Meet the Herdebog Trought

This will be, from now until I change it I suppose, is to be my new profile image (along with a new title graphic too, it seems). It looks more like me than the previous illo - and it also happens to be a sneek peek into Book 2.

Which makes think of a question for you all:

What or who is your favourite monster of all time?

Quack! (of Interviews, Illustrators & Gazeteers)

Just a quick post to say that there is an interview with Miss Erin over on her blog. Thank you to her for the opportunity!

Also, it was Coz I believe who asked me a little while ago about illustrators in the Half-Continent. Sometimes they are called imagineers or fabulists (a name they happen to share with artists and sleight-of-hand men) but typically they are called simply illustrators. As it might be for some in our own lands, they consider themselves distinct from artists in the

Some of the more famous currently are Pill and Berthezene (who was the etcher of the plate of the Slothog Rossamünd reads of in his pamphlet early in Foundling) and the near legendary Gouche. My own favourite is a relative obscure fellow, Economous Musgrove (originally of Fayelillian but now residing in Brandenbrass) - who studied under the master Frabritis - and struggles to find enough work to keep he and his wife "in biscuits". His most constant source of work is for a radical periodical called Quack! (a word whose closest equivalent in our world would be "blah, blah").

With a wide yet secret readership, Quack! spends most of its articles railing against the government and the Empire and the borish attitudes of the mass. All too frequently this vaguely monthly publication finds its self being shut down by local authorities under (dubious) Imperial direction; its gazeteers and emenders are served brief stints in gaol and all those who rely on its patronage (such as Economous) now looking for other work. As the "game" goes, almost as soon as they are released the gazeteer and emenders find some new secreted location to set up new presses (the old ones having usually been confiscated or destroyed), call in all the old "gang", reconnect with the ghostly crowd of their many mysterious distributors and begin to publish once more ... until they are once again raided and shut down. They are able to carry on so because of the patronage of some figure of great substance and circumstance who remains unknown to the authorities and even the gazeteer themselves.

Ok, I am done now.

Deutologalgia (or Secondbookitis)

In a bit of a private conversation madbomber asked me "Is it wierd to be considered a professional writer now...?" to which I answered:

"As to being "professional", an "author" and all that - yes it is weird. Indeed, I think my struggle through the entirity of Book 2 (Lamplighter) has been coming to grips with seeing myself as a writer, as being able to truly consider book writing as an actual future path for me. Not only was it the 2nd book in a series (always the hardest, they say) but it was my second book ever (which is also historically difficult).

So my troubles were doubly doubled!

Very glad to be nearing the end of the Book 2 journey, many folk have worked hard to make it as good as can be - and [just so you all know] it is off to printers soon."

I would just like to say to all those who have taken the risk to come along on this whole MBT journey with me even when the rest of the series is not done yet: thank you. I intend to make it worth your while.

...btw, anyone tried the AUDIO CLIP function under links yet? It is a brief excerpt from the English audio version of Foundling. Opinions? Is it even working? For those speakers of the German tongue, there will be a Deutsch audio version of MBT coming soon.

Huzzah!

A happy holiday

Well, I am back from a break in Sydney-town - should anyone be asking where I have been you may say I have been there, with my wife, re-energizing.

But now I have returned.

So there we go...

Given that I was born and raised on the south central coast of Australia (and that I am an indoorsy kind of fellow) I have never seen the marvel I saw on Foresters Beach on the New South Wales central coast. There had been a storm a few days before (or so we - my wife and I - were told by a stranger - a fellow walker - along the strand) and washed up on the whole length of the beach were dead, sun-dried blue bottle jellyfish. Their air-sacs were like brittle plastic, that popped loudly when trodden underfoot.

Later we found more recently washed specimens still firm and rubbery, spasming and curling in on themselves when touched. The largest would have been no bigger than an apricot, fitting neatly in the palm of hand, yet their bright blue stinger stretched out across the sand for three feet or so.

