I received 3 emails today which tickled my interest, set me thinking and prompted me to reply -- most unusual!!! Here they are, slightly edited, in the order that they came in. First, from Janette Micklewright in England:

I have been introduced to and practically force fed your books by my neice. Its not often that I get into a whole series of books, least of all childrens literature, but I have become a fan, old though I may be, and I am writing to say that I think it's wonderful that Cirque is going to become a movie. Not sure about John C Reilly playing Larten, although he is a fine actor - I suppose everyone has their own mental picture of Larten. I am sure the makeup people will do the rest! I hope it will be a great success for you.

I am currently reading Demon Apocalypse and if you ever find someone able to play Lord Loss and Artery in a film, I very much doubt you will get a PG rating.  It's a fabulous book (the whole series actually) and I am thrilled that Bec is in the story as Bec was my favourite to date. You give your child characters an adult awareness of sorrow and the need to take responsibility in situations where they must stand and not run away. Your characters face heavy responsibilities and I think they give good messages to your younger (and not so young) readers.

Alice (my neice) has been terrified of werewolves since she was at primary school, when some little charmer in the playground told her they were real and could tear her to pieces - you must be some storyteller to get her to read your work and I can't thank Grubbs enough!

Janette isn't the first to ask about a Demonata film. At the moment there aren't any plans to turn the books into a movie. To be honest, I'm in two minds whether I'd like to see it adapted or not. As Janette points out, it would be VERY hard to make a kid's film out of Lord Loss and its sequels! You can get away with a lot in books that you just can't do in a movie. If a movie maker was to keep even a fifth of the gore in this series, it would still be an 18 Cert film in the UK or an R in the USA!!! So what, if someone ever tries to make it, will be the answer? Carefully trim the gore? Allude to violence rather than show it? Make it an adult's movie, perhaps turning Grubbs into an older teenager or even a grown-up? I'm not sure. I'll obviously be interested if a movie company comes to me with a plan, and I'd take their views into careful consideration, but for the time being I'd have to say I'm in no rush to see these books filmed -- I think they might be just too damn demonic for Hollywood!!!! Then again, wouldn't it be wonderful if some skilled team proved me wrong ...

Next up, Megan Smith-Foster from Canada:

I love your series. I'm an avid reader of Stephen King, a well-known and renowned horror novelist, so I do know what it taks for a book to be scary. Your books certainly have what it takes. I've finished five of your books from "The Demonata" in less than a week; I was addicted, and when I saw the "to be continued..." in cryptic italics, I screamed and shook the book (just thought you should know). I rarely see other authors write in the first person so fluidly, and those who do - coughAnneRicecough - don't have the same hold on a character's persona, and maintain it, as you can/do.

I'm actually an author upstart myself, and I'm not going to push a story on you (I hear most authors absolutely hate that, and if I were you, I'd be no exception), but seeing the creativity, the morbid fascination you inspire in readers (since I've begun reading, I've been dropping hints about "Lord Loss"s plot, I got my friend addicted as well!) and clearly have yourself, makes it easier for me to have my ideas out there. My parents have read my pilot beginnings for my books, and they threatened to take me to a psychologist, wondering why a 14, 15, 16 (my current age) year old girl would write such terrible, dark things. And that, as I'm sure you know, is the secret nobody knows; why we write the way we do. Are we twisted, ravenous, soon-to-be killers? Are we emotionally disturbed? Maybe. But mostly... it's intrigue. The thrill we get from reading a scary book, and, in the back of our minds, wondering if all this could possibly be real. But I'm rambling. Apologies.

But my point is, Mr Shan, that your books have inspired me to move past the worried parents, the possibility or threat that I will be told that I'm crazy, or disturbed, or something to that effect (I know when I started reading Stephen King, that REALLY didn't help). The world is strange that way; most humans can't accept the things we have not seen, nor cannot comprehend, and therefore, they shun what is different from the norm. You r take on human state of mind is so clear and consise, it makes me want to give myself a second analysis.

