A Little Break

So, writing is a slow process, unless I suppose you are a well known and already published author. A contract has 12 to 18 months on it and that’s if things go smoothly. Sometimes things don’t go smoothly.

They haven’t for me. I wish they had. More than anything I wish they had. My life is busy and rough enough. There are times I just get tired of pushing, pressing and moving forward. Sometimes I just want to give up.

Thing is I know well enough that I can’t walk away. I’ve been a writer, an unpublished one, for a very long time. I used to sit at my parents dining room table with an old typewriter when I was about 13 or 14 and write up my first stories. Mostly they were mystery/adventure because thats what I read. When I got older I tried my hand at bad high school romance, with characters unlike any I read because I always identified with rougher girls, more troubled girls than I read about.

I have always written. Writing is my outlet. Sometimes there are so many ideas that I can’t keep up. If I develop even half of those ideas I am going toe busy for a very long time. Problem is I write because I have to write but there is still part of me that really wants to share my stories but I’m not willing to give all those stories away. I did start publishing a couple of stories on line years ago, but I didn’t see it through and no one seemed to care.

Publishing is a difficult mistress. Writing is a cruel bitch to be enslaved to. But I am and I find I don’t mind it much, mostly. Sometimes though the frustration. You try to hold onto the highs but the time between them is so far it can be disheartening.

During one of those lows, when my publisher had things to work through, (life interferes most inconveniently at times) I had to walk away. I was getting irritated and frustrated because nothing was moving forward.

Creatives can’t just stop being creative though, so I walked back to the theatre. I put on another persons clothes, hair and damn four inch heels and played make believe for a little while.

It was fun and exhausting. See a writer is in many ways a homebody, this writer particularly. Oh I love being on stage, it is an amazing, adrenaline filled experience. Some of those nights though, getting myself off my couch and out of my house was a drag. The reward though… the laughter, the camaraderie, the total shedding of self to play dress up as someone totally differently.

I love being on stage. The wonderful side effect is now I feel energised and ready to write again. I’ve been able to put pen to paper on a couple of things and feel ready to push in to the bigger ones.

Sometimes you need to step away and reinvigorate the core of you.

Still Writing

Okay so book one is finished, with beta readers and hopefully my publisher, I’d like to say these things are set in stone but unfortunately I’ve been around various aspects of the creative industries to know that nothing is certain until it is actually out there in the hands of the consumers.

Oh believe me I want it to be done, I want the book published, I want people to buy it, read it and hopefully like it. I also want to get paid for it. Selfish of me I know. I write because I have to write. If I don’t write things feel out of whack. I will probably always write regardless. Is is too much to ask though to be paid for it? I hope not.

I had an argument with a young chap once about not paying for books, just reading pirated versions. I told him he was an arrogant, selfish toad (possibly in more colourful language) for expecting others to entertain him with no compensation. Problem is many feel that way. They don’t see the creative process for what it is, someone’s hard spent time for which they should be compensated.

I am not here today to get into a rant about this. Today is a brief update. Book one is finished, book two has a complete rough first draft and book three has elements to it already complete. For now that series is being walked away from as a delve into another idea. Oh I am so excited about this idea but that is all I can say at the moment. I have been involved in this industry long enough to know sometimes you are just better off not saying anything because so many don’t understand and the heartbreak of rejection is terrible. For now this will be my secret work in progress. I know the first series will likely be finished first, before this second one is properly given it’s wings.

Still I write because I must write.

It’s That Time

It certainly is. It is SupaNova windup time.
Last weekend I had the pleasure of volunteering at a SupaNova interstate.
I’m sure there are heaps of people who wonder why on earth I would do that, but here’s the thing, I’m not the only one who did it.
SupaNova is one crazy family spread across the land of Australia. The people who vollie are awesome.
It is no secret though that this round of the con was plagued with some last minute cancellations that just couldn’t be replaced but you know what… So What!. It was still a wonderful time and the celebs were great.
My voice wasn’t as tested as my home Nova as the crowds weren’t quite as vocal but that doesn’t mean they didn’t enjoy themselves, I heard some wonderful feedback about the event. Me I had some really fun times.
So lets start with the obligatory signed photos.

This one is just going to wait now until I can have some other autographs added to it then it will be truly awesome.

And now I’ve started a Middle Earth Collection (this one has the potential to get ridiculously big). Bring on Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch oh and Sean Bean and the awesome Viggo – a girl can always dream.

Also the problem with going to these events and having actually had your first photo taken with someone means you kind of feel the need to add to that collection. (Or maybe that is just me.) Of course it is worse when you have a picture with one person from a favourite show because if you haven’t already started a show collection it can be easier to say to yourself ‘I can’t really afford that this time.’ Sadly for me I have an addictive personality, as my hubby can attest to (fortunately it manifests in geeky paraphernalia and feeling the fitness burn) which means now I’ve started it’s way easier to say, ‘just one more’ than, ‘I really shouldn’t’.

The thing is I get that actors have to work and sometimes have to cancel, in no way do I begrudge them that and I don’t see why people do, the actors don’t belong to us (their fans), they have to work, they have bills to pay and families to look after. I think we should just learn to enjoy the ones who can make our con circuit, and lets face it some of them may surprise you. Mark Addy was such a wonderful man, so friendly and fun, I was waiting for the next line to start for the photo booth and was dancing to some random song I could here and he started grooving behind his signing desk along with me. Was a fun and abstract highlight.

I also get to meet some writers, and this cheeky fellow is Jay Kristoff, to my total amusement we were staying in the same hotel and though the temptation to stalk him may have been there I totally behaved myself and stayed civilised, you may never know what that cost me.

There is another highlight to the con. My con family. I have met people just as happy to be called fan boys and girls as I am. People just as crazy about some things as I am. In this case though I’m not just talking about those who attend the con but they can be pretty awesome; for example I’ve had people buy me throat lozenges because they know I’ll be spending a second day shouting and encouraging them to get excited, I’ve also been sung to and laughed with. But no, I’m not just talking about them, I’m talking about you crazies who volunteer your time to make sure the con can go ahead. You know who you are. I am particularly fond of those who I get to work with in the photo booth. Our boss is awesome and we are a team, together we have fun and make sure everyone gets the chance to get pics with who they want. My con family is a place I feel at home away from home. I love it.

PS I did manage to get some writing done too. Not much I admit but a few words is better than no words, I’m sure you will agree.