Derek Landy's Blog, page 24
August 3, 2011
The Death Bringer Tour
Here you are, my Minions, all of the Ireland and UK public events are listed below. In between all these, I'll be doing a lot of school events, but these are the ones where anyone will be able to attend.
As usual, whole sections will be missed out, because every year I try to visit different regions. So if I'm not going to be anywhere near you this year, I'll probably be there in 2012. Maybe.
Sept 3rd10 AM, WHS Brent Cross, London- public signing.3 PM, Waterstones Bromley- signing.
Sept 4th1 PM, Glenearn Community Campus Hall, Perth, Scotland –event.6 PM, Waterstones, Stirling, Scotland - event.
Sept 5th5:30 PM, Waterstones, Sauciehall St, Scotland – event.
Sept 7th1 PM, Seven Stories, Newcastle – event.4 PM, Waterstones, Blackett Street, Newcastle – signing.
Sept 8th3:30 PM, Waterstones, Meadowhall Centre, Sheffield – signing.7 PM, Waterstones, Pescod Square, Lincolnshire – event.
Sept 9th,3:30 PM, Waterstones Cambridge – signing.7 PM, University of Hertfordshite, Hatfield – event.
Sept 10th,10:30 PM, Muswell Hill Children;s Bookshop, London – signing.3 PM, Waterstones, Bluewater, London – signing.
Sept 11th,4 PM, Mountains to the Sea Festival, Dublin, Ireland – event.
Sept 15th,11:30 AM, Tallaght County Library, Dublin – event.4 PM, Easons, Newbridge – signing.
Sept 16th,10:30 AM, Liberty Hall, Dublin – event.4:30 PM, Easons, Swords, Dublin – signing.
There'll probably be two more signings around Ireland on the 17th, but I don't know where yet.
Oh, and on the 15th and 16th of October I'll be at the Frankfurt Book Fair!
You can bring whatever you have and I'll do my best to sign everything. Naturally, if the queue is huge and time is running out, I may only be able to sign one thing per person, but I'll try my best. If you're lucky, only half a dozen people will actually turn up and then we'll have LOADS of time to chat! Oh, and if this "one book per person" rule comes into effect, try not to take it personally.
When I was over in Australia I'd been signing for two or three hours and I was seriously running out of time, so we announced that I'd only be able to sign one book per person in order to get through everyone. Now, all the people standing in the queue were very cool and understanding about it, they didn't mind one little bit...
... apart from this one particular boy.
I'm sure he regrets it now, but he started to stamp his feet when his mother told him that no, Derek couldn't sign everything. And then he started whining. And then he started crying. And his face was all red and blubbery and I was trying to explain, as quickly and as kindly as possible, that I just didn't have the time, but he kept stamping his feet in front of EVERYBODY and I was trying my best not to break out laughing. The poor little lad. So I said fine, okay, and I scrawled my name on his books and his mother took him away, hanging her head in shame.
It was, and I really don't want to be mean here, hysterically funny, and even remembering it now has me laughing...
So, beware of this rule! As more and more people read the books, and as more and more books are released, I obviously don't have the time I used to. But if everything goes according to plan I should have plenty of time to sign, doodle and- most importantly for me- chat to you guys while I'm sitting there.
Oh, and hugs are encouraged (time-permitting).
July 25, 2011
Edinburgh
Well now... this IS interesting.
As you may or may not know, I'm heading over to Edinburgh on the 15th of August for the Book Festival. It's a big festival, one of the best-known in the world, and I'm happy to be a part of it. Some of you from this Blog are going, and a few weeks ago one of you asked if Death Bringer would be available to buy on the day. I laughed, shook my head in a wise sort of way, and gently told the lad that no, it will not be available, and that he'd have to wait a further two weeks like everyone else. The start of September, I said, is when it will be unleashed. Not even the legendary Edinburgh Book Festival will get my publishers to change their mind about THAT.
Ahem.
And so I must backtrack, and eat my words, and announce that yes indeedy, Death Bringer will be available to buy at the Edinburgh Book Festival...!
We're releasing it two weeks early so that the readers who attend the event can be the first to get the book signed- but there are some rules.
