tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51759727314098866212024-03-13T12:23:48.813-07:00The Lower Knightsawilliamwrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05851797741231750081noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5175972731409886621.post-15308799306820544012014-01-15T22:19:00.000-08:002014-01-15T22:19:54.873-08:00Getting Organized and Psyched UpI've been studying like a crazy person on the principles of visual storytelling, and soon there should be some pay-off as some pages start to take shape for Fading Cloud soon. Got the layout for the first page ready and sent off to Katya (check her stuff out <a href="http://katyadoodles.tumblr.com/post/72776583776/some-sketches-from-figure-drawing-last-night" target="_blank">here!</a>), so she can work her artistic magic on it and get it reading for inking.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosYD61BkyQFYpWwlsyMDrQmxRIxzcmEfw6k8X-QmET4U9SXJO0uSTualSRG-YtX0_s-5wYZUDYHvcpyWxldX4C3T3qltXR7EgMAKnLnMz-WY38-nlJRokyYUbYk8Q1cezAj1xRFb8THjE/s1600/Prologue+Page+01-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosYD61BkyQFYpWwlsyMDrQmxRIxzcmEfw6k8X-QmET4U9SXJO0uSTualSRG-YtX0_s-5wYZUDYHvcpyWxldX4C3T3qltXR7EgMAKnLnMz-WY38-nlJRokyYUbYk8Q1cezAj1xRFb8THjE/s1600/Prologue+Page+01-web.jpg" height="320" width="251" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was calling these "thumbnails," but that's not really accurate anymore.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br />
I have some cool ideas lined up for this project, specifically for how I want the inking to be done. It's been a long time coming, and the hard deadline is for it the first issue/chapter to be done by Christmas. So stay tuned...</div>
awilliamwrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05851797741231750081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5175972731409886621.post-10715866059421972702013-10-27T20:48:00.001-07:002013-10-27T20:49:32.578-07:00Changes and FocusIt's been a while since I posted something here, so I figure I should post an update.<br />
<br />
In the last few months, I've moved from San Diego to Los Angeles, so I can get closer to the animation industry and possibly get my foot in the door at a studio there (well, "here," now, since I'm actually here, so LA is no longer a "there," technically).<br />
<br />
Anyway, in the mean time, I'm working on growing my drawing skills, and I'm focusing exclusively on Fading Cloud. I'd like to work on Legacy also (a novel that takes place over 3000 years after everything else), but I'm in a season right now where I'm very strapped for time, and need to focus.<br />
<br />
But, the last few weeks have been great because of it. The script for Fading Cloud just continues to get more and more solid (partly because I completely ditched the original ending I'd written). Good things are coming down the pipeline, so keep an eye out!awilliamwrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05851797741231750081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5175972731409886621.post-77650890892658521132013-06-29T10:14:00.001-07:002013-06-29T10:14:18.901-07:00Who Needs a Lightbox.......when you have a perfectly good window on a sunny day?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyEuhw5Y8kbQHy-1Th_UuhSvqYs-WxKHG1e_ly04T-HWH7nQ9SSxe1JqFfb0WLgucGC3mZfpE1HdO1ywv0IE4goWE2C-KNk7IFS37vnL19D5oOC58VNqtJQwskFuDtZ1VaIiX1OfPbOFOp/s1600/Photo+Jun+29,+10+09+24+AM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyEuhw5Y8kbQHy-1Th_UuhSvqYs-WxKHG1e_ly04T-HWH7nQ9SSxe1JqFfb0WLgucGC3mZfpE1HdO1ywv0IE4goWE2C-KNk7IFS37vnL19D5oOC58VNqtJQwskFuDtZ1VaIiX1OfPbOFOp/s400/Photo+Jun+29,+10+09+24+AM.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Got this idea from Paul Shultz...now just gotta trace over it, then I can start inking it, then coloring it, then it will be done!<br />
<br />
<br />awilliamwrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05851797741231750081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5175972731409886621.post-4066094856965798182013-06-29T09:50:00.000-07:002013-06-29T09:50:11.354-07:00New Strategy...Going to be using this website more often soon...stay tuned...<br />
<br />
Also planning on setting up a Zazzle page, to make it easier for people to buy my art and stuff!awilliamwrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05851797741231750081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5175972731409886621.post-26239227553394343112013-03-02T17:52:00.002-08:002013-03-02T17:52:23.960-08:00Getting Bit By The "What Happens Next?" BugOkay, so, I've spent a lot of time ruminating over the issue of how to properly write the first part of a novel...I've even written a blog post on here about overcoming the "wall of words" problem. There are a lot of issues to take into mind, but the most important...the one I've been chewing on for the last couple months now...is The Hook.<br />
<br />
As silly as it sounds, if the first few pages of a novel don't suck in the reader, it doesn't matter how good the book is. It doesn't matter how solid the characters are. It doesn't matter how sharp the dialogue is. It doesn't matter how epic the story is. If a reader gets bored after the prologue, you're in trouble.<br />
<br />
I've figured out what needs to happen. The first 1-3 pages of any novel has to be engineered to present a specific feeling:<br />
<br />
"There's more at stake here than meets the eye."<br />
<br />
Check it out. Look at the beginnings of any of your favorite novels. They all start with something happening that bates you, that leaves out some important pieces of information. Either the characters are confused and intrigued, or as a reader you're jumping into the middle of a conversation that you'd need to hear the beginning of to know what's going on (in a sense).<br />
<br />
<i>Dune</i> begins with Paul pretending to be asleep while people talk about him, about rituals he's going to have to go through, rituals he knows nothing about.<br />
<br />
<i>Lathe of Heaven</i> begins with George waking from a twisted nightmare, surrounded by paramedics, who notice that he just took a very strange, very dangerous mixture of drugs. He incoherently explains that he took them so that he could try and stop himself from dreaming, and that he's been doing this for a couple months.<br />
<br />
<i>Macbeth</i> being with the three Weird Sisters speaking in riddles about an upcoming meeting with Macbeth, with heavy implications that this is not a good thing (to say the least).<br />
<br />
All throw out bits of details. All produce a specific type of confusion and anticipation: "What's going on?" It's this that should carry the reader through the sometimes difficult and sometimes slow first few parts of a story, when they have to get to know and get used to the characters and the situation and what-not.<br />
