Peter Macinnis's Blog
May 21, 2017
Twilight? Not me!
I am running down towards advanced middle age, all in good form, and as Granny Weatherwax says, I aten't dead yet.
I spend my time working as a volunteer gardener in a local sanctuary, and as the visiting scientist in a local school, but I still have a few books in me: there is one more book for younger readers in the works, and I have cleared most of my backlog into e-books on Amazon Kindle.
They all have titles starting 'Not Your Usual...' and the author is me, so you can find them. There's a web page that describes all of the released ones and outlines those coming up: it looks as though the link works, but if it doesn't, copy and paste this into your browser.
http://members.ozemail.com.au/~macinn...
When I get time, I will add the titles to Goodreads. Almost certainly probably definitely maybe.
I'm busy, you see...
I spend my time working as a volunteer gardener in a local sanctuary, and as the visiting scientist in a local school, but I still have a few books in me: there is one more book for younger readers in the works, and I have cleared most of my backlog into e-books on Amazon Kindle.
They all have titles starting 'Not Your Usual...' and the author is me, so you can find them. There's a web page that describes all of the released ones and outlines those coming up: it looks as though the link works, but if it doesn't, copy and paste this into your browser.
http://members.ozemail.com.au/~macinn...
When I get time, I will add the titles to Goodreads. Almost certainly probably definitely maybe.
I'm busy, you see...
September 2, 2011
The younger generation
Yesterday, I spent an exhilarating morning at the local Catholic primary school, talking to and then working with a select bunch of talented young writers (ages 11-12), drawn from Sydney'e northern beaches area.
Old fogeys who mumble about falling standards and the younger generation have their heads up their whatnots. I met and read the work of one youngster who will be winning major prizes in 15 years.
I came home to find an email from a young graduate in mathematics who had a suggestion for my
Old fogeys who mumble about falling standards and the younger generation have their heads up their whatnots. I met and read the work of one youngster who will be winning major prizes in 15 years.
I came home to find an email from a young graduate in mathematics who had a suggestion for my
August 15, 2011
Am I nuts?
This is August and Book Week us upon us in Australia, so I have a few functions to get around, including one in Melbourne that will see us down there for three days, including dropping in at the newly-opened Embiggen Books in Little Lonsdale Street, where I will have to nag them about getting their web site up-to-date, so I can add a link to it. Google them!
I also have a school visit and a function/luncheon for local school-children, both close to where I live. In short, I'm busy.
That aside, I have final edits coming in from one juvenile book for the National library of Australia ( Australian Backyard Naturalist ), I have another NLA book, this one aimed at adults, away being edited ( Curious Minds ), I have a first draft (The Shark Suit, the Shoe-gun and the Short-shanked Sheep, working title)marinating before I take to it with a chain saw. That's "general market", and it's about strange inventions
Shark Suit etc. is the one that might have been partially lost in the "crash"—I had taken it from completed research to a 56,000-word draft in a month (that makes it sound easy, but there was three year's worth of research at the back, and I had a lot of scraps of text already written). I have submitted that one, and I am waiting.
Right now, I am in between the scoping stage and the shaping stage on a serious social history of gold rushes past and present, and the havoc created when people get gold fever (working title Gold Lust— and that will definitely change). That is also the final piece of research for another project that has been in the pipeline for six years (code name Cornish Boy), one which requires a better mastery of the technicalities of assaying and such. Right now, I have a lot of the shaping done: this alerts me to the gaps in the story, and the gaps in my research, so that when I start, I know where I am going.
On the side, I am doing some fun stuff for younger readers (code name Young Henry), but I'm not talking about that just yet. Not on the record, anyhow.
Anyhow, in summary, I now have five books in the air at once, possibly more, because Young Henry may be several shorter works or one long one. I must be nuts!
There is, however, light at the end of the tunnel: I am in a four-year run-down program, at the end of which time I plan to hang up my pen and read. There are so many good books out there to read!
I also have a school visit and a function/luncheon for local school-children, both close to where I live. In short, I'm busy.
