Hello everyone!

This is a bit of an impromptu blog post today.

There's a Kickstarter that went up today that will be of interest to fantasy fans. Its the first two proper issues of New Edge Sword & Sorcery Magazine.

If you would like to take a look before I start waxing lyrically about it, then you can take a look here.

I managed to get their trial run Issue 0 towards the end of September 2022 and was suitably impressed.

New Edge Sword & Sorcery
issue 0

It can still be ordered off amazon in the UK here and in the USA here.

I liked that they were including stories that broadened the scope of the characters beyond just the clone of Conan - Clonan the Librarian - and were generally involving characters who were termed as 'outcast', with quite a diverse range of character types involved, with there own diverse struggles.

In Issue 0, about a third of the large magazine was taken up by articles too, one delving into Sword and Sorcery in the modern age and another about one of Robert E Howard's female characters - not Red Sonja. Though I still need to do a better review of the volume, I still want to say, I was suitably impressed by the production and the intent to modernise the genre.

Issues One and Two look to expand on that and solidify those new changes as a 'New Edge'. And I'm welcoming that. There are some very curious tales that can be told and some erudite things to be said about it.

The new magazines will be roughly 45,000 words in length, in softback and hardback as well as e-book forms, with some luscious artwork by talented and established artists and illustrators.

As youcan probably tell, I've already backed the Kickstarter for issues one and two of New Edge Sword and Sorcery because one of the biggest selling points for me as a fanboy, is a tale by Michael Moorcock of Elric fame. This is something I'll be looking forward to.

Michael Moorcock, of Elric of Melnibone fame,
contributor to New Edge Sword & Sorcery

There are some tasty looking stretch goals too. There is even a first day backer incentive too.

Again, I'll post the link to the Kickstarter here. So try and take a look and seriously consider backing it.

Launch day special for
New Edge Sword & Sorcery issues 1 and 2,
backers on Kickstarter

If you would like to follow progress further, they can be found on Twitter here. They look to be posting regular updates about the Kickstarter as things happen. The most recent two are that they were 20% funded within 2 hours, and then 30% funded in 3 hours, which looks promising.

That pretty much ends my rambling for today. and I shall leave you with another couple of photos of me enjoying this excellent sword and sorcery fantasy magazine in Derby's oldest pub - The Dolphin.

New Edge Sword & Sorcery with Bass
In The Dolphin, Derby

Further enjoyment of
New Edge Sword & Sorcery
with Bass in The Dolphin, Derby

Nothing like Bass and
New Edge Sword & Sorcery
in Derby's oldest pub

New Edge Sword & Sorcery,
with Bass in The Dolphin
in Derby

 Hello everyone!

Well, well, well, I did manage to finish the novella during the week, which I'm pleased to announce. It was on Thursday that it happened and I think, with a word count on that day of over 4,700 words, I think its the most productive day I've had in a while. The novella now weighs in at a little over 25,000 words so far. 

I've yet to do an edit on it though and I think that it will be cut down a bit, but I'm expecting that. I'm sort of aiming to self publish this novella and as long as it totals more than 8,400 words in total, I'm happy as there are minimum restrictions to stuff being published in the way I'd like to.

Anyway, it has now been added to a 'to be edited' pile with a couple of short stories in the same series. I want to do another couple of novellas and about 4 short stories that I'd like to have down in first draft form and then I'll work through the stack, editing it.

Though with the next few stories, I'd like to make that post four thousand word daily total an average. Perhaps I am being hard on myself with that as I am sort of comparing my productivity to what I was able to do a handful of years ago, but those days saw me working so hard, I ended up in hospital. So that's something to work around. Anyway, the 1,400 words a day average I did during the novella, I'm happy enough with.

Anyway, what have I been doing since Thursday?

I've been planning the next couple of stories: that's what. There is a short story based on what happens when a wizard college pub has a bar room brawl and  there is a novella based on a three way battle over a trans dimensional portal to a pocket dimension at the centre of a Fimir village. Pirates are involved.

Friday saw me also attend a birthday party. The lady who inspired the sidekick in my novella had her 50th birthday, which was nice.

Also, yesterday was May Day, a day of celebration for me, and celebrate I did. I'm feeling much the worse the ware for it today though. But after seeing my dad, I went to The Dolphin and The Flowerpot in Derby and a few friends were bumped into there, which was nice. Though I had pencilled in meeting a friend in the suburbs for an afternoon trip, but things were left a bit late to organise things with that.

But anyway, if you like Vikings, history and folktales, take a look at his YouTube channel here.

The Flowerpot, Derby

The Dolphin, Derby