Okay...

.... So this can be the post where you continue your lunatic babblings, and the NZ post is for the earthquake topic. Glad to see a few postings from that part of the world...

NZ

Hi all,

I know we have a few minions in New Zealand who read this blog, and certainly one or two in Christchurch. Could you take a few moments to write a short comment, just to let us know you're all right after the quake?

Cheers,

Derek

Boxsets

The nice thing about being hard at work is that, at the end of the day, you feel entirely justified in sitting down and relaxing in front of the TV. I have a pile of DVDs I still have to watch, and I’m looking forward to them, but over the past few weeks I’ve been focusing on TV boxsets. And boy oh boy, have I been impressed.

The first boxset I watched was season 5 of Doctor Who. I’d seen MOST of the episodes when they were aired, but I’d missed a few, so this was my chance to finally find out just what was going on. I seriously didn’t think anyone could replace David Tennant- his Doctor was a wonderful creation, with an ego of Skulduggery-like proportions, which is ALWAYS a good thing (in my humble opinion). But Matt Smith arrived and instantly owned the screen. His Doctor is, quite frankly, hilarious. As of yet, he doesn’t have the dangerous/scary edge that Tennant’s Doctor had, but I’m sure he’s going to get there eventually.

Karen Gillan as Amy is simply my favourite assistant. She’s cute, she’s a redhead, she pouts a lot, and she’s funny. And that ACCENT... What more could you want?

A very good start for Smith and Gillan, I think, and while there were some dodgy episodes, most were truly great. I’m so glad I watched this, and I’m so glad that so many of YOU, my Minions, watch this too.

The second boxset I watched only had three episodes in it, unfortunately, but it was so much better than it had any right to be. Sherlock, the new Sherlock Holmes show on the BBC, is just WONDERFUL. Again, we have a main character whose ego and arrogance could rival Skulduggery’s, and while Martin Freeman isn’t exactly as attractive as Karen Gillan, he makes a pretty good sidekick nonetheless.

And, just when I thought I couldn’t be any more surprised with it, I get to the third episode and Moriarty appears, played by an Irish actor called Andrew Scott. Andrew starred in the first film I wrote, Dead Bodies, and he was wonderful in that and as Moriarty he was truly... unsettling.

Sherlock definitely gets a thumbs up from the Golden God.

And the third boxset I watched, the one I just finished last night, was seasons one and two of Misfits. Misfits is a Channel 4/E4 show aimed at an older audience than either Doctor Who or Sherlock, and to be honest I wasn’t expecting much. It’s about a group of young offenders who get struck by really strange lightning while doing community service, and they gain superpowers.

I loved it. Loved it loved it loved it.

It’s fresh, it’s fun, it’s hilarious, it’s addictive. They do good things, they do bad things. They try to cover up the bad things, and they try to avoid doing the good things. Only one of them actually wants to be a superhero- the others find the idea just a little too silly and impractical. I’ve never been more surprised by a show, and I highly recommend this to, um, any of you who are old enough to watch it. And it’s got Ruth Negga in it! Ruth’s a beautiful Irish actress who I got to know a few years ago, and she’s WONDERFUL in this. The nice thing about UK productions is spotting the Irish actors I’m friends with.

(I went to see True Grit yesterday and Domhnall Gleeson was in it, who was also in my second film, Boy Eats Girl. I almost stood up in the cinema and shouted “I know him!”

But I didn’t.)

The Jitter Girls

Ah, the Jitter Girls.

They’re quite scary, you know. Scary and unstoppable. Or maybe more creepy than scary. But unstoppable. Definitely unstoppable.

I came up with the Jitter Girls as part of a script that never got made. In fact, it was this same script in which I came up with the idea for the Cleavers, as well. That script had a whole load of ideas, but unfortunately it just wasn’t very good. All these madcap ideas didn’t cohere into anything resembling sense, so I abandoned the script and started cannibalising my own stuff, taking what worked and using it somewhere else.

Which is why I’m writing about the Jitter Girls, ten years after coming up with them.

January was, basically, a month writing various short stories and whatnot. I had reached the halfway point of Book Six, and was quite comfortable with taking a few weeks off to get some other work done. Well, now I’m back at it, and I needed a new threat for the middle section and I was searching through this magnificent mind of mine and those creepy ol’ Jitter Girls just jumped right out at me.

I knew I’d get to use them, sooner or later.

I’m not going to tell you much about them, other than that they are currently giving Skulduggery and Valkyrie quite a hard time. I haven’t a clue how they’re going to be defeated, either. The way I’m writing right now, it looks like the Jitter Girls are going to kill our heroes and skip off into the darkness. Which, you know, would be bad for the rest of the book.

Oh dear. I seem to have written myself into a proverbial corner.

I should probably get back to work.

Finally...!

Well okay then.

I am back. I have been astonishingly busy these past few weeks, but it’s nice to see your conversations continuing in the Overflow Blog. You people sure can yap, can’t you?

I finally finished my little tour of fan fiction, and it was a revelation to me. First of all, a quick note about each of the writers I sampled from.