Nature-nerd that I am, I was astounded and amazed and immediately inspired as to what such things might be in the Half-Continent: small mucosa spawn, living, mindless buds released from their "parent". Storms wash them ashore where, depending on the species, some might wither and die; others dry and become dormant - waiting to be washed into the vinegar seas again some other storming night, revive and grow into terrors. Yet others might actually take up home on the shore, slowly burrowing to make treacherous toothy or sucking pits of themselves to trap crabs and gulls and the occasional careless limb (this might be too Star Warsy, hmm...)

I have visions in my head of some story of such a wash-up of these gelatinous spawn. I see the local fishers and sea-side village folk come down to the beach to squash and hack and burn the little, defenseless jellies, wishing to destroy at least some of the sea-monsters while they are vulnerable and spare later griefs. This might all get written down someday. Hmm... again.

Meanwhile, I have to pop off to spend the afternoon with my editor as we go over some of the last tweaks to MBT 2, Lamplighter. Almost there folks, almost there. As to the excellent questions posed last post, they have really got me thinking (and indeed one of them is answered in Book 2) and I shall get to them.

Clearing the backlog

Merry Fathers’ Day to all you dads for yesterday.

I am going to take a moment this Monday arvo to answer some of the lingering questions. I do not think I will get all of them but I hope this handful will cut it for those interested persons.

To start, a few of Mr giantfan’s many inquiries:

“As asked a while ago I was wondering about the religions…”

Hmm, religions and spirituality in the Hc is the big, little explored frontier in my thinking. My understandings as a Christian certainly informs my ideas and I very much look to Messers Tolkien and Lewis for guidance when it comes to the esoteric in a secondary world – how one satisfies ones own beliefs without preaching. I most definitely do not intend MBT as some kind of allegory – I too dislike it when I detect it, yet the problem of the universal ideas of the religious, the philosophical, the soulful, of what people believe, of right ways and wrong ways of thinking need to be considered, tackled, delineated, even if only for my own ellucidation. Certainly there are the falsegods, those massive, mis-shapen, deep-ocean dwelling monsters who once ruled whole peoples and wrestled with men and the urchin-lords (the nimuines) until they were driven from the land into the deeps. Other monsters too have probably been lionized and adored and sacrificed to over the centuries – I can see some wicked brodchin-beast terrorizing some remote, backward community, satisfied by some sacrifice of tender young flesh (ick!) Then there is universalism – the idea of a godless, clockwork cosmos and the supremacy of human thought.

Then there is the hardest concept for me, that of the actual origin of the Alltgird, the world of which the Half-Continent is but a part: How did it get there? Why is there good and evil in the world? Where do the monsters come from? Why are there good the bad and the indifferent? And many such notions. I am still puzzling it all out – all a part of the fun of secondary world invention, and you get to watch me do it. The Hc and its surrounds are certainly not a complete idea, there is still so much work needed to make it function, so many gaps yet to fill.

“I'd also like to check on if that expanded map may come out with this book whether poster that you bye separate or with the book? Or whether the publishers are still sitting on the idea?”

I think that publishers these days struggle with the idea of posters (they just are not the fad they once were when I was a lad) and the next best solution is that website I keep promising. As with so much to do with the Hc, the gap betwixt my wishes and the practicalities of implementation rarely correlate. I truly hope a poster of the map is published one day: the full thing measures 1 metre x 800 mm and looks great framed (yes, I have one on my wall – a very useful tool for reference) – which is why it has not reproduced as well as I would have liked in the books. What was I thinking making it that big and hard to produce!?!?

“Were is southern Verid Litus could you give us a picture or something? (Note to self check to see if there are pics in book)”

The southern Verid Litus can be easily found on the existing map – it is quite simply the southern half of the Verid Litus (which means lit. “eastern coastlands”) consisting of such lands as the Verd Antique, the Laurent, Five Drains, Nought, Dice and Attica of old – to name a few. Essentially it is all the lands south of the mystic river Ix and north of the river Stivenrot. You’ll find it on Map 4 at the back of Foundling (p 429 I think) though it is – I confess – not easy to read all of the names there.

“Could we have a bit more info on The path of the Signal Stars?”

