I had this crazy idea in my head. I thought things would slow down, once GenreCon was over. Self, I said, if you get through this, it’s all unicorns and nachos. You can finish your writing project, bugger off to Melbourne for a holiday, get ready to kick off 2016 right, you know?
For the most part, that’s still happening: I’ve got a few days away from the office; I head off to Melbourne this time next week; I’m scribbling away on the laptop or a notebook most mornings. I’ve watched too many Jason Statham movies on Netflix, without really meaning too.
But the writer’s life, it’s all about the hustle, and 2015 still has a few things I should mention before it’s done.
THING THE FIRST: CREATING CHARACTERS WORKSHOP On DECEMBER 6
Should you have a burning desire to taught how to write by yours truly – and honestly, I cannot think of any reason why you wouldn’t – you might want to book into the Creating Compelling Character’s workshop I’m teaching for Queensland Writers Centre on December 6.
This is one of my favourite workshops to teach, since it gets right to the heart of stories and storytelling. The last time I ran it was back at the beginning of 2014 and it got perhaps the best response from anything I’ve taught in the last few years. It got me interested in writing the series of posts about what writers can learn from Die Hard (which I’ll now have to finish, I think, seeing as this is on the horizon)
Ostensibly, the workshop is everything I knew about creating characters packed into six hours. When we run out of things that I know about characters, I point folks towards the smart things other writers have said about writing, and keep moving forward.
THING THE SECOND: FLOTSAM LANDS ON NOVEMBER 18
The Omnibus edition of Flotsam lands on November 18, coming out in both ebook and a limited edition, pre-signed hardback. The Omnibus collects together all three novellas in the series, plus two additional stories set in the Flotsam universe.
That means a whole lot of occult assassins, apocalyptic threats, and Gold Coast Fimbulwinter.
It’s got a goddamn beautiful cover. Mark Ferrari totally killed it, putting the omnibus together, and I literally cannot wait to see his art wrapped around a hardcover volume.
THING THE THIRD: MELBURNIA
Melbourne peeps, I am coming to your city. Next Thursday, in fact. For about five days.
Mostly, it should be said, to hang with some old friends while playing board games, admiring their collection of Captain America shields, and giving their cat a high-give (it’s a very high-fiveable feline). Maybe coax Patrick O’Duffy into letting me sit in on one of his Annihilation sessions, since he seems to have packed them to the brim with former Brisbane gamers.
But if you are in Melbourne, and inclined to hang out for a stretch, hit me up via email or in the comments and we’ll see what can be lined up.