In short, I'd like to give you thanks. You've taken horror to a level some can only hope to comprehend or acheive, and, I BEG you, if you are to make a movie of your books, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DIRECT AND WRITE THE SCRIPT! I will not watch another movie that inaccurately portrays a book and its characters for the infuriating sake of 'time'.

Well, I won't be writing or directing the film of Cirque Du Freak, and it certainly WILL make big changes to the books, but as I've said often in my blogs, I think that's a good thing -- movies should reinvent their source material, not just copy it. Regarding Megan's gruesome stories, I told her (and her parents) not to worry. I wrote FAR darker, grislier, gorier stories when I was a teenager!!! I think a lot of teens go OTT on the gore front because at that stage you're probably not equipped to write a "good" story. But you want to make an impression, so you throw in anything you think will shake readers up. In later years, as your skills advance, you come to learn that less can be more, and cut down on the gore in order to give the characters more room to breathe. So any of you pushing the envelope of good taste, don't worry, you're not going crazy!!! And tell your parents not to worry either -- it's just a Teen Thing!!!!

Finally, Amy Beth Cesar, also from Canada:

I'm sure you're probably just sick of fan-mail by now, must get really monotonous, just thought i would bombard you with another! But that's neither here nor there, i have to say that you have an AMAZING collection of literature, and i am hooked. My good friend Gemmy explained a few main aspects of The Demonata series to me, mere mention of Lord Loss got me craving to read the series already. Sad, but i have a tendency to only read books on and off, because they disinterest me after awhile. However, my friend gave me the first book in this series, and i finished it in a few hours. I couldn't bear to rip my eyes off!

I am a huge fan of psychology in books, mysteries, and especially horror. The ones that make you think, or truly dig deep into your mind. Your characters have a profound nature to them... they are well thought out, and feel like real people to me. They are creative, and stand out to me... (especially the names!) and that is such a huge factor to me, i suppose. The characters make up the story, and it's what makes the story and gives it that profound "OOMPH!" to it.

My very favourite villain of any book i have ever read is Hannibal Lecter (Don't ask why a 16-year-old girl loves to read about cannibalistic criminal master-minds), despite any story, and movie, and book i have ever read, no one has ever come close to how much i loved his character. Until now that is, Lord Loss is so close to my favourite villain now, he's so different... there is more to him than meets the eye.

But anyways, past ripping my eyes out of your book, I don't normally sit here having a conniption, but i'm just so infatuated with your writings already, i can't help it. Please excuse me for that (I don't normally gush, but yeah!). Unlike my friend, i am not much of an author as she is... like i mentioned before, i am more attracted to characters. I build them very well, i just don't seem to make stories very well. Though i have an attraction with reading horror now, it often frightens my family, and causes them to think of me strangely. My mother comes across me reading When the Cicadas Cry, and she'll give me a strange glance before walking off. I'd love to indulge in the thought that i'm not crazy, but yet again, neither here nor there. Either way, you've proven to me that girls, and anyone, can love horror and the macabre without being thrown into an asylum.

But to conclude now, since i'm probably jut gabbing your ear off here. I  can hardly wait for the whole Demonata series to come out, and i can't wait to read the rest of your literature either. I just can't rip away from your stories. The combination of Magicians, a cursed Lycanthrope bloodline and demons, i just can't wait!

Hannibal the Cannibal is one of my favourite characters too!!! Though I hadn't made the connection before, I guess Lord Loss DOES share certain characteristics with him. What made Dr Lecter so memorable was his humanity. Yes, he was a clinical, genius killer, but there have been plenty of those before (going back to Professor Moriarty in the Sherlock Holmes stories). What made him stand out was his relationship with Agent Starling, the strange feelings he had for her. In the midst of his evil ways, we sensed stirrings of love, someone who wasn't THAT different to us at his core, and I think that's why he freaked us out so much -- we were able to see shades of ourselves in him, and it's never comfortable when you realise that "There but for the grace of God go I!!"

