Here In Melbourne

I am in another city.

Theoretically, on holidays, but in practice not so much. I’ll be spending today with Kevin Powe discussing the stuff that needs doing on the Altered project.

We’ll spend a bunch of time talking shop, ’cause that’s what tends to happen when Kevin and I get together. He’s spent the past few years building up a great reputation as a Voice Actor, and it’s always fascinating to hear about the way things have progressed for him.

I’ll spend the rest of my time hanging out with my friend Allan, who moved to Melbourne and quickly swapped careers from carpentry to producing high-end props for cosplayers and fans of all things geek.

And again, I imagine we’ll talk shop at some point. I can’t even begin to conceptualise how Allan does what he does – my relationship with tools is rather like my relationship with being handed a live snake – but I can recognise the feelings associated with making your living in a creative space and there is always something to be learned when discussing the business issues that come with being in a creative field.

I like talking to creative people. I like talking about their process. Some of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned, as a writer, come from paying attention to the way artists and actors and, hell, even pro-wrestlers, talk about their experiences and their art.

I like talking about the way they handle their business, too, ’cause this is not a conversation you can have with the vast majority of writers.

More importantly, I am down in Melbourne to think.

It’s a good city for that – lots of walking around, lots of places to drink coffee, lots of bars you can nip into for a quiet drink. Some quality time in airports, which are always good for reflecting on things.

In the aftermath of GenreCon, it gives me a chance to think through the projects I want to focus on in 2016 .

My basic plan is already in place – do less, finish more.

Now I’ve got to sit down and figure out what that actually looks like – which projects? How many? What deadlines are going to seem reasonable? It’s time to revise my long-term plans, now that I’ve actually got a lock on the health issue that’s been kicking my ass for the last few years, and figuring out what still fits.

In short, it’s about taking my own advice from earlier in the week and heading to higher ground, making sure that I can get a good look at the mountain and figure out the best ways of getting closer to it.

Odds are, I will spend an incredible amount of time humming this song: