Welcome to the blog of Mary Brock Jones, SF author.

I also have a website, here


I write science fiction. Some dark, some not so dark. Some short, some longer, some very long. Some have a happy ending, others definitely not.

I also write NZ historical romance novels.They always end happily, even if the journey can get quite bumpy.

It's a nice mix.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Flitting

Flitting - that's the best way I can describe the state of my writing at the moment. I'm flitting between different projects - and getting nowhere fast with any of them.  Not a very productive work method.
      I'm about 80% done on the final assignment of my screenwriting paper - a SF short film script. A lot of fun, and it's making me look at story writing in a new way. But it's not due till the end of October, so think I should put it aside and get on with editing my historical romance, working title "Gorge Creek". Then there is always the two SF books in their early stages, which are actually where my real interests lie.
     I've done about 12,000 words of one, and am toying with whether to keep it as a longish short story/novella or turn it into a full book. And at Catherine Asaro's marvellous workshop before this year's con, I came away with the bare bones of another SF novel. This one really does have enough in it for a full novel, though will need a lot of research beforehand into such things as climate change, meteorology and general world building.
     One thing Ms Asaro's workshop did achieve for me was to help me realise what it is I want to write. Or rather what it is I enjoy writing the most. It's SF, with or without a romantic element. Though I may still write in other genre's. I'm in the middle of reading "Doc" by Mary Doria Russell of "The Sparrow" fame. Here is a writer who writes what she wants to write, rather than what the business expects her to write. She could have stayed as a successful author of a stream of literary SF novels. But "Doc" is historical, the story of Doc Holliday, and a great read.
      Or maybe all this flitting is just another name for procrastination. I am getting writing done, but it's bits here and there. Well past time to knuckle down and follow the maxims of Somerset Maugham. The only secret to writing is applying one's seat to one's chair and get on with it.

3 comments:

  1. Hi Mary,
    I chatted briefly with you this weekend at the RWNZ Conference. Did you enjoy it? I write romance (Published) and horror (published in short stories) and am currently working on a full-length horror novel. Tomorrow I'll be creating my own blog.
    cheers
    Liz Heywood

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  2. Hi Liz,
    Yes, it was a great conference - the best RWNZ one I've been to. Good speakers, good people, great food - what more could you ask for? Good luck with your blog and let me know the link.

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  3. Hi Mary,

    Sure I'll let you know as soon as my blog is up and running. I'm just trying to figure out whether or not I need a web-page or if I can just blog. A massive learning curve, methinks.

    Liz

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