Victoria is burning.

I assume most of you know this already, as the news and stats are being passed around quite vigorously. Over 750 homes destroyed, 3700+ homeless and with the death toll expected to pass 230. As I write this the confirmed death toll is 173, however for the last few days this has been increasing just about every time I turn on ( Read more... )

Time for an update I think, before I scare anyone else.

Health wise I am slowly recovering. My skin has mostly grown back, I can walk again, my GGT is dropping (slowly)-so overall I’m past the danger zone. I’m still very weak and tired and a few minutes in the sun is enough to make me blister like an egg in a fry-pan, however bar some minor ( Read more... )

For the past week I haven’t had a chance to read my friend’s list or reply to my emails.

I’m really sorry about this. I know some people are going through some really big things, from health crisis’s and people in Brisbane and California who are now in disaster zones or have been evacuated. I feel like I’m letting a lot of you down, even though you ( Read more... )

I’ve been working on a little writing project and the story is set in Cairns, Australia. I lived up there for many years when I was little and it’s probably the most beautiful place on earth (the region, not Cairns itself). I bird watched and went on long nature walks, if not every day, at least three times a week. I miss it a lot and I’ve been ( Read more... )

Well I WOULD have got more writing done today, however the College from HELL contacted me to say they had charged me over three thousand dollars for classes I haven’t taken and why wasn’t I handing in my assignments for them? And by the way I can’t get the money back.

I feel so physically nauseous after receiving that email I can’t focus anymore- ( Read more... )

I’ve taken a huge, terrifying, upsetting and stressful step today.

And it marks the end of a complete and utter nightmare that’s been going on for over twelve months now.

The vast majority of writers have to spend many years-if not the rest of their lives-with some income other than writing. No matter what dreams we may have of making an income ( Read more... )

 
I’m a little sad today.

Those of you who post writing excerpts on my journal know I’m generally enthusiastic about giving feedback and those of you who ask me questions know I try hard to give your helpful advice. I love doing both. And I love seeing the people around me progress with word counts and goals. It’s awesome to be a part of a friendly ( Read more... )

Sad but true: There are some people in your life who will hate you when you are successful.

It doesn’t really matter what you’re successful AT, (though in my case, recently, it has been my contract with Wendy and interest from Tor) some people are just going to resent you.

Sometimes they’ll be strangers, in my case its most often family, but ( Read more... )

About twelve months ago I gave up caffeine-along with all other fluids besides water. This followed a caffeine addiction I’d had since 2001, wherein I’d consume between one half and two bottles of Red Eye a day. Red Eye, for the record, has 106mg of caffeine per 330ml bottle.

The Red Eye was causing all kinds of problems. The sugar was not helping ( Read more... )

So the day before last I posted up links to a new tutorial, both on my page and on several of the writing communities I am involved with.

I was saddened and disheartened when I received a lot of anonymous flames-not from people who had actually READ the tutorial, but just from people who didn’t think I should have written it. (Yes, the mind does ( Read more... )