A year in writing - Belief

2017 has been an incredibly productive, exciting, disappointing, amazing, and terrifying year. I feel like I've produced more in the last year than I ever have. I've also made the leap to putting my work out there professionally. I won't lie, it's been draining and very tough. I've had to find a reserve of resilience that I'm still not sure I actually have. But, I've pushed through it. I've become more systematic and smarter about where I'm putting my energy and pacing myself, looking at the challenges that I can legitimately take on, and recognising when I need to rest.

The year for me is pretty much summed up in the Anthony Burrill print that I bought.

Anthony Burrill print

Regardless of the ups and downs, I've persisted. And I will continue to. More importantly, I've been my own coach, cheerleader, counsellor, and friend. I've been kinder to myself than I've ever been in my life and I can say without an ounce of shame or ego, I'm proud of myself.

My creative home for the holidays

Looking for the one

Sadly no agent has seen the brilliance of The Kelpie's Heart yet. The submission process is an exhausting blend of self-belief, courage, despair, fear, hope and sheer bloody-mindedness. I've submitted to more than a few agents and entered several novel competitions with no success yet. :-(

However, It's not all been discouraging. I've had some 'nice rejections' which are agents saying "I like your writing, your query is great, I'm just not keen on the idea." So, like finding a job or a relationship, I have to trust in myself, my vision, and keep going until I find the agent who fits me! I know my voice and have produced a story and manuscript that I'm super proud of. So, I have to keep going with that. Right? Right?!!!!

The truth is there are too many factors to know what is or isn't working. Maybe it's the story and I need to write something else. Maybe my writing doesn't match the genre as well as I think.  There's a large element of luck and it's a numbers games - there are hundreds of other people just like me clamouring for a spot.

There's also that nagging doubt that maybe I'm just not good enough.

After all the writing, drawing, editing, researching, submitting, getting feedback, and listening to all the voices (external and internal) telling me what to do. With no substantial leads my confidence took a serious pounding to the point where it was affecting my daily life. I had to take a step back.

The Emersus Project is for me. I don't need validation. It's my heart and my story. But, The Kelpie's Heart was written to share. I genuinely think the book is amazing. If someone else had written it I'd be telling other people how cool it is. It's the best I've got without the direction and guidance of someone who knows the business.

I only have so much reserve of courage and ego. So I took a month off of submitting to write, read and recharge. But, I'm sticking with putting the book out there because I don't know how to (and don't want to) give up. And, if I stop, I'm terrified I'll not be able to muster the courage to start again. So, I won't stop. This is what I want it with all my heart. This is what I'm meant for.

So, here's to filling 2018 with more rejections and an eventual win?! **weeps silently in a corner**

About The Kelpie's Heart

I first drafted The Kelpie's Heart in 2015 during NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). It started out as an idea King Arthur and Merlin reborn in modern times. But that idea steadily grew into something more fantastic:

It became a story that I want to share with my nieces. I want them to have a brave amazing black female hero that they can relate to. She's not after a boy or some archetype counter-stereotype. She's just a girl who wants to be the best version of herself, protect her family and do what's right.

She's a fighter. She's a scholar. She's a sister. She's a whole person trying to figure things out. She's bad ass!

It became a statement about the young boys face today. The main male character has a lot stacked against him. He started out as a stereotypical meat-head but, as a writer, I'm starting to see beneath his oniony layers. He's got issues he doesn't want to talk about. And, he's not sure how. As the story develops there are lots of things I want to do with his character that I want to help young boys learn to open up about.

He's loyal. He's brash. He's a brother. He's a growing person, slowly but surely. He's a hero.

It became a vehicle to explore my love of mythology and delve deeper into Scots folklore. So many people think of it as just 'Celtic' mythology. But, Scots mythology has a character and wonder all it's own. It's a love letter to Scotland. It's also a chance to draw monsters. I love drawing monsters. :)

It became part of me. The Emersus Project was the story I've had in my head since I was a kid. I didn't think there was another. Then a friend gave me this idea and it grew into something big and amazing - a new part of myself. Now I have these cool new kids and their adventures bouncing around in my head and I just wish I could take a year off to write out all of their adventures for everyone. Ash and Ana, and all of the characters, are part of my family now and I want the world to meet them too.

About Emersus Project - NaNoWriMo

The best decision I made was participating in NaNoWriMo again. In my head the Emersus Project is five books so it was such a thrill to finally bash out a draft of Book 3 - Breaking Point.

For me, as above, the agenting process was really wearing me down. I knew that I needed to take time away from the chase and get back to the core of why I do this - I love writing and drawing. So, NaNoWriMo was a great chance to reconnect with my passion and build up my stores of confidence. I've written a lot about why I love NaNoWriMo so I won't go into that. But it was great to spend time with Gemmy, Sem and Mhetli again and see how they're growing. I genuinely hate putting them through the paces in the story sometimes.

I finished the 50,000 words like a boss then took a break. I figure if you run a marathon, you don't go for a jog afterwards. But, I'm heading to finish the draft in the next month at a slightly less fevered pace. In the meantime I'm enjoying exploring the world in drawings and short stories. When I go in for a first edit I'll have a great catalogue of information to really enrich the draft.

Competitions

With a solid draft of The Kelpie's Heart I've been submitting the novel to various competitions as well as agents.


I got some great experience from participating in the #DVPit event in April and October. I highly recommend doing this because it really helps sharpen your skills in summarising and pitching your book. It's just as much of a skill as anything and I definitely struggle with 'less is more'. I've definitely gotten better in the last year and had some great feedback and support from Paul Campbell and Philip Vernon. I think I have a solid pitch and query letter and have had feedback from agents to that affect.

I also entered myself for several competitions and awards including the Bath Children's Novel Award and the Caledonian Award. Sadly, you don't get feedback from competitions but the experience of submitting put me through my paces in editing my synopsis and working to capture what is special about my work. The Scottish Book Trust is a great resource for opportunities.

I've also been doing the Scottish Book Trust's 50 Word Fiction competitions. It's good fun and I genuinely enjoy doing them. But, it even got to the point where a 'no thanks' on something so small was a stab in the heart. I started doubting my sensibilities and trying to second guess what type of stories they were looking for and whether I had it (To be honest there have only been 1 or 2 winners who's story I liked or 'got' the humour of). But, it's good practice so I kept writing them. I challenged myself to write something lighter or humorous or mysterious every month. But stopped submitting for a while. Some times writing can just be for me. And now, I've stopped second guessing myself, write something I find engaging (usually something a bit macabre) and submit. If it's not chosen, big deal. I actually re-listened to the RuPaul podcast, What's the Tee, with Titus Burgess where they talk about that very thing. *ohm*

I might actually illustrate some of my 50 word stories and post them at some point. There are a few I really like.

Help!

I need somebody! Help! Not just anybody!

I've had sooooooo much help and support from friends and colleagues. Not just cheering me on but offering practical and professional advice, reading drafts, looking at pictures and just being generally supporting. I couldn't have done nearly as much as I have without their advice and counsel.

Putting your work out there is terrifying. And, even when the people you love say you're good, it doesn't necessarily feel that way. But I have so many talented friends who've offered their support and advice. As respected professionals, I don't believe they'd lead me astray and it means so much that they've helped me put my best foot forward.

Hope you enjoy!
‽

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

Trows, Trows, Trows

I had this grand idea that half way through NaNoWriMo I would take two days out and work on my annual holiday card and bing bang bosh, I'd have a beautifully drawn card and could get back to writing. And yes, I say holiday card because #AllHolidaysMatter

Well that was idiotic. During NaNoWriMo I dutifully got out my drawing pad and set about my usual process which is thinking of 'What do I want most this Christmas.' The answer came instantly, a book deal. However, the creative drawing juices weren't flowing. I came up with an idea and instantly hated it. Sketched a few other things that I hated then gave up and went back to writing.

