whimsyandmetaphor Blog Posts

February Update

Welcome to the new year!

It’s been … several months, let’s not get too specific about the exact period of time. But from your semi-local n+1th time Aurealis shortlisted author, welcome back to another monthly update!

Yes, if you peruse the shortlist website, you’ll see that Hol(l)o(w)metabolism has been shortlisted for Best Fantasy Novella of 2025! Go check out the list – there’s some really awesome stuff on there by some very awesome people. The anthology that my story, The Bone Trader, appeared in is also shortlisted, and that’s well worth checking out as well.

First off, I’m still working through some commitments that have been keeping me from updating here, so I’m taking a step back from most of the things on the writing side for a little while.

So, you’ll notice in the schedule for this month, I’m not releasing any episodes for WMWAC, I’m only doing a stream. Hopefully that will bring us to the end of the outline section, and then I can put an episode together for next month. I might also need to do an additional outlining stream. I’ll decide that after doing this stream.

Speaking of the stream, I’ve got a commitment on Saturday the 14th, so the stream is going to take place on the Friday instead.

I will be getting back into the regular game streams, though, partially because it’s a good excuse for me to just play games for a bit. I really have to get further along in Silksong, so be prepared to watch me flail for at least the first part as I get all my muscle memory back.

On the story front, DR is still in the works. By the way – if you have things you’d like to see in the updates on my longer projects, drop suggestions at me on social media (see the sidebar). I don’t want to get as detailed as to share a running wordcount, and I’m not sure that sharing sentences is always the way to go, especially early on in the process. But I’m open to ideas if folks have them.

I don’t have any shorter things in the works at the moment – I’ve just submitted a short story to an anthology, and there’s nothing else in the works just now. However, I’m planning to start another shorter project soon. I’ve written two novellas with butterfly motifs, so I went ahead and figured why not make it a nice round triptych? Do I have any idea what that third one looks like? Nope! But I’m working on it, and when I figure it out, I’ll let you know in one of these.

As usual, looking forward to seeing folks at streams, and if you want to contact me on the medias social, links are in the sidebar.

Oh, and I’m adding a section to these as well. This year I’m trying to read more books off my TBR pile than I add to it. To keep myself accountable, I’m going to put my running totals in this section here. I won’t list what all the books were, but I’ll pick one book that I’m either reading or completed every month to make a comment on. No star or number ratings, though, because I refuse to dignify my opinions with that kind of specificity. Books get added to the total pile when I purchase them; I only mark a book as ‘read’ if I either finish or DNF it. Here’s the stats to start us off:

Start of year count: 262
Current total pile: 275
Books read: 5

Noteworthy book of Jan/Feb: Perdido Street Station by China Mieville.
I actually ought to have read this book quite some years ago – I wrote about it for university. In fact, not reading this book may have actually affected the trajectory of my career.
It was an interesting one to read, though, because I was studying it for a particular topic, and so I think I had that lens on while I was reading it the whole time, which meant that I got to the ending and I think I had been leaning my expectations too heavily towards one thing, which was not actually the driving force behind the book.
It’s given me a lot to chew on. I’m not gonna spoil anything, but there were definitely some plot threads and characters that I feel got sidelined in middle and end of the book.
It also broke some standard worldbuilding wisdom in interesting ways, which I do appreciate. Usually, when you’re writing, it’s considered kind of bad form to still be introducing new elements of the world past about the first third, but Mieville is still dropping new species of person inhabiting different parts of the city, new districts, new pieces of New Crobuzon even up until I think the last two chapters. I think it’s done well, in a way that enhances the tone rather than confuses the reader, but still. Bold choice.

whimsyandmetaphor News

Shipping and Sending – Update

Hey, all. I know I’m a bit behind on this, but I wanted to make sure I had info before I made a formal announcement.

Due to the USA tariff … thing … our postal service has suspended all package deliveries to the USA for the foreseeable future. There are apparently some strategies that they’re exploring, but who knows how long that will take.

So, bad news first: Physical book sales to the US have been paused. I’ll let folks know if and when that changes.

Good news: it’s only package delivery, so all the digital books (including the epubs of tFA, when they go up) are still available. And the zines fit in an envelope, so I’m still able to send printed zines via letter post.

Again – so sorry to have to do this. I’ll let everyone know as soon as this changes.

whimsyandmetaphor Blog Posts

September Update

Hello, all.

August has ended way too soon, but here we are.

The eagle-eyed among you will notice that the format of the schedule has changed. I’ve just juggled my schedule, and so, for the foreseeable future, streams will be on Saturdays rather than Fridays. Hopefully this isn’t too much of a bother to any of you.

