So the cry goes out! You can join this new Facebook Group here; dedicated to influencing publishers to commission another Parrish Plessis novel. Started by fans for fans.

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Webby love this week has brought this truly wonderful review of Glitter Rose from Walker of the Worlds, and an interview I’ve just done with The Fringe. There was also an interview floating around with a Cairns-based paper/magazine but I haven’t see that one.

Other than that, I’ve been working on Angel Arias and fiddling around with some other bits and pieces. I had a sudden urge today to read some biographical  background on Carlos Castaneda. I read his books years ago and for some inexplicable they threw themselves back at me today. I’m trusting this to be significant in some way and am running with it.

I think it might have something to do with where I’m taking the storyline of Peacemaker - which, btw, has gone back to my agent again. This time I’m hoping the sample is long enough to send on to my publisher. My narrative unveils a war between occult forces, and I think Castaneda is demanding face time in there somewhere. I’ll keep you posted. No doubt Mistress Muse will reveal all in due course.

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I’ve been promising you an interview with Melanie Teychenne-King and Peter Budd, part of the genius behind The Apollo Awards. This is an in depth look at what I predict will become the biggest entertainment award in the world. Please share the interview far and wide so the word gets out. Can’t stop the signal…

What are the Apollo Awards?

MISSY: In its simplest form, The Apollo Awards are a gala awards ceremony honouring the best of science fiction and fantasy film, television and multimedia from around the world, and throughout the history of genre entertainment on screen. The winners will not only be voted by the fans, but nominated by them as well. The aim is to let everyone have their say on what is popular without having to choose between only five or so nominations dictated to them. Everything is in the hands of the fans!

In keeping with this culmination of a united worldwide audience, the awards ceremony – held in Queensland, Australia in the latter half of the year – will be streamed live online, to an audience of millions of viewers around the world.

Supporting The Apollo Awards, and a fundamental part of the concept, will be the Apollo Website. It will be shaped and executed in a way that is interactive and inclusive, bringing together the scattered sci-fi & fantasy communities from all over the ‘net. Not only will fans be able to nominate and vote in the awards, interact with each other, and read news and blogs aggregated from a plethora of genre websites, but they’ll shape the growth of the site through user generated content and promotion of independent works such as film, art, literature, web series, v-logs or reviews.

PETER: The Apollo awards represent an opportunity for fans worldwide to voice their support for their favourite contemporary and past film, TV show, actor or media event in the world of Sci-fi/Fantasy. They are the Oscars meet MTV. Sci-fi/Fantasy is poorly represented in award recognition and yet they are among the top money makers. This is probably due to past prejudices; the belief that if it’s not real-life drama it’s not really acting or good. We’re not out to change the mind set of the world, only to give voice to those who deserve to be heard. As we say, “You Vote. You Decide. Be heard.”

EXAMPLE CATEGORIES (does not indicate exact title of category, the entire list of categories, nor whether they will be included in the 2011 awards. These are examples only): Best Series, Best Film, Best Actor/Actress, All-Time Legend.  Awards for best… space ship or vessel; space battle; land battle; magical world; talking creature; character death; villain; on-screen partnership; love match; robot/AI; genre parody; genre music video; short film – original; short film -  fan film; trailer for novel/game; webseries.
Read the rest of this entry »

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I’ve just heard from Orbit that my author copies of Transformation Space are on the way. Can’t wait to hold it in my hand! This series, as many of you know, has bought both heartache and joy. The stories are very character driven which doesn’t necessarily fit with the taste all readers of space opera, while others appreciate its style. The Fringe Magazine, enjoyed the series because of that very aspect. Here’s the links to their reviews.

Dark Space review

Chaos Space review

Mirror Space review

At the end, the reviewer makes a comment that series would benefit from being published in omnibus form. I couldn’t agree more. And hope, one day, that that will happen.

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“Into a world of wild secrets and deadly pleasures comes a girl whose innocence may  be her greatest strength.”

Isn’t that a wonderful line?

Today has been a bright writerly day. It began with this wonderful review of Glitter Rose by the much beloved and widely read Kate Elliot.

Soon after the postman left me a box that contained my Burn Bright proofs and the presenter brochure for the series (see left). Both gorgeous! As I mentioned on the Burn Bright site, I began writing this book in 2003, around the time I first started working on Dark Space. My agent loved the premise, but I had a 4 book SF series to write and it got pushed to one side and became the book I wrote when I wasn’t writing. Now my long-gestation-baby has teeth, hair and fingernails and I couldn’t be prouder of her.

To top off this already shiny day, my friend and partner in Burn Bright hijinks,Yunyu, had some good news, as did my Stalking Daylight, screenplay co-writer Lynne Jamneck. Would crack some champers if I still drank. White choc shall have to suffice!

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This is a major shout out to my web design company, Austin Designworks, who have relaunched their own website. You can read my testimonials over there but it pretty obvious how much I LOVE them!

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Nicola grew up in Sydney, Australia, on an unhealthy diet of 70′s American TV where her fetish for people in shiny outfits with amazing powers germinated. Coming from an artistic family, there was rarely a time when she didn’t have a pencil or paint brush in her hand so rendering her favourite icons was par for the course.

After a couple of mini careers modelling, acting and costume designing, she moved into the comic book industry, as a penciller, in 2002 with work for Australian publisher, Phosphorescent Comics. She then spent a couple of  years living in New York City chasing the dream.

