adelaidesean: (copernicus)
[personal profile] adelaidesean
In March next year, I'll have three new books out--The Changeling, Earth Ascendant and The Force Unleashed--making them my equal-23rd novels. I'm quite excited about it, and not just because 23 is my favourite number.

What it's meant, though, is that I've spent the last month or so poring over three separate sets of re-writes, copy edits, and page proofs, plus many discussions about blurbs, cover quotes, maps, and cover designs. That wears a thin pretty fast, and can be a bit confusing on sleepy mornings with three books on the go at once. To keep things interesting, a French translation has also been popping up every now and again, plus the Pyr paperback reissue The Crooked Letter in paperback, also due in March.

Still, it's over now, and my brain can go back to normal (or what passes for normal around here). I'm about to launch into The Grand Conjunction (the last of the Astropolis books) and from there straight into The Scarecrow (the last in the Broken Land series). I have a couple of other loose ends to tie off after that, and then I'm free. What that means, I'm still working out.

But this might be part of it:

I've been accepted into a PhD in creative writing at Adelaide University.

Date: 2007-12-12 03:25 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] shadowsandice.livejournal.com
So when you're done, we'll have to start referring to you as Dr Williams.

You'll have to grow your mo back. Can't be a mad scientist without the mo.

Date: 2007-12-12 03:30 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ladnews.livejournal.com
What, like this guy?

Image

I could do that. :-)

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Date: 2007-12-12 11:57 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] stephen-dedman.livejournal.com
Congratulations! I just finished mine: had a lot more fun with the exegesis than I expected, too.

Date: 2007-12-12 03:29 am (UTC)
maelorin: (Default)
From: [personal profile] maelorin
I've been accepted into a PhD in creative writing at Adelaide University.

And here I was thinking all PhDs were exercises in creative writing :p

[I'm already nearing the end of Year One Of The PhD! Aaargh!]

Congrats, etc.

Does this mean your next novel will be accompanied by an exegesis?

Date: 2007-12-12 03:32 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ladnews.livejournal.com
And here I was thinking all PhDs were exercises in creative writing

We like to keep things honest here at Adelaide. :-)

Yes, the dreaded Exegesis. It's currently called "Examining the Role of Social Identity in the Crime/Science Fiction Hybrid" but that's bound to change a zillion times before I settle.

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From: [identity profile] stephbg.livejournal.com - Date: 2007-12-12 05:44 am (UTC) - Expand

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From: [identity profile] ladnews.livejournal.com - Date: 2007-12-12 05:56 am (UTC) - Expand

settle? lol!

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Date: 2007-12-12 04:06 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] satimaflavell.livejournal.com
I'm sure having a PhD is a good thing, Sean, but I suspect you could teach most of the profs a thing or two about creative writing.

Date: 2007-12-12 04:14 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ladnews.livejournal.com
Somerset Maugham once said: "There are three rules for writing the novel. Unfortunately, nobody can remember what they are."

:-)

Date: 2007-12-12 04:08 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] angriest.livejournal.com
So will you use the PhD as an opportunity to write a less commercial novel than you generally write?

Date: 2007-12-12 04:13 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ladnews.livejournal.com
Not sure about less commercial, but it'll definitely be in a different genre--and I'm looking forward to having a year or two to write it, instead of 6-9 months. For those two reasons, this is something I'm really looking forward to.
Edited Date: 2007-12-12 04:15 am (UTC)

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dr8

Date: 2007-12-12 04:16 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] callistra.livejournal.com
It's Dr Sean... all the cool kids have a dr8. I really must buy one soon....

Re: dr8

Date: 2007-12-12 04:58 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ladnews.livejournal.com
The University of Esoterica's doctorate in Theology, which used to be available for just $600 over the internet, was once high on my wishlist. Alas, now I'm doing it the hard way. :-)

Re: dr8

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Date: 2007-12-12 04:42 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mireille21.livejournal.com
Wow, congratulations!
In my own exciting Adelaide news, I've just accepted a job over there. And will be moving in the height of summer :P

Date: 2007-12-12 04:51 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ladnews.livejournal.com
Hey, excellent! We'll try to tone the weather down for you. :-)
Edited Date: 2007-12-12 04:52 am (UTC)

Date: 2007-12-12 04:43 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] karenmiller.livejournal.com
Massively impressive all round, really! Woot!

Date: 2007-12-12 04:52 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ladnews.livejournal.com
Thanks, Karen. Hurrah!

Date: 2007-12-12 05:15 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] murasaki-1966.livejournal.com
Congratulations. I'm back to working on the joint project next year (preliminary work has already started).

