Library event TONIGHT!

If you’re in Canberra tonight and you’d like to pick my brain about Headcase, come to the Kingston Library at 6pm! I’ll be interviewed by Daniel O’Malley, bestselling author of The Rook and Blitz. The event is free, but please register:

Speaking of Headcase…

Did you know I made a book trailer for it? I know some of you have been dying to hear Christopher Ragland do his Timothy Blake voice again, so here’s a little taste:

If you liked the sound of that and haven’t read the book yet, now’s the time! I’d encourage you to support your local bookstore, but if you don’t have one, Headcase is also available online.

Buy now

Encouragement from a robot

I’ve talked quite a lot about how I always lose my confidence when I’m about two thirds of the way through a first draft. I’m at that stage right now, and this time my unease is exacerbated by all the talk about Chat GPT, and how it (or another AI like it) will soon replace all writers. I found myself asking it for advice:

■ Do writers ever lose their talent? ▪ Writers, like any other profession, can experience periods of creative blocks or struggles with db their craft. However, it's important to remember that writing talent is not a fixed entity, and it can evolve and change over time. Some writers may find that they lose their passion for writing or that they need to take a break from it for a while. Others may find that their writing ability improves with practice and experience. It's also important to remember that writing is a subjective art form, and what one person may see as a loss of talent, another may see as a natural evolution or experimentation in the writing style. In any case, if a writer feels that they have lost their talent, it's important to take a step back and reassess their writing process, and to find ways to reignite their passion for writing. Seeking inspiration from other writers, taking a course or workshop, or even trying a different genre may help to get back on track. Also, It's important to remember that writing is a process and it's normal to have some ups and downs, but with hard work, determination and a willingness to improve, a writer can always develop and improve their skills.

Wow. That would be very encouraging, if only it hadn’t come from the very entity that is the source of my distress.

I was on the radio yesterday.

I took a selfie in the green room, because I’m a dork.

The delightful Anna Vidot gave me the opportunity to talk about the books I was reading, those I’d recently loved, and those I was looking forward to. If you missed it, the interview will be online in a day or two, but if you need some recommendations right now, here are the notes I had going in:

Flying Solo by Linda Holmes, The Terrible Two by Mac Barnett and Jory John, A Midlife Holiday by Cary J Hansson, Lifespan by David Sinclair, Tarquin the Honest by Gareth Ward, I Am Not Fine Thanks by Wil Anderson, Blitz by Daniel O'Malley, Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match by Sally Thorne, If This Book Exists You're In The Wrong Universe by Jason Pargin

One last reminder about the 101 Club

Remember, you can still vote for Headcase (and any/all of my other books) in the Dymocks 101 Club. It doesn’t matter which version of Headcase you select, just so long as it’s by Jack Heath. (Though I’m sure the other Headcases by other authors are very good also.)

…and Ben’s virtual book club next week

You can still register to join me and Ben Hobson (author of Snake Island, To Become a Whale and The Death of John Lacey) for book club next Tuesday, January 24 at 7:30 PM. Thanks to Overdrive and Libby for having me!

More books coming soon

I have a whole bunch of books coming out in 2023 - 300 Minutes of Mystery, a sequel to Kill Your Brother, and more - so remember to subscribe to this newsletter if you haven’t already, and keep in touch on social media:

Gotta go!

A two-thirds finished manuscript is snarling at me from the corner of my office, and I have to make it submit.