<br />
And, even though it pains me to admit it, I failed to pull this off with my novel <i>Imperfect</i>. I believe I can remedy it easily enough, by re-doing the prologue. Stay tuned. I'll probably post it here soon.awilliamwrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05851797741231750081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5175972731409886621.post-34301328580113453982013-02-18T13:40:00.000-08:002013-02-18T13:40:02.708-08:00Crazy Wikia ProjectSo, a friend of mine recommended I create a Wikia page for the Lower Knights. This has resulted in increasing the level of insanity in my life, but in the end result should be pretty cool. I'll have a fancy website with all the details and background info for the franchise, all organized and streamlined.<br />
<br />
It's going to take me a while to transfer the dozens (or hundreds?) of pages of notes scattered throughout my computer to the website, though. You can check out what I have so far:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://lowerknights.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page" target="_blank">http://lowerknights.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page</a>awilliamwrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05851797741231750081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5175972731409886621.post-26748600086265810222012-12-31T18:54:00.002-08:002012-12-31T19:02:11.995-08:00A Little About The Whole Social Justice AngleI think I'd mentioned this sometime before (and if I didn't, that's okay, because I'm mentioning it now), about how all profits I receive for sales of <i>Imperfect</i> will go to Love146.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://love146.org/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhccQsvbVnqj45FOssgbdcDg6NYnb3Uj6qI6ow3nPerfmTgsiFv8l9RvvgM_Cg-QXvOsZsbVMhMGHIcmUa7j_nHBOkggQXEVuxNTlZ4QqAgtkax2VDlifdcBb2ZvBRJeTCZgl05IKo_adWZ/s1600/146.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
There is a very good reason for this.<br />
<br />
First off, it's has to do with a principle I have of wanting to keep my focus right. I wanted to give the first profits of my work on all this to a worthy cause, and one that correlated with the theme of the novel. I did research on non-profits out there, trying to find such a cause.<br />
<br />
A friend of mine let me know about Love146 and their mission to help people trapped in the slavery and trafficking industry that's running rampant around the world (despite the fact that this problem isn't well publicized). I did research on them at CharityNavigator, and they checked out as accountable and legitimate, so I chose them.<br />
<br />
I tell people that choosing such an organization makes sense once you read the book. I do this partly to try and tease them into wanting to read it, but also because I don't like trying to boil down the message the story tries to deliver. Often, doing so feels awkward, as if I'm doing the message an injustice.<br />
<br />
I will say, however, that the main character of <i>Imperfect</i>, Cass, would have been very happy to find out that such an organization existed in her world. There are many people in the real world that would share such a sentiment, so I'm going to take steps to help.awilliamwrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05851797741231750081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5175972731409886621.post-62919969307117489352012-12-20T21:02:00.000-08:002012-12-21T15:18:36.499-08:00The Book Is DONE.Yes, you heard that right. The book is done. Ready. Available. Purchasable. Now.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/147929442X?ie=UTF8&tag=diamon00-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=147929442X" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhwW5TYB-kWt6IXAT3N_EMGDHvegI0yfgEIX2mVpz5odHqHwt8ynCdh5eEq4jQbfbak-gcbjfAGSZipaPWPwymcYMUweGMZqTHuIt5fzJqDE4ziGBupg85I7atngsh5LRM_v-wpgqECEpG/s400/book+ready.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
For reals. No lie.<br />
<br />
This website and all other random places all over the Internet will be updated over the next few days, and hopefully by Christmas I will start proclaiming from the rooftops that the book is ready for your eyeballs.<br />
<br />
Check it out. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Imperfect-Andy-Wright/dp/147929442X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356063611&sr=8-1&keywords=andy+wright+imperfect" target="_blank">Here</a>. <a href="https://www.createspace.com/3992733" target="_blank">Or here.</a>awilliamwrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05851797741231750081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5175972731409886621.post-82777597461964311722012-09-01T16:37:00.002-07:002012-09-01T16:37:45.265-07:00Final Re-Write is CompleteThe time has come. After going back and forth about what I would do with Imperfect, I've decided to just do a soft roll-out, self-publish of it. The "editing challenges" it still has (too many characters, too many plot lines, parallel plot structure) would make it extremely difficult to convince a publisher to print and market, and they're not issues that I really want to change. They make the story what it is, and I think it's suffered enough heavy editing. Time to let it be what it is. Time to let it loose and let others think of it what they will.<br />
<br />
I'm not sure how I'm going to get it the necessary grammar/spelling edit it needs, but one thing at a time.<br />
<br />
For now, here's an example of what the cover spread for the paperback edition will likely look like. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5J63DCLfnmd9LH5hv3vO-whvLmyHuzqu4__Mvc2mq4WREJyY4xwBMOPflWojpFKICqZdlOf8ian6zDEwyXoDdihDt379TlCe2AtbxY_UP0_XD-sIqdVsC-w1Pc_0iJwm7UkA2jXuV87PA/s1600/cover+spread+sample.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5J63DCLfnmd9LH5hv3vO-whvLmyHuzqu4__Mvc2mq4WREJyY4xwBMOPflWojpFKICqZdlOf8ian6zDEwyXoDdihDt379TlCe2AtbxY_UP0_XD-sIqdVsC-w1Pc_0iJwm7UkA2jXuV87PA/s400/cover+spread+sample.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />awilliamwrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05851797741231750081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5175972731409886621.post-17949726999908625842012-05-18T14:13:00.000-07:002012-05-18T14:13:01.422-07:00Wall of Words WoesOne of the biggest challenges of a science fiction or fantasy writer is the wall of words issue. This is where, in the first few pages, the writer tries to explain how the world of the story is put together. It's an alien planet. They travel on starships. People swallow protein pills and algae shakes instead of eating food. The world is ruled by elves with terrible body odor. Dragons are all licensed lawyers.
