Welcome back everyone! This week has been proving to be a challenge so far, but I'm sure we can all make it through the rest of the way for some nice resting time this weekend. The "recoloring" is going well too, and after doing the math of what I should be doing I feel much better about the chances of me actually getting through all of the cards. It still doesn't help that they are each numbered so to me, while I know that I have completely what will soon be 30 of them, I still see IV and V on the top of the cards I'm working on, so that's fun.
With all this work on something different I keep thinking about how it ties into writing, other than the obvious for me since these are all characters from my series. Then I thought about the characters themselves, and when it comes to figuring out who they actually are, having a visual representation might not be such a bad idea for anyone. Now I'm not saying you have to be a world-class artist to have this work (lord knows I'm not one) but even a little stick figure showing their hair length, what they tend to wear, and some notes about facial features will help you figure out exactly who these people are once you get to the point of writing them.
Even deciding what your character wears is a sign of the person they are. If they tend to wear some grungy cover-alls that are covered in grease and oil stains along with a t-shirt, it's probably going to be assumed they are some kind of mechanic. Add in a rag hanging out of a pocket that looks like it's fairly well used and their favorite wrench hanging from their belt, it's now been added they are proud of their work and likely enjoy it. At least that's how I'd interpret it.
Having some kind of visual will likely also help you just figure out what they look like. Sure you can have a vague idea of who they are, but when it comes time to actually write out something they're doing which would include some kind of description, there might be moments of hesitation. Up until that point they're basically faceless bodies (that will now haunt your nightmares) and now it's time to actually make them into a person. I know a bunch of people who have made it a point to sketch out the characters in not just their stories, but also the tabletop games we've been in. It helps you grow attached to them and will actually make them feel more organic as a character.
I suppose what I'm trying to say is that writing is going to spill into your other hobbies in some form or another. Whether it's you write a story based on something else you're doing (super guilty) or you start drawing the people in your stories, it's a part of who you are, and if you want to keep it separate from everything else that is going to be incredibly difficult. Don't be embarrassed by it, by all means be the opposite; be proud of it. You are doing something that makes you happy and other people will also be happy for you. Embrace it because in the end you have no idea how far it's going to take you.
Thanks everyone for stopping by today. I will sleepily be back here on Friday with a review for you to enjoy. I am looking forward to my weekend, even if it's going to be full of endless coloring. Thanks again and I hope you have a great rest of the week!
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Monday, March 25, 2013
03/25/2013 Magnificent Monday
Welcome back everyone. I hope you all had a super awesome weekend! I have finished round 1 of my drawings. I decided that since I was only missing two that I would indeed design all 22 of the Major Arcana, so I had to add Judgment and the Hanged Man to my list. Now I am working on recoloring the copies I made because my printer decided making things super light and also getting rid of things like the background and skin color and some shading was an awesome idea. Things are looking good though, I just hope I can finish them all by the 12th.
I know I keep talking about this thing, but that's only because I am super excited and a little proud of them. Like writing, these were a huge task and the fact I managed to get them even to the point they're in now, I am really happy for. I'm also super nervous about the idea of the craft fair; I'm not one to put myself out there in front of, not just people I know, but complete and total strangers that are actually right in front of me and not just on the internet. I feel like I should have more things to sell than just the Arcana, but then I realize I have no idea what that would possibly be. I'm considering coupons for 'The Light Rises' but haven't settled on that.
I have also made more progress in my editing. Something that I left out that is constantly driving me crazy is that there aren't any page numbers. It was something so simple that I forgot and I have a constant reminder of it on every page. I can't help but look at it, and I'm hoping that I don't lose all of my sanity by the end. So far though all the pages are sporting a nice smattering of pink from where I've made notes and crossed things out. I'm hoping that after the first two editing drafts I can let someone else read it for a while so I don't have to look at it.
Thanks everyone for stopping by today though, I really do appreciate it. I have also realized just how far behind I am in posting the links to those cards. I will make up for this right now. I think I left off with the Moon...I think...so I'm just going to start from after that point, here's Justice, Death, the Sun, the Hermit, the Devil, the High Priestess, Judgment, the Hanged Man, the World, and the Lovers 3. As you can see, I have been super busy, but have been having super fun. Enjoy, and have a great start to your week!