(Also hint: In case you didn’t hear the shout that reverberated through the Internet, Hollow Knight: Silksong is releasing on the 4th of this month, and Hollow Knight kind of had me by the throat when I played it a few months back, so for a while on the stream, we will be dropping everything in order to play Silksong)

Other than that, The Ferryman’s Apprentice bundles are no longer on sale! Thanks to all who bought them. I have a bunch of sticker sheets left over, though, so I’m going to pop those up as a limited edition on the site until they’re gone. Thanks to those who bought a bundle – it’s been great to test out some of these systems!

Speaking of – one of my goals for this month is to start getting some e-pubs up on the KoFi site instead of just having the physical copies up. I’ve been procrastinating on learning how to do those conversions for far too long. I’ll make an announcement when that finally happens.

As for upcoming projects, I actually find myself in between things at the moment. Having released Hol(l)o(w)metabolism, I am spending a bit of time focusing only on my PhD project and on my longer projects (DR and a couple of others) for a bit. I have no other shorter projects on the horizon for the moment, but I’ll inform people when that changes (though I may have one more cool announcement for you soon, once it’s out of Secret Mode).

Oh, and WMWAC – the latest episode should have come out a couple of days ago. This month we’re doing only streams for that (and stream VODS will be going up) because a) we’re at a point where I can’t do much more recorded video without it getting boring, and b) I’m going to be flat out this month and editing takes time, so in the interest of keeping things running, I’m going to just be streaming until I run out of outline. WMWAC streams will be running fortnightly.

I’m still slated to be at SXSW Sydney, still not quite able to get you my exact schedule. I’ll let you know when that changes.

And … I think that’s the updates for now. Thanks for stopping by, and as always, my social media is in the sidebar if you want to come and chat.

whimsyandmetaphor News

Release Announcement!

Front cover of Hol(l)o(w)metabolism

Yes, yes, I know that this is technically already announced, so I’ll keep this short.

Until today, Hol(l)o(w)metabolism was only available as an add-on to The Ferryman’s Apprentice bundles. Now, it has its own entry in the store! Digital or physical are both available, and as always, they are Pay-What-You-Want; digital starts at free, physical copies start at $5 to cover printing and postage costs.

Go forth and do with this information what you will.

whimsyandmetaphor News

August Update

I really gotta get a better system for when I’m away from my big computer and I need to post these updates…

So, hi everyone, hope August is treating you well. Let’s talk This Month!

tFA promo bundles are still on sale! They’ll be available right up until the 31st of August (and then they go away forever and so do the stickers!), so if you want one, now’s the chance to get in before it’s too late!

The pre-orders that have already come in are only a couple days from being mailed out! For those of you who have ordered one (and thank you for that!), I’ll send a notification when they’re sent, including a tracking number so that you know where the package is.

Oh, and one more thing about pre-orders: After the 10th, Hol(l)o(w)metabolism is available for individual sale as well, in case you’ve been hanging out to for just the zines.

OK, now I’m done marketing at you (for now). What else has been going on?

Well, you’ll notice that unfortunately there’s a couple weeks without a stream listed. This is for two reasons: First is that my computer has decided four of its USB ports don’t exist, which kind of puts a dampener on my ability to plug in all the devices I need at the same time. I know what the problem is, but it’s gonna take a day when I can just pull the computer apart and put it back together again in order to fix it, and I just don’t have the luxury this week. The second reason is that I’m moving house next week, and thus even if I could have it ready for a stream on Friday the 15th, the computer is likely to be in a box that day, ready to be moved the day after. Streams will start back up on the 22nd, though, even if I have to transmit the data through one of those cup-and-string phones you make when you’re 10.

In case you missed it on Bluesky, WMWAC has also dropped to monthly updates, rather than fortnightly, just until I’m moved house and have my feet under me again with my PhD starting back up. Hopefully it won’t be too long, but watch for next month’s update to see where all that’s going.

Speaking of the PhD, keep an eye out over the next couple weeks: I need to get back into running the Museum and its social media, so I’ll be doing an announcement here. I know some people tried to get into the Museum through this blog before I went on leave, so hopefully those people are still interested now I’m restarting.

Finally, on upcoming projects: DR is pottering along, though it’ll be a side project for a while, so as not to take too much time away from the PhD. I’ve also started working on SC, an updated version of a project that I’ve tried to write before but never quite succeeded. It’s even more side-project, though, so don’t expect any major updates about that project for A While.

For shorter things, now that Hol(l)o(w)metabolism is out, the only small project that I have going right now is the one I’m working on for WMWAC. I have a couple of ideas cooking (a couple of game ideas, specifically), but proper details will have to wait til I’ve done a bit of mechanics testing and I’ve actually got an idea on how to fit the darn things together).

