At the moment I’m finishing designs for a cute little picture book for Windy Hollow, readying myself to start roughs for the 3rd Sarindi novel for Harper Collins, and today, taking some time out to keep working on my graphic novel epic (until lunch-time at least). Downstairs, one end of the lounge room has been taken over by a massive canvas. There’s an even bigger one in the hallway. Those are for my solo next year. And off to one side are commissions.

This morning has been fun though. For the last hour I’ve been sketching and catching up with the new fashions in the various shows around the globe. Yes – this is relevant to my work! Every now and then I look at the Age photo galleries. It’s usually a quick flick-through until something really catches my attention. Like the recent wearable art extravaganza in Wellington. Incredible stuff.

Part of my fascination relates to designing the worlds for my graphic novel – which I’ve mentioned before. When we look at our fashion we’re seeing hang-ons from past decades, centuries and cross-overs from different races. I mean – what’s today’s collar? Think of where they came from (the ruff, the high collar, the wimple even!) and look at them today. We could have just as easily really latched on to buckles, the cod-piece or the garter – having remnants of those ever-present in modern garment design. So when I’m designing for these worlds – I’m conscious that I’m not just working out that year’s fashion for the race, but their history and how it ties in with their economics, their social strata and taboos. Again – it’s one of  those things that are not mentioned but colour our interpretations of a place and its people. Does everyone shave their heads and coat them white? Are they most influenced stylistically by a strange variety of bird, native to the planet? What hang-ups will they have – the neck, the breast, the nose, the knee-caps, the ears or the ankles? Are all eyes veiled, are men or women more hidden? Or will too much clothing be a sign of having something to hide? Are ornamental weapons part of everyday dress? Are they in a silly period of tottering high shoes or are they minimalist? Do they value tall and slender, or short and wide? Is fatness a sign of wealth and leisure and is therefore highly desirable, or do they all want to look like warriors?  Their history will be very important.

I love this stuff. I’m not spending too much time on it, but it’s good to have parts of a project you can initially revisit to get the enthusiasm levels back up before you work on the harder bits. It’s a bit like never actually finishing writing a chapter or a scene before you go to bed – so that you know where to pick up the next morning and you have some of that excitement and momentum left. I’ve had some characters in free-fall from a bi-plane for two years now. It’s going to be easy to get back into that one!

In the last fortnight have been meetings, travel, planning and squeezing in work whenever possible. I’ve been working hard and it’s been unusual work for me. Not drawing – writing. It’s the Epic, of course. The textless graphic novel that is up to about 8000 words. It’s actually been very exciting. I’ve been taking myself off to a cafe for 1-4 hours each day with the laptop and writing a segment at a time. The story neatly divides itself into episodes – different worlds, different cities, a prologue, and the in-between travelling segments. Maybe even an epilogue although I don’t know if that will be needed yet. I’m very close to done with the first draft. All of the travelling and world visiting is complete… now for the thrilling finale – the last two segments!

The cafe thing is both good and bad.

Good – I concentrate better (the hum and bustle seems to negate the part of me that is easily distracted), there is no email, no phone, no 10 other projects to dip into and I get a walk to and from.

Bad – it’s expensive, I occupy a space for a long time (hence the judicious buying of things), and it’s surprisingly exhausting (I think that’s the writing though, rather than the ambiance). And it bodes ill for when I want to write a novel. I’m just going to have to find a way to write at home!

In other news – my short course starts tonight and it looks like it will be a full house. It is such a buzz to be surrounded by imaginative, creative people all with their own thoughts and ways of storytelling. I can’t wait to see who is there and the ideas they have. It’s a funny thing – sometimes when I go to launches or buy books for my collection I have people say how strange that I would want to support the competition… But that’s such an bizarre notion! My stories and imagination are so different from the next person’s. They will come up with ideas that I never would have though up, approaches that are different and refreshing – seeing other people’s work is an inspiration.

Now back to preparing for tonight’s class.