Elizabeth Guizzetti's Blog, page 20

An Authors Life: Fighting writer’s block and pain of rejection and flab all at the same time.

This post is not about writing. It is a confession.

I am going to confess something which most of my readers already know. I love sweets. I love baking. I don’t necessarily consider this negative –except that I stress eat. If I only ate sweets when I wanted them, I wouldn’t worry about it at all.

Other Systems put about 30 pounds on me. The comics added some too, but they were less stress added less, but lets say I have been on an upwards creep for the past six years. Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows every year my New Years resolution has been to exercise. I discovered for about a month I do really well and then give it up. Main reason I get bored. Being a writer and artist means I spend a lot of time alone. What would happen is if I don’t work out first thing in the morning, well I’d tell myself, I’ll just do it later. Then the day ended and I never exercised.

Well seven weeks ago, I have finally realized I need a workout buddy. Or more accurately I need someone to hold me accountable.

My friend, Rebecca and I started doing a few easy hikes.  We both hiked when we were younger and enjoyed it. We went to Iron Goat and Snoqualmie Tunnel…. these are both easy. Then we thought maybe we could start by doing some moderate hikes and work our way up.

So we did Rattlesnake Ridge. It is 4 miles with moderate elevation gain. We were panting terribly. In fact I am pretty sure my heart and lungs wanted to explode out through my ribs. We could only walk about a quarter mile before taking a short sip of water to cool down.

Rattlesnake Lake is where you start to get to Rattlesnake Ridge.

Then you climb to the top and see this view!

Sitting on the top of the ridge, we enjoyed the view for awhile, and I remember this is why I started hiking so many years before. I found I really missed it.

Somewhere between the ridge and the car, we decided if we really wanted to enjoy hiking again–we needed to exercise every day.

We even said we would be buddies, but we didn’t have a specific plan yet.The next day, Dennis was watching a movie and I decided to walk around my neighborhood with the dogs.

I found our workout. Seattle has a bunch of stair climbs because we are a city of hills. So Rebecca and I started climbing the stairs. (The Day Street Hill Climb)

Week 1: We made it up and over and back down the hill, resting at 27th AVE but took the easy way back through the bike tunnel. We were panting and gasping for breath. But by Friday we could talk as we walked up the stairs.

By Week 2: Now there is a noticeable difference in our breathing.  We started going up and over, and then back up and back down. We still rested at 27th Street. But on the way back through the park one day, I got the bright idea to climb over the big toy.  She had the idea to run through the rock garden.

By Week 3: One day I felt spunky and refused to stop at 27th Street. Damn it hurt, but I made it.  It took Rebecca a little longer, but now she doesn’t stop either. On that weekend we hiked up Granite Mountain, we meant to do 4 miles, instead did 7. Rebecca and I had a epiphany: Crap the daily exercise was working! We just hiked 7 miles!

This is Lake Serene: 23 switchbacks and we climbed them all.

By Week 4: We were mixing up the hill climbs with other hill climbs to get max elevation gain in an hour. Don’t ask me why except we wanted to get to Lake Serene. That weekend we made it. 7.2 miles with an elevation gain of 2000 ft.

Three weeks later: we are now at week 7! I have exercised 5 days a week and one weekly hike!

Now here is the part no one will want to hear: Though I have noticed some bits of me (legs) more toned and I am much stronger, I have NOT lost a single pound. I am still a pleasingly plump pear shaped kind of woman. I have a soft and squishy belly. I was a size ten seven weeks ago and I still am a size ten. That might not change, but something else has: I used to exercise so I could lose weight and when I didn’t lose weight, I lost interest. Now my goal is a healthy mind and body no matter what size I am.

1) I am exercising because it allows me to remain strong enough to do things that I love such as hiking.

Rebecca and I have two “goal hikes” by the end of the summer.

Hers is Easy Pass which is 7 miles and 2800 feet elevation gain.

Here we are last week at Big Creek Falls. I am in blue.

Mine is Blanca Lake. which is 7.5 miles and 3300 feet elevation gain.

Our secondary goal is to exercise all year round so we might do snowshoeing in the winter.

2) It relieves stress and pain of rejection. I still love desserts, but have stopped going for a snack every time I get a rejection letter which is good because I have gotten three this week alone.