That aside, I have final edits coming in from one juvenile book for the National library of Australia ( Australian Backyard Naturalist ), I have another NLA book, this one aimed at adults, away being edited ( Curious Minds ), I have a first draft (The Shark Suit, the Shoe-gun and the Short-shanked Sheep, working title)marinating before I take to it with a chain saw. That's "general market", and it's about strange inventions
Shark Suit etc. is the one that might have been partially lost in the "crash"—I had taken it from completed research to a 56,000-word draft in a month (that makes it sound easy, but there was three year's worth of research at the back, and I had a lot of scraps of text already written). I have submitted that one, and I am waiting.
Right now, I am in between the scoping stage and the shaping stage on a serious social history of gold rushes past and present, and the havoc created when people get gold fever (working title Gold Lust— and that will definitely change). That is also the final piece of research for another project that has been in the pipeline for six years (code name Cornish Boy), one which requires a better mastery of the technicalities of assaying and such. Right now, I have a lot of the shaping done: this alerts me to the gaps in the story, and the gaps in my research, so that when I start, I know where I am going.
On the side, I am doing some fun stuff for younger readers (code name Young Henry), but I'm not talking about that just yet. Not on the record, anyhow.
Anyhow, in summary, I now have five books in the air at once, possibly more, because Young Henry may be several shorter works or one long one. I must be nuts!
There is, however, light at the end of the tunnel: I am in a four-year run-down program, at the end of which time I plan to hang up my pen and read. There are so many good books out there to read!
January 28, 2011
Another one bites the dust
I have just printed out the first draft of 'Curious Minds', a book for the National Library of Australia which is a serious history of the naturalists and natural history artists who operated in and around Australia from about 1690 to 1890. I have perfect-bound it to take across to New Zealand, where I plan to relax, but read through it. I have also used Text-Aloud (R) to convert it to mp3 files so I can listen to it as well--you get lots of help with rhythm and homonym-typos that way. I will also be working on the 'Small Monsters', but that's all I'm going to say about them for now. The rest of this year will be hard slog on existing projects, and a lot of comedy.
October 31, 2010
And new title
The 'The Monster Maintenance Manual' is out in shops today, at least in Australia and probably New Zealand. Now to sit and see what people think.
October 21, 2010
Plans, plans, plans
Today I have finished a slightly painful operation, cutting a ms in half. I set out to over-write 'Australian Backyard Naturalist', with a view to cutting, but I ended up with enough for two books. The remnants will probably do into a supporting web site. That also was in the original plan, but one feels like a bad parent, treating carefully-weeded prose so.
The surviving verbiage will get one last pass, and be on its way.
I have had enough of this book, which has taken much of the past 14 months, except when travelling. It's looking good, but I have several other books I want to do, and in the midst of that, I threw off an idea to one of my publishers, and that has been picked up.
So once I get 'ABN' out the door, I turn around and jump on the treadmill again. Aside from promoting the Monster Maintenance Manual, due out on Monday week.
The surviving verbiage will get one last pass, and be on its way.
I have had enough of this book, which has taken much of the past 14 months, except when travelling. It's looking good, but I have several other books I want to do, and in the midst of that, I threw off an idea to one of my publishers, and that has been picked up.
So once I get 'ABN' out the door, I turn around and jump on the treadmill again. Aside from promoting the Monster Maintenance Manual, due out on Monday week.
September 16, 2010
Back in Sydney
For the first time in three months, I can wake up in the morning and not have to puzzle where I am: since New Zealand, I have been to Brisbane to meet the Governor-General and get an award for Australian Backyard Explorer then back to Sydney to pack for the Flinders Ranges and back from there to pack for a trip up the coast for a wedding and to prospect some sites and details for several future books.
Now I'm back and tying up the last bits of Australian Backyard Naturalist and I know what I will be doing next--bit for now, I'm not telling!
Oh yes, and I have my first copy of The Monster Maintenance Manual, ISBN 9781741964677 which is due out on November 1.
Let me just say that it's different.
Now I'm back and tying up the last bits of Australian Backyard Naturalist and I know what I will be doing next--bit for now, I'm not telling!
Oh yes, and I have my first copy of The Monster Maintenance Manual, ISBN 9781741964677 which is due out on November 1.
