Steampunk Secrets

I've had a few days off, doing assignments and other stuff. It is amazing how much simply having the holidays start (even though it is still only the first weekend) can disrupt the usual rhythms and routines of life.

I've been picking away at the Steampunk MS today and have added another thousand words.

The scene is set now. I've introduced all the family members and built up the sense of mystery around this secretive family.

Now Mercy must undergo a Test. Will she pass?
How can she pass if she doesn't know what she is being tested FOR?
And if she does what then?
What is her father working on and why is it a secret?
Why is there so much mystery surrounding her family and why won't anyone tell her what it is all about until AFTERWARDS?
And who's side is The Duchess on anyway?

Can you tell I'm having fun with this...?

In other news:
I placed Second in a local writing competion and received two Highly Compendeds as well.
At our most recent meeting of the Dunedin Writer's Workshop I was nominated and voted into the position of Secretary. Yay!

Clockpunk meets Steampunk: Inspiration Abounds!!

Steampunk. Clockpunk. Clogpunk. Cogpunk. Oooo the inspiration!

I have started writing again.

I spent much of yesterday re-immersing myself in the world of my Steampunk novel, drawing up a family tree for the Von Lovenstein family and writing short profiles for the main characters. I'm having heaps of fun with the names and eccentric personalities of my characters.

I'm all inspired and really enjoying the freedom of the Clockpunk/Steampunk genre. Being able to add a dash of magic to my Victorianesque world is an added bonus.

The plot is slowly ironing itself out and taking on more shape as I get my head around the characters. I still haven't quite decided what form the mysterious contraption is going to take (the theft of which throws everything into choas) but I do know what plot points lead us to this point and - vaguely - what needs to happen to get it back.

I also been having fun Googling antique guns. I found a couple of wonderful specimens. The above is a genuine ring pistol. To the right is an antique blunderbuss. Aren't they great?!

I love, love, love writing!

Post Op Inspiration

I've had my operation and I'm slowly regaining my strength, though given the nasty twinges in my side I might have over done things over the last few days. Naughty me! So I'm more or less keeping to my comfy chair today and it seemed the perfect opportunity to blog again.

My muse has crawled out of whatever corner he's been hiding in while I was feeling rotten. He's back, sporting a waistcoat, cravat and a top hat at a jaunty angle. He leans on his dragonheaded cane. Every so often takes out his sliver pocket watch, flicks the lid with a kidskin encased finger and raises an eyebrow in my direction. His expression clearly says "haven't you started writing yet?"

No, I haven't but I will ... very soon.

I'm feeling all inspired. My hubby makes music and has been working on a piece for a Steampunk movie. The piece he has put together is great. Listening to it over and over got my creative juices flowing again.

Did you know there is a sub genre of Steampunk called Clockpunk? I didn't, but it totally fits with my story Mercy Me. The novel is Steampunk with a lot of windup gearwork etc and is a more Gothic or Regency-esk rather than Steampunk's traditional Victorian type setting. I guess I want the best of both worlds. :D And now that I know Clockpunk exists I feel like I can legitimately go where the winds of inspiration take me.

I spent some time this morning trolling the internet looking at Clockpunk images and feeding the muse with ideas. I'm very excited, inspired and looking forward to getting back to writing some more of Mercy's story.

Popping In

This month seems to have gone so fast. It seems only a few days ago that I was facing the reality of having to have surgery in a bid to try to fix a medical condition that reared its ugly head last October. My parents arrive this afternoon and tomorrow is the big day.

I've been really busy working, with assignments for the work related Certificate I'm doing, with competitions and editing for Mad Scribblers (my crit group) and life in general (read: trying to get the house sorted so my Mum won't be walking into a disaster zone!) so I've hardly had time to give the up coming op any really serious consideration, which is probably a good thing. I've

Post-op I have six weeks off work so I'm hoping get back into my writing again. It has been much too long, but with everything going on my head has just not been in the right place. Still I've been reading and the imaginative juices are flowing slowing once more.

I've decided to take a little break from editing Tremorgan's Gift. I've been over it and over it and think it's time to give it a little space before going back at hack at it once more. Distance makes the heart grow fonder and the editor's eye sharper - or so they say. So I'm going to have another go at Mercy Me (my Nano Steampunk novel).

I'm happily reading Operation Typhoon Shore, the second in Joshua Mowell's series. I recently read the first, Operation Red Jericho, for the second time. They're great and really inspiring my muse. Thanks to a bunch of thoughtful friends I have a big stack of books to read while I convalesce, including a few more of Bernard Cornwall's books among others.