By this I am assuming you mean the Navigationals, the Signals of Paths used by canny folks to find their way about at night. You’ll have to wait for more info on this I am afraid – time has run out.

He would also like a preview of Book 2: “I think you’ve been asked this a few times and I know that publishers get first and last say on but how bout it?”

No previews of Book 2, sorry – I may get back to you on this but do not hold your breath.

Nina said... “I just finished Book One and enjoyed it immensely. I think it would make a fantastic campaign setting for a role playing game (RPG). There's got to be some money in it - you could ask your publisher. Check out Iron Kingdoms from Privateer Press. Their milieu is similar in some ways (pistoleers) to the HC but quite different in others (nothing like the fulghars). Have you considered and RPG addition to the franchise?”

An excellent question. Though I do not really rp any more, I did once, even going as far as producing 3 different rp systems and settings. Indeed, fulgars and skolds are (in an altered form) leftovers from those heady early years; the Hc has some of its roots very much in my rp-ing days. Consequently, it is in some small part my intention in with explicariums at the back of each MBT to give enough information to those determined enough to use as source material for a campaign setting in whatever rule system they like. I kinda want people to play around with the concepts whether rp-ing, writing, drawing – I have discovered one piece of fan fic for MBT, which was an odd experience. I do have, as part of the debris of those former years, a rudimentary rp system but do not plan on developing it into a fully realized game.

Indeed, I do not think my publishers are in the role-playing way of thinking anyways. Sorry about this, though I do hope the explicariums in Lamplighter (currently about as long as the explicarium in Foundling) and Book 3 will provide enough info for any campaigning needs. A little while ago I actually had a brief trade of emails with a fellow from Privateer Press Iron Kingdoms – a pleasant exchange (and apologies for I have forgotten his name… =/) – and would very much like to play a round or two of the game.

I find steam-punk very appealing and the way it is handled in Iron Kingdoms very tasty indeed, but I must confess that I do not see the Hc as a steam-punk world, and certainly there is no magic in the typical, D&D sense; I have actually been somewhat deliberate in steering away from the genre some, though overlap has been unavoidable. Yet my use of tricorns and flintlocks comes more from my enjoyment of Nelson’s navy and such inventions as gastrines and seltzer lamps and potives and fulgars are all a part of my attempts to define a distinct notion. Never-the-less comparison is a part of the process of assimilation and I share many of the same inspirational sources as the fine fellows over at Privateer Press.

Originality is a difficult and flighty bird, but I do strive to achieve as fresh a combination of the things that inspire as best I can, working and reworking and rethinking as much as I can to produce my own version of the vision.

I am currently about a third of the way through notebook 30, for those who want to know, and at the moment I am really puzzling through where to take Book 3. One of my more recent entries in nb#30 is about how coaches in the Hc do not have glass in their windows “… as this shatters too easily” – or so I wrote – “& so poses a risk to the occupants. Instead lights (by which I mean windows) of a carriage are shuttered with various slides and blinds an movable, lockable grilles…” I have also been puzzling over the whole creation story of the Hc, of the why of men v monsters and the divisions in the monsters themselves. This is a neat segue to the following picture...


This is the Spider Queen – also known as the Duchess of Spiders, the Arean Dutrix, the Spinnerling – a monster-lord known as a petchinin (or tlephathine), mighty creatures who are ambivalent about mankind, seeking neither the harm nor help but simply wanting nothing to do with everymen. Yet even in this ambivalence their wrath is terrible should they perceive a threat to their demesne – then they take on the nature of the cousin wretchin-lords, vengeful and swift in their cruelty. The Spider Queen rules from the Spinningwood in the Undermeer on the south-eastern banks of Slithermeer Swamp, keeping hidden in the forest deeps, protected by the thorny woods and frightful whispers of her unseen threat.

Today I will not tell you what I had for breakfast, just to mix things up a bit.

