You may have heard a rumour that books take a while to get published. This is what I looked like around the time I finished the first draft of HEART OF BRASS: This is what I looked like when the finished book was shortlisted in the Text Publishing Prize (editing takes a while too): Continue reading “Happy Birthday, Heart of Brass”
Category Archives: Interactive Fiction
Steampunk Interactive Fiction
My steampunk universe is wandering free in several forms (with at least one more time, place and engine still to come) so I need to clean house and make things clearer. I’m adjusting the category tag I use to coordinate things to “All Steampunk Fiction” and having two facebook pages – one for interactive fiction,Continue reading “Steampunk Interactive Fiction”
ARR ME HEARTIES!!!
The long weeks at sea have dragged by as the scuttlebutt is whispered from captain to cabin boy… there’s going to be a post-comp release of SCARLET SAILS… it’s twice as long… there are new chapters… there are even more chances to stab, shoot, or magically murder people that annoy you… It turns out that (justContinue reading “ARR ME HEARTIES!!!”
Pirates Tag
You’re it! Arr! In celebration of the post-comp SCARLET SAILS being juuuuuuuussssssst about released into the world, I’ll be adding a “pirates” category to this blog. I am SO SORRY there wasn’t one already. Very irresponsible of me. The post-comp SCARLET SAILS app is twice as long as the (finished, and rather well-received) original, and it branchesContinue reading “Pirates Tag”
“Scarlet Sails” covers, redux
I wrote about designing the cover for SCARLET SAILS (aka my interactive pirate book….probably coming out within two months, yay!) over here. The cover has to come in several versions, with very specific dimensions. So here’s what I have now: All of the above (which I now realise should have borders so you canContinue reading ““Scarlet Sails” covers, redux”
HEART OF BRASS novel to be published May 2016
Today I finally signed the contract for HEART OF BRASS with Odyssey Books. This is the first of allll my steampunk Australia books (I wrote it before Louisette was born). It’s a (non-interactive) novel that has a tentative release date of MAY 2016!!! It will be released in both print and digital formats, and is likelyContinue reading “HEART OF BRASS novel to be published May 2016”
“Worst one I’ve played”: Reviewing the Reviewers
It’s finally happened: my first interactive (that is, Choose Your Own Adventure-ish) Australian steampunk novel is wandering unsupervised in the great big world, gathering reviews near and far (and scaring its mother half to death). My very first review was the hilarious comment “Worst one I’ve played”, accompanied by one star. I’m genuinely delighted by such aContinue reading ““Worst one I’ve played”: Reviewing the Reviewers”
The marching of metal feet
It’s been a long journey to publication (although laughably short compared to, say, STORMHUNTER) but ATTACK OF THE CLOCKWORK ARMY will be released very soon. I am, naturally, delirious with excitement. This is it! The steampunk Australia story I’ve been working on since before Louisette existed. [The novel HEART OF BRASS is chronologically first in-world, butContinue reading “The marching of metal feet”
Deadlines
I love deadlines. That’s not sarcasm. The writing life consists largely of sitting alone in a room (or worse, sitting in the same room as young kids who I desperately hope are sufficiently distracted by the blaring TV) scowling at a screen as I invent worlds and people that absolutely no-one cares about except myself. Deadlines giveContinue reading “Deadlines”
Steamp-ow!
Before people figured out anaesthetics (still a very tricky art in 2015), surgery was all about speed. A “good” surgeon could amputate a limb in under thirty seconds. Yay? Right now I’m working on another steampunk interactive tale – which will be free once it’s done. The above article was excellent for my research. Luckily forContinue reading “Steamp-ow!”
What to wear?
In the world of interactive fiction, I very quickly discovered Emily Short, who is a clever, thoughtful, and successful writer/reviewer/blogger. In one of her reviews of a particular IF story, she went on a tangent about how she goes to gaming conferences and wonders how to dress and act in such a way that sheContinue reading “What to wear?”
Interactive Fiction: My Shiny New Obsession
If you’ve set eyes on me for more than thirty seconds at any point this year, you know all about my shiny new obsession: interactive fiction. It’s the digital form of “Choose Your Own Adventure” novels. As of seven minutes ago, my first publicly-available interactive fiction story is live (and also free… for now) right here –Continue reading “Interactive Fiction: My Shiny New Obsession”