My demons, as some fans have noted, are fairly one-dimensional. They live to kill -- simple as that. No grey areas, no underlying psychological motives, nothing fancy. That was deliberate -- I wanted them to be straight-up monsters, determined to destroy, beings you can't reason or plead with. But Lord Loss is the exception to the rule. His love of chess and human suffering intrigues us. Although he's clearly not human, and will never share our nobler sentiments (mercy, compassion, forgiveness, etc), he has certain human traits -- almost vices. We can see reflections of ourselves in the lowly demon master, and that draws us closer to him, and as we draw close we find ourselves repulsed, yes ... but also fascinated and, dare I suggest it, somewhat jealous? I mean, wouldn't we all like the total freedom of Hannibal Lecter or Lord Loss, the freedom to do anything we wished, to have no sense of guilt, to torture and kill the same way we'd brush our teeth or walk a dog? I think most of us feel a need to do the right thing, and a sense of contentment when we do. But down deep we know life would be easier and probably a lot more fun (on a vicious, inhuman level) if we abandoned our nobler ideals and ran wild. Most of us never do that, and it's RIGHT that we shouldn't. But that doesn't stop us thinking about it, or finding ourselves drawn to those in literature who have the freedom to go places we don't wish to really go to, but wish to somehow, in some distracted way, experience ...

Night night, people. And don't worry if your nightmares lead you down alleys dark and seductively menacing. There's nothing wrong with exploring such places ... as long as you only do it in your dreams ...

Watched England lose 3-2 to Croatia last night, meaning there will be NO team from these isles at the 2008 European Championship -- not England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland or Northern Ireland. That's the first time since 1984 that no country from these two islands has qualified for a major championship. Grim days indeed!!! While I'm first and foremost an Ireland fan, if we're not in a competition, I would always throw my support behind (or at least look on with interest) England or Scotland or whoever. This means I'll have no vested interest at all in the games next summer -- it will be a purely academic contest as far as I'm concerned. *SIGH*

On a more positive note, I got back to my normal editing ways this afternoon. I spent the early part of the day writing some new material for book 8 of The Demonata, but then it was back to simply editing, not re-writing. There might be another scene further down the line that I have to adjust, but I don't think so -- it looks like I might be in the clear for the rest of the book's run ...

Received the following very nice email from a teacher called Michelle in Canada:

I am a high school teacher in Oromocto, New Brunswick, Canada. I want you to know how much my students enjoy The Darren Shan Saga.  I've been using this series as a read aloud for the past two years with my grade 9's and 11's.  They cannot get enough, and each class starts with someone asking, "Are we reading Darren Shan today?"  A few students have sped by me and they are well ahead of the class in the series.

Many of the boys have told me that they had not read a complete novel until I introduced them to this series.  They are completely spellbound by your work.  I had to ask the librarian to buy the series for the school because they were in such high demand. I have even suggested to my babysitter's daughter that she read this saga as she is a reluctant reader herself; she is now on the second novel in the series.

As a parent and educator, I appreciate that you have written books that are highly interesting, but are innocent enough for young adults. Truly your work is magical. I have been known to read aloud in class for half an hour without a student making a sound - it's amazing the impact your books have on my students.

I have never been one to email authors, I figure you have a lot of fans and a lot on your plate, but I have never seen books become so popular in my 8 years of teaching. I felt it was necessary to contact you to express my gratitude for creating books that easily promote literacy in my classroom. Thanks again for sharing your talent with my students, and I wish you continued success.

Awwww ... I love it when an email like that pops through!!! I don't think any author ever gets so busy that they don't want to read feedback like this -- and more fool them if they do!!!! Success can distance you somewhat from your audience -- it might become impossible to reply to every email or letter, to go to every school which requests a visit -- but you should never let it drive a wedge between you. Responses like this are why I became a writer in the first place, and if all the money and trappings pass away (as they somtimes do), at least I'll have emails and letters like this to remember and come back to -- and ultimately I think that's what matters most. You shouldn't become a writer to makes loads of money and get famous -- you should do it in the hope of telling a story that will reach out and touch people. If you can do that, you've done all that any writer should ever ask or expect of themselves -- and anything after that is a bonus.

