Tykewriter Digest, April 2025
The latest quarterly news and writings from journalist and SFF author Mark Cantrell
WELCOME to my latest quarterly author newsletter, Tykewriter Digest, where I share news about my writing endeavours, along with links to work published in the previous three months.
Things have been a little slack on Tome of an Obscure Scribbler of late. Partly, that's down to me realising I needed a break. Otherwise, it's an opportune moment to have a think about how I approach the newsletter.
Substack is essentially a publishing – or blogging – platform, but the focus is on subscribers – the newsletter aspect. The two are very different things to my mind, so I've been mulling over that difference.
A newsletter, to me, conveys multiple snippets and stories (or links to stories), much like Tykewriter Digest does; rather than singular posts emailed to subscribers. So that's what I'm thinking about at the moment, a little rejig of how I approach these things.
For now, while I take that break, Scribbler ticks over, but once I'm fully back in the saddle, it'll be back to weekly posts. As ever, that's going to be a mix of news and features on a variety of topics that catch my eye – the backbone of the site – augmented by blogs, essays, fiction and explorations of my literary life.
No change there, then. However, instead of emailing each post separately every week, I'm going to experiment with collating them periodically into the Digest; more like a proper newsletter. Obviously, that means increasing the frequency from a quarterly schedule (I'm thinking monthly, maybe), but overall it means a little less landing in people's inbox.
So, that's what I'm thinking through at the moment. Otherwise, work continues on my latest novel-in-progress, and there's some rather exciting news from my publisher, Inspired Quill – but more on that below...
Thanks for reading.
Discover Citizen Zero, visit Mark Cantrell, Author.
Latest News
Find your voice and make yourself heard
Submissions are open from an anthology of fiction, essays and poetry that's unafraid to speak out against today's authoritarian turn
SHARPEN your pencils and get ready to dissent.
These are troubling times. The world is going to pot, it feels, but as writers we can't afford to be silent, even if at times it can be difficult to know what to say. Maybe this will help focus the mind...
Indie publisher, Inspired Quill has announced open season for an anthology of short stories, essays, and poetry. But this is no everyday collection of writings – it's an anthology with attitude.
As the publisher says: “This anthology will bring together diverse voices exploring themes of hope, resistance, and human connection in response to the rise of global authoritarianism, social division, and political violence.”
If that's not enough to whet your appetite, there's more.
“The key word is Resistance,” Inspired Quill adds. “Our democracies are being taken over by demagogues and authoritarians in ways that would be considered ridiculous even five years ago. The duty of an artist at times like these is to create dangerously and to push back.
“We want to hear from voices who are actively fighting back or advising others on how to resist and persist during this global tipping point in politics, climate change and individualism.”
It's a clear call to arms; to be inspired, and for artists to raise their collective voices. So, get dissenting, and get those submissions in.
Learn more about the project on Inspired Quill's website.
Fiction Focus
Time Changes the Man
The drudgery of work is all in the mind, we suppose, but what if it's written into our very flesh?
Fiction | 29 March 2025
Read this story on Tome of an Obscure Scribbler.
Recent News & Features
In space, scientists ‘hear’ a black hole feed
Astronomers have witnessed a black hole destroy one star and use the remains to tear another apart
Science | 16 February 2025
Read this story on Mark Cantrell, Author.
The muck we breathe pollutes our thinking
Air pollution clouds the mind and makes everyday tasks challenging, say scientists
News & Features | 15 February 2025
Read this story on Tome of an Obscure Scribbler.
Walk a million years in her shoes
Cutting edge simulations are making Lucy walk again to help figure out the evolution of humanity's ability to run
News & Features | 7 February 2025
Read this story on Tome of an Obscure Scribbler.
En guard! If you're in a wheelchair, make a seat
The designers of the low-cost SwordSeat hope it will encourage greater participation in wheelchair fencing
News & Features | 24 January 2025
Read this story on Tome of an Obscure Scribbler.
From the Archives
Mourning is Broken Once Grief Erodes
Two years after the death of his father, Mark Cantrell shares this personal essay to mark the anniversary and celebrate a life lived
Writers Life | 17 March 2025
Read this story on Tome of an Obscure Scribbler.
Dystopian thriller straddles digital divide
Back when the future-shocker, Citizen Zero was born there was barely even an internet, let alone smartphones or social media, so it was time for an upgrade
Explore my Worlds | 28 October 2023
Read this story on Tome of an Obscure Scribbler.
Custodians of a literary culture
Is silence digital in the ghost-written revolution?
Essays | 1 February 2019
Read this story on Mark Cantrell, Author.
About the Author
Mark Cantrell is a UK-based writer and journalist. In 2020 he took a career hiatus to care for an elderly parent with dementia, but he's back in the saddle working once more as a journalist. Meanwhile, he continues to write and chase the literary dream. He is the author of two novels – Citizen Zero (2017) and Silas Morlock (2013) – both published by indie press, Inspired Quill. Mark was born and bred in West Yorkshire, but these days lives in Staffordshire.
Literary Links
Aside from his official website, Mark also maintains a presence on Goodreads, Smashwords, Amazon, Facebook, and Bookshop UK.
Catch him on Twitter @Man0Words. You can also find him under the same handle on Bluesky.
Read more writing on sister Substack, outHouse.
Buy me a coffee?
Tome of an Obscure Scribbler is a reader supported publication. Subscribe to get new stories emailed direct to your inbox. You'll also enjoy full access to the 'back catalogue' of previously published posts.
In the meantime, if you'd care to further support an independent author and journalist, you can always visit my KoFi page and make a small donation. A few coins in the 'tip jar' help pay my way to more writing. Much obliged!
MC