Writing, rewriting and cowardice

22,424 words

A good session this morning: I've completed Chapter 5 of The Spiral Skull in first draft. My first draft, however, is often more like a second. I find it hard to plough ahead without doing at least some rewriting as I go. This isn't everybody's style. Many writers prefer to work straight through a first draft without so much as looking back, for fear the muse shucks off her traces and disappears into the sunset.

I work a little differently. My writing sessions usually start with a reread of everything I wrote last time. If I spot things I don't like (and I always do) I rewrite there and then. So I'm often an hour into a session before I write anything truly fresh. The advantage is that, by then, I'm well and truly in the zone.

The chapter I've just finished has Pyx, one of my main dragon characters, in a bit of a spot. Things are so perilous, in fact, that he's seriously considering running out on his new travelling companion, Abalone. Now, this cowardly attitude wasn't apparent in my outline - it only came up as I was writing the first draft. So I didn't play it up too much. But when I was lying awake at two o'clock this morning my mind drifted back to the scene and I realised that, at this point in the story, Pyx's cowardice should actually be driving everything he does. So I've rewritten quite extensively to accommodate this, and boy does it work a whole lot better.

Those same night-thoughts also threw up an interesting new idea, namely that there's something odd about Abalone's tail. I've no idea where the thought came from, but I liked it at once. It immediately led me to consider Abalone's back-story - how did his tail get to be the way it is? (And no, I'm not going to tell you what's odd about it - you'll just have to wait and see.) So I've now got to backtrack and introduce this quirk into Chapter 2, which is where Abalone first appears.

And that's the balance I'm always trying to strike. I like to have the story evolve as it goes, and that means allowing space and time to thread new ideas back through the narrative, even while I'm still working in first draft. At the same time I don't want to lose momentum on the book as a whole. Which, I'm pleased to say, I haven't. Yet.

On the subject of Abalone's tail, I suspect there's a short story in there. A kind of companion piece to the novel. A prelude of sorts. Now, when am I going to to find the time to write that?

Dragons in time

19,096 words

So, the new dragon book. What's it about? Well, I'm not giving too much away yet, but I will tell you it's definitely an extension of the mythology I established in Dragoncharm and its sequels. I have three books outlined: Book One - The Spiral Skull - is set before the events of Dragoncharm. Books Two and Three (tentatively titled Troll War and The Collector of Worlds respectively) explore the timeline in way that's a little more ... extreme. You see, I've stumbled over a form of charm that permits time travel.

In fact, it was the time travel idea that kicked this new project off. After I finished Dragonflame, the third book of the original series, I thought the story was done. I'd told the tale I wanted to tell and, in doing so, embedded my dragon characters firmly into the prehistory of our world. In short, I'd answered the question: "Why did dragons and magic die out?"

But still something bothered me: "What happened to the last dragons, and what sort of lives did they lead? After all their heroics, did they just fade away?" Later, this concern became a concrete question: "Who was the last dragon of all?"

That's the question I've set out to answer. It's why I've called the new series The Last Dragon Cycle. To tell the story of the last dragon, I've had to delve way back into the early history of the dragon world. And into the far future of ours. If that sounds unnecessarily complicated, don't blame me. Blame a dragon savant called Tonomy. He's the dragon who started messing around with time in the first place.

The great thing about time travel is it lets me work on a much bigger canvas than before. I can really explore the history of the dragon world, both past and future, while keeping close to my main characters. On the subject of which, some of you may be wondering if any of the characters from Dragoncharm will make it into the new novels. While in many ways this is a fresh start, with an entirely new cast of dragon characters facing a whole new set of challenges, I can promise you the return of a few familiar faces. At the moment I'm saving them up for Book Three but, hey, anything can happen. As to who they are ... you'll just have to wait and see!

Yes, I'm writing a new dragon novel

Some years ago I wrote a novel called Dragoncharm. I’ve talked at length about its genesis on my website, so I won’t bore you with all that again. Suffice it to say it’s a story written entirely from the point of view of dragons – a fantasy adventure without castles or swords or even people. The book sold pretty well and spawned a couple of sequels. I dabbled with dragons a little more in Stone and Sky, but they were more on the sidelines. After that I left them behind. For a long time I felt I’d written everything I possibly could about dragons. Job done, time to move on.

I’ve written other things since then, fantasy detective stories and crime novels among them. But it’s always the dragon books that people ask me about. Usually: ‘When are you going to write another one?’

Well, the answer is: ‘Now.’ As I speak, my agent has an outline proposal on her desk for three new dragon novels. It’s called The Last Dragon Cycle (I haven’t called it a trilogy because the concept’s pretty open-ended and so may lead to more than three books). I’m four chapters into the first draft of book one – working title The Spiral Skull – and I’m aiming to have the manuscript completed later this year.

