Such is the reality of life as a writer— there IS no time off.
Other people leave the office and go off on holidays, but that's not the case with writers. Oh sure, we can easily walk away from the writing desk, but it's not so easy to flick the switch in our heads that makes us stop thinking of the next thing to write. We're stuck in that headspace. A writer's brain will continue to churn, even when we want to think about other things. It's not a BAD problem to have. It's not as bad as, say, being born without a head or waking up one morning to find your house is made of cheese. But it can get annoying. It means that you can never really relax...
I've had a few days off ever since sending in my first draft of LSODM. The last time I spoke with Nick, my editor, he was halfway through and loving it. Apparently. So that's good. I think. I'm not sure what my feelings are towards this new book. At the moment I'm too close to it, I don't know if it's good or great (or, yikes, bad) so I'm at that stage where uncertainty is tainting everything and I'm just waiting for Nick to finish the whole thing and say "Yeaahhhhh it's... fine... BUT..."
So yes, I've had a few days off since then. Two of which were taken up with meetings. But from Thursday on, I haven't even had to answer the phone. So what have I been doing?
Planning.
I have two short stories to write for various things. I want to do a lot more for the Skulduggery short story collection coming out next year. I need to start thinking of Skulduggery Book Nine. And I have to get a handle of what I'm going to write AFTER. What book is going to coming out in 2015? What will the next series be?
So that's what I've been doing over the weekend.
But now that I have the first draft handed in, hopefully I'll be able to get back to posting here on a weekly basis, and being a bit more present on Twitter, and generally getting things back to normal. You've all been very patient while I've had my head down, and I appreciate it. As a reward, here's a thing.
Posts
4,926 comments:
1 – 200 of 4926 Newer› Newest»Hey, if you wanna know if your draft is good, I could always read it... *hint hint*
Just know that when the series ends I'm going to sit down and cry for two months.
DEREK! :D
Will we be getting a preview of the first chapter sometime? :')
Or will we get the cover?
Yay new post
I'm afraid for Book 9...
*pokes Derek*
There'd BETTER be a book coming out in 2015, mister.
And I'd like to request that you don't KILL EVERYBODY in that one, too.
So Derek are you going to share any ideas that you might have of what you're going to write after Skulduggery with us?
Anything that Derek writes I will buy and read. Even if its my least favourite genre.
I love that picture XD
I'm terrified for LSODM.
...unless therewith Vilequesse and Tanguine. Then it's all good;3
Ieni be scared of LSODM. be terrified of book 9.
*laughs*
I'm scared of LSoDM, and I haven't even read KotW, yet.
The mere thought of Book Nine makes me shiver. :P
*pokes Derek*
I know you're there.
I can SEE you.
Comment.
(Please?)
Derek please comment. Do you want us to go even more insane than we already are?
Gtg bye.
"As a reward, here's a thing."
Poetic.
Only 114 days left - a year after that and sp will be...
OVER D:
I'm just afraid for the sanity of this fandom D:
SP will be over, BUT the new project will be enough to tide the fandom over.
Hopefully.
I don't want the SP series to end...*cries* Hi everyone!
SOrry for my distance. Email is an evil theif that steals me. :P
Derek! O.O
THE REALISATION JUST HIT ME. HARD.
When Skully ends, I will curl up into a ball
and sob.
For five years
and three months.
Watching Derek get through the past week's worth of tweets, I cannot stop laughing.
Why is he so damn funny/evil?
Still, *pokes Derek* come to Blogland. It's better than Twitter. I swear.
(Ahh, sitting in my spinny chair, chatting to my fave friends, ahh, what A life)
Derek, I have a question.
Are you going to come to Tipperary on any signings? PLEASE?! PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE?!
...
Okay, I'm finished. *nods*
My house is so quiet...Has my family disappeared? Be back in a second.*goes to investigate*
Derek! *pokes*
I agree with Taia!
Blogland is WAAAAAAY better.