Rule Number One: The book will ONLY be available to buy for FOUR HOURS on the 15th. Once those four hours are up, the remaining books will be packed up and hidden away until the proper release date.
Rule Number Two: Those who DO attend and who DO buy the book must swear a solemn oath to NOT divulge ANY spoilers, not matter how much others may beg. ESPECIALLY not the twist in the middle!
Rule Number Three: Do not talk about Fight Club.
Over the next few days we'll be putting up various things on the Skulduggery website and Forums and Facebook pages with more details about what's going on, ticket information, things like that. For those of you who can go, the chance to get the book early is pretty cool. For those of you who can't go... well... at least you'll only have another two weeks to wait...
July 11, 2011
The Final Trilogy
It's an unusual sensation, finishing a book.
After all those months of increasingly obsessive work, of deadlines and edits and word counts, when you send in the final draft you're suddenly free... and you have no idea what to do with yourself.
I usually wander around for a few weeks, gazing blearily into the sun while I struggle to remember how to talk to people. A lot of housework gets done. Rooms are cleaned and shelves are put up. Bulbs are replaced. Cars are serviced. I spent three days last week putting together seven glass cabinets and rearranging my shelving system. When I was finished I stood back, nodded in approval, and then wondered what the hell was I going to do next. Faithful Minions, ever since I finished Death Bringer I have been at a loss.
Yes, I've been working on The End Of The World, but that's practically finished. It just needs another few hours of writing and it'll be done. I'm delaying that as much as possible, actually, because I need to have something to write. I usually play video games when I finish a book, but I finished Infamous 2 weeks ago and I still haven't started the new Red Faction... it's sitting there, waiting for me.
I've been training, of course. I have the most wonderful black eye that you've ever seen, courtesy of a swinging elbow that smashed into my face. Oh the fun...!
But it hasn't all been black eyes and shelving units. For the past few days I've been thinking about the final three Skulduggery books. Only three left. Good God. We're almost at the end. Well, kind of. We have three years left, which doesn't sound so bad.
I know EXACTLY what Book Eight is about, and I know EXACTLY what Book Nine NEEDS to be about. But Book Seven... Book Seven is my last chance to come up with a brand new story idea. It has to tick all the boxes and fulfil the requirements and contain certain key moments and scenes that will lead us into the final two books, but apart from that it can be about anything. So, for the past few days, that's what I've been thinking about. For the past few days I've been daydreaming, coming up with the next book...
I still haven't decided on it. I thought it would go one way, then changed my mind and wanted it to be about something else, then changed my mind again. The fact is, I don't know yet what it'll be about, but I do know that I'm close to deciding. And when that happens, well... I'll have started on the Final Trilogy, and in my head at least, I'll have started to say goodbye to Skulduggery and Valkyrie. It'll be another three years until I bid them a proper farewell, but it all starts here.
June 24, 2011
The End Of The World
Ah, Skulduggery, my old friend. Look how much you've changed my life. When you popped into my head six years ago (to the very MONTH) I had no idea what it would mean. Valkyrie came to me within sixty seconds of your arrival. In the next three minutes, I had China and Ghastly and Tanith and Bliss and Serpine- and suddenly I was writing a book. More than one, actually.
A nine book series. Thank GOD I envisioned this as nine books. What if I'd only envisioned it as a trilogy? Then it would have ended two years ago, and these characters who I love writing about would be finished, with no more stories to tell.
It isn't JUST the nine books, though, because now there are a host of short stories I've written, and a lot more I've yet to write. These stories are a way for me to write about things or characters or ideas that I just don't have the space for in the books. At the moment, these stories can only be found in the paperback editions, and while we're looking into ways of making them available to everyone, for the moment the paperbacks are the only way you can own them. I'd love if there were a way for you to hand over a few cents or pence in a bookshop so you could take that short story home with you, but we can't do that just yet.
However, next year you'll be getting something a little special.
World Book Day is a worldwide celebration of reading and books. In Ireland and the UK it's usually held at the start of March, while the rest of the world tends to hold it in April. I don't know why it can't be held on the SAME day, but there you go. To encourage people to pick up a book and start reading, a select few are sold for one pound, or exchanged for Book Tokens. They're fairly small books, it has to be said, and so they're REALLY a sort of extended short story… But even so, it's a wonderful enterprise, and I'm honoured to have been chosen to write a BRAND NEW Skulduggery adventure for World Book Day 2012.
