Audiobooks, movies, and the New Year

In the first episode of 2026, I reflect on New Year’s resolutions. My main goal remains the same as last year: building an online presence and eventually living off my own creative work. I talk about my tendency to enjoy too many things at once and how trying to do everything has forced me to narrow my focus—at least for now.

A big part of this episode is dedicated to audiobooks. I share what it’s like to create an audiobook as a fully independent writer and producer, using my short story The Wedding Gift as an example. I talk about what a full-cast narration is, hiring voice actors, and what I look for during casting. I also reflect on how important it is that all the voices work well together.

I describe how incredible it is to be able to collaborate remotely with actors from all over the world and produce a professional audiobook without leaving my home. I also mention that a new audiobook is already in production—Eat That Cookie, a short science fiction story narrated by a single voice actor.

Later, I talk about watching the Terminator movies for the first time and comparing them to Avatar, both directed by James Cameron. I reflect on how much filmmaking technology has changed over the past 40 years and how different our ideas of the future once were. I end with touching on small New Year habits like tracking expenses and experimenting with waking up earlier.

You can listen to the audiobook The Wedding Gift here: