Bookish Progress
Wednesday, December 1, 2010 at 2:29PM 
Early, frustrated notebook
For the past two months I have been laying the ground work for a new book. Getting the momentum going at the beginning was not easy: this is a larger, more involved project than anything I have attempted before, and the difference in scale and emotional commitment was enough to set my feet in proverbial concrete for the first few weeks. I diligently tried to write, and write, and sketch, and plan, and re-write some more, but distraction came easy and I went on a lot of angry, frustrated walks to try to talk through the friction. I ended up spending hours at local coffee shops staring at my notebook, pulling my hair, sipping tea, and going home in defeat.
Through the muck and grime a few ideas stuck, and as I worked to develop a promising thread the other secondary ideas fit in smoothly. I suddenly had a coherent narrative and the whole project made sense. I can't describe what a relief that was! My notebooks grew increasingly more orderly.
In the background: a proper (for me) outline format!
In the foreground: a quick sketch to work through page composition
Steps towards production are moving swiftly. I made a small signature to work through pacing in the first (most fully developed) chapter, to get a sense of how many pages the book might be; I have grant deadlines in my back pocket for this project; I have figured out press sheet and final book dimensions, and so on. Most importantly, I typed up the project plan in full yesterday and sent it to three groups of trusted & talented friends for critique and feedback.
It is going to be a hand-illustrated comic/graphic novella with no text or dialogue, just visual sequences. I don't want to give away too much about the story yet; that will come as the illustrations are completed. For now I can say that I have been thinking a lot about what it is to make work, why I am (/others are) drawn to production and creation and output, and what happens when that fails. Also, fire!
book, comic, critique, graphic novel, process in In the Sounds and Seas 
Reader Comments (2)
Will you be able to wait until I'm home for my feedback? it's just a few more days....and I do have some for you. Not feedback as much as questions. (again: MAJOR PROJECT LOVE!!)
Absolutely. This weekend I'm working Renegade and printing the Jorgensen diptych, and busy doing prep for both until then. Being honest with myself on the timeline, with other projects + travel, I might not get really started on the illustrations until the new year. So no rush at all, I definitely want to hear what you think!