For various reasons.
Andbecauseidonthaveatwitterbutyouknowwhatbloglandiswaybettersocomeonlinebeforeisetthesongsofonedirectiononyou.
(*In a sing-song voice* Spinning around in my spinny chair!!!)
*returns from investigation* They're in the garden. They haven't runaway from me.
YAY! Mara agrreeeeees with me~~
I HAVE a Twitter account (actually, I have two, but, uh), but Blogger is infinitely better.
Just saying. :P
I agree with you too Taia. On Blogger everyone's so much nicer.(On Twitter people can be really mean)
Fabi agrees with you two as well.
Hello Anna! I mean Fabi!
Hi Fabi! :)
Hey Rhydian!
Hey Taia! :)
Hey Cas!
And hi anyone else! :)
WIN!!
Derek says he'll be here when he reaches his Twitter limit. :3
Hi Mara!
Hello Lewis! I mean Rhydian!
SCORE! *fist pumps*
I must say to him Kessie says hi :)
Hi Mara. Hi Taia. Hi Cas. Hi anyone who is here.
Yaaaaaayyyyyy
BeMo can play football? O.o
*is watching Adventure Time*
I must say to him that Kes told me to scream at him for Jack!
And I have finally replied to all my emails, so hi. :)
I like emailing, though. :)
Hi Star!
Oh yeah, Star! :)
Hey, btw! :)
Hiya, Star! *waves*
*waves a 'Hi!' to everybody else, because realises she did not do that yet* :P
Hi Starrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
HI RHYDIAN!
Damn, Hunter needs to be here so he can meet Fabi again and call her a different person because different name. XD
That would mean he met Fabi for the first time three times? *giggles*
HI TAIA!
And he could meet youuuuuuuuuuuuu! :)
That would bring the number up to fourteen. *grins*
HI MARA! HI FABI!
Got to go now, I'll be back later. BYE ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *waves*
:( FOURS RHYDIAN!
Hey, guys.
IT'S BLUE.
Bye Rhydian!
Awh, Bye Rhydian!
wbd/msd. :c
IT'S BLUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I HAVE DEDICED TO BEGIN MY LM PLAYLIST.
YAY STAR! :)
@Mara: IT IS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Danke. :)
He should've been here when Mara and I were changing names a mile a minute, then he could meet each one!
It's BLUE!!!!
Bye Rhydian.
@Star: Yay!
GAH.
BRB because I need to find my homework. :c
(*Is blaring Spotify music* I waking up, I feel it in my bones, To make my systems grow, welcome to the new age, to the new age, welcome to the new age, woo ohh oh, woo ohh oh, I'm Radioactive, Radioactive, woo ohh oh, woo ohh oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive!)
That was so fun, Fabi! XD
Bye Taia! :( see you in a while!
Oh my Golden God.
Imma kill my Twitter followers, *laughs/cries*
*only sort of here - reading HMC*
Wbd . . .
THis vid is jepic. :)
LM are popular, so lots of good vids! *happiness*
And live while we're young, woah woah woah oh oh oh oh oh, tonight let's get some, AND LIVE WHILE WE'RE YOUNG<3
See you, Taia.
It was fun. :-)
Wbd/msd.
HI MUSHROOM!
HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN! GAH. :P
Everyone loves Little Mix C:
Mama told me not to waste my life, she said "Spread your wings my little butterfly,"~
Wings is an amazing song. :)
Hello Lucy
Yay for Little Mix. :-)
Gtg...:-(
I would really like Little Mix is they were more my genre. :)
The 'shh' instead of 'shit' is so awwwww. :P
I'm such a hypocrite. *laughs* I try not to swear and then I think it's so awwwww when other people don't. XD
It is :)
It's Fabigail's favourite. Right, Fab? :)
Mine is DNA :)
:( FOURS FABI!