Well, Santa still has a few days to deliver on the book deal. But, now NaNoWriMo is over and I'm less stressed out my box I've gone back to my original idea (which I now love). But, above and beyond a book deal what I really want is a nice quite holiday to sit and read and recharge and reclaim a feeling of love, wonder and excitement for my life.

The card is nowhere near done and it's looking less likely that I'll be able to get them done and printed in good time to send home (less Christmas card recycling I guess). So, I'm going to share some early drafts. Firstly, my favourite little Christmas helpers have come out to play. The trows!

2 trows and a fairy

Shetland trows are some of my favourite Scottish mythology. They're similar to Nordic trolls with the difference that they're much more mischievous, love music and live in burrows that exist outside of normal human time. They, among other Scots beasties, feature in my new series The Kelpie's Heart


Kade Mon, King of the Trows has come out to play and one of his wee friends has joined him with a flute. I went back and forth on what colour their skin should be. I mean, they live underground so they'd be pretty pale. In the book they're described as having sallow skin. But, for Christmas I figured they needed something brighter. King Kade has a ruddy earthen skin and the other trow I've made a periwinkle blue-ish, the joke being that they're so pale they're blue! But, I definitely think green hair is a must - the colours of the forest and peat moss!

The flautist is also straight up representing Ravenclaw with his scarf! Ravenclaw ride or die!! Woop woop!!

Wishmaker, my greeting card mascot has returned for this year's card too. He's featured on most of my cards since I was 14! Every year he gets a bit of a makeover and it's one of my favourite traditions. I showed him to a friend and he asked, "So, is he some sort of a goblin?". The answer is, I have no idea. I guess he's an elf. Maybe he's a tailless trow. I don't know. Who cares. He's dressed like an old timey aviator and its awesome.

The rest of the card will feature me with my characters. This is the first year Ash and Ana get in on the fun because they're now fully part of my creative family. I honestly can't think of anything more relaxing than what this drawing shows, me in bed, my teddy bears and my creative worlds brought to life. Here's the black and white outline of the scene.

My favourite part of this is probably Ash and Mhetli trying to kill each other and Lauta passed out on her back.

It's going to be a sprint to finish as the trows and Wish took me two days to paint and that was with cutting corners and just giving up on shading. In the rest of the illustrations there's a helluva lot more to do with 7 people! But, it's a labour of love. And I can't wait to share my happy holiday vision with all of you!

Persistence and proliferation!
‽


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

Why NaNoWriMo?

I'm half way through NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) for the second time. This time around I'm finding it's equally challenging but far more fun and exciting than the first time.

The novel that I wrote the first time in 2015, The Kelpie's Heart, has been edited and is making it's way round agents. It's a story that I'm so in love with. And, I probably never would have done it if I hadn't set myself the challenge of doing NaNoWriMo. I'd written two novels before and I had such a laboured process. The series was just getting started and the idea of starting a new one seemed impossible. So, I did NaNoWriMo to draft this new story with nothing to lose.

This time, I've returned to my first series, The Emersus Project. I'm experiencing the highs and lows of pushing myself to write minimum 1,667 words a day. But this time I know that benefits that come with it.

Never thought I could do it
I wrote my first novel over the course of 3 years. I wrote it chapter by chapter, editing each chapter as I went. I'd make some drawings. Study each character's motivation. Then I'd reread everything before I continued. It was a laborious process (which I enjoyed). But, I was never going to be a novel writer, so it didn't matter that my 'process' was untenable.

I'm now on my 4th novel and second series. Thanks to NaNoWriMo I know that my earlier 'process' was actually just fear of failing; fear of telling people that I can't go out tonight because I'm working on my novel. I can commit to a project and pump out a draft if I need to. I have the skills and experience to go back to it and create something beautiful and fun for others to read. I got this.

