Halloween 2005

I've been spending hours agonizing over all the misgivings I have about starting a blog, but who cares?  I want to let you into my thoughts.  Never mind that I'm used to distorting my sensibilities for dramatic purposes, and the thought of doing this feels a bit too naked for my comfort level.  I'll work around that.  I'll do my best to be truthful and punctual and somewhat pointless.  I measure my words in my books and scripts; I'd rather just let them fly here and see where they take me.

My goal here is not to impress you, nor move you, nor make you think.  It's just an attempt at communication, fingers pattering at my keyboard from time to time to let you know what I'm thinking about no matter how silly or profound.  If you ever find yourself impressed, moved or thought-provoked from anything I write on this blog, I assure you it's purely accidental.

Tonight is my favorite holiday.  I'm in my hometown of Ithaca, New York, and I just keep thinking about the ghosts of Halloween past.  Parties.  Costumes.  Bobbing for apples in punch that smoked from dry ice.  One year, we got ye ol' shaving cream in the mailbox, and I must have been a little unclear on the whole trick part of the trick-or-treat equation because I jumped to the paranoid conclusion that someone was out to get my family.  Silly me.

I saw three kids tonight with paper bags over their heads, eyeholes cut like the Unknown Comic.  I doubt they're old enough to have the faintest idea who that is.  Maybe their parents knew.  Maybe they were just strapped for costumes.  I keep going back and forth on it.  Hours earlier, I had the pleasure of being a guest lecturer at a creative writing class at a local college.  Those are always fun for me.  Feels like I'm giving back the benefit of whatever knowledge I happen to have.  And it doesn't seem so long ago since I was in a class like that.  Anyway, we spent time on craft and how I got started in the business and a few other things I'd planned to use for this blog entry, but now I'm all talked out about them so they'll have to wait for another time.

In the meantime, I'm trying to remember just one of the costumes I wore for trick-or-treating.  I can't think of any.  It'd be interesting to know, to see if who I wanted to pretend to be back then had any impact on who I happen to be now.  There are people who might know, people with better memories than mine.  I'll ask around and get back to you. Or me.  I happen to be interested.  You may just be along for the ride.  If that's the case I'll try to post something more to your taste later.  Leave comments if you like; let me know what you'd like to hear about.  And who are you, anyway?  I assume you fall into one of the following categories:

1.) A fan of my work.

2.) A fan of my father's work.

3.) Someone I know from the real world, and not this online whozitwhatzit.

4.) A curious bystander.

5.) The coldblooded monster who put shaving cream in my mailbox.  And if that's who you are, don't think I'm not on to you.

Whoever you are, welcome.  And Happy Halloween.

Comments

[sd]

Nick

Nice job on reporting on your hallwoown.

Shauna

[Elizabeth]

No surprise that your favorite holiday is Halloween!
Just in case you're curious, I fall under category #1 and am eagerly awaiting Everfree (no pressure to get it done, though ...only pressure to add more of Hal! ;) )

[danielgary]

Nick,

Nice entry, enjoyed reading about your favorite holiday, as it is also mine.

Yes, please more Hal in Everfree.

Oh, and I fall under categories #1 and #2. I was a fan of your father's before I read your books, but love them as well.

Good luck with the bookwriting,
Daniel Gary

[Nick Sagan]

Thanks, everyone! And Hal is definitely the star of Everfree. The vast majority of the story is told from his point of view, though a few other characters get a voice as well. As soon as I have the publishing date, I'll post an update to let you know.

[sd]

Nick

When you or your agent have time have
somone find amzon email. I found your next book on amazon for May as a date. This is not the first time
is been wrog other then this past summber that everyone was wrong.

[sd]

Nick

I loved your Farther and stepmonther's work. I miss your dad.
I grow up in the 80s and90s.
So I am use to the Sagan/Dryan work. But do know your mom work on
two nasa projects in the 70s.

[Trey Johnson]

I just finished reading Edenborn and I am simply amazed by both Edenborn and Idlewild. Keep up the great work and can't wait for the next book, Everfree is it?

[Teresa Neves]

A mixture of 1.) and 2.). I loved your father's work. I read Idlewild a while ago, and now I'm reading Edenborn. I identify myself a little with Hal, as I was born in Halloween.
I'll be on the conferences next week (I'm portuguese), so see you there...

Keep writing!
Teresa Neves