Oh! And for any of you who are interested in the whole “sightings of relatively unknown authors in public places” thing (in the least creepy way), I’m going to be At A Place Doing A Thing! South by South West Sydney (SXSW Sydney – 13th to 19th October) has for some reason approved my request for attendance! I’ll be doing a talk about my PhD project as part of a panel, possibly one other thing that I won’t announce til confirmed, and of course, wandering around the convention checking out and supporting the student projects, and generally being present as a person attached to a corporeal form. Full schedule available when I have it. Come find me and say hi!

That’s it for now – come buy The Ferryman’s Apprentice, and until next time, I’ll see you around on the Internets!

whimsyandmetaphor News

Release Announcement!

Announcement! Announcement
And yes, it’s not exactly new news—anyone who’s been on this blog for any length of time is aware that I’ve been trying to get that fourth Ferryman’s Apprentice book out the door for quite some time but never managed it. Well, this time, it not only has plans, but it has links! And Preorders!

Cover art for The Ferryman's Apprentice, Book 4. Cover art and design by Helen Graham.

Yes, finally. It is finally here. So many thanks to the wonderful Helen Graham for the cover art for this final entry in the series (as well as thanks again to Janis, Fabienne, Paige and Joe, who all had hands in the art for the previous books at various stages. I appreciate all the effort and time they put into making these look so good!).

Before we get into the links, lemme first outline what you’re in for.

The Ferryman’s Apprentice has been free on the blog since it was first published, and it’s a permanent fixture. If you want to try before you buy, see the details here, or the first chapter starts here.

But that version, free and complete though it may be, isn’t good at a few things: for example, it’s really bad at looking awesome on your bookshelf with its delightful cover art. It also doesn’t come with these:

Sticker design depicting Wilom from The Ferryman's Apprentice sitting in a boat with a lantern. Art and design by Shannon Thomson

This is one of a set of stickers created by the wonderful Shannon Thomson. There are six of them and every one of them is equally excellent. Should you choose to make a purchase of The Ferryman’s Apprentice book/s, you’ll get all six of these stickers for your very own, to keep for really realsies! They’re only available with bundles, and once the bundles are gone, they’re gone, too, so if you want them, this is how you get them.


Plus, this coincides with a second announcement: I have a new short story coming out! This is Hol(l)o(w)metabolism, which will be available for purchase Very Soon. It’s a story about a bug person preparing to undergo their metamorphosis and enter their cocoon … if the mounting pressure that society places on that transformation doesn’t get to them first.

Cover art of Hol(l)o(w)metabolism, depicting a lineart caterpillar. Cover and design by Lee Cope.

I know you’re all going to want a copy, so as long as you’re going to send me on a trip to the post office anyway (I don’t mind!), why not finish (or start!) your The Ferryman’s Apprentice collection while you’re at it?

To that end, I’ve put together a few limited-time bundles. Save on shipping, get my books and short stories at a discounted price, support a self-published author, and get some objects to decorate your home with! Sound like a good deal?

Well, here are your options. If you want to see them all up front, here’s the link to the Ko-Fi store page where this is all going down, but if you want a rundown of the options first, here it is:

Promotional image depicting The Ferryman's Apprentice cover, the Hol(l)o(w)metabolism cover, and a sheet of stickers fanned out like a hand of cards.

There are four bundles! They start small: just one book in The Ferryman’s Apprentice series and your sheet of six stickers, all for the same price as just buying the one book. Or you can bundle two books or three books … or all four if you’re feeling really spicy! Bundles are discounted, and cheaper than buying the books individually.

Plus, you can add goodies! Each one has options to add some extra stickers, or throw in one of my short story zines (or both of them!), also for discounted prices.

Because of the way Ko-Fi works, I unfortunately can’t create enough options to let you add as many extras as you like. I’ll work it out, I promise, but for now, if you think you’ll want more than four books, more than two sheets of stickers, or more than two zines in your bundle, shoot me an e-mail through the contact form here and we can work something out.

Preorders are open now! Orders start shipping on 10 August, but the bundles are going to remain available until the end of August. Remember, though! The stickers are limited edition, and the bundles have discounts, so make sure you do get in before the end of August if you’re interested!

And as always, until next update post, I’ll be streaming on Fridays on Twitch, and you can always come chat with me on the social media in the sidebar.

whimsyandmetaphor News

July Update

Hello again, everyone.

The eagle-eyed among you will notice that there has been a change to the site. Yes – the News and Announcements page has now been restructured! With charts and pictures!

Essentially, the News page now prominently features one of these, which I will also describe in an update post every time I post a new one/change one:

Lookit! It has colours and everything!