Learning not to judge myself
Self-critique is part of the process. And learning how to edit your own work and 'kill your darlings' is important. However, sometimes in the creative process, it's helpful to just get it out! So often I self-censor and criticise the words before I've even written them. I agonise over whether I'm using the right word, how prosaic it should be, where I think it needs to be going. And, by the time I'm done with that 10 minutes have passed and I've already lost my train of thought.

I'm thinking of my NaNoWriMo 50k as a sketch of a novel. It's the rough draft where I've put all my ideas down on paper. I will go back afterwards and refine, redraw, discard and develop new iterations.

Great encouragement
The NaNoWriMo team produce a series of pep talks and other incredible support mechanisms when you decide to participate. I kid you not, at 10,000 words I got an email that said 'Well done' and it brought a lump to my throat. So often, as a writer, we're hidden away from our friends and family as we create. And, even when they do compliment us it goes unheard. So, having someone else cheer you on feels flipping fantastic. And the inspirational reading, advice and community support gives you a lift sometimes when  you need it most.

Discipline
The difference between a professional and a hobbyist is discipline. We all use our muse as an excuse at one time or another. But, like any other job, sometimes you've got to suck it up and get on with your work.

NaNoWriMo is a great way to practice the discipline of writing every day. You have a goal. You have a fabulous non-profit and a community of other nerds cheering you on. When are you ever going to have that opportunity in any profession? Writing is hard sometimes. Even well established authors have hard days. So, if you're serious about it, why not learn how to get through it in a fun, non-judgemental way?

Rest is important
This blog post counts towards my 50k words. I've written 27k words in 14 days and I'm on story burnout. I need to recharge. But, I still have a lot of interesting amazing stories to tell. I've even planned in time to work on my Christmas card and letter. In creative work rest and revitalisation is important. If you diversify your creative writing outlets its a great way to help get through it. Using other mediums is a great way to rest up your creative chops in another area while still beefing up your skills. It's like the gym. You're trying to build up your upper body, but don't skip leg day! It's all exercise and working towards getting fit. But you need to rest a muscle if you're working it hard.

My colleagues got me a great book for my birthday that I'm using when I feel low on story creativity. NaNoWriMo also have some really great prompts and challenges if you feel like you hit a block. It all counts towards writing 50k words in one month.

It's freaking fun
Writing is fun! Over the course of two weeks I've had so many a-ha moments! I've created a scientific formula for teleportation and invented a religion. I've had dinner with some of my favourite characters and get to run with them as they grow and change.

This month I get to spend time in one of my favourite worlds with some of my favourite people. And, afterwards I'll be able to share that adventure with other people. Yes, there will be a lot of editing before anyone else sees it. But, I'll have had an incredible month hanging out with friends.


Hope you enjoy!
‽

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

Mhetli in the clouds

I've drafted the first illustration from Breaking Point.

Mhetli - above it all

I first had this idea almost 2 years ago just before the launch of Book 2. On a plane to Barcelona for a litter R&R I had this vision of Mhetli in the clouds, high above the world and his problems.

At the end of Spirit Shear he needs a bit of R&R himself to recover from the beating they all got on Rheza. What better place to get away from it all than high in the sky, above the clouds, above the world?

I'm not 100% convinced of the greys that I've used for the sky. I'll probably end up doing several drafts as usual. But, I'm stilly pleased with how the book is already taking shape, both the writing and the fact that I already have so many great images in my head. This picture has captured my own sense of the vastness of a new beginning - a feeling that will be pervasive in Book 3.

Persistence and proliferation, friends!

‽

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

Understanding gender queer - NaNoWriMo 2017

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) has begun!!

The gang - ballpoint pen and colour pencil

For this National Novel Writing Month 2017, I'm returning to the Emersus Project series. I drafted the outline over a year ago but have been working on The Kelpie's Heart, the book I drafted for NaNoWriMo 2015.

Headshots of new and familiar faces

Book 3 of the Emersus Project series is provisionally titled, Breaking Point. In this book we get lots of new characters and the return of some lots of other friends. Of course Gemmy, Sem and Mhetli are back. And in this book we'll get to see a lot more of the twins, Lauta and Ilä, and Gemmy's sweetheart, Mercy.

