Margo Lanagan's Blog, page 13
December 28, 2010
Plans for 2011
There will be publication:Yellowcake short story collection (in Australia)—Marchthe selkies novel (in Australia)—Septembera quartet of stories from Twelfth Planet Press—not sure when.
There will be writing:yes, that quartet—it's one-quarter done, kinda2 other short stories by end January (both drafted)one other short story by end February (drafted but in need of remaking, not completely from scratch, but nearly).From the beginning of February there'll be a fair bit of resting, because that's the end of my contracted/voluntary obligations, and I've been under, well, stupid deadlines since about May this year.
However, I've got this NSW colonial novel that I want to get started on, and it involves a nice distracting pile of research—and no deadline as yet—so I'll probably kick on with that.
Also I might, you know, come up with a story idea or two that's not already promised to someone, and have a go.
But there's also the day-job (3 days a week, confirmed until end of February at this point) and a couple of Literature Board commitments to fulfil (policy meeting Feb, assessment of grant apps, May-June), as well as...
Travel plansearly March—Perth Writers Festivalmid-May—Auckland Writers and Readers Festival, with added lollygagging around the North Island, I hopeJune–July—trip to the US, including teaching at Clarion West. A couple of other teaching possibilities are being explored at the moment—will let you know as they're finalised.All this is in response to Marianne's invitation to share your writing plans on her blog, where she confesses to having so many books on the boil, it makes my head spin.
What kind of a year have you got lined up? Or are you trying not to look too closely yet? :D
There will be writing:yes, that quartet—it's one-quarter done, kinda2 other short stories by end January (both drafted)one other short story by end February (drafted but in need of remaking, not completely from scratch, but nearly).From the beginning of February there'll be a fair bit of resting, because that's the end of my contracted/voluntary obligations, and I've been under, well, stupid deadlines since about May this year.
However, I've got this NSW colonial novel that I want to get started on, and it involves a nice distracting pile of research—and no deadline as yet—so I'll probably kick on with that.
Also I might, you know, come up with a story idea or two that's not already promised to someone, and have a go.
But there's also the day-job (3 days a week, confirmed until end of February at this point) and a couple of Literature Board commitments to fulfil (policy meeting Feb, assessment of grant apps, May-June), as well as...
Travel plansearly March—Perth Writers Festivalmid-May—Auckland Writers and Readers Festival, with added lollygagging around the North Island, I hopeJune–July—trip to the US, including teaching at Clarion West. A couple of other teaching possibilities are being explored at the moment—will let you know as they're finalised.All this is in response to Marianne's invitation to share your writing plans on her blog, where she confesses to having so many books on the boil, it makes my head spin.
What kind of a year have you got lined up? Or are you trying not to look too closely yet? :D
December 26, 2010
Post-Christmas blues
We left all the wrapping paper lying about for a couple of days to make it look as if we still had children, but now it's tidied away, and the presents too, pretty much, and there's only the tree and the hangovers to remind us that Christmas was here. The tree, decorated by our nieces who visited the week before Christmas, is glowing gently in the corner now—it's an artificial one, about 20 years old now, and really on its last legs; it sheds worse than a real one. But it still looks purty strung with lights and beads and all those red, white and gold decorations.
We went around the corner for Boxing Day drinks with Judy and Robin. As a result of some very nice gin and tonics, the novel I'm supposed to finish in the next 5 days looks as if it's falling apart in my hands today. I know it's really not, but it's still a bit frightening. Best to not try and solve anything big, just do some close work on a part of it that I'm okay with.
Thank you, whoever is responsible for this cool, grey, rainy weather.
We went around the corner for Boxing Day drinks with Judy and Robin. As a result of some very nice gin and tonics, the novel I'm supposed to finish in the next 5 days looks as if it's falling apart in my hands today. I know it's really not, but it's still a bit frightening. Best to not try and solve anything big, just do some close work on a part of it that I'm okay with.
Thank you, whoever is responsible for this cool, grey, rainy weather.
December 14, 2010
2 more dayjob days to Christmas
The selkies novel trudges on. It's just applying bottom to seat on a regular basis at this stage. I wouldn't call it a 'death march', but it's definitely a bit, you know, sloggy.
