blogs_blog_26

You're writing it backwards!?! Man, I could never do that! You must be weird...or something.

 

By the way, what you said about the angst on BZP is completely true, too many people make up their minds too quickly.

 

SZ

 

Just looking for a new challenge, SZ -- when you have written as many of these as I have, it's easy to get into a rut and just start churning them out automatically, and BIONICLE fans deserve better than that. Besides, I knew how it ended -- and how it started -- but not what happened in the middle. This way, by writing the end first, I am figuring out what must have happened in the middle to get to this point

 

Greg

cool! going to a school! (I'm guessing 4th grade or something? Which means you won't come to my highschool....) (But can you do a book signing in Arlington, VA?)

 

Anyway, hope it all goes well at the meeting, and the book turns out well. Here's a question: do you listen to music when writing? And what kind? (and do you work at home or in your Enfield office?)

 

nice updates. Hope you can blog more....

 

-CF

Urgh, there goes the title of my RPG - Why Greg Why?

 

Haha, just kidding. I'm sure your plot isn't anything like mine.

 

 

I think '09 should be a stand-alone story, like '01, '02 and '03 were. '04-'05 was awesome, and so far '06-'08 is. But I like the idea of a stand-alone story better.

 

Yeah, unlike almost everyone here, I look for the positives in the new year story.

09 stand alone would be so awesome!

Heartwrenching bionicle book? sounds cool. cant wait.

 

BK

Wow. This sounds very exciting. I mean about the new book. I think that a lot of BZPower members are both right and wrong at the same time about new sets and the storyline. Personally, I think Bionicle is goin in a great direction. The storyline is awesome, and the sets so far are great. I think that it takes some people time to get used to the good things about the storyline and the sets, because there initial reaction is sometimes negative. Thanks for all the work you do, and can't wait to here more!

 

Sincerely, Inika101

CF - I used to listen to music when I wrote all the time -- I wrote my first novel back in '92 listening to soundtracks of old Clint Eastwood Westerns. Nowadays, I usually don't have anything playing because I am usually writing while my wife is asleep. (All my novel writing has to be done at home, because it's freelance, not part of my office work.)

 

My own vote would be for 2009 to be a one-year story -- the advantage of a trilogy is that it would mean LEGO was committing to BIONICLE at least through 2011, which would be the 10 year anniversary. So if we do a trilogy, it needs to end on a really big note for that anniversary year.

 

Greg

I see the trends in the topics too. No worries I say though, as when I go to the toy store and see kids buying Bionicle, they don't even mention anything about BZPower. And the general feel is "OH WOOWWWWW LOOK at all the new BAD GUYS! WOWOWW" or" OO this is so and so and he has these poweres ooo" So I dont think that bzp is affecting overall bionicle sales. We are after all just a group of people online who has opinions about things.

 

I think this story arc is summing up to be a really good thing, and I look forward to the rest of the books for this story arc. Keep up the good work Greg, because its a really great thing that just keeps getting better!

 

A stand alone story in 09 would be cool, but a story arc would be cool too. So it's really just a choice.

 

I myself am working on a 2 1/2 hour movie based on my own creations, and have been told by many kids on bzp that my models should be sets.

How do you mean emotionally wrenching? Is it sad?

Understand that I am not trying to imply with my post that BZP is unimportant or irrelevant in the grand scheme of things -- only that it tends to represent a particular age group and taste, and in some things, it speaks for the majority of fans, in some things it doesn't.

 

For example, BZP has close to 35,000 members, many of whom were into BIONICLE as far back as 2001. Well, we sold 7 million Toa canisters in 2001 -- so even if you assume everyone who bought one bought six, that still means well over a million BIONICLE purchasers even back then. That's a pretty big number. Over 1.4 million people get the comic book every other month. So you can see how 35,000 pretty much has to represent a small fraction of the fan base.

 

Greg

I hope Lego does a stand alone story for 2009, then a trilogy for 2010, 2011 and 2012.

I think 09 should be a stand alone, and make sure the 10 year anniversary comes with a bang. (like special all gold and all silver sets!)

 

(and thanx for the comment. Freelance? I though Lego was paying you to produce the novels)

 

-CF

Lucky chidlets. A book backwards... interesting. I just finished Legends #6. Prime stuff, Mr. Greg.

BtB

No, the books are not written on LEGO's time or for LEGO money -- they are written under contract with Scholastic, who pretty much can use whoever they want to for their books (that's why Hapka did the first few). They aren't obligated to use someone who works at TLC.

 

Essentially, the way the deal works is that Scholastic has licensed BIONICLE and EXO-FORCE from LEGO for books -- and for every book sold, they give LEGO a royalty. So it's a good deal for TLC, because other than the salaries of the people who have to approve the books in Denmark, they don't have to invest a lot of money and they get regular revenue in if the books sell well.

 

It's the same sort of deal that TLC has with Lucasfilm for Star Wars. Lucas doesn't pay our designers to do the sets -- we pay them a royalty on whatever sets we sell.

 

Greg

Make sure to give one heck of a presentation in that class.

 

-Omi

i understand where your coming from Greg, writing your books backwards, i write books in my spare time for the fun of it, and writing them backwards is just so much easier.

(P.S., i love your blog!)

an interesting way to write a book i wonder if that would work with evaluations and essays i'll have to try it.

 

im just wondering greg once this story ark is over are we going to focus on the nuva again because i do miss them. I think a one year story would be better for 2009, then have two year story arc trying to awaken mata nui it would be a wonderfull way to finish bionicle on it 10th anniversary with mata nui finally awake (if it finshed after its anniversary)

Is writing books backwords easier? Even if it isn't, it sounds fun!

 

~GM~

Just for a quick thing -- the plan right now is NOT to end BIONICLE when Mata Nui wakes up, but to continue the story on past that.

 

Greg

Emotionally wrenching... Somone dies. Or Mahri Nui is destroyed. Awesome!

 

Downfall. *Scurries to the wiki*

 

And I'd like to go on the record saying that everything 2007 is awesome. Well, if I let the Squid Launchers slide...

a three year storyline!?are you seriuos?!

AWSOME![/szie]

you rock!

You are writing the book for Scholastic, but the stories is what LEGO made not Scholastic.

 

So LEGO says that you must write about Mahri Nui, Xia...

I have a suggestion for 2009. Not that I expect it to be turned into story, but something for Greg to think about...

 

A saga detailing the training of the Toa Mata. Like Metru Nui, but with Tahu, Kopaka, and the rest. Sure, it'd be another flashback, but I'm sure the fans could handle it for a single year. It'd be easy for Lego to devise a villain, an island and a story, and it could be used as a way to answer lots of mysteries. Plus, it would entail a revamp of the Toa Mata sets - just name 'em Tahu Mata, Kopaka Mata, etc, to avoid the usual issue with consecutive sets having the same names. And the Toa Mata would get the spotlight again. The only problems I can see arising is fans being displeased witn the sets not being true to what they expect, and maybe an aversion to doing another flashback.

 

Oh man, that would be so awesome if it was done right. Greg, do you think that this is a feasible idea in any way at all?

 

On another note, I really can't wait until BL8 now...

 

Just for a quick thing -- the plan right now is NOT to end BIONICLE when Mata Nui wakes up, but to continue the story on past that.

 

Greg

 

Thats interesting to know - if Makuta survives until Mata Nui awakes, will he try and destroy Mata Nui once more?