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.

whimsyandmetaphor News

April 2024 Update

Gonna be honest with everyone for a sec, I wake up every morning genuinely unsure if it feels like April hasn’t arrived yet or should already be nearly over.

Also taking a moment to register my displeasure at the weather, and my lack of enthusiasm for the encroaching Cold Times.

Anyway. The stuff you’re actually interested in.

Projects have been developing steadily. As I write this, I’m about to start the second session of my playtest for one of the TTRPGs I’ve been working on. There’s only a couple more systems to figure out, and testing it for balance, and I might be able to start releasing details rather than keeping it all Secret Squirrel (though any developer knows that the first couple times you say “I think it’s nearly done” are always the hubris talking).

… Maybe I should start codenaming projects.

We’ll call that one Glades.

The project we’re gonna call Project Butterfly has just crossed a major hurdle and has a new outline. And of course, the big, important ones: PhD project and The Ferryman’s Apprentice 4 are both due a big update soon, but I’ll do a separate shout out for those.

I’m actually particularly glad to be working on Project Butterfly. Not that the PhD isn’t extremely exciting, and it’ll be so nice to have The Ferryman’s Apprentice finally all tied up. But Project Butterfly is going to mark my first new piece of original fiction finished since 2020, the first thing that’s not trying to finish an old project or working with other people’s ideas. I needed the break, but it’s good to be back. I can’t wait to reveal more info about that one.

I also have a persistent urge to continue to upgrade and update the site. That way lies madness, I’m aware. But the urge is there. Maybe just a little CSS … as a treat …

And that’s about it for relevant news. If you’re keen for more random thoughts and unrelated news-like objects, please do check out the social media icons in the sidebar. This year is only going to spiral further out of control, so I hope you’re all keen for the oncoming trainwreck!

whimsyandmetaphor Blog Posts

Edit Pass Live Stage 2: Task List

Worldbuilding Questions

  • Write more complete history and geography of E. Country
    • Last few rulers
    • Complete list of political factions
    • Changes since Large Historical Event A (especially population distribution)
    • Overarching opinions of H. Country
    • Overarching opinions of Political Event B
    • Restrictions caused by Political Event B
    • Cultural and legal changes caused by Political Event B
    • Decide exact place of H.H in E. Country politics.
  • Rework magic system
    • Exact workings of E. Country magic system
    • Decide how E. Country’s system can or cannot interact with H. Country’s.
    • Why must H. Country use their rune system, why not current language, since their magic is based on linguistics, not inherent to the language itself?
  • Country Details (already started)
    • Decide on current fashion, how style is different to E. Country, and effects of the magic system on textiles
    • Better descriptions of how common households are laid out, what magics and technologies the average person has, etc.
    • Common foods – what is local, what is imported
    • Common family and household structures.

 

Characters who Need Fixing

  • Yerothen
  • Althus
  • Orothias
  • Ette
  • Ithild

 

Timeline

  • Collate all my notes; split into categories so I can easily reference them
  • Create new outline
whimsyandmetaphor Blog Posts

New Release Date

Hey all! Quick update because things do sometimes go in my favour!

New date when you can purchase The Ferryman’s Apprentice Part One as an e-book or a print book is the 6th of June!

Reiterating: This doesn’t mean you can’t read the online version for free anymore. This is just for those who want to own a copy, or (yes I’m an optimist, I’m aware) would like to contribute to my eventual writing career. The full text of The Ferryman’s Apprentice will always be available for free as long as this website is up and running.

Regular bloggy thought will return soon, and expect a new chapter of The Ferryman’s Apprentice Season 3 this Monday!

whimsyandmetaphor Blog Posts

After the Stream

Just a quick update for everyone.

Thanks to anyone who checked in on the Twitch stream last week! We had fun, though we also had technical difficulties, so I wouldn’t blame anyone for leaving in frustration.

We’ve just about got those fixed, though, so don’t let that stop you from attending future streams!

Because there will be future streams. This week didn’t happen because two of our characters were out of town, but we’re going ahead next weekend, Sunday 7pm AEST same as usual (we’ll let you know if that changes). Join us for the actual story, now that all the worldbuilding is out of the way!

Watch for the hype on social media. We’re excited to get to the story, and we hope you’ll be excited to listen to it!

whimsyandmetaphor Blog Posts

Hiatus Announcement

Hi all

You may have noticed that I haven’t been up to date recently with posting The Ferryman’s Apprentice chapters. This is both entirely fault and the result of several external life-related factors over the past couple of months.

In light of this, I’d like to announce that the blog is going on a brief hiatus. I’m currently writing this on a cross-country train to go and see my family for the holidays, so it seems apropos to start the hiatus now.

’ll be back in the saddle in a few weeks, though, or at least, I intend to be. Expect normal Ferryman’s chapters to resume on Monday 15th of January, and normal blog posts to resume on the Wednesday 17th.

Thanks for being patient with me! Hope everyone has a great time while I’m away, and I look forward to seeing you all again in the New Year.