A week and a day to go until heading off to Xian and an uncertain train journey.

I'm meeting with my sister tomorrow evening who is returning from New Zealand on the way to Japan. I'm looking forward to spending a few hours with her in Hong Kong, but we'll catch up again in Japan as well.

I've been polishing up the synopsis for Falling so she and I can discuss it, and it is coming together well. I'm always amazed at how the story and characters come to life and take control of the situation crafting their own stories. I'm more of a wrangler trying to fit these actors into a freeform play, lasooing them and draging them back on course, setting them colliding against one another to see what will result from their interaction - always interesting and surprising... and I hope compelling reading.

I'm surprised about how messed up Gedye is. Originally my hero, the other characters have been beating him up and dragging him down. Ultimately he is a sympathetic character, but he grows in strength as the final act develops.

I've not painted him yet either as I seem to have more affinity with the women in the story - I've painted them first. I think that I'll want to work on some of the environments next. The main focus has to remain the novel, the painting is more of a distraction or a hobby. But it certainly is a great way to relax and to see the characters come to life in living colour.

I'll post some recent paintings here later in the week, and make one of them the mast head for August/September.