I know I keep talking about this thing, but that's only because I am super excited and a little proud of them. Like writing, these were a huge task and the fact I managed to get them even to the point they're in now, I am really happy for. I'm also super nervous about the idea of the craft fair; I'm not one to put myself out there in front of, not just people I know, but complete and total strangers that are actually right in front of me and not just on the internet. I feel like I should have more things to sell than just the Arcana, but then I realize I have no idea what that would possibly be. I'm considering coupons for 'The Light Rises' but haven't settled on that.
I have also made more progress in my editing. Something that I left out that is constantly driving me crazy is that there aren't any page numbers. It was something so simple that I forgot and I have a constant reminder of it on every page. I can't help but look at it, and I'm hoping that I don't lose all of my sanity by the end. So far though all the pages are sporting a nice smattering of pink from where I've made notes and crossed things out. I'm hoping that after the first two editing drafts I can let someone else read it for a while so I don't have to look at it.
Thanks everyone for stopping by today though, I really do appreciate it. I have also realized just how far behind I am in posting the links to those cards. I will make up for this right now. I think I left off with the Moon...I think...so I'm just going to start from after that point, here's Justice, Death, the Sun, the Hermit, the Devil, the High Priestess, Judgment, the Hanged Man, the World, and the Lovers 3. As you can see, I have been super busy, but have been having super fun. Enjoy, and have a great start to your week!
Friday, March 22, 2013
03/22/3013 Fantastic Friday!
Hello everyone and welcome back. I hope the week has treated you all well. I have finished the first round of coloring, so I am really excited. Now I have made copies and need to recolor them to make sure everything looks vibrant and pretty. For now though, let's get to the reason why you're actually here!
Today I bring you '192: Part 1' by Jak Kindler. It follows the story of Isaac, a man that is tormented in his sleep and in reality by a specter that attempts to take control of his mind. The formatting is a little non-traditional, but that doesn't mean the story isn't good. It actually helps with the sense of panic going through the main character's mind, so I think it can be worked with.
Isaac dreams of giving the world to Allison, and he loves her more than anything else in the world. However, this dream is different, and even when he wakes up one he sees as Allison can't possibly be her. It's painful and tormenting, and even when he really does see her all she says is that she has to help him. The real question is whether or not she was able to save him. When finally he's able to wake up again, time is more of a question, as is his location, and he finds the one the specter had been guiding him toward.
I picked this story because even with the formatting I still found it enjoyable. The rules to writing are set in so much that is how teachers tell you to do it. My favorite writing professor always told me that real creative writing is exactly that; creative. You need to do things however you need to in order to get your point across. Besides, they are rules, they're more guidelines, so if you think you need to go around them, it's your work and that means you have the authority to do that.
'192: Part 1' is available for free at Smashwords, and is very short, so please to and check it out. I'm sure the author would appreciate it too. Please check it out and tell everyone about it as well, that would be super awesome if you could!
Thanks everyone for stopping by today. I hope everyone has a great weekend ahead of them. My goal is to sleep in at least some point, well however long the cats let me do that. I'm certain it will also be full of coloring, which is nice. For now though, have a great day!
Today I bring you '192: Part 1' by Jak Kindler. It follows the story of Isaac, a man that is tormented in his sleep and in reality by a specter that attempts to take control of his mind. The formatting is a little non-traditional, but that doesn't mean the story isn't good. It actually helps with the sense of panic going through the main character's mind, so I think it can be worked with.Isaac dreams of giving the world to Allison, and he loves her more than anything else in the world. However, this dream is different, and even when he wakes up one he sees as Allison can't possibly be her. It's painful and tormenting, and even when he really does see her all she says is that she has to help him. The real question is whether or not she was able to save him. When finally he's able to wake up again, time is more of a question, as is his location, and he finds the one the specter had been guiding him toward.
I picked this story because even with the formatting I still found it enjoyable. The rules to writing are set in so much that is how teachers tell you to do it. My favorite writing professor always told me that real creative writing is exactly that; creative. You need to do things however you need to in order to get your point across. Besides, they are rules, they're more guidelines, so if you think you need to go around them, it's your work and that means you have the authority to do that.