I started another edit of book 9 of The Demonata yesterday. This has been the most troublesome book of the series, by far. I'm trying to achieve the balance between imparting a lot of facts (which the book has to do) while keeping it pacy and entertaining at the same time. I came up short on previous drafts, but each one has been a bit better, and I've got some fresh angles to come at it from this time. Editing is normally quite easy for me, involving mostly tinkering about with what I've already written, trimming it down or sharpening it up slightly. But sometimes I have to re-write scenes or create new ones, and I never actively enjoy that. When I'm doing a first draft I fall into a certain mindset -- I know the book is going to take time, that I can't rush it, and I'm happy to take things day by day, page by page, churning out the words. I'm normally fairly patient when working on a first draft, content to put in the time it takes to write such a large amount of new material. But when I come to the editing process I like to move faster, to get into the flow of the story, to try and see what readers are going to experience. When I have to write new material, that slows me down, and I know I'm going to have to do another, extra edit to get back into the flow of the book -- which is frustrating!!! It has to be done -- if a scene isn't working, it has to be fixed -- but in a way I begrudge having to do it. It's like part of my brain is screaming at me: "We already did this part of the work! What the hell are you up to?!?" I'll be fine once I'm done, and I'm sure I'll be very pleased when I come back and do my next edit, having (hopefully!!!) sorted out the problems in the book. But right now I'm a bit grumpy. Ah well -- that's all part of a writer's lot! If work was TOO easy, I suppose it would get a bit boring after a while ...

Lots of you have emailed me to congratulate me on the movie news. Many thanks to everyone who's written. I have read all the emails coming in, but haven't been able to respond to many -- the new book must take precedence!!!

Saw a great film called Little Children yesterday, starring Kate Winslet. Not a kid's film, to be sure, but a very thoughtful, thought-provoking, funny and moving tale about how complicated adult life can be. Also saw the last episode of the first half of season 6 of The Sopranos. I can't wait to tear through the final few episodes, but I'm going to make myself wait for a while, to savour the anticipation. So today I started watching season 3 of Deadwood. Westerns were never like this when I was a child!!!!!

Remember that BIG news I mentioned last week? Well, here it is!!!!

It's been a long time coming, but I'm delighted to be able to announce that the Cirque Du Freak movie is due to begin filming in February 2008!!! This is the official announcement from Universal, the company making the film:

"Cirque du Freak" by Darren Shan – Movie Announcement

The "Cirque du Freak" series of bestselling children's novels by Irish author Darren Shan has been acquired by Universal Pictures and will be adapted for a motion picture of the same name.  The film is due to begin shooting in February 2008 in New Orleans under the direction of Paul Weitz (About A Boy, In Good Company), and will star John C. Reilly (Gangs of New York, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story) as Larten Crepsley; Josh Hutcherson (Bridge to Terabithia) as Steve Leonard; and newcomer Chris Kelly as Darren Shan. Weitz is adapting some of the storylines from the novels for the screen.  He and Lauren Shuler Donner (X-Men) will produce for their production companies, Depth of Field and The Donner's Company.

There's not much more for me to add, except -- whoopee!!!! There's no telling how the film will turn out, but I think it's in very safe, capable hands, and I'm really excited about the cast so far. I've seen Josh Hutcherson in a number of films (most recently R.V. with Robin Williams), and I've been a BIG John C Reilly fan since I saw him in Boogie Nights -- he never seems to put in anything but an excellent performance.

No release date has yet been set for the movie, so ignore any online rumours you might come across. As soon as I know anything more about that, and about other cast members, I'll include the info in the Shanville Monthly -- I plan to keep fans regularly updated over the next few months. You can also look up Cirque Du Freak on IMDB -- that's where you'll be able to find details about the crew.

I know a lot of you have been dreaming of a Cirque Du Freak movie for a number of years -- I've received emails and letters about it virtually every day since the first book was published back in January 2000! Now, at last, the dream is poised to become a reality -- hurrah!!!!! I hope you're all as psyched about the news as I am!

