On Twitter, recently, George Martin was chastised for choosing to spend his time on a project that wasn't completing Game of Thrones (he also gets chastised for going to baseball games, travelling and doing anything that isn't being stuck to his writing desk). Couldn't he, the person wondered, hand this new project to someone else. Alas no: George loves all his projects equally.
I love having more than one project. I love that just in the last two days I have heard from people reading Abendau, Inish Carraig and Waters and the Wild. I love that my conversation for each project is different and fresh.
When people talk about Abendau, they talk about the influences on it (Abendau is the joy of cheesy Space Opera on a stick). They talk about the characters and world. They open up the terrifying prospect of convention panels about Space Travel and science (no, no, not terrified at all. Just feeling like I'd like a pocket Orac with me...)
In Inish, the setting comes up all the time. The fun of the Belfast language and people. And the walls. People talk about the walls as the most icky and - because we all like to know The Fear - favourite part of the book. They talk about the background and what was never revealed because my characters didn't know the background to reveal it....
And then (which is why I get to talk about aliens and elves and all the good creatures) people talk about Waters and the Wild. Some are bemused at this strange little fantasy book in my portfolio (fear not, it will not be the lonely fantasy forever). Some question if it really is fantasy (it is, yes) or a psychological thriller (that too) or a book about mental health (yes, almost certainly). Almost all talk about the land it captures, the beauty of the Glens, the wildness of the ocean scenes. They talk about the mother in the story (again!)
At Waters' launch I was asked which is my favourite and I ummed and ahed before selecting Abendau. But that was on that day - on another Inish might make me misty eyed, or Waters.
I love having the range I do. I like that I can have so many conversations. And, yes - I love them equally, seeing their faults, seeing what worked and what didn't. I feel the same way about my short work: each is their own piece, individual and a part of me.
Which is all good since I have more to add to the patchwork in future.
My patchwork:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13696082.Jo_Zebedee
I love having more than one project. I love that just in the last two days I have heard from people reading Abendau, Inish Carraig and Waters and the Wild. I love that my conversation for each project is different and fresh.
When people talk about Abendau, they talk about the influences on it (Abendau is the joy of cheesy Space Opera on a stick). They talk about the characters and world. They open up the terrifying prospect of convention panels about Space Travel and science (no, no, not terrified at all. Just feeling like I'd like a pocket Orac with me...)
In Inish, the setting comes up all the time. The fun of the Belfast language and people. And the walls. People talk about the walls as the most icky and - because we all like to know The Fear - favourite part of the book. They talk about the background and what was never revealed because my characters didn't know the background to reveal it....
And then (which is why I get to talk about aliens and elves and all the good creatures) people talk about Waters and the Wild. Some are bemused at this strange little fantasy book in my portfolio (fear not, it will not be the lonely fantasy forever). Some question if it really is fantasy (it is, yes) or a psychological thriller (that too) or a book about mental health (yes, almost certainly). Almost all talk about the land it captures, the beauty of the Glens, the wildness of the ocean scenes. They talk about the mother in the story (again!)
At Waters' launch I was asked which is my favourite and I ummed and ahed before selecting Abendau. But that was on that day - on another Inish might make me misty eyed, or Waters.
I love having the range I do. I like that I can have so many conversations. And, yes - I love them equally, seeing their faults, seeing what worked and what didn't. I feel the same way about my short work: each is their own piece, individual and a part of me.
Which is all good since I have more to add to the patchwork in future.
My patchwork:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13696082.Jo_Zebedee
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