Here at last a solution to madbomber’s poser in – Half-Continent synonyms for real-world terms #010

editor = I came up with a neat term when addressing Celia Jellet (my most excellent editor here in Ozland, and Mister Travaglini (in the ol’ US of A) calling them verbemenders (“word alterers”) but that does not quite fit the bill I think – too obvious to my thinking. So I sat and thought and dug about and pulled out old note books and have begun to devise a whole hierarchy for the publishing “industry” in the Hc. So you have literarians, who publish serious works, and gazeteers, who provide the thinner works, such as the pamphlets Rossamünd enjoys. Now either of these might work on their own or be a part of a pressing house, which is essentially a publisher and printer in one establishment. Whether gazeteer or literarian, you will find emenders or formators (or formatrix for the girls) and these are your editors. Of these there will be a master formator, with two or three emenders and several under-formators in his/her charge; there are even freelancers known as emenders-at-large. Working the presses are the master plateman who has rule over the pressplates, under-platemen and the printing presses themselves. In more historied times the fore-runners of the literarian/emender was known as a glossapract, a publisher and editor in one, originally in Imperial employ to publish the bulls and banns of Imperial edict. Indeed, such fellows still exist as do such bulls and banns.

See what a helpful thing your word challenges are! (Well, I think they are anyways…)

And quickly, to Andre: it was my privilege to offer support - indeed, I am rather chuffed I could actually prove to helpful to another. Wonders will never cease.

Very Happy Indeed

I just wanted to happily and gratefully acknowledge the CBCA Junior Judges for also nominating MBT as an Honour Book. A double honour in the CBCA is so brilliantly encouraging (I know I use these words a lot but it just so true, what else can I say?). Thank you Junior Judges, I hope your Participation Certificates look snazzy on the wall.

This might be a good place to note that I am a tad disappointed with the meagre, near non-existent coverage the CBCA Awards receives here in the general OZ media (with a few excellent exceptions). It is almost as if outside of the community that is Childrens Publishing, we do not really exist - unless of course there is talk of DEAL$ Yet that is hardly a useful topic of discussion when what we are on about is children reading and adults acknowledging this as being important, indeed necessary. I do not recall caring much about DEAL$ when I was looking for books to read - indeed I still do not - I just wanted to know what was worth reading and what was not. Good thing for the electronical interweb, loads on kids lit and YA just there for the finding.

Back to more positive things I am offering belated congratulations to Omnibus (ahh dear precious Omnibus) & Scholastic Australia for their win in the 2007 Australian Book Industry Awards in the Australian Export Success Award 2007 catagory with my own wee tome (and the further books in the series - they have made a huge assumption there that there will be more books in the series - just jokes!!!) You can grab a .pdf of all the winners from the ABIA 2007 here, but only if you really want to of course.

BTW I would also like to say Happy Birthday Blogger - apparently it is its 8th birthday today! (... and now you know)

Back from Melly.

For those who are not familiar with Australian parlance, "Melly" is short for Melbourne, and I have returned as the title of this blog suggests.

As to the CBCA Awards I am so very very pleased to declare that not only was MBT 1 short-listed, it actually managed to make it as an Honour Book - which means silver, 2nd place!

Woo-stinking-hoo!

Now the book will get little silver stickers on it (well here in Australia it will) My hearty congratulations to the deep and delightful Ursula Dubosarsky The Red Shoe, my follow honour book awardee and to the wonderful Margo Lanagan Red Spikes, which took out the top spot, and deservedly so (IMHO) - though it is a shame they can not award gold to more than one. Here is the complete list of the CBCA 2007 results.

Whilst there in Melly, my wife and I had a coffee with femina and she promptly informed me that my blogging-style of writing was not at all like my book-style of writing. I had this awful sensation like my underpants were showing or something. It was a good observation, and ties in with my own struggle with style and voice. The very text you are now reading is more how I talk, it is just written conversation - does that mean my words in the MBT's are too contrived? Would the books be better if I just wrote them like this? Then again, when preparing finished illustrations I don't just scribble the first thing that comes to me - I do roughs, I model and refine a drawing till I am satisfied. In the same way when writing I wrestle with the sound and feel of my words until I am satisfied. I can sit with my head down staring at the floor for a goodly long time just trying to compose one sentence.