3) I have not had a day of writers block since I began exercising in the morning. It resets my brain and ideas have flooded in.

I am, Tycho, the mighty mountain poodle! Where is my cookie?

4) I love my dogs and I want them to be healthy too. Tycho LOVES running up the stairs in the morning. He has gotten much more confident over the past several weeks. He wants to play with other dogs again. He has lost weight. He was plump in the middle now he has toned up through his hind quarters. So the flab part of the headline was actually for Tycho.

Stoic Rosie doesn’t show her emotions, but is always awake and ready to go. So I think she likes it. She loves the hiking, because she gets lots of attention on the trail.

So I finally found something that works for me. I still like doing DVD exercise programs, but being accountable to someone else really gives me the push to do it –even when I don’t want to. Trust me there has been complaints.

So I realize this isn’t really about writing, but what works to keep you motivated on your goals?

I claim this mountain for Rosie! It will furthmore be known as Mt. Rosie. You and You and You are my subjects. Bow before me so I might cuddle you.

Embracing the Flames Blog Tour: Interview with Candace Knoebel

 I am happy to welcome the award-winning author, Candace Knoebel, today on the blog.

She is busy promoting her new novel: Embracing the Flames the second book in Born in Flames-a young adult fantasy trilogy. Published by 48fourteen in 2012, Born in Flames went on to win Turning the Pages Book of the Year award in February of 2013.

In Book 2, The Stone of Immortality has always been kept under the watch of the Draconta. That is, until the betrayal of a Fate. Now everything is about to change.

Aurora Megalos accepted her destiny without blinking-even if it meant succumbing to her dragon side. Deemed the Progeny, she left the ordinary life she knew and has done everything in her power to learn the ways of her new realm and what it means to be part dragon. But when her mentor, Astral, suddenly disappears, she is forced to take the reins.

With war on the brink, she sets out on an epic journey to not only find her mentor, but to stop her Arch Enemy, Zordon, from obtaining the Stone of Immortality. But what she discovers about him along the way is far worse than she could’ve ever imagined. She will be tested and pushed to the limit. Lives will be lost, love will be questioned, and a battle will begin.

So lets get on with the questions!

When did you know you wanted to be an author?

- About the same time I first typed the words the end back in 2009.  Before then, I didn’t even know I could write a full novel.  Now it is all I want to do.

How was writing your second novel different than writing your first?

- I knew the character and where the story needed to go versus sitting down with a vague idea and a glimmer of a character. I had more confidence and knowledge in what I was doing which made the words and the concept flow easier for me.

What has been the biggest thing you have learned in this process of writing a novel? Most challenging thing about being an author?

- The biggest thing is to not compare yourself to anyone else or worry about what others think. Take from what you hear and grow from it, and always try to top yourself. You can only keep improving. The most challenging part has been following that advice.

If you could choose anyone to be a mentor, which author would you consider?

- J.K. Rowling. She is brilliant.

What is your favorite book?

- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Who is your favorite character?

- Harry Potter of course lol.

Who designed your covers?

- The very talented Ravven. She is awesome to work with. You can find her here: http://www.ravven.com/

Are the names of the characters in your novels important?

- Yes. I believe every name should have a meaning whether it pertains to the story or to the personality of the character. It’s like naming a child. Their name has to meansomething or else it’s just another name.

What makes you laugh?

- My husband. He is a human encyclopedia filled with sarcasm and jokes.

You seem like you are industrious, do you ever go on vacation? Where would your dream vacation be?

- I am very hard-working, but I find plenty of time for my family and for myself. We are actually getting ready to go on a vacation in August to either Washington D.C. or to the Keys. We haven’t decided yet lol. My dream vacation would be backpacking through Europe though. Hopefully one day I will.

Most of the readers of my blog are other writers, any advice to share?

- Practice makes perfect and it will only happen if you make it happen. Keep writing!

Want to read more? Check out Born in Flames and Embracing the Flames!

If you have a “Book Boyfriend” just admit you’re reading porn.

This might be an unpopular message, but I hate the words “Book Boyfriend.”  I’ve been seeing it a lot on Faceboook recently. I don’t mind that people revel in the characters they love, what drives me crazy is my Facebook feed lately has just been loaded with crap like this along with half-naked men.

The fact that I am seeing a bunch of idealized cheesecake shots of men is proof of porn. (No I am not going to put images on my blog.)

