I'm in Brisbane - I've had my first story critiqued, I've had a one-on-one session with this week's tutor (Sean Williams) and I've finished the first draft of my second story!

Nathan Campus is set in bushland. We're staying in a three story university housing block. Six of us to a level. Each level has shared kitchen, bathroom and living room and six little bedrooms.

We've all got fans but this place really heats up. I'm getting used to sweating constantly!

Still getting to know all my fellow students. So far, everyone seems very nice. I guess we're all still on best behaviour. I wonder what it will be like in two or three weeks when the pressure mounts and we all start to get sick of living in such close confines.

I've managed to get up the last two mornings and have gone for a run with Suzanne, a Canadian fellow student. Suzanne is struggling to acclimatise to the heat having come from a snowy winter world! Tomorrow we're thinking of jogging over to the pool (at the adjacent campus) and swimming before jogging back.

Overall it's fabulous - and such a wonderful environment in which to write. No distractions and everyone passionate about writing. It's very cool here to say "Thanks for the offer of a beer and a gasbag... but I'd rather write."

Can't believe it's really started.