Now back in Australia, Nicola has worked for Dark Horse, Top Cow, Image and IDW. Since 2006 Nicola has been working for DC Comics on monthly titles “Birds Of Prey”, “Secret Six” and “Wonder Woman” with Gail Simone, and recently “Blackest Night: Wonder Woman” with Greg Rucka. She is currently on a run of “Teen Titans” with JT Krull.

1. You began your career as an actress. Does your desire to perform ever clash with the very back room nature of penciling? How do you get your fix?

I’m actually quite happy being by myself. I get work done, potter around the house, talk to the cat, sing at the top of my voice. Sometimes I go a little stir crazy and I don’t quite know it. My husband will ask about the last time I was outside. If I can’t remember, he drags me out for a walk. I try to catch up with my friends regularly and I see my family all the time. They’re all pretty loud, big talkers, and we all “perform” for eachother. Other than that, I do get to do conventions pretty regularly, and that puts you in front of people. That’s enough for the performing side, but I really get to flex my acting muscle through the work. I act out all the scenes I draw, from each characters perspective, so I can find the truth in the moment. That’s really where i get my fix.

2. As an Australian, based in Sydney, do you feel distanced from the hub of the comic industry? Does an artist need to ideally be based be in NYC.

The great thing about  the industry now is that you can be anywhere. As long as you have an internet connection, you’re good to go. That said, I do feel removed from the action and that can be good and bad. Like any freelancer knows, doing the work is only half the job, keeping the work coming is the rest and a constant thing. I have a contract with DC Comics, so I don’t need to spend much time getting work, but making sure I’m being thought of for bigger and better jobs is tricky from the other side of the world. It’s missing those incidental face to face moments with editors that can really hinder ones progress. I go over to the States at least once a year, just to remind editors that I’m here. It’s how almost every big jump I’ve had has happened. The up side of being away from the hub of the industry is that I miss out on all the drama that can take place. I’m not into drama.

3.      What skills do you like in a comic writer, and what makes you job harder?

I like working with character driven writers. I love drawing all the subtle moments that people can have as well as the action. I’ve had the good fortune of working with a number of really great writers that have a confident grasp of the sequential art form so I haven’t really faced much in the way of trouble spots, like a novice writer putting too many actions into one panel. Really, my job is only harder when I have to draw something challenging, but that always turns out to be the most satisfying work to complete.

4.  What’s you favourite piece (of your own work) and why?

There was a pin-up I did for my folio just a couple of years before I started working at DC. It was of Wonder Woman and it hit just the right note. That image circulated it’s way around the internet, got published in Wizard Magazine and made an impression on everyone that saw it. It still pops up pretty regularly and is by far my most famous image. Earlier this year I had a chance to re-draw the image, bring it up to date with my current style and ability, for the land mark #600 of Wonder Woman. It was coloured by the fantastic Jason Wright and I’m pretty happy with how it turned out.

5. If you could try something completely different, what would it be?

Well, I have had experience doing costume and production design for film and for stage and I wouldn’t mind getting to further those skills in the future.

6. What will Nicola Scott be doing in five years time?

See above! Seriously I hope to still be doing comics, maybe a little less than now, but also working with design departments in the film and TV industry. it’s certainly where I’m just now starting to slowly steer my career.

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I’ve spent the week working concertedly on the Angel Arias - book two the Burn Bright series or The Night Creatures trilogy as I think it is going to be called. The larger part of this novel takes the main character back to her home in Grave. What I hadn’t thought about was the fact that she’d be spending some time at the beginning of the book on a pirate’s island. It never fails to fascinate me how the things you set up in stories take on their own life – and from there grow their own catastrophes and triumphs. The pirate’s island, which until now I’d hadn’t thought about in much detail, has suddenly become a world of wonderful test and turmoil.

Meanwhile, my Peacemaker sample is nearly ready to go back to my agent and hopefully on to my publisher. I’m already very close to this story, which is a nice feeling. It’s like a friendship almost…

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Following on from the recent discussions about there not being enough women writing SF in the world, I’m delighted to see that Jason Fischer is looking for SF/Horror for the next edition of Midnight Echo. You can find all the details here, but thought you might be interested read this part of Jason’s blog:

“I guess one of the things that might be putting some people off is the fact that this issue is actively seeking science fiction, and is headed up by three white male writers.  But I for one would be just as happy to see the next Marianne de Pierres as much as the next Greg Egan.  There are some very talented folks out toiling under the Aussie SF umbrella, and just about every genre writing thing I’ve ever been to has been split roughly down the middle gender-wise.  There’s no reason why TOCs can’t turn out similarly, without any special effort expended, simply because a large initial pool of fiction would allow this to happen naturally (and probably unconsciously).”

Janette Dalgleish and a bunch of others who I won’t name, time to get cracking.

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Just wanted to update you on my November/December signings, as there have been a couple of changes. Basically Kippa Ring has been postponed until January/Feb and Chersmide has moved to the 18th December.

20/11/10 Redbank Plaza 11.30am – 1pm

25/11/10 Post Office Square 12.00am -2pm

27/11/10 Stafford 12.30 – 2pm

4/12/10 Carindale 12 – 2pm

11/12/10 Burleigh Heads 11am – 1pm

18/12/10 North Lakes 11am-12.30pm, Chermside 1pm – 2.30pm

Hope to see some of you there.

MDP and Trent Jamieson at A&R Victoria Point

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