Still trying to figure out what the f*(&* I want on the cover of Angel Stations. And who by? Okay: there's Steve Stone - some of his stuff is extremely good indeed, and I sure as hell wouldn't knock back the chance of him doing a cover. Then there's Fred Gambino - except I hate stuff like those WordWar: Colonisation books - too cartoony, too many primary colours. Give me subtlety.

Except, that is, for stuff like the covers he did for Jack Womack.

And especially for the cover he did for the recent UK reissues of Lord of Light by Zelazny, which is just an astonishing piece of cover art.

Like, say, Steve Rawlings, who did some absolutely magnificent jackets for Sheri Tepper, ie Fresco et al. But then ... he also did the covers for Neal Asher's Line of Polity, etc, which covers I hate. Far too abstract. Except for the cover of Gridlinked, which is brilliant. I know it's brilliant, because it makes me pick it up and think, hey, maybe I should buy this ... that's how good it looked.

Who else? Well, there's a guy called John Harris. Let me tell you something, John Harris is the absolute sure-fire king of god-damn fucking huge landscapes of technodoom. To coin a phrase. He paints stuff that looks really, really big. I mean, just dementedly huge. That really appeals to me. Especially when it comes to something like the Citadel in the book, or perhaps the Angel Station itself. You really should take a look at his stuff - here's a link.

Can you see why I"m tearing my hair out?

By the by, assuming anyone is actually paying attention, the reason the link I put in earlier to my writer's page doesn't work anymore is I decided to take it down, just for the moment, until I figure out just what exactly I'm allowed to say or not say about Angel Stations prior to publication. It'll be up again at some later point.

What else? The contract is now back, signed, with my agent, so with any luck, caboodles of cash coming my way before too long. I really hope. I really, really hope. In the meantime, I've asked my agent to check out the possibility of what I fully admit is basically hackwork - like writing a novelisation of some crappy movie, or something. I don't know. Just giv me de monee ...

Hang on, no really, I'm more of an artist like that. But it makes sense for a writer to explore avenues that put them somewhere more financially comfortable, so they can get on with writing the real thing. Perhaps I can get something better - let's wait and see.

Busy week. Started on Friday.

Friday, most of gsfwc (glasgow science fiction writer's circle) had split for Seacon, while I stayed behind to help my girlfriend celebrate her birthday. This went quite well, mainly constituting being in a bar for most of the evening with friends before I, as arranged, headed home earlier to get ready for the next morning.

Left at half ten on Saturday morning, somewhat tired, arrived after about three changes at Hinckley completely shattered. Wandered around the con for a bit feeling dazed, found most of everyone before somebody told me I'd be able to find my editor(s) at a party being run on behalf of Earthlight, who publish Mike Cobley's Shadowkings books (this being a guy I used to share a flat with). Found Lavery and John Jarrold, and a couple of hours later found myself having dinner with both of them, another editor called Stef, and several other authors including Freda Warrington, Juliet Marillier, Justina Robson, Justina's husband and, I suspect, one or two other people I was too zonked to either remember or know who they were. I was, of course, my usual garrulous self; I find that other writers tend to be on the quiet side which results in me, usually, trying to fill the vacuum, a reaction born perhaps out of a certain nervousness. I was there, after all, with some writers who are in some cases very well known indeed. I chatted also to Justina at the Earthlight party, and only realised after a few minutes that the reason she wasn't saying anything was she was hoarse and could barely speak ...

The convention was, after all, like most conventions. To be honest, if it wasn't for making a serious sale, I probably wouldn't really go to conventions any more, primarily because most of the time when I'm at them, I spend my time sitting in a bar drinking with exactly the same people I drink with when I'm at home in Glasgow, except there I don't have to book a hotel, travel for hours, etc, etc. But it does make a difference when you become an author who's expecting to get paid several thousand pounds. You feel you should be there; that it's the professional thing to do. And I enjoyed myself. Had a good chat with Andrew Wilson, the sf reviewer for the Scotsman newspaper who I've previously met on several occasions, who had some good ideas about publicising both myself and the book nearer the publication date.

Anyway, the con passed in a bit of a blur, and at the most I saw maybe one or two panels, spending the rest of the time sitting in the bar. Ian Watson is a ridiculously funny man. You have to understand, for most of the weekend I was almost literally staggeringly knackered. I won't even describe the state I was in by the time monday morning rolled around.

