Write a Novel in a Month

Cover by David Dalzell

I'd heard of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) years and years ago and always thought it sounded like a fun and challenging thing to do. But, I never thought I had the stones to do it. Now, with my second novel under my belt, I thought it was high time to give it a bash.

From writing two novels before I'd learned a lot about my own process and pitfalls. I'm very much a visual as well as textual person. Writing and drawing go hand in hand. However, the worst thing for me is editing and self-doubt. I write a chapter. I reread it, go back, read what I've written before, try to make sure the continuity all matches up, then go forward. This can take months and months of to-ing and fro-ing.

Nanowrimo was a chance to see if I could circumvent some of the fear and just get words and story on a page. Well, I'm pleased to say I did it! And with time to spare! The goal was to write at least 50,000 words in 30 days. I smashed the target by getting my 50k on day 23. And now, on day 30, the story is complete with 58,799!

lots of notes

The process was fun. I did a lot of plotting and reading and got to delve into one of my favourite subjects: mythology. But this time I was exploring Celtic and Brittonic mythology, something I didn't know much about.

I started out reading Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Brittaniae, one of the first compilations of the legendary history of King Arthur and his conquests. One of the most interesting things I found was that it was not nearly as grandiose as I'd expected. It was all set out like a sober documentation of history and kings begatting so-and-so and so-and-so assassinating the other one. Even magic is imply described as the 'mechanics' of Merlin.

The more fantastical works come in the Vita Merlini where we get more of Merlin's history post Arthur. (Did you know? Merlin was believed to have lived in Scotland in the original Welsh legends).  But still, it was mostly history. So, to really get my bearings in the wider world of myths I began reading more Celtic myths from across the UK. There are a wealth of Celtic myths and tales to draw from and the first Age of Albion book wouldn't be enough to fit in all of them. But, it provided me with a fun cast of creatures to run in and out of the main characters' (Ana and Ash's) world as they go on their journey.

Anyway, the process of writing has been great. And today being the last day I really only had two words to add to the story to make it complete: The End. It was a strange feeling. After starting out with just a blank page and a handful of notes I'd spent so much time concentrating on getting to the finish line that as it approached I began to slow down.

The main characters - Ash and Ana

A hairy trow

A hairy trow

Having something to focus on so intently for so long I knew that when it was done it was going to leave a hole. Yes, I have stuff to prepare for Christmas and even today I'm writing this blog post to get my fix (I wonder how many words this is). But, I'm still a bit sad to say goodbye to the rigour of writing a novel in a month. I was surprised how balanced and conscious it made me of the rest of the life. In order to not get discouraged or become a shut-in I had to schedule dinner with friends, times to go to the cinema and gym and see people. I had to become as disciplined with my social life so that I could in fact still have a life.

However, now I have the other half of my writing process to do: the drawing! I've been sketching and doodling all along the way but haven't spent nearly as much time as I normally would with pencil and paper. So now all of the people I've brought to life in words I can now have a play with visually which I'm really excited about.

The Lady of the Loch

A Scottish fairy or sìdh

It was so much fun exploring the Celtic and Brittonic myths and mixing them in a new way. My favourite part has been setting the story in Scotland. The country is rich with mythology and folklore so it only made sense that a new King Arthur story for the modern day would take place in a new land. It meant that I could make the characters in this King Arthur's tale my own. And, as I said above, Scotland was fabled to be Merlin's stomping ground anyway, so it's not too far a stretch.

I've learned a lot about my process and, more importantly, what I'm capable of when I put my mind to it. It also gives me no excuse for not having finished editing book two of the Emersus Project :-/. But, I also had a great experience collaborating with a friend who designed the cover for me. It was scary to see what he'd come up with. Taking my baby and handing it over to someone else to see what they make of it was terrifying. But, it worked out better than I expected. In fact it was what was in my head but I never would have been able to execute it as well because I was too close to the project. It gives me hope for eventually putting my work out there for my eventual publisher that they will help take it to another unexpectedly better level.

I've enjoyed my National Write a Novel Month. I'll definitely do it again. And, I think this is just the beginning of another story for me.

Hope you enjoy!
‽


Buy Book 1, 'Black Star' on Amazon in the UK and US
Check out Themo on Twitter and Facebook

What a difference a smile makes

A long overdue blog posting.

I've been working non-stop on finishing the edits for Emersus Project Book 2 and this month I've been participating in National Write a Novel Month. As I've only got 3500 words left and 8 days to do it in some space in my brain pan has opened. So I started work on my 2015 Holiday Card.