Before you get your hopes up, it’s important to understand this is an entirely speculative process. These novels haven’t been commissioned, so there’s no guarantee they’ll ever see the light of day. But if I do a good job, an editor may decide to publish. This is the reality of being an author, even one with a track record: you’re always pitching for business.

Right now, that’s not my concern. I just need to write the damn story. As I do so, I’ll be blogging about the process, much as I did with a short story called Flatland. As it happened, Flatland never got finished – click here if you want to find out why. Could the same fate await The Spiral Skull? It’s possible, but somehow I don’t think so. This time I think I’ll get to the end. What happens after that ... hey, why worry?

If you’re a fan of Dragoncharm and its sequels, I’m sure you’ll have questions about this new project. Feel free to ask them. Just post a comment on this blog, or send me an email. I can’t promise to have all the answers (you don’t want spoilers now, do you?) but I may be prepared to let a few details slip. If you’re lucky.

For example, you may be wondering if the new books take place before or after the events of the Dragoncharm trilogy – in other words are they prequels or sequels? The answer is: they’re both. What, you think a really powerful charmed dragon wouldn’t be able to travel in time?

And I have a name for you: Abalone. Remember him.

Inception

During the Christmas holiday, I finally caught up with everyone else and watched Inception. Liked it a lot. Another great performance from Leo, and I don't believe director Christopher Nolan dropped the ball once in the execution of his complex storyline.

I say complex ... actually, you know, I think it's pretty straightforward. In a good way. The dreams-within-dreams concept has got everyone speculating about Inception's hidden meanings. But I honestly don't think there are any. I think it's a simple story about one man's redemption, told through a dizzying series of reality shifts. Even the (arguably) ambiguous final shot is just a bit of fun, not a serious attempt to undermine the film's essential reality.

I think if Nolan had really wanted to melt our brains, he would have employed more misdirection, and used every opportunity to pull the rug from under our feet. Which he doesn't. Most of the way he's there holding our hand, making sure we don't lose our way. Because the story's not about brain-melting, it's about Leo's character Dom Cobb finding a way back from the brink and coming to terms with what happened to his wife. That's the heart of the story, and it's what gives Inception its surprising emotional depth.

That said, I couldn't help but thrill to all those joyous lurches through unexpected realities, the stunning visuals (a folding city, a zero-g hotel, but never anything too weird) and above all Nolan's bold and confident staging. This is a tight, clean movie that never gets silly, and is never less than utterly gripping.

Now, I've only seen Inception once. Maybe when I watch it again (and I will) I'll spot some of these hidden clues the conspiracy theorists are on about. Somehow I don't think so. I think that with Inception Nolan's done something rather remarkable. He's made a science fiction movie that plays effortlessly to the mainstream crowd, that's packed with audacious ideas and images yet is ultimately about people. No mean feat.

Horns by Joe Hill

I pegged Joe Hill as one to watch after reading his wonderful Heart Shaped Box. Now I've read his latest novel, Horns, and the peg ain't moving from the spot.

Horns defies categorisation - something I like in a book. Chances are you'll find it shelved under Horror, but it is by turns a mystery, a romance and a supernatural thriller.

It kicks off a little like a Twilight Zone episode, with Iggy Perrish discovering he's grown demon's horns overnight. The horns give him certain insights into other people's secret thoughts. The first part of the book presents a series of episodic encounters as Iggy meets - and discovers he can influence - various people he knows.

This first chunk of the novel is pure entertainment. The story is both comic and tragic. But then Hill delivers a real sucker punch as Iggy realises there are some secrets he'd rather not know.

It's from here that the novel starts revealing its onion-skin layers, as Iggy sets out to uncover the truth about the night his girlfriend Merrin was raped and murdered. Hill throws us a bunch of time-shifts, mixes Twilight Zone with a healthy dose of John Irving, and ups the ante with a truly terrifying psychopathic villain.

Throughout, Hill's real skill is in keeping our emotions firmly with Iggy, despite his gradual (is it real or not?) transformation into a full-blown demon. He even lets us into the psychopath's head and darn it if we don't get to understand him a little bit too.

Add in Hill's perceptive, confident prose and an explosive climax and you get a package that's really rather special. It's a week or so since I finished reading Horns, and it's still bubbling away in my head - always a sign of a class act. Despite the horns, Iggy Perrish is someone I'm not going to forget in a hurry.

Sympathy for the devil indeed.

Realms of Fantasy reborn - again

Hearty congratulations to Shawna McCarthy and Douglas Cohen and all the rest of the folks at Realms of Fantasy for the successful resurrection of their wonderful magazine. In case you didn't know, ROF went under early last year, only to be resurrected by Tir Na Nog Press. Sadly things didn't work out, and this year its death was announced for the second time. Now Damnation Books have raised it phoenix-like from the ashes. Talk about a rollercoaster.