'192: Part 1' is available for free at Smashwords, and is very short, so please to and check it out. I'm sure the author would appreciate it too. Please check it out and tell everyone about it as well, that would be super awesome if you could!
Thanks everyone for stopping by today. I hope everyone has a great weekend ahead of them. My goal is to sleep in at least some point, well however long the cats let me do that. I'm certain it will also be full of coloring, which is nice. For now though, have a great day!
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
03/20/2013 Writing Wednesday!
Welcome everyone. I know the week is treating you well so far, at least as well as any work-week can do. I am still working on those cards and have decided, after seeing it visually on a list, that since I'd only be missing two of the major arcana once I'm finished, to just make the other two. This means there will be a total of 24 cards made (three of them will be the Lovers, because I'm a sap like that) and while this is a ridiculous task it has been SUPER fun. I'm looking forward to whatever future they bring me.
Today we are going to focus on what we are used to though, you know that whole writing thing. As you know, I've started working on editing 'Rending the Seal' which is a task that I still believe is daunting, but very, very necessary. One of the things I firmly believe in is that once you are finished with the actual writing portion (the first draft) you shove it into a dark closet and pretend it doesn't exist for a certain amount of time. This time can vary from person to person, but it lets you shut your brain down for a bit, think about others things, and just generally not go crazy. The question is, what do you do during that time?
Part of what you do is going to depend on how long that time is for you. Depending on the person it could be a couple weeks, a month, to sometimes several months almost a year. It really all depends on how long you need to not look at that thing once you've finished the first draft. For me it's usually a couple months but sometimes it can be longer just because editing and I are not friends and I don't want to start it. One thing that I do recommend is that, at least for the first week or so, don't fill your time with more writing. I know that seems counter-intuitive, especially if you're working on a giant series thing, however the initial purpose of this was to shut your brain down for a bit, and immediately jumping into something else will not let that happen. Find a game you want to play, color, go on a vacation, or just do nothing. This is your time to rest both physically and mentally and you don't want to burn yourself out.
Now if you're anything like me after that first week of nothing you'll start to twitch, it's at that point when you are ready to maybe start something new while the other thing marinates. Currently I have multiple stories in various stages of writing, and that's perfectly fine. I work on them when I can, or when I become particularly inspired, but it means I can work on them at my own pace and not have to worry about not getting something done. I know that a lot of people can't do that, but I also have an ulterior motive for doing it that way, which is the knowledge that at some point I will need to get my wrists fixed, and I know that while I am at home recovering if there's something for me to do I will do it, no matter how much I shouldn't. I do usually tend to focus on one at a time though, especially if one is closer to being 'finished' than the others, which is the case for 'Daughter of the Shackled King', since I can finally see the end of the notebook. Once that's done I can work on 'Through the Broken Mirror' and focus more on editing 'Rending the Seal', but right now I just want to get that one into a digital format.
I'm not saying to completely shut down your brain, at least for a long-term break, but pretending something doesn't exist is actually very helpful. It lets you clear your head and think about other things so that when it does come time to pick it up and look at it again you will have a fresh perspective of what you're looking at. Especially in those cases when it took a long time to write something and you can see your style evolve as you read. While that means a mountain of editing to smooth that out, it also means that you have noticed it and know where it works and where it doesn't. I've also realized that coming back to it later will actually help you feel more satisfied with your work. I can't tell you how many times I've thought something I wrote was absolute trash, but after I came back to it I didn't feel that way anymore and was rather pleased with what I had done. It's a difficult process, but we're all in this together!
Thanks everyone for stopping by today. I do have more cards, however I don't have the DA links for them yet. I will try to get them all together by Friday, at which point I'll have more than just two to throw at you all too. For now relax, and we'll all get through this week together, and if it gets tough just think about kittens. All of them.
Today we are going to focus on what we are used to though, you know that whole writing thing. As you know, I've started working on editing 'Rending the Seal' which is a task that I still believe is daunting, but very, very necessary. One of the things I firmly believe in is that once you are finished with the actual writing portion (the first draft) you shove it into a dark closet and pretend it doesn't exist for a certain amount of time. This time can vary from person to person, but it lets you shut your brain down for a bit, think about others things, and just generally not go crazy. The question is, what do you do during that time?
