Bursts of Inspiration

Recently I traveled to Toronto for the World Horror Convention, making the road trip from Boston with my friends John McIlveen and Nate & Nicole Kenyon. You'd think after nine hours in the car, we'd want to kill each other. Chances are they were on the verge of beating me to death with my I-Pod or empty can's of John's MONSTER drink, but for my part, I had a wonderful time.

I spent much of the convention with friends I don't get to see often enough, because they don't live on the same continent (thoughtless and selfish, aren't they?). They know who they are, and how much I miss them, so I won't recap the whole weekend.

The point is this: whenever I attend such a gathering of writers, I come away inspired. I spend so much of my time at the computer, writing, and during those times it's just me and the keyboard. I've talked before about how solitary writing is. So when I get the chance to spend time with other writers, whether we're talking about our own books or someone else's, or about the business, or just about our lives, I always come back with a renewed energy and enthusiasm, ready to work.

To all of you who shared a moment or a drink or a rambling conversation in Toronto, I want to say thank you for the inspiration.

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I returned from Toronto and immediately put that enthusiasm to work on a couple of different projects. Tim Lebbon and I had already been working on MIND THE GAP, the first of our HIDDEN CITIES novels for Bantam Spectra. Now we're chugging along, tearing through it, and having a fantastic time. The story has a momentum we're both enjoying, so that it feels like the story really belongs to Jazz, the main character, and we're just along for the ride.

I'm also writing my stories for the five-author anthology FIVE STROKES TO MIDNIGHT. (Hank, I swear, I'll be done soon.) Two quiet, sorrowful tales of ghosts and legends, and one nasty, ugly monster story, right in the middle.

There's a great deal of news on the way, but not a lot I can say at the moment. I'm going to do my best to start blogging more, and more briefly, with short updates. It's going to be an incredibly busy year with the release of my novel with Mike Mignola--BALTIMORE--and a variety of other projects, including a short story collection.

I'll be back soon to talk about a new teen horror project, SOULLESS, and the next book I'll be doing for Bantam.

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READING: Joe Lansdale's LOST ECHOES (he's an American treasure..no one writes like Joe)
RECOMMENDING: Sarah Pinborough's THE TAKEN
LISTENING: Jonathan Coulton and Amy Winehouse (not together; that would just be weird)
WATCHING: The Shield, Entourage, Heroes, and all kinds of other stuff...and wishing Friday Night Lights would come back for a second season. Have I mentioned I watch too much TV?