I have a lot of affection for the magazine, not least because Shawna's published a whole bunch of my fantasy gumshoe stories. So Happy Thanksgiving, guys, and may you sell many copies in the future!

I blame Frank Darabont

I blame Frank Darabont and the walking dead.

It’s like this: I’ve become resistant to new TV shows. I think it’s partly because of the arc. Not Noah’s, nor that of the Covenant, but the one that means there’s no such thing as a series any more – everything’s a serial. I’m old enough to get nostalgic about all the old episodic cop shows and cowboy shows and yes, even SF or fantasy shows (not that there were so many around in the old days – all hail the wondrous infiltration of the genre into the mainstream, at least on the big and small screens). Back then, you got a story a week and if you missed one it didn’t matter, because there was no arc.

Now it’s different. Every series has a continuing story, complete with mid-season climax and end-of-season finale, which usually delivers the kind of twist or cliffhanger that leaves you climbing up the wall. Now don’t get me wrong. I love the epic storytelling that’s made possible by this format. The screen in my house is smaller than the one in the movie theatre, but the canvas is actually bigger. And spreading the budget means the writers have to focus on storytelling and character, which are the things that are really going to bring me back week after week.

The down side, of course, is when the writers lose focus. Or the show gets cancelled. I loved the first series of Lost. That bastard actually got my attention; it was the best thing I’d seen on the telly for years. Series two ... pretty good, but the finale left me literally screaming. Then it switched networks and I just couldn’t stay committed. I stuck with FlashForward, which began well, drooped in the middle and ended strong ... but then it was taken off the air. Sorry you invested, old chap, but you’ll never know how the story turns out. Thank you and good night.

I’m old-fashioned, you see. I like a story – however long it may be – to have a beginning, middle and end. And if the end is a cliffhanger, I want it to be because that was the writer’s intention, not because some network chief forgot where he keeps his testicles.

Also, the week after week thing can be a slog. I don’t know about you, but I’m a busy beaver. Sometimes it’s hard to find time to eat, let alone watch the boob tube. Committing to a regular time slot – 10pm Fridays, or 9pm Tuesdays or whatever – is a big ask. Yes, I can record the shows, but then they start stacking up. I have to make time to watch them. Suddenly I’m three episodes behind, and I can’t discuss the show with anyone for fear of spoilers. Oh the pressure!

The other solution is to resign yourself to being behind everyone else, wait for the DVD box set to come out (better still, to get cheap) and treat yourself to a concentrated blast. This worked a treat for me with Battlestar Galactica (which I only just finished watching this summer). By the way, I have to say Galactica is the single best thing to come out of US television for a very long time. Fabulous writing, awesome performances and at the end of it all a stunning and beautifully played-out conclusion. Beginning, middle and end, you see, with quality running through it like words through a stick of rock.

All of which brings me round to The Walking Dead. When I heard about the show, I waxed and waned. Did I really need another zombie story? But wait – the guy behind it is Frank Darabont. You know, The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, The Mist ... in short, all the really good Stephen King adaptations (although let’s not forget Rob Reiner here, who also understands what King is all about. Will Ron Howard be up to the task of bringing The Dark Tower to the screen? Screens plural, actually, since I hear it’s going to be hitting both the cinema and a TV set near you. God, I hope so!).

Anyway, last Friday I tuned in to the opening episode of The Walking Dead, which has finally reached UK network TV. I enjoyed the first ten minutes in a routine way. It was smooth, with a patient, lengthy dialogue scene between the two cops right near the start. Then we reached the scene where our hero wakes up from a coma after the Big Zombie Event and starts exploring Wrecked Small Town America and I thought haven’t I seen all this before?

Then it all just kicked in. Smart pacing. The first proper zombie scenes. Some graphic violence – very graphic, actually, but beautifully controlled, and a milion miles from Danny Boyle’s epileptic undead in 28 Days Later (which I love, by the way). A slightly dodgy fake beard. A neat subplot about the father and son ... and the mother. A cop on a horse. Unexpected action in Atlanta. And, yes, a twist in the tail. And, what struck me most of all, particularly in the scene where the father’s got his undead wife in the sights of his rifle, and the cop tracks down the pathetic legless zombie he saw in the park to put it out of its misery, unexpected beauty and lyricism. In short, I loved it.

Will I be tuning in again next week? You bet. Am I glad to hear the show’s earned a second season? I’d have to be crazy not to. Am I twitchy about committing myself to a story that may never actually end? Yep. But this time I’m prepared to go out on a limb. Damn you, Frank Darabont!