Of course I know, equally, that some of you aren't keen on a movie adaptation at all! All I have to say to you guys is -- tough!!!! Naw, seriously, my attitude to movie adaptations is the same as Stephen King's -- sell the rights to your stories freely, keep out of the movie side of things once you sell the rights, and keep your fingers crossed!!! King's books have probably been the source material for more bad movies than any other writer's -- but at the same time there's been The Shining, the original version of Salem's Lot, Stand By Me and The Shawshank Redemption. If I was Stephen King, I'd happily put up with a dozen stinkers if it meant being able to be associated with any one of those four films.

You never know how a movie adptation will fare. Lots of great books have been turned into terrible films, and likewise some bad books have been turned into great movies. It's a lottery. But as someone who loves films, I think it's worth taking the risk. If Cirque Du Freak becomes a great movie, I'll be there in a cinema with the rest of you, lapping it up. I love seeing my stories get to places I never thought they were, and seeing other creative minds play about with them. In Japan the manga adaptation has far surpassed my expectations, and I get a great buzz when I read each new episode, seeing my story re-interpreted and served back to me as something new. In a way, because I never actually read any of my books once they see print, reading the manga is the first time I've been able to experience the story the same way you guys have, as something fresh and surprising.

I'm hoping the movie will go as well as the manga, that they'll produce something that does the books justice, that recreates the story in a different way. It will be VERY different to the books in terms of structure and pace, but that's fine -- a good film SHOULD reinterpret and add something new to the mix. I see no point in making a film that JUST does what the book does -- in that case, nothing new is brought into the world. I WANT Universal to play around with the books and find a new way to tell the story. You never know -- they might find a BETTER way!!!! And if they don't? If the movie disappoints? If it goes the way of Eragon or The Dark Is Rising? Well, what if it does?!? I don't subscribe to the "A bad movie ruins a good book" theory -- that's just childish nonsense!!!! Raymond Chandler was once asked if he thought a bad movie had ruined his book -- he laughed, pointed to a copy of the book on his shelf, and said "The book's right there. It hasn't changed in the slightest. It's just as good as it always was."

And Chandler was right. The movie is something different, an aside, a project in a separate medium. I'll be watching developments with interest, hoping for the best, but I'm not overly concerned because, no matter what happens with it, THE BOOKS ARE STILL THERE. I know some fans don't make that distinction, that they can turn against a book if a bad film comes along. But to me that's like turning against a good song just because some crap band covers it. The Beatles have been covered by loads of awful bands over the decades, but that doesn't spoil the original songs, not as far as I'm concerned. Those songs will always be special -- if you don't like a particular cover, you simply ignore it. I take the same view with books and movies -- if someone comes along and makes a bad film out of a book I love, that doesn't turn me against the book -- I simply ignore the film!!

But hopefully I won't have to ignore Cirque Du Freak. I'm impressed by the quality of the people involved with it, and I know they're talking to other actors of a very high quality, so I've got a pretty good feeling about it. I think it could turn out to be something special. We won't know for sure until it's released, but I'm feeling a lot more positive than I might have been. The more I think about what John C Reilly might do with Mr C, the more intrigued I become. He might not be what a lot of you were expecting, but then a good movie always throws out a few surprises -- back in the early 1970s, most movie folks thought Al Pacino was completely wrong for the main lead in The Godfather -- but I don't hear too many people moaning about him now!!!!!

Oh, one final thing, to those who have been complaining about the movie being set in America. Why shouldn't it be?!? Cirque Du Freak was NEVER set anywhere specific. Some people have been saying it should be filmed in Britain -- but that's only because in their imaginations the books were set there. When I wrote CDF, I wanted it to work for readers all around the world -- if it became successful, I wanted it to be a book that ANYONE could read and relate to, ANYWHERE in the world. That's why I kept it vague, and never mentioned any country or city names. I've always been happy for publishers in different countries to give it their own slant, to use their own slang phrases, currencies, etc, to make it seem as if the story is set in THEIR country. It sounds corny, but I wanted the books to "belong" to the world. With the movie, that level of vagueness wasn't a possibility -- it HAD to be set SOMEWHERE. Even if they didn't give the places a name, people would be able to identify the setting by the accents. I know Universal considered using actors from other countries, and still are for many of the parts, but I wasn't surprised or disappointed when they opted to film it in the States and chose Americans for the leads -- I think that was always going to be the case.