In the meantime, keep writing and reading, and let me know what you've been delving into.

Crawling Back

I feels like it has been ages, but I'm finally, slowly, dragging step by dragging step, getting back into the writing.

My medical issues, looming surgery and the earthquake that shook Christchurch last month really shook me out of my writing zone. Meanwhile the Muse escaped out the back door and has refused to return, which hasn't helped matters. It is frustrating, but my head just hasn't been in the right place to write.

My critique group met again last week which forced me to face the MS and tackled the next chapter for submission.

This week the other writing group I attend is holding one of their three annual competitions. I haven't had time to write anything new and the Muse is stubbornly hiding somewhere, so I dusted off, tweaked and re-worked a couple of stories I'd written awhile ago and submitted those. It can't hurt and I have to confess they needed the work.

It's amazing what time can do for a piece of writing. It does wonders to show up glaring typos and generally ugly sentences that were simply "hidden" before.

I've been doing a bit of reading and have been enjoying the pace and taste of a couple of historical novels.

Prophecy by M K Hume, which I really liked. My friend reviewed the book for our local newspaper and passed it on to me. I'll definitely be keeping my eyes peeled for the next books in the trilogy and for her Arthurian series.

Bernard Cornwell's Harlequin, which I'm reading and devouring on the recommendation of another friend. I'm really like the brisk, quick, detailed action of the story.

Have you read any good books lately?

Off on another Tangent

I haven't been doing much fiction writing lately. No. Let's be honest, I haven't done any.

My health has deteriorated over the last couple of weeks. My medical condition has come back to bite me on the bum ... and when we were doing so well too.

So I've not been writing stories or working on my novels or even doing any editing at all. Instead I've been working on a new and totally unrelated blog about my health and medical journey. If you're interested you can view it here.

In light of all this disruption I might not be blogging here as much as I usually would. Though even if I'm not writing I'm still reading and will, no doubt, have a few words to say about the latest literary treasures I'll be hiding in while all the medical nastiness unfolds around me.

BOUND

Last Wednesday night I had the privilege to attend Vanda Symon's book launch for her fourth Sam Shepard detective novel, BOUND. It was a lovely evening out, hosted by Dunedin's own fabulous University bookshop.

Many of the reveiws I'd read said how un-put-downable this latest edition was and how they'd stayed up until the wee small hours because they just had to keep reading. So in spite of the fact that I was dying to read my new book, I decided to put it away until I had a few days off work which I could devote to Sam's latest adventure.

That day was today.

I shooed my kids out the door, ate breakfast, checked my email then curled up in my comfy chair with my feet up and opened the book. I took my nose out from between the pages only long enough to eat, do a bit of house work, help kids with homework, chat to a friend who stopped by, do some shopping and cook tea.

I finished BOUND this evening.

Evidently I was immersed!

Bound was a very enjoyable read. I was hooked from the first page and loved the twists and turns that complicated the plot.

I'm something of a fan of Vanda's (I now have all four of her books and all sighed by her. lol!). It has been fun watching Sam's character grow and mature and also to see Vanda's talent increase with each new book she has written.

Bound was a effortless, exciting read. The characters are so well drawn; genuine, flawed people. And of course, as ever, Dickhead Johns is fun to hate. Sam's feisty personality leaps off the page and her love of Dunedin is wonderfully evident.

I've no doubt that fans will in time come to Dunedin simply to visit the places that Vanda's characters go. The Fix for coffee. The Nova cafe. The Chinese Gardens. Marlow Park (the park by the beach, which my kids affectionately call "the Dinosaur Park"). Maybe even the police stations ...?

Here's the blurb for Bound:

A home invasion shocks the nation.

A man is murdered, his wife bound, gagged and left to watch.

But when Detective Sam Shephard scratches the surface, the victim, a successful businessman, is not all he seems to be. And when the evidence points to two of Dunedin's most hated criminals, the case seems cut and dried ... until the body count starts to rise.

Meanwhile, Sam is in big trouble again ...

So what next? Vanda is taking a break from Sam's adventures to write a dark thriller set in Auckland which is set to come out next year. So while I can't wait to read this new book, I hope maybe one day we'll get to see more of Sam.

If you haven't read Vanda's books, Overkill, The Ringmaster, Containment and Bound, I urge you to give them a go.

If you have, what do you think and which one is your favourite thus far?