This year I wanted to go for something serene and simple. I realised that since 2007 The Mighty Orange Peel (Gemmy) hasn't had a card all his own. And, there's something nice about that. Every year I think about what I want most for my holiday and to know that having friends and loved ones around me has been part of that wish is pretty awesome. No man is an island.

However, this year, there's something encouraging for me to think I can do this on my own. Friends and loved ones are all still there. But, I'm focussing on me. Also, the other thing I want this year for Christmas is a nice pair of warm socks. So, you get TMOP in a giant sock.

So, as always I do different versions of the drawing for the card just to test out how it feels. I wanted to portray that happy serenity through TMOP's expression. So I produced two versions. One with a big open grin and then an alternate version with a sly peaceful grin.

Well, what looked like a sly grin in sketches in the final wash looked more like an indifferent smirk. I have to say, when I did the final editing in photoshop I couldn't stop laughing at how cynical it looked. So, I produced my alternative holiday card for 2015.

Ugh... why bother?

Ah, it still cracks me up looking at it.

Well, rest assured that this is not the final product. There will be appropriate levels of holiday cheer and merriment applied to the final product. But for all of you bah-humbugs out there I hope this will suffice.

On a separate note, the difficulty with writing a novel at the same time is the characters from that series were trying to creep in. I genuinely considered having them share the spotlight with TMOP this year. Maybe next year Ash and Ana.

Hope you enjoy!
‽



Buy Book 1, 'Black Star' on Amazon in the UK and US
Check out Themo on Twitter and Facebook

The lizard people

Gechans, the lizard people of Arbea, get more of a showing in book two along with the Rhe'zans. So, I've had to spend a bit more time with them in my head and in my sketch pad. In early drawings of Gechans they look a bit froggy. But, I've gone for a more distinctly salamander-like sleekness (even though they're physically more reptilian). I've also tried to make them less anthropomorphic (wiry arms, longer tail, no opposable thumbs) to really drive home their reptilian nature.

Where do you stay?
Gechans are most similar to reptiles (In Arbea their species type is known as arquatic). They live in swampy, humid areas. They breath air but live in water as it helps them regulate their body temperature. So, when they are on land for extended trips, they wear water 'collars' to help keep them cool.

They are very communal and live in large broods of up to 30 Gechans in a single nest. Each nest is a large dome-like structure under water that is accessed via a water pool at its centre. Reproductive females live in groups of five or six with their children. Their young (or tadpoles) spend the first 10 years of life never leaving the nest and the first 30 years with their brood. Adult males and post-reproductive females live separately in their own groups usually as collectives for their chosen profession. Gechans have a longer life span than humans, the oldest recorded Gechan being 223 years.

Male vs Female
Males have a cranial plate which covers an air sack that they can inflate during courtship displays.
Females have blunter snouts and a segmented lower jaw.

Beauty is skin deep
Gechans' skin colour comes in varying shades of blues and greens with lighter coloured stripes or spots. Their colour largely depends on the environment they hail from. However, all Gechans have the ability to camouflage with their environment.

Their hands and feet are zygodactyly like chameleons (two toes facing forward and two facing back) which make them expert climbers even though they live in water. This evolutionary trait, along with their camouflage are their main natural defence.

Getting busy
Gechans reproduce sexually. Females lay their soft-shelled eggs in water hatcheries in their nests. In the event of threat or no suitable hatchery females can hold the eggs in her throat sack to keep them warm and moist. The female's lower jaw can separate and split apart allowing them to scoop up the eggs without damaging them. A female can only reproduce (at most) twice in her lifetime and lays two to three eggs each time. As females are more common than males, a male can have multiple broods and helps maintain each nest.

Hope you enjoy!
‽




Buy Book 1, 'Black Star' on Amazon in the UK and US
Check out Themo on Twitter and Facebook

The eye of the tiger

Ladies, try not to faint. Here comes Daryn in full-colour:

This hunky sea-side lothario swims into Sem and Gemmy's life in book two, Spirit Shear, and causes all kinds of commotion. Mostly, he divides Gemmy and Sem on whether or not he can be trusted.

I think even Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston would agree this guy's sun-bleached locks and golden eyes would give even Brad Pitt and Edward Cullen a run for their money. He's what you'd get if Josh Holloway, Chris Hemsworth and Gabriel Aubrey had a baby with a sabertooth-tiger. Fact!

Is he good our bad? I don't know. But, I think if you look into his eyes you'll be able to decide for yourself.

