Dining room of the hotel. Teacher I met the day before: 'Looked at your display for your book. Most interesting.' Cue a few moments of me waxing lyrical about how hard it is to please everyone.
'Excuse me? Are you Tania Roxborogh?' This from one of the diners.
"Yes.'
'Oh, I'm [...] and thanks for your input on the forum.'
'Thanks,' I say genuinely pleased because I have enjoyed a few backwards and forwards from this gentle woman from Kaikora.
Fast forward to morning tea at the conference.
'Hey, Tania.'
'Hey,' I say putting my tea cup down and staring at this stranger.
'Loved what you said this morning and my students love your books and I loved Banquo.'
'Thank you,' I say noting that my latest has been truncated so.
Lunch time. Just heard disappointing news and very frustrated. Sitting on the steps of the dining hall. An older man than myself makes his way to me and dips his head. 'Hello, Tania,' he says in a lilting Scottish accent.
'Yes?'
He clears his throat.'I've just finished reading Banquo's Son and I liked it. Found it a struggle at the start what with me being Scottish and all...'
Another coversation.
And so it went on - all through the day and into the evening. English teachers getting wind of who I was and coming up and laying upon me some pretty cool feed back.
Did you know (and I didn't!!) that Banquo's Son was a class set for some schools. How cool is that?
But, it's been a long term and a long week and a long day.
I'm about to switch off computer and lights and climb into bed.
Night night
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
I Could Cry about the day
So. I had it all organised: the washing, the notes, the stationery. Everything needed to enjoy the conference and ensure that I will be able to: a)read through the 2nd proofs for More English Basics, b) construct a great display for the trilogy, c) have a great, stressless time.
Yeah, Right.
First, I missed my plane. Surely though, when I told the taxi controller that my flight was at 2:50 she should have booked the cab for 1:30 not 2:30?
Never mind. Koru membership has its advantages and I was transferred to a later flight.
But, when I got the school, only the cleaners were there and my requested display needs were no where to be seen. Feck!
Oh, and then I realised I'd left on the plane all the pretty paper for the display. At the time of this post, the airline has not found the very obvious grey cylinder above 5B where I was sitting!
Then, I get to the hotel which I'd stayed at before. I had specifically!!!! asked not to be on a room beside the road - cos the road is, like the MAIN road!!!
I was put in a lovely room which faces the main road. ARRGHHH. But, and this is why I continue to stay at The Windsor Hotel, Amargh street in Christchurch. At 9:30 pm I was found a quiet room - no fuss, much sorries and much smiles. I love this place!!
Then I discovered I'd brought the brown envelop which I'd thought contained the proofs for More English Basics only to discover it was an old envelope of the final proofs of Banquo's Son. That's was, like, so last year. Sigh! No chance of doing any proper work on the night before conference, eh?
So, though I cannot work on the third proofs nor the display, I am happy to be here even though I miss my husband and doggies back in Dunedin, my eldest in Powell River, Canada and my youngest over the Port Hills, in Akaroa.
Me, this is too much for one day. I'm off to bed. The writing will happen later.
Yeah, Right.
First, I missed my plane. Surely though, when I told the taxi controller that my flight was at 2:50 she should have booked the cab for 1:30 not 2:30?
Never mind. Koru membership has its advantages and I was transferred to a later flight.
But, when I got the school, only the cleaners were there and my requested display needs were no where to be seen. Feck!
Oh, and then I realised I'd left on the plane all the pretty paper for the display. At the time of this post, the airline has not found the very obvious grey cylinder above 5B where I was sitting!
Then, I get to the hotel which I'd stayed at before. I had specifically!!!! asked not to be on a room beside the road - cos the road is, like the MAIN road!!!
I was put in a lovely room which faces the main road. ARRGHHH. But, and this is why I continue to stay at The Windsor Hotel, Amargh street in Christchurch. At 9:30 pm I was found a quiet room - no fuss, much sorries and much smiles. I love this place!!
Then I discovered I'd brought the brown envelop which I'd thought contained the proofs for More English Basics only to discover it was an old envelope of the final proofs of Banquo's Son. That's was, like, so last year. Sigh! No chance of doing any proper work on the night before conference, eh?