Date: 2007-12-12 05:53 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ladnews.livejournal.com
Thanks! I hope the joint project goes well.

Date: 2007-12-12 05:33 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] frogworth.livejournal.com
What's up, Doc?
Congratulations, that's awesome! And bring on the Astropolis books! :)

Date: 2007-12-12 05:54 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ladnews.livejournal.com
:-) Cenotaxis should be in my grubby little hand any day now. I'll send you a copy.

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Date: 2007-12-12 06:21 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] psycho-warbaby.livejournal.com
Dr Williams! (or soon to be!) Congratulations on the acceptance! Now only 2 more years of it... You'll probably be one of the few ppl who will actually enjoy writing up thier thesis :P

Date: 2007-12-12 06:24 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ladnews.livejournal.com
I expect the writing to be much more fun than the researching and the editing, particularly wrt the exegesis. But I'm really looking forward to having the time to both properly. And yes, to becoming a Herr Doktor at last. :-)

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Date: 2007-12-12 08:35 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fred-mouse.livejournal.com
whee! congrats on the PhD scholarship etc. I got my notification in the mail today too! Race you to the other end...

Date: 2007-12-12 12:59 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tearsxintherain.livejournal.com
Congratulations to both of you!! :)

Date: 2007-12-12 01:38 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] wistling.livejournal.com
Congrats!

Date: 2007-12-12 03:25 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] robinpen.livejournal.com
Very cool news, Sean.

Date: 2007-12-12 09:58 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] seanwilliams.livejournal.com
Thanks, dude. Terry Pratchett's news has pretty much taken the shine off everything this morning, but it's still cool.

Date: 2007-12-12 09:27 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] gumnut.livejournal.com
And I'll sit back and admire your tenacity and drive :D

I hope you realise just how inspiring you can be, not just by what you write, but how you write. It is no small thing to do what you do - to sit down and have the self motivation and drive to complete these projects.

And congrats on the PhD! Perhaps once you get that, there won't be so much confusion every time you book a hotel room. You could simply say that you are the Doctor Sean Williams (and watch them jump :D).

Anyways, I will sit back and admire as I attempt to to embark on the novel I've been trying to write for a year or so. I know it is possible cos you can do it :D

Oh, and I owe you a wave from a while back ::waves:: :D

Nutty
(pregnancy interrupts the writing, damnit!)

Date: 2007-12-12 10:54 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] haloumi.livejournal.com
Congratulations on your triumvirate 23rd novel and on being accepted for the PhD.

Having just completed my PhD at Adelaide (graduating next Thursday) I can tell you that is almost exactly, but not quite, like trying to jam a large sofa into your mouth while juggling knives. I'm sure that you'll enjoy it.

(I have always claimed that most computer science theses are science fiction - just slightly less well researched than most hard science fiction...)

Doctor, doctor!

Date: 2007-12-13 08:59 am (UTC)
From: (Anonymous)
Hey Doc, I've got this funny pain in my... oh, I see. Damn. Okay, so this Ph.D stuff will slow you down enough so we readers have a hope of catching up with your body of work?

Re: Doctor, doctor!

Date: 2007-12-13 10:30 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ladnews.livejournal.com
Exactly. :-)

Congrats and darn!

Date: 2007-12-14 05:28 am (UTC)
From: (Anonymous)
Snaps all around: for the glory of number 23x3, for the admirable tying up of loose ends, and for the PhD at Adelaide--but that's where the 'darn!' comes in, too. Little creative birdies were all aflutter hoping that Flinders might have lured you to its bisected campus for your PhD project... alas. Gorgeous sandstone buildings beat hideous 70s architecture again ;)
Congrats! :-)

Re: Congrats and darn!

Date: 2007-12-14 05:55 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] seanwilliams.livejournal.com
Ah, but I haven't decided which uni to go to yet. In fact, I haven't heard from Flinders yet, so maybe I don't even have a choice!

I'll report here when I know for sure what's happening in 2008... :-)

Re: Congrats and darn!

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Re: Congrats and darn!

From: (Anonymous) - Date: 2007-12-14 06:16 am (UTC) - Expand

Date: 2007-12-14 11:33 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] gloripebbles.livejournal.com
Very big congratulations Sean. On the PhD to come not to mention the trifecta of 23rds :)

Mind you I get scared - Dr Sean & Dr Kim.......presentations will never ever be the same again ;)

Date: 2007-12-17 01:33 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ladnews.livejournal.com
There are so many of us doing PhDs or Masters now. Maybe we need a Best Thesis category at the AAs too. :-)

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