Hellboy-
(
http://susurrusofstories.blogspot.com/2010/09/fan-fiction-part-1-and-man-am-i-tired.html
)

I loved the opening. It was a very creative way to approach a story, and really worked. The writing itself was very good, with a terrific flow.

Octaboona- (http://octaboonaambrosius.blogspot.com/2010/12/golden-god.html)

Absolutely BRILLIANT writing, and a very unique approach.  Tells the story of how and why Kenspeckle made the Desolation Engine, and includes lots of foreshadowing of future events. So much fun.

Alex-
(http://alexzz-stories.blogspot.com/2010/09/prologue-d.html)


Really nice writing, and the first story to really make me realize the sense of community that has been built up in fan fiction, where you all use each other’s characters. Absolutely wonderful.

Lenka- (http://lenkasweet.blogspot.com/2010/09/apple-bite-part-two.html)


I loved this one. Really nice interactions, great dialogue, funny jokes. Light-hearted comments will always get a thumbs up from me, and they're not easy to do. Well done, Lenka.

Lizzy - 
(http://skulfanfic.blogspot.com/2010/10/dead-men-tales-part-1.html)

Ah, introducing the mysterious, enigmatic figure of Bone, a thirteen year old girl who keeps the Dead Men on their toes. The whole thing just sparkles with cheek and attitude.

Nicolette- (http://stories-random.blogspot.com/2010/09/fanfiction-part-1.html)

Nicolette reinforces the fact that all of your characters share this private little Skulduggery universe that gets added to with every new story. And apart from that, she's a really good writer.

Dragona Pine -(http://dragonapine.blogspot.com/2010/09/fanfiction.html
)

I could say a few things about Dragona’s writing. I could talk about the really funny dialogue, I could talk about Skulduggery’s role in the story, or I could forget all that and focus on the really unique way he’s come up with for killing vampires. Socks. He uses socks. Oddball.

Darkane Claw- 
(http://darkaneclaw.blogspot.com/2010/09/fan-fic-for-skulduggery-pleasant.html
)

Darkane’s work is a joy to read. Fantastically funny dialogue, which is a huge requirement for me, and great character interaction. Mightily impressive.

Sarthacus Bolt –(http://tendrilsoffate.blogspot.com/2010/09/fanfiction.html)

There’s a certain skill to writing a great battle scene, but my God, Sarthacus has that skill.

Leo Sparks – (http://squigglesfanfiction.blogspot.com/2010/09/skul-fan-fiction.html)

Sometimes, a writer’s enthusiasm just leaps off the page (or, you know, the screen) and that is exactly what’s happened here. Loved it.

Mary Hiashi- http://blogsalotaboutnothing.blogspot.com/2010/09/i-dreamed-of-death-and-sorrow.html

Mary’s writing is quite different. Oblique, one might say. There’s a certain dreamlike aspect to it, like a dark fairytale. Really quite beautiful.

Kallista- (http://kallistapendragon.blogspot.com)

Ah, Kallista. What can I say? High quality writing, great pace, fantastic atmosphere. And, in a Twisted Christmas part 3, she even has her main character decide NOT to steal a copy of Skulduggery Pleasant, because Derek Landy “deserved the fruits of his labors”. Couldn't agree more, Kallista!

I could have read on, and I could have read more from each writer, but I just didn’t have the time. I am, as I have said, astonishingly busy, and that’s going to continue for a good while yet.

But this was a wonderful experience for me. I had thought that fan-fiction simply meant taking my characters and putting them in new stories. And absolutely, that’s a big part of it. But what surprised me was the sheer independence on display. In some stories, Skulduggery only had a cameo. In other stories, he didn’t appear. In yet other stories, he wasn’t even MENTIONED.

I think it is incredibly healthy for you, my Minions, to continue doing this. I think everyone should write, even if you think you’re rubbish at it, because I, personally, find writing so fun and so rewarding. The Minions whose work I’ve read have really carved out their own corner of the Skulduggery world, and they’re exploring their own ideas and themes, not merely taking mine and reinterpreting them.

You’re a talented bunch. Your Golden God is proud of you.

The Birthday Girl

You know what today is?

Today is Laura's birthday. She's 23. And how is she spending her special day?

Studying for college exams.

Laura hates studying, she LOATHES studying, and earlier on she apologised to me for being in a grumpy mood. But the fact is, she should be celebrating today- instead, she's feeling miserable. How can you make her feel better?

I think that a few birthday wishes from my loyal Minions may just raise a smile on her face...

Fan Fiction

Just to let you all know that apart from all the work I’m doing, I’m also reading those ten or eleven fan-fiction pieces I’ve picked out- and so far, I’m very impressed. What came as a complete surprise is the fact that you really take the idea, the world of Skulduggery, and you run with it, populating it with your own characters.

Really, really fascinating stuff. When I’ve finished reading the last one I’ll make a list of the pieces I’ve read and give a short opinion on each one. 

There are some talented Minions out there…