Nifty Writer

When I started writing Anthology IV it wasn’t an Anthology story. It started life as a very short first-person narrative as a gift to a friend – a fellow Nifty author, Matt Smith. However, after about 1000 words I realised I had something really interesting and exciting. Two weeks later, I finished version one of the story which was 9,500 words long. That was the end of March and I sat on it for a long time while I released A Series of Embarrassing Events. I started editing six months later (September) and now the version two is around 19,500 words – hence why it is now 2 parts.   I’ve thought a lot about how Anthology IV (Join the Team) has changed my ideas about the future of the Anthology series. I really wanted this story to be a comic book story but also comic (funny). As that genre developed, I realised there was scope to set all the Anthology stories in one universe and have them interconnected. I have plans for Anthology V (an odd couple story) and Anthology VI ...

There are a few comic book easter eggs in this story. There are also some continuity references to other Anthology stories. I hope you enjoyed them.   Easter eggs: The sub-titles all contain X-Men: Storm, Gambit, Rogue, Blink, Cyclops, Rogue, Angel, Bishop and (Kitty) Pryde. Other X-Men referenced: Logan (Wolverine), Iceman, Havok, Jubilee, Beast, (Professor) Xavier and Mystique. Matt names his fish after Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Other Marvel characters mentioned: (Steve) Roger(s), Tony (Stark) and (Will Striker) William Stryker. “Look, it’s like this. Since 1963, we have had Seeker. That is someone who can sense and locate other enhanced people.” In 1963 the X-Men first published.   Comic book exclamations: Crack! Drip! Gasp! Pow! Thwack! Smack! Poof! Squeak! Sploosh! Continuity references: Anthology I (chronal cognition), Anthology II (Horace Hump) and Anthology III (mind controllers). Anthology V [to be written] (Betazoid and Apport).