Just a random assortment of things today --

1) Heading to Denmark in mid-March for a one-day story meeting -- going to lock down 2008 and decide whether 2009 will be a stand-alone story or part of a 2009-2011 trilogy, among other things. I am headed out a day early to meet with the BIONICLE web producer.

2) Working on BIONICLE Legends #8: Downfall. For the sake of variety, I am writing the book backwards -- epilogue is done, working on the last chapter now.

3) Much has been made on BZP of the proliferation of topics complaining about BIONICLE and its direction. Actually, what there is a proliferation of is people saying there is a proliferation -- as many veteran BZPers can tell you, this happens every year and has since 2003 or so, and it is not confined to BZP or BIONICLE fandom. Most fan bases react to anything new with initial suspicion/dislike, until they get used to it and find the positives. I got asked by the BIONICLE brand manager if she needed to be concerned about some of the topics here, and I told her no, not at this point -- sometimes, BZP angst does go hand in hand with lower sales for a line of sets, but most times it does not.

4) Making my first school appearances this spring -- a BZPer wrote me a letter as part of a school project, and it turned out his school is nearby to where I live and work. So I told him if the school was interested, I would come in and speak. I heard from them a month or so later, very nice people, and we arranged two engagements in April. Normally, I do book signings at stores or things like Comic-Con, but have not done a school before. Might be interesting.

Back to work -- if I do my job right, Bionicle Legends #8 should be the most emotionally wrenching BIONICLE book I have ever done. I am purposely writing a vague description for Scholastic to use so they don't give away the major plot points on their site months ahead of time.

Greg