I have never exploded

But I know what it would be like

Feb 21, 2025

Hi!

It’s Mat here. I hope all’s well with you and yours.

I don’t know if anyone has told you this. You might want to take a seat. Here’s the thing... Ready?

Our existence is finite. Our time on the planet does not stretch eternal.

I know, right? It’s a lot to take in.

Sometimes I ponder what I’m doing with the time I’ve been allotted. How should I spend these precious days?

Well, in a perfect world, I’d definitely do more writing, making things, creative stuff. I’d spend more time reading incredible books. More time cooking. More time with my family. More time swimming in the sea, walking on windswept hilltops, and getting lost in wild woods.

I probably wouldn’t stack any extra hours into my day-job. Less if anything. A lot less.

Makes you think, doesn’t it?

The clock is also ticking on my forthcoming anthology project — The Whispering Gallery — a collection of quiet horror stories. The inbox closes in just one week — on March 1st. If you’re reading this, I’d love to read your work.

Click the image below for more info.

Since my last bulletin, I also received my first Amazon review for Dantalion is a Quiet Place.

Image of a 5-Star Amazon review that says: A brilliant book, full of spooky happenings and mysterious entries that keep you wanting to read it all. A masterpiece of speculative horror, based on a small town which feels real but is somehow more ethereal than it seems. Wonderfully written with some great characters and a sense of unfolding danger and mystery, with some brilliant descriptions of the more gory moments. I loved every minute, so glad something like this exists.

Honestly, it means so much to know that someone has connected with my book in this way. Thank you kind reader.

What am I reading?

I’m midway through Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov right now, and absolutely loving the mystery and meta-fictional layering.

I also listened to an absolutely brilliant short story by ZZ Packer on the New Yorker Fiction podcast. The piece conveys the experience of someone caught between worlds, never quite fitting anywhere, so beautifully, it took my breath away. Such humanity, and emotional depth, delivered with such a light touch. Really inspiring.

Listen to Packer’s story, Drinking Coffee Elsewhere, here.

Writing prompt

Let’s introduce a li’l bit of random into your workflow, shall we?

First I want you to decide on the genre or type of story you’re going to write. Phrase it as a sentence. Say it out loud, maybe. And then add the words “which includes…”

“I’m going to write a steamy romance, which includes…”

“I’m going to write a political thriller, which includes…”

“I’m going to write a gory horror, which includes…”

Then click this button to fill in the blank:

Random Noun

I just clicked three times and got:

“Debt” for my steamy romance. Nothing fans the flames of passion like financial insecurity. Another red bill. Bailiffs at the door again. Duck down behind the sofa and let the sexy times commence.

“Ladder” for the political thriller. So perhaps it’s a metaphorical career ladder. An ambitious junior minister plotting a colleague’s downfall so that they can rise through the ranks.

“Health” for my gory horror. So I’m thinking there’s an airborne infection running amok in a remote hospital, making the patients explode without warning. Sounds like I’ll be channelling my inner Garth Merenghi for this one.

Where to submit?

This month, rather than tell you where to send your work, I’m going to empower you to find your own submission opportunities. Teach a (hu)man to fish and all that. Here some the links:

Lit Mag starter pack for BlueSky - filled with updates from excellent mags.

Twitter/X list of Lit Mags, packed with updates and opportunities.

ChillSubs - submission listing site.

Authors Publish listings.

Hopefully that’ll keep you going for a while! I hope you find the perfect home for your latest creation.