Eighty pages into writing my second Nubbins novel, I realized I needed to take a break. I knew where I wanted the story to end up, but I was unclear how to get there. This meant rethinking the character motivations and some of the fantasy elements of the story. When creating your own mythology with your own characters, there's really no one to turn to and ask, "Is this right?" So if you ever see me just staring into space…well, that may be the reason. Or I could just be flaking out. Either is likely.
So that was a year ago—a YEAR. But I am happy to report that last week, some necessary pieces fell into place. FINALLY. I have now returned to the laptop and resumed my past routine of writing at least one page a night. Some nights I may write as many as five pages, but as long as I get one more page written, I feel good. I'm slowly inching toward my goal and making it happen. Currently, I am on course to have my first draft completed sometime in January.
I've also begun thinking about the illustration in this new book. Now that I've got one illustrated novel under my belt, I know how I plan to tackle it, and I'm hoping to raise the bar for my art with this next one. Speaking of art, I've also been spending time consuming the work of Italian illustrator Sergio Toppi. For years, I've heard the name, but it wasn't until a few weeks ago that I bought my first Toppi collection. I now have five. I'm captivated by his compositions and line work. Check out some of my favorite pages:
Second Signing at Cupboard Maker Books.
This Sunday (Sept 21st), I'll be a guest again at Cupboard Maker Books for their annual Local Author Weekend, signing books between 11 am and 1 pm! This is an exciting event. During my time slot, you'll also be able to meet CB Morris, Danielle Newman, and Meg Fitzpatrick. I'm hoping I can squeeze in some time to talk to the other authors and learn more about both them and their books.
If I don't see you there, I'll talk to you next week here!
Until then, Always Be Creating!
—Bill
That bookstore sounds like a great support for writers. How lucky you are to have them. And how smart you are to take advantage of what they offer. Enjoy the signing. BTW Toppi’s work looks similar to yours. So detailed. Really nice.