<br />
<br />
See, the writer thinks that, before the story can get underway, the reader needs to know what color the sky is and how ugly the dwarves are. And, for some things, it is important. The writer has made things in the world a certain way for a certain reason (hopefully), so therefore the reader will need to know about them for things to make sense.
<br />
<br />
The problem is that getting hit hard with all these details is at best intimidating and at worst completely momentum destroying. I've struggled with this problem heavily, especially with my Lower Knight's stories. I have it even when people ask me, in person, what the stories are about! I stutter and mumble and generally have no idea where to even start. The whole world of the story is crammed up in my head, and I don't know how to simplify it.
<br />
<br />
It's draining, it's annoying, and it can be fixed.
<br />
<br />
But, before I started on fixing the novel I'm working on (IMPERFECT), I wanted to gather some data on the problem. So, I pulled out a few of some quintessential sci-fi novels from my bookshelf and went through the first three pages.
<br />
<br />
Here are the test subjects: <i>The Martian Chronicle</i>s by Ray Bradbury; <i>Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?</i> by Philip K. Dick; <i>Dune</i> by Frank Herbert; <i>Foundation</i> by Isaac Asimov; <i>The Dispossessed</i> by Ursula K LeGuin; and last, but not least, <i>The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy</i> by Douglas Adams.
<br />
<br />
I'm going to look at just the first three pages of each.
<br />
<br />
I looked for four different types of word wall issues.
<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Terms and names: made-up words or unusual names. If it's otherworldly, but common knowledge, it doesn't count. "Obi-Wan Kenobi" would fall into this category in the 70's, but wouldn't now because more people know this word than those who know what "abatement" means.
</li>
<br />
<li>Concepts: Normal words, or statements, but describing alien ideas or items (like dragon attorneys). Same rule as the last about things being common knowledge. Starship doesn't count, but planet jumper does.</li>
<br />
<li>Technobabble: Scientific terms, either real or fake. Interdimentional rift dilation is a good example</li>
<br />
<li>Ugly blocks: These are the worst. Essentially just a whole lot of concepts crammed together. Paragraph-long (or longer) strings of obnoxious explanations of things. Tolkien is overwhelmingly guilty of this, having entire chapters--or first halves of books--filled with exposition.</li>
</ol>
<br />
So, here's how the books I mentioned stacked up. If it was a competition to see who had the least amount of these issues, <i>Hitchhiker's Guide</i> wins, with only one sparce piece of technobable in the first three pages. But, that could be because Douglas Adams is a genius, and he has the story start out in modern-day Brittain in very familar settings.
<br />
<br />
Interestingly, <i>Dune</i>, which I consider to be one of the best-written science fiction novels ever, has the most terms and names out of all of them, 11, but does so in a very clever way. The main character is young, and is just as thrown off by all the terms as the reader, and therefore must process through them carefully.
<br />
<br />
<i>Foundation</i>, not surprisingly, is a mess with 7 terms and one ulgy block (none of the others have any). <i>Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?</i> is fairly messy as well, with a fair amount of technobable in addition to a lot of terms and names. I was actually surprised to find how many terms and names were in <i>The Dispossessed</i>, but LeGuin spaces them out well and uses a lot of context clues.
<br />
<br />
The big shock came when I did this for my novel! In the first three pages I had a total of 5 terms and names and the most concepts out of anyone, totaling 7. Seeing this after looking at the other examples, I saw how much work I have to do cleaning up the beginning of my book. Remember, this is after I've revised and rewritten the first few pages many, many times. Too many times.
<br />
<br />
Here are all the numbers for all the books:
<br />
<br />
<i>The Martian Chronicles</i>:
<br />
0 terms/names; 4 concepts; 1 technobabble; 0 ugly blocks
<br />
<br />
<i>Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?</i>:
<br />
4 terms/names; 2 concepts; 3 technobabble; 0 ugly blocks
<br />
<br />
<i>Dune</i>:
<br />
11 terms/names; 1 concept; 0 technobabble; 0 ugly blocks
<br />
<br />
<i>Foundation</i>:
<br />
7 terms/names; 2 concepts; 1 technobabble; 1 ugly block
<br />
<br />
<i>The Dispossessed</i>:
<br />
5 terms/names; 3 concepts; 0 technobabble; 0 ugly blocks
<br />
<br />
<i>The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy</i>:
<br />
0 terms/names; 0 concepts; 1 technobabble; 0 ugly blocks
<br />
<br />
<i>Imperfect</i>:
<br />
5 terms/names; 7 concepts; 0 technobabble; 0 ugly blocks
<br />
<br />
So, there you have it. It looks like you can get away with lots of new names and such if you space them out or use tricks to ease the reader into them. Concepts can be easier, if they're done right. <i>Martian Chronicles</i> delivers them very organically, by using strong contextual clues (such as "magnetic dust," which is used to clean furniture. Bradbury simply shows a woman using it).
