‘It will come as no surprise to anyone that everyone else is busy! With some people you begin to wonder if they are so busy as to avoid contact with you...’
That was the comment made to me at a lunch-date earlier this week. I had finally had the chance to catch up with a friend of mine, whom I had not seen for over two years. For the purpose of this blog, let’s call her MDP – that’s Ms MDP to everyone... including her friends. Funnily enough, we (that’s Ms MDP and Self) live in the same fabulous city of Melbourne. We once worked together. At that time, she was quiet and somewhat shy. She was not a drinker and her nature was overly considerate of others. We would often sit at lunch and discuss her University Study and my desire to write a novel about the only Australian who died on RMS Titanic.
We now find ourselves in completely different careers and (obviously) different social networks. She is a ‘groover and mover’. She now likes fast times, fast men and fast food. Her career is ‘successful’ (*). She has been promoted twice in the short time she has been at her new firm. Furthermore, from the way our conversation was progressing, it was becoming evident that she has gotten to know all her male colleagues in a way that is... umm... let’s suggest... ‘colourful’.
More about Ms MDP later...
Since the Melbourne Writers Festival, where I presented a paper called ‘Bring the Past into the Future’- (my observations of the book industry of the past/present/future) I have retreated away from the public side of 209 A Story and been working on the editing of 210 and writing 211. This trilogy has become my life. It is what I think about. It is what I dream about. I discuss it on the phone. I talk about it over dinner with family and friends. My flatmates put up with it because they know how important it is to me. It is constantly in my face because – as I pointed out at the Melbourne Writers Festival – ‘being a successful writer today has less to do with the skill of writing than it does with the ability to market oneself as a successful writer’. Please don’t get me wrong. I love what I do. However, when travelling around the globe on this ‘209 A Story World Book Launch Tour’ many people have suggested that it all just flows so easily. (This is a nice thought!)
As a writer in 2009 – the challenge to me is about the way, in which, I present my work. In the medium of ‘the novel as we know it’ – most things have been ‘done’. For perpetuity, I have developed a 4 year project around 209,210,211 – I know it is unique. I know it has not been attempted before ... this will ONLY become obvious after the launch of 211. It dances in my mind constantly... how incredibly amazing it all is... HOWEVER – only time will tell.
Ms MDP leans across the table to retrieve her ringing iPhone from her bag. She answers in a gruff tone. Like everyone else on the planet who finds themselves in a similar situation, I try to pretend that I am not listening to the one-sided conversation that is being played out in front of me. I look around the courtyard of the cafe on Chapel Street. I look up into the large tree. I see the new buds of spring. I see a small bird sitting on a branch. It is feeling content with its view.
Suddenly, she slams the phone down on the table. From the corner of my eye I see the bird fly off. Several ‘colourful’ words slip from between her pursed lips, her eyes widen and she throws back the remainder of her glass of Shiraz. I look blankly as she continues to tell me how she is going to ‘beat this **** to a pulp’ ... that’s if she attends the ***** proposed meeting the following morning... that’s if she has not contacted his **** boss first...
With a snap of her fingers she motions for the waiter to bring her another drink. I begin to think time has changed her...
While I was in New Zealand last week (pic above in Christchurch), someone asked me why I was writing a trilogy and not just one book. It was a valid question. What’s funny about meeting strangers who have bought your work is they often ask questions that I have to answer immediately. I don’t really have time to think about what I am about to say. I tried to formulate a response... I thought of Arthur McCrae (the only Australian to die on RMS Titanic and the protagonist of 209 A Story) – I thought of his sense of adventure. I thought of his life and how excited I was while researching the man. Obviously, the information I could find out about him was limited – remember it was 1912. Due to this question, I began to draw a parallel between his life and mine. It was the first time I had ever done so. I was travelling – just like him. I was living my adventure of life – just like him. I was an Australian – just like him. And I was going to New York in a few weeks – just like him. His future looked bright and optimistic – exactly how I feel at the moment while writing 211. My answer was something quite dull... I said, ‘The story of 209 finishes with Arthur boarding RMS Titanic so I wanted to elaborate as to what could have happened.’
The poor waiter happened to spill some of the wine down the side of the glass. Well... you can imagine the reaction. Glaring at him, Ms MDP demanded that she get a new glass... and to make it snappy.
Steven begins to think – WHO IS THIS PERSON?
For the next hour and half I listened. I listened to someone I did not know. I listened to her complain about her firm. I listened to sordid details of her sex life. I listened to her tell me about her trip to Greece last year, about her new found wealth, about her wild weekends of substance abuse and how she’d ‘***** anyone who stands in her way’. At no point did she ask me about my family or my book. At no point did she enquire as to other people, with whom we had worked. She did not ask me about possible relationships or lack there of... There was nothing...
Ms MDP now stood and told me how she had to ‘go and ****’ and told me to order her another drink.
While she was at the bathroom, I thought... ‘What am I doing?’ Not just at that moment... but about why I was writing a trilogy... the question that had been asked of me came back to me... my response was better formed from what I was experiencing currently ... and here it is...
Over time people can change. They can change for reasons of good and be affected by events that are bad. They can go out and discover the world. They can close their minds. They can find happiness in the coming of spring. They can lose their life. They can remain on a band wagon and fall into patterns. Or they can live their dream...
Have a good week everyone.
Cheers
Steve
(*) you can put your own interpretation on the meaning of ‘successful’
