This week at the loch - 22/08/2025

The kids have had their first full week back at school and so far it’s been all about trying to find our way back into some kind of routine. Last Friday, after dinner, we headed up to Helensburgh to wander along the pier with an ice cream as a way to mark the first day back. The experience as a whole ended up not being quite as much fun as we had hoped - the seaweed smell was strong, the 8yo didn’t enjoy his ice cream, it was windy and not very warm - but we made the most of it and I snapped this shot of the sun over the water.

I managed to finish and submit the romantasy story this week, and whether it gets accepted or not, it ended up being a fun project. I’m still working on the Solarpunk story, which is taking a bit more time to come to life for me. Hopefully I’ll find the heart of it over the next few days as I don’t have much more time to get it finished!

As research, I enjoyed digging into the Flame Tree Press Beyond and Within anthology, Solar Punk: Short Stories from Many Futures edited by Francesco Verso. Flame Tree anthologies are always a joy to read and this one has some really interesting pieces in it.

The 11yo found this tiny nest in the grass near the house the other day. So far I haven’t had any luck finding out which type of bird it might have been home to. Does anyone have any ideas?

What I’m working on - Still the Solarpunk short story, although I’ve also snuck in some work on Rise of a Witch Queen. Still doing the beta read, and trying to stay consistent with the content and social media stuff.

What I’m reading - Still reading Ancestors: A Prehistory of Britain in Seven Burials, by Professor Alice Roberts. I’m really enjoying it, a fascinating look into Britain’s prehistory.

What I’m watching - Gave up on Charmed as the writing finally became unforgiveable for me. So alternating History Hit documentaries on everything from the Incas to Ancient Egypt to the Tudors with episodes of Start Trek: Voyager, which I have never seen the end of. Voyager is familiar enough that I can jigsaw while watching, because I don’t really need to be looking at the screen a lot of the time.

What I’m listening to - The new Halestorm album!

Something Interesting - Really enjoyed this flash piece from a writer I haven’t encountered before: FICTION: The Newhamstead Goblin – Precast Reinforced Concrete Heart

Sunset, as seen from my house