Here's the deal. I was about ready to give up going to cons because I wasn't particularly enjoying them any more. Now ... things are different. I feel if I don't go, people might not know who I am, and now, unsurprisingly, I very much want them to know who I am. So I guess that's me back to conventions, eh?

I was starting to get worried the contract - which my agent warned me was on its way - had got lost in the post, but when I got home this afternoon it was there. Had a look at it - the thing that pleases me the most is that (as far as I can tell amongst the lawyerese) a couple of weeks after I return the contract, I get a payment of 7,500 quid. I'm not sure whether they take the agent's share off first, or if I have to pay her, or whatever. I'll probably email her.

What's really important about this isn't even so much that I'm getting paid to write, it's what it means about getting out of flatrenting land. I can put down a serious deposit on a flat and buy a house, which is incredible, although it has to be said that the places worth living in, in Glasgow, are still far, far beyond my means. Which means I may have to go a little further afield. And being self-employed and therefore below the radar of the majority of UK mortgage companies does not help matters any either. Nevertheless, I'm exploring several options - it would be nice to be able to spend christmas this year in my very own house. I'd like that.

I've got two options - either a one-bedroom place for myself and MJ, but it would have to be below 35,000. When you wrap in the monthly council tax payments, that really boosts the cost upwards. Alternatively - and my preference - is a two bedroom place, where I can rent a room out, and pay a good chunk of the mortgage that way. It would also serve as insurance against any unforeseeable financial problems in the future - as long as you can rent out a room, you can cover the majority if not all of the mortgate. Yes, yes, I know it's not as simple as that, I've been thinking about lots of different options, it just more or less boils down to this basic choice - depending on the flat, and where it is.

I haven't done a huge amount on AG since finishing the first draft. Started revisions, not huge, then spent most of this evening downloading files on nanotechnology from the web to load up onto the ageing laptop I do most of my work on. Plus, it's not like I'll get much done before the convention this weekend.

Yay, finished the first draf t of Against Gravity. At what I can only describe (for me, at least) as breakneck speed.

It tops out at a tiny fraction over 120,000 words, started on January 25th 2003. so that's ... 80 days, or two and a half months, roughly speaking. Which is an average of maybe 1500 words a day. I think I only had maybe two, three complete days off the writing, tops. I've now got the choice of completely ignoring Against Gravity until the Angel Stations revisions are out of the way, or I can get more or less straight onto the Against Gravity revisions now. And since I've got the text already down., the theory, at least, is that the second draft should be easier.

It's got to be said, now I've actually got a book deal, I do feel driven to write like a mad bastard, although another little voice keeps reminding me not to rush things too much at the same time. Take my time, get things worked out.

Still. I know what the third one is going to be; Leviathan's Fall, set on the same world as my first, unpublished novel, Touched by an Angel. I've already mentally plotted out the first chapter, and for the past couple of weeks ideas for it have been floating around in my head. I'm hoping I can get working on it later this year, if the other two projects don't take too long. Famous last words ...

Dear, it's been a while since I posted. I've definitely not felt so inclined since the book deal came through. However, I'm back. The second book - Against Gravity - is currently past the 100k mark, and should top out - I think - at 120k. Still no sign of the revisions for Angel Stations, though I expect they'll come through before too long.

I have also figured out what I'm going to do once Against Gravity is out of the way. I'm going to completely rewrite, from the ground up, my first, unpublished novel, Touched by an Angel. Except this time I'm going to call it Leviathan's Fall. In one sense, I think it may be a murder mystery, though mind you, I only say that because the first chapter is basically going to involve a murder and whodunnit. Beyond that, the basic world setup is the same, although the plot and character interaction is, I believe entirely different.

I'm all geared up for Eastercon, my first in a good few years. I'm sure it's been at least three years, if not even longer. A lot of other writers who are also signed to Tor UK will be there, which should be very interesting. You know, I'm really looking forward to it. Yay, I'm a writer. Though some of the money would be nice ... since I've sold the translation rights along with the UK rights, it's very likely, I suspect, that the book will also be published in Germany, although that's very much by way of a guess. Note to self: check how 'angel stations' translates into deutsche ...