All the short stories I owe in January are tantalising me over the Christmas/New Year horizon. I'm looking forward to them; they're so...short. And different from each other. *whispers* I am a leetle bit over selkies.
Reading:
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy and Horror , 2010 Edition, ed. Paula Guran Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded , ed. Ann and Jeff VanderMeerWriting Places: TheLife Journey of a Writer and Teacher, by William Zinsser
All the short stories I owe in January are tantalising me over the Christmas/New Year horizon. I'm looking forward to them; they're so...short. And different from each other. *whispers* I am a leetle bit over selkies.
Reading:
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy and Horror , 2010 Edition, ed. Paula Guran Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded , ed. Ann and Jeff VanderMeerWriting Places: TheLife Journey of a Writer and Teacher, by William Zinsser
December 3, 2010
December, eek! (+ Yellowcake full cover)
I have a thumping great deadline (on the novel revision) on 31 December. I had another thumping great deadline then, which I've managed to push back a month (along with three smaller deadlines *nervous laugh*). I have no choice but to meet the TGD, and I think I probably have paced the revisions okay and won't need to pull any caffeine-fuelled all-nighters to bring it to a satisfactory conclusion.
Reading: Griffith Review annual fiction issueThe Museum of Mary Child, by Cassandra Golds
The day-job is kind of up in the air for next year. At this stage it would actually be nice (and financially not too disastrous) to have January off and deal with TGD2, so you can bet your bottom dollar they'll get the funding to keep me on.
My collection Yellowcake proceeds apace; I've just corrected the final proofs of the last (most changed) story and the end-matter, and Allen & Unwin will send it to the printer this week. And the full cover is done—check it out. A dazzling assortment of quotes on the back!
I can recommend the mostly-reprint collection as a low-stress way to put out a book; most of the revision work gets done bitsily, to small deadlines, over a matter of years, with just this little flurry at the end. All three of my other collections have been sets of 10 originals; their production, while not quite novel-like in its complexity, involved a concentrated editorial period, as well as several last-minute substitutions when stories spontaneously combusted under pressure. Reprints are easier. She says with a sigh of relief.
Reading: Griffith Review annual fiction issueThe Museum of Mary Child, by Cassandra Golds
The day-job is kind of up in the air for next year. At this stage it would actually be nice (and financially not too disastrous) to have January off and deal with TGD2, so you can bet your bottom dollar they'll get the funding to keep me on.
My collection Yellowcake proceeds apace; I've just corrected the final proofs of the last (most changed) story and the end-matter, and Allen & Unwin will send it to the printer this week. And the full cover is done—check it out. A dazzling assortment of quotes on the back!
I can recommend the mostly-reprint collection as a low-stress way to put out a book; most of the revision work gets done bitsily, to small deadlines, over a matter of years, with just this little flurry at the end. All three of my other collections have been sets of 10 originals; their production, while not quite novel-like in its complexity, involved a concentrated editorial period, as well as several last-minute substitutions when stories spontaneously combusted under pressure. Reprints are easier. She says with a sigh of relief.
November 24, 2010
#OMGherecomesChristmas
Right. So. Reading: Leanne Hall's This is Shyness. Finished Tove Jansson's Fair Play and The Summer Book—both brilliant.
Ann and Jeff VanderMeer's Steampunk Reloaded arrived (with 'Machine Maid' in it, and a whole lot of other (more) interesting (to me) stuff. Also the audio book of Zombies vs Unicorns, and the Australian paperback edition from Allen & Unwin. It's enough to make a person think it's Christmas.
Writing: I've just about re-drafted the middle section of the selkies novel. It's gone from one long miserable chunk to three more varied chunks, two of them cheerful, one of them sad but stoic. That sounds better, doesn't it.
Momentous things: Our younger son Harry finished his HSC. He heads off to Schoolies' Week in Ballina tomorrow. If you see him, give him a big glass of water and a piece of fruit, and tell him to get some sleep.
I'm just about to head off to a 2-day Lit Board meeting, which will steal 2 writing days from me. But then, what are the weekends for? *wan smile*
Also, what does everyone want for Christmas? I would like a big-winning lottery ticket, please, just in case you're wondering.
