I’ve been back in a writing groove for a few weeks now. Kinda didn’t wanna jinx it by sharing, but it’s too nice a feeling to keep to myself. Anyone in this game knows how crucial momentum can be. And it ebbs and flows. One word at a time, folks.

I know there are bigger fish to fry in the world right now but Teslas sound so fucking stupid when they reverse. They sound like whimpering dishwashers. Temu Bladerunner.

COMING UP THIS WEEK ON PATREON: We'll be joined by @alethearlyons.bsky.social and @nicksnapeauthor.bsky.social for a live discussion on author collaboration, co-writing and group projects. To join the chat, check out our Patreon: www.patreon.com/cw/Spotlight...

I love BtB. And this is one of the *wildest* grifts I’ve ever learned about. This shit was happening* in my lifetime…and it’s just insane. open.spotify.com/episode/10BX... *the same underlying principle still is, but to shill AI instead of fake bomb detectors

If you’d like to request an ARC of The Ruin of Rage and Reckonings (Book II of The Turned) then there’s a form to do just that, right here! forms.gle/hXb3pi1xW6LD... I’ll be responding to all requests soon, so thank you for your patience if you’ve already put a req in!

Ten years on from Brexit there are still no rules to prevent lies in election ads. We’ve tabled amendments to stop election ads like the infamous Brexit bus misleading voters again. Email your MP and ask them to sponsor them. It takes 1 minute. 👇 reformpoliticaladvertising.org/take-action/...

Whenever a stranger compliments my beard (happens more than you’d think) my default reply is: “Thanks, I grew it myself.” Responses are always either a little smile or an abject look of bewildered horror. I live for both.

Half-term completed. Spent the entirety of last week with my two boys (6yo twins) and had an absolute blast. I may be returning to work with a mad idea for a kids book bubbling away in the back of my brain…

Off subject: Reference the Mystery Hour podcast Thursday May the 28th and the enquiry about the sequence of words Jerry and Tom and Hardy and Laurel ... this clipping from six years ago "one of the unwritten rules of English native speakers". Wish I had listened live. I would have 'phoned in.

It’s very nearly June in 2026 and I’m *still* seeing folks claim that em dashes are a surefire sign of AI being used in writing. Shit, stunted, contrived writing is usually a pretty good giveaway, people — not punctuation that’s been used for literal centuries. Don’t make me tap the sign.

Here's the serious bit for anyone who'd rather skip the 4000 words of jokes

It's nearly here! Only one week to go until Spotlight Indie Live and we couldn't be more excited if we tried. Come join us for: author panels, Q&As, live performances, traders market, free author headshots, drop-in advice sessions and loads of AWESOME BOOKS. See you there! #Shrewsbury #Indieauthors

With just ONE WEEK to go until our free to attend #indieauthorevent at Flaxmill Maltings in #Shrewsbury we're hitting Shrewsbury Library this weekend. Find us there 16th May from 11am where we'll be chatting about the event and displaying some indie works!

Outside of being an author, I’m a designer (it’s how I make my living) and this is absolutely spot on RE: Generative AI in the design industry. “We used to call it theft.” open.substack.com/pub/undomag/...

British politics is a dumpster fire of billionaire-backed misinformation and brain-rotting social media rage. It’s grim and it’s gross. But—as always, folks—try to look after each other. Look after your friends and family. Look after your community. And look after yourself, too.

It's always awesome to get fan mail. Just answered some. So if you're wondering "gosh should I tell that writer how much I loved their book/story" yeah you definitely should, immediately

Here. We. Go! Title and cover reveal time for book two of The Turned series! I’ll post more about this book in due course, but for now please enjoy the cover! [artwork and design by me, with no robot intervention] #BookSky #fantasybook #indieauthor #books

the best dinosaur is clearly Iguanodon, because of all the dinosaurs it most resembled a middle-aged Sicilian-American dock-worker with a switchblade

Here. We. Go! Title and cover reveal time for book two of The Turned series! I’ll post more about this book in due course, but for now please enjoy the cover! [artwork and design by me, with no robot intervention] #BookSky #fantasybook #indieauthor #books

the devil just blinked

I ranked the First Law books, from my least* to most favourite. Not sure words can do justice to how much I love this series, but here goes… stevepannett.com/the-first-la... *tbh, even my least favourite in the series is still a bloody good read!

I do not take booktok seriously and I never will. What the fuck you mean the epilogue and prologue “aren’t part of the book/story”???????

Hello friends and also enemies, Behind the Bastards has been nominated for a Webby! This is the first award I've ever been nominated for, so if you'd like to vote for my show I'd appreciate it: vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting...

For fans of the fantastically fanged! Here are my recommendations for vampire books! stevepannett.com/the-best-vam... #BookSky #BookRecommendations

Today’s author search on Google: “What do you call someone who keeps pigeons?” Actually quite tame compared to my usual history of searching for all things murder-y. — Also “pigeon fancier” is the best I can find, or “aviarist” for something more generic.