Part of what you do is going to depend on how long that time is for you. Depending on the person it could be a couple weeks, a month, to sometimes several months almost a year. It really all depends on how long you need to not look at that thing once you've finished the first draft. For me it's usually a couple months but sometimes it can be longer just because editing and I are not friends and I don't want to start it. One thing that I do recommend is that, at least for the first week or so, don't fill your time with more writing. I know that seems counter-intuitive, especially if you're working on a giant series thing, however the initial purpose of this was to shut your brain down for a bit, and immediately jumping into something else will not let that happen. Find a game you want to play, color, go on a vacation, or just do nothing. This is your time to rest both physically and mentally and you don't want to burn yourself out.
Now if you're anything like me after that first week of nothing you'll start to twitch, it's at that point when you are ready to maybe start something new while the other thing marinates. Currently I have multiple stories in various stages of writing, and that's perfectly fine. I work on them when I can, or when I become particularly inspired, but it means I can work on them at my own pace and not have to worry about not getting something done. I know that a lot of people can't do that, but I also have an ulterior motive for doing it that way, which is the knowledge that at some point I will need to get my wrists fixed, and I know that while I am at home recovering if there's something for me to do I will do it, no matter how much I shouldn't. I do usually tend to focus on one at a time though, especially if one is closer to being 'finished' than the others, which is the case for 'Daughter of the Shackled King', since I can finally see the end of the notebook. Once that's done I can work on 'Through the Broken Mirror' and focus more on editing 'Rending the Seal', but right now I just want to get that one into a digital format.
I'm not saying to completely shut down your brain, at least for a long-term break, but pretending something doesn't exist is actually very helpful. It lets you clear your head and think about other things so that when it does come time to pick it up and look at it again you will have a fresh perspective of what you're looking at. Especially in those cases when it took a long time to write something and you can see your style evolve as you read. While that means a mountain of editing to smooth that out, it also means that you have noticed it and know where it works and where it doesn't. I've also realized that coming back to it later will actually help you feel more satisfied with your work. I can't tell you how many times I've thought something I wrote was absolute trash, but after I came back to it I didn't feel that way anymore and was rather pleased with what I had done. It's a difficult process, but we're all in this together!
Thanks everyone for stopping by today. I do have more cards, however I don't have the DA links for them yet. I will try to get them all together by Friday, at which point I'll have more than just two to throw at you all too. For now relax, and we'll all get through this week together, and if it gets tough just think about kittens. All of them.
Monday, March 18, 2013
03/18/2013 Magnificent Monday!
Hello everyone! It is the start of another week and hopefully this will be a good one. I am wicked tired right now though, so I'm banking on the day waking me up on its own. Yesterday was St. Patrick's Day, so I want to say a belated 'yay!' to that and also that I hope everyone had a nice and safe day to celebrate.
With my current project right now I am down to the home stretch. Since I last posted I have finished the Hierophant (though that may get another attempt once I'm finished with everything else), The Lovers, The Star, Strength, The Wheel of Fortune, Temperance, The Lovers 2, The Chariot, and The Moon. I worked on Justice and Death this weekend too, but haven't uploaded their pictures yet due to weird lighting where I was at. I am super excited about how well this project is going so far. I think this week I'll be able to re-scan and work on making higher quality color versions too. The originals will always stay with me, but my hope is to be able to sell them and get more people interested in my series.
I've also done a little more work on editing, and while I'm a bit disappointed in my lack of motivation, I also understand that I have been SUPER distracted (please see previous paragraph) and haven't really thought about much else. My wrist though did scream at me some, so I have been forced to put 'Daughter of the Shackled King' down for now during lunch, which has given me the chance to work on the editing side a bit more. I am not enjoying myself, but I have never once said that editing if my favorite part, it's just the necessary evil that comes with writing.
For now though I will power through today with all of the awake-ness I can muster. It will be a challenge, but I think I can do it. Having a one-day weekend is super killer sometimes though, but I also don't want to be the person who calls in after a holiday, because frankly that looks super bad and I'm not like that. I hope everyone has a great start to the week though, and please tell your friends to come check out 'The Light Rises' please or maybe the cards as well. That would be awesome! I'll see you all Wednesday!
