Wednesday 29 June 2011

Cola Zero, Andy Murray and a short hiatus

I did say, a couple of days ago, that I would be writing "The End" within an hour - I didn't quite manage that, but Super Maxwell and the Isle of the Dead, 1st draft, was finished at 5.10pm today (June 29). There are a few reasons for this...
First of all, a most seriously, the place I spend most of my time writing in has a massive TV screen in it. Most of the time this isn't a problem as I generally sit behind the screen, and even when I'm not it's usually the news that's on with the sound off. But today it was Andy Murray's match at Wimbledon. I love tennis, so this really put me off - but I persevered, dear reader, thinking of you I turned my back to the screen and drank a caffeine-heavy drink and carried on.
The other reason, of course, is that even though you might have a pretty good idea of how, when and where a story will end you never quite know how - well now I do know, page 455 with the word "string". It was heck of a journey!
But for you, of course, the journey hasn't yet begun - but I can promise you that it is Maxwell and Billy's most thrilling, terrifying and heartbreaking story so far. I'll let you know how its going - but, for me, this is how it ended...


Tony Kerr

Monday 27 June 2011

In living colour

I am so close to finishing Isle of the Dead now that I can practically smell the flowers on top of Arcania Hill - it's September 11th at the end of the book, just as the flowers are blossoming, and an ideal time for the whole of the village to head for the hill for a communal barbecue! (Honestly, I almost live in Virporta Village!). I am perhaps an hour away from writing the words "The End" - but then, of course begins the whole process of rewrites, reconsideration, regrets and, hopefully, a sense of relief!
Still, to keep both you and I going until then I will be pinging you some tasty treats - more Trevor, of course, lost chapters from Isle of the Dead, some more entries for Realmpedia - and here's the first, John Gallagher's first rough colour rendering of the cover.

Monster - Maxwell - rooftops - clues?! Come on, you should know by now you'll get no spoilers from me...
Tony Kerr