Project Cloudy Skies

Em7 G D C D Em G Cadd9 D

2011-09-07T22:28:00.000-07:00

You were the first unbiased heart I had to fear

It is a rarity that I post twice in a week, never mind a day. I was just talking to Josie and she had dug up a bunch of songs that we had written back in the day which inspired me to do the same and I was surprised at some of the things I found. Apparently I wasn't half bad at writing lyrics, at least in my own eyes. I found this one from 3 years ago.

I had been trying to hide out inside me
So sick of this world
And the people I used to trust

You were just a piece of the scenery
Another dull smile with a laugh that came easily
You meant nothing to me

I had heard about you and your escapades
And I had no intention
Of getting involved with them

Pens and papers, a few hours later
And I was smiling
What did you do?

It wasn’t right, we all know it never is
But I was so lost
in a sea full of hypocrites

You were the first unbiased heart I had to fear
You wanted none of it
And I just wanted to be near

We would talk late for hours
Wait until the sun came up
You had so little to say and a lot to hide

I vaguely remembering writing this and the person it was about. It brings back a lot and makes you wonder how different life could have been. It also makes me wonder if I can still write half that good. I know it's no shining example of ingenuity, but I like it. I think I will keep scouring these old words, maybe I'll find some inspiration

and those nights that you said those things
when you were sure I wouldn't remember it
I'm sorry I lied, but I do and I still think of you

Dance With Me

2011-09-07T21:05:00.000-07:00

Rescue me, I'm dying, please

Has it really been a week already? I am just burning through the days it seems. Other than today and Monday I have worked solidly since Friday. Getting used to having a job again is pretty taxing. Imagine that, doing things is hard. But I have very little to complain about, I really do love my new job.

Writing has really ground to a halt. I think I wrote one night this week and it wasn't even much. I need to get back on it, I have been slacking too much. I've been a little scatter brained and scrambling for sleep. I can't turn off the adrenaline lately, I'm going to burn out soon I am pretty sure. If I'm not bleeding then I am not working hard enough.

Josie visited this week and it was great to see her. She spent some time at the shop with me and met my coworkers and all in all it went swimmingly. I miss her. I miss a lot of people. But I guess that's getting a little too personal and melodramatic.

On another note, I don't really have another note. I have to knock out some critiques review the last critiques for Rain. Chapter 23, that's about a third of the way through the book, so that's good. I am still eager to begin the rehaul, of course I say that now. Once I start I am sure I will be pulling my hair out. Writing Rain is so much harder than Winter. Too many roots that have dug themselves in. Winter is still floating, nothing is set in stone.

On a final note, I love Cabin. I was introduced to these guys... about 3 summers ago by a good friend of mine. They are small band from Kentucky that I had never heard of before and are still pretty much unknown. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh7YXWbjTHQ You can download pretty much all their music on their site. It's worth checking out. It's some of my favorite writing music.

That's all I got this week. I hope to be more eventful in the weeks to come.

Colorblind

2011-08-31T15:03:00.000-07:00

I am color blind, coffee black and egg white

I worked my first couple days at the computer shop this weekend and it was a lot of fun. My coworkers and bosses all are pretty cool dudes, so I have very little complain about. Our boss had a few of us over dinner last night which was pretty great, but I am absolutely exhausted today due to the late night, I maybe slept 4 hours if not less. On that note, I'll likely have very little to say in this post.

I have no voice today, too much rock band. I seriously just want to crawl under some blankets and sleep for a decade, but I'm behind on my writing. Winter is almost 30,000 words, but I am starting to hit a bit of a wall on where to take it next. It'll come to me, I am sure.

In exciting art news, Wacom has made a new 'tablet' called inkling and well it's pretty much going to change the way digital art is made. I want it so bad, I can't even think of a more creative way to say that.

Incredibly exciting news, at least for me, I think it will be amazing.

That's really all I have for you guys this week, if I think of something more clever or interesting I will make a new post, and maybe I'll go have a nap

High Lonesome

2011-08-23T14:02:00.000-07:00

I always kinda sorta wished I looked like Elvis

I got a job, well sorta, it's all still coming together, but it's a start. It's at a local computer repair shop and going there for the interview felt like home again. How weird is it that? Technology makes me comfortable. The guys I met, my to-be bosses, Ryan and Andy were great and just further reminded me of working with my old team.

Where the job goes, who knows, but it's within walking distance and will help with my income while I continue to write. I am nervous, I feel rusty, but I know when I left the scene before and then returned it all came back relatively fast, so we will see.

The interview was incredibly casual. I am used to putting on a professional face so that someone who doesn't even know what my job will entail will hire me. Instead we hung out and drank beers, I can't really complain about that.

So it does look like I will be going to Seattle in October for a con, which will be great. I have super secret plan underway that I am really excited for, but obviously can't divulge here.

My best friend from back home got accepted to pastry school in Nanaimo, so she will be moving to the west coast this week, that will be pretty swell.

Things are coming together, it's a nice change of pace.

Winter is just about 20,000 words now and I have a really good feeling about it. It is just coming together so well, and that's probably the longest expanse of words I have ever written in chronological order.

I suppose I should write some more about writing in this blog? I usually just say whatever is on my mind, considering I have maybe one and half watchers, I don't think it really matters haha.

I was thinking the other day that it would be a lot of fun to be a marine biologist. My obsession with crustaceans and cephalopods would go to great use then. I think there are just too many things that I want to do with my life. How are we supposed to have enough time?

Mr. Sandman

2011-08-17T18:15:00.000-07:00

Bring me a dream

I had a wonderful weekend this weekend. I spent my time at a costume convention in UBC with a bunch of friends and I can't get over just how much fun I had. Costume conventions get a bad rep because everyone just assumes that the people that go are all Japanese obsessed freaks and weirdos that can't accept reality. Well that perception is quite blatantly false, but why would anyone believe me?

The fascination behind cosplaying/costuming is something that doesn't really exist anywhere else. For me, it is so freeing, to just dress up for fun and hang out with a bunch of like-minded individuals for a good weekend. To become something great just for a few days. Who hasn't wanted that?

Some of you probably have no idea what cosplaying is and it is kind of a difficult thing to explain. It's people creating costumes and props to dress up like their favorite movie, video game or anime characters just for the one purpose of having fun. These people spend hundreds of dollars (some spend thousands) to make these costumes just for a few days of fun with no promise of getting anything in return. It must sound strange to someone who has never done it, or witnessed the scene.

