The last Splatter Elf tale that was published is One Goblin Army in September 2016. It’s been almost a year since the last Splatter Elf release. To say it’s a passion project is an understatement. While in the past I would get upset with myself after having such a long writing dry spell, I don’t feel bad about it this time. That’s because I know I have more Splatter Elf in me and it might be released sooner rather than later. It’s fun to write and some people have even really enjoyed it. That’s enough for me to continue with the series.

Is it widely known? No, but I’ve a few ardent supporters. I’m glad for that, but I think the lack of overall interest comes from a few sources:

1. They’re short stories. People like novels. I’ve yet to make a novel in the Splatter Elf world (yet that’s on the horizon). One Goblin Army has come the closest at novella length, but being it’s not the first in the series has probably caused some issues.
2. They’re bloody. A lot of fantasy readers don’t like blood and gore, even if it’s down for schlocky effect. The words “Splatter Elf” evoke a certain feeling in readers. Either it is “That sounds awesome” or “Ew…yuck.”
3. They have a lot of cursing. Another thing that can turn off readers is characters that curse a lot. Katzia curses. A lot. Other characters do as well. Some readers don’t like that. The cursing is actually toned down in some of the later stories because I have actually made that part of the universe. Bathbrady has said “Cursing curses a journey.” This is because the gods frown upon naughty language. Maybe that’s why Katzia ends a lot of her adventures beat to hell.
4. I’m not a marketing juggernaut. Like most people, I don’t know what the shit I’m doing when it comes to marketing or selling a product. This might mean doing a number of things to re-boot the universe. These things are in the works soon-ish.

Despite these things, Splatter Elf has seeped more into another aspect of my life: gaming. I think the potential for some kind of Splatter Elf game could be great, that’s why I’ve been spending the lion share of 2017 making various games. Like novels, most of the games won’t see the light of day because they’re not ready or are too poorly conceived. Yet the more I work on games, the more I feel closer to reaching something I think could work really well for the Splatter Elf universe.

While the Splatter Elf content has slowed to a trickle publicly, it is still very much a part of my daily thought. In fact, few other projects have the staying power that this has had with me. I think this ties into the fact that it’s a low pressure, high fun world. I don’t feel the need to constantly create content, but when I put something out there, I’m pretty effing happy with it. That’s why if a Splatter Elf game does come to fruition, it’ll be at the top of my priorities.

Some might be wondering what’s going on with Katzia, Bathbrady, and Grinner, and rest assured that they’re adventures are not over. In fact, they’re only beginning.

If you’re new to Splatter Elf, you can check them out here. If you read them and liked them (or not) leave reviews. They keep the writer malaise at bay.