Hello friend, it’s time for my January update!

Thanks for subscribing, opening this newsletter and reading along on my fictional endeavours, I appreciate you being here.

My new year’s gift for you: this sci-fi short story 🚀👨🏻‍🚀 enjoy!

Today’s topic: video stores and the Star Trek obsession

Do you remember video stores? Those magical places where every Saturday you would order a pizza and wander the shelves for 3 new releases for $14.95? I had the honour—nay the privilege—to work at not one, but TWO video stores, VideoEzy and Blockbuster. I won’t lie that some of the best memories of my life are from my shifts in both of these stores. I genuinely wish these stores still existed!

One distinct memory I have of working the counter at VideoEzy was helping Star Trek fans hire out VHS videos of the Star Trek series. These fans would walk in with a pile of last week’s borrowings, drop them on the counter, then return to the counter with the next week’s borrowings. This would happen week after week. I was curious as to why this series brought people so much joy. I said to myself one day I should check it out. And finally I did! I watched the first Star Trek film, the 1979 Star Trek: The Motion Picture. 

Now, I’ll admit this wasn’t the original TV series, which I will get to. But it was a *stunning* film. And it showed me what we need to reclaim in the film industry and in storytelling in general:

It was slow

This gave me time to breathe and take it all in. The whole idea of the universe and it being endless, feels overwhelming. But slowing down the pace of the discoveries in the story gave me time to soak it in at my own pace. It also gave me time with each character, I was able to watch them and how they behaved in various scenarios. This slow pace has been dramatically ramped up in contemporary books, series and films, but I think it comes at the expense of really knowing the characters and the story well.

It was less about having plot points, and more about mood

I realised at some stage: ‘wait, not a whole lot has happened’. And it hit me that these writers and filmmakers were more focused on how it made you feel. Huge chunks of the film were dedicated to deep, stunning visuals with unusual and effective foley work or soundtrack, with little to no dialogue or action. This also created room for the purpose of science fiction to be carried out: to question our existence and whatever exists “out there”.

The cinematography made you a character in the story

Look I’m no film theory expert, but the cinematography favoured slower, wider shots. It felt more inviting, allowing me to fully take in the grandeur of the ship, space, and the characters’ surroundings. It created a sense of scale and wonder, I felt like I was part of the universe being explored. By contrast, contemporary films often rely heavily on rapid close-ups to force intensity and emotion, but this approach can sometimes feel claustrophobic.

I will certainly be adopting some of these strategies in my own writing. If you’re into science fiction and have seen this film, let me know your thoughts! I’d love to connect with other sci-fi and Star Trek fans.

Novel update (68k words)

I am still deep in draft 3, but have had the absolute pleasure of bringing some characters further into the limelight. I realised not long ago that I had written a lot about the ‘good’ side in the story, but I hadn’t given the evil guys enough time to flex. So I’ve been writing on the dark side. It’s been fun!!

What I’m reading/finishing reading 
The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
Nightfall in the Forest of Betrayal by Loren Tuxford (Australian indie author) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Awoken Forest: Ashes of the Injai by Wesley Croft (Australian indie author)
Unwinding the Spiral by Peta Hawkins (Australian indie author)
An Echo in the Bone (Outlander #7) by Diana Gabaldon 🎧
The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower #1) by Stephen King
School of Combat (Skyborne #1) by Taylor Night 🎧