Dawn Blair's Blog, page 208
June 25, 2015
Revising your beginnings
You have your story written and you are ready to revise the beginning.
Beginnings are so important. I’m talking about true beginnings here — Chapter 1 beginnings. Sometimes the following that I talk about here does take place in a prologue, but there’s a thing about prologues that most writers fail to realize: a prologue is part of the story, but it is outside of the story. Chapter 1 shouldn’t start off where the prologue ends. If it does, it’s not a true prologue. Now, if you add an epilogue...
June 23, 2015
Progress on A Cloudy Start (3)
A cloudy start
Work in process
Dawn Blair ©2015
I know this will come to a shock to all of you, but look, there’s a tree! :) The castle is blocked in as well with a bright light in the window. Let’s look through our binoculars at it:
A cloudy start (castle detail)
Work in process
Dawn Blair ©2015
Yup, it’s a castle with an awfully big window.
A cloudy start
Work in process
Dawn Blair ©2015
More tree branches.
Until next time…
June 21, 2015
Dragons of Wellsdeep – Pages 4 & 5 edit
Bonus!
I don’t know about you, but this pace is agonizingly slow for me. So, I’m going to try posting two pages a week from here on out. I’m also trying to go back and rewrite some of the early pages so we can really get into the meat of editing since the beginning is so important to get readers into your story. I still have some work to do on this — second drafts are a bit harder; it’s like re-dreaming your dream. But I hope to have those pages ready to go in a couple of weeks and I’m thinki...
June 18, 2015
Plotting your character’s challenges
On Facebook, a friend of mine shared an image of those words. I feel it’s so appropriate to lead in with this because as a writer you need to always be plotting against the main characters.
Yes, always.
I understand it’s hard when you love your main characters so much. They are a part of you and there’s a desire within yourself to be this character. If there isn’t, then why are you writing about this character?
But you always have to ask yourself, “What is the wors...
June 17, 2015
Progress on A Cloudy Start (2)
A cloudy start
Work in process
Dawn Blair ©2015
Here the sky and mountains are done and I’ve put a few trees in the far distance.
A cloudy start
Work in process
Dawn Blair ©2015
Oh look, I think there’s a castle on that mountain. Okay, that was part of the plan all along. We’ll see what happens.
Until next time…
June 16, 2015
Progress on A Cloudy Start
A cloudy start
Work in process
Dawn Blair ©2015
I decided that the sky was way too dark. Once I got a little further and looked back at the sketch I’d originally been planning on painting, that decision may have been a bit premature. I’m hoping it will end up being “a happy accident” as Bob Ross would have said.
Anyway, here is the sky lightened and the first round of highlighting on the clouds and some depth added into the land.
I’m looking forward to going back to my original sketchbook plan and trying that again too. Two paintings out of one idea — not too bad.
June 11, 2015
A Cloudy Start
Inspired by a picture in a sketchbook from a couple years ago, I started this painting.
A cloudy start
Work in process
Dawn Blair ©2015
June 3, 2015
1st Look – small paintings
Here’s a first look at some small paintings I have been working on.
Comet on the Skyline
10×8 acrylic on canvas
Dawn Blair ©2015
Ocean Sunset
7×5 acrylic on canvas
Dawn Blair ©2015
Flower Pot
8×10 acrylic on canvas
Dawn Blair ©2015
June 2, 2015
Noble Work
Inspireation Falls
36×18 Acrylic on wrapped canvas
© 2010 Dawn Blair
This is now I feel about everything I do. It all feels so big that I don’t know if I’ll ever get through it. Not just, but namely, my Sacred Knight series. But if you honestly take a little action every day, you will climb the mountain. I look back on my 21 year long journey with Sacred Knight. It was in no way easy. I wanted to walk away from it. I never did. Now I have 3 books and a novella out for the series. Keep taking those steps. It’s the only way to make the impossible, possible.
June 1, 2015
For More Information, Call Loki
The countdown is on. We are a little over a week until the 4th novella in The Loki Adventure series is out.
It’s a little weird and a lot thrilling to know that there are people out there who are excited to read it. If you are one of those people who is salivating for the next one, I hope you know how much I appreciate you.
Come follow the countdown on The Loki Adventure’s Facebook page.