<br />
<br />
Still, it is always better to not murder your reader with new words and ideas right out of the gate. Spread them out, but even that may not be enough. One trick is to make them matter, or hook the reader, but that's a whole other issue...awilliamwrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05851797741231750081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5175972731409886621.post-88493709097581260472012-04-05T21:34:00.000-07:002012-04-05T21:34:47.810-07:00Alas! Life is rich and unpredictable and...strange.Well, the Kickstarter didn't work out so well, but I did find out that I have a lot of people who really do believe in me, even to the point of being willing to promise large sums of money to support my efforts. So, in the failure there was something powerful gained.<br />
<br />
Now, seasons have changed. I'm transitioning out of full time school to full time work. It's much harder to make time for creative endeavors, but that won't stop me. New seasons will still come. I know I'll find the time I need to finish the projects that I set my mind to. Imperfect will be publish ready someday. The FADING CLOUD graphic novel will be produced, and I believe soon. I'll continue to grow in my skills and in my network of contacts and friends who can help me (and who I can help in turn). <br />
<br />
I may not post as much stuff on here as I was before (Well, I was still kind of patchy anyway) but this is only temporary. This season will end too. What's coming up soon, who knows? It could be nothing anyone could imagine.awilliamwrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05851797741231750081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5175972731409886621.post-62066192301904508352012-01-27T20:51:00.000-08:002012-01-27T20:51:22.311-08:00Kickstarter project for IMPERFECT is up and live!Go check it out! Got a video that has music from the amazing <a href="http://www.wheredivisionends.com/" target="_blank">Where Division Ends</a>.<br />
<br />
Click the pic to check it out and watch the video! <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/awilliamwright/making-my-novel-imperfect-more-perfect"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDspNKJiAiGCRKz-ZZFW-ot3B38sTA3VzpLBO6N0mkCiRihjo42g3WuRG0_BMkqRsOCHXfdj21WuQQode6YrwE1HdnNmwV-vBnTcTKKwEAPaZs_n3pTc-GAn4gmEbXm3EBxDJxPXoODJGV/s320/new+close+up+150dpi.jpg" width="320" /></div></a>awilliamwrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05851797741231750081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5175972731409886621.post-1138065719714416642011-12-31T16:30:00.000-08:002011-12-31T16:30:05.228-08:00Breakdown of the Difference Between Science Fiction and FantasyThis is something I threw together for fun. If you're a fan of these genres, you can probably relate:<br />
<br />
Key Differences:<br />
<br />
<div class="mbl notesBlogText clearfix"><div>- Fantasy: Dark lord communicates with minions via a crystal ball.<br />
<br />
- Sci-fi: The crystal ball has an on/off switch.<br />
<br />
<em>(Sub-genres:)</em><br />
<br />
- Near-future sci-fi: The crystal ball has an on/off switch <em>and</em> can be plugged into a 120v AC power outlet.<br />
<br />
- Steam punk: The crystal ball is mounted in a heavy, riveted, brass collar. It may or may not be powered by steam.<br />
<br />
- Cyberpunk: The crystal ball has a jack that plugs into your brain.<br />
<br />
- Magical realism: The dark lord's wife complains about how he never dusts the crystal ball and how he uses it to talk to his drinking buddies too much.<br />
<br />
- Space opera: The crystal ball will be called an ansible, an FTL radio, or a subspace communication terminal.<br />
<br />
- Supernatural romance/thriller: The crystal ball will be powered by teen angst.</div></div>awilliamwrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05851797741231750081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5175972731409886621.post-85969273035749261642011-12-09T15:49:00.000-08:002011-12-09T16:24:53.551-08:00Map MadnessI finally finished one of the craziest single pieces of artwork I've ever undertaken.<br />
<br />
The first sketch of the city of Samai Ehno was this really messy deal that was sort of a storyboard sketch for an idea that never got off the ground. It shows where I was going with the circle motif for the layout: <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDzs8tsZtDsisj9gg-HnBca9IQ_z3E98e5X7eK77pXf7d1Q4HBdSDHYakKr1sXpMac6TyIA1OgiiTARaXrWO_kYW-WarvoeIFuKo9CWgRvZARxFYuicRXFAWyu2BFq_jB5h6YsLM8En1b4/s1600/01+%2528EXT+SAME+EHNO+-+DAY%2529+fly-by.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDzs8tsZtDsisj9gg-HnBca9IQ_z3E98e5X7eK77pXf7d1Q4HBdSDHYakKr1sXpMac6TyIA1OgiiTARaXrWO_kYW-WarvoeIFuKo9CWgRvZARxFYuicRXFAWyu2BFq_jB5h6YsLM8En1b4/s320/01+%2528EXT+SAME+EHNO+-+DAY%2529+fly-by.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
But, the actual project started with this, a pencil-drawn map of Samai Ehno (an important city from the books):<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz5nj-0Re2zdi21CbR2Fz2inejyl57lLmMboQl2_DPyCc2eIiE-U7s_mPJNzjprpQJxc7OnTQmvjkaMRTknpnhr4pNOQf1oE5YaX_O-URJF7ov39trcFe6IwwkuBoWTg4oYhujwzUBEluk/s1600/samai+ehno+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz5nj-0Re2zdi21CbR2Fz2inejyl57lLmMboQl2_DPyCc2eIiE-U7s_mPJNzjprpQJxc7OnTQmvjkaMRTknpnhr4pNOQf1oE5YaX_O-URJF7ov39trcFe6IwwkuBoWTg4oYhujwzUBEluk/s400/samai+ehno+web.jpg" width="305" /></a></div><br />
