Conflux 7–Day 2

Started with a bang. My houseguest, Jo Anderton, and I joined Duncan Lay, Erica Hayes and Natalie Costa Bir on a panel at 10am on Starting the Journey. We had an interesting discussion about developing your skills, what's more important commercial implications or the idea and how do you know a manuscript is ready to submit?

This was followed by Natalie Costa Bir's Guest of Honour speech. Natalie had been a little nervous about it but she as able to parlay that into a great speech, talking about first where her love of fantasy arose, then her love of publishing and how she got into the role of editing. It was particularly interesting to hear her talk about her role as digital editor and what was going on in getting the backlist turned into ebooks.

Then it was my first stint on the CSFG table. I had a great natter with one of our new members, Rik, who was initially involved in theatre but now writes narrative for computer games – very interesting. We talked a lot about success and depression and working out what you do and different ways to achieve it.

I went to get lunch, intending to bring it back to the table to eat. Only Gillian (who hasn't been well, poor thing) needed some sit down time so she took over my second hour. Thus I got to go have a social lunch, and then attend Kim Westwood's GoH speech.

Kim's was fascinating, talking about her own experiences of feeling an outsider and searching for identity against the constraints that society puts on the word and how that's being played out and analysed through her writing. Later that day, I got a copy of Kim's new book The Courier's New Bicycle and I'm really looking forward to exploring a book that I've now heard the author talk quite extensively about.

After Kim was my presentation on Conflux 9. A small but enthusiastic group listened to the plans Donna and I already had and made some suggestions of their own. It was nice to have some folks support our point of view that yes Conflux is a more literary based convention but there's room for all manner of flavours of convention and in fact Conflux's is preferred.

Then was the launch of Five Historical Feasts, the Conflux cookbook. It's a lovely looking book, with design by Andrew McKiernan and illustrations by Kathleen Jennings. Gillian's done an incredible job in compiling it. I myself am delighted to have my second-last short story publication as part of the cookbook – it's nice to be involved in this book in a creative manner after all the VERY creative testing I did for it (particularly of the alcohol).

After that – mass book signing. Got to chat to a few people, particularly Kim Westwood, and Emma Wearmouth actually bought her copy of Dream of Asarlai all the way from Melbourne for me to sign – was a very exciting moment when she trooped up to the table with the trilogy.

Everyone started to decamp at this point for their preparations for the last original Conflux banquet. Jo and I weren't attending the banquet, but ended up have a lovely dinner with Stephanie Smith and her husband Jim, Anna Tambour and Duncan Lay. The conversation was free-flowing and included some waxing lyrical by Stephanie and myself over Sara Douglass.

Back at the con, Jo and I sat by ourselves for a while, until some others drifted back from the banquet, declaring it a great success! We'd loved to have stayed until the party returned fully to the con hotel, but we were both dragging after a poor night's sleep the night before and so hoofed it back home.

So today begins on a sombre but wonderful note as we remember the life and career of Sara Douglass. I'm taking my copy of Battleaxe and at some point, hopefully someone (maybe even me) will read the opening – the first Sara Douglass words that were published by Voyager and the beginning of a new era for Australian speculative fiction.

I've got another two panels today – one on choosing your career path and the various options open and the other on paranormal romance. There's also the launch of Mary Victoria and Simon Haynes' books at lunchtime. And tonight – THE DISCO!

Think I might actually costume up for that…