I'm writing it at the moment, actually, in between edits of Death Bringer. I've managed to get my publishers to agree to make it 15,000 words long- which is the most they could manage (the average Skulduggery short story is anywhere between 3000 and 5000 words). Frankly, I wanted to make it the longest book it could possibly be within the World Book Day limits because I want to make it worth your while to pick up. In terms of a page count, 15,000 words is roughly equivalent to 90 pages of the Mortal Coil paperback, so it'll probably be around one sixth of the length of Mortal Coil. It isn't a full length book, but it's something cool and new and AFFORDABLE to add to your collection.
The story takes place a few months after Death Bringer and it's called The End Of The World. Apart from anything else, it'll be a nice way to bridge the gap between Death Bringer and Book Seven, which will be released in September 2012- as planned- and which is called, er… Dave.
A nine book series. Thank GOD I envisioned this as nine books. What if I'd only envisioned it as a trilogy? Then it would have ended two years ago, and these characters who I love writing about would be finished, with no more stories to tell.
It isn't JUST the nine books, though, because now there are a host of short stories I've written, and a lot more I've yet to write. These stories are a way for me to write about things or characters or ideas that I just don't have the space for in the books. At the moment, these stories can only be found in the paperback editions, and while we're looking into ways of making them available to everyone, for the moment the paperbacks are the only way you can own them. I'd love if there were a way for you to hand over a few cents or pence in a bookshop so you could take that short story home with you, but we can't do that just yet.
However, next year you'll be getting something a little special.
World Book Day is a worldwide celebration of reading and books. In Ireland and the UK it's usually held at the start of March, while the rest of the world tends to hold it in April. I don't know why it can't be held on the SAME day, but there you go. To encourage people to pick up a book and start reading, a select few are sold for one pound, or exchanged for Book Tokens. They're fairly small books, it has to be said, and so they're REALLY a sort of extended short story… But even so, it's a wonderful enterprise, and I'm honoured to have been chosen to write a BRAND NEW Skulduggery adventure for World Book Day 2012.
I'm writing it at the moment, actually, in between edits of Death Bringer. I've managed to get my publishers to agree to make it 15,000 words long- which is the most they could manage (the average Skulduggery short story is anywhere between 3000 and 5000 words). Frankly, I wanted to make it the longest book it could possibly be within the World Book Day limits because I want to make it worth your while to pick up. In terms of a page count, 15,000 words is roughly equivalent to 90 pages of the Mortal Coil paperback, so it'll probably be around one sixth of the length of Mortal Coil. It isn't a full length book, but it's something cool and new and AFFORDABLE to add to your collection.
The story takes place a few months after Death Bringer and it's called The End Of The World. Apart from anything else, it'll be a nice way to bridge the gap between Death Bringer and Book Seven, which will be released in September 2012- as planned- and which is called, er… Dave.
June 20, 2011
Just This Once...
I do have a rule that I only respond to comments within the comments section itself, but just this once I'm going to make an exception before I go to bed.
First of all- Ann Marie, I hate losing pets, no matter what sort of pet it is. A pet is a pet, and for those of us who love animals, we all know what it's like to lose one. You poor thing.
Second of all- Lenka, get back here, young lady. Do not let some unimaginative teacher tell you that writing is a waste of time. I spent my entire life dreaming about things and people that don't actually exist- and now that I'm a writer, I do the same thing but I'm paid for it. And one of the nicest things about being a professional writer is that, occasionally, I get to inspire someone else to write. Lenka- you've got talent. Don't let it fade away.
As for the rest of you, why don't you fill the LAST comment section before you fill this one? That gives you ten thousand comments to make.
(oh dear God...)
First of all- Ann Marie, I hate losing pets, no matter what sort of pet it is. A pet is a pet, and for those of us who love animals, we all know what it's like to lose one. You poor thing.
Second of all- Lenka, get back here, young lady. Do not let some unimaginative teacher tell you that writing is a waste of time. I spent my entire life dreaming about things and people that don't actually exist- and now that I'm a writer, I do the same thing but I'm paid for it. And one of the nicest things about being a professional writer is that, occasionally, I get to inspire someone else to write. Lenka- you've got talent. Don't let it fade away.