I have only being doing it myself for the past two years, but I have been fascinated by it for years before that. The amount work and attention to detail that people put into their costumes is just great and that one moment where someone recognizes you as their favorite character and they run across a great expanse just to shake your hand or give you a hug is unrivaled.

I feel this explanation is very disorganized and all over the place, I am just spitting out thoughts as they come. Costuming is not a generally accepted hobby, you tell people that you cosplay and they look at you like you have grown a second head and they are envisioning you in bondage gear whipping a furry. There are so many misconceptions about it, it's just easier to leave it unsaid, but what else can I do? I am still excited from the event and am looking forward to the next one!

Anyone that knows me in real life, knows I am a level-headed person, I don't put up with bullshit and girly things make me want to hurl usually. I am not the stereotypical cosplay. I don't have anime intravenously downloading into my brain, in fact I haven't watched any anime in about two months, it's so few and far between for me. I don't wear cat ears, I don't mix Japanese words into my speech and I most certainly don't 'squee' or 'glomp'.

So then you are probably wondering, why do I go to these things? Well reason number one, is because it's like halloween, but better, you can dress up as anything and it's almost guaranteed someone there will know what you are. People with like interests gravitate to you because you dress as something you like and if they like what you like, you are bound to make a friend. Also who doesn't love a little attention.

I don't know how else to explain it or what else to say about it, but I love it. I love the people I meet and creativity and fun involved with the entire scene. So there, my ultimate geeky secret is out.

Me as Chell from Portal 2, Photo by Clint Hay
you can see the photos I took here: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150753804660790.724324.710825789

Now that's out of the way, obviously I didn't write much this weekend, but Winter is still underway, 12,000 words in and it's going better than I ever thought it would. I figure I will finish the first draft of Winter and keep putting Rain through CC until Winter is done and then I will start the Rain overhaul and put Winter through CC. It is exciting, I can't wait to share Winter, I feel already that is several times better than Rain and that my experience shines through. It's great.

Alright, I really have little else to say right now. For those of you interested in finding or more about cosplay, I do recommend looking into and watching some clips from the upcoming documentary My Other Me, it truly is fascinating.

For those wondering which con I will be at next, it will likely be Aki-Con in Seattle. Feel free to ask me any questions about costuming and such.

Washington Square

2011-08-10T10:54:00.000-07:00

So cover this warm night in a blanket of starlight

It has been a while! Sorry for the delay, just have been busy with the move and the like, everything is settled down now.

So let's see what's new. I am hooked again on CC haha and am having more and more ideas on how to fix Rain, which I find exciting.

I started The Photographer, now called Winter. I am on the third chapter and have been writing everyday for the past week, 8,000 words in. It's weird to write something that hasn't existed in yourself for so long that it has a life of its own. It's kind of freeing to be flying from the seat of my pants haha. I figured this will be my second release and then I will do the Rain sequel.

My editor is about half way through Rain and we have discussed some ideas on where to take the story, there is always promise.

I have a costume convention to go to this weekend, Cos & Effect, I will be there as Chell from Portal 2, a costume that I managed to throw together in a matter of days last week (what else was I going to do without internet?) So that will be fun, I'm really excited for it.

Our new place is really nice and we have a such a gorgeous view from our deck. It's wonderful to be so close to the ocean.

Well I am off to do some critiquing!

One Thing Remains

2011-07-20T18:25:00.000-07:00

One step forward, never seems to get you nowhere

I have spent most of my day packing, which mind you, is exciting as hell. I am burnt out and praying to God that they get the elevator fixed before we move, because I am not carting all this crap down 6 flights of stairs.

My brother burnt through the last half of my book yesterday. He literally read over a hundred word document pages in one sitting, which is quite a feat. I called him up once he was done and we had a good hour long (long distance) talk about everything. He found some parts slow and others he really liked, so I took notes and am now just waiting on my editor to finish reading the book.

I have a lot of ideas of what we could cut and where I want to take the manuscript, which is exciting, but curbing me away from CC at this moment. I didn't even submit another chapter yesterday like I usually do, nor have I looked at the chapter that came down today. I just don't want to waste my time with things that will likely be changing in the next little while.

I finished doing my own full manuscript edit and we are now hovering at just over 200,000 words, which is a significant drop from the 270k that we started at. There is hope that this can still be a single book. Anyways I suppose I should go check my critiques and such. Ciao

Meet me by the River's Edge

2011-07-13T13:54:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if we belong here, if I ever really left, or If I can go home.

I am almost done another full edit, only about ten chapters to go, which isn't far considering I am sixty chapters in.

Is it weird to enjoy your own writing? People always say 'write what you want to read' and that's something I have always stuck with, but you hear more often than not about writers who can't look at their manuscripts anymore. Sure there are some parts I am sick of, but those are the parts that are getting cut. I thoroughly enjoy my story, maybe I am just weird.

I guess if I am not sick of it after ten years, I don't know if I ever will be.

A friend of mine is helping with the editing, which is nice since he actually knows what he's doing and went to school for journalism. I'll be the first to admit that my grammar is no great work of art.

On another note, we got a place in Vancouver, we go in on Friday to sign the contract and then we move at the end of the month. It's scary, I have never lived in a big city before, but I suppose it can only be a good thing?

As long as our lives our settled by then, I am still planning on going to Cos & Effect in mid August, sadly I haven't had the time or the funds to make a costume though. I figure I might throw together something just for shits and giggles. Josie, a friend from my childhood, may be visiting and we joked how I should make Rain's costume and advertise my book, which is actually a very interesting prospect and might be something I do in the future. I have never worked with real leather or made a jacket, but it could be fun? The jacket is gorgeous, I would love to have one:Anyways, I suppose I should get back to writing. A side note, I wrote a few paragraphs for my next novel, The Photographer, I'm excited to work on that book once I am all done with Rain.

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Love like Winter

2011-07-05T15:23:00.000-07:00

Warn your warmth to turn away, here it's December every day

Plenty of changes to come. My first reader just finished the book and the overall opinion was good, but as was suspected the weakness is in the start. I am realizing that the book is far further from ready than I thought and I think a lot of that was because things were feeling stagnant and I wanted things to get moving. Well things are moving now and it will be for the best for the story.

A friend of mine is helping with the editing, which is a great relief and is extremely helpful. Grammar was never my strong suit, but I am learning. This whole thing has been a huge learning process, which has been exciting and frustrating all at once.

I feel that there is so much to do, with everything. On top of all the book stuff, we will be moving at the end of the month. We have to find a place in North Vancouver that allows cats and then we have to do the actual move and set everything up under the new address etc. So there may be some downtime during that era, but hopefully thing will return to normal soon enough.