I don't even need to listen to most of these vids to rate them against my leading vid. One look can do it. :)
I FEEL LIKE A TRUE FINDING-LYRICS-VIDEOS PERSON. :) *pride*
It's different when you HAVEN'T got a good one already. XD
Bye Fabi! :( *hugs*
Okay. English. Then Chemistry. Then Maths.
Wbd. :/
Aw. Bye Fabi!
OH MY GOSH.
*mouth falls open* *subscribes* RESPECT TO YOU. :)
:( POor you, Taia. :(
Who did you subscribe to, Star? :P
Wb, Taia! :)
Aw. Homework sucks :( *hugs*
sweetlovelynancie . . . Because that *is referring to vid* was a cool original idea that must have taken a load of work to get right. :)
Well, I haven't seen it before. But it may be commoner in LIttle Mix circles.
YouTube always looks like a totally different place for LM and 1D. It's much brighter and colourful and lighter. Usually for me the majority of the vids are or at least have have black. *laughs*
*laughs*
Well, we are fangirls... :P
Thanks Mara. *hugs back* Homework DOES suck.
@Star: What unique-ness was done? SHARE. (if I go to YouTube myself, I'll get distracted and not do work.)
*whispers* Derek come do a book signing in Huddersfeild please!!!
I can't belive he's going to stop writing Skulduggery Pleasant. When that happens I'm going to curl in in a ball and cry, for fifteen years, then never come out again, ever.
Oh, they used vids of LM people singing along to the words.
I mean, there were lots of different videos put together, and being on the screen together and points, and it was all totally in sync. To get those vids to interact AND BE IN SYNC WITH THE MUSIC AND EACH OTHER IS O_O
And I haven't seen it done before, and I am a lyrics vids veteran!
SOrry, it probably seems small to you. :P
*at points
*hugs Kitty* WE SHARE YOUR PAIN.
My way of dealing is not to think about it and push it out my mind. *does so*
*nods*
Sounds epica, Star. :)
*hands Kitty a cookie*
If Derek doesn't kill EVERYBODY, then I guess you could continue the story yourself.
It will never end.
*still hasn't started homework*
AWESOME STAR O.O
What song is it? :)
He'll probably kill off half the characters like Michael Grant did. OMGG, Light. *giggles*
Death here, death there, death everywhere! XD
Annnnd I'm out of tweets! So here I am...
Emily- hopefully I'll be able to post a chapter or two over the next few months...
Val- ... AND the cover...
Taia- no promises...!
Ailsing- ha! Share my ideas? Not a chance! They will be a surprise, and they will BLOW YOUR MIND!
Maralie- it won't be that bad when it finishes! The sun will still rise. The world will still turn. Your heart will be smashed to smithereens, that's all...
Oh, as for going to Tipp... I'll probably end up there sooner or later...!
Killer Kitty- in June I'll be doing a school event in Huddersfield, but not a public one, unfortunately.
*frowns*
I have a small section of the melody of a song in my head, and can't think for the life of me which song it is. T.T
Wings. I'm doing Wings, merember? :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7A5jiF0KFE
I have two top candidates for WIngs so far. Still trawling YouTube for more. Then, DECISION TIME! D:
(Hello Derek,some interesting answers there :3)
*laughs*
@Star: Derek might as well be the Death Bringer, himself. :P
(*GASPS* Taia, that would be amazing)
DEREK.
*glomps*
No promises?
Not even a SMALL one?
HI DEREK! HOW ARE YOU? Do you remember how you felt four weeks before the Junior Cert?
Hi Derek! :)
*screams*
MAM GET THE CAR READY WE'RE MOVING TO TIPP TOWN.
