Fantasy and Science Fiction Author

31/05/2026

What I did in May, now with one click fewer!

I published a new edition of my newsletter yesterday. It includes a free sci-fi short story called Postcard from Sunday. If you want to read the story, just subscribe to the newsletter by going to http://eepurl.com/_5EDX . You'll also get to read all the previous stories for subscribers. (Full disclosure: some of them are also in Racing the Storm and Other Stories, though they were exclusive to subscribers when I posted them.)

The novella that I mentioned last time (with the working title of Dreams of Demons) is coming along nicely. I've written over 10,000 words this month, so the first draft now stands at 27,500 words.

I submitted the first two chapters to my critique group, and the consensus was that I've managed to start too late and too early. How so? The story is about the protagonist investigating a mystery (could I be any more vague?). He knows what the mystery is, and has a fair idea of what kind of answers he's looking for. But I don't reveal this until chapter 2. Chapter 1 is him travelling to the place where the mystery has happened. I did this because it's an unfamiliar environment, and the details of it will be important later. But the reader doesn't know that yet, so there doesn't seem to be anything at stake in chapter 1. I either need to delete chapter 1 and work any relevant information into the rest of the story, or write a new scene before chapter 1 where the protagonist (or the reader, at least) finds out about the mystery. But this is what the second draft is for.

I haven't done anything more with the audiobook of The Last Dragonrider. I've been spending a lot of time at my Dad's house, away from all my recording equipment, keeping an eye on him after he came out of a stay in hospital. He can mostly do what he needs to do day-to-day, but he can't walk much, and gets tired easily, so I do a lot of his fetching and carrying. It's just as well I work from home - all I need is reliable wifi and somewhere quiet and comfortable to sit.

Steven J Pemberton Email Forms

30/05/2026

I just published the June edition of my newsletter. It includes an exclusive free sci-fi short story called Postcard from Sunday. Go to http://eepurl.com/_5EDX to subscribe.

Steven J Pemberton Email Forms

17/05/2026

I've read 19.5 out of 100 on this (necessarily very subjective) list. (I gave up on Don Quixote.)How many have you read?

The top 100 novels of all time published in English, as voted for by authors, critics and academics worldwide. How many have you read?

30/04/2026

It's been a busy month -

I sent out a newsletter yesterday, which includes a free short story called The Artisan Dreamer. If you want to read it, all you have to do is subscribe ...

29/04/2026

Did you know that I have a newsletter? Did you know that subscribers get to read exclusive free short stories?

I sent out a newsletter just now, with a story called The Artisan Dreamer. If you subscribe now, you can still read it. Go here to subscribe:

Steven J Pemberton Email Forms

27/04/2026

At a meeting for Seaside Shuffle, an anthology of writing about Blackpool, which includes my short story The Misadventure of the Lion's Ear.

The book will be released in August, and is available for pre-order now from Amazon.

03/04/2026

https://writersinthestormblog.com/2026/04/how-to-be-awesome-reading-your-story-aloud/?utm_source=newsletter-226&utm_medium=email

Authors sometimes avoid reading their stories aloud. But a well-read story can attract lifetime fans. Read how you can be awesome reading your story aloud.

31/03/2026

What I did in March -

As of about 10 minutes ago, I finished the initial edit of the audiobook of The Last Dragonrider. Now I get to record the pickups (places where I made a ...

13/03/2026

Another mistake in the audiobook - I said a character "seemed not to mime" instead of "seemed not to mind."