Anyway, as I've said, I'm VERY excited about this, and I'll be keenly following the progress of filming (and reporting back to you lot as often as I can) over the coming months. We're moving into a whole new field with this, and for better or worse, I think it's going to be an interesting experience for all of us ...

Had a quiet Sunday. Went for a drive and to visit a Christmas store, did some stuff on the web, and watched a film -- Castle in the Sky, by Japan's fabulous Hayao Miyazaki. One of his earlier films (1986), it started a bit slowly, but built impressively, looked absolutely gorgeous, and was quirky and inventive. Like most of his films, this one comes VERY highly recommended! After that we went in to town with my friend Kenny to see the RTE 2FM 2moro 2our. It's basically three bands on a tour of Ireland, sponsored by RTE 2FM. This is the third tour, and we saw the first, which was really good. The bands didn't impress me too much this time, although one of them -- the woefully named Ham Sandwich -- were quite good. Still, it was a nice night out, and we didn't get back home and to bed (after a guilty trip to Abrakebabra!!!!) until 02.00.

Slept in late this morning and didn't do too much later, apart from answer emails, watch more of The Sopranos and Twilight Zone. Also saw the recent documentary about Wal-Mart, and how poorly they treat their employees -- fairly shocking to see a company getting away with behaviour like this, but corporate greeds runs rife throughout the world, I think, and here it seems to be at its purest and vilest. I also posted my notes for Demon Apocalypse to my web site at last. I think the notes for this one are particularly informative, as far as trying to explain how I put books together when I'm working on a series, BUT I don't recommend you read them unless you've read Demon Apocalypse, as they contain MAJOR PLOT SPOILERS!!! The link for those who've read the book is: DEMON APOCALYPSE NOTES

atest edit of Book 8 of The Demonata. I ploughed through more than 60 pages, which is quite a lot, but not unheard of for me. I always zip through the last third of book 8 at high speed -- it's a really fast-moving, action-packed stretch that sucks me in every time. I'm very pleased with how the book stands -- now to tackle the more troublesome book 9 again ...

I sometimes get asked how I feel when I finish a book. A lot of people have this notion that authors write a book in a frantic daze, one feverish edit after another, and then ... just ... draw ... to ... a ... stop ... and punch the air, light up a cigar, sit back and bask in the glory of a job well done. Well, I'm sure there are writers who work that way, but I'm certainly not one of them. For me it's a series of "finishes". Completing the first draft is a biggie -- an unifinished first draft is like a huge mountain, waiting to be climbed, and until you get to the last line you can't say for certain that you'll make it all the way to the summit. but I know my job has just begun, and that I'll have to go through the book another 6 or 7 times, over 2 or 3 years. So I can't, y'know, get actually excited about it. It's a bit like if your team scores a goal in the first ten minutes of a match -- it gives you a great buzz, but you know there's a LONG way yet to go, and only a fool celebrates so early. Subsequent finishes are kind of like scoring more goals in a one-sided match -- it's a bit like Brazil playing Luxembourg. Once the first goal goes in, you KNOW that more will follow, so although each edit ("goal") brings pleasure, it's not like scoring the winning goal in the last minute of a cliffhanger of a match. By the time I get to the very last edit, I feel a bit tired of the whole thing -- I've put a lot of work in, I'm usually proud of what I've achieved, but I know the job is drawing to a close and I'm busy looking forward to the next book (in fact I'm always busy working on the next book!!). Seeing it in print is always nice, but there's never a point where I cut loose and go on a wild celebratory spree.