I will be attending Cos & Effect in August assuming all goes as planned. Unfortunately due to the hectic nature of life I haven't had much time to work on a costume, so I'll probably just be taking pictures. I may do some advertising for the book, but we will see.

I just realized that it is not Wednesday so you guys get an early blog post, lucky you! Off to work!

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Coconut Skins

2011-06-28T13:03:00.000-07:00

Tell them God just dropped by to forgive our sins

We have a site! www.projectcloudyskies.com

It has been a hectic start of the week, words are burned into my eyelids, I have never done so much editing in my life. In between editing I have been signing up to all sorts of social media sites and reactivating my twitter, just anything to help get the word out. I feel like a chicken with its head cut off.

I am in the process of shopping for an editor. I am still stuck in a position where I am unsure how to cut down the Jake arc at the start of the book and I am riding friends and family hard to get some opinions. Since I am now in the second half of the book for editing, even I am enjoying myself more, there is just so much more action there. Once again, I am scatter-brained at the moment.

I missed another submission date on CC so there will be no chapter up for crit this week unless I can muster up an additional 27 credits, which I simply don't have time for.

All I can think about right now is the book and editing. Gotta keep pushing that word count down. I am beginning to think a July release is a little bit optimistic. Which is disappointing, but at the same time it would probably be better for the book. Who knows.

Thinking about doing a content to celebrate the upcoming launch though, so we'll see.

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None of Us Are Free

2011-06-22T14:08:00.000-07:00

If you don't say it's wrong then that says it's right

Been editing like crazy and it's been get easier to be ruthless, which I suppose is a good thing. I feel like Edward Scissorhands, cutting so much away! Anyways on another note, we have a facebook group, yay!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rain-The-Series/236612996348867

I will be uploading some art there and updates, but there's nothing too special on it yet. I would like to get a site up and running sometime this week, last weekend I ended up going camping so I didn't have much time to do anything. So fingers crossed!

I am planning to upload a chapter to Deviant Art here pretty soon, just trying to figure out which one would be best. So much to think about! I am still uncertain what I will do for the cover but here is a couple thumbnails.
All thoughts are welcome!

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God Call In Sick Today

2011-06-16T12:31:00.000-07:00

Let's admire the pattern forming, murderous filigree

So I have decided the release date for the book to be July 15th. Well that's the plan anyway, assuming everything goes as slated. In the next little while I will get the site up and running will sort out some cover art. Watch this space for further updates.

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Even Now

2011-06-15T13:26:00.000-07:00

Even now I can see you smile, I can hear you hum

My brother went home on Sunday. It was a good visit, mostly we spent our time playing video games and just hanging out, it was good to see him thought.

My brother was the first person to ever hear of the Rain storyline. We grew up in the middle of nowhere so our opportunities for getting into trouble or doing something stupid with our peers were limited so we had to find ways to entertain ourselves.

It's likely because of that environment that I progressed as far as I did with my writing and art. What else did I have to do?

I remember the summer that I sat down and wrote the original Rain story. I pounded it out over the two month period and when I wasn't writing I was illustrating for the story (to your left you will see one of the first drawings of Rain). The entire novel came out a sparse 20,000 words, which at the time was the most I had ever written.

I remember the day I completed it for the first time, how excited I was as I got my brother to sit down in my room in the sweltering heat as I read it to him for the first time.

From there I devised plots for sequels upon sequels and I always had a notebook with me so I had something to write in when an idea struck. I have countless notebooks and binders full of my scrawl, all under the name of Rain. A part of me always knew that Rain would become a book, I never doubted it, even though being a writer was the last thing in my mind about what I wanted to do.

My high school years were spent obsessing about these stories, everything I did came back into the books. I researched every aspect I could and read books upon books on vampires and other unearthly beings.

No matter what I have done in my life, Rain has always been there in the back of my head. I am probably a whackjob.

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A Movie Script Ending

2011-06-07T12:33:00.000-07:00

With your hand on my shoulders, a meaningless movement... a moviescript ending

I figure I would do my weekly post today, as tomorrow my brother arrives and will be visiting for most of this week and weekend.

I just received the most obnoxious critique ever. I wasn't expecting any crits this week since I didn't manage to get a chapter in for this slot somehow, so when I logged into CC today to do my daily crits I was surprised to see that I had received one.

Not only had I received one, it was on the very first chapter of Rain and only my second submission to CC. I had left my old chapters up on the site just so that people could look back if they had questions, I never once expected anyone to go back and crit one of them since you receive fewer credits for stories not currently in queue.

My first chapter was a mess when it was originally submitted. My eye was untrained and I was unaware of a few writing rules that I have since learned. Looking back on that chapter all I see is red, all the things that should be removed, re-ordered and reworded. I have learned so incredibly much since then, hell the book has been cut down 20,000 words just from what I have learned.

That is likely the most obnoxious thing about this crit is the fact that the critter spent time pointing out issues and errors that have long been fixed. Ok maybe that wasn't the worst part.

I think the worst part was how he/she opened the crit by criticizing me (with poor spelling and grammar). I have never been talked down to in a crit before. I couldn't help but blink and stare to make sure that what I was reading was really right there in my face.

The critter submitted maybe 5 lines of actual story crit and the rest of the nearly 500 word crit was about me as a person. Something about me being narcissistic and that I should be more humble. A lot of the meaning was lost in a jumble of words and spelling mistakes.

Then the critter goes on to tell me that I should be doing better, that CC is below me, and then somehow throws a compliment in there. I don't even know what it is I have read here and now I am vastly confused.

I don't think I have ever exclaimed that my writing is the end-all be-all and that it's oh so amazing. If anything I am incredibly humble, the only thing I have to be proud about is that I actually completed a manuscript and the sheer length of it. There are plot holes and wrinkles that I am currently working hard to mend and smooth.

I have a knack to create pretty strings of words at times but that is not enough. The book can never be good enough and CC has helped so much. I have a small group of critters that come back each week and are ever so helpful. Even if by some ungodly miracle my technical ability were the bees-knees I would still go to CC. The value of foreign eyes is priceless, and considering that trying to get someone I know to read my manuscript is like pulling teeth (with a few exceptions) I need all the eyes I can possibly get.

I suppose I could continue to rant, but what's the point? I am not sure what this critter was setting out to do, but if it was to ruffle my feathers, I am miffed. But alas back to work.

