S#31: Join the Library

Mmm. . . booooooooks. . .

Flushed with the success of the “Reaching the World” YA writers’ conference in Sydney on July 3 (and wide-eyed with the new data that only 1 in 10,ooo books gets published via the “look up publishers and send the book to The Editor” method), I’ve decided to go to two more conferences. . . starting this month.

First, the Melbourne Writers’ Festival (plus I get to help launch the 30th issue of Going Down Swinging, since I’m in it – as Felicity Bloomfield, since the story is horror). This is a ten-day con of epic proportions – Joss Whedon and Neil Gaiman will be there (no use to my career, much as I admire them) plus many publishers and writers.

Second, the CYA Later, Alligator! conference in Brisbane. CYA stands for Children and Young Adult writers. I’ll be pitching one of my books directly to a lady from Publisher J. I’m in a fabulous mood right now because I figured out a way to make it much better at around 2am this morning. CJ agreed that my idea was brilliant.*

There are literally hundreds of writers and publishers, and I’ll be listening to or connecting with about fifty. Thus I’m in the process of scouring the internet for the most relevant books and [this is the bit where I get to the point] borrowing terrifyingly high piles of novels from the library.

So far, I have fifteen books to read – and I’m barely started. The last two cons I went to (in July, and the Sydney Freecon last November) introduced me to exactly one faint-with-exhilaration-because-they’re-so-good author each – Pamela Freeman, and Sandy Fussell.

Later this month, I’ll report back and tell you who is the pick of the bunch this time. So far I’ve read one book, and it was hideously bad (something which I won’t mention to the author when I go to her book launch).

Play along at home: borrow Pamela Freeman’s adult trilogy (the first is “Blood Ties”) and/or Sandy Fussell’s “Samurai Kids” books from your local library. (I’ve decided that Sandy Fussell’s series sets the standard for children’s books worldwide, and have read the first book three times so far, studying how she puts it together and wins readers over. The second and third are also exquisite, but I’m saving the rest for later.)

You’re welcome.

In other news, I went to a new doctor yesterday (one closer to where I live). To cut a long story short, I had food poisoning in Indonesia in January, and I still haven’t 100% recovered. I’ve been wondering if I’ve developed some of the food intolerances (including fructose malapsorption – ie allergic to several fruits) that are just, like, so hot right now. She reckoned I have – temporarily (which answers my question AND means I can eat whatever, comfy in the thought that I’ll continue to improve over the next few years). Among other things, she said I should go lactose and gluten-free for at least three months – just in case they’re the triggers. In less crazy news, she said I should take inner health plus. So I went and bought some (despite the fact it costs almost a dollar per pill – yikes). Inner health plus is a probiotic – each pill contains literally millions of tiny little guys to help me digest stuff. Hopefully all those microorganisms will do their thing so well that at the NEXT writing conference, no-one will ask me when I’m expecting.

The human body is SO GROSS. Don’t you love it?

I’m also finding, lately, that I often forget it’s Winter. I just walk around, reasonably comfortable, enjoying the sunshine and living life. It seems mad, but apparently “Love your Fear” actually worked. Thank you Steff Metal for the suggestion!

And here’s today’s pretty pretty Flickr.com pics (two for the price of one, you lucky sods):

*Or at least, he mumbled something that sounded like, “Brilliant.”