Fupdate: The Most Exciting News Yet

It's "fun" + "update" because it's a fun update.

I have big news: I am now doing a paid tier for my Substack!

What that means is I will be doing a lot more content as now my writing time will be solely devoted to this and writing my novels. That means more short stories, humor articles, and other fun stuff from me. And though I don’t plan to use it very often, it will be nice to have a paywall to hide behind for my possibly cancelable opinions. My goal is two posts a week, as that should leave time for me to write the longer-form content such as short stories. This also means you will enjoy my writing more because science says you enjoy things more when you pay for them.

Thanks so much to all the people who have already signed up for the paid tier. You’re helping fund the writing I enjoy the most, and I hope to share that joy.

Paid Benefits

As a paid subscriber, you’ll get access to all my longer-form content such as short stories and humor articles. You can look at the archives for my Substack to see the kind of content I’ll be writing; it will be like that, but now more of it. I’ll also follow you on Twitter if you’d like so you can DM me whenever if you have any feedback (just reply to this email with your handle if you’re already a paid subscriber).

I also might do a Q&A for paid subscribers if anyone is interested in that. Does anyone have any questions for me?

Also, all paid subscribers will have access to all my novels as soon as they’re in beta. For instance, if you just can’t wait for the final version of the third Superego, I can send you now what was sent to beta readers. And all subscribers will get access to the second Hellbender as soon as it’s ready for beta readers (which should be in a month or so).

Founder Benefits

There’s a Founder level you can sign up for, which I left as an option because it was a default, butI didn’t really think about it. A number of people have signed up for it already, and I think it’s now time to come up with some benefits for it. For Founders, I’ll send you a signed copy of my novels as they release. I’ll also include you in the Acknowledgements as a special thanks for all the support to my writing. And you’ll get a free copy of any audiobooks I release. And then whatever else you want; I feel like people at that level should get a free wish.

Thanks again to everyone who has already signed up. It means a lot to me. I’m really excited about this space to explore the writing I enjoy the most. And to everyone still on the free subscription tier, I love you too and this will probably mean more content for you as well. My writing updates will always be free for everyone, and I will also have some other fun posts for all subscribers. Still, please consider getting a paid subscription.

The Babylon Bee

I have a little bit of sad news: I have decided to move on from The Babylon Bee to focus more on my other writing. Now, I know there has been a bit of a shakeup there, and I don’t want to comment on that, but I will say this: I was a fan of The Babylon Bee before I wrote for them, and I will be a fan afterward. There are still a lot of funny people writing there, and even with my departure, I expect just as many funny headlines and for it to continue to grow in popularity.

Which to me is a good argument that it’s time to move on.

I’m really proud of the work I did for The Babylon Bee over the years, and I plan to do a roundup of some of my favorite articles I wrote in a future post, so look for that.

Superego 3 and Hellbender 2

My goal is to get one novel out a year. I did not have any novel out in 2021, though. To make up for it, I hope to get two out this year. The third Superego, Superego: Betrayal, is currently being looked over by my wife, the lovely and talented SarahK who has done a pass on the two previous Superegos. Hopefully, it will be finalized and published very soon.

As for the second Hellbender (tentatively titled Hellbender 2: Double Hockey Sticks — no one steal that title), I’m cruising through the second draft of that and hope to have it done in a month or so. As soon as I’m done (and the aforementioned lovely and talented SarahK gets a look), I’ll be looking for beta readers.

When the second Hellbender 2nd draft is done, I will then begin work on the fourth Superego which will close out that story arc.

For paid subscribers, I can send you the beta version now of Superego: Betrayal if you can’t wait and will give you access to Hellbender 2 as soon as the beta version is ready. I also might go ahead and post some chapters from it as I finalize them; I hate having to wait so long before anyone gets to read any of it.

Podcast Update

I still have no plans for a podcast.

Top Hat for Winchester

If there is one thing people always remark about pictures of my son Winchester, it’s that he never has on a top hat.

With the new paid tier for my Substack, I’m hoping we can finally afford to get him that fancy hat he desperately needs. As soon as I hit one hundred paid subscribers, I should be able to afford a baby-sized top hat and will put out a special post for paid subscribers of Winchester in said top hat. So let’s get to it.

The stretch goal will be to also get him a monocle.

Chesterton’s Gateway

Since I don’t yet have a new book out for you to buy, I’d like to recommend this new book from Ethan Nicolle I absolutely love, Chesterton’s Gateway. I’m actually jealous of Ethan; he set out to do something, and he did it perfectly. He wanted to ease people into reading the greatness of G.K. Chesterton, and reading this compilation of some of Chesterton’s essays is like reading along with a good friend thanks to Ethan’s notes. I want to get this book for everyone as I think everyone would enjoy it, so pick up a copy and think some bigger thoughts.

Change

I’d like to close out this newsletter talking a little bit about change. It’s a new year, and things are changing for me. But change can be good. And change is a part of life. Anything living will always be changing. If you’re not changing anymore, then you’re dead. Though I guess death is also a change. And small, round metal money is change as well. That doesn’t really have anything to do with my point, though, and just ends up cluttered on my nightstand because who has time to keep track of things worth less than a dollar? Anyway… well, I kind of forgot what my point was. And rambling essays that don’t go anywhere probably aren’t a great way to convince people to pay for my writing. But I swear I can do better. I can change.

Though probably a lot of what I write will be even dumber than this. Sorry, that’s something about me I just can’t change.

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See you again later this week with the first of the new premium content. Thanks again to all the paid subscribers; I’ll do my best to make you not regret it.