Covering Celtic Mythology

I've been playing around with fonts for the cover with the new title. I've come up with a first cover idea that really works with the concept.

My original ideas for the font just didn't work with the Pictish motif. Turns out that a more modern looking black type font juxtaposed against the traditional swirls really made a difference. I created a modified version of another font to create the type. So, I stripped it back to an type only cover and worked up from there. It really helped clarify the problems I was having with the typography.

Here's a rough draft of my first cover idea. Of all the Celtic gods and mythological creatures the Kelpie is by far my favourite. It's exciting to have it front and centre in the title and as an image.

I stylised it in the same way that the horse and kelpie are depicted in Pictish carvings particularly the Hilton of Cadboll Stone which is in the National Museum of Scotland. I've been enchanted with the stone ever since I first saw the Pictish stones there. I didn't want to make the cover to literally reference the stone because, as I said in my previous post, I want the book to look like a book. But I definitely needed to make reference to my inspiration.

I'm going to try and go to other places with the cover. I want to go all out with the Celitic Mythology angle adding in even more obscure creatures and the main characters, Ash and Ana, in some kind of scene. But it be good to do some all type versions and something completely left field.

Hope you like!

Keep growing and keep going!
‽

Buy 'Black Star' or 'Spirit Shear' on Amazon in the UK and US
Check out Themo on Twitter and Facebook

The font of all magic

Getting excited for the book. I've had some very good advice from a friend and am rethinking the title. To try and keep me motivated I've also been working on some ideas for the cover.


developing motifs for the book

I wanted to a typeface that would be suitable for the book's subject - Celtic Magic.

Typography design takes lots of exploration. I spent a while exploring the form of Celtic runes and experimenting with creating a 'runic' sort of font. You want any book to have a memorable font. And, the greatest series, all have their own unique type-face that is identifiable at a glance. Think of Harry Potter, Marvel Comics and (I hate to say it) Twilight.

The thing about these fonts is they are all hand drawn which automatically makes them unique. It create something special when you know a font has been hand crafted specifically for that title.

The earliest version of the font

Early drafts came out looking a bit too literal. I've seen similar fonts and while stylistically their inspiration is very obvious, readability is poor. And, for any book, especially for young people, you want them to be able to read the title without any difficulty.

From these drafts I stripped back some of the 'rune' elements, primarily the unrelenting straight lines. Allowing the forms to curve made the text look less archaic. What came out I thought looked quite classy but was still a bit too modern.

Getting smoother

measuring out on graph paper

My first cover idea will feature Pictish filagree and figures as a frame. The letters need to stand out in an environment of intricate swoops and swirls without jarring against. So, while the sans-serif look is more true to the rune idea, it doesn't totally fit the aesthetic.

practice practice practice

I thought about different textures and how characters behave when writing on them. My first thought was of stone. The Pictish art that has survived the test of time is all stone carvings. I may still come back to the idea of stone in another cover draft. However, in this idea the illumination does all the heavy lifting and, after all, it is a book. I want it to have the feel of a modern illuminated manuscripts with distinctly Pictish flavour.

cover idea and lettering test

To achieve a more fluid looking font I broke out the old brush and ink set and practiced some Chinese calligraphy (of all things)! Chinese calligraphy dates back to 4000 BC and I thought adding some of the beauty and rigor of it to the very rigid font I designed would give it an edge of class and antiquity.

What it turned out was a more organic serif version of my initial ideas. While it's come a way from the blunt edged runes, the font maintains the odd runic proportions with sloped descenders and unique angles. I particularly like how the 45degree angles on the 'K' intersect with the vertical line in a way that cuts off part of the line thickness.

So, that's how I came to this cover idea's lettering. And you might have guessed the new title already! I'll do another post on how I came up with the new title later on and I'll post cover ideas as I start churning them out. The book is away to be proof read and I'm getting more feedback from a friend who's an editor. So, I'm fairly excited/nervous about this next phase of my publishing journey.

testing out the lettering

I know that these ideas might all totally change when I have an agent. But, it's nice to keep my creative juices occupied while I'm on the look for that agent who will help me get to the next level!

Keep growing and keep going!

