From the Desk of William Pauley III
We’re about a month away from the one year anniversary of this Substack, so I wanted to write a quick note to you—dedicated reader and supporter of Doom Fiction—to let you know just how much I appreciate every like, subscribe, read, stream, comment, restack, and for goofing off with me in the notes every now and then. You all are incredible. My creative journey has never been as exciting as it has these last eleven months, and I have YOU to thank for it.
So, thank you. Truly.
For those of you who know me, you know I’m not good with repetition. It feels like stagnation to me. Even my fiction reflects this. I like to challenge myself to push into places I’ve never been before. That’s what gets me going. That’s why, nearly 20 years deep, I still struggle to contain my excitement as I sit down to write every morning.
I love it.
I have a theory that passion is contagious. If I’m passionate about what I’m doing, blazing down some kind of weird path, then others will naturally catch fire and set blazes of their own. I’m not in the business of boredom. I’m here, just like all of us are here, to set ourselves on fire and burn this mother down!
Whoa… that got away from me fast. Passion is good, but too much passion is bbaaaaadddd. I’m still working on that balance.
Anyway, my point (yes, I DO have a point) is that this here is the 49th issue of the Doom Fiction Newsletter. In those 49 weeks, I’ve tried to make every issue fun and unique in one way or another. If you’re new to this page, I definitely recommend taking a deep dive into the archives, because we’ve had a whole hell of a lot of fun over the last year. We’ve been on some wild adventures with one another. At one point, I almost died! At least twice! I’ve shared stories, poems, life events, mini-comics, word puzzles, fake advertisements, and at one point I even taught you how to astral project.
This isn’t your typical newsletter, that’s for damn sure.
With that said, to keep the energy of this newsletter alive, I’m afraid it’s nearing a time when we’ll have to stick a pin in it. Don’t worry, we’ll get back to it later in the year, but for now, I need to use the time I spend on it every week to work on some other Substack-related projects that I’ve been dying to share with you.
No, we’re not breaking up. No, I’m not slowing down or taking a creative break. Baby, we’re just getting started! I’m simply moving one ball of energy into another. That’s all. I want to try some things I’ve never done before. I have a feeling you’re really going to dig it.
So, what can you expect to see in the coming months?
Well, I already mentioned Psychedelic Summer, right? If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, you can read about that here. That event will be taking place from the beginning of May to the end of August. Tons of new stories! New narrations! Deep dives! Audio commentaries! Live chats with friends! So, so much.
I will also be posting the final two STATICMOUTH/BLOODBUZZ stories, one in April and one in May, as well as all remaining books and audiobooks in the Doom Fiction catalog. Nearly everything I’ve ever written (worth a grain of salt, anyway) will finally be posted and easily accessible to subscribers by the end of summer!
But it’s only March… so what will we be doing all throughout April, Mr. III?
Well, a little one-eyed birdie told me April is National Poetry Month, so I reckon it’s just a perfect time as any to share with you some of my poetry (a lot of it, actually). On the days my son is at school, I’ve been sneaking into his room to sit at his gaming station and record some stuff for you. It’s taken some interesting, unexpected, turns.
Anyway, I plan to post two of these recordings a day for my followers here (no, these will NOT be emailed — I promise I won’t blow up your inboxes!). At the end of the week, I’ll send a single email that will collect all the posted poems, that way email subscribers won’t have to worry about missing anything.
Fair warning, though… this won’t be that highbrow poetry you’ve surely read from other writers. Doom Fiction poetry, like all the writing you’ll find here, is super weird. It’s gritty, dirty, and sometimes completely absurd. I think of my poems as little parasites. They’ll jump into your ears, crawl into your brains, and may even stay there for a while. Don’t worry, they won’t hurt a bit… probably.
Come April, you’ll be infested with them. Get those spray cans ready! (it’ll only make them stronger!)
Alright alright, I’ve yakked on long enough. Next week’s newsletter, Issue 50, will be the last for a while. I’ll be sure to make it one it remember.
Thank you, once again, for being here. It means the world.
I can’t wait to show you what’s coming next…
“Interstellar Theme” (live)
Hans Zimmer
Last Week / This Week
My new story “Prelude to a Dream” dropped earlier this week. Read it now!
(Also, VIP subscribers now have access to an exclusive post containing commentary on how the story was written—from the first scribble of an idea to final draft. It includes a rare look into my personal notebooks. Check that out here!)
Last week, on Storytime!, we explored what the earth was like moments before evil was birthed from its soil. What? Haven’t had a chance to listen to “Spring” yet? No worries! Check it out here.
On this week’s episode, we’ll get lost wandering the long and winding hallways of the Eighth Block Tower, eventually finding ourselves in an unknown space—one hiding a resident so dangerous he must be kept locked in a cage. Be sure to check out “Nostalgia, Pt. 1” when it drops on Monday! Be sure you’re subscribed so you’re notified the moment it goes live:
Check out this excellent review of Twelve Residents Dreaming! Thanks so much, Elizabeth, for such a thorough review! Pick up a signed copy here.
You know, I’ve been doing this gig for about 20 years now and I’m only just realizing it might be possible to make a living off of these weird little stories. If you enjoy these posts every week, *please* consider a monthly subscription. It’s only $5 and it gives you instant access to the Doom Fiction library. Tons of audiobooks, short stories, exclusive articles, art projects, you name it. All for the price of a cup of coffee! Once I have enough subscribers, I’ll have all the time in the world to create even more weirdness for you. So, save the weird! Become a paid subscriber today!
For an extensive list of exclusive perks for paid subscribers, click the following links:
Oddities Theater
Glitter and Doom is a 2024 concert film experience using found footage from Tom Waits’ 2008 tour of the same name.
Synopsis: A compilation of professional footage and fan films to reconstruct an entire Tom Waits concert from his "Glitter and Doom Tour" of 2008. I used all the released soundboard audio that had footage to accompany it to make a concert film that should make a good experience of what it would have been like being in the audience. (Tom Waits YouTube Channel)
Hearers of the Constant Hum
(TV Pilot)
Several years ago, the opportunity for a possible Hearers of the Constant Hum television adaptation suddenly fell into my lap. I quickly wrote a script, on the off chance that the show might actually happen—but alas, nothing ever came of it.
I thought some of you may be interested in checking it out. So here, for the first time ever, is the script for the pilot episode of Hearers of the Constant Hum.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to DOOM FICTION to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.