28th September 2011, 7:15 AM

There’s something rather pleasant about writing in hotel rooms. For starters, there’s nothing to distract you, especially if the room you’re renting is marked by a list of things that don’t work: lights, television, the hotel’s broadband network. Hotel rooms endeavour to be pleasingly utilitarian at the best of times, and once you remove those little creature comforts there’s really nothing to do but go out, sleep, or write.

And I’m in Rockhampton for work at the moment. Fritz the Laptop is getting a pretty good workout as a result.

It’s kinda odd, ’cause I feel like I should be complaining about the various things that aren’t functioning in the room, but mostly I’ve just found them to be a pleasant surprise. It meant I did things I wouldn’t ordinarily do, like take a bath in the hotel bathroom and dance to the light of the laptop screen, and go to bed at a reasonable hour. My only complaint is the hotel air-conditioning, which seems to have been cranked up to over-enthusiastic and left me feeling pretty bletchy when I woke up.

And now it’s morning, several hours to check-out time, and after eating breakfast and packing my belongings, I’ve discovered there’s really nothing to do except write and think and write some more. Pity the internet still isn’t working, though. It’d be nice to post this after I finish, instead of carting it home on a USB drive and hoping I remember to post it while it’s still relevant.

Well, relevant-ish.

I’ve been reading Trent Jamieson’s Roil on the trip, which is proving to be a most pleasant and agreeable book, one that goes on the short-list of books I buy for people as Christmas presents and birthday presents and general hey, I think you’re a cool person, have a book kind of presents. I hate recommending things to people, especially if they haven’t asked, but I’ve always been fond of giving people books they might like. Introducing friends to new writers is one of the great joys in life. And Roil reminds me, in some ways, of Michael Moorcock’s Dorian Hawkmoon books – it’s fantasy that incorporates surprisingly SFnal technology while still feeling like fantasy – and it’s something of a glorious thing.

I’ve been working on the next Flotsam installment as well, which is coming along. I’m rather thankful for that since, since I’ve looked at my schedule between now and the submission date, and realized that I’ve got this trip, two days of day-jobbery where I catch up on things I’ve missed while being in Rockhampton, volunteering at Auscon over the weekend, and…well, next Monday.

Next Monday, thus far, is free, and thus becomes the day when I get washing done and generally catch up on writing. Next week’s going to be some serious hermit-mode shit as a result; I’ll be declining as many social engagements as possible in order to catch up on writing and continue the process of getting my house packed away prior to the December move.

And that’s me, for the moment. How are you guys? Anyone up to anything cool?