Pol, one of Gemmy's school pals, is back. As we learned in Book 1, Pol attends the military academy. The military plays a big part in Book 3 so in the drawing above we see him in his purple cadet uniform.

The new character that I'm most excited about is Arabella. She's the new kid in town and befriends Gemmy and Sem. This bombastic red head is a character that I've wanted to explore for ages because she identifies as gender queer.

As defined in the Equality Network glossary of terms, gender queer "refers to people who identify their gender as not conforming to the traditional western model of gender as binary. They may identify their non-binary gender as a combination of aspects of men and women or alternatively as being neither men nor women."

Arabella - pencil on paper

Some who identify as gender queer prefer to use non-gender specific pronouns 'they' and 'them'. But, I'm using the pronoun 'she' for Arabella because, as the story starts, she identifies as female. However, she makes clear in the book that that's not always the case.

I haven't decided what the implications of and reactions to her gender identity will be in Arbean society. They're a culture built on logic as the rule. But I think it will reveal some interesting dynamics with Gemmy and Sem as they've both been raised in a very conservative and traditional families.

Either way, I'm so excited to have a character that will highlight some of the social topics that are close to my heart. Not only will it give the characters a chance to grow and add new depths to their relationships, it will highlight a marginalised group of people in a (hopefully) fun and cool way.

So, I won't give away too much away. But, Book 3 is coming! And it's going to be a big one!!

Hope you enjoy!
‽


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

Breaking Point - NaNoWriMo 2017

It's NaNoWriMo 2017 (National Novel Writing Month)!!! I'm taking a break from the agent/publisher hunt to participate. I'm definitely not giving up the search. But the time honoured tradition of submission and rejection is hard work and frustrating. I want to focus on the part of the process that I do love, WRITING!!

Rough draft of the cover

This year I'm going to bash out a first draft of Emersus Project, Book 3! I came up with the working title "Breaking Point" because this is where everything changes for the characters. Both Gemmy and Sem are growing in their own strength and abilities. And, as we get older, our relationships grow and change as well. Sometimes, whether people continue on together comes down to a make or break point. In Book 3, Gemmy and Sem are at that point.

The great part of NaNoWriMo is they ask you to upload a cover for your project. I've drafted something that I think reflects the themes of the book.

Obviously, I want the cover to be similar to the "Black Star" and "Spirit Shear" covers. But, the key difference for this one is that it features Gemmy and Sem! Their world, Arbea, is at a cross road. But the edge that Gemmy and Sem's friendship rests on is just as central to the conflict. The rune that puts their figures in silhouette is a combination of the Arbean runes for destruction and conflict.

I love the drama of the two characters on opposite side, arms outstretched towards power. Are they pulling away from each other or watching each other's back?

So, before NaNoWriMo kicks off I'll continue researching and put out a few more queries. And I've entered some writing competitions as well. Those can marinate over November while I crack on with drafting Book 3! Have a look at what the Gemmy, Sem and Mhetli look like at "Breaking Point" begins!

Here's to November and NaNoWriMo! Here's to seeing Gemmy, Sem and Mhetli again! I've missed them! And here's to writing - my love and my passion!

Persist and proliferate!

Hope you enjoy!
‽



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

Merlin's chimaera - my fantastic bestiary

Meet my Chimaera! For the Kelpie's Heart series I'm creating a bestiary of Celtic and Brittonic mythological creatures (think more  The Witcher 3, less Newt Scamander).

The chimaera of mythology is originally of Greek origins. However several different cultures describe similar types of beasts in their folklore. The definition of chimaera is any organism containing a mixture of genetically different tissues. For my design I've stuck with the traditional mythological definition of a lion + goat + snake. I've added some leathery wings that fold into its side. Imagine seeing this guy roaming around the highlands on a foggy night or flying through the sky like a fiery comet?


