I had a very mini-coastal escape on the weekend. I drove down to a local beach. It seemed effective though, because on Monday I finished the-story-that-would-not-end and sent it off to my crit partner with the message “please, don’t hurry to return it!”  The story is fabulous, but getting the emotional development right in under 12,000 words was a challenge.

Joyously, that means I can finally focus on my Kimberley novel. I’ve been turning over ideas for this story for a couple of months, and this time has actually allowed a useful evolution in my thinking. The plot is stronger for it.

I’ve never actually been to the Kimberley (I’m such a bad traveller) so this photo to your right is a cheat — it’s from my southern beach, but still beautiful. If you’re curious about the beauty of the Kimberley coast, Kimberley Stock Photos has an incredible collection of images.

I’m energised at starting a new project. On Tuesday I bought maps to plot the location of my fictional outback homestead. For a reluctant traveller, I’m oddly fascinated by maps. So many possibilities, maybe?

It was funny walking through the crowded shopping mall with my maps. The characters I’ve been thinking about for two months now were very nearly as real to me as the chaos around me. Oops! Eccentric author moment 🙂

I’m not sure how this novel will develop. I don’t want to lose my momentum by talking about it too much. I need to WRITE it instead. But expect a splash of history, a dash of gothic romance and a strong contemporary romance.