story – A Talemaker’s Confession

Before I sit down to work on another comic page (yep, that’s right. I’ve got the world straight again… for who knows how long.), I wanted to share two items that have landed in the new publishing house store, Wôks Print.

Let’s start with the new rising star of the Writers of the Apocalypse: Leslie Fish. If you don’t know who she is, then shame on you. Shame. On. You. (aghast gasp of gaspiness) I mean, duuUuuuh, she’s only the most famous folk music filker since, like… EVER. I was listening to this woman’s music before I knew her name, and I had no idea I liked her style. I’m not normally a fan of anyone (although Stephen Amell has my attention right now, and not because of his abs), but if I had to choose someone to admire by bullet I’d probably pick her. Her music is great. And best part, she writes. She writes and she wanted us to publish her.

How’s that for an Apocalyptic start, eh? I always knew everyone around me was destined for greatness.

So the first thing to go up in her name is a short story she had put out before, ‘Revocare’. I had bought it a few years ago, and I enjoyed it. (And if you know me, I rarely enjoy anything for longer than a few minutes.) Being able to put it out has been a thrill. I don’t care what the other publishers say about avoiding previously published work. ‘Revocare’ is here to stay. Which means it got a new cover. (See? Over there!)

It’s so fiery and hot and using fire and red and orange and fiery.

If you haven’t read ‘Revocare’, now is your chance.

After I got ‘Revocare’ cared for =^-^=, I turned my attention to another one of my own projects, It’s Never Romantic to Wash the Dishes. Now I dislike redoing my old stuff because of all the authors I’ve redone covers for that can’t seem to move on enough to write new stuff. I don’t want to get into that kind of a rut. So when I redid Dishes, I added a new story to it.

The story is entitled, ‘For Fear of Breaking Hearts’, and it’s a true story about bees. If you get it, and you read it, I ask you to tell me what you thought.

See the new cover? See? See? See? I drew it myself. Hurk.

Speaking of bees, when it comes to revamping things I only have one project left… and that would be The Page of Cups. There’s not much I can do with that book, but I am combing it to make sure it’s clear and makes sense. Both it and Dishes will be set up for international distribution to such places as Barnes and Noble for the first time ever. Spiffy.

If you don’t know I’ve been working on turning ‘Only the Innocent’ into an audiobook, you do now. As I mentioned, the sample the voice actor gave me sent me into excited waves of crazy. I have decided to hold a small Fundraiser to bring more funds to the audiobook project. I want to give the voice actor a bonus! If you’re interested, you can go to Kickstarter and look for Only the Innocent – or you can ask me for the link here.

I think that’s about it for news at this time. So I’m gonna go… draw pictures and watch this new K-drama I found last night. Spiffy.

standing small — Young Taus in 3D using Daz and the Aiko 4 model

There is some talk on other blogs about authors’ up and coming “next big thing” – their next book or what have you. I thought about joining in over there, but the truth is I’m miles away from my next big thing. I’m concentrating full tilt on my current big things – Heavenly Bride and 10 Confessions – while working up to 12 hours a day to survive.

But today seems like a good day to sound off about something I’m planning. The plans aren’t fully formed, but that’s how I roll. I’ll sometimes plan for years before suddenly coughing up this fully-formed thing. And then people call me spontaneous. It boggles the mind.

The image to the left there is my 3D model of Taus from Heavenly Bride. (Not Akashik. In Akashik she’s much older. And more purple.) I’ve been thinking of doing a 3D comic. I’ve been holding back because making 3D comics can be very time consuming – even more than drawing the pages – as well as clunky. With my recent upgrade to Daz 4.5, some of that has gotten better and easier so that the idea has floated to the front of my mind again. I sort of know the story. I sort of have most of the props. It’s a matter of planning – something I’m not going to rush on until I have my current 2 comics finished.

The same 3D Taus, but pencilled. — The same 3D Taus, but penciled.

The biggest thing is I wouldn’t want to keep things strictly 3D looking, no matter how good it got. So I’m thinking maybe I want the comic to look like it was drawn in pencil. Or pen and ink. Or painted.

The story I have in mind touches on two minor characters in Heavenly Bride. I probably would have started the story already, but the conflict isn’t fully resolved yet. I’m not sure how long it will take me to figure that part out. Heavenly Bride was a story in my head for most of my life, and here I am over 40 and telling it. That’s a long time to sit on a story.

There’s also another story in my mind involving mermaids. And a prince – because what mermaid story is complete without either a prince or an ageless brat running around to muck things up. Maybe the prince can also be an ageless brat, although if he were ageless I imagine that would throw the entire governmental structure of his kingdom all to hell. Which isn’t something I care to deal with in a short story.

And now she's painted. — And now she’s painted.

Decisions, decisions.

Things were so much easier in the day when I drew stick figures and colored big squares for my homework.

I’m in no hurry to make a decision, mostly because I rely on my subconscious to do that for me. Which is probably why I end up thinking things out for so long.

And of course there’s my current “next big thing” – the novel Trait of Honor. I haven ‘t been able to work on it in weeks. Work hasn’t let me. But I can say with a little relief that this month one of the many choke-holds around my neck lets go and my chances of being able to write prose weekly are going to go up by a bit. This makes me very happy, and I’m sure when I finally get to release a finished book this shall also make other people happy. Even the people who purchase stuff on Amazon and return the book within the hour so that they can have read the thing for free.

Well, anyway, these are my next big things – and I thought I would share them with you. These next big things will, of course, be set aside should that lightning bolt of inspiration comes. You know, the kind that takes me in a whole new direction entirely.

Tag: story

Cover Reveals and Other Such Newses

My Own “Next Big Thing”