Next step was to import this into SketchUp. It's the closest thing to a drafting program I have, and I needed to work with accurate, scale measurements:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhjZxbtDO5Mt0z_dq09N4zglTU4iFZJSkQ9jui-DZHcBuOJdgJ-mvxGs6_nymE5Yh_kjP6XLiF7J_O08eEoC6FuayNHknfH7MVy7UB2kYnmxv0XEDbzNIdeAjMqhjbdrGHEfzgBKMmI0LJ/s1600/samai+ehno-sketchup+angle-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhjZxbtDO5Mt0z_dq09N4zglTU4iFZJSkQ9jui-DZHcBuOJdgJ-mvxGs6_nymE5Yh_kjP6XLiF7J_O08eEoC6FuayNHknfH7MVy7UB2kYnmxv0XEDbzNIdeAjMqhjbdrGHEfzgBKMmI0LJ/s320/samai+ehno-sketchup+angle-web.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvD1m0m54ISw_9TT-10f2vlG1_ZNdLuG_c_XmUMsYLYlNylemmFFXWmGrkK__YrlZOQN2XOVgMYSgS2gHPOk3H-jyp3NrXzBIqBKqXzJAqbvvtb5xmBpHr0KsJd1gR7i0KdAO6jPcRyOba/s1600/samai+ehno-sketchup-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvD1m0m54ISw_9TT-10f2vlG1_ZNdLuG_c_XmUMsYLYlNylemmFFXWmGrkK__YrlZOQN2XOVgMYSgS2gHPOk3H-jyp3NrXzBIqBKqXzJAqbvvtb5xmBpHr0KsJd1gR7i0KdAO6jPcRyOba/s320/samai+ehno-sketchup-web.jpg" width="244" /></a></div><br />
Once that part was done (which actually didn't take all that long), I used a screenshot of this model (the image on the left) to do a trace in Illustrator<br />
<br />
This DID take a long time, for various reasons. One was that, because I was trying to make the image feel similar to an old map of chicago, I had to use variable line weights. This made it so I couldn't just draw boxes for the blocks (at least, I don't know how to do it). <br />
<br />
Here's that work at an early stage. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjyoBe07GtxWoeBNz70S922JfdICIMBfJ9XBHN1qfn0XMowdfUGFMv5PTQQk6sFyyoZj0MWJXFrGFCqm-3h8uAvbiCgPOzPsYNmHgZ8eEpVuJe2OcvdBUm_lW483f3vnzmmosaxl4OBPw6/s1600/Samai+Ehno+progress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjyoBe07GtxWoeBNz70S922JfdICIMBfJ9XBHN1qfn0XMowdfUGFMv5PTQQk6sFyyoZj0MWJXFrGFCqm-3h8uAvbiCgPOzPsYNmHgZ8eEpVuJe2OcvdBUm_lW483f3vnzmmosaxl4OBPw6/s400/Samai+Ehno+progress.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br />
From here, I continued adding details, then started adding street names and other such things. I used a host of different fonts (normally sacrilege from a graphic design standpoint) to add to the vintage feel. I added a train schedule on there to make it feel even more like an artifact from a real world. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht12FiNMFnNShpkn66F5c8W0qzQvilksDTH420NuOE6PDpPXL3ynqZ6uZmbMTR-R1xU_DGYz8Yz9HLsT8DZAhfAtLdlaIGvBVLZQE77ybHhLVPrjQRqVRMRJYb0R63_eIRdmhhYaqxr5iq/s1600/Samai+Ehno+insane-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht12FiNMFnNShpkn66F5c8W0qzQvilksDTH420NuOE6PDpPXL3ynqZ6uZmbMTR-R1xU_DGYz8Yz9HLsT8DZAhfAtLdlaIGvBVLZQE77ybHhLVPrjQRqVRMRJYb0R63_eIRdmhhYaqxr5iq/s320/Samai+Ehno+insane-web.jpg" width="281" /></a></div><br />
A big problem that I took a long time to find a solution for was the details of the canyon. I tried multiple different ways of drawing it (such as the textured shade you can see in the image above), then decided to try pen and ink pointillism:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghkOJRSQ84WrEMaa1UIu6geodAcl2UlAzH6NQy7zWBup0GpjOsUkWRCH1ICR9Ge0SOtodnrBVy_msy3a-_AnyD_q2465FZWgj9YFnQzp9CAkEZtqKrq4vmYan9J0xqaxekZ1HIsHTSavRd/s1600/pointy+hills+72dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghkOJRSQ84WrEMaa1UIu6geodAcl2UlAzH6NQy7zWBup0GpjOsUkWRCH1ICR9Ge0SOtodnrBVy_msy3a-_AnyD_q2465FZWgj9YFnQzp9CAkEZtqKrq4vmYan9J0xqaxekZ1HIsHTSavRd/s400/pointy+hills+72dpi.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
It almost worked for what I was going for, but didn't match the feel of the drawing. the dots were too big and a little too sketchy. <br />
<br />
So, I made a custom brush in Photoshop that scattered dots, and it gave just the result I wanted. <br />
<br />
Here's the final deal, with all the fixin's:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilToFgsA7jIIvEIkeq9qhc9TqNI7wgyx5yA453WjdKlqqVnjde_1STO-sQtM1UCUTBHAHqkmHKQW5oRaz6jmPM70bctdClWhTUbw4GnieJodu6K-xmpkIzgU7dtRfkz39p1X8Fvyzqv_vR/s1600/Samai+Ehno+finished+72dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilToFgsA7jIIvEIkeq9qhc9TqNI7wgyx5yA453WjdKlqqVnjde_1STO-sQtM1UCUTBHAHqkmHKQW5oRaz6jmPM70bctdClWhTUbw4GnieJodu6K-xmpkIzgU7dtRfkz39p1X8Fvyzqv_vR/s640/Samai+Ehno+finished+72dpi.jpg" width="516" /></a></div><br />
It has the rough, bold, monochromatic look that enhances the vintage feel I was going for. <br />
<br />
Next step is to find somewhere to make me some poster-sized prints (the only way anybody will see all the little details put into it . . . the full-sized image is 11x14 at 400dpi, so there's a lot going on). <br />
<br />
<span id="goog_715796534"></span><span id="goog_715796535"></span>awilliamwrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05851797741231750081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5175972731409886621.post-31977251113383671972011-12-05T19:58:00.000-08:002011-12-05T20:02:49.683-08:00Been a while . . .Well, due to craziness of various sorts over the last three months, I haven't posted much here. That doesn't mean I haven't been doing stuff, though.<br />
<br />
I completely re-did the cover artwork for IMPERFECT, using pen and ink instead of illustrator for the line artwork. I also worked on getting a better fall of the light and shadow on her face. I like it this way much more. <br />