Unless you come to Clonmel... *hint hint*
hAHHHHH THAT'S WHY YOU HAVEN'T REPLIED FURTHER
(Hello Becky)
@Taia: I HATE IT WHEN THAT HAPPENS. D:
DEREK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *hugs*
Yay! :)
Kessie told me to scream at you for Jack, so *screams*
HOW DARE YOU NOT IN THE MIDDLE OF A CONVERSATION JUST WHUMP HAVE YOU NEVER HEARD OF SUSPENSE OMGG DEREK YOU SHOCKED ME SO MUCH I WAS JUST SITTING HERE GOING O_O AND LIKE WHAT THE HELL DID NOT EXPECT THAT YOU MEANIE IT WAS IT WAS IT WAS-
It was jepic, actually. XD
I WANT TO USE THAT TOTAL SURPRISE TECHNIQUE SOME DAY.
Also, you acted like we though nothing important was going to happen - uh, no, I was fully expecting Tanith to be killed off months beforehand. Lots of us guesstimated that. NO SURPRISINGNESS ON THAT ACCOUNT!
And I never doubt your evility. XD
Cool, Star. I'll check it out :)
IT'S TOO WARM
AND I HAVE SOME SERIOUS SKULDUGGERY FEELS RIGHT NOW, SO I WANT TO SIT AND CRY
I CHANGED MY NAME....sorta...
HELLO CASTIEL ANGEL OF THE LORD
OH.
I picked up on a couple of small mistakes you made in the synopsis, Derek.
We both know this is what REALLY happens:
Last Stand of Dead Men:
War has finally come.
But it's not a war between good and evil, or light and dark- it's a war between Unicorns. For too long now, the Irish Unicorns have teetered on the brink of world-ending disaster, and the other Unicorns around the world have had enough. People turn to Unicorns, socks turn to Unicorns, and Skulduggery and Valkyrie must team up with the rest of the non-Unicorn-beings if they're going to have any chance at all of maintaining the balance of power and getting to the root of a vast Unicorn Sub-culture that has been years in the making.
But while this war is only beginning, another Unicorn is on the verge of rising to the surface. And if Valkyrie slips, even for a moment, then Unicorns will tacklehug the world and everyone in it.
DEREK I AGREE WITH KESSIE. HOW COULD YOU. HOW. COULD. YOU. AND TANITH WAS BEING OH SO SWEET AND WHAM! ZAP! KAPOWY! *cries*
(Okay so, know the diff, considering I has two names, () <-- With those things, I am Tyler, () <-- without those things, I am Castiel, Angel of the lord, k, everyone okay bout that? :3)
Derek, I still can't believe you know who Team Starkid are...you're just the BEST
Hello, everyoneeee!
My mom bought Skittles, but I'm not allowed them yet D:
Plus Derek, it would be totally like my character Hunter to go back in time and meet you, so if you see a very odd person with eyes that change colour who won't stop going on about how many cars there are, that's him. XD
Oh my Golden God, Taia.
*weeps*
ONE THING IS STUCK IN MY HEAD. HOW IRONIC :P
Get out, get out, get outta my head!~
OMG HI DEREK wish you could do a public sighning In Huddersfeild *frowns and sheds a single tear* had to go to Liverpool last time. then wait for like two hours in line
HI MUSHROOM!
OH MY GOSH, TAIA. :)
YOU'RE AMAZIGGLE, AKAY?
(Taia, I just died and god brought me back after several times xp, BRILLIANT!!!!)
Hey, Landy! If you're still here...!
Oh, you should come visit Sheffield;3 It's great around here, promise:3
(I think he left........:[ )
OF COURSE IT'S GREAT AROUND HERE, /WE'RE/ HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *dances*
Although Sheffield is closer to Scáth than me. :)
Hi Luci! *huggles* :)
:O
STEAL THEM. XD
OMGG
Derek, I'm making a Sim of you.
You can watch Harry and I get married. *nods*
Taia- The only promise I'll make is that it'll be AWESOME.
And that is exactly the synopsis I wanted to write. Damn auto-correct.
Maralie- Clonmel is a silly place...
Becky- yup! Out of tweets!
Hiya Cas.
Ink- SCREAM back to Kessie to scream back to Jack!
And yes, I am quite mean.