‽

Buy 'Black Star' or 'Spirit Shear' on Amazon in the UK and US
Check out Themo on Twitter and Facebook

Voices in my head - persistence and proliferation

The creative process is a tough one. An artist's work is never done. And, knowing that I'm going to send my baby out to be judged always leaves room for doubt about whether or not it's good enough. But, I've found that identifying and naming that internal critic is necessary. So, I'd like to introduce my inner critic: Smith

Smith: A creative genius... and a bit of a dick

Who is Smith?

Smith is my inner critic. It tells me that if I put my work out there I'm going to end up like Carrie on prom night and finally develop my telekinetic powers! (No, but really, I will)

Smith is the Yang to my open and creative Yin. It's my inner editor, my dark side, my frustration and anger and intellect honed into a sword wielding wicked warrior. It preaches restraint and pragmatism and punishes idealism and day dreaming. It's the part of me that loves cats because they're fickle fluff monsters of love.

In the movie of my life Smith will be played by Crispin Glover.

Yes, having an inner critic is useful. It's what pushes me to edit and kill my darlings when I've become to precious about my work. It makes me stronger and better. It tells me I need to check my work and be realistic about my expectations. But, sometimes Smith tries to hold me back. And that's when it becomes a problem.

What does Smith says that's helpful?

• That sentence is too long.
• Is there another way of saying that?
• Read that out loud and see how it sounds.
• Ask a friend or colleague for advice.
• Do your research before you send your manuscript to an agent.
• Double check that email.

What Smith says that's not helpful?

• It will never be good enough?
• You're just not talented.
• You'll never be as good as him or her.
• What's the point, you're just going to get rejected.
• You're wasting your time
• They're only saying it's good because they're your friend
• That negative feedback is the only feedback that matters
• Check WebMD again. It's probably cancer.

How to combat it?

1. Name your fear. Tell it to do one.
2. Tell yourself, it's not for everyone, but it will be right for someone. And, it's good enough for you!
3. Listen to Baz Luhrmann's 'Everybody's Free to Wear Sunscreen' over and over again while exercising or playing violent video games.
4. Be realistic - you will get rejections. Honour that disappointment. Get up and find someone who will appreciate it.
5. Talk to friends. Don't try to impress nay-sayers. Make the people who already support you proud.
6. Be humble - when you do get good advice, process it. If you can incorporate changes, try. If not, just do you.
7. Keep creating

Why it's important to name your critic?

Naming your inner critic is useful because their influence is sometimes the echo of other people's opinions. You would never let someone else talk to you the way you do to yourself. So, thinking of that critic as someone outside of you helps when you need to tell it to shut up!

Being a sensitive creative type you absorb so much of what other people think. Yes, you need to judge your own work critically. And, it's always helpful to have other people's opinion -  the whet stone upon which we sharpen our craft. However, fear and doubt is not helpful.

It's fear of what other people will think. Fear that your work isn't good enough. Fear you'll be embarrassed. And that nasty little critic is repeating every mean thing you're afraid people will say. Hear it. Dismiss it. You're a creative hero just for putting it out there.

Why has Smith reared its wicked head?

This week I finished the fifth (final?) draft of my novel. I'm going to have a friend proof read it. Then, as far as I can tell, it's done. It's the best I can do. Yes, if I were to leave it for another year and come back to it there would be something that I'd change. But, I could continue putting off sending it to agents until the end of time.

Time to be bold.

I'm terrified because I'm literally about to be judged. Some editor or agent is going to read my work and say either yeah this is good or 'no thanks'.

It's hard to hear 'no thanks' and not take it as 'YOU'RE TERRIBLE!'. But, it mostly is just 'not for me'.

I don't know what the outcome will be. But, I will definitely keep trying and keep creating and keep doing what I do because I love it. And, if Smith gets too loud, I'm allowed to take a break and do something that will rebuild my resilience (things like drawing creepy creatures from my head). Persistence and proliferation have always been my motto. And, Smith has a lot to do with both of those things.

Keep creating. Keep going. And when Smith gets a bit mouthy, I'll just tell it to keep quiet.


Hope you enjoy!
‽

Buy 'Black Star' or 'Spirit Shear' on Amazon in the UK and US
Check out Themo on Twitter and Facebook