<br />
Here's a close-up of her face.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDspNKJiAiGCRKz-ZZFW-ot3B38sTA3VzpLBO6N0mkCiRihjo42g3WuRG0_BMkqRsOCHXfdj21WuQQode6YrwE1HdnNmwV-vBnTcTKKwEAPaZs_n3pTc-GAn4gmEbXm3EBxDJxPXoODJGV/s400/new+close+up+150dpi.jpg" width="400" /> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've also been working on getting more prepared for my graphic novel METAL, though this has turned out to be a much more intimidating project than I envisioned.</div><br />
Of course, that's actually not quite true. I didn't really envision anything, because I knew it was going to be a heck of a lot of insanity. Here's a simplified list of the things I need to learn HOW to do (before I was only worried about what I needed to DO):<br />
- better mastery of faces, keeping faces of characters consistent between different drawings<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">- better understanding of how light falls on faces</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">- better mastery of the human form (This one's a huge issue)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">- better understanding of cinematic composition, framing, angles, setting, posing, etc.</div>- better understanding of . . . everything.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, yeah, it's crazy, but I'll do it! Somehow . . . </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>awilliamwrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05851797741231750081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5175972731409886621.post-69050087443432194712011-08-29T13:10:00.000-07:002011-08-29T13:10:48.867-07:00Remodeling a little.I finally cleaned up the IMPERFECT page of this website to have the information correlate more to the information on the actual book and to add more artwork. Now its prettier and correcter. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
That's right. I used the word "correcter." awilliamwrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05851797741231750081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5175972731409886621.post-89859967223726201262011-08-27T10:50:00.000-07:002011-08-29T13:11:14.149-07:00They're here . . .<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The first 7 advanced galley copies of Imperfect have arrived at my doorstep! Soon they'll be divvied out. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nVgAhcpZWDk/Tlks1Ux6Y5I/AAAAAAAAAT8/jJIa4CaoJew/s1600/doorstep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nVgAhcpZWDk/Tlks1Ux6Y5I/AAAAAAAAAT8/jJIa4CaoJew/s320/doorstep.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4WAoH5lr92Q/Tlks1ddflCI/AAAAAAAAAUA/IYdbUrT0Edo/s1600/imperfect+stack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4WAoH5lr92Q/Tlks1ddflCI/AAAAAAAAAUA/IYdbUrT0Edo/s320/imperfect+stack.jpg" width="251" /></a></div><br />
<br />
awilliamwrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05851797741231750081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5175972731409886621.post-90718507168927453112011-08-20T01:28:00.000-07:002011-08-20T01:28:59.197-07:00The orders are in!The galley proof (unfinished, advanced copy) of IMPERFECT is complete, formatted, and the cover art is finished. An order for several copies have been put in. <br />
<br />
In a week or so, about 9 people will have a copy in their hand. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYrEGyd450JBflMTs7jhcqn6YkNSzudQ5TmgHraMOqODRWPqGaJQnlKqsvOIyL14DqpYuIRrnvqPm9j02wKh8_446pXKiJj9Gnsp_D0In0fXj0_pZVLAnuDwuCfl-5XXrpkcw59BzuKEjd/s1600/confirmed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYrEGyd450JBflMTs7jhcqn6YkNSzudQ5TmgHraMOqODRWPqGaJQnlKqsvOIyL14DqpYuIRrnvqPm9j02wKh8_446pXKiJj9Gnsp_D0In0fXj0_pZVLAnuDwuCfl-5XXrpkcw59BzuKEjd/s400/confirmed.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
PS: Hopefully, when I have a finished proof, I won't have to distribute it through Lulu. They're expensive, but easy use for the time being. I do have a few other options I'm considering . . . more info to come later on those details.<br />
<br />
<br />
awilliamwrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05851797741231750081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5175972731409886621.post-56120847993789618532011-08-05T01:24:00.000-07:002011-08-05T01:24:18.468-07:00One huge step closer . . .For the novel IMPERFECT:<br />
<br />
The major re-write is done! <br />
<br />
The full revision of that is done! <br />
<br />
The manuscript is formatted for trade paperback printing! <br />
<br />
________ <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEietyRfMZvesbUeTPL3MTFtoS84PjgHVmFSgteuUCpw6_c7b4UbDUn0g7gWZywwLdUEIe2DNJI83iIze2tnqfwl0siOQo-fv-mA4h4BrLsiy3C-eo-gAf0pgs3wcQ4u9NSq3udlzYbZ5hMm/s1600/screenshot+of+trade+paperback+ready+draft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEietyRfMZvesbUeTPL3MTFtoS84PjgHVmFSgteuUCpw6_c7b4UbDUn0g7gWZywwLdUEIe2DNJI83iIze2tnqfwl0siOQo-fv-mA4h4BrLsiy3C-eo-gAf0pgs3wcQ4u9NSq3udlzYbZ5hMm/s640/screenshot+of+trade+paperback+ready+draft.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
________<br />
<br />
What's next? Not sure. I still feel like I should do a full, read-out-loud of the manuscript. That will iron out a few more kinks, and probably get it "focus group" ready in order to hand it out to a select few . . . <br />