He's one bad kitty!

In Merlin's bestiary that I'm designing the chimaera is defined as: A monstrous creature made of dark magic - stitching together different animals into one timorous beastie. Most commonly it has the body of a lion with a second head, that of a goat, growing out of its back. It’s tail is particular troublesome as it is a snake. All heads seem to operate independently making it impossible to sneak up on. What the heads have in common is that they are equally malicious and breathe fire. Depending on the magician who has conjured it they can have numberless extra abilities including wings, a hypnotic stare, poisonous claws and creating soporific mist. They often serve as a wizard’s guard.


What do you think? Are there any other interesting chimaera combinations that you can think of?

Check out more from the Bestiary here!

• Eachy
• Giants giants giants
• Cat sidhe
• Gargoyles
• Kelpie
• Dragons, sidhe (fairies), and trows

Hope you enjoy!
‽



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

New Tattoo - unieaglecorn

Behold! The Unieaglecorn tattoo!!!

The Peel family crest if ever there was one!

I just got inked with this bad boy and I'm so pleased with how it's turned out. There have been a few changes to the design since it's first incarnation.

The original design

First the band is different. I had a chat with Erik, my tattoo artist and realised that while the geometric pattern was indeed Pictish, it's not instantly recognisable as such. People tend to associate swirling knots and circles with Pictish style.

So I redesigned the band with a more organic spirals. But, I wanted to maintain a structured pattern. So, I brought the idea of the triskelion into the band and each swirl intersects with two others to form a triskelion. It gives the band the beautiful flowing shape but also keeps the mathematical beauty of triangles.

The second update is to the unicorn. This was partially inspired by the work I did on my cover for The Kelpie's Heart. I tidied up some of the lines. Also, the original Celtic knot in the unicorn's tail had some sharp edges that I got rid of. I won't lie, I added them because I wanted to make the unicorn look butch! LOL But, it just looked messy and cluttered.

Keeping the look true to Pictish style was far more important. And, I like the flourish and swirl at the end of the tail now. It also has some Pictish war paint across it's face giving it a tribal look. I think it makes it a much more complete figure and it relates better to the eagle.

I think it all hangs together much better and, as it's permanent, I think it fits in well with my others and it really means a lot to me. I'm so happy with the way it turned out. And, even better, my family and friends gave me money for my birthday to get it. So, it's kind of completion of a journey for me. *sniff* Now, fly my unieaglecorn! Fly!!

If you're curious, here's how the original idea came together.

Hope you enjoy!
‽

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

The Kelpie's stripes

I had a few other ideas for the cover of The Kelpie's Heart that I've now had a chance to take out of sketches and into a reality. They're not necessarily right for the children's market but I definitely enjoyed making the art.

The first is one of my favourite scenes from the book and of Scotland. Just an image of the rolling hills in Scotland on a moonlit night. The wee silver pendent with a celtic knot heart motif engraved in it wending its way through the hillside like a silvery river. There's the faintest watermark of an important rune from the book just under it. Giving a bit more depth to the blackness. It's a lovely image but it's a bit too Twilight Saga for me.

The next is just a fun image. I don't think it would work as a cover at all. I just love the flat panel drawings of the characters. The Kelpie is my favourite but Ash and Ana are dynamite as well. The stylised swirls in knock out really create fun silhouette type figures. I also love Eopa's nasty little tongue. Just a bit of preview of her real self.

I think I cracked it with the first cover, personally. It's still my favourite. But there's definitely something alluring about the image of just the kelpie's face on the silvery sea-green back drop. What do you think?

Hope you enjoy!

‽

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

Beginning Book 3 - Emersus project

So, The Kelpie's Heart has flown the nest. It's as well drafted as it can be and a friend is having another proof of it. I'm sending out agent queries as well.

While I sit on my hands and wait for the rejection letters to roll in, I need to keep my head and hands busy. I started the outline for the Emersus Project book three ages ago. And now I'm making my first crack at a draft. I might even do it during NaNoWriMo this November.

