The WYRMHOLE (Jan 1, 2025)

Ft. New Year's Resolutions and End of Year Writings

Author

Wyrmhole Magazine
January 01, 2025

What’s in the Hole?

Hello wyrms, and welcome to…..THE FUTURE. We’re a quarter of the way through the century, and boy, did I simply not anticipate anything about the way the world has headed. This is also because I (Hi! This is Isabel J. Kim, your intrepid captain!) was four in 2000, and therefore was not anticipating anything other than “yay, kindergarten.” But if I could go back in time, I’d tell myself to buy bitcoin. 

I don’t have anything really interesting to tell you guys about, so I’m going to tell you about Caves of Qud. I’ve been playing a lot of Caves of Qud. COQ is a video game that’s been in development for seventeen years that finally got to its v1 release last month (although it was playable previously, just…not finished) where you are a guy exploring Qud (and its caves). The thing about COQ is that its mildly punishing, and you die a lot, and regardless of whether you’re playing in classic roguelike mode or with save points, it means that you’re going to be getting beaten the fuck up constantly, and having to replay portions of the map. But the compelling thing about this is that every time you fuck up and die, you get a chance to redo the section you fucked up, this time armed with the knowledge you so painfully gained. And this time, maybe you succeed, and it feels so much sweeter. 

What I’m saying is that it’s a new year. Another goddamn January. Let us go forth armed with the knowledge we have so painfully gained. 

Also actually play COQ, it wasn’t just a hamfisted metaphor, I’m having a great time in it. 

This month’s newsletter kicks out the old script and pulls in our special new year script, which is to say, the editorial team is going to tell you about our New Year’s resolutions and shoot you a link to everything we wrote last year, cause dammit, we out here having written. Worms who write. She write on my worm ‘til I—what was I talking about? Oh, that’s right. Regular programming and recommendations will resume in the next issue!  

The last six months were a lot of fun and a lot of behind-the-scenes wrangling, and I think we all learned a lot about Running A Newsletter Magazine, which is probably a transferable skill set. Even if it isn’t, thanks for sticking with us so far, and we’re excited to bring you more worms in 2025. 

Isabel J. Kim/ January 2025 Editor in Chief / New York, NY

Resolutions and Publications

Iz

Resolutions:

My New Year's resolutions, in the writing sense, are to finish my second book in the first half of the year, and to try writing a screenplay. Why a screenplay? Because of reasons. Normal reasons. I'm also resolving to read more next year, because boy have I dropped the ball on reading short fiction recently, and I miss reading it regularly!

Publications:

I published one story this year, and it's listed in this bsky thread. Everyone go look at my good graphic design:

Reposting in the good place: please consider “Why Don’t We Just Kill the Kid in the Omelas Hole” for any and all awards ballots, on account of my very good graphic design skills and also if you liked my story

— Isabel J. Kim (@isabel.kim)2024-11-15T17:00:09.742Z

Carolyn

Resolutions:

My NYR is to finish this video game I'm working on sometime this year. the game? a narrative-heavy, text-focused, bait-switch sci-fantasy catfishing locked room dialogue-option point-and-click. how will all this gel together? who knows. Other NYRs I'm considering: writing the draft of a book, if the video game doesn't gel; selling at least 3 more professional stories!!; and also maybe, like, running twice a week. it's kind of hard because my bf is a semipro athlete, which makes me feel like a beansack most times.

Publications:

  • In Which Caruth is Correct

    Carolyn Zhao, Clarkesworld. 2024 4.7k words.

    • Timeloop trauma theory and the pain of moving on.

  • UPCOMING: "Symbiotic"

    • Clarkesworld Spring-ish 2025. Ambiguously gay squid attack neuralink consent issues and the pain of moving on pt 2

hello SFF community pls consider my FIRST and ONLY story (so far) for awards season this year, IN WHICH CARUTH IS CORRECT (@clarkesworldmagazine.com, 2024) aka trauma as timeloops, aka the pain of never fixing your mistakes, but also cabbages. clarkesworldmagazine.com/zhao_05_24/

— ! Carolyn ! (@carolynzhao.bsky.social)2024-12-16T20:49:50.853Z

H.H.

Resolutions:

My first resolution is to plot consistent weekly writing sessions and unleash at least five new stories unto the world next year. My second resolution is to please please pretty please draw something that isn’t fanart so I can actually present a Professional Portfolio without getting kicked on the playground. My third resolution is to draw more fanart and also finish writing my dungeons and dragons campaign cause if I’m going to get kicked on the playground it might as well be worth it.

Publications:

Here is a thread of the stories I published this year! 1. "Scalp" The terrible horrors of big pharma and sacrificial love wrapped up in a conversation between janitors. clarkesworldmagazine.com/pak_02_24/

— H.H. Pak (@hhpak.bsky.social)2024-12-31T06:26:23.580Z

Tia

Resolutions:

On the writing side, my resolution is to let myself get weirder with my shorts. I want to try some Very Weird short fiction structures just for kicks. Wacky structures! Funky characters! No-expectations writing experiments for the sake of science! Also, my general NYR is to expand my puzzle-making skills by writing a few crosswords. It’ll be fun to stretch my brain in a different way and inflict wordplay upon my friends and family in a new and exciting format. :)

Publications:

Happy end of 2024! Here's a year-end summary of my work for the road :D tiatashiro.com/2024/12/29/s...

— Tia Tashiro (@tiatashiro.bsky.social)2024-12-31T05:48:47.206Z

Tina

Resolutions:

Finish the darned novel, write at least three shorts, and try out a new medium like screenwriting/playwriting/sketch writing.

Publications:

starting a thread for my SFF-awards eligible shorts for 2024:

— tina s. zhu (@tinazhu.bsky.social)2024-11-01T01:09:47.538Z

Good Moomins of the Year:

Wyrm Edition

All the beautiful terrible cousins of our mascot, George

Thank You to Our Patrons:

Thank You to Our Amazing Patrons! Without You, Wyrmhole Would Cease to Be and Crumble Into the Oblivion From Which No One Returns

A parting song from the Editors…

That’s it! That’s all we got! If you liked our stuff a HOLE lot, share us with a friend! 

All the warm wishes, wyrms. We’ll see you in the coming year :)