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Not the Gunpowder Plot, not do I intend taking over the world (Karen Miller already has, and I doubt she's going to let go of it). I mean I'm organising and pleating story threads for Book 3.

Not sure what I'll call the book yet. The working title was 'Waking Every God' but they've already been woken by the end of Book 2. Whoops. I'd like to call it 'The Reluctant God' but I know the publishers won't go for it. The title would make buyers reluctant.

Anyway. I did no plotting at all before Book 2, to ensure the story went in unexpected directions. Can't do that with this one: it has to arrive in a specific place. Now all I have to do is work out how the characters get there with maximum discomfort.

I know; I'll go take a Tranz Rail journey. 

There's this view out there that being an author is a way cool thing to do.

Well, people out there are right. It's a chance to do something creative and feel a sense of achievement without in any way being encumbered by fame and fortune.

Here's the proof. Earlier this year I participated in a New Zealand Society of Authors survey that examined incomes and needs of established authors. The key results are as follows (NZ dollars):

• only 17% of established writers, including freelancers, survive solely on their writing income.

• the mean total writers' annual income from all sources, excluding full time work, is $15,383, against a minimum wage of $23,400.

• 77% of mid-career authors earn les than $10,000 per annum. Only 7% earn over $30,000.

So enough of the fortune. What of fame? The great thing about being an author is that occasionally you meet someone who knows someone who's heard of you, but no one cares what you look like. After writing for a few years you don't care what you look like yourself.

For the record, I earn far more than the average. I could support myself full-time if I had to. But I keep telling myself I enjoy University life. I wonder when I'll realise I'm fooling myself ... 

According to a recent survey, New Zealand women have an average of 20.4 sexual partners – the highest in the world.

This may come as a surprise to Kiwi men, who apparently have only 16.8 partners, well short of Austrian men. (That’s Austrian, not Australian.)

The Durex Sexual Wellbeing Global Survey involved questioning 26,000 people in 26 countries.

Right, class, spot the problems with this survey. Think carefully …
 

I've just finished my read-through and revision of 'Dark Heart', and I'm thinking hard about something that has become clear to me through this process and from a few emails I've had from beta readers. Apparently I've written my best story yet (or that's how they're humouring me) but it's much darker in tone than my other novels.

Particularly notable are sexual encounters and a fair swathe of violence. I didn't really think too hard about the implications of this as I wrote it, because the story called for it. This trilogy is, after all, set in a much darker land than my first. But I'm now wondering 'how much is too much?'

I should add there's no 'mechanics of sex' writing. What happens is dealt with discreetly and not with voyeuristic glee.

This realisation is of specific concern given the large Christian readership I seem to have fostered through my first trilogy. I receive emails on a daily basis from people wishing to discuss my faith, or that exhibited by characters in the story. While I'll always follow the basic principle of writing to the story, I am nervous about not offending readers.

A specific example. Apparently the local private girls' school has a set of the first trilogy. I wonder just how suitable they might find the current trilogy, especially 'Dark Heart'. Of course, I can always fall back on Jenny Fallon's advice, which is that such controversy can only be good for sales! But how much should I care about the reaction of readers?

Thoughts?

The final morning, and it's a heavy case of Mondayitis as I prepare to say goodbye to as many people as I can find. Donna's been great, letting me stay at her place (I hate hotels). Trudi and Paul have been great company. Mark Deniz is not as weird as I thought he'd be. Sharyn is relieved, I think, that I didn't sabotage the launch of her book. Nicole as chair has dealt with lots of issues with cheerfulness and professionalism - if she threw any naneroonies I never saw them. I enjoyed catching up with Andrew, Keith, Amanda, Kaaron, Gillian, Cora. Emmy, Karen - oh dear, this is a mistake, trying to list people -  Kim, Stephanie, Nicola, Bill, Fiona, Ella and oooh, lots of people who will be angry I have forgotten them, but I can't find many of them this morning. I'd really like to have had more time ...

Instead I go to a panel about the future of e-books. There's one of these at every convention but this is easily the best I've seen. Great job Fiona, Andrew and Sharyn. Fiona, the administrator of this site, takes me to meet Joffre Street Productions, who are doing the podcasts for the convention. We spend an interesting half-hour talking about the possibility of doing book trailers for the Husk Trilogy.

It's time to go. I sneak out and set off on the bittersweet drive back to Sydney - always a mistake, as it gives me too long to think and start missing the people I've just bid farewell to. I've cut the timing a bit fine, so it's straight to Sydney with no stops, arriving a little after check in time. No worries though, the plane is delayed. I appear a genius to the woman sitting next to me. 'The plane is delayed,' she tells her husband. 'But they didn't say why.'

I pipe up. 'Gale force head winds,' I say, guessing madly. It is fairly windy outside. 'Head winds can slow a plane down.' 

'Really? Hear that, Stan? This man says it's wind.'

They don't look convinced. 'If I'm right, the other two planes due to depart to Auckland and Wellington should also be delayed.'

At that moment the PA comes on: 'A boarding call for flight XXX to Wellington will be made in twenty minutes. We apologise for the delay due to the late arrival of the aircraft in Sydney.'

I smile deprecatingly, but I feel their awe.

A few hours later I'm paying the exorbitant $95 airport parking charge - for the first time it's cheaper to get a taxi to the airport and return than it is to drive your own car - and I'm home before 1am. The dog is pleased to see me. Well, he wagged his tail, anyway.

Another Conflux over, and later that day I learn the great news that Karen Herkes has volunteered to chair Conflux 5. So I get to do it all again next year!