TICONDEROVER

I've been giving a lot of thought to my writing lately. Maybe it's because so much of this year has been taken up with preparing The Divergence Tree and working on the novel, but I've not been happy with the way things have gone. I feel like I've hit a plateau, and I've been unsure whether I've peaked or just hit a flat spot on the way to the next rise. Either way, something needed to be done.

Then I had an online conversation about the talents or otherwise of Australian writers, and absorbed some interesting opinions from Russell Farr and Jonathan Strahan. Strahan in particular said some things that fascinated me: he's been a round a long time, and his erudite and literate views gave me a long pause for thought.

And then I had a conversation with Luscious, who has always known me better than I know myself. I told her my thoughts, and she told me what she'd seen, when I hadn't been looking. And I understood what was wrong: I've lost focus, and spent too much time lately being a writer and not writing. Too many side projects have obscured my view. So, some decluttering has taken place. Most of the to whittiness:

Whilst I've enjoyed it, for the most part, I've left Ticonderoga Online with immediate effect. I've also decided to stay away from most of the Cons coming up (try as I might, I just can't raise much enthusiasm for many of the guests over the next year or so, and I don't go for the parties, so guests are important to me). Most of the mailing lists have been put on hold. I've stopped reading blogs.

I just want to write for a while, and remember why I got into this in the first place.

SPEAKING OF TICONDEROGA

Luscious has chosen her stories for the next issue. Shane Jirayia Cummings and Cat Sparks. That should be enough to make you want to read it, non?

BEN PEEK HAS A RANT ABOUT AUSTRALIAN SF

Here

I'm finding it hard to disagree with him at the moment.

A NOTE ABOUT JU

Thank you for the lovely gifts you bought Connor & Erin, Ju. You have a good heart.