Writing for me is a long series of small pleasures, not wild joys. When I publish a book, I don't get the feeling that a lottery winner gets when they win big. I suspect most other writers are similar. But in the long run, satisfaction is far better, I think, than exhilaration. Winning the lottery only gives you a short burst of joy -- you might live happily off the proceeds for the rest of your life, but you'll only have a few days of giddy, disbelieving euphoria. With writing, there isn't so much excitement, but the smaller thrills and pleasures can be spread out over months, years, even decades. We live in a society which pushes the notion of immediate, big-time buzzes -- you're a "success" if you achieve FAME! NOW!! WITHOUT DOING ANYTHING TO EARN IT!!! The media glorifies short-term stars, builds them up swiftly, fans the flames of their success for a while, then drops interest in them just as quickly. You need to ask yourself, what will make you happier in life -- having a brief burst of fame and riches when you're young, then living off nothing but memories for the rest of your life? Or working hard and getting to enjoy the rewards of your achievements (even if they're only modest rewards) through your thirties, forties, fifties, sixties??? I think it's pretty clear what I think, but I'm not arrogant enough to believe that my view is superior -- maybe it IS better to soar high and briefly, and burn out quick. It's always personal -- each one of us must decide what matters, what will bring us pleasure in life. What works for one person won't for another. All I'm saying is, don't let the media's obssession with temporary fame turn your head. Thing through your goals and choices. Do what WORKS for you -- not what is EXPECTED OF you. Define the terms of what YOU think is success, then go and try and achieve them, no matter what everybody else thinks, no matter what dreams others are chasing. We get one shot at this life, people -- do you want to live it YOUR way, or just go along with what other people have decided is the flow?

Edited a bit more of Book 8 of The Demonata, but it was a day of various distractions -- mostly on the internet -- and I didn't get as much done as I meant to. But I'm not too worried -- I'm well ahead of my publication schedule and winding the year down. I plan to keep my hand in, editing, right through to the end of the year, but I'm not going to push myself too hard. I've had a busy, productive 2007, and I think I've earned the right to have a few lazyish days in the final month or so!!! I always like to ease up a bit towards the end of a year -- the occasional break from work can make you appreciate it all the more ...

Haven't been able to announce the BIG news yet, because of certain factors I have no control over. It looks like it will be mid next week before I can trumpet it around. But some of you have managed to find out about it already, by scouring the web. Feel free to discuss it with others if you're one of the few in the know -- this is a nice, lull before the storm sort of time. I imagine the message boards and other fan sites will be hopping aggressively once the news becomes common knowledge ...

I hope you all have a fun, relaxing weekend. I might be out for quite a bit of it, so if you don't hear from me until Monday, worry not -- I'll be having a good time!!

Edited another 40+ pages of Book 8 of The Demonata. The trimming was less drastic than yesterday, though I still found plenty of ways to tighten things up. Watched another episode of The Sopranos. My friend Pa popped down for a visit -- he's a cool musician and you should definitely check out his MySpace page if you haven't already. (He's one of my Top Friends, so you can find the link on my main page.) I watched the film Green Street (known in the States as Hooligans). Better than I thought it would be, though unfortunately it lapses into the hysterical mode that most films about football hooliganism fall into. It's a bit like those old movies set in mining towns years ago -- there was always a tragedy down the pit at some stage. Similarly, with recent films about football hooligans, there are some core staples -- the young thugs coming up against the older geezers, a BIG showdown fight between rivals -- that crop up all the time. Of course that's part and parcel of what footie hooliganism is all about, so you can't entirely escape it -- but it's a pity film-makers don't look for more original ways to tackle the subject.

Replied to 20 fan letters after watching the film. I picked up a load off of Pablo during the week, which will take me a while to get through, though anyone who's written to be before early November should get a response before Christmas (though I can't make any promises!!!).

Some BIG Darren Shan news broke in the media today. I was hoping to send out an email about it myself, but I haven't been given the all-clear yet, so I've had to wait a while. But if you're keen enough, and do some canny web surfing, you should be able to beat me to the punch and find out for yourself before I make the news public ...