*hugs Mara* :)
*also agrees because hasn't read tMS yet, but still knows about Jack. AND the shocking Tanguine thing, because SPOILERS. (not spoilers here. But I wasn't looking for them. I swear.)*
*grins*
Thanks Star, Tyler. :3
SHEFFIELD IS, LIKE, TEN MINUTES AWAY BY BUS C:
And Meadowhall is pretty cool. I could buy you a Skittles milkshake! They're really nice - I tried one the other day C:
YAY FOR PEOPLE CALLING ME INK! *yays*
OF COURSE IT'S THE SYNOPSIS YOU WANTED TO WRITE! *giggles*
( Ugh, I so want the sims 3, i has other sims 2 pets but it's not as good as The sims 3......grrrr *Spins in spinny chair in frustration*)
DEREK
if you see a brunette at one of the LSoDM signings
and she has blue eyes
and a Skully t-shirt
GIVE HER A HUG.
(that's me)
I hope Derek is going to do a film of Skulduggery Pleasant that would make me so happy
*Smiles politely at Derek*
*glares at Derek*
NO IT ISN'T
I'M THERE
IT'S AWESOME, PROMISE :3
okay i shall tell the renegades also if Gero and/or Livvy say anything to you about a passport ignore them ok cool
Emily- I'm cool, I'm hip, I'm down with all the latest groovy fads...
Ink- you're an odd person.
Ktty- nearest I'll be doing a public signing is Leeds... that any use to you?
Luciana- Sheffield? But... but why would I ever want to go to Sheffield? That's where YOU are.
OOOOH!!! BURNNNNN!!!!!!
Marlie- oh dear god.
SKITTLES MILKSHAKE
NEED
Hi Derek
I just remembered...
Landy, you don't say my name right. It's actually hilarious XD
*totally hasn't been watching the video from Dublin again*
Peace;3
@Derek: I already KNEW that it'd be awesome.
*nods*
Naturally. But auto-correct is just so evil.
And, I will turn up at a random signing of yours one day. Good luck guessing which.
I'm an odd person?
THANK YOU, DEREK! I like being odd. *nods*
ODD RHYMES WITH NOD.
ANd, you think I'M odd? XD
Should have been here yesterday when I was being my character.
ME AND SCÁTH ARE GOING TO LEEDS!
(This is possibly the only time i'm gonna chat to Derek, unless I meet him in Dublin, which isn't far from me....hmmmmm *thinks about plan*....Nah, won't be going there anytime soon)
Becky- dealio!
Okay everyone, I need to go play with nieces! Everyone have a good day! Toodles!
THERE'S ALSO YORK THE DAY AFTER LEEDS!:3
DEREK - you want to come to Sheffield exactly for that reason! I'M there, so it's awesome.
And if you visit, it'll be even more awesome (if that's even possible);P
Really?!
Nailed it. HAVE FUN! don't throw them at walls again, for god's sake.
*Shakes Dereks hand as a goodbye*
:( FOURS, DEREK!
DAMN I GOT ON FOR HIM
Hmm that's about 22 miles from here... that's 44 miles there and back... that's about about 45ins there depending where it is.
Bye Derek! *hugs*
SEE YOU AT THE WEDDING.
*grins creepily*
Or, the Sim you... *frowns*
Aw. Bye, Derek! Thanks for stopping by, and, ah, Have fun~ :3
... Those neices are so damn lucky. :P
BYE DEREK *WAVES*
I keep on hearing about Leeds, but I can't go! :( please say there are other dates?
@Taia: IKR.
I was reading DB today, and I was laughing at the ded to the nieces at the front. :)
*whispers*
Psst. Taia.
Why don't we sneak down to Derek's house and pretend we're his long-lost nieces?;)
Is it just me, or are the comments fixed?
FLORA, THERE'S A SIGNING AT 11AM IN YORK THE DAY AFTER - JUNE 15TH. :)
Fixed?