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This is the Life

2011-06-02T13:47:00.000-07:00

You're singing the songs, thinking this is the life

Writing has been going fantastic. Yesterday I discovered that for some reason I didn't have a chapter scheduled for review this week, which was unfortunate, so I decided to work on the chapters already in queue. Reading crits always inspires and lights me on fire with inspiration and vision.

I was up until 3 am last night editing and I didn't want to stop but I had to some time. It was such a fantastic feeling and I think it has bled into today.

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Getting closer every day. My goal is 180,000 words, better yet 150,000 if possible, but I would be satisfied with 180,000. I am still working my way through the second major edit, so we will see.

72,303 words to go. I am optimistic.

I think the hardest part about writing, is convincing yourself to do it.

What Makes a Man?

2011-06-01T15:33:00.000-07:00

I can hear my train coming, looks like time is on my side

It was a busy weekend. I spent most the time cleaning house and listening to TED talks. I listened to a rather fascinating interview with moot/Christopher Poole the creator of 4chan. I had previously only known moot by his name, nothing more, but the interviews were fascinating. I guess it's easy to think the creator of such an ominous infamous dark corner of the internet to be just as dark and bizarre.

Instead moot is an optimistic, laid back young man, about the same age as me. Learning that at 15 he created the now massive community of 4chan blew my mind. I couldn't have comprehended creating something of that mass at his age, but then again I don't think he ever expected it to grow into what it is today.

A lot of his talks center around the value of anonymity in a society where facebook and your real id is being applied to everything you do. One of his comments is that the excessive gore porn (and other porn) really isn't his style but he allows it for the organic growth of the community.

It's funny that you look at these two young men, Zuckerberg and Poole and you get two completely different sides of the same story. While Zuckerberg presses that by attaching real IDs to anything you do, makes you more responsible and more likely to be yourself because of the reputation attached to your name. Moot in turn argues that anonymity gives you the ability to experiment or say things you never would without fear of failure.

4chan has quickly become one of the few communities remaining on the internet that does not require you to register to be a part of it and I really think it's a great thing. People need a place for that sort of release, some place just to be creative without judgment. Everyone is aware of the animosity that surrounds 4chan, many fear it and others are disgusted but I think the beauty of 4chan is the light that shines through the chaos and decay. How the users are free to put their most deprived and dark thoughts out there for the world to see and yet sometimes something good or beautiful will come out. It's about having no limits, absolute anarchy and yet there is still good.

Well that's my ramble about 4chan and Facebook for now. I am working on a new painting (hence the title banner) essentially with Zuckerberg and moot each in their own corners and the words in the background describing what they are doing, what their goals are. It's still very rough but it's getting there.

On the writing front, obviously it is Wednesday again. I didn't get as much editing done this week with my excess cleaning and having to care for a friend's cat. But the words keep going down.

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Well I better get to my critiques.

Suffocate

2011-05-27T18:57:00.000-07:00

If I am not bleeding, then I am not trying hard enough

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Drive

2011-05-26T18:23:00.000-07:00

But lately I'm beginning to find that I Should be the one behind the wheel

Wow, the second time in one day this most be a world record.

Or I am pissed, one or the other, and well lots be honest, I am pissed.

How to say this without giving too much away? How about I hate the stereotypical unpublished writer.

I have never had any delusional thoughts of grandeur about my work, I am completely aware of the stretch it will take to get me to some point of publishing (yes there are writers that have been published that I think are worse than me but I expect better of myself). I have never claimed that my story is going to be the next hot thing and I have spent an incredible amount of time reading agency and publisher blogs about the worst and most common mistakes that new authors make.

I like to laugh and think that anyone that has half a brain really couldn't be that bad. Like who sends a query letter talking about who they want to play them in the movie rendition of their boring biography? Who really does that? I guess people must, or there wouldn't be so many strained pleas against this sort of behavior.

Critique Circle has quite possibly been the best thing that has happened to me in writing. I have met some wondrous people, people that have been published, people with literary degrees that have had the patience to look at my work.

I always assumed my stuff was bad, I had no gauge because not many have ever read it that weren't the standard "I love everything you do!" fair of folk. I had a feeling I knew where my weaknesses were but that was all blown away when I actually began to receive critiques. I mean this only in the best way.

I was right about my weaknesses, but there was so much more i didn't see because I had been staring at it for so long and even more that I had been completely blind to. It's so easy to not see these things, of course I see them everywhere now.

Even if my technical ability were absolutely flawless I would still go to critique circle. Fresh eyes are the best thing that any manuscript can have and the more the better. It's so easy to create story fragments while editing and rewriting.

Then you meet people that have completed their manuscript and the only person that has ever read it is a close friend or relative. I suggest Critique Circle to every writer I meet, and thusly have recruited many and we happily crit back and forth and everything is merry. It's such a fantastic service for evolving story lines and friendly advice, the critting service and tools are amazing. It makes it so easy to crit inline without disrupting the entire manuscript, I absolutely refuse to crit anything outside of CC anymore just because it is such a pain.

Anyways loving tirade aside, I always recommend CC and well I did so to another new author the other day. Their response was something along the lines of not needing 'amateur critiques'. They did say they were planning on hiring a professional editor, ok that I can understand that, that's not the part that gets me.

The part that gets me is that said person feels that they are above all the wonders of CC, that they, and their unpublished self shant dare grace the CC crowd with their presence. The part that might also bother me as well is that in a way that they implied they are better than me because I do choose to use the service, even though we are all sitting the unpublished boat.

Now they did say they didn't have time to crit other people's work just post their stuff, essentially they just want to progress their own needs, screw everyone else. I guess this bugs me as well since I did read part of this persons manuscript and there never was an offer to return the favor.

You can see I am getting less vague on the details, probably because I am now realizing that this person that I thought was a literary buddy will likely never read this, since they are far too busy being important.

This is a rant I suppose, an angry rant and to what ends I am hoping to achieve I am unsure. I just had to get it out of me.

Critting other people's work is just as valuable as editing your own, if not more. You can't write without being a reader (Well you can, but you probably wouldn't be that good) and there really is nothing comparable to critiquing someone else's work as it trains your eye to look for issues. I could keep going on about how useful CC is to any budding writer, but I won't.

I have a new quest.

I will get published and I will do it before this person.

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This is War

2011-05-26T13:26:00.000-07:00

It's the moment of truth and the moment to lie

I am so tired of stagnating, I want to move forward with the book, but I can't edit it fast enough. I can only do so much editing a day before I burn out and the words start to blur. I wish I had the money to hire an editor but at the same time is it worth it? My technical ability is obviously nothing to write home about but my biggest concerns are how the book plays out or if I will actually be able to cut the words enough for one book, or will it be two?