Ann and Jeff VanderMeer's Steampunk Reloaded arrived (with 'Machine Maid' in it, and a whole lot of other (more) interesting (to me) stuff. Also the audio book of Zombies vs Unicorns, and the Australian paperback edition from Allen & Unwin. It's enough to make a person think it's Christmas.
Writing: I've just about re-drafted the middle section of the selkies novel. It's gone from one long miserable chunk to three more varied chunks, two of them cheerful, one of them sad but stoic. That sounds better, doesn't it.
Momentous things: Our younger son Harry finished his HSC. He heads off to Schoolies' Week in Ballina tomorrow. If you see him, give him a big glass of water and a piece of fruit, and tell him to get some sleep.
I'm just about to head off to a 2-day Lit Board meeting, which will steal 2 writing days from me. But then, what are the weekends for? *wan smile*
Also, what does everyone want for Christmas? I would like a big-winning lottery ticket, please, just in case you're wondering.
November 13, 2010
The Sekrit Location
For the last couple of weeks Steven and I have been staying in a 26th-floor apartment in Kings Cross, looking out over Sydney Harbour and (if you dare to go out on the balcony) the whole city from the mountains (between the city towers) to the sea (beyond the Heads). Most mornings I've been getting up early and working while the sun comes up and the view changes from twinkling city lights to sunlit city blocks—although mostly it's been pretty moody and grey weather-wise.
I won't say it's been as good as a holiday, because I feel as if I've barely stopped working, but we've done some holidayish things, wandering around this part of town—well, more like clambering than wandering, up and down flights of sandstone steps everywhere. Walking right into the city centre from our home base is a bit of a novelty. We've seen an officially Historic House (Elizabeth Bay) and a lot of unofficial ones, and been to an exhibition or two ('Painting the Rocks' at the Museum of Sydney and 'Mari Nawi' at the State Library). And we've yacht-watched and cruise-liner-spotted and square-rigger-monitored, not to mention making a lot of sage observations about the weather. It sure is a purty harbour, and it's very easy to forget it's there when you live in Lewisham and work in Kensington.
I've done a lot of novel revision. I've more-or-less fixed the first third, and I'm maybe halfway through re-drafting the problematical (saggy, miserable, repetitive, bit dull) middle section. Feels as if it's working, is as much as I can say.
I've also been assessing a lot of applications for the Publishing and Promotion Grants that the Lit Board decides on at the end of November. This wasn't as big a job as I'd feared, so there'll be more time for novelising and short-story-writing than I thought there'd be in the next week or so, which is a relief.
Other reading:
Sixty LIghts, by Gail JonesThe Summer Book, by Tove Janssonand I've begun Tove Jansson's Fair Play (thanks, Kathryn!) as well.
I went to a wonderful gathering of women writers in Glebe the other night—you can see me there over at Anita Heiss's blog. It was excellent to whinge and laugh and generally compare notes, and just to be in the same room with people who are obsessed and anxious in the same way as I am. I know, there's always the Internet, but face-to-face is sane-making too sometimes.
The only other news is minor physical glitches that I won't bore you with, except to say keep your abs strong and don't bite your nails. ;)
Onward and upward.
I won't say it's been as good as a holiday, because I feel as if I've barely stopped working, but we've done some holidayish things, wandering around this part of town—well, more like clambering than wandering, up and down flights of sandstone steps everywhere. Walking right into the city centre from our home base is a bit of a novelty. We've seen an officially Historic House (Elizabeth Bay) and a lot of unofficial ones, and been to an exhibition or two ('Painting the Rocks' at the Museum of Sydney and 'Mari Nawi' at the State Library). And we've yacht-watched and cruise-liner-spotted and square-rigger-monitored, not to mention making a lot of sage observations about the weather. It sure is a purty harbour, and it's very easy to forget it's there when you live in Lewisham and work in Kensington.
I've done a lot of novel revision. I've more-or-less fixed the first third, and I'm maybe halfway through re-drafting the problematical (saggy, miserable, repetitive, bit dull) middle section. Feels as if it's working, is as much as I can say.