Now I admit, I tend to find romance books disappointing. I have read more than a few. Contemporary romance authors are very good at pacing and keeping the tension in the narrative so I have learned from them. I have lots of author friends on Facebook and Twitter. I don’t want to name names, because I’d never want to hurt another author–especially an independent author– but I’ve been reading a lot of teasers for summer and fall releases and many of the teasers have red flags for me.

I keep seeing “alpha men” intimidate women or make decisions for them. They steal kisses or “play” threaten. They push for commitment early. They tell a woman she is beautiful and they are going to seduce her. They get what they want. Why can they do this? First of all they are all so handsome–and in a spicy books, they are also well-endowed. Secondly, many of them are rich or famous or leaders of industry. Basically, they have a special snowflake status that allows them to go around acting like jerks.

They can do it because the woman is head over heels in love/lust for them. The female protagonist acting spunky doesn’t change the fact, I want to tell the guy to step the f*** off.  I don’t even give them a second glance after they showed me their “alpha” side.  I don’t care if they can give the female money, fame, security or whatever else it is they want.

Basically it annoys me when a character is broken down to what they can give the protagonist. (Money and hot sex are the most common desirable traits for men.) That’s just sad.

The man I love and the ones I find sexy are men who respect women. They are strong in their own right, they have no need to rule over anyone. I married a sweet, caring, sensitive boy who now is a sweet, caring, sensitive, and extremely intelligent man. He appreciates my independent nature. He doesn’t try to change me or expects that I change for him. Nor do I expect him to change for me. Maybe that’s why our life is boring. We simply treat each other well. I realize that doesn’t make for a good story.

However even as an author, I write about men who are people. I want them to be more than flights of female fantasy.

At least from the reviews, I have seen, Harden has been nearly everyone’s favorite character in Other Systems. He was raised to believe there is no difference between men and women so he treats everyone with respect as human beings. Reproductive organs are irrelevant to the work they do. He doesn’t sexualize women. In his romantic relationships, he expects equals.He is neither submissive or dominant.  He is simply a person. Obviously he makes mistakes, he is a bit gruff especially with younger people, but I tried to make it clear in the narrative, Harden treats Abby EXACTLY the same way as he treated his little brother Mark when Mark was in his late teens.

Now I’m finishing up The Light Side of the Moon. I wrote about a sweet, intelligent boy who grows into an idealistic man trying to build a utopia. Now unlike Harden who is used to living in close quarters with women, Ian Whitlatch did not grow up with women (except good old Mum) so he tends to idealize them. However he was raised to respect all people.

He is the only child of a small-town doctor and the manager of a charity soup kitchen. Don’t expect him to have lots of money. Dad works in a factory town and will help everyone whether they can pay or not. Mum doesn’t take a salary for her work instead donates her time to feed the impoverished. For the Other System’s Universe they are wealthy, but for the average family in the United States, they would definitly be lower middle class.

Oh and Ian will have to grow into his looks:

At age nineteen, this is how he describes himself:

Ian looked in the mirror, another pimple formed between his nostril and cheek during his excursion in the city. Mum always said he had Dad’s looks. That was unfortunate for both of them, because even when his skin was clear, Ian’s forehead was too high and his nose too big. 

Two years later: Ellie (age 13) describes him thus:

…She hit the decking. Her legs burned as she skidded down the last four meters of the ramp, but the luggage stopped moving. She  pressed her lips together tightly and tried to blink back her tears. 

“Êtes-vous bien, mademoiselle?

She looked up. The light created a halo from  his straight sandy-brown hair, but when her eyes cleared, she saw  his prominent nose. Then she looked past his nose and into his deep green eyes that were filled with concern.

Not thinking she answered back in English. “Yes thank you, sir.”

He wore an officer’s uniform, but she almost cringed away from his soft delicate hand that reached down for her.   “You’re an Englishwoman?” he asked helping her to her feet. 

So I doubt Ian (or any character I write) will be anyone’s “book boyfriend”, but I’m okay with that.

I know there are plenty of authors and readers who follow my blog, what kinds of characters drive you crazy?

Take a deep breath… Query Time for The Light Side of the Moon!

So it is time to write the query for The Light Side of the Moon.This is the hardest part for me. I never know what to write. I look for advice and examples, but I still just get confused. I know which agents I want to query first so I guess that is something!

