Events - Eastercon 2008

The convention went on for four full days in a hotel that some wag declared had a non-Euclidean geometry. Certainly, I got a lot of good exercise racing around from one event to another, trying to find a path through the labyrinth... which, I'm sure you will realize, is a tad ironic...

When I wasn't attending panels (on topics as diverse as Dr Who and H. P. Lovecraft) I was talking, talking and talking some more. Some of the time this was with other writers: I met Charlie Stross, Chris Priest, Tanith Lee, Andrew Wilson and China Mieville (if I've forgotten anyone else I'm blaming it on the beer) - many of whom gave fascinating talks and had, besides, a lot of things to say about the writing business. The rest of the time I was talking to fans... remarkably friendly people who would chat about all kinds of interesting and, sometimes, arcane subjects. One came up to me and was much amazed that I was there: apparently, I have a reputation for not attending these conventions... which, perhaps, might be because, up until now, I have not *grin*. No sinister reason for this, merely that I have been too busy finishing the Stone Dance... and really couldn't face going to such events only to have to declare, over and over again, that 'I was still working on it?' *grin*

So, four days with about five hours sleep a night, but I enjoyed every minute of it; not only the writers, and the book dealers with their excellent stories but, most of all, the fans who, by demonstrating how intelligent and enthusiastic you are, reminded me of why I am writing my books at all...

Energized by these experiences, a rather remarkable thing happened on the tube train back into London: my next book began pouring itself into my mind... not only the story, but the setting and the characters. An exciting, entirely new world for me and you, if you wish to, to explore. Over the next fews days, whenever I was not focused on something else, this new story continued to form in my mind. I have now been working on it for several days...