As for the rest of you, why don't you fill the LAST comment section before you fill this one? That gives you ten thousand comments to make.
(oh dear God...)
Woohoo!
I've got nothing to say!!
Ahem. Sorry. You probably read the title of this entry and thought to yourself "Ooooh he has good news that he's going to share with us!"
Well, no. I mean, yes, I have good news, but no, I won't be sharing it quite yet. I have to wait until I CAN share it, you see?
And before you all start thinking that this is about a Skulduggery movie- it isn't! It IS Skulduggery related, but it's not about a movie. But I can't tell you what it IS about. Sorry.
Which leaves me with nothing to say. Er. How about a nice photo instead?
I found this, bizarrely, somewhere on the internet. I have no idea where. But it shows a certain somebody- who may resemble a certain detective- in the days before the Bentley.
(Warning: the following image contains nudity.)
Ahem. Sorry. You probably read the title of this entry and thought to yourself "Ooooh he has good news that he's going to share with us!"
Well, no. I mean, yes, I have good news, but no, I won't be sharing it quite yet. I have to wait until I CAN share it, you see?
And before you all start thinking that this is about a Skulduggery movie- it isn't! It IS Skulduggery related, but it's not about a movie. But I can't tell you what it IS about. Sorry.
Which leaves me with nothing to say. Er. How about a nice photo instead?
I found this, bizarrely, somewhere on the internet. I have no idea where. But it shows a certain somebody- who may resemble a certain detective- in the days before the Bentley.
(Warning: the following image contains nudity.)
June 8, 2011
Ow I'm Sore
Just got in from training...
Every muscle aches... I may have a black eye in the morning... I desperately want to take a shower and feel normal again...
But before that, my Minions, I have decided to let you know what's been happening in the Wonderful World of the Me. On the desk before me is my editor and agent's notes on Death Bringer, which I have been reading and thinking about and then applying these changes to the manuscript. I just got off the phone to Laura, and she assures me she'll have her notes by Friday at the latest.
Which means that this latest edit of Book 6 will be sent back to my editor on Tuesday, and then we'll go through it once more quickly, and then the long process of printing can begin. (And yes, I have not forgotten my plan to let you read a sample chapter before it's published!)
In other news...
I was in London on Monday morning, meeting with Big American Studio People about possibly making the Skulduggery movie. They were hugely interesting, and very enthusiastic, and they were putting forward their view on why they'd be the best people to make the film. It's early stages yet, and I made it absolutely clear that I won't be making a decision for another few months, but it was a wonderful first meeting. Next week I'm heading over again to meet with another set of Movie People, with the same understanding that I'm not about to sign away the movie rights until I've considered every angle.
But still, it's so much fun being back in Movie Mode.
Of course, it means a lot more work for me. I thought the second half of this year would be calm, allowing me to write something non-Skulduggery. But apparently, that's not going to happen. In fact, the rest of this year is going to be jam-packed FULL of Skulduggery stuff. It's a good thing I love my job, I swear to God...
I go now. My shower calls to me. My shower is weird.
Every muscle aches... I may have a black eye in the morning... I desperately want to take a shower and feel normal again...
But before that, my Minions, I have decided to let you know what's been happening in the Wonderful World of the Me. On the desk before me is my editor and agent's notes on Death Bringer, which I have been reading and thinking about and then applying these changes to the manuscript. I just got off the phone to Laura, and she assures me she'll have her notes by Friday at the latest.
Which means that this latest edit of Book 6 will be sent back to my editor on Tuesday, and then we'll go through it once more quickly, and then the long process of printing can begin. (And yes, I have not forgotten my plan to let you read a sample chapter before it's published!)
In other news...
I was in London on Monday morning, meeting with Big American Studio People about possibly making the Skulduggery movie. They were hugely interesting, and very enthusiastic, and they were putting forward their view on why they'd be the best people to make the film. It's early stages yet, and I made it absolutely clear that I won't be making a decision for another few months, but it was a wonderful first meeting. Next week I'm heading over again to meet with another set of Movie People, with the same understanding that I'm not about to sign away the movie rights until I've considered every angle.
