I screwed up
For everyone else who can separate art from reality, you can grab audiobooks 1-4 at a fat discount here: https://djjwatsonstore.com/products/TDR-Bundle DJJW
Am I a pantser?
Every once in a while, I get a fellow scribe who reaches out to pick your daily host's most brilliant and much-enlightened brain. I usually answer them privately and go about my day, but today? I think I'll answer one publicly. Though 98% of Legionnaires are followers and fans of my work solely, I figured […]
A.I. grills me [PART2]
Yesterday, I thought it would be fun to let AI grill me on The Divided Region series. However, after letting it analyse my series web page, I realised very quickly I was never going to be able to answer all its questions in one email. Thus, I've created Part 2. [WARNING: If you've not yet […]
A.I. grills me on The Divided Region [PART 1]
For the schnitzels and giggles, I thought I'd plug my series landing page into AI and ask it to "grill" me. Best-case scenario, it answers some questions readers have. Worst-case scenario, it makes for a fun and easy email to read. [WARNING: If you've not yet read Books 1-5, the following includes spoilers. You can […]
Meet Halo
Alternatively… You can shop my wares here: https://djjwatsonstore.com DJJW P.S. Meet Halo, the latest addition to the clan: Halo
Why I don’t revisit my old hometown
Lady Laura and I were talking once we had put the boys to bed last night about old times. We're not big reminiscers, but when we do… We go deep. On this particular occasion, we stayed on the topic of visiting old places we grew up in, and how, for me personally, I've […]
Warning: Bowl cut inside
One of the joys of being the father of two sons is that, every few weeks, they need their hair cut (not Nathan yet, but definitely Liam). Inevitably, I'm the one tasked with keeping them looking fresh and handsome until they can sit still long enough to go to the barbers. However, I made a […]
I should’ve written The Rings of Power
Or so the chap from the other day said. (The one who suggested Jangar and Vegeta — the Dragon Ball character — share an anti-hero arc.) Here's what he said in response to my reply agreeing with him: yep, exactly what happened with Vegeta. Also, the complementarity between Darius and Jangar is awesome. They are […]
A 3-word story that’ll scare the crap out of you
The other day, while perusing a social media platform that is fast becoming my favourite (Substack), I happened upon a post I couldn't ignore. On it, someone had challenged writers to comment with a three-word story designed to do one thing only: Scare the hell out of people. Quite the tall order, even for your […]
The real reason I went back to retailers
I was talking with Lady Laura, reminiscing about the journey we've had in this fiction gig, when she brought up a point I had almost forgotten about. For the first 1-2 years of taking this ink press seriously, I only sold my wares out of my Storehouse – not retailers. Sure, I probably lost out […]
Is Jangar really Vegeta in disguise?
Well, that’s what a new audiobook listener of the series seems to think. Here’s what they wrote: D.J.J. Watson, I have to ask if Jangar's character was inspired by Vegeta? He’s your best character. A bad guy turned anti-hero going through a redemption arc! Look, I honestly can’t tell you whether my crassly spoken, murderous […]
My 5 predictions for 2026
Given I've written an entire fantasy series built on a prophecy, I think it's only right I share some of my own for 2026. The following five predictions are hypothetical theories of mine, so please don't stake your reputation on them. Oh, and they're not all rosy, so if you're feeling a little flat right […]
Do you feel it?
I don't know about you, Legionnaire, but it feels like the world has been a tinderbox for the past six years. I can't help but sense this undercurrent of power shifting around the globe. I usually steer far away from politics and worldwide affairs, and I tend to isolate all of that to social media, […]
I’ve broken a New Year’s goal already
Alright, maybe that's a slight overreaction. Legionnaires will remember that on New Year's Eve, I set myself a goal for 2026: To read more fiction. It's something I've put on the back burner while focusing on other areas of this writing gig, which may or may not have been helped on by learning that other […]
The DJ who saved my life
One of the joys of having young children is getting to listen to nursery rhymes several times a day. (Yay.) If it isn't Humpty Dumpty or Five Little Ducks, it's Skidamarinkey Dinky Do, but just in case my sarcasm flew over your head… I AM SICK OF THEM. And you know you've got […]
Thief strips off in front of me
I'd hate to be the reason for all your reflux. But if you happen to be one of those rare specimens who have the ability to discern good people from bad people, crazies from the sane, and fiction from reality, then you might just like this series. Here's where you can go: https://djjwatsonstore.com/products/TDR-Bundle DJJW
The scammer I wish I had
A while ago, I happened across a post in a popular writing group I belong to. It was by an author who had slipped into a pit of despair. Earlier that day, she had received a threatening message from some sleazebag via her website and sought the advice of her fellow scribes. Good job she […]
I learned a hard truth yesterday
Yesterday, Lady Laura and I took the boys to a local shopping mall for lunch at The Big Easy. It's a popular BBQ smokehouse chain known for its tender beef brisket, sweet pickles, chunky fries, and thick milkshakes. What's not to love? Well, I'll tell you what: My love handles. You see, an […]
Let monsters be monsters
I heard the following not from a famous writer, actor, or actress, but from an editor. Specifically, the editor of a guy who has inspired much of the way I write these emails. Like me, he’s also a published author, albeit of the darker kind. He writes horror novels — properly horrifying ones. If you’re […]
I’ve pissed off some readers… again
It’s a way of weeding out the “true” Legionnaires from the “fake” ones. It also cuts down my email operating costs, and I will NOT apologise for that. Just like I won’t apologise for writing the kind of fantasy I long to write with: + Fast-paced narratives + Minimal lore-dumps + Few POV characters + […]