Attended the Aurealis Awards in Brisbane over the weekend and had a truly amazing time. Caught up with lots of lovely old friends, made some lovely new friends, drank way too much, slept way too little, partied way too hard, stumbled across something delightful and unexpected, and … oh yes … won a little award. I didn’t have a speech prepared because I seriously, 100% totally, definitely for sure, knew I wasn’t going to win. Deborah Biancotti was going to win. Which was just as well, I thought as I sat down for the presentation right at the back of the theatre, because of all those stairs. Let Deb tackle the stairs. But I did win, and I didn’t fall down the stairs, and I think I managed to say something vaguely intelligent and funny and thank most of the right people.
What I forgot to say was how awesome the other authors in my category are. Seriously. They all rock, and I felt pretty damn humbled that the judges chose my story over theirs. Which, as anyone who knows me can attest, doesn’t happen all that often. The feeling humble stuff. It was kinda … cool.
Oh, and while half-napping on Saturday afternoon in my hotel room before the big night, a beautiful new story bloomed just about whole and entire inside my head. Which almost never happens. And I think it has a happy ending. Or, at least, a not unhappy one. Again, with the never happening. Strange days, good days. Not even the 40+ degree temperatures we’re forecast to have down here for the next week are really depressing me. So, there you go. Shiny.
Kirstyn McDermott 
Congrats again on the win. Was cool to meet you.
Thanks Ben. It was lovely to finally meet you as well. 🙂
I didn’t get to congratulate you – was so overtired and bamboozled when I saw you later in the evening so … congratulaions! And yay for the new story bloomage.
Ah, don’t worry about it. I was pretty damn wrecked myself.
Story bloomage is ace. Usually, I have to pick pieces of those things out of bedrock with a hammer and chisel, and then try to make them fit together properly. Lovely to find one fully formed and complete at long last … I had heard rumours that such things existed, but didn’t really believe it. 😉
I look forward to reading it sometime somewhere then!
You rocks.
Well done that woman!
It’s funny how the gal who wasn’t ever going to blog on anything not only has an LJ, has not increased her LJ blogging but has no changed the title of said LJ!!!! HA!
And, as you know, I am very, very, very proud of you. And you didn’t send the story! (You know which one).
Shaddup. I’m still determined to hold out on Facebook.
Sorry about the story, I did forget. Busy, distracted creature that I am. I’ll send it now.
Congrats on the win! Exceedingly good! And also on actually attending the Awards, which is a mark of strength of character.
Nah, it’s a mark of strength of desire to get wasted with friends. But thanks for the optimistic interpretation. 🙂