Friday, December 15, 2006

NOW THAT'S SERVICE!

Knock, knock, knock on the door the other evening, and who should it be but Angela Challis and Shane Jiraiya Cummings, purveyors and head bods of Brimstone Press, personally delivering our contributor copies of the Book of Shadows and Australian Dark Fantasy & Horror 2006.

We live a suburb or so away from Ang and Shane, as as Ang said, by the time they paid for postage they could drive the things over and have a conversation to boot. So they did, and a fine conversation was had, including the deep, dark secret history that Shane shares with frogs. (All true: ask him about it the next time you see him)

In the meantime, get over to Brimstone's website and have a look. The books are beautiful, more so in the, uh, flesh. And the line-ups within the pages are as good as anything you'll see come out of this country this year.

BE AWARE

We've received a medical diagnosis that will change a few things over the coming year. It's nothing to be alarmed about, and for the moment it remains private and ours alone (we'll tell people when we're ready to do so), but don't be surprised if we pick and choose our social commitments very carefully over the next year.

Our focus has become increasingly narrowed upon our family in recent times. This will remain so for the foreseeable future.

SALAD

More chickens!

I've had this conversation! Sort of.....


5 THINGS ABOUT 2006

Oh yeah, it's end of year meme time. And, you know, baaaaaa.......

Five things that 2006 taught me:

1. Friendship can have a mileage limit
2. My career goals are mine alone, and I'll take whatever measures are necessary to achieve them.
3. Writing may not be what makes me happy, but I am unhappy without it.
4. Friends don't let friends do Prime
5. Lyn, the kids, writing. All else is negotiable.

Five personally significant events of 2006:

1. Being contracted to write the The Memory of Breathing screenplay
2. The decision to move to brisbane in January 2008
3. Moving into our new house
4. Lyn's recent medical diagnosis
5. Aiden coming to live with us permanently

Five things I want to do in 2007:

1. Secure an agent
2. Complete my second novel, and a non-genre novel
3. Sell Napoleone's Land
4. Save up the money to move to Brisbane
5. Become independent of all non-family obligations. Everybody is the hero of their own story. I wish to recapture the right to write that story as I see fit.

Five people I'd like to know better in 2007

Actually, that's your job. I'll just keep turning up and shooting my mouth off. You guys just have to stop being afraid to come up and say hi :)

Besides, I'll have 16 Clarion students and the week-after-me tutors to meet. My list is already filling up....

Song of the moment: Velvet Goldmine David Bowie
Reading: Australian Dark Fantasy & Horror 2006 Challis & Cummings (eds)

3 comments:

Nicky Strickland said...

Hmmm busy year huh? I know that feeling. Mine feels so big, it doesn't fit into one actual calendar year. I've been known to say to Damon "Did that happen this year?" and he just nods & I go "oh" in a very small voice.

You've already got a list for 2007. I'm being an ostrich on that so far.

Understand completely re the rallying required on medico stuff.
Hope all goes well.

Nicky

Brian G Ross said...

I think one of my goals for 2007 should be to have a blog as detailed and interestin' as yours. Half my readin' time every day is taken up with your life!

;o)

Unknown said...

Brian: It's spelled p-r-o-c-r-a-s-t-i-n-a-t-i-o-n, pronounced "cat vacuuming" :)

Lyn and I have a number of conversations about my love of the blogosphere, usually beginning with the phrase "If you spent as much time writing...."

Nicky: 2006 has been an odd year. If I tally up my achievements I come out of it pretty well, but in many ways the year feels like a complete bust. I have a theory about that :) and I'll blog it in the next day or so once I have a comprehensive list.

For 2007 I have exactly 2 goals, and they're not necessarily achievable because they largely rely on the actions of others. That way, if I yet *again* fail to achieve my goals, I can blame other people!

Always thinking, me.....