Honestly I am terrified.

Here is another book with an ensemble cast focusing on a few determined young dreamers AKA crossover science fiction. A volume in the Other System’s Series, the manuscript is paced for an adult audience. It’s full of the biology dealing with low gravity. It has important characters from four to fifty. Like Other Systems –there is no villain.  It’s a dark story surrounding a dystopian society on Earth. ARG! `

 

Okay now that I got that off my chest. Here is what I am working with:

Four-year-old Ella Sethdottier witnesses a vicious argument between her parents that leaves her mother battered on the floor. Her father storms out and never returns.

Twelve-year-old, Ian Whitlatch sneaks into town for testing. He is chosen to go to Kipos and deeply regrets he followed his father’s will to stay behind. He loves his family and wants to help people, but he also dreams of new worlds.

Seven years later, during his first year of medical school, Ian applies to do his medical residency at Lunar Colony Tranquility which is little more than a prison colony.

Ella runs away after she is arranged to be married to an elderly groom. Determined to make a better life for herself, but with no prospects, she crosses half the world to go to the space elevator outside of Paris where people are being hired for the Lunar Colony Tranquility.

The question I ask myself constantly is can an eleven-year-old girl be the protagonist of an adult novel? Obviously.

I won’t give anyone any more spoilers…but trust me querying this type of novel is hard!

Happy Birthday to ME!

This is going to be a very short post. It’s my birthday. I can’t figure out what to say about it this year.

Today I had a BBQ. I made cupcakes: yellow cake with chocolate frosting –and get ready for it: Reeses peanut butter cups inside. My mom and dad and a couple of my neighbors came over. We barbecued steaks, lamb chops (my favorite) and bratwurst. We had meat aplenty plus orzo salad, bean salad, and fruit salad.

Rosie hopes one of those steaks are for her.

I am still trying to come up with something insightful to say. I can’t. So I’m going to cheat a bit: here is a quote from Albert Einstein: “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

That’s it. My life is a miracle. I hope you think yours is too.

Calendar for Upcoming Embracing the Flames Blog Tour!

I am happy to be part of the Embracing the Flames Virtual Book Tour. On July 16th, I’ll be conducting an interview with author Candace Knoebel. Below is the rest of the information about the book and the upcoming tour!

Embracing the Flames Book #2 of the Born in Flames Series

By Candace Knoebel

The Stone of Immortality has always been kept under the watch of the Draconta. That is, until the betrayal of a Fate. Now everything is about to change.

Aurora Megalos accepted her destiny without blinking-even if it meant succumbing to her dragon side. Deemed the Progeny, she left the ordinary life she knew and has done everything in her power to learn the ways of her new realm and what it means to be part dragon. But when her mentor, Astral, suddenly disappears, she is forced to take the reins.

With war on the brink, she sets out on an epic journey to not only find her mentor, but to stop her Arch Enemy, Zordon, from obtaining the Stone of Immortality. But what she discovers about him along the way is far worse than she could’ve ever imagined. She will be tested and pushed to the limit. Lives will be lost, love will be questioned, and a battle will begin.

Tour Schedule

July 14th- Girls *Heart* Books Tours-Schedule

                Writing: Escape From Reality- Review of both books , Excerpt/Spotlight, Guest Post

 

July 15th- Cassandra Lost in Books-Review of both books

 

July 16th- Consuming Worlds- Review of Embracing the Flames, Dream Cast

                ZB’s Blog of Awesomeness- Author Interview

 

July 17th- C.Giovanni Writes- Review of both books, Character Interview

 

July 18th- Reading in Twilight- Top Tens

               Rate my Romance- Review of both books , Dream Cast

 

July 19th- Alex’s Reads- Review of both books

 

July 20th- The Next Chapter- Book Soundtrack

 

July 22nd- The Next Chapter- Excerpt

                 Books and Bindings- Author Interview

 

July 23rd- Teracia’s Book Hoarding Problem-  Excerpt/Spotlight

                Lost in a Sea of Words- Review of both books, Excerpt/Spotlight

 

July 24th- and then there was Sarah- Author Interview, Excerpt/Spotlight

 

July 25th- Paperrdolls-Review of Embracing the Flames

               Books and Bindings- Review of Born in Flames

 