If I ever get to write more that MBT, if I ever get to explore this life of writing further, how much will my style change I wonder: will my books become looser - more modern, or shall my blogs become more wordy?

Anyway, enough self-consciousness! Enough navel-gazing! (omphaloscepsis I believe this is called - this is a real word not a H-c word, though I am sure I will be adapting it to something: it is just too good not to use. Perhaps an Imperial think-tank, the omphalosceptics, who puzzle and nut things out for the Emperor, who live and work in the Scepticon... hmmm...)

As to Rossamünd’s face, madbomber expressed concern at it being revealed, and it may well be that in different countries different degrees of revelation occur. Does this mean I have copped-out, I sure hope not *looks worried*. As a writer I am stubborn and argumentative, as an illustrator I am more agreeable and it was as an illustrator solving a brief that led to the drawing of Rossamünd’s profile. We will just have to wait and see.

... and yes, Mr Bomber, bless you, Dyan is a spectacular person indeed. It was more than fate that brought our paths together and I am greatful to have met her and for the strange events that lead to that meeting. Lord willing we will be working together for a long time to come.

Oh, and for breakfast today I had AllBran [TM] Wheat Flakes Honey & Almond (how beautiful do almond trees look in late winter, such burstings of blossom - I can well imagine whole forests of them, autumnlands like the Autumn of Sleep, mystic places where the urchin-lords live.)

Sooner than expected (perhaps)

Here are the answers to the many questions that have collected over the last month. My publisher in the US has asked me to post more often so here is what I hope is a good start. I am actually supposed to be getting ready to go to Melbourne for the Childrens Book Council of Australia of Awards 2007, so apologies for any irregularities in this post.

First up Arty Bel wonders... “I know this is a bit of a cheesy question but do you have any helpful hints embarking a similar career?”

Helpful hints, huh? Not a “cheesy question” at all, ask away. I think it depends on how similar you mean, because if you want to start just as I did then do a Design Degree as an illustrator and begin to write ideas for an invented world in small notebooks. Degree done, go and work in another city for a decade, still filling notebook after notebook with more ideas. This step completed head overseas on a misconceived mission for a couple of months (still filling those little notebooks), bring ruin to your plans and hopes and crashland back in your home city without a job or a place to live (other than your old bedroom at your parents house). This crucial step done, pick yourself up and head down to your local children’s book publisher and try to get some illustration work. Having got said illustration work in the form of a couple of picture books, accidentally (and I mean accidentally) drop one of your notebooks (preferably #23) in front of the boss of aforementioned children’s book publisher. In doing so have this notebook snatched up by this personage and be drilled with questions about what it is and having explained haltingly as best you can, leave publishers with a request to write 1000 words about some of the ideas in the notebooks. Last step: turn 1000 words (with much help from publisher) into 83,000 words and call it Monster-blood Tattoo: Book 1, Foundling. That is how to do as I have done.

Of course, if you were talking more generally, I feel very unsuitable for advice, above encouraging you to persevere and not to be surprised if life takes you places you had not first intended. What ever you do keep the ideas developing; try not to settle for anything too derivative rather tease your initial ideas out, massage them until they become truly your own. Is that all any help?

Kaollaku asks: “… I don't know if someone already asked this question but have you already started writing book 3 now that you're finishing up book 2?”

I have indeed started Book 3, though still do not know what it will finally be called – that is very much up in the air.

Winter asks: “So is the April 2008 date definite? Can I pen it into my schedule, or just use pencil? ;) ”

You are going to kill me but regarding the April 2008 release date I would say you could certainly put 2008 in pen but it was a good idea you asked because (unbeknownst ot me until recently) the month has been shifted to May (I know, Koallaka, I know – if nothing else it is character building) so that Lamplighter will be coming out precisely 2 years after Foundling. It is neat if nothing else. Can we expect a similar timeline for Book 3 (as yet officially titled, just a bunch of working ideas in the pipe at the moment)? Well, I cannot actually say – we will all (me included) just have to see I’m afraid.

