THE DIPLOMATICON

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For a while now I’ve been working on my Dipzine Diplomaticon Quarterly. I first published in December 2024, got to issue 2, and almost all the way to issue 3.

Unfortunately, at that point, I became ill and, in March this year, suffered another stroke.

This stroke was heavier than the first two and I’m fighting to get my mobility back. Thankfully, it’s coming, which is why I’m able to type this post today. So I’m still being very lucky with how my body is dealing with the after effects.

However, I’ve had to make some choices and continuing to produce a zine that is almost all my own work isn’t something I can commit to doing, sadly.

This hurts a little. I’ve produced zines before, but this one felt as if it could be maintained. I enjoyed it (perhaps too much because it meant I was neglecting this site!) and I was regularly on time.

What I’ve realised, though, is that it is less likely that I can commit to that kind of output regularly. This is certainly the case in the short term, with physio and regular medical appointments, as well as everything else in life. In the longer term, well… who knows? Maybe I could find some consistency but, with suffering three strokes now, the chances are that there are more in my future.

One thing that is absolutely necessary when writing a zine is consistency. The next issue must be out, and should be on time. Readers will forgive the odd late issue, but regular late issues – or missing issues – are unforgivable. Or, at least, that’s how I look at it and if I do, others will, too.

I will still work on this blog, and I’ll even try to get back into regular(-ish, at least) posting. I’ll still write my bits for Diplomacy World. And I’m working on my books, too.

But the zine is over. And I won’t be trying it again.

I apologise to those people who had subscribed, and to those who read it. I’ll transfer some content to this site (I was part way through a series that took a light look at playing the powers in Dip from a historical perspective, and I’ll continue that here). I’m actually hoping that some of the connections I’ve made from publishing the zine will help me to add different content to this blog.

I’ll also be getting back to The Diptionary in the near future. This is another project I was enjoying.

Longer term projects, that have an impact on the Dip Hobby, though, are something I will need to consider carefully, and may well be a thing of the past.