the site launches) that are a bit sparse and uninteresting, but bear with me. I've left them there on purpose to give the site room to grow into.

Over the coming months I'll be doing my best to update the site with new material as often as I'm able, and as regularly as I can produce it. There are two areas in particular that I can work on expanding right away and this future work will fill in any gaps in the content. You'll have to keep checking back to see how well I'm doing in that regard.

In addition to seeing new things appear, you might also see things vanish. I'm still not massively clear on what sort of content is suitable for inclusion on a writer's website, so I've pretty much just written whatever I could think of and included it. I have no idea what's relevant and what would seem like vanity to a reader. It's felt a lot like walking a tightrope above a chasm of self-indulgence, and the slightest misstep would see me tumbling away into the oblivion below. I don't think I've done too badly, but when you're been so focused in on something you can sometimes lose track of the big picture.

So I'm going to need your help to work on and improve the website in the following months and naturally I'd appreciate any feedback you can think to give. If there's anything else you'd like me to include, anything you'd like to see more or less of, or anything that you think is redundant and not of interest at all, let me know and I can work on it. As time goes on and I get a better picture of what is needed the site will keep getting better.

Learning is fun.

In the meantime it might be best for my blood pressure if you consider the site a dynamic ever-changing emporium of magic and wonderment. Anything that helps conceal the truth that I don't really know what I'm doing would be handy.

As good as a rest

I've made a few changes to the the blog, mostly to bring it a little closer in looks to the imminent new website. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that it all goes off without any technical issues and goes live at the weekend.

If it does these changes should lend my web presence, such as it is, a little more consistency.

Things are afoot

Nothing major, but interesting nonetheless.

A new website is incoming, hopefully in the next few weeks. Or whenever I can produce the content by. Shooting for the first week in March.

Watch this space.

Leeds me not into temptation

So Thought Bubble came and went, and I'm left wondering how in the hell I got through it all in one piece. On Saturday night there was some measure of alcoholic beverages which were partaken of at a party in a big round room, and thus I spend most of Sunday desperately trying to hold myself upright. I'm too old for such excess these days.

That being said, it was a phenomenal weekend. Highlights included: Finally meeting Cy Dethan after missing him at the last few shows and picking his not-inconsiderable brains for advice about pitching to publishers; listening to Jon Lock and Lucy's bizarre and hilarious idea for a time travel story that had me in stitches; and dancing Gangnam Style with Karen Rubins for as long as our enthusiasm could maintain (which admittedly wasn't very long.)

Big thanks to everyone for making the experience so great, especially on a Sunday that could very easily have just become a nausea-fuelled blur. I really wasn't very well at all.

Mostly, it was fun to catch up with folks, see their new projects and pick up a few copies while my cash lasted. They know who they are, and the list is long, so I won't name names. Needless to say if you read this and a small part of you goes "D'aww," I mean you. Hugs all round.

I came away from Leeds exhausted, but inspired to throw myself back into my writing at a time when I have admittedly become a bit lazy and lethargic about the whole thing. I've made a list of things to do over the coming months, and although Christmas is looming there is no need for me to check it twice. Everything on it needs to be done, and so I have some goals which I just have to spin into a schedule of activity and on I go.

Happy times.

Dead Roots - The launch

Just leaving this here for folks to see:

Dead Roots on the App Store

Imminent zombie outbreak! I only received the news myself this evening so this is very much hot off the presses. Indeed, awooga awooga.

Just in time for the scary season. That was curiously well timed, wasn't it? One might almost think ...that it was planned...

(I am stroking my beard and arching an eyebrow now, in an attempt to look enigmatic and knowing. It loses much in the translation to a blog post, but I feel it important to convey the information. Perhaps if feedback indicates that it's necessary I will, at a later date, upload a photo of said beard stroking and eyebrow arching for your continued reference.)