As I ramp up to the writing I'm doing some drawings of the gang when we pick up with them in Book 3.

The gang - ballpoint pen and colour pencil

Gemmy has turned 16 and starting his last year of school with Sem, who is a year older. She's kept her long golden locks from the end of book 2. But, true to herself, she's died a streak of her hair bright pink. And, sticking with function over form, has cut a fringe in the front so it doesn't get in the way of her playing sparrein.

Mhteli is back and as lethal as ever. He's embracing his Rhe'zan side and has let the top of his hair grow long with close cut sides. It adds to him looking every bit as ferocious as he is.

I'm so happy to see these guys again and I feel like I'm catching up with old friends as their faces come into view.

This October I'm going to reread and edit books one and two into a master version. I've learned so much since writing that first novel and I want to go back and give it the benefit of my experience. So, when book 3 comes out, I want to publish a remastered version of 1 & 2 with new illustrations for the first.

Whoop! So, what this space folks! More drawings of Gemmy and crew coming your way. And keep your flippers crossed for The Kelpie's Hearts as it wings its way to agents!

Hope you enjoy!
‽

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

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

Getting into character

As I've been doing final edits of the book I've gone back and updated my character sheets. I want to make sure that I'm keeping all of my characters' actions and decisions in line with their personality and true to their story arc.

It's been good to rediscover the idiosyncrasies of Ash and Ana. Their quirks and foibles make them more human. And while every detail isn't part of the book, it gives depth and purpose to some of the smaller points of their behaviour.

Ana and Ash geared up for battle

I also did some quick drawings of the characters to really visualise as I write. It's funny when you finally manage to capture the essence on the character. I can't help but smile because it's like seeing an old friend's picture for the first time in a long time.

How to capture a character

The legendary Eldol

Back in November 2015, some characters were who they were already meant to be. Ana was always Anansia, the proud, smart African daughter of a witch woman. Her parents were already Henry and Rowena and were then who they are to me now. However some characters grew with the narrative.

Like most writers I borrow bits and pieces of friends and family and people I know to build my characters. But, I first drafted the story in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). I didn't have time to stop and agonise over the finer details of some characters. So, to write at speed, I straight up turned people I know into characters in the book. One such character is Eldol. He's basically my friend Ian with a giant stag for a pet. There's no getting around it. And, as I've been revising, Eldol hasn't departed too much from his real world counter part. He was written with all the warmth and hard edges necessary to tell the story. But I think that's more a testament to Ian's big character than the deftness of my craft.

Ash was a character who's become clearer with every draft. He started as a fiery tempered, meat-headed, ginger-haired kid. However, through editing, I know him better - his flaws, his fears, his hopes. With that his face came into focus. I actually work with a chap who reminds me of Ash. And suddenly it was like, 'Holy crap! Ash and this guy are the same person!' Obviously they're not the same person. But, now, in my head, Ash looks like he could be a member of this guy's family.

Multicultural Britain

Eopa and Pascent

The other important part of the story for me was creating a world that reflects the more modern multicultural society that Britain has become. So, the characters are black, white, Asian, American, English, Scottish, LGBT, foreign, etc. I really want everyone to be able to see some of themselves in my stories. Why couldn't Pascent, Vortigern's son, be reborn Asian (in my head he looks like Rahul Kohli)? So, these legendary figures have become the people we see today.


Hope you enjoy!
‽

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

Beastly fonts

So, I've been feeling the writer blues.

Working on edits and submitting manuscripts to agents and competitions can be incredibly disheartening. When trying to explain the feeling of futility I realised it wasn't because I don't think anything will come of it. But, editing in any regards is difficult. You're being hyper-critical of yourself. Your inner critic is deliberately turned up.

To also have the inevitable rejection that comes with submissions heaped on top of that is a recipe for being overwhelmed.