I've set up an intermediate website for my books. 'Intermediate' because it's just using a freebie domain address until I get a better and more permanent one sorted out, so beware of annoying pop-up ads and accept my apologies (you know, every time I write or hear that word, to my extreme annoyance I always think of the German torturer in Blackadder II who kept saying 'apple ogee's'). But check it out. Especially the rather handsome chap in the top right corner, albeit with a bit of image manipulation worked in.

The address is www.gmgibson.cjb.net

One of the things I've been thinking about recently is character and plot. Specifically, in the sense of having a protagonist who does what a protagonist is supposed to do in traditional story construction - a person or persons facing a dilemma they have to overcome by dint of their own efforts.

My first novel, Touched by an Angel, didn't sell. I wrote it in six months in, I think 1997, when I had just finished a college course and was waiting around to see if I could get some kind of a job. The book did get me an agent, though, the same agent who recently secured me my two-book deal. It was good enough in that sense. So why didn't a publisher take it? Primarily because the main character was swept along by events. Things happened to her, rather than because of her. In the best situation, a book ends when the main character brings that ending about through their actions, whether that ending is a good thing for that character or not, is another matter altogether.

On the other hand, look at the first Indiana Jones movie. In that, Indy is trying to get to various artefacts before the Nazis do, and spends much of the story chasing around after the same things, occasionally beating the bad guys. But at the end, on the island where the big ceremony takes place and Indy and his girlfriend have sneaked along on a Nazi sub (if I recall), they are captured and tied up. They keep their eyes shut while the ceremony takes place, and all the Nazis are torn apart by demons emerging from the Ark.

Now, that movie is rightly regarded as a classic. But if you think about the ending for a second, the Nazis aren't defeated because of Indy's actions. They're defeated by something beyond the grave, and Indy is effectively a spectator. This isn't in any way to imply it's an unsatisfactory ending, it isn't. But it's the kind of thing I've been thinking about a lot recently, since I'm at the three-quarters mark with Against Gravity. My protagonist is at a certain point, and rather than being an observer of the ending of the book, I want him to be an active and important participant. Otherwise, why write about him at all? But I've been thinking, he doesn't necessarily have to be responsible for exactly how the ending comes about (thought it might be preferable, in terms of plot satisfaction), as long as he does have some influence over it.

But this is the one thing I've come to realise I find the hardest when I'm writing. Plot, no big problem. Writing the prose, no big deal. But combining the two in such a way that my protagonist(s) have an active part in how the plot actually develops? Now that I find difficult.

Thinking about ... cover designs. They asked me for ideas, and now I'm wracked with indecision and the fear that whatever I suggest could turn out to be the wrong, wrong, wrong thing. I emailed Mike Cobley (who's got the Shadowkings books coming out from Simon and Schuster, used to share a flat with him) and asked him how it worked with him. He said he came up with something 'symbolic' of the events in the book. Hah. Worked for Shadowkings, unlikely to work for Angel Stations.

But they did ask who I fancied for the cover. I put Steve Stone on the top of the list - he does amazing digital artwork, and funnily enough did the cover for Shadowkings. After that, Fred Gambino, who's done a lot of good stuff, particularly the covers for Jack Womack's Ambient novels. And after that, a guy whose name I can't remember, even though I emailed Edinburgh author Charles Stross for his name; he did the cover for the US edition of Stross's new book, Singularity Sky. I liked it. Very pretty. Always had a soft spot for big things emerging from cloud cover.

Basically, I've been spending the past week or two banging my head off a wall coming up with some stuff for my agent - like, an author bio, stuff I've done, and as a result I sit in front of my computer, suddenly lost for words ... The most depressing thing out of a range of questions designed to spur me on was the one which asked, 'most exciting thing I've ever done'. Er ...

Er ...

Nope, still can't think of anything.

Apart from selling my first novel, of course! Now there's an answer.

Expect me to take up mountain climbing or air-sea rescue sometime in the next year. Heh.

At the moment, I"m about eighty thousand words into the first draft of Against Gravity, and mentally kind of putting together a schedule for my work over the next year. Sometime in the next two to three months I'm going to get an editorial letter alongwith requests for various changes small and big to Angel Stations, so obviously it's a good idea to get as much of Against Gravity out of the way before I get to that point. I estimate the AG first draft will be finished in about a month, possibly even less. I'm rather hoping a contract for me to sign will also turn up along with the editorial letter. Another good reason to get AG towards a more-or-less submissable point is, if they don't need any/or not too many changes to it, then I'll get a first payment for that as well before the year is out. I hope.