Thank you A, D and E for MBT’s inclusion in your PhD (!!!) – goodness me that is good to hear; may I ask in what capacity I was quoted? (or is that just rude and egocentric?) I too wish the three books were out already…

Random Missfitt asks: “I saw down towards the bottom that the Jim Henson Company was interested in making MBT into a movie, is that true? or is it just some wikipedia guy getting me exited for nothing?”

(I have already answered this question but I thought I’d respond to this directly again) Well the answer there is: yes. I have just signed a contract with the Jim Henson Company for a release date to be anounced (possibly 2010 – but do NOT quote me, this is just the bee’s buzz about the net). However, the signing of a contract in no way means the film will definitely be made, but that the goodly folks over at the Henson Company (who hear loved the Dark Crystal, the Story Teller series or Mirrormask? – I certainly did and still do…) have the option to turn the books into films. So no counting eggs yet, MBT might be unfilmable in the end – who knows. Even so it is so wonderfully exciting and encouraging – an I surely hope I might be allowed to participate: it has been a long long time dream of mine to be on the production design of a film. There too is no garuntee of this, the Producers need to be able to get on with their job – so we shal see. All in God’s hands.

MooseGuy is a tad worried about the prospect of a film. “Books do not usually translate to film well... Especially ones with lots of detail... How would viewers that would not have read the book know what skolds, etcetera, are? A lot of exposition in dialogue would have to be added wouldn't it?”

All very good points and areas of concern for me, too. However, Jim Henson Co. did what I think is such an artful and sensative treatment of Mirrormask I think they could be the best chance to make something deft and apt of MBT.

And on the mention of that “Wikipedia Guy” might I just say a big thank you to
Geracudd, Anthony.bradbury, Pearle, Paul A, Jacuc2, and very much to Tredanse – who appears to have done the bulk of the entry – for the time and energy spent logging all that information over there in Wikiland.

Another picture for Coz – just ‘cause I can.

This is Trudgette (whom giantfan has asked about – amongst other old images left lying about on the net) Trudgette is a fulgar from the Patricine, hence the rather over the top sparks about her, and not the nicest person you will ever meet – then again, I am not sure if one could ever meet a “nice” lahzar.

As for my earnest question: Would you like to see what Rossamünd looks like - have me draw a view of his face or would rather that we never saw Rossamünd’s face during the series, that I left the subtlety, the mystery, the idea of his face to you the reader? – we currently have:

1 Yes

8 No

1 Abstain

The thing is (as femina asks) I do know what Rossamünd’s face looks like – I have actually drawn it, so my question is a tad late really. So apologies to those who do not want to see his face, but you just might end up getting it anyway. Wait and see…

That poor unnamed ettin from two blogs ago has been offered several promising names; Winter suggests “…something like Lurr or Krensh or Thunk or Stoneteeth for an Ettin, but if he's smarter he might have given himself a more fear inspiring name. "The Terrible Kreznar, Crusher of Bones" Is that too corny?” MooseGuy offers Rupert “… but Rupert is not so monster-y, so maybe Urngar… take a leaf from Winter's book, Urngar the Mostly Ferocious.” Coz says “ … name the monster Cozgar.” I like Coinks' idea that “an ettin would name itself after what it likes most”, now there’s a great thought. rosiegirl offers Schnard “…dont know why,” she says, “ just sounds sinister in my head :-)” Sounds sinister to me, too.

A lot to work with there, I shall ponder some more…

giantfan asks a whole lot of things, but just to include a few for now: “How do people in Hc … greet each other? And apart from smugling what other things do Badies! (hate to use the childish term but can’t think of another word) do in this book?”

“Well betide you.” This would be a common greating. “Hello”, “Hullo” or “Hallo” are all perfectly acceptable options. “Well a’day!” another, also “Fine daisyhay to ye!” Then of course there are the greetings in other languages but time is of an essence at the moment so they will have to wait.

giantfan also wonders “Could you give us an idea of how big the book will be and will the cover be as great as the last?”

