The Zombie Breakthrough

One of the really exciting parts of writing a book is when suddenly it all crystalises and you realise what it’s all about. Some of the problems you were grappling with, things you’re not clear on suddenly fall into place.  It comes when you’re well into the first draft, it can’t possibly happen before, the world is too ill-defined. It’s the point where the world you’ve created in your book and the characters slips from your control a bit - you become less of a God and more of an all-seeing observer. I had that moment last week with Little Green Pills, the next children’s book.

While I had the broad arc of the plot and characters set out and I was chugging along OK, I knew I was missing something. Apart from my hero students discovering what the principal was doing to the kids and trying to expose him, there was no real danger, no excitement. I was missing the gasp at the end of some chapters. Then the solution came and it was down to zombies.

Actually, it was down to Jonty, my central character. As so often happens with the breakthrough moment it’s a character that delivers it. While Jonty was trying to win over the other students who are not ‘suddenly’ perfect I found myself writing him saying ‘they’re like zombies...must learn.... Must learn’. And that was it, suddenly the rest of novel appeared clearly. 

Rather than just being perfect, the zombie children are voracious and increasingly rabid learners, surpassing their teachers and becoming a scary in the lengths they will go to in the pursuit of knowledge. This lets me have some drama, a few chases through the skills, and a life and death dramatic conclusion. Let’s face it, the idea of perfectly behaved kids may be amusing for a page or two but perfection is dramatically boring. I need excess!

I’m now thinking of a new title: Attack of the Student Zombies, which for a book aimed at 8-12 year old boys is far more fun. I did send this title to Belinda the publisher at the ABC to see what she thinks. There’s been an ominous silence since.

Feedback on the potential new title would be much appreciated.

Back on the roller coaster

After a period of quiet the roller coaster has picked up again. Crikey.com, the Australian news site had a ‘tips and rumours’ item that  stated ABC Books was being shut down. The staff had been told find other jobs and the titles were being sold off. I had known that some major changes were afoot but not that. Great, I thought, there goes the next kids book down the pan.

I raised the rumour with Belinda the publisher at ABC Kids which she promptly scotched. ‘That reminds me,’ she said, ‘I haven’t made you a formal offer for Little Green Pills’. The formal offer came through via email which I quickly accepted. So thanks Crikey for the erroneous rumour, that made me contact Belinda and remind her about the offer!

We’re looking at an initial print run of 3,000 which for a kids book isn’t bad. It’ll be released mid next year. Now I’ve formally accepted, the contract is grinding its way through ABC legal and I might actually see some money this month. Given how much of my ‘commercial’ writing is based in the (nose-diving) finance industry, that’ll be a welcome addition to the coffers.

It’s all about quality

This is the high point, the point of hope, excitement and expectation. I shall enjoy the exhilarating rush of being a published author with a potentially brilliant book ahead of him.

All I have to do now is write the book! Actually it is the fun part, the bit I enjoy most. I have to be aware of not getting too carried away with enjoying the story. I have such fun writing, I often write scenes because they are an entertaining diversion, or a moving moment. In this book, I’ve got a whole soccer match scene which I’ll have to axe but it it was fun and helped me explore the characters. It’s almost like you need to ‘observe’ the characters a bit outside the actual confines of the final book to see what they’re like.

At this point I’m pouring it out onto the keyboard without editing. At the 10,000 word mark (the whole story will be around 25000) I’m about a quarter of the way through the story so I’m going to have a big base to work with. This is fine. I always see the first draft as creating your block of marble from which you then sculpt your work of art.

Each book I write is a different experience. For this one the key word is ‘crafting’. I can’t wait to get the first draft out and then really hone it into a great kids books. I’m not settling for simply entertaining any more. I want it to be great.

Good grief I think I’m finally taking myself seriously as a writer!

In the back of my mind bubbling away quite pleasantly is the next adult book. So many incidents, memories, thoughts are popping out and I think I have a structure, but I’m not putting anything down yet. There’s no hurry. I shall gestate like an elephant.

The tribute to David

One of the benefits of being stuck at home with a chest infection is the remarkable things you get to see that otherwise you would miss. It used to be that you were lumbered with daytime TV and would have to marvel at infomercials for ab-blasters and daytime soaps. Not any more. In between episodes of Dexter and the Barchester Chronicles I happened to log onto the US to watch live as they voted for $700 billion bail out. It was strangely compelling and I still haven’t decided whether it’s proof that democracy is alive well or that lunacy runs rampant.

Soak the rich

First I got to witness a senator trying to pass an amendment that would tax people making over 1 million on property deals to pay for bail out. “The American tax payer would pay nothing!” They didn’t even bother counting the votes on that one, the nays definitely had it. However it was fun to see half of Hillary Clinton swinging her leg, looking in the opposite direction and keeping an expressionless half-face.

The significance of belated

The world waited for its financial salvation. I imagined traders glued to their screens, fingers posed over their “sell” buttons waiting for the word, yeah or nay. Home-owners across the USA hoped and against hope the news would be good for their foreclosure. The Senate majority leader, Harry Reid came to the podium with due gravitas and began a tribute to David. David works in the senate, he is part of the ‘extended senate family’ who has worked tirelessly behind the scenes with little recognition. David is an ordinary American. I thought at this stage that Reid was really labouring his point. ‘OK’ I spluttered, ‘this legislation is for ordinary Americans we get it,’ but he continued. David’s family were all mentioned by name.  ‘So on behalf of the senate I would like to offer belated....’

There were some issue with the word ‘belated. Reid hesitated. I gasped (probably because of the chest infection but I’ll lay it down to the pause). A voice to the side confirmed that it was the correct word.

‘...a belated but nevertheless heartfelt thank you for his work.’

The senate applauded, the senator resumed his seat and my jaw dropped. Here I was waiting for the big moment when the biggest crisis since 1929/1987/2001 would receive vast amounts of money and the senate was passing a motion of thanks to David. 

After that motion they moved onto the bail out package. The speeches were probably shorter than those for David as they moved with now seemly haste to voting on the bill.

It was a fascinating insight into democracy in practice, unedited by news sound bites. I’m still torn. Part of me is utterly gobsmacked that the world had to wait for David to be thanked.  How many share prices plummeted during that wait? Everyone is running around screaming about the end of the world and the senate indulges in the parliamentary equivalent of a morning tea ‘thank you.’

On the other hand, I liked the idea of David being thanked while the world waited. The crisis was no worse or no better for that thank you taking place. I hope right now that David’s children are marveling at the fact that people all over the world know their father made a great contribution to the senate. They don’t know exactly what that contribution was, Senator Reid was remarkably short on specifics. It proves that in the hallmark card of life, there’s always time for gratitude, no matter how big or how significant the fires burning around you are.

On the third hand it could have been a delaying tactic while few recalcitrant senators were duffed up in the toilets to change their vote to ‘aye’ Hillary Clinton’s half body was conspicuously absent during the thank you, so anything is possible.