Hello, my wonderful and long-suffering Metamorphs!
After three days of reconstruction, MOST of the Metamor City website and feed are up and working. The new feed is http://www.metamorcity.com/feed, or http://www.metamorcity.com/feed/podcast if you just want the posts that have MP3 attachments. You can subscribe to the new feed by clicking the links in the right sidebar.
More details after the jump…
At this point I have restored all of the main podcast episodes in the Archives (now called “Past Episodes”, because calling a page “Archives” in the new WordPress apparently forces it into an automatic format that is contrary to my purposes). The RSS feed has all of the main episodes, most of the feedback shows and interviews, and a few of the special episodes and bonus episodes. I will work on restoring more of these as I get time.
Sadly, the comments people have left in the past seem to be gone. I have an XML file that has them backed up — somewhere — but I haven’t figured out how to restore them to the new RSS feed since I had to change versions of PHP and MySQL and switched from PodPress to PowerPress. Maybe I could have saved everything if I’d approached the rebuild differently from the beginning, but I think this is one of those things where I had to learn by doing, even if it meant making some mistakes along the way. At any rate, please know that I have not removed your comments because I don’t want to hear from you or allow others to see them — this was purely a technical mess, not a case of a temperamental author censoring the fans.
THINGS UNSEEN, the long-awaited second novel of Metamor City, is almost done. Yes, I know I’ve been saying that for at least a year now, but this time “almost done” means “four more chapters and I’m done with the first draft”. I can see the finish line, and I’m ecstatic about it.
Also, Dawn Phynix is holding my feet to the fire to make sure I finish the damned thing this time, so you all should thank her for that.
What’s next after I finish the manuscript? First, editing. This one is a police procedural mystery, and it’s going to need some tightening up and timeline-checking.
Second, prepping the manuscript for e-book release. I want this thing out on Amazon and Smashwords by the time Balticon hits (which is the last weekend of May, for those not in the know). I’m also planning on releasing several of the most popular Metamor City stories as 99-cent e-books, as well as at least one new story (The Cuckoo) that has not yet appeared on the show. More stories will follow in e-book form as I can put them together; my hope is to get MAKING THE CUT edited and released over the summer.
After that, we start production on the podcast for THINGS UNSEEN. If all goes well, look for the first episodes to drop before the end of the year. I want the narration and voice acting done and in the can before we even start releasing this one, so that it can run from beginning to end with no delays.
In the meantime, you can hear my voice acting work on Abigail Hilton‘s Guild of the Cowry Catchers. Book 4: Out of the Ashes is coming soon, so keep an eye on her blog and cowrycatchers.com for announcements about its release. Gwain, my dashing pirate/ninja/writer/resistance fighter, gets to have quite a bit more screen time in this book than in Book 3, which I’m having all kinds of fun with.
I hope the new year is full of promise for you and your loved ones. Metamor City will return — but until then, keep it on the bright side!
Whatever you did to the RSS feed made iTunes want to go and re-download all the past episodes. I hope this doesn’t cause a problem for your server or hosting bills.
Hi Chris.
I also had some repairs to do to my own feed thanks to some…issues. I’m happy to report though that all is well, and glad to hear that the world of Metamor City is still alive and kicking.
Definitely looking forward to THINGS UNSEEN.
Hi Chris, I just started listening to Metamor a month ago.
I cant exactly remember what brought me your way but after the first episode I got hooked and since I’ve listened to every episode so far. I’m sad to hear after coming so far, I wont be getting my fix for a while.
I have to tell you listening through making the cut was hard sometimes, but I still enjoyed at the end.
But The Muse, Troubled Minds, A Lightbringer Carol and Whispers In The Wood blew my mind.
I love the complex world you’ve put together and how all the different fractions interact. I cant wait to hear your new book.
Here’s hoping there will be more short stories as well 🙂
Looks like I got back into things just in time. I had left off listening in the last 10 episodes of Making the Cut because of changes in employment and a second tour to Iraq/Kuwait. I has been long since I have had time to do anything in the way of podcasts. As I am spending the week on the road, I am relistening to all of Metamor from the get go. An here it is by the time I catch back up, we may have some new material. Outstanding!!
Thanks for your efforts in general. I look forward to options in print.
Hi Chris,
I’ve been an avid listener since the beginning of “Making the Cut” came out. Just wanted to say that yours is by far my favorite fiction podcast. As a teen playing AD&D I was really into world building, and the scope and breadth of the world you’ve made is wonderful, and makes your work special to me.
Waiting with baited breath for more material to come out,
keep going strong!
Are there some of the interregnum contest stories missing now? Seems like more of them came out than is up now.