It’s been a long and crazy year
So much has happened since I last posted – including the launch of Transit of Angels.
More significantly, the world has been transformed. Covid 19 emerged in China and spread rapidly around the globe. As I write, the pandemic has infected 70 million people and killed more than 1.5 million while leaving many survivors with long-lasting, unpredictable aftereffects.
2020 became the year of staying home; social distancing; stampedes of shoppers stocking up on toilet paper, rice and pasta; people wearing masks, washing hands and carrying bottles or spraypacks of hand sanitiser. No more hugging or shaking hands. Families and friends separated, not knowing when they would be able to see each other again. Zoom and other online conferencing software became part of the ‘new normal’. People in desk jobs worked from home, and many decided they liked it; in most cases, productivity rose. Pollution levels dropped because of the dramatic reduction in transport of all kinds; energy usage also dropped as city buildings shut down; ecosystems began to heal and regenerate.
Governments scrambled to deal with the social and economic impact of a dramatic and sudden rise in unemployment; with countless small businesses being shut down overnight; with the collapse of the live entertainment industry; and with many other businesses experiencing major slowdowns and struggling to survive.
Inevitably, conspiracy theories emerged, claiming that the pandemic was a hoax; a way of world powers trying to gain control of and manipulate people via a fake scare campaign.
Pharmaceutical companies and researchers worked furiously to create a vaccine, developing viable prototypes in record time until now, with several likely contenders, companies and countries are vying to capture the highly lucrative market and hoping to bring this rampaging virus under control.
Inequality has increased, becoming painfully visible. Most people who were financially secure are still okay, while many of those who lived pay to pay or job to job have found themselves struggling to meet basic needs. Homelessness and domestic violence have increased, as has the incidence of mental illness.
And that is the scantiest of overviews.
So what of writers and authors? How have we been affected? Major publishing houses have become increasingly cautious and conservative, publishing only books they deem to have a guaranteed market. Established independent publishers have tightened their belts too. But because you can’t keep a passionate writer down, there has been an increase in small independent presses, innovative ways of publishing, and authors deciding to self-publish.
Pilyara Press, a trailblazing independent publishing collective, launched three new novels in the latter half of the year. Transit of Angels emerged into the world on 19 October. Gleebooks, an iconic Sydney bookshop, graciously agreed to host a Zoom launch: me in conversation with my dear friend and prizewinning author, Chloe Higgins. It was so exciting.
And then, a week or so before the event, I had another stroke – in my sleep – which has been the pattern over the years. Although I’m used to these setbacks, the timing of this one seemed cruel. As always, there was a little more physical and cognitive impairment, with an arduous rehabilitation regime ahead of me.
Would the launch go ahead? I was always going to be on my bed – that’s where I’ve lived for the past six years – so that wasn’t an issue. Chloe and I discussed options and, since we both felt I was able to carry on a coherent conversation, decided to stick with the plan.
And it worked. Those who attended all gave warm, positive feedback. Most of them knew nothing about the stroke. People started buying my book and reviews were overwhelmingly positive.
If you’d like to decide for yourself, it’s available from online booksellers worldwide, including Gleebooks; and as an ebook from the Amazon Kindle store.
But I wasn’t well enough to embark on the PR campaign we’d planned, and we’re just gearing up for it now.
It’s a strange feeling, after your book is launched. It’s out of your control, making its own way in the world. For me, there was a brief period of anxiety and excitement, but now the creative urge has kicked in again, vying for time and energy with the slow rehab and recovery regime.
My website needed an overhaul. That was something I could collaborate on with my friend, Daniel. Knowing it would soon be ready has spurred me on to resume blogging.
But what next? I have two novels in embryonic form, nestled in my laptop; and a memoir half written and already approved by my publisher.
My passion is for fiction writing, and one of the novels in particular was taking on a life of its own. The main character, Timmy Chan, has been hassling me for months. I decided to answer his call; to resume work on this novel which would need to be begun again.
I tried. Read the few thousand words from years ago and liked most of them. Pulled out the relevant notebook. Began plotting and planning. Felt the excitement and drive that comes with immersing myself in the writing of a new novel.
And hit a wall.
The most recent stroke has made it too difficult for me to write creatively, for now at least.
Whereas the memoir, Blank Canvas, is based on material from the diaries, blog posts and notebooks that have accumulated since my life change in early 2012. My job is to work through them and create a story that will engage readers and – I hope – offer information and inspiration. I think I can do that.
So I’ve made a head-over-heart decision: I’ll work on the memoir. Timmy Chan has sulked off into the background, perhaps understanding that I can’t do him justice at the moment.
Dear reader, if you’ve made it all the way through this long post, thank you!
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
May 2021 bring vibrance and healing after the challenges and radical changes of 2020.
And if you missed the Zoom launch of Transit of Angels, you might like to watch it here.
