Dalkey Book Festival 2012

I am a happy man!

I know you’re probably wondering why I have this ridiculous grin plastered on my face. I know that after wearing it for two weeks, you’re sure I’ve damaged my face, and scared many innocent people all over the world. Sure, I may have creeped some people out, and sure, you may be more than a little annoyed that I still refuse to stop smiling… But in my defence, I have good reason for this stupid smile.

Do I know something that you don’t know? Am I in some way superior to you?

Well, I can answer that.

Yes.

Okay, that’s really stuck up, I’ll admit. It’s more pompous than… a really pompous… man. But I can’t help it. I have been supercharged. I have seen the light! I have met my hero!

Sure, I suppose you’re rolling your eyes right now, grumbling and mumbling some random string of words, complaining about how that’s really nothing too exciting. First off, that’s really rude! Why are you trying to tear me down, just because I am happy? Secondly, you obviously don’t understand just how awesome my hero is! Sure, I’d agree with you if I had some rubbish hero… But I don’t!

Yes, I met Mister Landy, and it was a true experience. It shook me to my core. I mean, this is the man! THE GOLDEN GOD! Truly, he impacted me on a level that I think is more than a little obvious. Even with how great of a writer and how big of an influence he has been on me, I’m sure the question still remains… WHY are you writing about this meeting?

Truthfully, a big part of it is because I am just so excited. I mean, this, for me, was like meeting the king! You choose which king… What I’m getting at, is this was a very big deal for me! That excitement I feel is one of the reasons I got into writing. And here I was, randomly in Ireland, and able to meet him! How awesome for me!

More important than how cool it was for me, is how uplifting it was to hear him speak to the audience, and the inspiration he gave. That is what got me really excited. That’s what filled me with a fire to get back to it, to keep plugging away, and working on my writing. Not only was I reminded that it’s supposed to be fun to write, but that it’s doable. I know it’s hard, and I know it takes a lot of work, but Derek truly is an inspiration.

What am I trying to say? I have no idea. Probably nothing… Except…

I MET DEREK LANDY!!!!!

Entering the Void

And so, it begins.

Famous last words, right?

Well, the easy part is over. Shadow Mountain and the Secret of the Gatekeepers is up, and though I think there are still a few tweeks to tackle, it is now… out there.

And now, the work really begins. Now I get to start having more meetings, and I get to partake in some really exciting planning sessions and talk about stuff that excites me to tears! Really, it’s super exciting. Like a sedative. But that’s what comes with the job. It’s something that I signed on for, despite my distaste for all things boring.

Apart from this new area of adventure, I am also slipping into a more familiar land. Something I like to call the Void.

What is the Void?

Oh, I wish you wouldn’t ask me that. It’s a cold place, with pale colours and haunting shadows around every corner. It’s a living nightmare where you keep on dreaming, never waking up, and where you’re always exhausted, but can never fall asleep. How would I describe it to someone who’s never been there? Simple, the same way I would describe it to people who have walked its horrible paths. One simple word will do.

Edits.

Yup. That’s the beast that I get to wrangle now. Oh, don’t mistake my dramatic description; I don’t think it’s all that bad… But the thing is, it’s not all that fun.

I’m a storyteller. That’s what I do. Editing your story is like taking a bath in ice water. Sure, you're gonna get clean, but you’re not going to stick around to soak... and you're not gonna enjoy yourself! The story, however, will almost always benefit from this icy bath of work. Or words. Or… something that makes sense.

Shadow Mountain went through the ringer, and I intent to take its sequel through something even tougher. Will I enjoy my time in the void of editing Shadow Mountain 2? I don’t think so. It is tedious work, but I know I will grow to appreciate the story as I round out a few edges and snap up some scenes. I have another book in the works, and the edits that it went through nearly killed me, but what came out of it is a story that I am so proud of. Now, Shadow Mountain 2 (for lack of its real name) will go through that process. It’s something I dread, and actually, at this very moment, I am avoiding… But it’s something that I also look forward to. Not just because, once finished, I can share another story with the people, and not just because I’m excited to see this next chapter grow stronger than it is… but I’m most excited... because I like pain…

Okay, that last part isn’t true.

The edits begin, and I enter the void.

But that’s okay… They have cookies there!

A Successful Attempt at Babbling Incoherently

Blah.

I need to start writing on this thing. So here it goes.

Well, children, the train keeps trucking along… And yes, I am aware that this makes little sense. How does a train truck? Well, I would assume, very carefully, and with a lot of damage to conventional roads. But now I have lost my train of thought.

Okay, enough with the trains.

What this little entry into my blog of secrets comes down to is time.

TIME.

It’s how you spell love, apparently, though most standardized English dictionaries will disagree, but the fact remains… Time is something we are always chasing. I have, to be honest, not been chasing it as of late. I sort of lay there, on my side, a cup of non-alcoholic wine in my hand, and watch lazily as it runs circles around me. But, as I usually do, I have learned a lesson about that. Time is fast and will not stop, no matter how hard you procrastinate.

Here’s the skinny. You know that nothing gets done just by hoping it will happen. Nothing has ever been accomplished that way. Well, apart from… well no, even napping needs some sort of effort behind it. I am babbling, but that’s because it’s about five in the morning and I should be napping, but I’m procrastinating instead. But am I? No! I am not!

Why? How? Because I am finally doing the opposite of procrastinating. I am making time! Making time to write. This is something I really struggle with, to be honest. I work, and when I am done, the last thing I want to do is sit down and write. Because honestly, as much as I love it, it is tough. Writing requires a lot of hard work. I know you know that, because I know that too, and yet, like a lot of simple truths, it sure doesn’t take much for us to dismiss it. Or them. Or… whatever. The point, if I have one, is that this journey I’m taking isn’t going to go anywhere, apart from a few horrible metaphors about trains, unless I put in everything I can. You spell love with letters, and you can only spell if you’re writing… Or spelling…

Well, that fell apart pretty fast.

As I am gearing up to get Shadow Mountain and the Secret of the Gatekeepers on E-Readers, I am really getting a very big lesson in why I write, and why I need to write. It’s devulged in little bits here and there, but still, I’ve been learning to love writing again. Which is pretty easy, since I already love writing. But I’m getting back to that need to write, that burning desire, and that’s something worth so much more than its weight in heavy gauge paper. I am making time to write again, and I expect to release many more stories soon.

Okay, so this has been a very random and extended babbling session. But if there’s anything of use in here, I hope it’s that whatever it is you want to do, you just need to do it. If it’s something that you love, and that you need… then go for it. That’s what I’m doing. And you know what I want? You know what I need? You know what? I am really tired. I want, nay… I need sleep.

And now, I am going to MAKE time to sleep.

…See what I did there? Oh yeah, I can teach in my sleep.

I am Not dead.

So many projects starting up this year... It is gonna be great! I am so excited to put these things out there. It is all falling into place. Like a... Erm... A... A pasta.

... Well... Maybe not.
Stay tuned. More to come!