Fridays are both wonderful (Yay we get the afternoon off) and sad (boo we say goodbye to the tutor for the week).

Got up early for a run and then napped a little before class. I hadn't managed to get off to sleep until about 1.00am so the alarm going at 5.45am was unpleasant to say the least. Then, instead of trying to get an hours worth of work in before class I had a little nap - just to catch up.

Had lunch with some of the gang and Ian at one of the cafes. I ordered a salad and then ate Kenrick's chips.... well the intention was good.

Quiet afternoon. Late in the day went and played a 2 versus 2 match of basketball. My aim is dreadful, so I mostly chased whoever had the ball, threatening to bite their ankles. Was lots of fun. Afterwards Suzanne and I threw ourselves in the pool for a cool down then walked back to Campus (20 minute walk). It was a little dark on the bush path. Don't know that we would have walked it if we'd realised it was going to get dark so quickly.

This evening was pizza on level 1. The rest of the gang then headed to the common room for a dvd - I decided to pass and come back for a bit of work and an early night.

Driving to Sunshine Coast tomorrow to catch up with a friend, Amanda, her hubby and little baby Aku. I bought a baby thingy with mobile stuffs for the bub, and a smelly candle for Amanda. Will be nice to get away from this emotional melting pot!

Am both looking forward and dreading the end of the course. Will be nice to get back to real life. Will be horribly sad to leave all these wonderful people I've met and made friends with.

By the way this http://www.flickr.com/photos/79756532@N00/ link should take you to a site with some Clarion South photos on it. Check it out!

Okay - so this weeks story really was rubbish. I'd known it wasn't working when I handed it in, so the feedback in the critique room today wasn't really a surprise. I probably will come back one day and rewrite it. Not because I think it's worth rescueing, but because I think I'll learn from the effort.

Still - I got 800 words on paper this afternoon (new exciting happy words) for the collaboration. And played with some fun ideas that I wouldn't normally consider trying to write about - so it's not all bad.

I had a bit of a hissy fit this afternoon about the state of the kitchen. As the weeks have worn on and we've all got increasingly tired the group effort on housework has kind of slipped a bit - or maybe I'm just grumpy and noticing more than I did a few weeks ago.

This evening the rest of the floor headed out to a reading in town by tutor Ian Irvine. I think they were just scared because it was my turn to cook! Ended up eating and critiquing on level 2 this evening - just a few of us. Was nice to have a change of scene (even if only by one floor) and the quiet with most of the building being out and about was lovely.

An earlier night for me tonight - must get a run in tomorrow - been very lazy today.

After class I jumped in the car and headed south. Met up with Tash and Paul for a drink, walk along the beach, a drink and farewells. Was fabulous to see Tash (yes I got teary eyed). We talked about all sorts of stuff...

Back home and desert with tutor Ian Irvine. We alternatively drilled him for info on publishing and crapped on about our own experiences in the world of short fiction. He's a pretty cool guy.

A collaborative meeting with Nathan (plus wine) followed. Am starting to realise this whole collaborative gig might be harder than expected. It will be a fabulous experience for me. We have negotiated over names... now down to the mechanics!

Well I'm handing in tomorrow. I think it's my weakest story to-date. The good news is I tried something a bit different to my usual stuff... slightly sci-fi bent to it (only very slightly tho). I guess Thursday shall tell.

Tomorrow I'm off after class to the Gold Coast to catch up with Tash and Paul for an afternoon dip and early dinner at a cafe. I'll probably miss Ian (tutor) who's coming to dinner - but I'll catch up with him later in the week.

Nathan and I are planning to collaborate for next week - so had lunch and tossed a couple of ideas around. It's a more tricky concept than I'd normally attempt on my own - but should be fun stretching the limits a bit.

Not much to report. Had dinner on Level 1 and a disconcerting dream about meatloaf.

Had a very quiet day Sunday. Lots of napping. A fair bit of writing. Lots sweating - it was a real stinker!

Today first session with Ian Irvine. He talked a bit about his background in writing and the process of publishing novels - which was all good stuff.

Only two stories up for critique today. The convenors had expressed the concern to us last night that they thought we were pulling punches in the critique room. So today we were perhaps a little firmer. The two people whose stories were up seemed OK with it.

This afternoon had a long nap - then a swim. Now got to finish my critiques and get a few hours writing time in tonight.