So, I've taken a step back from the editing while I go through the process of submissions and am focussing on the creation of work. This is the part that I enjoy the most. Having something to show for my hard work besides an inbox full of 'your baby's ugly' emails means I have a balance of the professional schlep of putting myself out there while keeping in touch with the part of the process that feeds my soul - creation. I've done a bunch of new drawings to accompany the detailed character outlines that I did for edit. I've also done a bit of typesetting just for me. Below is a first pass.

Getting my groove back

One of the parts of the Age of Albion work that I'm super excited about is the Bestiary. It will continue to grow and expand as the books do. I've done several drawings and even more entries already. So, I decided to indulge my typography lust and typeset a page with images.

Taking a page from Merlin's book

Fonts fonts fonts!!

The bestiary was created by Merlin so I wanted to find fonts that reflected the Celtic black letter that you would associate with the time period. The header font is actually called Stonehenge which is epic.

My favourite find was the text font which is called 'Mordred'. How appropriate is that?!! It's an absolutely beautiful font with rough edges giving it a physical presence - the violent beauty of pressing ink to paper.

The page looks fantastic in situ and really warms my heart. When you see the world in your head in real life - in a way that other people can engage with - it's such an incredible feeling. It gives me hope that others will see the beauty and fun that I see in it soon. And, if not, I still have it for me. :)

Hope you enjoy!
‽

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

Beware the kelpie

As I continue to fine tune King Arthur Returns I'm also continuing work on Merlin's bestiary. This is really making a difference to some of the creature scenes in the book, helping me focus and turn up the volume on important descriptors.

Kelpie - pencil on paper

The kelpie is vastly becoming one of the most challenging of my book's beasties.

My first thoughts about the kelpie were simple "It's a powerful horse - a beautiful but deadly, otherworldly looking horse."

As I started drawing I found the look veering into 'my little pony' territory - focussing on it's beauty and etherealness, creating these over-the-top swirling locks to imply its stormy nature. I almost wanted to put a horn on it and call it a unicorn.

A first attempt at kelpie

Yes, the kelpie is a creature of beauty. But what really matters to the story (and its look) is capturing its otherworldly qualities. But, how do you quantify the unreal?

I realised what actually makes the kelpie so alluring is its danger. It's a princely horse, but it's also a wild and dangerous spirit that will drag you to a watery death. And it's cliché, but what's more attractive than a bad boy. So, I needed to increase the danger and mystery.
A friend pointed me to the work of Odilon Redon, a 19th Century French painter. His work is quite rough and impressionistic and often features horses. She pointed me in particular to his "Captive Pegasus" series which is quite dark and moving. MoMA has a glut of his works online and some great catalogues of his work so check him out.

Firstly, size matters. Highland ponies in general are stocky powerful beasts. Actually the first time I saw one I asked why all the horses were pregnant. The kelpie in my mythology is actually a Clydesdale. They are these gentle giants - statuesque and all muscle. The stallions have necks that are half as thick as their body. But they can be quite docile and sweet horses. But a wild horse of any size charging at you is more terrifying than a speeding train (I  have seen someone attacked by a Shetland pony. They are quite vicious!) So, I had to make the kelpie more wild and unkempt. Muck up the hair, make it less sleek, and a little bit mean looking.

The haar on Leith docks

I also wanted it to have a wraith like quality. My original idea of somehow making the hair look like waves wasn't a bad one, but I changed course slightly. One of the most mysterious and magical things about Scotland is the haar, a sea fog. It rolls in from the water and totally envelopes the land, making it impossible to see more than three feet in front of you. Just like the haar, kelpies are creatures of deceptive danger. It looks silvery and pretty but watch your step. You might be lured to your doom. 

I hope you enjoy my take on the kelpie. There are lots more exciting mythical Celtic creatures to see so watch this space on Merlin's Bestiary and the upcoming King Arthur Returns novel!

Check out more from the Bestiary here!

• Eachy
• Giants giants giants
• Cat sidhe
• Gargoyles
• Chimaera
• Dragons, sidhe (fairies), and trows

Hope you enjoy!
‽


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