I still need to make a website, and far that I want to make art, but I keep hitting a brick wall there. All I can do is edit but it doesn't seem enough. I want to start querying but it's rare for an agent to take an unpolished manuscript never mind one of this size.

I am getting an itch to do something with it, things just aren't going fast enough for me. I could do crits all day to get my chapters reviewed faster but then I get less crits myself and that detracts from my own time to write and edit.

I want so bad for this manuscript to be at the place I envision it. I suppose this is the hard part? I always thought editing would be cake once you got the words down, and in the beginning it was but it's getting harder.

257,798

Tilling my own grave to make it level

Glitter in the Air

2011-05-25T13:15:00.000-07:00

It's only half past the point of oblivion

It's Wednesday again! I think I may make this my blogging day, I will try to post throughout the week but if all else fails, expect a post on Wednesday.

So apparently the Canucks won or something like that last night (I supposedly should care too) and all night honking and yelling could be heard. I sometimes wish I was conventional enough to care about common things.

On another note, a several month long quest has been completed by yours truly. I have finally, after much searching found Kraken Rum. I know, such a prestigious and holy quest for me to take upon but it had to be done. It may just be my love of cephalopods or some form of insanity that has overcome me but I just had to find it.

This quest was made increasingly difficult by the fact that the rum was only really readily available in the States and only by special request in Canada. I scoured many liquor stores and put in requests with no luck. All my friends were aware of my awe inspiring passion to find this handled bottle and it was due to my infamy that it was eventually found.

A friend of mine called me from the liquor store the second they spotted it and that night I brought it home. It was everything I dreamed. A classy rum with a hint of vanilla and nice burn. Goes excellent with coke. I am satisfied with my legendary beverage, the quest was a worthwhile one.

If that isn't evidence enough that I need a life I don't know what is.

I spent much of last week configuring my brother's new laptop and he shall be visiting in two weeks for some geekery and gaming. Which means I have to double up on writing in the next little bit. Oh right, writing, isn't that why I am here?

Chapters 6 and 7 come down from review today, I have to look at the critiques but they got a staggering 6 crits, the longest being 1600 words which can either be really good or bad. Generally if you leave a long crit it means there was a lot wrong or you really enjoyed the passage.

258, 778 words

I am pleased as long as that number keeps going down, and as always I am sure it will decrease more once I implement the crits.

I am beginning to feel the Jake arc is too long, Rain's story doesn't start until 13 chapters in (42 pages) which then takes up the bulk of the story. It also bugs me that all the events in Jake's arc is either at dinner with Rain (3 dinner stories, though each are different) or in his apartment.

I also feel that Loki kind of drops off the face of the earth in the latter half of the arc without much discussion on what is happening with him. I feel I need to add some more information about Loki, just to make it seem that the hunt is actively going on. So much of the story takes place in Rain's house, I worry about how interesting it is.

On a completely unrelated news update, I can't paint human skin to save my life, I should never draw again.

Cowboys

2011-05-18T12:38:00.000-07:00

This is a list of what I should've been but I'm not

Whenever another chapter comes down from review it is moment of joy and the deepest waves of anxiety as I hover my cursor over the 'View All Critiques' button.

This happens every time, my deepest insecurities of my writing rearing and surfacing, monsters whispering in my ear the worst possible truths. These people that come back and critique every week are the first truly foreign eyes to view these passages, so I can't help but fear their response.

And every time I finally force for myself to read their words I find their advice and I work to implement it and I have the strength to carry on. It inspires me to work harder, to keep pushing, yet despite that I still fear starting the process.

This is every Wednesday.

I like to think it will get better when we get deeper in the story. I am the most self-conscious of the Jake introductory arc, I fear that it's boring and will have hard time holding reader's attention. The hook is the hardest part to capture and tame.

This is a list of things I should've seen, but I am not seeing

Look At Me

2011-05-16T11:43:00.000-07:00

Who am I supposed to be, and what do I believe

Well writing is going well still, as is to be expected, chapter 6 and 7 come down from review tomorrow at midnight. I haven't looked at any of the critiques yet but I am sure they will be as helpful as always.

261,577

Not a huge drop in word count since last week, but I'm working on it, I expect a bigger drop when the chapters come down and more editing is done.

On the art front, I keep getting frustrated. I want to participate in AATR with the lovely ladies of TBAG, but the same reason why I never progressed with that project is still plaguing me.

I have a specific style in my head that I want so bad to use with these girls, but I just cant' draw it. My hands keep feeling. I think I could do it with other characters, but for some reason not with them. I'll draw for hours trying to force it but it just won't happen, I think this is the worst artist's block I have ever had but of course it's just them, that's all.

This is all I have managed to get done and be partly satisfied with in a month and a half, I've never had this much trouble with a Character Tournament before. And I haven't even started on El's page which I can imagine won't be easy either.

All I can do is just keep trucking and hope I break that barrier before the contest closes, I have four weeks.

Gravity

2011-05-05T20:15:00.000-07:00

I am surrendering to gravity and the unknown, lift me back up to the sun

I dedicate so many hours a day to creative activities, what I deem as my work, my job. Writing, Drawing, Sculpting, all of that and whatever else it is I need to do. But I have been finding it harder and harder to get through my writing for the day to get to my art.

Well not necessarily harder. Writing has been going very well, very, very well. Chapter 3 just came down from the review section and I just rewrote chapter 6. Here is the new count

262,345 words.

Considering that when the book was completed it was dangerously close to 270,000 words, this is great. I could not be happier, it may yet be possible to bring this down to the size of a single novel. To cut so many words and only be so far into my quest for perfection is a good sign, now if I could only find more time in the day to draw.

Writing has absorbed my life and all my mental resources it seems. My memory has drastically gone downhill in all aspects except for when it comes to the book. Which has led to some humorous exploits such as putting the cheese in the freezer instead of the fridge and sitting here, not even being able to recall the other silly crap I have managed in the past few weeks.

I could write about the writing process till the cows came home, but I am sure that's boring you by now. Is there anything that you would like to know or have me talk about here? Comment and let me know.

For those of you that have waited patiently, I also present you with a sneak peak to my novel, all impressions are welcome.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kN6n48MC13lFfguD5x39hjTFrO0zo9ZfJlC0cI-gQd4/edit?hl=en&authkey=CMjq0LkO

Made of Steel

2011-05-01T13:58:00.000-07:00

They knock you down, I'll pick you up, they laugh at you, I'll shut them up

I have been working on revamping my chapter system and in the process of doing so I have found my biggest chapter so far. Chapter 13, 18,000 words, 22 pages. I think that's a new record! This only reinforces the fact that redoing my chapters was a smart move.