Panels for readers, panels for writers, panels for anyone who loves books, stalls to peruse, authors to meet (including yours truly, but don’t let that put you off), kick-ass entertainment, and a stunning venue. Also…tis free to attend, y’all! #BookSky #BookEvents #AuthorEvents

Stocking up for some events this year 😍

Over on Instagram, I—somewhat facetiously—suggested that I might add “% read” info next to the page numbers in my *printed* books (in order to mimic the ebook experience) and a fair few people are…actually on board with the idea. Is this genius, or is it madness? #BookSky #Reading #Books

The Sins of Steel and Shadow is an #SPFBO semifinalist 🙌🏻 Well chuffed, and hats off to anyone who entered this year’s contest. There are some incredible looking titles on that list and my TBR is getting longer every day! stevepannett.com/the-sins-of-...

Humble beginnings I know, but I’m proud that my website has hit this milestone from organic search (on Google, at least). I blog primarily for myself, but that’s not to say there’s no method in the madness! stevepannett.com

I reviewed an absolute classic of Celtic-inspired fantasy (and the start of one of my favourite ever series) stevepannett.com/book-review-... #DavidGemmell #Bookreview #BookSky

It’s early so I can’t tell if my bran flakes are getting heavy with the affirmations or aggressively calling me out. Thanks, though? I’ll try? 🤷🏻‍♂️

A little behind-the-scenes explanation of my self-pub imprint, Broken Hilt Publishing. What it is, what it isn’t, and what inspired the name 👀 📚 stevepannett.com/what-is-brok... #BookSky #fantasybooks #indieauthor

A little behind-the-scenes explanation of my self-pub imprint, Broken Hilt Publishing. What it is, what it isn’t, and what inspired the name 👀 📚 stevepannett.com/what-is-brok... #BookSky #fantasybooks #indieauthor

Hats off to the people of Gorton and Denton. Voting in a representative who actually cares, from a party with some good ideas 🟢👏🏻 Still alarming how much support Reform is getting through lies and fear-mongering, but I’m glad that the politics of hate was edged out this time.

What can you expect to find at Spotlight Indie Live? Good vibes, a warm welcome, supportive people and plenty of book chat. You can find advice, writing conversations and fellow authors, creatives and storytellers. The best bit? It's FREE. See you in #Shrewsbury! www.spotlightindie.co.uk

The silver lining of my email inbox being regularly accosted by AI-written scam/spammers trying to flog me shit is that it shows my SEO strategy is working. The latest effort even referenced some page enrichment that I’ve been testing.

Credit has to go to @lyonspen.bsky.social for being the first person I've ever interviewed in arctic conditions 🥶check out this awesome panel with @stevepannett.com @skbalstrup.bsky.social and @authoriseult.bsky.social

Myth, monsters and making sense of a disenchanted world: why everyone is reading fantasy

That's it, the guests are ready, the streams are set up and Frasier's snack stash is towering over us all. The Big Indie Weekend starts at 10am tomorrow! Three days of #indieauthor guests, #writingchat, #bookchat, advice and conversation. LET'S GO INDIES! #writingcommunity #BookSky #amreading

Writing a speech is really hard. Writing a speech and then having one of your characters deliver it is even harder. I don’t think I’ve ever spent this long revising one part of a book before 😳

This local Wolfdog joined an Olympic ski event and triggered the finish-line camera. This is Nazgul. He snuck into a cross-country skiing sprint this morning and raced the homestretch with some competitors before being escorted home. 14/10 someone get him a medal

Thought I’d try something different to soundtrack my day, so I put some whale song on while I worked. Holy crap was that a mistake! Shit sounds like some unnamed Lovecraftian horrors. Hard pass from me, sorry whales. 🐋 🎶 🚫

Excited for this event. And it’s *free* to attend! If fantasy, science fiction, horror and/or speculative fiction is your jam, come on down and say hullo/check out all of the awesome stuff going on!

If I win the lottery I won’t tell anyone, but there will be signs… …primarily a more consistent publishing schedule, owing to the fact that the only other commitment I’ll have will be parenting.

It's time to give you a look at our 2026 live event line up. We can't wait to bring you a fantastic day of talks, book signings and writing chat. Our 2026 event is free to attend and is designed for indie authors and book fans #AuthorEvents #Shrewsbury #IndieAuthors #IndieBooks

Starting out in the indie community and need some support? Spotlight Indie Live is a free to attend event designed for indie authors and creatives. Writing craft panels, walk-up advice sessions and Q&As - come along, join in and get involved! #AuthorEvents #IndieAuthors #Shrewsbury #WritingCommunity

I penned some thoughts about “Show, don’t tell” up on my website. stevepannett.com/what-does-sh... I cover why this advice has such longevity, and how I use it across three key areas to improve my writing. #BookThreads #IndieAuthor

SPFBO 11 officially starts today! Let the reviews flow! #SPFBO