And then I can get drawing.

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.