As always writing and editing has all I have been really doing as of late, my life really isn't one of excitement. Though someone wanted to commission me to make a gnome that looks like her husband last night at a friend's birthday party, we will see how that pans out.

I have been contemplating going back to school, but have been unable to decide what for. I thought maybe art but that would be more for my own improvement not to get a job and I could go for writing but I fear that would make the task of writing the all the more difficult. I would like to be able to get a decent paying job if this writing gig doesn't pan out but what?

I suppose I could start doing freelance article work or something of the like but it's all speculation at this point.

I should really make a new banner for this page.

Well I am off to meander and make some lunch.

Rolling into the Deep

2011-04-27T18:33:00.000-07:00

They keep me thinking that we almost had it all

I'm quite aware that I have been a terrible blogger of late, I really should be writing more. Well, I am writing just no this it seems. I was on vacation for the past five days in Williams Lake, visiting family and the like and watching far more hockey than I could ever care for, I am a true blasphemer, how dare I call myself Canadian?

I wrote the first few paragraphs of what I think will be my next book but have promptly put it on the side as I continue to edit more and more. It never seems good enough, sometimes I am overwhelmed with how horrible I think a scene is and I am unable to find a starting point. That is life I suppose.

My mother told me today she needs to go in for a second surgery, but that she should be fine as long as they get it out this time. Soberly enough it reminds me of my favorite quote.

"This too will pass."

I feel like I am sitting on a time bomb, that this is my chance to become a writer and if I don't do it now I never will. It's good motivator, but it's depressing all at once.

My first two chapters just came down from review at CC and it's overwhelming how obvious mistakes seem when they are pointed out to you. Apparently I could drown myself in details, what else is new?

we almost had it all

Sleeping Sickness

2011-04-13T11:17:00.000-07:00

Maybe I'll sleep when I am dead

I haven't written a post in a bit here, very little news to share. I am back to editing the book and the chapters are coming up for review on CC (http://www.critiquecircle.com/novel.asp?action=view&id=1443). I working on the chapters. Originally the book had twenty two massive chapters and I decided it would just be easier to cut them down for better reading.

I've started cutting things, only about 5,000 words so far but it's a start. I still don't know if I am going to be able to cut it enough to suffice for one book or if I will still have to split it up. I guess we will see.

On the art front I am working on character sheets for an OCT called Artists at the Ready ( http://artists-at-the-ready.deviantart.com/) I have a month before the contest begins but I am excited, I haven't entered a contest in a while.

More to come later

The Cave

2011-04-04T14:13:00.000-07:00

But I will hold on hope and I won't let you choke on the noose around your neck, and I'll find strength in pain and I will change my ways, I'll know my name as it's called again

My critique period has ended at Critique Circle for the prologue (http://www.critiquecircle.com/queue.asp?action=lookup&id=64207). I got a lot of really great advice so as of right now I am writing a couple different prologues to try instead. I have to settle on a point of view and I am pretty sure I am going to go with Jake for the prologue, which just makes it a little more difficult to write the prologue without giving too much away.

It seems that everyone hates prologues, I keep getting questions about why it can't be the first chapter. The reason being that the first chapter is 3 months later, the prologue doesn't fit in with the flow, it's its own piece.

It has almost been a month now since I finished the book which is exciting. I am back to editing a lot and writing a lot. I know it's supposed to be three months you leave it, but I am not ready to bury it for that long.

Well off to work!

Round Here

2011-03-21T13:14:00.001-07:00

She walks along the edge of where the ocean meets the land

So the Prologue is up for review on Reddit as we speak and will be debuting on Critique Circle on the 23rd. It feels nice to finally be getting some responses, the people of Reddit has been very helpful so far, pointing out things I never noticed and making me look at this differently which is great. The more advice the better! The community is just so great.

Due to the issues I've been having with the Jake portrait I have put it on hold while I do some practice to see if I can get better. Lighting has always been an issue for me, mostly because I started painting late, I feel somewhat behind, but I know I am drastically better than when I first started, it's just frustrating.

It feels weird with the book coming to fruition. I have thought about getting a single copy printed as is just to give to people to actually read it, so many people have issues reading on the screen, but I have to remember the book is massive as it currently is.

English Summer Rain

2011-03-20T13:05:00.000-07:00

Always stays the same, nothing ever changes.

The month trial period is almost over! No returns from the readers yet, but I am excited to get back to working on the book. I've looked at a couple places to break the book at but i am still unsure. I would have to make new climaxes and possible reorganize things and this concerns and confuses me, the book was planned as a single book, that's what the arcs were written for.

I have joined critique circle and hopefully I can get some insight there, I just worry how difficult it will be to read the book in the entirety as it is now. I need advice but I need someone that has read the book for the advice to be valid, I need an outside opinion! My editor just hit Chapter 9, so she is just about halfway through which is good, I'm just impatient.

Kiri

2011-03-14T12:30:00.001-07:00

Come and Save Me

So it's becoming increasingly easier to leave the book at rest, still not responses from readers which is kind of frustrating but it has only been about a week, I am just incredibly impatient.

I have started planning my next project. A book directed at teens and young adults. I plan to do it in journal form, a story that follows one highschool girl through life's drama, loosely based off of an experience I had in high school. It will be full of tension, drama and gritty details. So we will see how that goes! Sadly I do not have much to say today.

Another Travelin' Song

2011-03-10T12:10:00.000-08:00

I'm hunched over a typewriter, I guess you could call that painting in a cave

The number of readers climb to 10! I completed the second promo piece today, one of Loki the big bad villain. I think it's one of my best pieces and definitely the best I have ever done of him.

I've been reading a lot of writing columns in my absence from the actual duty, contemplating the best ways to better things and one thing in particular I found in the subreddit r/writing was definitely useful. It is a list of writing tips, the original list can be found here: http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=102594

32 Rules of Writing

1: Avoid pleonasms. A pleonasm is a word or phrase which can be removed from a sentence without changing its meaning. For example, in “Hunting Down The Pleonasm”, ‘down’ is pleonastic. Cut it and the meaning of the sentence does not alter. Many words are used pleonastically: ‘just’, ‘that’ and ‘actually’ are three frequently-seen culprits (I actually just know that he’s the killer can be trimmed to I know he’s the killer), and phrases like ‘more or less’ and ‘in any shape or form’ are redundant.

