Best Laid Plans and all...

All my plans went awry this morning when I arrived at the cinema to find my office dripping water. My desk was awash and all the paperwork I had stacked neatly on it, ready for the staff over the next 10 days, was saturated. Water dripped from the ceiling, and closer investigation revealed a projection room overflowing.

Yes, there was hair tearing. The language was not what you could call ladylike. The definite sound of wailing could be heard emanating from the building.

Back to square one...

Holiday!

One day left before I go away for 10 days holiday. The next time I post here, it will be from the thriving metropolis of Canberra. I assume you can hear the sarcasm in my voice as I say that. Canberra is NOT an exciting holiday destination. It is though, where my parents live at the moment, and I'm taking the boys to see their grandparents.

Preparing to go has been hectic. Not only have I had to do two weeks work in one at the cinema, but it's the end of the month which requires masses of extra paperwork on top of all the regular end of week stuff. So I've had to be organized. Very organized. But for once, I actually feel on top of it. Ask me again as I'm trying to get out the door at 5pm tomorrow and I probably won't be so calm!

On top of all that extra 'real' work, I've had the most intense two weeks of reviewing for my critique groups. In my YA Novel group, we had a review frenzy where we had to review as much of another writer's book in a week as we could. I'm proud to say I managed to finish my chosen book.

We have also had a two week review marathon for our novella project, I just finished reviewing my 4th novella. Okay, only one of them was completed, but it's still a lot of reviews. I'm pooped now. And apart from doing a quick once over of Prayer and Prey before sending it off to the Secret Agent, I've done no writing of my own for two weeks. It's the longest I think I've gone without writing for a couple of years, and I'm itching to get back to it.

I've had masses of amazing feedback on both my novella and Assignment 9, so will be arming myself with notes while I'm in Australia, and hope to return with a rewrite of the novella. A9 will have to wait a little because even with the feedback, I'm not sure what I want to do with it.

And David, my illustrator, is waiting for his picture book too. Do you think a policeman punishing fairy-tale characters for their wrong-doings might be too much for a kids' book? In my mind I see it as being really blackly funny, but can't be sure that children will get that kind of dark humor. I guess I have two of my own to try it out on, don't I? The pictures are incredible, although again, I'm worried they might be a little disturbing. Can we put Hansel and Gretel into the stocks? What do you think?

Exciting!

I've had two pieces of very exciting news in the last 24 hours. Firstly, my short story Lost has been chosen as story of the month by Long Story Short. I had to write a bio and do an interview, so can only imagine it's going to be a big feature thingamy when the issue goes live. So that's good exposure.

Then this morning, I discovered I'd gotten an Honourable Mention in the Secret Agent contest run by Miss Snark's First Victim. This is really exciting because the prize is to submit the full MS. My first full request! Which isn't too surprising since so far I've only sent 4 queries out for Prayer and Prey, and haven't heard back from two of them yet.

So if you see me floating around, a big, silly grin on my face, that's why!

Just plain weird

I just started reading a new YA book yesterday. Nothing weird there. But this book is written in third person present tense. I have never come across a novel written in third person present tense before. Children's picture books, yes, but a novel? It's weird. Jarring and strange and incredibly intrusive to the reading experience.

I use a lot of first person present tense in my writing. It has an immediacy that you don't get with past tense writing, an action to it that surges from the page (when it's done right). I'm not getting that with this third person voice. I feel distanced from the protagonist, which, given the subject matter in this particular book, may not be such a bad thing. But mostly, it feels wrong. I keep wanting to change sentences so they are in the past tense, or make the character's name 'I'.

I'm going to keep reading because while it feels completely weird to read, I'm curious to see if it can be pulled off. I'm also curious to see if I could sustain that kind of voice for the length of a story - not willing to try a novel yet - and if it would work. What kind of story could possibly require a third person present tense narrative? Other than a picture book? Has anyone got any ideas? Any suggestions of other novels written in this way?

I'm not sure I like it, but I'm always eager to spread my wings and try something new.

Let's play Tag!

There is a game of internet or blog tag going on at the moment. I got tagged by Nicole Zoltack, so need to answer these questions..

1. If you could have a superpower, what would you have? Why?
Invisibility. Just think what you could do and hear if no one could see you. On second thoughts, maybe I don't want to hear that stuff...

2. Who is your style icon?
I don't really have one. I have what you might call, a unique style of my own...

3. What is your favorite quote?
Always remember to party like a rockstar.

4. What is the best compliment you've ever received?
Someone saying my book made her cry. I knew my work was done....

5. What playlist/cd is on your ipod/cd player right now?
An exotic mixture of Kristin Hersh, Nick Cave, Einsutzende Neubauten, Swans and Jill Sobule. With a few soundtracks thrown in for good measure.

6. Are you a night owl or a morning person?
Am I even a person? No, seriously, I think I'm more a night person, but with two small kids, mornings are a necessity. I just don't sleep much at all.

7. Do you prefer dogs or cats?
Cats. Definitely cats. Dogs are too needy.

8. What is the meaning behind your blog name?
The two things I love: fiction and film. Although I notice, I blog more about writing than film...

I tag you! The first four people to read this. Leave a link to your blog in the comments and I'll come and see your answers...

Contests

There are so many awesome contests out there in peoples' blogs. In the last two weeks I've been lucky enough to win prizes in two of them. I won a 25 MS critique from three writers in one, and a query critique in the other. Both awesome and very helpful prizes.

And here is another contest with awesome prizes

So go and enter. Even if you're one of those people who says they never win anything. Today might be your lucky day!

Less stressed

Okay. I'm feeling a little less stressed than I was when I last posted. I've managed to finish editing A9 and get it posted in time for the review frenzy. It's not 100% right yet. Chapter 28 is way too long, and there are a couple earlier that are too short, but I will reshuffle that later, once the reviews have come in. I've also managed to get through half a novella in the reviewing marathon, so am feeling on top of things there too. I just need to make a start on the novel reviewing today.

Unfortunately I haven't managed to recover the mailing list yet.... I have someone coming in today to start re-entering the data, but it's going to be a long process.