<br />
Some people have been waiting quite a while for this . . .awilliamwrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05851797741231750081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5175972731409886621.post-20172732558715347232011-07-24T15:20:00.000-07:002011-07-24T15:44:35.354-07:00"Focus Group" Draft (coming soon)Well, I've revamped my plans a bit. After I finish the revision I'm on right now (just a few weeks out), I'm going to put together a special "focus group" draft. What that means is that I'm going to make some copies and give them to specific people (it may even be you!) to look over. <br />
<br />
It will be the bound in trade paperback, with the actual cover art, and will contain the full 450+ pages of the novel, plus the complete Kwon's Guide Book as an appendix (to help with referencing and clarifying, in case I don't explain something enough in the novel).<br />
<br />
<i>When I release a final draft, only a special hard-cover edition will have the complete Guide Book included. </i><br />
<br />
Thing is, whoever gets one of these sneak peaks will have to give me feedback! So, to clarify what I mean, I will give a specific example:<br />
<br />
NOT feedback:<br />
"Star Wars episodes IV, V, and VI are way better than the prequel trilogy."<br />
(^^^ no clear explanation of what's wrong ^^^)<br />
<br />
GOOD feedback:<br />
"In Star Wars episodes IV, V, and VI, Darth Vader is a raw, BA villain who takes no crap from nobody. In the prequel trilogy, Anakin Skywalker is a whiny punk-creeper-loser who listens to Dashboard Confession and cuts himself. These are not the same person, and it ruins the series."<br />
(^^^ specific, albeit sarcastic example of what's wrong ^^^)<br />
<br />
So, there you have it. Of course, many of the people who I'm planning on giving a copy to already know this. I may have a few left over, so anybody who wants one simply has to remember that they'll need to give me a least some kind of good feedback. Whether you simply point out something good/bad, or you go as far as marking up the copy with a pencil or pen (which would be AWESOME, and I'd need to get the copy back so I can use the notes, but once I'm done I can return it if you want to keep it as a souvenir).<br />
<br />
But, all in all, this is good news because whatever feedback I get will let me know what to refine and what to throw out, and gets me one step closer to having a finished novel.<br />
<br />
PS: Of course, if you can help it, try not to be<i> too </i>sarcastic with the feedback! Remember the compliment sandwich . . .awilliamwrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05851797741231750081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5175972731409886621.post-5618998936108994282011-07-18T15:38:00.000-07:002011-07-18T15:38:55.138-07:00Next stage has begun.So, I printed out all 442 pages of the new draft, and I'm beginning to go over them with a red pen to find grammar, spelling, and continuity goofs. This phase usually goes pretty fast, so it's a good sign I'm at this point.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYEvgRzauuvnj79QQy8kzG9IX5mKqJXAh1e5JsL52xQqWwRxxd3H6l3CyxWf7az84xo9-Ul0kEbaAscf8hg67rYgAsEzdHhyphenhyphenhv51o4eeoBZQcNvXC5wy7Oq6PMTo6zat35KprPYyJ8GU4i/s640/20110718153238.jpg" width="480" /></div><br />
(Oh, and if you're wondering why there's so much white space on the page, it's 'cause that's how Word prints documents when you have comments present. It also gives me lots of room for writing long notes or new content)awilliamwrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05851797741231750081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5175972731409886621.post-74000276724995198042011-07-09T21:46:00.000-07:002011-07-09T21:49:39.144-07:00Major, gut-busting, eye-gouging re-write is done!(Of course, "done" doesn't really mean done . . . )<br />
<br />
Well, over the last four or so months, I've torn very big holes in my manuscript of IMPERFECT, then filled them in with nice, new, shinier stuff. It's been brutal trying to fix some of the issues, but the hardest part is over. <br />
<br />
Now, I need to go through and refine what I've done and fix inconsistencies (which will still take quite a while, but that's okay).<br />
<br />
Here's a quick list of some of the stuff I did:<br />
-Refined and redefined the personality of the main character<br />
-Added new POV characters (characters we get to see the story through).<br />
-Added more time with some of the favorite characters<br />
-Designed, illustrated, and produced an entire reference guide-book for the entire series, that's now seen throughout the novel (Kwon's Guide Book, which I've talked about on here before). <br />
-Reorganized entire sections, involving trashing some scenes and adding multiple new ones. <br />
-Deleted two entire chapters from the ending, replacing them with a more exciting show-down for one of the plot lines and truncating a slow-moving, but necessary sequence of events (I took a drawn-out courtroom storyline that was two and a half chapters and shrunk it down to half a chapter).<br />
-Nearly went insane.<br />
<br />
So, there you have it. I'm hoping to have a rough, "beta" of the draft by the end of summer. That, unfortunately, won't make it into the hands of very many people, but through handing it out to a select few, I should be able to have something ready for release by Christmas. <br />