So, though I cannot work on the third proofs nor the display, I am happy to be here even though I miss my husband and doggies back in Dunedin, my eldest in Powell River, Canada and my youngest over the Port Hills, in Akaroa.
Me, this is too much for one day. I'm off to bed. The writing will happen later.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Getting into the groove for Book Three: Birthright
Read One day by David Nicholls - lost sleep. Tears. Writing time. House work time.
Watched Autumn Rush.
Lost time, tears and writing time
Off to English Conference tomorrow worried if my hands-on presentation will be of interest but also how to handle Flea's broken heart.
Wahhh. Think: Tess of the d'ubervilles. Think: Romeo and Juliet. Think; Wuthering Heights BUT BUT BUT I want a happy ending for my storing. Wahhhhh
Friday, July 2, 2010
Okay - I'm back again. Couldn't resist
Have been doing a lot thinking about this writing business. And, appreciating people like Maureen Crisp who trawls though cyberspace to bring us wonderful tidbits (many I pass onto my writing group).
I have been thinking about how hard it is being a writer. Oh, no: not the starving on the street writer. My accountant is well pleased with my royalty income this past financial year - it is way above the average NZ wage. (but, unlike some dodgy financial gurus, I'm not swanning it on a pacific island - my dosh got spent very quickly with the demands of a bad year filled with many 'raining days').
See, it's hard because, not only do we have to write the damn books, we have to market them, promote them, put lots of energies into getting our face and our work out there. Publishing houses have only so much time and money.
The wonderfully talented goddess who also writes great crime novels, Vanda Symon, is, I am very proud to say, a very dear friend. Last night, we were chewing the cud about the above. (it was because we've both finished! the latest project) Vanda is tireless (as am I, people might say) and generous. We both do it as do many many NZ writers, because we want to and want to make the world smile and laugh and cry and sigh and be a better place.
The reason I've been thinking about all of this is because I'm putting together a visual display of the journey of the trilogy for next weeks NZATE English conference in Christchurch. I offered the idea because I thought English teachers might find it a little bit interesting to see what goes into the development of what I'm doing. From that very first email sent to the most wonderful Vicki Marsdon of Penguin (sent in a bit of grump cos she's said no to something else) to choosing the covers (another bone of contention) to the piles and piles of research documents I went through.
Of course, it's all been happily ever after material: short listed for the NZ Post Childrens Book Awards and now the LIANZA, on the best sellers lists, me scooped up by a NYC literary agent.... and I'm not complaining. Just saying, any reward is hard earned. Very hard earned.
I have been thinking about how hard it is being a writer. Oh, no: not the starving on the street writer. My accountant is well pleased with my royalty income this past financial year - it is way above the average NZ wage. (but, unlike some dodgy financial gurus, I'm not swanning it on a pacific island - my dosh got spent very quickly with the demands of a bad year filled with many 'raining days').
See, it's hard because, not only do we have to write the damn books, we have to market them, promote them, put lots of energies into getting our face and our work out there. Publishing houses have only so much time and money.
The wonderfully talented goddess who also writes great crime novels, Vanda Symon, is, I am very proud to say, a very dear friend. Last night, we were chewing the cud about the above. (it was because we've both finished! the latest project) Vanda is tireless (as am I, people might say) and generous. We both do it as do many many NZ writers, because we want to and want to make the world smile and laugh and cry and sigh and be a better place.
The reason I've been thinking about all of this is because I'm putting together a visual display of the journey of the trilogy for next weeks NZATE English conference in Christchurch. I offered the idea because I thought English teachers might find it a little bit interesting to see what goes into the development of what I'm doing. From that very first email sent to the most wonderful Vicki Marsdon of Penguin (sent in a bit of grump cos she's said no to something else) to choosing the covers (another bone of contention) to the piles and piles of research documents I went through.
Of course, it's all been happily ever after material: short listed for the NZ Post Childrens Book Awards and now the LIANZA, on the best sellers lists, me scooped up by a NYC literary agent.... and I'm not complaining. Just saying, any reward is hard earned. Very hard earned.
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