‘Nuff said.

OK, so they still might all come back again and hang out in a big pile in a warehouse somewhere in unwanted-ville, but…

Reprinted. Hee hee

The one (and only) big advantage of being sent to far-away places in service of the day-job is suddenly finding myself with lots of free time at very strange hours of the day. Even in sub-urban Los Angeles, there really isn’t a huge amount of touristy stuff that I want to do when I’ve just woken up a three o’clock in the morning. Actually, mostly what I want to do is have breakfast. However, it’s also turning out to be a fine time to get some writing done, and so King of the Crags has raced ahead. Word count is sitting at 113k and the book is very nearly finished (the very first draft, at least). With a bit of luck it’ll be done in time for the proofs of the Adamantine Palace to arrive next week. It’s not going to be any longer than The Adamantine Palace, but the chapter count is a little lower which might please a few people. There’s more dragon, too, but you’ll still all have to wait until book three for certain mysteries to be resolved.

And the other America news is that a deal has been struck and The Adamantine Palace and all its little friends will be being published in the US as well. More when I know it.

On the 11th October 2007, this appeared in my in-box:

“I had a phone call yesterday… Very occasionally a publisher will have a general idea and ask if I feel there is anyone they might discuss it with on my books. Simon [Spanton] is keen to discuss intelligent dragon fantasy – not busty girl with sword on dragon, but something that would appeal broadly, including the intelligent fantasy-reading audience… Is this something you would be interested in?”

The Adamantine Palace and the dragons within were first conceived the following day, exactly a year ago. It seems a long, long time ago.

Anyway, back from work-related travels yesterday with no idea what timezone I’m in. Everything is a blur. The cover proofs arrived while I was away. They’re subtly different from the draft I put up a while back, but you have to really look to spot the differences. They’re also shiny and glittery and gleamy

I still managed to get some real work done while I was away. King of the Crags is up to 85k word and I’m still hoping (without a great deal of optimism, I must admit) to have the first draft finished by the end of the month.

Rumours of impending reviews are starting to arrive. It’s kind of scary knowing that the bound proofs are out there, being read by people who have absolutely no reason to be anything other than honest about what they say.

I am absurdly over-excited. I’ve had my first request for an interview!*

*By a non-family member, that is…

I have now seen the copy for the early bound copies of The Adamantine Palace. Wow. Makes me want to go and read it all over again. Naturally I have proposed some changes (revenge, ha-haa), but I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many high-intensity words strung together anywhere else except… except in the blurb on the back of books…

In other news, copy-editing is due to finish in the second half of September, King of the Crags has recovered to about 45k words with about another 10k that can still be re-used from the first attempt (unfortunately all work on Order of the Scales, which amounted to about another 10k words will have to be permanently binned following the changes to The Adamantine Palace. Ho hum) and I’m still dithering about whether to attend Fantasycon this year.

And number one son’s obsession with Star Wars now means he’s learning to play the piano so he can play the Imperial March on the piano. He’s five, and when he grows up, he doesn’t want to be a train driver or a fireman, he wants to be a Jedi.

So do I. Still. Damn.

Trailers… Much more fun than writing a synopsis!

I heard a rumour… It was just a rumour…
I heard a rumour… What have you done to her…?

-Siouxsie Sioux: Arabian Knights-

(names changed to protect the not-so-innocent)

Scene: Author and First Reader are sitting in the lounge. Author has finally consented to evening of Chinese Takeway after being slowly bludgeoned into submission with the words ‘Crispy Chilli Beef’ for pretty much all of April. This is supposed to be a big treat for First Reader. Author is anticipating a restless night of Monosodium Glutamate-fuelled dreams. (LSD, pah! When you’re ready, try the hard stuff mate), followed by the inevitable grogginess of post-MSG hangover.

First Reader: When are you going to e-mail Editor?

Author: When it’s *finished* finished.

First Reader: No, really, when are you going to e-mail Editor?

Author (who has clear stumbled blindly into an Incorrect Answer situation): I dunno. Middle of May. Maybe.

First Reader: How about the week after next?

Author (playing trump card): Ah-HA! Isn’t that the London Book Fair? I’m sure Editor will be far too busy. (smug smug smug)

First Reader (revealing bigger trump card with the bored ease of one who *always* has the ace): No, that’s *next* week.

Author (floundering): Well what’s the point? I’m about to stop writing first chapters for <the next book> and start reworking <the current book>. I’ll send it when it’s done. Editor isn’t expecting it for a while, and is probably quite busy you know.

First Reader: Well what about the ending?

Author: You mean the ending that’s mine and that I like and think is right and rather shocking and unexpected and have no intention of changing? You mean that ending?

First Reader: Yes

Author: …

First Reader: I’m not sure I like it.

Author (manfully resisting urge to embed laptop into First Reader) …

First Reader: What if Editor doesn’t like it?

Author: …

First Reader: So why don’t you e-mail Editor?

[Author descends into a lengthy dissertation on the pros and cons of this course of action, pausing to consider all possible responses, likely impacts etc. etc. and only barely manages to avoid using prawn crackers and sweet-and-sour sauce to assemble risk-benefit charts across the table]

Author: Well. I suppose. On balance.

First Reader: What?

Author: What?

First Reader: Oh, I got bored and stopped listening five minutes ago. If you don’t want to, then don’t.

Author: Pardon?

First Reader (waiting until the precise moment that Author consumes last mouthful of MSG-saturated lemon-cardboard-and-string Peking style chicken, then pushing largely untouched plate away): I don’t know what’s happened to this takeaway, but this is crap. I don’t know why you’re eating it. [Scene ends as First Reader exits to deposit takeaway menu in the recycle bin. Author has acquired several strange ticks and twitches.]

Editor, please, for the sake of my sanity and a little peace and quiet, please telegram the following at the earliest opportunity: Good to know you’re making progress STOP Very busy publishing *other* books now STOP Will read when *finished* finished STOP Good luck!

Or something like that.

Regards,

Author

I remember the first time I wrote the last word of a novel. It was wonderful. Each one since has been special too, but none of them are as good as the first. These days, I can see them coming, I know they’re going to come, and by the time they arrive, I know they’re going to be fine, and my thoughts are already moving on to the seventeen extra characters and three new religions I’ve introduced in the last chapter in order to force the ending I want, and how to integrate them back into the rest of the story without just throwing it away and starting from scratch.

Still, it’s done and it’s on time, and with a bit of polishing and some hundreds-and-thousands sprinked on top, it might even be rather good.