From what I can tell, the actual story text of Lamplighter will be about 540+ pages long, the Explicarium for Book 2 adding another 100 odd pages – so roughly about half as thick again as Foundling. As to the cover being “great” – we are doing our best, it certainly has gone through some changes and it really depends on what country you live in as to what you will get. The US HB edition is going to follow the US paperback design for Book 1, whereas the ANZ HB edition is going to continue along the original ANZ design. What the other publishers are doing I have no idea – the beautiful Italian edition for example is completely different again…

giantfan asked a whole lot more but these shall have to wait.

I just wanted to thank Dustin for your extremely encouraging comment and for the risks you took making the display, bearing the ire of your boss for the sake of MBT. I love that advanced uncorrected proof (I think “they” call them ubers or something) – I have a copy of my own and it is a very neat little package.

This will have to do for now… oh btw, I have a short interview up at RandomAlex - it is just below Garth Nix's interview (which reminds me that I still owe Miss Erin an interview too, sorry ma’am)

To fill the gap

Yes yes, technical issues are making it hard to get a fully realised blog to you as promised but the expanded issue is coming very shortly. The faithful regulars will be getting used to this stop start thing I suppose - certainly not my preferred method of blogging but I will get a handle on this as my crammed schedule allows.

Just have to say I have been loving the comments: a whole lot of stuff the answer there - I shall be endeavouring to get answers to all your queries, even to all of giantfan's multiple comments (you really have been digging about the net haven't you, sir, keep them coming...)

The potential names for that ettin are universally excellent and I mull over them even now; thinking a combination of some plus a bit of my own thing will be the end result - we shall see.

... and for those distressed by the fact of the wait for Book 2 all I can continue to say is very very sorry, a book is only late until it released but is bad forever - I sure hope you find it worth the withdrawal. To those who have expressed admirable patience, thank you so much. Either way I am very encouraged: it is a privilege to have people eager to read on and I can let you know that I puzzle over Book 3 even as you read. Its title is up for grabs now, any previous ideas for possible Book 3 title are no longer valid as I wrestle with what happens next.

Finally I can confirm that a contract with the Jim Henson Company has been entered in to, that a film of the MBT series is possible, though at this stage there are no guarantees. There is still a lot yet to be sorted before a film can actually happen, so watch this space for any further developments. Either way, very exciting indeed.

Here I am... and you thought I'd forgotten you all!

Not a chance!

Every comment goes to my email - I know when you've come a'calling... & I know how long its been since last post = far too long: you are so right Mr. Shayne de Comyn Esquire. Well, hang in there, its a long hall for anything worthy. I'd like to try and do this the first Monday of every new month. Let us see if that works, a little regularity to help folks know when its time to come and check old Monster Blog Tattoo once more.

I am currently working on a final draft for the final fine-toothed-cimb editing (what I believe is called copy editing) and loving all the questions and suggestions. Mr. Missfitt's idea of the submariner experience is a corker and I am thinking even now of a possible short story to describe just that (dedicated to him of course).

Now here is huge question for those of you have a care about such things - and one that needs pretty prompt answering. The question is:

Would you like to see what Rossamünd looks like - have me draw a view of his face or would rather that we never saw Rossamünd’s face during the series, that I left the subtlety, the mystery, the idea of his face to you the reader?

Just put your answers in the comments - no trendy poll widgets here, I'm afraid. I would be most definitely grateful to know your opinions - all of you.

Now, cause Coz asked for it, here it is – a picture of a monster…

... it is an ettin from some treeish swampland, rather smarter than your average ettin and a terror to the locals. You get a sense of this fellow's size by the skulls displayed at his hip. Does anyone want to have a go at naming him?

But the big question is, of course, Book 2 Book2 Book 2? I think I have another life somewhere, I have vague recollection of some other thing, like eating, and sleeping and going to the movies; I have this vague image of a woman with red hair… I think I married her recently – it is all so vague in shadow of BOOK 2!

Well, as far as I am aware release date is…

wait for it…

April 2008!

*wince*

A long time to wait?
Yes.

Does this bite the big one?
Yes.

Am I so very very sorry for the wait?

Still very much so, yes!

