It’s here! I’m very excited to be able to reveal the cover of The Iron Line, designed by the brilliant Raewyn Brack (who also did the cover for Greythorne). It will be officially released on 4 December, just in time for Christmas!
Category Archives: The Iron Line
Anatomy of a Novel Part 10: Going indie
I’m very excited to reveal that The Iron Line is now in its final stages. I’ve been agonising a lot this year about how I wanted to publish it – whether I was going to pitch it to agents and publishers, or take a different route. Last week I wrote an article for online news andContinue reading “Anatomy of a Novel Part 10: Going indie”
Noted Festival 2017
Last week was the third annual Noted Festival, held in Canberra, where I live. I’d heard about it the previous two years, but for various reasons had never got round to actually participating in anything. Noted isn’t like other writers festivals – for one thing, it has “an explicit commitment to emerging and experimental writingContinue reading “Noted Festival 2017”
Dictation for writers
One of the great myths about writing is that it only occurs when you’re typing on a keyboard (or writing by hand, if you prefer). In my case, however – and I know I’m not alone here – a great deal of my ‘writing’ takes place when I’m away from my desk, often when I’mContinue reading “Dictation for writers”
Fiction vs non-fiction
Well, I have some exciting news – my first non-fiction book, Communications for Volunteers: Low-Cost Strategies for Community Groups is out on Monday! It’s an introductory-level communications handbook for grassroots volunteer groups, which I was inspired to write through my own volunteering experience (I realised that many volunteer groups don’t have a good understanding ofContinue reading “Fiction vs non-fiction”
Anatomy of a Novel Part 9: Troubleshooting
It’s taken four months, but I’ve finally finished the first read-through of The Iron Line and I’m starting to overhaul it. I naively thought the second book would be easier than the first – because I know what I’m doing now, right? Wrong. The first draft of Greythorne took three months to write and I let itContinue reading “Anatomy of a Novel Part 9: Troubleshooting”
Anatomy of a Novel Part 8: The first edit
After letting The Iron Line ferment for six weeks or so, I’ve just started editing it. This first read-through is always a bit painful, although it has its upsides too. Sometimes I come across a particularly well-turned phrase and get a little ‘I can’t believe I wrote that’ thrill, but more often than not, allContinue reading “Anatomy of a Novel Part 8: The first edit”
Anatomy of a Novel Part 7: The first full draft
Well, it’s done. I’ve finished the first draft of The Iron Line. I should be ecstatic, but to be honest, I feel a bit, well…flat. I can’t remember how I felt when I completed Greythorne, but I think it was probably more elated than this – probably because it was the first time, so it felt likeContinue reading “Anatomy of a Novel Part 7: The first full draft”
A day at the circus
Last weekend I did something I haven’t done since I was six years old. I went to the circus. And it was fabulous. Circuses seem to pop up in our area relatively frequently (once or twice a year) and each time I see the spires of a brightly coloured tent I think about going, butContinue reading “A day at the circus”
Anatomy of a Novel Part 6: The paper anniversary
When my husband Tristan and I first started dating three years ago, we had a ‘food-for-stories’ deal – he’d make me dinner and in return I’d read him the next chapter of Dragonscale, the long-running young adult fantasy novel I’d been writing off and on since 2007. We each thought we got the better endContinue reading “Anatomy of a Novel Part 6: The paper anniversary”