I've also been assessing a lot of applications for the Publishing and Promotion Grants that the Lit Board decides on at the end of November. This wasn't as big a job as I'd feared, so there'll be more time for novelising and short-story-writing than I thought there'd be in the next week or so, which is a relief.
Other reading:
Sixty LIghts, by Gail JonesThe Summer Book, by Tove Janssonand I've begun Tove Jansson's Fair Play (thanks, Kathryn!) as well.
I went to a wonderful gathering of women writers in Glebe the other night—you can see me there over at Anita Heiss's blog. It was excellent to whinge and laugh and generally compare notes, and just to be in the same room with people who are obsessed and anxious in the same way as I am. I know, there's always the Internet, but face-to-face is sane-making too sometimes.
The only other news is minor physical glitches that I won't bore you with, except to say keep your abs strong and don't bite your nails. ;)
Onward and upward.
October 31, 2010
'Sea-Hearts' wins World Fantasy Award for Best Novella!
I'm so pleased about this - it makes it look like such a good idea to expand this novella into a full-blown novel. When I'm up to my ears in revisions, I need all the reassurance I can get.
In case you're wondering what 'Sea-Hearts' is all about, there are now two places where it can be found: in its original publication, Keith Stevenson's/coeur de lion's novellanthology X6, and in Paula Guran's just-released The Year's Best Dark Fantasy and Horror 2010.
In case you're wondering what 'Sea-Hearts' is all about, there are now two places where it can be found: in its original publication, Keith Stevenson's/coeur de lion's novellanthology X6, and in Paula Guran's just-released The Year's Best Dark Fantasy and Horror 2010.
October 30, 2010
Reading, riting, revising
More books read:
Anonymity Jones, by James RoyGravel, by Peter GoldsworthyThe Three Loves of Persimmon, by Cassandra Golds
Books begun:
So I am Glad, by A. L. KennedySixty Lights, by Gail Jones
As for writing, I've mostly revised the first of the 3 sections of The Brides of Rollrock Island, and started in on the middle section, which is where all the major revisions have to take place. So far I've got about 9000 words of that mid-section, both new and remodelled; there's another large chunk of remodelling to do, then two completely new chunks to write, not sure what size.
I had to pause on the short-story writing while I got back into the novel, so nothing new there.
Today I went to Draftbusters (ooh, there's a picture of me—haven't had hair that long for a while) for the first time in nearly a year, just for the company and to hear about other people's mad projects instead of staring bug-eyed at my own. That was healthy.
Walked about 10km yesterday. That was healthy, too. Did you know it's nearly summer out there? I got a tiny bit sunburnt, even.
Anonymity Jones, by James RoyGravel, by Peter GoldsworthyThe Three Loves of Persimmon, by Cassandra Golds
Books begun:
So I am Glad, by A. L. KennedySixty Lights, by Gail Jones
As for writing, I've mostly revised the first of the 3 sections of The Brides of Rollrock Island, and started in on the middle section, which is where all the major revisions have to take place. So far I've got about 9000 words of that mid-section, both new and remodelled; there's another large chunk of remodelling to do, then two completely new chunks to write, not sure what size.
I had to pause on the short-story writing while I got back into the novel, so nothing new there.
Today I went to Draftbusters (ooh, there's a picture of me—haven't had hair that long for a while) for the first time in nearly a year, just for the company and to hear about other people's mad projects instead of staring bug-eyed at my own. That was healthy.
Walked about 10km yesterday. That was healthy, too. Did you know it's nearly summer out there? I got a tiny bit sunburnt, even.
October 20, 2010
I've managed to read some books
Tove Jansson, The True DeceiverLloyd Jones, Mr PipJoanne Horniman, About a Girl Gail Jones, Black MirrorJames Bradley, The ResurrectionistCassandra Golds, The Three Loves of PersimmonGil Adamson, Help Me, Jacques CousteauHm, now I just need to write some.
October 12, 2010
Yellowcake cover
Here is Zoe Sadokierski's lovely cover for the collection, due out from Allen & Unwin in March next year. Weird and wonderful, no? Just like the contents! I'm very happy with this.
