Post Planet

The mega-signing event at Forbidden Planet was a success, even if it’s left me with aching feet. My own fault; rather than spend the evening talking to people’s chests, I decided to wear high heels. I was assuming we’d be sitting down, but the format was more informal than an ordinary signing event, with a big table of our various books in the centre and people milling round. Notwithstanding my personal discomfort, this was an excellent idea, as everyone mingled, until the atmosphere resembled a small convention.

As a relative newbie and late entrant on the bill I didn’t get as much signing action as my fellow authors. When nagged by the Gollancz publicist, I did have a stab at hard-selling. I’m not sure my mixture of bullying and desperation struck the right note. More work needed there I think.

Because I wasn’t too busy I actually spent a lot of time just chatting to people. However, I also ended up getting photographed ‘Hold the book up like you really want to sell it!’ (in front of my face apparently wasn’t what he was after) and interviewed by webcam ‘You’re live on the world-wide-web in five-four-three-two-one…’ – eek!

Despite hurty feet and concerns about whether I had cabbage on my teeth (or coming out of my mouth), I had a great time. I’d be delighted at the chance to do something like that again. 

Back to work today, and I’ve got to the climactic headf*ck scene in Guardians, featuring some serious insanity. In the cause of representing this (and distinguishing said insane individual from the other two characters involved) I’ve resorted to a different font, a particularly spikey lunatic one which, sadly, I don’t have on this editing tool. Hopefully that’ll be all right: they let Justina Robson have a kooky font, so maybe if I ask nicely I’ll get to keep mine. 

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