Other projects beckon. A kind-of collaboration with another writer, Fergus Bannon, which has been on the cards for a while. That book is called Judgment, although I'm not yet sure exactly what my input on that particular project is going to turn out to be. It may be major or minor; primarily, it's Fergus' book, but for complicated - very complicated - reasons, I'm getting involved with the writing, and if it works out we're talking about having it come out as co-authors, money possibly split down the middle.

In the meantime, my payment is in for this year's Eastercon, still getting travel sorted out though. My dad has offered to use his air miles to secure me a flight down to Birmingham from which I can then take a train to Hinckley, although I frankly I hate and detest flying. I know that's illogical, it's not bleeding natural being in a tin box far above the ground with nothing holding me up. Utterly terrifying. Yeah, sod it. I'll just take the train.

I'm still knocked for six. It's the main reason I haven't been blogging. The book deal sort of came down from the heavens and sent my normal behavioural patterns reeling. Apart from that, nothing is different. The book (the second one of the deal, Against Gravity) is up to about seventy thousand words. It's going not bad - I think - but I'm writing the first draft of this one in a much more fast and loose style than before. Primarily because there's no point trying to perfect something you might end up ripping apart later on once you decide something needs to be different in order to support the story you're trying to tell. And to work that out, you need - a lot of the time - to write it first.

I'm working on ideas for a website for myself, as well as trying to get things arranged for going down to the convention. it's a pain, getting all these details worked out. slightly less than a month away now, so best to get it out of the way. not sure, either, if i can even get a room in the hotel itself. still, had a flick through the seacon website and noticed a lot of familiar names, a lot of - ahem - other authors.

God, I love saying stuff like that.

Sunday night and I'm just beginning to come to terms with the book sale earlier this week. I've decided to just stay in Glasgow for the Friday and MJ's birthday, and get a very early train to the Eastercon near Coventry on the Saturday morning. So tomorrow I have to get something sorted out for the hotel and convention. I still have a month's grace, however. Plenty of time to get things sorted out. Against Gravity is up to about 62,000 words at the moment.

Today I had a friend, Travis, a pro photographer, take some pictures of me in his vaguely Hannibal Lecter basement studio to send to my agent to go along with the press stuff that'll be going out with the news of the sale of my two books. I suppose I could have just taken a couple of shots with a borrowed instamatic in the park, but I figured I might as well get someone to do it (for thirty quid) who actually knows what they're doing.

It's a strange process, very unreal. You're asked to move your head here, your eyes there, and the feeling is one of being in a very unnatural pose. Against my expectations, the photographs (Low-resolution previews on a digital camera screen, the expensive type) looked fairly natural, though unsurprisingly, posed. My favourite - though not necessarily the one I'd send to the agent - should have a subtitle along the lines of, 'writer by day, detective by night'. Sort of looking over the back of my shoulder at the camera, with the collar of my jacket up. Very Hollywood.

The other interesting thing about having your pictures taken with all these powerful lights shining in your eyes is that when you see the end result, it's an unavoidable reminder that you're really not young anymore. I'm 38 in a couple of months, and looking at some of those pictures I felt every one of those years. I came away from the shoot with a certain determination to lose weight and get more exercise. At least the good weather is coming in, so I have no excuse not to get out of the house and go cycling at least a couple of times a week.

Suddenly, my life is so busy.

Pan are going to pay for my hotel room for a couple of nights at this year's Eastercon, which means all I have to do is pay for my membership and get myself down there (probably by train on the early Saturday). My editor will be there, as will John Jarrold, who was involved in the decision to buy my books. I also have to write a bio for myself - more extensive than previously requested by my agent, something that can be used in a press release, I suspect - plus they want a photograph. So I'm getting a local photographer, Travis, to do some head and shoulders shots on Saturday afternoon for about thirty quid.

In the meantime, I've also had an invite to the Tor UK official launch which is at the ICI in London Wednesday coming, but it's too soon for a) me to get somebody to cover for me at work and b) for my brain to be able to cope with it yet. But there'll be a second, less official 'mini launch' at Eastercon.

Being wined and dined by a publisher. Yeah ... I like that.

Entries may get more sporadic due to increased workrate. But Against Gravity is at 58,697 words.