One of my projects over the holidays was to scan some of the slides that we took in the 70s and 80s. I don’t know why everyone thought it was a good idea to take slides instead of photos. It means that you never look at them. Anyway it took quite a while, even … Continued
Some things get easier the more you do it. Writing novels isn’t one of them. Not for me anyway. However…somehow it gets done. Dragonkeeper 4 is finished. It has a title. And the most gorgeous cover. It is called Blood Brothers. I’ll get one last look at it in the new year before it goes … Continued
So what does a writer do when they have a tight deadline and a book due by Christmas? They take the afternoon off and make Christmas puddings, of course! Lili and I make puddings every year. It’s fun. I do the weighing, Lili likes to do the mixing…with her hands. It’s very gooey. Unfortunately, while … Continued
I will be conducting a Dragon Walk in Melbourne on 20th Nov at 2pm, meeting at the State Library of Victoria. This is a Centre for Youth Literature event. There are still a few places left. You must book through the Centre for Youth Literature. We’ll start in the forecourt of the State Library of … Continued
Last Saturday was Moving Planet day, an international day of action in support of renewable energy. Events were held in 175 countries. Here in Melbourne people got together to make a human sign of someone riding a bike. I am sitting near the knee. The event was coordinated by 350.org a group dedicated to spreading … Continued
Most of the time a writer just sits in a room and doesn’t talk to anyone, but there are certain times of the year when that all changes. Like now. Over the last couple of weeks I’ve spoken to hundreds of people. First it was Childrens Book Week, then Melbourne Writers Festival and Ballarat Writers … Continued
For those who were at my Melbourne Writers Festival Walking with Dragons session this morning. Here is a link to the map of dragon locations. A plan of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral and where to find the dragons is here.
Like a lot of authors, I spend most of my working day in a room at home by myself, which is fine by me. August is a time when I venture out into the world and meet some of my readers, lots of them actually. I’m going to Adelaide to visit some schools for Book … Continued
Lili doesn’t live far away. If I want to talk to her, I could nip over to her place in 10 minutes. She could call me on the phone if she wants to speak to me. But when we are working, we tend to communicate using Skype. Not by face to face video, just typing. … Continued
I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I’ve finished the zero draft* of my book. There’s still a lot of work to do, but the worst is over. I think of this early complete draft as being like a pencil sketch for a painting. Now, I know what the story is … Continued