<br />
I hope so anyway!awilliamwrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05851797741231750081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5175972731409886621.post-16767659566779328102011-05-31T22:00:00.000-07:002011-05-31T22:00:56.939-07:00Almost done...The guide book just needs finishing touches, and I'll have it done. The bad news is that, first off, it will be absurdly expensive (because I'll have it available through Lulu). It's gonna cost about $10 for something that's really only 35 pages of drawings and a handful of text. <br />
<br />
Not sure how to remedy that (maybe I'll find someone else to print out some copies), but here's some sample art!<br />
<br />
<br />
Cover: <br />
<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFqAYRftN2cCLPIuPvjMGzgdhPotcRi06SMM5wQ8yq29F-5PtbnmgXGyLOWRFywQy1VSDAOBS1EVGfuUXqhb9q6vFcIZ6oClZGFbu1oNPfPjv-HbcXXilx-r_-kluiNObk3LsTjVm3FwH/s640/sample+cover+web.jpg" width="424" /> <br />
<br />
<br />
Sample chapter page:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl7_LE5-psIzL_D4hIpXO4Xw5u-JQvS3y0WTMJPtvKH7FpQP_-j03gD-_9TTI7doCtnxbW4-FamTiV84Y0PsKQ-IyWn3Lw0oP3lkUO8Lge78bIh3crfnwl_23S0Sd4gxTWntLQbpw7ebBB/s640/guide+book+sample.jpg" width="395" /></div><br />
<br />
Sample page:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6zOckfM8a3aby-siSmH2vdpmfu9LxPNhqAlFNBN4muv3bkD7NnaURISRFWNBNkP0E8keiHBnHNFz7sXqH2_WSjerCkttDomru-P1dumawAHurM3Z2DVpuyKvkGVM1XbshuNQ-8Cjkm7LU/s640/guide+book+sample1.jpg" width="424" /></div>awilliamwrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05851797741231750081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5175972731409886621.post-23977838521594678792011-05-19T11:57:00.000-07:002011-05-19T12:15:43.579-07:00It's getting closer...My artifact piece, "The Basics of Lower Knight Belief's and Practices," or "Kwon's Guide Book," for short, is getting closer to being done! I think. I have about five more pieces of artwork left to do, then I'll fine-tune some stuff, then it'll be done. <br />
<br />
Here's a shot of the title page:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpQUKBOshwDh2RV3E-XNiZrk46d6xjQnJOeoJ0qk3bTltVYUvQNmpCIMFlLOHsuYkyQHJ5wNEu4fanWJmulJh7j1YpeqHW-e2s8v0XdniqURyqR0Y4MK8iT0Ue4OeLkWHVcxlbH6bhMp-z/s640/title+page+web.jpg" width="390" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These are all <b>fake</b> people, by the way (they exist in the Lower Knight stories). All the<i> real</i> credits and acknowledgements will go on the back cover, along with info about what Lower Knight fiction will be available in the near future. I'll probably put this up for sale on Lulu within the next month or so (unless something happens and I have to set this project on hold for some reason).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Actually, I just realized I have <i>six</i> pieces of art left, because I don't have the cover art done yet. Oh well. It'll get done. </div>awilliamwrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05851797741231750081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5175972731409886621.post-79714974696667502232011-05-17T11:37:00.000-07:002011-05-17T11:48:00.006-07:00Hours down the drain!Well, not really. Just reflecting on the ridiculousness of how, when it comes to creative projects, one can spend hours on one component, only to later decide to not even use it.<br />
<br />
Over the last few days, I've been buckling down to do 15 small drawings of fighting stances, with the intent of using them in the "Basics of Lower Knight Beliefs and Practices" book I've been working on for the last few months. It's been exhausting, it took a couple hours to get photographs of the poses, then a few hours of troubleshooting with the images, then half a day to just do the rough sketches.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQKNQlJ0J3V77gCH1vQ4m1t53PViN9-phZm_QJa9YEaVgwSKybGS7RZ3isaqkbutcB_4dBLWcEowEisr2NezFMKeSViZLrDf_GNyARKgsFvWPSsrTfonO_Nbfgkt8uqfw_9m8RoKTd8oIv/s320/00-samples.jpg" width="320" /></div><br />
<br />
I had this elaborate plan for how to use them, but after spending the other half of a day doing a dry run with the roughs, I'd decided to scale it down. I didn't like how it was going to turn out. So, instead of using all 15, I'll just finalize three or four of the best sketches and only use those. <br />
<br />
And you know why? Because the mess of sketches didn't really have anything to with the chapter. Because last week I had to go and do a cool picture for a different part of the book. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBkyXkrS3j695xwva1SgxZ5I6nCE31H4R5x_NC0vHcOzh7eRF2PGJ24IrIGoH-tx6gW2OWbIeLAcYmIyEvCdFSvIaIGMQSs6H-rwkzlF2wAXvtvoqasc9zUh6FBpusC8KKVElIDkNWVe_o/s320/00-seal_break_web.jpg" width="264" /></div><br />
So, I've accidentally raised the bar for the quality of material in the book, and now I can't drop below it. And this bar of quality is more specifically associated with how the art associates with the context of each chapter. The cool drawing helps explain things, it tells a story. Now, I feel like I need more art that tells a story.<br />
<br />
Which will be a lot more work, but will be worth it.awilliamwrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05851797741231750081noreply@blogger.com0