Hi Kate - what a nice surprise to see you here! I'm just back from six weeks reading and listening to poetry in the UK, which has been a blast - still jetlagged, ugh, but glad to be home.
Guys, Kate is just as gorgeous in person. I'm just sorry she lives in Sydney, because I would like to see more of her than I do. Not only that, she'll lend you some of her lovely dresses if you ask nicely...
hiya Kate!!!
and hello to everyone else here too!!!
OK, on your web site Kate, it says that you coming to Melbounre!!!! But it dosen't say when!!! so can you please tell me, coz i would love to meet you and get my books signed!!!
i haven't read the newest ones as yet, but hopefuly i will soon!!!
anyway, just thought id drop in and say hi to everyone!!!
Kiss Kiss
Goddess
Hi Kate,
Welcome to this sometimes incestuous little group of fanatical authors and lovers of the fantastic. We are all very friendly here, with a few notable exceptions, and we do love our literature.
It's great that you have joined SFF World. If you haven't already, browse some of the forums and post wherever your inclinations take you.
We all have our specific personalities and quirks, and our subject threads tend to reflect them quite aptly. I am anxious to see where yours lead us.
Sorry I've been absent for the past week or so, I've been furiously writing!
I too wish I could have been at Continuum - it sounds like it was fabulous! I'm particularly sorry I missed Robin Hobb as she's one of my favourite contemporary fantasy writers and by the sounds of it, we would have very much bonded over the mother as writer problem.
It is a bit of a problem, primarily because I don't have the freedom that so many others writers seem to enjoy. I can't get away very often to go to cons or festivals, and they are so important in the whole networking, being part of a community thing. I love having the opportunity to meet other writers and hear their stories and discuss all those arcane aspects of being a writer that only another writer can understand.
I also don't have much freedom in my personal life. I'm either writing or being a mother, and often both at once. I never have time to go and meet friends for coffee, and I don't have much of a social life. But then, who does, with three children udner the age of seven?
And I love being a mother and find it teaches me a huge amount about life and love and all those things.
Another aspect of it which no-one ever talks about it the philosophy of life that being a parent entails. Although I've never been criticised for this overtly, I do know my books have a very romantic and optimistic view, and I generally try and allow my heroes happiness in love. I like them to settle down and have kids. This is obviously because that's been my choice in life, but I wonder if my books woudl be harder-edged if I was an embittered divorcee?
The question everyone always asks me is how do I manage to do both? I like to say that desire plays a large part in it - because I want to write so much (because I need to write to be happy) I find the time. But I must admit the truth is that I've been lucky enough to sell enough books that I can afford a lot of help ie a nanny three days a week and a cleaner. It sounds very prosaic, but because I have a certain amount of freedom from the domestic details of motherhood, I have the time and the energy to write. (See, I do have freedom of a kind ....)
Also, my kids are very good sleepers. That really helps!
And I always remember how fast they grow up - in five years time, or ten years time, I'll have so much more freedom to travel and so on. And I'd rather not miss being with them while they are growing up ....
Kate
... and share chocolate in bed too ...
It's lovely to hear from you, Alison - I keep hoping our paths will cross again. I hear your books are doing wonderfully well, and I'm so pleased. I have 'The Riddle' but I must admit I'm waiting for all the books to be out so I can read them back to back, the way they really shoudl be read. I know publishers hate readers who do this, but I find it so hard to wait and sometimes writers take year to bring out the next one. Do please forgive me, and I promise to buy them all when you're done.
Kate
PS: Did you hear I finally got my poetry book published? It was very exciting!
Dear Kate, you are wicked - poor Juzzza will be all dishevelment at the thought..... and share chocolate in bed too ...
Congratulations on the poetry publication! Who put the book out?
And I think by far the best way to read my books will be end to end...they are all one continuous story.
As for the aspect of being a mother - there's been some talk over on Caitlin's forum around this. Being a mother has been so absolutely entwined with the processes of my own work that I can't really separate it from writing - I found motherhood and writing went together in a very complementary way (actually, I think it occupies a place similar to Mishima's recommendation that writers do martial arts - the tying to the physical world and the actual, for otherwise, as he says, "writing is a stomach that eats itself").
I find writing goes better with house renovating than with parenting. There is something about sanding down walls and painting, that leaves the mind to wander, whereas children's needs fill it up. And the older they get, they seem to need you less physically and cause more anxiety mentally and you wonder how is that Henry the VIII project going and where are you going to find a costume and what about the training for the district aths and which highschool, and when are you going to have the time to look up this stuff... etc... etc...?
Anyway, I'm always turning people and opportunities down and it's a hard balance to get that homework done in a structured way and children to bed on time and still look like you're serious about sf and keeping friends. SF usually loses because, as you said... you only get them until they leave home at 26I think it's important to show kids that you are pursuing a career, that everyone works... but it's still important to give them a good start in life, and a bit of family time... I always think there'll be time later for me.
Robin sent me the start of her talk on parenting but unfortunately the rest of it is currently misplaced, and she's off travelling again. She spent most of her life solo-parenting too (solo, as in husband at sea).
Last edited by Rocket Sheep; August 2nd, 2005 at 02:16 AM.
Hi Kate,
This is probably incredibly rude, because I think your an immensely talented writer, but WHAT HAPPENED????????? The Witches of Eileanan have been my favorite fantasy since the series came out here in the states. They've been the books I've continually used to relax to escape and just something to immerse myself for a while. I mean just this past year I've probably read the entire series (minus HOTS) six or seven times. It's actaully really funny cause sveral times after I've finished reading the series, I'll try and start another book and find myself unable to get into it, and I just go back and reread the series again.
I was so excited for HOTS that I ordered it from Australia and waited eagerly for it to come. The book in parts was well written, but particularly at the end the characters and dialogue were really divorced from their surroundings. The characters themselves even appeared less like themselves. It felt as if you just stopped trying. And I mean the book was filled with countless small confusing errors which I'm surprised you didn't pick up on. And as long as it was, not veyr mcuh happened. And what did happen was over too fast. I expected more because you've always delivered more.
I was glad to hear that in the future you were planning to write more books in the series, but please do better then you did on this last one. The first six books in the series were beautiful and brilliant. The first two books of Rhiannon's Ride were dark, well written, and fast paced. Heart of Stars was disappointing... I feel betrayed by it.
You got it in a nutshell!
THANKYOU for being so forward and saying exactly what I wanted to say but was too pathetic to do it.
Betrayed. That's the word. I have also read and re-read this series dozens of times and I really felt 'jaded' by HOTS. I too have tried to start other series or even just another novel but I find that it doesn't keep my attentionI'll just grab 'Dragonclaw' again in the afternoon and it all starts again
As pointed out in another thread, there were mistakes that, as a writer, I would have NEVER allowed to go to print. But, then again, I gave Kate the benefit of the doubt, what with the kids and editors and LIFE!
But yes...feeling very ripped off by HOTS
Last edited by Elizabeth; July 23rd, 2006 at 10:16 PM. Reason: spelling ;)
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