Hope you enjoy!
‽




Buy Book 1, 'Black Star' on Amazon in the UK and US
Check out Themo on Twitter and Facebook

Dino might

So, how does one get around on the island of Rheza? Well, get yourself one of these:

Maza - the dinosaur bird

Better than a Ford raptor, the mazatotl (or maza for short) are the transport of choice for the Rhe'zans.

The word mazatotl literally means 'stag bird', but the maza are more like a utahraptor vs an emu vs a bald eagle than an actual stag. They're very aggressive birds and are hard to tame. The Rhe'zans believe that it's only through mutual respect that one is allowed to ride a maza. As all birds of prey are regarded highly in Rhe'zan society so the maza is the pinnacle of that respect. It's a fierce hunter, a fast and true steed and pretty deadly.

The resemblance is uncanny

Maza mowhawk

I've been sketching the maza a lot. I wanted it to look fierce but also plausible. I went through phases where it looked a bit like a peacock and a griffin Some of my initial drawings were a bit too fluffy with downy tail feathers and 70s Storm from Xmen mowhawks.

Ultimately what helped settle it was the description in the book that says the maza looks just as much lizard as it does bird. So, I stopped looking at pictures of eagles and buzzards and started looking at my favourite creatures: DINOSAURS.

some early sketches

Despite what Jurassic Park tells you, the velociraptor was actually a puny little pack-hunting punk that was indeed vicious but nowhere near as big as what you see on the screen. The steed-sized bipedal dinosaur that actually did exist was the Utahraptor. I drew (hehe get it) a lot of inspiration from this feathered predator but kept the facial features of a more modern bird of prey. I also kept the equally deadly emu feet. I thought about using ostrich feet but they are too gross. Seriously, they look like when pigeons get those clubbed feet from stepping in tangled thread or gum.

So, after ditching the peacock like feathers and head and tail plumes the maza came together as a pretty deadly and kick-ass addition the world of Arbea. Next animal to come out of my creature shop will be the gorek which also appears when Gemmy and Sem arrive on Rheza.


Hope you enjoy!
‽



Buy Book 1, 'Black Star' on Amazon in the UK and US
Check out Themo on Twitter and Facebook

Final drawings

Well folks, here it is: The first completed drawing for Spirit Shear

The guys away on summer holiday

Come explore Garz Isle

Sem gets a makeover

It's not just the first drawing I've completed but the first illustration in the book! This time Gemmy and Sem are on adventure away from home. To get there they'll have to travel the length of the country. And, while Gemmy practices using his powers electromagnetically levitating a penny Sem sleeps with her face pressed against the window.

The other two are scenes from the book. They're all in varying states of completion. But, much like the writing, I'm drafting them and getting them to a fit state then moving on to the next. I'll then go back and edit and improve to bring them more to life if I can.

It's going to be a long trip and an even longer summer for me doing drawings and editing the book. Let's hope I don't look as exhausted as Sem by the end of it!

Hope you enjoy!
‽



Buy Book 1, 'Black Star' on Amazon in the UK and US
Check out Themo on Twitter and Facebook

Outlined in ink

Being a comic book kid I love the look of a nice crisp pen ink drawing and I've finally found the drawing pen for me!

Every artist has a favourite brand of pen/pencil that just 'gets them'.

I'm a Staedtler HB pencil man. Always have been. Always will be. But recently, as I've been doing more refined ink drawings with the light box, I've not quite found drawing ink pen or marker that has the kind of control and creates the type of line I like.

Enter the Mitusbishi Pencil Co Uni pin marker.

Sem ready for a fight

Sem's hair a tangle
of tresses!

It comes in 0.05mm, 0.1mm, 0.2mm, 0.3mm, 0.4mm, 0.5mm and 0.8mm and draws like heaven. It goes on smoothly but has grip (unlike a regular marker). It dries quickly and crisply and you can even erase pencil under it without incurring the wrathful smudging! According to the site it's water and fade proof but I have yet to test the validity of that.

As far as I'm concerned these are the pens for me and I've already gone ahead and bought a stock of them! After some experimenting I've found .2mm works well for drawing and using .05 and .1 for detail. The .05 has been particularly handy when drawing the details and fine lines in hair to really give it the depth and body I want. But, I love all the widths. 

Mercy and Gemmy saying "see ya' later"

I've begun using it to do figure studies for the final illustrations. I can't wait to break out the light box and really get stuck in to making some of the final illustrations. For this book I've planned 12 and, unlike Book 1, they'll be action shots of the characters in scenes from the book, not just portraits. 



Enjoy!
‽



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