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Hello and Happy New Year everyone! A new year brings with it new goals, and in some cases, the fulfillment of dreams long in the making. Becoming a published author has been my dream for well over a decade, and before the end of 2023, that dream will finally become a reality!This month we take a brief hiatus from "A Writing Journey: When Shadows Fall", as I've been capitalizing on every minute I can spend with my family. It will resume next month, but in the meantime, previous newsletters and prior segments of my writing journey can be found here at my email archive. As always, a bonus kitty picture (or two!) is waiting for you at the end of this newsletter. 😊 |
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December was a busy month, though not much of it had to do with my goals. Between preparing for the holidays and going home early to spend time with my family, there was not much time for writing!
Early in the month, I received my first concept sketch of the cover art for When Shadows Fall, and I have since received two new sketches based on my feedback. It has been an exciting, if daunting, process to work with Miblart on the concept, and certainly it has been a learning experience. I've included the sketches below, as well as a brief overview of the process thus far!
In addition to cover art, I sent out When Shadows Fall to a handful of people (including my editor) for proofreading, and I started formatting the book. I purchased a formatting software called Atticus, and though I've had some trouble with it, I'm hoping it will get the job done!
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Sketch One: This is the first concept sketch I received after supplying my brief. I liked the overall idea, though the birds felt out of place for my story, and the depiction of The Lord's silhouette felt off based on his description in the book. I asked for Ara (the main character) to be bigger, the birds to be replaced with branches or other, and The Lord to be encased in imposing armour. I also gave ideas for the back cover.
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Sketch 2: I received the following sketch a few days later. I liked the castle imagery for the back, but felt it would not fit a back cover blurb well. I liked the armoured look for The Lord on the front, but did not like the depiction of the night creatures. I also felt the branches coming off the silhouette felt a bit too messy and undefined.
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My Sketch: In response, I worked with the images and sent back my own variation on the artist's sketch as a way of showing what I wanted. For the back cover, I made the castle wider, split it in half, and lightened the top so font could go over it. I made some changes to the silhouette on the front cover, as well as adding the eye back in and requesting some additional changes.
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Sketch 3: This is the most recent sketch idea with the raw colour added in. I have not yet replied to this sketch, but hope to do so as soon as possible.
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My first goal is to reply to the latest cover art sketch so we can keep the process moving. I have held off on doing so, as once I agree to the sketch it may be difficult to make further changes. While I was feeling confident about the art direction, I've heard a few conflicting opinions that have created some hesitation. One of the concerns is that some people have expressed the cover style appears more middle grade than young adult. It is important to broadcast the correct genre with a cover, so I am doing some additional research and asking for more opinions in an attempt to decide if I need to rework the concept, or if the cover is ready to move into the next stage!
Aside from that, I plan to continue formatting When Shadows Fall and make any necessary changes based on proofreading feedback. I'll start working on the front and back matter (map, dedication, acknowledgements, etc.) as time allows.
I've also received more feedback on the second draft of the sequel, so I hope to go over that and start considering what changes are needed for the next draft/revision!
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December was a busy month, so I did not have time to add any new art to my Redbubble store. That being said, my store reached 54 unique designs this year, so I am very pleased with how much was accomplished!Unfortunately, my Redbubble store has not met with as much success as I might have hoped (I've been my own number one buyer, with family members making a close second!), but I knew it might be a long process for it to gain momentum. My current goal is to reach 100 designs by the end of 2023, so stay tuned for many new additions in the coming months!
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Reading: I finished reading "The Emperor's Wolves" and I must say I enjoyed it immensely. Despite owning the sequel (which I'm very excited to read!), I opted to start "Monstrous Regiment" by Terry Pratchett. It was a Christmas gift from my sister, and as I've gotten into the habit of reading a Pratchett over the holidays, I couldn't resist the chance to continue the tradition!
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Thank You and Closing(and Happy New Year!)
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As 2022 comes to a close, let me take a moment to thank you. It is truly a pleasure to share this exciting journey with you, and I am so grateful for each and every one of my subscribers! I hope 2023 brings many new and wonderful surprises, and I wish you all the best as you embark on this new year.
And of course, far be it from me to neglect to reward your newsletter diligence. Here are some well earned kitty pictures!
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The above is a common sight for me as I work. I decided to capture the same moment from a different angle, and thought the result (shown below) was particularly endearing. |
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#11 1305 23rd Avenue, Regina, Saskatchewan, S4S 3S4, Canada |
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