Book VI - To Play the Queen

Today the sixth book in the series is finished and will be released in the e-Book version ahead of the print copy. It's title is "To Play the Queen". 

I hope readers will enjoy the new characters; many play significant roles in Books VII and VIII. 

Rebecca’s theory about the cats develops further complexity when she meets the mysterious Rupert. And what about Judge Henderson? She reveals something extraordinary about her life and the history of the Firefly Legacy. From where did the first Fireflies originate? Are they related to royalty?

In 2012 there are another 2-3 books planned for release. The girls’ adventures just keep coming!

Varuna images

Varuna Writer's House

Here are the photos taken during my time at Varuna Writer's House. I would advise any writer to take advantage of the Manuscript Development Program and/or Professional Development Intensive Workshop that Varuna offers. Having a consultant visit during one's stay (to spend an hour or more threshing out the weaknesses of plot, structure or cadence) is the best form of discipline. Otherwise, those astoundingly beautiful Blue Mts are a mere 5-10 minute walk from the front door. I'm glad I waited until my second-to-last day to go hiking!

Logistics: The house is a 10-15 minute walk from the centre of Katoomba. It has WiFi internet with no drop out and nary a television to be found. Each apartment is made up of a bedroom, a separate writing room (or Eleanor Dark's entire studio, if you have the Maid's quarters) and a bathroom. The rooms have names such as "Bear Room", "Green Room" and "Maid's Room". I was fortunate to have the Main room, which is at the top of the stairs on the left of the main door in the first image. It had a fireplace that made ghostly noises at night. How wonderful - once I'd gotten used to the sound and could get to sleep. All of the bedrooms are on the top floor with the exception of the Maid's quarters. 

Nobody is disturbed from their task. It's an environment that 'compels' the writer to write... when she's not making pots of tea, that is... or looking out of her window at strange people (other writers) walking around the garden, waving umbrellas above their heads in a maniacal fashion on a sunny day??? It was September. Supposedly the magpies were swooping, though they never bothered me - not for the entire time I was at the Writer's House. And yet tales of their F-15 accuracy were bandied around the dinner table. 

The Mythical Magpies of Varuna

I suspect Kath, Dave & Jackie were pulling my leg.
They were the three other writers present for all of my stay. Great people. We met up at dinner and had postprandial readings and discussions.


Work time: My rough daily schedule was to write from 0700H, taking a break around 1730H to set the fire downstairs and hand-feed the magpies. After dinner I'd often resume writing until 2300H.


It's a strange but luxurious feeling to have nothing but writing all around oneself. 




I had two consultancy sessions with Ms Lee. Each was followed by a flurry of re-structuring the plot and tweaking the dialogue. I like to get things done so would plan a 24H turn-around, to email the revised manuscript VI well in advance of Ms Lee's next visit. This worked well. 

The joy in spending time at Varuna (even when one works hard) comes from the full immersion effect. There is a comforting solitude in the house. Underneath carpet the floorboards squeak just as they have done from countless writer's feet before mine. 


When I took some images on my last night it did occur to me that Varuna lacked one thing. Something to make it all the more unique. Something that would be luminous at twilight and herald in the full moon.


Why, Fireflies of course!

Post-Varuna

I am fresh back from a week in the Blue Mts, having undergone an Individual Professional Development Program at Varuna Writer's House. I will post some photos soon. My consultant was Jody Lee (former editor at Simon & Schuster). We dissected my manuscript for Book VI; it was excellent. Ms Lee is very knowledgeable and a clear communicator. We also had some good laughs. Writing is such a joy. Discussing writing is immensely good fun too.

In addition to our manuscript talks, we spoke about the current climate in publishing. 

Here are some of my own thoughts RE:the massive shift in the publishing world and how it operates. 

Each week there seems to be another article on something major, whether it stems from the content providers themselves (eg. JK Rowling with Pottermore) or whether it is technology driven. The latest article that caught my attention can be found here:
http://whattheythink.com/news/54364-harpercollins-publishers-5000-titles-available-print-demand/

It's not too unimaginable to foresee bookstores becoming cafes with EBM lined up outside like we currently have ATM, only the EBM would be for different publishers not banks. We could order our book then order a coffee, finish drinking it and collect our printed and bound book (still warm) from the EBM. Why not? It certainly provides a future outlook for both forms of the written word to be perpetuated - either eBooks or espresso hardcopies.

Pottermore

The hype that is building around Jo Rowling's latest initiative intrigues me. I think she's incredibly innovative and my hat is off to her. I realise we'll all get to test drive this on July 31st, 2011, but from what I've learnt so far, each eBook purchased gives the owner their unique watermark and ability to interact in the Cloud with the author and fellow readers.
I wouldn't be giving that away in a hurry.
By the end of the year we'll know whether this is/isn't the next step forward in Marketing. I suspect it is. However it's clear a product has to have notoriety like that of the Harry Potter series for this to work. Nevertheless, Rowling has defiantly stepped out on her own ... she has gone beyond the reach of publishers. It's immensely brave. Who else has a life so changed in the past 15 years?

RADF grant

This week the news is that I have been awarded an Arts Queensland/Regional Art Development Fund grant from the Sunshine Coast Council. It will enable me to complete an intensive Writer's Retreat and Workshop at Varuna, 'The Writer's House' in the beautiful Blue Mts, near Sydney.

Thank you, Arts Queensland and the Sunshine Coast Council!

The opportunity to hone my skills and join the list of distinguished writers of the Varuna Alumni is wonderful.

More adventures are on the way ...

I have just finished Book VII and 'am waiting for the title to miraculously appear on my screen.
Likewise for the recipes. I often feel as if my description of the girls' treats, which means at some stage I must make up a recipe and test it, is like the egg coming before the chicken. If anyone knows of a recipe for coconut fruit balls, I'd be grateful to have permission to use it.

Book VI and VII are being held back due to this period of extreme productivity. For some reason, despite re-locating and my travels this year, the stories just keep coming. Rebecca, Jin, Meera and Louise have taken on a life of their own ... and they are bullying me into writing about it (!) ... which I don't really mind at all, as these girls are such fun.

Meera has a starring role in Book VII, by the way. She also has her first date ... but it's not the sort of date anyone would wish for, seriously! Jin goes away in Book VI, which creates all sorts of issues about the Club, its meetings and what to do when an enormous mystery appears at their doorstep. Perhaps the other three will need to enlist the help of someone else - but who could they trust? Thankfully the answer to this becomes clear, but not without a few hiccups along the way.

I hope you are enjoying the girls adventures as much as I am.
keep reading,
Liz

Merry Christmas

A quick message to wish all of my readers a very Merry Christmas.
I hope your new year, 2011 is full of exciting adventures!

Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Australia