With my current project right now I am down to the home stretch. Since I last posted I have finished the Hierophant (though that may get another attempt once I'm finished with everything else), The Lovers, The Star, Strength, The Wheel of Fortune, Temperance, The Lovers 2, The Chariot, and The Moon. I worked on Justice and Death this weekend too, but haven't uploaded their pictures yet due to weird lighting where I was at. I am super excited about how well this project is going so far. I think this week I'll be able to re-scan and work on making higher quality color versions too. The originals will always stay with me, but my hope is to be able to sell them and get more people interested in my series.
I've also done a little more work on editing, and while I'm a bit disappointed in my lack of motivation, I also understand that I have been SUPER distracted (please see previous paragraph) and haven't really thought about much else. My wrist though did scream at me some, so I have been forced to put 'Daughter of the Shackled King' down for now during lunch, which has given me the chance to work on the editing side a bit more. I am not enjoying myself, but I have never once said that editing if my favorite part, it's just the necessary evil that comes with writing.
For now though I will power through today with all of the awake-ness I can muster. It will be a challenge, but I think I can do it. Having a one-day weekend is super killer sometimes though, but I also don't want to be the person who calls in after a holiday, because frankly that looks super bad and I'm not like that. I hope everyone has a great start to the week though, and please tell your friends to come check out 'The Light Rises' please or maybe the cards as well. That would be awesome! I'll see you all Wednesday!
Friday, March 15, 2013
03/15/2013 Fantastic Friday!
Hello everyone! We made it to Friday. I know it seemed like an endless trek and for a while like it would never come, but it did! I appreciate everyone coming too, this was a challenging week and to say that we got to Friday, I say that everyone deserves a treat.
Today I bring you 'Death's Game' by Douglas T. Vale. It's about a young man who, like many before him, tries to deal with Death and after trying to convince the specter that he isn't dead, which fails miserably, he decides to challenge him to a game of chess. Death is entertained by this notion and decides to humor the man before taking him to his final reward or punishment.
Chris had just been out that night for some fun, and he remembers hitting his head, but he doesn't remember dying. Death does, which is why he is trying to take Chris to where he needs to go. The young man disagrees, especially once he realizes that his own faithlessness means that his choices are fairly limited in where he gets to go in the afterlife. He remembers the stories he'd heard before; of people playing a game of chess with Death in an attempt to get out of dying, and being a little desperate he tries too. However, Death is very good, and Chris soon realizes he may be well over his head.
'Death's Game' is available on Smashwords for $1.99 and is a fun story to read when you don't have much time. I am always a fan of a characterized version of Death, especially when they are done well. There are people who make an attempt to do it where it falls flat, and this is not one of those instances. Please also check out the author's other works as well, as there are several and I'm sure he'd appreciate the views.
Thanks everyone for stopping by today. I apologized for the lack of post on Wednesday, however I really needed just a day to let my brain melt while I caught up on things. I'm still a little tired, but we're better than we were, so I'm going to take what I can get. The project is coming along nicely, but I am starting to see that my determination to have something to do during the day is taking it's tole. I'm trying to figure out how to give myself a little break during the day and so far the option seems to be cut out my writing, at least until the drawing/coloring is done. I think I should be able to manage this, but we'll see how it goes. Anyway, I hope you all have a great weekend, I should be back on Monday with a lot more energy. Until then, I hope you all have a great day!
Today I bring you 'Death's Game' by Douglas T. Vale. It's about a young man who, like many before him, tries to deal with Death and after trying to convince the specter that he isn't dead, which fails miserably, he decides to challenge him to a game of chess. Death is entertained by this notion and decides to humor the man before taking him to his final reward or punishment.Chris had just been out that night for some fun, and he remembers hitting his head, but he doesn't remember dying. Death does, which is why he is trying to take Chris to where he needs to go. The young man disagrees, especially once he realizes that his own faithlessness means that his choices are fairly limited in where he gets to go in the afterlife. He remembers the stories he'd heard before; of people playing a game of chess with Death in an attempt to get out of dying, and being a little desperate he tries too. However, Death is very good, and Chris soon realizes he may be well over his head.
