Tatto For You

Here we are, the very week Aussiecon 4 is going to happen and I make the great trek to Melbourne to take part (both scared and excited in about equal measure). The Con (as we in the biz call it...) will be running from the 2nd September to the 6th September at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre (link to map of where it is) . The Guests of Honour are Hugo-winning author Kim Stanley Robinson , award-winning Melbourne artist Shaun Tan (woot!) , and dedicated fan Robin Johnson (just to get your interest, maybe...) As for me, you can see me fumble my way through various topics of which I am only marginally qualified to fumble through at these days/times: Thu 1600, Rm 217 : Wrought from the very living rock: world building in YA spec fic. Sat 1500, Rm P3 : Behold the wonders! Art, design and the visuals in YA spec fic. Sun 1100, Rm 210 : The series question: big books chopped up or small books glued together? Sun 1600 Rm 211 : Let’s get lyrical: poetry in YA spec fic Mon 120...

This! did arrive on my doorstep this morning!!! It is finished! Never thought I would see the day of the three spines lined up 1 - 2 - 3. And so you have continuing proof the Factotum is indeed on its way to you all, that every day is another day closer to official release, that the book is done and will soon be in the process of delivery to you local book-pusher.

We are getting closer and closer to Monster Blood Tattoo Book 3 / The Foundling's Tale Book 3 Factotum getting into your hands, but until then I hope this interview at The Enchanted Inkpot will tide folks over (just a little). Thanks to Ellen and her comrades for such great questions. Oh, and I hope you all will be happy to note that the next Half-Continent book is slowly forming even now... ... and there is a new poll , at last! (just over on the right)

Now, in my experience (not necessarily that broad, but there you go), the word "trope" is usually thrown about in a supercilious manner by folks who have themselves never dared to bare their own soul in story to an often unkind world to show how superior they are. In this example, however, over at TV Tropes, the use of the term in so thorough and gleeful a manner has been a revelation, and very helpful to boot! I had no real notion - for example - that MBT was a "world of no grandparents"; this was certainly not intentional but probably reflective of my own real life experience. It is funny how hard it is to fit such things as a granny and/or grandpa into an adventure story - I shall be on the look out for such omissions in future... That said, neither do I want to include things just because. Either way, thank you TV Tropes, a/ for liking MBT , b/ for helping me see my tale in so succinct a fashion - a great aid to learning this whole writing game. Speaking of ...

For all of you wanting/needing a bit of Half-Continent action as we wait for October/ November/ some time not toooooo far away, Legends of Australian Fantasy has hit the shelves and it has a story of mine in it, a whole new non- Rossamünd , Half-Continent story of 90 pages long! If you can not tell, I am very excited... Unfortunately it is currently only an Australian release, but we hope to reach the world with it soon.

Actually I have no idea what number of "question answering" this is, but, you know, just having fun... Alyosha asked a little while back why there seem to be few/no married folks in the MBTs , and I have to admit myself a tad perplexed by this. I too have realised such a (Freudian?) anomaly, and can only think that it is for the same adolescent reason that many spec fic novels deal mostly with the filially /conjugally unattached - it is simpler; no ties, no needed to refer back home to sooth anxious loved ones, just freedom to go and do and be as the adventure proceeds. Having said, I have quite pointedly had Rossamünd writing and "keeping in touch" with Verline , and refer in his thoughts to her and Frans and Pin, have tried (after committing the cliche of all cliches by making him an orphan) to give him filial connections that require tending - for I see Verline and the two one-time foundlingery masters as an ersatz family to our little adventurer. ... Maybe ...

Hey folks, a bit of an i nternet blackout period for me or what! Great news, having just done the last tweaks on the typeset pages the text for Monster-Blood Tattoo/Foundling's Tale Book 3, Factotum is very very soon for the printers! (You've all had to wait so long I thought every little bit of information might help the wait...) Some questions/points in last post needing to be answered, as I have to shoot off now I will just say of my intention to endeavour to get to them tomorrow.