But still, it's so much fun being back in Movie Mode.
Of course, it means a lot more work for me. I thought the second half of this year would be calm, allowing me to write something non-Skulduggery. But apparently, that's not going to happen. In fact, the rest of this year is going to be jam-packed FULL of Skulduggery stuff. It's a good thing I love my job, I swear to God...
I go now. My shower calls to me. My shower is weird.
May 31, 2011
Events 'n' Things
Ooooh, I haven't blogged in AGES….!
So, what's been happening in my crazy, crazy life? Well, on the writer side of things, I've been doing a few events, including being a guest at the Prize day for Ardgillan College- a school pretty close to where I live- and Drogheda Grammar School- the school I went to.
Ardgillan was fun, with everyone ready to laugh at the nonsense spewing out of my mouth when I got up to make my speech. Which was nice of them.
Going back to the DGS, the school I'd attended from age 12 to 18, was a blast. Most of my teachers are still there, which is endlessly amusing. They pretty much look the same as they did 18 years ago. Wow. 18 years. That's a VERY long time. I feel so, so old…
But I had a laugh, which is the main thing, and being invited back to make the speech at Prize Day was lovely. For years after school I always felt like a failure, because I was working on the family farm, writing in my spare time, but having nothing to show for it. Most of my classmates had gone on to college or apprenticeships or proper jobs, and there was I, working for my dad, growing more and more miserable.
The good thing about working for my dad, though, was that he understood my need to be a writer, and he tended to be amused instead of annoyed when he'd realize my mind was far, far away at any given moment. I daydreamed a LOT when I was on the farm- that's how I wrote- and I'm lucky that he understood that.
That notion of being a failure diminished somewhat when I got two movies made, and then vanished entirely when I wrote Skulduggery. No longer did I have the urge to prove myself to old friends or teachers. It was like a massive weight was lifted from my shoulders, like something petty and nasty and selfish suddenly vanished from my mind. I still show off- oh dear GOD how I show off- but now I do it to amuse myself, not to brag or boast or to demonstrate that I've made it. Now I show off in order to watch the reaction on other people's faces- which is FUN.
On Saturday I was at the Wicklow Arts Festival, an event that went very well, and I met so many cool people in the signing queue afterwards. Bradley gave me a book he'd published himself, there was an AWESOME Skulduggery-girl and Little-Valkyrie in costume, and Ilori and her bestest friend came along in Skulduggery T-shirts they'd made themselves. We went WAY over our allotted time for signing but it was so worth it.
Event-wise, I have nothing on until Edinburgh in August, and then the Ireland/UK/Germany dates in September/October. Which means I have time to write! Yay!
My editor and agent should be getting back to me with notes on the second draft of Death Bringer in the next week or two, and I should be getting Laura's notes any day now, so hopefully the next draft will be the last.
Once it's finished, though, I still have work to do. There are a few Skulduggery-related things I need to take care of, and I'd really like to start a brand new, non-Skulduggery book- but then I've been saying that for YEARS and I still haven't had enough time. Oh well- maybe THIS year…
So, what's been happening in my crazy, crazy life? Well, on the writer side of things, I've been doing a few events, including being a guest at the Prize day for Ardgillan College- a school pretty close to where I live- and Drogheda Grammar School- the school I went to.
Ardgillan was fun, with everyone ready to laugh at the nonsense spewing out of my mouth when I got up to make my speech. Which was nice of them.
Going back to the DGS, the school I'd attended from age 12 to 18, was a blast. Most of my teachers are still there, which is endlessly amusing. They pretty much look the same as they did 18 years ago. Wow. 18 years. That's a VERY long time. I feel so, so old…
But I had a laugh, which is the main thing, and being invited back to make the speech at Prize Day was lovely. For years after school I always felt like a failure, because I was working on the family farm, writing in my spare time, but having nothing to show for it. Most of my classmates had gone on to college or apprenticeships or proper jobs, and there was I, working for my dad, growing more and more miserable.
The good thing about working for my dad, though, was that he understood my need to be a writer, and he tended to be amused instead of annoyed when he'd realize my mind was far, far away at any given moment. I daydreamed a LOT when I was on the farm- that's how I wrote- and I'm lucky that he understood that.
