Almost three months since my last post, and things have progressed, regressed, halted and accelerated! Firstly, my long mulled over return to novel writing has begun. I’m about one third of the way through a third, and hopefully, finally, worthwhile manuscript. The story spans three generations, from a Polish artisan living in 1860′s Krakow, to a tent fighter living in Eastern Australia, to a musician who becomes entangled in the French underground during World War Two. My patience and discipline for writing seems to improve incrementally as the years wear on, but I still find it quite painful [but then sadistically satisfying] to re-comb passages over and over, until all their weaknesses are stripped. I try to force myself to ‘wield Ockham’s razor’ so to speak in my first drafts of sections, but it is awfully difficult at times.
In musical news, Winter People have settled in with a manager, a girl called Jaclyn Hurst, which has been a fantastic un-shouldering of burden for me, and we have some big shows lined up. Meanwhile, I Like Cats, just as I choose to go overseas have landed some big gigs themselves, one with Bridezilla, the Scare and Philadelphia Grand Jury, and another potential slot at the Sydney Big Day Out. Rather upsetting I won’t be around to play them, but hopefully a herald of good things to come. Also, Scott Horscroft who has mixed the Presets, and Silverchair among others, is going to be mixing our debut album. So more fingers crossed that it turns out excellent.
My visual efforts have been ground to almost a complete stop for the past (nearly) nine months. When/if I finish the novel manuscript, I have plans brewing for a themed series of oil paintings… I won’t jinx such vague plans with discussion at this point.
Finally, I suppose I should mention my going away. Current itinerary, is London, then Edinburgh, then Denmark, then Paris, then Undecided? – I’m going to purchase a cheap net-book for my travels, and hopefully finish my novel writing over the three months of the trip, although on reflection of the timeframe I will probably only get through perhaps two thirds of the story.
Alright, I believe that generally summarizes my creative activities to date. Until next time, remember, in the presence of grizzly bears, freeze and play dead, and in the presence of those professing ‘all the answers’, do the same.