So that’s this month. There’s a couple things I’ll only say once, but the important details are on the News page, so no need to worry about forgetting them.

First, I’m going to be streaming weekly, mostly just to hang out (though I’ll have a game going so there’s something to chat about). The stream starts at approximately 10am (AEST), and usually runs between 3 and 4 hours, but really just runs until my hands get tired or until I have to go do something else. Streams happen on Twitch. If I ever need to cancel a stream or shift it for some reason, you can watch my Bluesky for updates.

Whimsy and Metaphor Write-Along Club (if this is news to you, here’s my announcement post on it) happens on YouTube and releases at 5pm every second Wednesday. Stream announcements happen during episodes, and also on Bluesky – there is one upcoming, but it won’t be til next month – probably on Sat 3rd August, but I’ll update with specifics as they arrive.

Specifics for this month: Announcement upcoming! It’s about that Ferryman’s Apprentice launch that I talked about months ago and never followed through on, so it’s not super secret, but there is a bit of an extra Cool Thing to go along with it. Watch this space…

Otherwise, what else is on the updates list? I’m at the end of my Leave of Absence, so expect to start seeing updates on the PhD project again. That also means that although I have made pretty good inroads on DR, my next longer project, the next announcements you’re likely to see are for shorter things that I can finish by stealing a couple of weekends at a time here and there in between PhD work.

That’s it for now – I’ll see you on YouTube or Twitch if you’re that way inclined, or in a bit over a week for that announcement!

whimsyandmetaphor News

A Brief Correction

Hi hello all. It has been brought to my attention that I have made a mistake.

In the March 2025 update, I talked about tFA4’s promo happening what appears to be next week. This is incorrect, and I apologise, especially to my sticker artist who didn’t deserve the sudden spike of deadline anxiety I accidentally caused.

May. I meant May.

Previous post has been amended to match, and I’ll do a post with full (and correct) details for easy reference sometime in the next week or so.

whimsyandmetaphor News

Whimsy and Metaphor Write-Along Club

A title card with white writing on a blue background, and the green Whimsy and Metaphor logo in the corner. The text is chaotic and written in several different fonts. It reads "Whimsy and Metaphor Write-Along Club Announcement!"
Title card by me
Border art: corner PNG, designed By Chenxin from PNGtree

Announcement time!

This is the Whimsy and Metaphor Write-Along Club!

It’s a little YouTube series I’m starting, where I write a novella and record myself doing it, talking about my process, and answering questions as I go. Feel free to write along with me, or just come along for the ride!

The full details are in the Introduction video linked above, but the first episode also up, so you can dive straight in once you have an idea of what it’s all about.

Hope to see some of you coming and writing along!

whimsyandmetaphor News

March 2025

Hello, hello. Welcome (back) to the blog.

Here’s hoping this is a nicer news update than at least like. 60% of the other news you’ve received today.

It’s a new year and that means me trying to actually keep the promises I made to myself at the beginning of this year. Yes, I know we’re a whole two months in already. So, to that end, some basic updates on where I’m at:

First, I’m taking a leave of absence from my PhD. I’ll be returning to it in July, so if you’re keen for that project still, there will be updates coming, I’m just not legally allowed to discuss them in public until I’m technically studying again. On pain of the administrators making very grumpy faces at me.

On one hand, this means that project is off the table. On the other, it means more time for writing!

I’ve just submitted a short story to an anthology, and I’m attempting to get Once It Was A Corpse a bit of recognition. I’ve also swung into pulling together the next serial for the blog. It’s still in outline phase, so don’t expect it for a good, long while, but I’m working on it as my main project right now.

This has also given me a bit more time to start working on some admin stuff around here, like cleaning up the website, which I’ve been meaning to do for Quite Some Time. The Ferryman’s Apprentice is kind of horrible to navigate, and that’s been on my list for ages.

I’m also switching this big desktop to Linux, now that I’ve gotten a handle on Linux on my laptop, which will be an adventure. Won’t affect anything you see, of course, but if my social media suddenly becomes full of swearing, well, you’ll know approximately why.

Re: specific projects, here’s what’s going on.

The Ferryman’s Apprentice is finally getting its End Of An Era promo. Post with details to come, but pick up all four books and you’ll get some cool stickers! Sale starts 20 May, and runs til 31 May, so don’t miss out!

Also premiering in March is the YouTube series: Whimsy and Metaphor Write-Along Club! I’ll be writing a novella and talking about it in unnecessary detail. Come join me if you want to see how I work, or want to write something along with me! Details in a post to follow; intro and first episode go up on the 5th of March!

And as always, if you want to grab something I’ve already written, visit my Ko-Fi shop. Once It Was A Corpse is, as always, available for free download. Social media links are in the sidebar.