That notion of being a failure diminished somewhat when I got two movies made, and then vanished entirely when I wrote Skulduggery. No longer did I have the urge to prove myself to old friends or teachers. It was like a massive weight was lifted from my shoulders, like something petty and nasty and selfish suddenly vanished from my mind. I still show off- oh dear GOD how I show off- but now I do it to amuse myself, not to brag or boast or to demonstrate that I've made it. Now I show off in order to watch the reaction on other people's faces- which is FUN.
On Saturday I was at the Wicklow Arts Festival, an event that went very well, and I met so many cool people in the signing queue afterwards. Bradley gave me a book he'd published himself, there was an AWESOME Skulduggery-girl and Little-Valkyrie in costume, and Ilori and her bestest friend came along in Skulduggery T-shirts they'd made themselves. We went WAY over our allotted time for signing but it was so worth it.
Event-wise, I have nothing on until Edinburgh in August, and then the Ireland/UK/Germany dates in September/October. Which means I have time to write! Yay!
My editor and agent should be getting back to me with notes on the second draft of Death Bringer in the next week or two, and I should be getting Laura's notes any day now, so hopefully the next draft will be the last.
Once it's finished, though, I still have work to do. There are a few Skulduggery-related things I need to take care of, and I'd really like to start a brand new, non-Skulduggery book- but then I've been saying that for YEARS and I still haven't had enough time. Oh well- maybe THIS year…
May 13, 2011
Cats and Dogs
Because, sometimes, dogs just want to sit on cats.
May 6, 2011
Death Bringer
It is here! Finally! I present to you, my loyal Minions, the cover of Book 6- Death Bringer!
I'm trying to picture it on a shelf in a bookshop, with that glorious red and the silver, and the shiny foil around the title, and the sheer size that the book is going to be, sitting there, on the shelf, making all the other books tremble in fear...
As you can see, we went for a mid-battle shot of our two heroes, which is a radical departure from Tom's sketch that's all over the interweb. Tom always comes up with lots of possible ideas, so I'm always being sent sketches, and on the basis of those sketches we decide what works best. The final books in each trilogy are going to be mid-battle shots- we started it with The Faceless Ones, we're continuing it here, and we'll finish it with Book Nine.
AND we get to use a tag-line that I've wanted to use since Book Two - "Kicking Evil Very Hard In The Face". Oh I love that line. It's so long and unwieldy, whereas tag-lines are meant to be short and snappy. But Skulduggery, of course, just HAS to be different...
And as for the title, I think it was always going to be Death Bringer, even before I'd consciously decided on it. The second trilogy is a "two word title" trilogy- Dark Days, Mortal Coil, and now this one. The title style in the final trilogy will change yet again.
I really like this cover, I think Tom did an amazing job, and the fun doesn't even end here. At some stage over the next few months we'll be unveiling the back cover (which is ASTONISHINGLY good) and I hope to sneak you out a chapter before September.
I am just too good to you, I really am...
I'm trying to picture it on a shelf in a bookshop, with that glorious red and the silver, and the shiny foil around the title, and the sheer size that the book is going to be, sitting there, on the shelf, making all the other books tremble in fear...
As you can see, we went for a mid-battle shot of our two heroes, which is a radical departure from Tom's sketch that's all over the interweb. Tom always comes up with lots of possible ideas, so I'm always being sent sketches, and on the basis of those sketches we decide what works best. The final books in each trilogy are going to be mid-battle shots- we started it with The Faceless Ones, we're continuing it here, and we'll finish it with Book Nine.
AND we get to use a tag-line that I've wanted to use since Book Two - "Kicking Evil Very Hard In The Face". Oh I love that line. It's so long and unwieldy, whereas tag-lines are meant to be short and snappy. But Skulduggery, of course, just HAS to be different...
And as for the title, I think it was always going to be Death Bringer, even before I'd consciously decided on it. The second trilogy is a "two word title" trilogy- Dark Days, Mortal Coil, and now this one. The title style in the final trilogy will change yet again.
I really like this cover, I think Tom did an amazing job, and the fun doesn't even end here. At some stage over the next few months we'll be unveiling the back cover (which is ASTONISHINGLY good) and I hope to sneak you out a chapter before September.
I am just too good to you, I really am...
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