Let me just say that it's different.
August 23, 2010
In again, out again
I have been in New Zealand, playing with my grandchildren, learning my way around the North Island, and pursuing the ghost of Sir George Grey, idiot, bully, coward and all-round swine, who introduced many feral animals, including kookaburras and two species of wallaby, into New Zealand.
I will be mentioning him in the book currently in revision, but I may come back to feral introductions to NZ at a later date.
More importantly, I was looking into the gold rushes in New Zealand, and I flew off to Brisbane, where I was given the 2010 Children's Book Council of Australia Eve Pownall Book of the Year award for information books.
Now, home three days, I'm packing for the Flinders Ranges in South Australia in about 72 hours. It's a week of enjoyable research, which is always the best sort.
I will be mentioning him in the book currently in revision, but I may come back to feral introductions to NZ at a later date.
More importantly, I was looking into the gold rushes in New Zealand, and I flew off to Brisbane, where I was given the 2010 Children's Book Council of Australia Eve Pownall Book of the Year award for information books.
Now, home three days, I'm packing for the Flinders Ranges in South Australia in about 72 hours. It's a week of enjoyable research, which is always the best sort.
July 25, 2010
Getting the body clock reset
I have been back in Australia about 60 hours, and I'm starting to get used to it.
My wife and I have been off chasing walls and fences all over the place from Chester to Hadrian's Wall to London to Rome and Pompeii for one new book that is still on the back-burner but taking shape. I have also been looking at waterfalls in Switzerland (that one's on the secret list for now), and at gold artefacts in Singapore and Europe, and looking at other sites in Italy for the still-projected 'Cornish Boy' series.
Now I am back in Oz, I will be settling down to sort out the final draft of 'Australian Backyard Naturalist', though the next month or so will see me also in New Zealand, around the Flinders Ranges of South Australia and Lake Eyre, in Brisbane (for the CBCA awards—for which I am short-listed) and in Coffs Harbour, all in the next two months, with a new book out on November 1.
It's going to be a busy rest of the year. I'm so glad I retired, because otherwise, I could never get through the work-load.
My wife and I have been off chasing walls and fences all over the place from Chester to Hadrian's Wall to London to Rome and Pompeii for one new book that is still on the back-burner but taking shape. I have also been looking at waterfalls in Switzerland (that one's on the secret list for now), and at gold artefacts in Singapore and Europe, and looking at other sites in Italy for the still-projected 'Cornish Boy' series.
Now I am back in Oz, I will be settling down to sort out the final draft of 'Australian Backyard Naturalist', though the next month or so will see me also in New Zealand, around the Flinders Ranges of South Australia and Lake Eyre, in Brisbane (for the CBCA awards—for which I am short-listed) and in Coffs Harbour, all in the next two months, with a new book out on November 1.
It's going to be a busy rest of the year. I'm so glad I retired, because otherwise, I could never get through the work-load.
May 26, 2010
Getting set to take flight
We are just about to invade Europe: Manchester, Chester, Haltwhistle, Loch Leven, Mull, Glasgow, London, via Paris and Zurich to Venice, on to Florence and Rome with lots of side trips and a deal of rail travel (more relaxing that driving). It's partly work, with looks at a few gold sites, museums, sites for action in several books, Hadrian's Wall and other stuff, but it's also partly just a breather. My day was made by getting a notice of my Educational Lending Rights payment and a copy of the Chinese edition of one of my children's books. We will dine well, and I will be happy.
As probably indicated somewhere else, I have a travel blog called McManly Mooches and Muses where you can read about my adventures, looking for Richard II's lost gold, prowling fences, walls and hedgerows, taming the odd kangaroo in Earl's Court, gathering atmospherics ion the fly in Zurich, linguini-shooting in the Veneto marshes. So bang goes my June and July!
As probably indicated somewhere else, I have a travel blog called McManly Mooches and Muses where you can read about my adventures, looking for Richard II's lost gold, prowling fences, walls and hedgerows, taming the odd kangaroo in Earl's Court, gathering atmospherics ion the fly in Zurich, linguini-shooting in the Veneto marshes. So bang goes my June and July!