Will it be worth the wait?
Oh Lord, please may this be so!

Dan S. Tong bless you, sir, for such encouraging words. My word hitting the nail on the head for someone else feels so so good. I want people to respond that way – not just because I feel good if I know (oh my ego! arg!) – but because I actually want to give to the reader (those who are ready and willing) a great big other world transcendent experience. I want you to feel what I feel when I read my favourite books… That is my goal, anyways.

On of the A Nonny Mouses (cheeky scoundrels) asks: "... so could you please go into more detail about ranks and different rolls of service in HC wepenoary&c..."

I’d love to tell you all about the military (in its various forms) of the Half-Continent but I want to show you in detail about it in future books (should any publisher let me) and time and space are premium here. Therefore, in very very very brief right now: ... imagine ranks and files and blocks of soldiers in bright, stiff uniforms firing across the deadly gap at each other with firelocks and black-powder cannon, wearing proofing which makes them harder to hurt. Under great flying spandarions, regimental colours and company bunting, individual bravoes strut forward, suaves who are the darlings of their companies who challenge each other to dual. Across the dead-ground insults and musket balls are swapped and nothing much decided. An order relayed by runners, shouts and flags; one force starts forward 0 r maybe both. The armies close so that they might come to handstrokes where the troubardier is lord. Include now the thaumateers – the fighting teratologists: avertines (skolds) & bombastines (scourges) hurling their potives designed to harm men in to the steadily approaching foe in his neat ranks; somewhere a torsadine (wit) steps forward and putting hand to brow flattens sixty men before him in a perfect half circle. Now it is time for blows, the foe-man – three mighty troubardiers in proof-steal lorica are swinging their poleaxes at you. In leaps a tempestine (fulgar) and with a shout swings a fuse high and calls down lightning from the sky, felling the troubardiers instantly as the heaven-bolt leaps from foe to foe. This is how it goes for many hours till the moral contest is decided and one army quits the field, leaving the other exhausted and bereft after the terror and thrill of battle are gone. They retire to their camps and leave the desperate locals to loot the corpses of friend and foe.

Koallaku asks: “I have always wondered if it is harder to write the book or edit it when the writing is done? I myself hate editing my work so when it comes to that I usually do very little >.<”
Each has its trials, but actually squeezing the work out in the first place is – for me – the harder task (by far!). Getting started on editing is the big challenge, the (big! HUGE!) fear of the work actually in the end being no good at all, of having to dump the lot and start again, the fear of boredom because I already know how the story ends (darn it!). It has the two times I have engaged in it, been a very rewarding exercise; it can take an ok text on to being one worth putting before others, and that is a very happy thing. As to being edited by my editors (shall I say edit one more time?): yes, my ego gets dented in editing, but there is nothing wrong with our egos getting buffeted into a more other-friendly shape. Big egos are the cause of much ill in this world, and humility so little seen – I am thinking of myself here. Taking out 20,000 odd words from a text (I’m answering Andre here) is actually less painful that it sounds when they are the wrong words in the first place and the losing of them makes the story so much better.

Mr. Bomber's “Pigs might fly” question might have to wait a little, suffice to say that some existing clichés are “stuck between the stone and the sty” = rock and a hard place; “you can tell a light by its colour” = proof is in the pudding; “a face that would stop a horse” = a very unattractive person; “not everyone who studies law becomes a lawyer” = things do not always turn out how they seem; “even the sebaceous hexapods of Welter know!” = something is obvious and self-evident (the sebaceous hexapods of Welter are a mysterious, half-mythic race of weird, six-limbed creatures reputed to live in the depths off the southern Verid Litus. There are “heaps” more but I shall stop here (and figure out the pigs might fly equivalent… hmm…)

For breakfast today I had Skippy Cornflakes[TM].

And now: Half-Continent synonyms for real-world terms #009

horticulturalist = well most normally they are called gardeners unsurprisingly, or bowerists; also more technically you might find a flosfructors (technical), pomarians (fashionable), gartenbaurers (Gott), Imperial Hortomaths (the personal gardeners and gardening habilists of the Emperor).