Phew… I’ve just walked back to my hotel in Sydney after slotting my latest edits for Shattered Sky into the Express Post Letterbox!
I’m relieved, I’m excited and a little sad. There’s still work to be done, but it means that my friends in Shattered Sky are about to get shunted sidewards for my new best mates. Sure they’ll still be there and we’ll have coffee and catch-ups occasionally, but they won’t be waking me up at 2 am to tell me their take on a scene. There’ll be no whining that they don’t approve of the house I’ve given them just when I think I’ve decorated it perfectly. Instead of being able to drop in at Morgan’s place for an Anzac biscuit, or share tim tams with gorgeous Callam, I’ll been nibbling on toast and vegemite as I get to know Kaitlyn and her son Daniel.
And just like any new friendship there’ll be rocky patches and misunderstandings. There’ll be jokes and social gaffes. No doubt I’ll give someone a shirt to wear that they really don’t like or a song to sing that isn’t cool. Maybe they’ll be too polite to tell me and maybe they’ll be waking me up at 2 am insisting I change it for them…
I’m off home tomorrow after another week in Sydney so I thought I’d share a photo of my little space where so much of my writing over the last two years has been done.
My hotel room with Shattered Sky edits
The big bonus for an aviation tragic is the view out the window. The hotel staff used to be amused that I might want to look at aircraft when I spend all day working with them… They just don’t understand the obsession of flying 😀
View from my room
Perhaps I can slip a couple of Beroccas into the story somewhere, Sonya! And aeroplane jelly was always a welcome treat when I lived in the UK 🙂
Great – now I don’t feel like such a freak!
I’m the worst person in the world to ask about food – I couldn’t boil an egg if my life depended on it! Reading Border Watch I wanted to hate Morgan for being such a good cook.
The Australia Shop website sells homesick Australians Aeroplane Jelly, Anchor Chicken Salt, Berocca Tablets and Tiny Teddies! Not the sexiest foods…
Not the only Aussie. I can’t stand Vegemite, and Maqggie hates ANZAC buscuits, I can eat them, but I prefer good old Kiwi Afghans!
Hi Sonya, I haven’t found out what Kaitlyn eats yet! Any suggestions??
Hmm, maybe Kaitlyn will be inspired by me – the only Australian who hates ANZAC biscuits, Tim Tams, Vegemite, Minties…
I think it’s worse knowing how the book’s progressing! I already feel like I’ve been waiting forever for Laruen’s story, and no matter how much I enlarge that picture, I’m never going to be able to read the manuscript!
Thanks, Fleur! Hope your writing is going smoothly!
Cathy, there will be pilots but the two central characters don’t actually fly this time although aircraft will still be central to the plot! It’s another Border Watch mission!
Sandy, lol, I have to admit that I can generally pick an aircraft type from its engine noise but I don’t think I’d be as skilled as your other half 🙂 And you need to give those characters a stern talking to! How dare they make you work for it!!
Phillipa, I’ve often wondered how actors cope with shedding characters. Every time I see a shot of Heath Ledger as the Joker I wonder how deeply imbedded in that character he must have been…
You aviation tragics are all the same. Is it rubbing off on the big G? Even I can tell some planes by their engine noise now – and you know how good the other half is at it. 🙂 I had to smile at the way your characters communicate with you, mine aren’t half so polite. If I do something against their wishes they just stand there with arms crossed doing the ole foot tap, refusing to move forward until I get it right. But do they tell me what’s wrong. Noooo. I have to work that out for myself. Mutter, mutter, mutter…
Fantastic news, Helene. Well done! Can’t wait to read it!
I assume your new best mates will be pilots?. Nice view, be iproved by a DC-3 or 2 🙂
It’s hard to let go of characters when they’ve been living with you for so long. I’m sure it’s a bit like that for actors too. I read somewhere Daniel Day Lewis say it takes him about nine months to shed a character. I can understand that.