'Death's Game' is available on Smashwords for $1.99 and is a fun story to read when you don't have much time. I am always a fan of a characterized version of Death, especially when they are done well. There are people who make an attempt to do it where it falls flat, and this is not one of those instances. Please also check out the author's other works as well, as there are several and I'm sure he'd appreciate the views.
Thanks everyone for stopping by today. I apologized for the lack of post on Wednesday, however I really needed just a day to let my brain melt while I caught up on things. I'm still a little tired, but we're better than we were, so I'm going to take what I can get. The project is coming along nicely, but I am starting to see that my determination to have something to do during the day is taking it's tole. I'm trying to figure out how to give myself a little break during the day and so far the option seems to be cut out my writing, at least until the drawing/coloring is done. I think I should be able to manage this, but we'll see how it goes. Anyway, I hope you all have a great weekend, I should be back on Monday with a lot more energy. Until then, I hope you all have a great day!
Monday, March 11, 2013
03/11/2013 Magnificent Monday!
Hello everyone! I hope the weekend saw you well. I had a lot of fun and made lots of progress on my side-project. I've added a couple more cards to the project, and if you'd like you can see the Magician and the Fool here. I did work on the Hierophant and the Lovers as well, but I am waiting to upload them until I take a picture with better lighting. Hopefully that will be done either today or tomorrow morning.
I am enjoying this project very much, I know it makes me look like an editing slacker, a part that does make me sad, however this is so different and so big that I think the satisfaction is being able to finish it will outweigh any guilt I have. Today I get to start work on cards for the characters from 'Through the Broken Mirror' and while that section will be the smallest, since there is overlap between that story and 'The Light Rises'/'Rending the Seal' it will mean I am just over halfway done when I get through them. Still though, super fun and I really hope I can finish all of them.
Last week saw some good traffic over to 'The Light Rises' thanks to the sale at Smashwords. While that didn't mean that the number of sales went up, I'm still happy that anyone went and took a look at the page. Exposure is very difficult so getting any at all is a much-needed boost.
I also hope this post makes sense to those reading it. Daylight Savings kicked in this weekend and I feel like I have been beaten to near-death because of it this morning. It doesn't help that this is the Saturday that I work, so my work-days are going to be longer than normal. I really hope I am able to survive today, because right now I'm not sure if that's going to happen.
Thanks everyone for stopping by today, as I said before I will be putting up more links either tonight or tomorrow morning for my cards. I really hope everyone is enjoying that project as much as I am and I'm really looking forward to the real finished products. That will happen after I print everything out again, re-color them to make everything much more smooth and vibrant and scan them into my computer as a final image. I really hope they turn out as well as I think they will. For now though I hope everyone has a great start to their week!
I am enjoying this project very much, I know it makes me look like an editing slacker, a part that does make me sad, however this is so different and so big that I think the satisfaction is being able to finish it will outweigh any guilt I have. Today I get to start work on cards for the characters from 'Through the Broken Mirror' and while that section will be the smallest, since there is overlap between that story and 'The Light Rises'/'Rending the Seal' it will mean I am just over halfway done when I get through them. Still though, super fun and I really hope I can finish all of them.
Last week saw some good traffic over to 'The Light Rises' thanks to the sale at Smashwords. While that didn't mean that the number of sales went up, I'm still happy that anyone went and took a look at the page. Exposure is very difficult so getting any at all is a much-needed boost.
I also hope this post makes sense to those reading it. Daylight Savings kicked in this weekend and I feel like I have been beaten to near-death because of it this morning. It doesn't help that this is the Saturday that I work, so my work-days are going to be longer than normal. I really hope I am able to survive today, because right now I'm not sure if that's going to happen.
Thanks everyone for stopping by today, as I said before I will be putting up more links either tonight or tomorrow morning for my cards. I really hope everyone is enjoying that project as much as I am and I'm really looking forward to the real finished products. That will happen after I print everything out again, re-color them to make everything much more smooth and vibrant and scan them into my computer as a final image. I really hope they turn out as well as I think they will. For now though I hope everyone has a great start to their week!
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