Started re-editing book 8 of The Demonata today. This is probably the last edit I'll do solo, i.e. before my editor gets back to me with her notes about it. I started by cutting out most of the opening chapter!! A lot of it was recap, telling about things that had happened in earlier books. I always find it helpful to include a summary of what's gone on before when I'm starting a later book in the series, as it helps me refresh events in my own mind. But as I move closer to the final edit, I usually cut out most of the recaps, as they're not really necessary, and in fact can be downright annoying for fans -- "Why is he telling us things we already know? Does he think we're so stupid we can't remember what happened before?!?" It's essential, when working on a series, to provide just enough info for newcomers (and those who might not have read the older books in quite a while) to be able to follow what's going on. But "just enough" is usually all you should include. Sometimes a bit more is needed, but you should always be wary of including too much background filler. Write plenty for yourself - as I did with the early drafts of book 8 - but be prepared to slice it down when you're coming closer to your final edit.

One of the good things of doing an edit quite soon after another (I did an edit of book 8 only a few months ago) is that it helps you spot the flaws quicker. I find that if I leave a story for several months or a year, it's a pleasure to return to it, and sometimes I treat it a bit too respectfully. Having working on book 8 such a short time ago, I'm a little irritated returning to it now, so I want it to flow as smoothly as possible, so that I don't have too much to do on it next time round. Being a bit irritable, I'm quick to spot sections that aren;t working or need to be cut or severly rewritten. It's quite satisfying cutting out material in this state of mind, almost like punishing a naughty child -- "You offend me, foul line, so I shall banish you from this book forevermore!!!!!" Writing a book is a labour of love, but sometimes you have to ... not exactly hate ... but feel a bit p****d-off at it. Books need knocking into shape, and it's easier to slap a book about if you have the hump with it and are looking to kick its literary ass!!!!!!!

Enjoying season 1 of The Twilight Zone. Though dated, most of the episodes stand up remarkably well, and they have surprisingly high production values -- good actors, decent sets, professional camerawork, skillful scores. I thought they might be a bit of a chore to sit through, but so far I'm having a whale of a time! Also saw The Devil Wears Prada. VERY different, of course, but to my surprise I actually liked it. I've no real interest in fashion (as anyone who's met me at a signing or event will have noticed very quickly!), but this was a fun look into a world I'd otherwise never get anywhere near. That's one of the things I like most about movies -- they can take you places you'd not think of going. It went off the boil near the end - too sappy - but for the most part it held my attention and made me smile. And who knows -- maybe some of that fashion sense will rub off, and next time you see me on the road I'll be decked out in the season's latest hot clothes ... dahling!!!!!!

Reading through Jonathan Carroll's blog today (as I do almost every day -- it's the only blog I check out regularly), I came across an interesting quote by the poet Rilke, who was responding to a fan who wanted to know how to make sense of the great dilemmas of life:

"Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for answers, which could not be given to you now because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer. Perhaps you do carry within you the possibility of creating and forming, as an especially blessed and pure way of living: train yourself for that. But whatever comes, with great trust, and as long as it comes out of your will, out of some need of your innermost self, then take it upon yourself, and don't hate anything."

I forwarded this (and the rest of the blog entry) to Bas's aunt Mary, a Carmelite nun -- I just felt she'd be interested. Later she responded with the following quotes:

'There is no such thing as an answer, but if one can stay in front of the question, if one can stay open to the fact that there is always a question and there is always a new situation: in other words there are no pills, there are no given answers; that one has to be really open to confront something as if for the first time, now - the present.  And it's not yesterday and it's not tomorrow but it's today.  The question is right now and it's a question of life.'
I often get asked about my beliefs. Do I believe in a God or gods? In reincarnation? Am I an athiest? My answer has always been a very polite "None of your business!!!" I don't think a writer's beliefs should matter to his/her readers. I'm not looking to express my beliefs through my writing (unlike, say, C S Lewis with the Narnia books). I'm happy to let my characters believe in their own things, to explore their views of life and the universe with them. Sometimes some of those views coincide to some extent with my own. Sometimes they're entirely different. Anyway, as I said, I've always been fairly blunt about telling people I don't want to discuss my beliefs. But those few quotes have made me re-think my position a bit, and not being one to willingly offend people (and I know some people DO take offense when I'm secretive about my beliefs, being of the mindset that if you don't pin your religious colours to a mast, you're somehow being dishonest with them), I think in future, when asked, I will smile enigmatically and answer in my most profound whisper:

"I believe in questions."