Artistic Seasons and How I'm Growing
ARTIST
With just a few weeks left until summer's end, of course the thrust of my work right now would be all about winter. It's like the crooked, sardonic smile fate likes to cast at me, because it's a gazillion degrees outside, and every frame I design for my new graphic novel project has a dusting of snow over it. My characters are wearing scarves, and I'm fending off heat induced hives, which are one of the awesome additions my fibromyalgia has thrown into the mix.
Anyway, the project I've got brewing for Rabbit Publishing right now is another tale set in Sleepy Hollow, featuring Harry Moon and the usual suspects. It involves a 150-foot snow sculpture of the headless horseman and his mount, which magically end up wreaking havoc. I won't say more for fear of spoilers, but it's been a good laugh to have the instructions come back from my project manager that say, "Make it creepier!"
I have also had the awesome privilege of receiving my first copy of Inkadink, Rabbit's first graphic novel, printed on beautiful glossy stock, with spot varnishing on the dust jacket and 170+ pages of my drawings!
So, needless to say, things aren't feeling too shabby with the world of art.
AUTHOR
I still have to admit failure to break out of a holding pattern with my novels, though. I delivered my first pitch in three years at Realm Makers, giving The Risen Age Archive one last chance at traditional publication before . . . oh, I don't know what. I know I keep telling you some thing that I do is the last stab before I self publish. And then that doesn't pan out, so I think I'm REALLY going to self publish this time, though I'm short cover art and editing to do so, which leaves me to circling the proverbial airport.
Pitch Receiver was very complimentary in a follow up conversation about Curse Bearer, so we shall see how that looks over the next few weeks. If I can get this publisher to bite, then still like ALL the chapters, then it would on to finding an agent to jump on board, if I can get one. (No more negotiating contracts with publishers for me. Scarred. Scarred for life, I say.) But if Pitch Receiver decides to pass, then it's back to waiting for word from the tower whether I'm landing this plane. (Some art-based income to justify art-based investment wouldn't hurt!)
RINGLEADER
Perhaps the most telling interaction I've had lately about all the hats I'm wearing was one with my littlest gremlin in the family today. He saw that I was working on Realm Makers details for 2017, and he said, "What? Are you seriously working on the conference ALL YEAR now?"
Yep. That's what it's become--a year 'round labor of love. It's both great and terrifying to offer the writing community something that is now a thing to pursue. Authors and their agents are inquiring how to get a speaking slot. Every attendee has input on how the conference could . . . be better? Sometimes. Usually just be different. It's like walking down the aisles of a giant department store where hundreds of other people are throwing things into your shopping cart, saying "You want THIS, it's great."
It may very well be a great thing, unexpected helper. However, when I open my wallet, I find that maybe I better not even THINK about your suggested purchase. Sometimes I look at my home and realize...this doesn't coordinate with any of my furniture or color schemes. But sometimes, a gem I never would have thought to look for appears in the overflowing cart.
So the job of conference director begins, in this anarchy stage of planning, as one of sifting for that nugget of wisdom or crazy-perfect idea nestled within the flood of input that comes through email, messenger, twitter, texts . . . every day.
But the coolest thing is, I can see that there is a cloud of creatives around me almost invested in the stuff I'm creating as I am!
With just a few weeks left until summer's end, of course the thrust of my work right now would be all about winter. It's like the crooked, sardonic smile fate likes to cast at me, because it's a gazillion degrees outside, and every frame I design for my new graphic novel project has a dusting of snow over it. My characters are wearing scarves, and I'm fending off heat induced hives, which are one of the awesome additions my fibromyalgia has thrown into the mix.Anyway, the project I've got brewing for Rabbit Publishing right now is another tale set in Sleepy Hollow, featuring Harry Moon and the usual suspects. It involves a 150-foot snow sculpture of the headless horseman and his mount, which magically end up wreaking havoc. I won't say more for fear of spoilers, but it's been a good laugh to have the instructions come back from my project manager that say, "Make it creepier!"
I have also had the awesome privilege of receiving my first copy of Inkadink, Rabbit's first graphic novel, printed on beautiful glossy stock, with spot varnishing on the dust jacket and 170+ pages of my drawings!
So, needless to say, things aren't feeling too shabby with the world of art.
AUTHOR
I still have to admit failure to break out of a holding pattern with my novels, though. I delivered my first pitch in three years at Realm Makers, giving The Risen Age Archive one last chance at traditional publication before . . . oh, I don't know what. I know I keep telling you some thing that I do is the last stab before I self publish. And then that doesn't pan out, so I think I'm REALLY going to self publish this time, though I'm short cover art and editing to do so, which leaves me to circling the proverbial airport.
Pitch Receiver was very complimentary in a follow up conversation about Curse Bearer, so we shall see how that looks over the next few weeks. If I can get this publisher to bite, then still like ALL the chapters, then it would on to finding an agent to jump on board, if I can get one. (No more negotiating contracts with publishers for me. Scarred. Scarred for life, I say.) But if Pitch Receiver decides to pass, then it's back to waiting for word from the tower whether I'm landing this plane. (Some art-based income to justify art-based investment wouldn't hurt!)
RINGLEADER
Perhaps the most telling interaction I've had lately about all the hats I'm wearing was one with my littlest gremlin in the family today. He saw that I was working on Realm Makers details for 2017, and he said, "What? Are you seriously working on the conference ALL YEAR now?"
Yep. That's what it's become--a year 'round labor of love. It's both great and terrifying to offer the writing community something that is now a thing to pursue. Authors and their agents are inquiring how to get a speaking slot. Every attendee has input on how the conference could . . . be better? Sometimes. Usually just be different. It's like walking down the aisles of a giant department store where hundreds of other people are throwing things into your shopping cart, saying "You want THIS, it's great."
It may very well be a great thing, unexpected helper. However, when I open my wallet, I find that maybe I better not even THINK about your suggested purchase. Sometimes I look at my home and realize...this doesn't coordinate with any of my furniture or color schemes. But sometimes, a gem I never would have thought to look for appears in the overflowing cart.
So the job of conference director begins, in this anarchy stage of planning, as one of sifting for that nugget of wisdom or crazy-perfect idea nestled within the flood of input that comes through email, messenger, twitter, texts . . . every day.
But the coolest thing is, I can see that there is a cloud of creatives around me almost invested in the stuff I'm creating as I am!
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