2: Use oblique dialogue. Try to generate conflict at all times in your writing. Attempt the following experiment at home or work: spend the day refusing to answer your family and colleagues’ questions directly. Did you generate conflict? I bet you did. Apply that principle to your writing and your characters will respond likewise.

3: Use strong verbs in preference to adverbs. I won’t say avoid adverbs, period, because about once every fifty pages they’re okay! What’s not okay is to use an adverb as an excuse for failing to find the correct verb. To ‘walk slowly’ is much less effective than to ‘plod’ or ‘trudge’. To ‘connect strongly’ is much less effective than to ‘forge a connection’.

4: Cut adjectives where possible. See rule 3 (for ‘verb’ read ‘noun’).

5: Pairs of adjectives are exponentially worse than single adjectives. The ‘big, old’ man walked slowly towards the ‘tall, beautiful’ girl. When I read a sentence like that, I’m hoping he dies before he arrives at his destination. Mind you, that’s probably a cue for a ‘noisy, white’ ambulance to arrive. Wailingly, perhaps!

6: Keep speeches short. Any speech of more than three sentences should be broken up. Force your character to do something. Make him take note of his surroundings. Ground the reader. Create a sense of place.

7: If you find you’ve said the same thing more than once, choose the best and cut the rest. Frequently, I see the same idea presented several ways. It’s as if the writer is saying, “The first couple of images might not work, but the third one should do it. If not, maybe all three together will swing it.” The writer is repeating himself. Like this. This is a subtle form of pleonasm.

8: Show, don’t tell. Much vaunted advice, yet rarely heeded. An example: expressing emotion indirectly. Is your preferred reader intelligent? Yes? Then treat them accordingly. Tears were streaming down Lila’s face. She was very sad. Can the second sentence be inferred from the first? In context, let’s hope so. So cut it. If you want to engage your readers, don’t explain everything to them. Show them what’s happening and allow their intelligence to do the rest. And there’s a bonus to this approach. Because movies, of necessity, show rather than tell, this approach to your writing will help when it’s time to begin work on the screenplay adaptation of your novel!

9: Describe the environment in ways that are pertinent to the story. And try to make such descriptions active. Instead of describing a book lying on a table, have your psycho-killer protagonist pick it up, glance at it and move it to the arm of the sofa. He needs something to do to break up those long speeches, right?

10: Don’t be cute. In the above example, your protagonist should not be named Si Coe.

11: Avoid sounding ‘writerly’. Better to dirty up your prose. When you sound like a writer, your voice has crept in and authorial intrusion is always unwelcome. In the best writing, the author is invisible.

12: Fix your Point Of View (POV). Make it clear whose head you’re in as early as possible. And stay there for the duration of the scene. Unless you’re already a highly successful published novelist, in which case you can do what you like. The reality is that although most readers aren’t necessarily clued up on the finer points of POV, they know what’s confusing and what isn’t.

13: Don’t confuse the reader. If you write something you think might be unclear, it is. Big time. Change it or cut it.

14: Use ‘said’ to carry dialogue. Sid Fleischman calls ‘said’, “the invisible word.”

15: Whilst it’s good to assume your reader is intelligent, never assume they’re psychic.

16: Start scenes late and leave them early.

17: When writing a novel, start with your characters in action. Fill in any necessary backstory as you go along.

18: Give your characters clear goals. Always. Every scene. And provide obstacles to those goals. Always. Every scene. If the POV character in a scene does not have a goal, provide one or cut the scene. If there is no obstacle, add one or cut the scene.

19: Don’t allow characters who are sexually attracted to one another the opportunity to get into bed unless at least one of them has a jealous partner.

20: Torture your protagonist. It’s not enough for him to be stuck up a tree. You must throw rocks at him while he figures out how to get down.

21: Use all five senses in your descriptions. Smell and touch are too often neglected.

22: Vary your sentence lengths. I tend to write short, and it’s amazing what a difference combing a couple of sentences can make.

23: Don’t allow your fictional characters to speak in sentences. Unless you want them to sound fictional.

24: Cut out filtering devices, wherever possible. ‘He felt’, ‘he thought’, ‘he observed’ are all filters. They distance the reader from the character.

25: Avoid unnecessary repetition of tense. For example: I’d gone to the hospital. They’d kept me waiting for hours. Eventually, I’d seen a doctor. Usually, the first sentence is sufficient to establish tense. I’d gone to the hospital. They kept me waiting for hours. Eventually, I saw a doctor.

26: When you finish your book, pinpoint the weakest scene and cut it. If necessary, replace it with a sentence or paragraph.

27: Don’t plant information. How is Donald, your son? I’m quite sure Donald’s father doesn’t need reminding who Donald is. Their relationship is mentioned purely to provide the reader with information.

28: If an opinion expressed through dialogue makes your POV character look like a jerk, allow him to think it rather than say it. He’ll express the same opinion, but seem like a lot less of a jerk.

29: Characters who smile and grin a lot come across as deranged fools. Sighing and shrugging are also actions to avoid. Eliminating smiles, sighs and shrugs is almost always an improvement. Smiling sadly is a capital offence.

30: Pronouns are big trouble for such little words. The most useful piece of information I ever encountered on the little blighters was this: pronouns refer to the nearest matching noun backwards. For example: John took the knife out of its sheath and stabbed Paul with it. Well, that’s good news for Paul. If you travel backwards from ‘it’, you’ll see that John has stabbed Paul with the sheath! Observing this rule leads to much clearer writing.

31: Spot the moment of maximum tension and hold it for as long as possible. Or as John D. MacDonald put it: “Freeze the action and shoot him later.”

32: If something works, forget about the rule that says it shouldn’t.

3x5

2011-03-09T15:40:00.000-08:00

You should have seen that sunrise

The number of people that have requested copies of the novel is steadily increasing and in ways is easing my anxiety. The more it is exposed the more rounded the general opinion will be, and it ensures that at least a few will read it in the entirety. At this time 9 people have copies.

I made a story arc map this morning, trying to figure out where the book can be split into parts, I am still undecided whether to make it a two or three parter. During the creation of the diagram I realized some of the arcs didn't resolve, getting lost in the Rain History arc. I want to work on changing that, but there's really no point until some people read the copies they already have.

I am obviously having issues with the lock-it-up-and-throw-away-the-key-for-a-few-months phase. I am trying to focus on getting the promo art ready but I just keep thinking about the story line and things I think I could do better. Trying to keep the document closed is harder than I thought it would be.

