If you would like to see last months Update, click here! If you would like to keep track of all my monthly updates, then here is a link to the tag I use for them!
State of Gibberish
Hooooo boy, I thought January was busy and then here comes February. I was able to write more in February so that’s something. But I’m still feeling exhausted. Nevertheless, this dead cat can bounce, and I’ve got big big plans for the month ahead. Let’s dive in.
What I’m Reading
On Substack I haven’t been as good a reader even of my favorite writers. So at long last I could not make even one last ditch heroic effort to catch up, so I don’t have anything to promote here. Turning it around on you—What’s the best thing you read this month?
The Books I am reading—I can’t even stick to my designated list. For some reason getting through Dark Forest is taking forever, but it’s a heady book and I need to take my time with it. A couple audio-books snuck into my reading queue as well.
Dark Forest by Cixin Liu. Doubled my progress again. This is such a heady and interesting book. It’s got science fiction, philosophy, combat, politics—Hambone was right, if someone wrote a book designed to appeal specifically to Scoot it’s this book.
25.09% Complete
Surprise Addition, Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl. Hambone suggested this to me and I read Part I in one sitting. POWERFUL stuff. I got a lot out of this and you’ll see it’s influence coming through the
more likely than not.58.79% Complete
Another surprise, Tao of Pooh (Audiobook) by Benjamin Hoff. Another Hambone rec, this one was a relatively quick listen and so I listened while I worked one day. That means I didn’t absorb all of it, but there are a few nuggets. I bought the hardcopy book too so I’ll be revisiting this.
100% Complete
- recommended Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi, also Audiobook. I’m taking this one slowly because it’s in the self-help genre. I’m on Chapter 8 of 33 so that’s how I’ll measure the percent complete.
24.24% Complete
The other books are still on my list: The Two Towers, Joan of Arc, and The Return of the King, but I took them off this list so it was less cluttered.
What I’m Working On
Weekly Exercises - Weekly exercises have kept a-goin!
The Selected Letters of Armin R. Tolor has been cruising right along. February was a rare two-episode month, and Episode 4 will drop March 16th. This is what I have been hyping on notes as Pride and Prejudice in space. It is a low-energy serial, it will release every three weeks, and the whole thing has already been written so it will run until November 2nd.
Flash Fiction - Out of the Black was the only flash fiction I got for you this month. I LOVED the feedback you all left on it, and those of you who want more, don’t worry, more is coming. I can’t promise when, but I do promise it’s coming.
Voice Acting - I started publishing readings of my own stories from The Volume with the podcast feature, and in this second episode, I cover the first Flash Fiction I wrote for Gibberish: Telephobia!
Drafts - I’ve got lots of lofty goals but I’m trying to manage my writing energy these days. Here’s a few I’m excited about, presented with no additional information.
The Lighthouse Part I
The Trials of the Hearken
Shephard of the Sky
The Beasts
Projects In Progress
For a complete list of 2024 special projects, check out the December update! Here’s a soft announcement for what’s coming up in March! (The full announcement is coming March 8th!)
The Gibberish Writing Competition 2024 Is Coming! Click the link to see the posts from the previous competition. Here’s some quick facts if you’ve never heard of the Gibberish Writing Competition before.
It’s to help discover and amplify up-and-coming Substack fiction writers with less than 200 subs
5 contestants are chosen to “compete” (really against themselves) in three writing challenges.
Detailed and personal feedback is given on each story to help these writers grow.
It is not for the faint of heart!
If those things sound appealing to you, get ready. The competition will formally begin in April, so March will be the month of application, selection, and preparation for the challenge. GET READY because I have a lot of surprises for this go around and based on feedback from GWC ‘23 I think I’ve improved on the model. Check out GWC 23 to see the challenges, the contestants, examples of feedback, and more!
Thank you for sticking with me my friends! I hope this update gives you a good sense of what’s inbound to your inbox!
Happy writing, and God bless!
- Scoot
I always suggest people listen to recommendations made by John Ward. he's quite astute. 😄
I read the Tao of Pooh like 30 years ago, and it was amazing!
Keith Ferrazzi does a good job of overviewing how to network, although parts of the book sort of bothered me in like a 48 Laws of Power sort of way. Still, plenty of good stuff mixed in there and "best practice" tips.