So Ithink Derek made me married to Sult
OH MY GOSH MARA DO THAT!
@Star: I love reading book dedications, but Derek's are the best. xD
@Mara: A better idea has never been hatched.
Fixed, because the comment box got messed up and you had to open a separate page to comment.
Oh, hi everyone btw!
(BENEDICT FOR SKUL-MAN!!!!!)
I think Derek should play Skul in the movie
(What I do is I open "post a comment" or whatever it is in a new tab, thats the handiest way for me :3)
Thank you, Luciana! Unfortunately that's even worse! :( Is the Leeds event tickets only? If it isn't, maybe I could make it (at a push)
Taia -
*knocks on door*
Derek: Uh do I know you?
Us: WE'RE YOUR LONG LOST NIECES DEREK. GIVE US A HUG. :3
Derek: Um. What.
(Derek should play, if he appears, Kenny Dune, or Valkyrie's Dad)
I won't be able to make Leeds or York.
But I WILL meet him, someday. :)
@Cassidy: Hi! *nods* I think it may be okay again, but I hit 'open in a new tab' anyway. I find commenting easier this way, now. :)
(I think I spelt Kenny's second name wrong.......woops!)
Yeah, unfortunately Leeds is a ticketed event:(
It's Friday 14th June at half six, Leeds is.
...
I hope Derek goes to Sheffield. That'd be really cool:)
@Mara: xD
I would.
I so would.
*grins*
It used to automatically do that for me. Because it decided to be evil. But now I can just type in the box and comment without a new tab. It used to be like that before it decided to change a few months ago. And now it's back! :3
Ignore my weird happiness!
Noooooo! And I'm guessing all the tickets have gone *sob*
I'm gonna go cry in the corner now.
Excuse me.
@Flora: The one in York you just have to turn up. That's what I was told anyway.
BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH IS SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT, OK
TOM HIDDLESTON IS RAVEL
KATIE MCGRATH IS CHINA SORROWS
DEREK IS EITHER GORDON OR DESMOND
UHM
That's all I got, right now:)
It would probably be easier if I opened a new tab and I wasn't on my phone. But the little box is easier because I am.
Ah no, I missed Derek by 15 minutes.
Oh well.
I agree with most of them.
ACTUALLY, THERE ARE TICKETS LEFT!
ELLIE GOT HERS THIS MORNING!:3
@Cassidy: *nods* I remember being REALLY annoyed when it changed, because it would only open in a new WINDOW. And then I was like 'open in new tab', which is easier, and now I'm just used to that. :P
Tbh, I wish Derek could go everywhere. Then EVERYBODY could enjoy his epicness.
Even other PLANETS. *nods*
Derek, if you see this comment, do you have any more information on the Dublin meetup in July?
All I want to know is the date so I can book plane tickets whilst they're still cheap.
Many thanks!
Octaaaaa! Heyyyyyy!
@hearty omg bennedict Cumberbatch would be great as Skulduggery but then again so would Johnny Dep
Hey Luce!
Hey Taia!
@Lewis: I would go to that one, but I takes ages to get there and is stupidly expensive
and I shall be on my owwwnnnn :(
@Luci- I agree in that Derek could totally be Gordon. :3
(Don't actually know the other actors, though *shame*)
@Cassidy: Ah. Fair enough. :)
OHHH HELL NO. HOLD UP LUCIANA.
WHAT.
TICKETS?!
WHEREEE???
(Luci, dat cast! But I was thinking, Who could this man play? http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/30800000/-Misha-misha-collins-30865233-967-1450.jpg {Sorry But I NEED HIM IN LE FILM} hmmmmmm)
Aw, Flora!:(
I think I'm going to both Leeds and York.
I hope I can go to York, at least...!:3
How are you guys?:D
O.o
Flora - there's a phone number... Gimme a minute and I'll find it! I saved it on my phone. XD
Tyler - Uh...
I'll go now. I need to go for a bath *floats away* Bye everyone
Post a Comment