Before I am Dead

2011-03-09T01:07:00.000-08:00

Sun reclines, eases my mind

I am more nervous than ever as I hand out copies of the first draft. It's hard not to feel anxious when this story has been so much a part of my life for so long now I hardly remember it not existing. I love it, well for the most part I love what I want it to be and how others will take that I don't know and of course I always fear that people will simply humor me.

It's a true dilemma, I want the truth but I fear that I will be told that it is plain, uninteresting and poorly written. I am sure that is every author's fear for every piece of literature they write but it's gnawing at me now because I feel like I need to do more work. I could still make it better!

There comes a point you have to relinquish some control, I know, but it's incredibly hard. I know that no matter what I write there will be people that hate it, that comes with the territory but it's hard nonetheless, we always want the people we care about to care about the things that we do.

Only time will tell and I will have to do my best to keep myself distracted while this process occurs. It will take most of my determination to leave the book until at least one reader finishes, it's the waiting and anticipation that will kill me I am sure.

How to Be Dead

2011-03-07T17:23:00.000-08:00

I won't stop, no way.

I have just completed my first novel. Clocking in at 270,298 words, 308 Word pages, and 22 chapters, Rain has been completed.

I feel like I just took my first breath again after years of holding onto stagnant air. This is the beginning. There is much work to come, but this was the first step, one I have procrastinated for way too long.

Next steps are to get the book read by friends, family and few strangers and edit, edit, edit, edit and edit some more. Watch this spot for further updates.

If I Ever Leave This World Alive

2011-03-02T15:40:00.000-08:00

Wherever I am, you will always be more than just a memory

I am obviously ungodly distracted. I am doing the last writing for the final chapter and it's hard. I know exactly what needs to be written but it's just not coming out and I am getting beyond distracted. I am so close that I can feel it. Maybe I am just too anxious.

Much To Do With Vampires

2011-02-27T19:25:00.000-08:00

If I only could, make a deal with God

It's been a while, like usual, but this time I do plan to post more as I document the end of writing the first Rain book.

I was about 14 when I first watched the film Queen of the Damned. I know it was a pretty terrible adaption but I was enthralled. Vampires? Who ever thought they could be so cool, suave and modern? I had to learn more!

When I discovered the film was based off of a novel series, immediately I went to my local library and took them all out. I consumed every piece of literature I could find on vampires, reading myths, legends and novels by the bounty. I could not get enough.

As any story teller at heart, I knew I had to make this new fascinating world my own and Rain was created. Rain originally was a persona of mine in an online Roleplaying group. But, like with anything, I couldn't keep it simple I had to keep building onto the story, creating other characters to interact with her, posing as different people, building her world around me.

Rain originally was young, wild and adventurous, her maker cold and stoic and her love interest suave and dangerous. All so typical of a hormone driven teenage girl.

Then I chose to create her a daughter, suddenly she had a family a life, then two other characters were created, Junnette Farrel, a vampire woman that was a friend of hers and Jake Foriegn a human male hell-bent on uncovering the truth and condemning Rain.

After that it just grew so exponentially I don't truly remember what came next. I wrote the first novel that year (2002) over the summer. It was 60 pages long (at size 14 font and fully illustrated) I was so proud of myself that when I finished I began to work on sequals, bigger, better ideas were to come!

That was my high school life, Rain. A friend of mine had his own story that he was working on so together we read and edited each others' passages, writing in weathered notebooks during school and trading them between classes. Some of the more outlandish ideas were spawned from my desire to match the bizarre sci-fi futuristic world his story was based on and to this day makes me shake my head in wonder.

Here we are now, after nine years have passed since the very first word written and drawing was drawn. After three rewrites here I am on the verge of completing this novel again for what I dream to be the last time before it reaches the publishers.

It's one of those dreams that you have had so long, that you forget what you were doing it for or what the end result was supposed to be. I find it hard to envision actually sending this beast of a novel off to a publisher. I had told myself in high school I would be a comic book illustrator and writing would just be a side thing, but I want this more than anything now.

I know that this is the hardest part. The thousands of words and all the books I have read leading up to this point, I feel like I couldn't be better prepared but I have to keep scouring for more information. It's just getting there, so close to the top of the mountain I feel I can finally see it, this is something that just might come true, and I've never been more ready to fight for it.

Anything is possible. Everything is doable.

Call and Answer

2009-08-23T02:57:00.000-07:00

Don't go worrying about me
I want to go to school, after these three years of living life I finally want to do it for my own sake, who saw that coming. I suppose I should get on it.

I was looking at Joe Kubert School for graphic novels and cartooning, being a huge fan of the work of both his sons who teach there. I sent a request for more information so lets see what happens. But going to a school so far away and outside the country might be difficult, I really wouldn't even know how to go about it, but for now I am just going to look into some more things.

I just have a strong urge to actually complete something soon, and become something, I am still so young but I feel time creeping up on me and I know if I just sit around idly that next thing you know it will be 20 years later, I'll have 2 kids and have no idea where the time went and wondering why I never completed what I always wanted to.

She Is Love

2008-09-03T14:21:00.000-07:00

When all my thoughts are Passion and the dreams are my delight
I have been hiding out a bit recently, dealing with a lot of personal things and trying to get my life back on track, and so far so good. I have met a new friend and a fellow artist recently that has inspired me a great deal and has driven me to work harder since I have been somewhat letting myself slide in the past little while as I have been focusing on other things.

I did a new update to AOSN for the first time in several months, starting to get more of a feel of what I want for it, and understanding of how it should work. I am still finding difficulties getting the cartoon style right, it just isn't something I am used to. As was planned before alot of the characters were cut or altered. I plan to add new characters and start anew with the story, clear the slate and start fresh.

I have also been focusing heavily on Rain. Project Cloudy Skies is well into the beginning processes including character re-designs, costume designs, more complete storylines the works. I have been reading a lot into novel writing and am getting a much firmer grasp on what it's going to take to make these stories work.

In the meantime I have continued practice in Painter X and have become more fluent and comfortable with the program. Things are looking up

Twentysomething

2008-02-01T05:56:00.000-08:00

It only hurts when I laugh

Last night was the release of the first AOSN comic in about 7-8 months, it's been a year since I started the comic, so I am somehwhat anxious to see the response, I'll have to work hard to get back into the groove of things.

In other news things are going well with much of my other art, I am seeing improvements and it's making me feel better, I just need to keep working hard and I know there will be progress. I just feel like time is escaping me, that I should be much better for where I am at in my life. I often forget how young I am in comparison to the artists that I admire, and sometimes I guess I just get ahead of myself. I just really want to be doing this as a living, to be making money off it, but it just hasn't happened yet. I still have so far to go.