Hobson & Choi #96: "Hail Me"

As the Final End grows ever closer, a major hero/villain showdown in the 96th Hobson & Choi webserial chapter.

Well, it's getting harder and harder to pretend the end isn't nigh, both because we're now on chapter 96 and because, as soon as I've typed this blurb and had some lunch, I'm off to try and write the bulk of the 100th and last chapter. Bloody hell.

But I'll still try and save the tearful eulogies until I publish the finale. May attempt some kind of NaNoWriMo themed blog in the coming days, if I can think of anything to say that hasn't already been said extensively by either myself or others. We'll see.

If I don't manage it, then good luck for anyone trying NaNo. It's a big challenge, and it's definitely good to know what you want to get out of it, but can be very rewarding. Hooray.

Hobson & Choi #95: "Pulling The Strings"

Hobson & Choi pick up the pieces of this whole messy supermarket adventure! Only five serial chapters left after this one!

If this is the first you're hearing of the upcoming end of the H&C serial then, um, sorry to bring a belated downer upon you. The news emerged in this big Hobson & Choi update post last week.

Don't worry, the books will continue

Speaking of which, I've now finished reading all but the bonus story of the second book out-loud in a final pass, so that's going well. If you'd like even more relevant reading material from me, here a blog piece I posted yesterday about the practice of reading my writing to myself.

And with that, I am gone. Have a good Thursday!

Pros And Cons Of Reading Your Writing Out Loud (or Why I Was Talking To Myself, Honest)

From eleven o'clock yesterday morning until seven in the evening, I sat at my desk alone, reading out the first sixty percent of my current nearly-finished work in progress. (The second book of the Hobson & Choi series, since you asked.)

For a couple of years now, the read-out-loud has been the final step of any work before I show it to other people. I vocalise the entire text to an empty house. If you don't do this, I'm not going to tell you it's essential (because different strokes for different folks and I would never tell you how to stroke yourself), but if you've never even tried it, here's how it works for me.

Doctor Who review on Dork Adore!

Review of last night's Doctor Who episode - "Flatline" - up now on Dork Adore! One-off, filling in, substitute reviewer type action.

For those who miss the days when I reviewed loads of TV, enjoy. Dork Adore needed a hand, I had the time, so why not? Obviously had to resist dumping all my opinions about the entire eighth series into that one review. Think I mostly managed it.

Hobson & Choi - Updates & End-dates

Hobson & Choi, my ongoing webseries about two mismatched detectives and their weird adventures in a horribly corrupt modern London, has experienced a strong few months. We've done well on Jukepop Serials, the first collected book edition has come out and also put in a strong showing. So since we had a big positive announcement today, it seemed a good time to do a general H&C post, talk about stuff, make some declarations.

Hopefully it's all ultimately going to be good news. But be warned: your emotions may vary. Let's start with the really obvious flag-waving upbeat section.

Hobson & Choi #94: "Enforced"

The ninety-fourth episode of H&C is now up, and they're digging right into the aftermath of recent events! Whatever next?

Well, you'll have to read H&C #95 for that. However, there will be some out-of-story H&C news in the near future, regarding both the webserial and the books. Hopefully some time in the next few days, schedule depending and so on.

But for now, I am editing hard on the second H&C book and considering whether to do NaNoWriMo. There may be some kind of "To NaNo Or Not To NaNo?" blog, although I am painfully aware that is a post I must have written before, possibly more than once. We'll see.

Hobson & Choi #93: "Yellow Tent"

Time for a close-up chat with the baddies in "Yellow Tent". More like this to come, too...

The end of the story arc is nigh, and it's time for some final accounting. Big showdown with elderly woman time. Who will emerge okay? Is the answer "no-one"? Find out now!

And meanwhile, I'm deep into edits for the book edition of the second story arc, which is 100% my excuse for perhaps being slightly quieter than usual on Twitter. Think they're going okay, though, which is nice.

If you want to buy the first book, of course, you can totally do that. Many links up on the official Hobson & Choi homepage thing. It'll provide you with something to read while I edit. May try and do a blog post next week too.

Draft Four The Win? - The Novel Continues

I've just finished draft four of the fantasy novel I've been writing for around 18 months. This is obviously an achievement - not a top-rated one worthy of a party, but a clear rung up the ladder.

So what does finishing a fourth draft actually mean? How many more am I planning? Do I even know?

Well.

Hobson & Choi #92: "Cutting Edge"

Hobson & Choi #92 - it exists and features a dramatic knife-fight! We're coming up to the end of a storyline!

So that's exciting. Less exciting, I admit, is this blog as I really haven't had time to do anything. On the plus side, I'm considering doing the one-video-blog-a-day Vlogtober challenge, so if I do that, I'll have some free content to embed here.

Yes, I'm already a day behind, but I can catch up with that.

More relevantly to the H&C saga - thanks so much to everyone who voted for us on Jukepop last month! We won the monthly chart, and we may have also won the biannual prize. We wait.

And as well as possible daily vlogs, I also gotta edit H&C Book 2 soon. Life probably not getting less busy.