July 26th- Black Words-White Pages- Review of both books , Top Tens, Excerpt/Spotlight, Book Soundtrack, Playlist, Dream Cast, Character Bio

 

July 27th- Reading Bliss- Excerpt/Spotlight, Book Soundtrack, Playlist, Character Bio

July 29th- The Next Chapter- Author Interview

 

July 30th- Books and Bindings- Excerpt/Spotlight

 

July 31st- Book Freak- Excerpt/Spotlight, Playlist

 

August 1st- The Next Chapter- Review of both books

 

August 2nd- Paranormal Book Club -Review of Embracing the Flames, Excerpt/Spotlight

 

August 3rd- Indy Book Fairy- Review of Embracing the Flames, Author Interview, Top Tens, Excerpt/Spotlight

                   Books and Bindings- Character Bio

 

August 4th- Book Dream Land- Excerpt/Spotlight, Dream Cast

 

August 5th- Tsk Tsk What to Read-  Review of Embracing the Flames, Character Bio

 

August 6th- Books and Bindings- Review of Embracing the Flames

 

August 7th- Lebooksquirrel- Review of both books , Excerpt/Spotlight

 

August 11th- Bawaka’s Book Fair- Excerpt/Spotlight

 

August 12th- Kate’s Korner of Mischief- Review of both books

                     Books and Bindings- Character Interview

 

August 13th- Cu’s Ebook Giveaways- Review of both books, Excerpt/Spotlight, Character Bio

 

August 14th- That Bite’s Book Talk Reviews- Excerpt/Spotlight, Character Bio

 

August 15th- Tam’s Two Cents- Review of Embracing the Flames, Dream Cast, Character Bio

Author Links-

Goodreads-http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6458922

Twitter-https://twitter.com/Candaceknoebel

Website-http://candaceknoebel.wordpress.com/

Facebook-https://www.facebook.com/pages/Candace-Knoebel/190993824332540?fref=ts

Summer Reading List

Once I finish my next rewrite, query letter, and other submission goodies for The Light Side of the Moon I will be getting ready for another reading rampage…err I mean my oh so civilized summer reading list.

Under the Dome by Stephen King

Embracing the Flames by Candace Knoebel (And check out my interview with Candace during her blog tour coming up on July 16th.)

The Caseworker’s Memoirs by Dan Thompson

Nights of the Round Table and Other Stories by Tanya Huff

Tethers by Jack Coxall

Finally I am going to finish up the Voyage Embarkation which is part of the (Voyage along the Catastrophe of Notions) Series by Zachary Bonelli

What are is everyone else reading this summer?

No, I am not unemployed, I was touched by the novel fairy!

The other day, I finished walking the dogs at the arboretum and went to one of my favorite coffee places to grab some breakfast. I go in all the time between 10 and 11. I dress in jeans and a t-shirt. My hair is in a ponytail which I admit is undoubtedly loosened by the wind, but this is Seattle after all. Everyone wears causal dress.

They look cute and cuddly, but really they’re scheming ways to get a bit of my breakfast.

Rosie and Tycho are outside waiting in the car, mournfully staring though the window. They hope I’ll come out soon and that when I do I will give them a taste of whatever I bought.  (Not the espresso–no one wants to see them on espreso–but my breakfast) So I order my croissant and latte. As the barista is pressing my shot, she asks any plans for today.

I say something about just walking my dogs at the arboretum and now I am on my way home to work.

She says, “Job search?”

My first thought is if I didn’t have a job, I wouldn’t have just spent money on breakfast out. ”No, I am an author.”

I went from impoverished to impressive in a blink of an eye. Did she think I said I was a mystical unicorn? ”Wow, you mean you’ve been published?” she asked.

“Yes.” I mentioned Other Systems. Then spoke about the other  some science fiction short stories published and self published some comics.

Then we talk about her roommate who is an aspiring author. She wanted some advice for him. We write completely different genres. She didn’t really care what I wrote about only that I was an author. As an author, I am automatically: gifted, talented, lucky, articulate, MegaRICH, connected! Most importantly, I was a person who has been blessed by the novel fairy.

I handed her a bookmark and told her if her roommate had questions he could always contact me though my book’s website.

Wait…you havn’t heard of the novel fairy?

The novel fairy is kind of like the tooth fairy, but  more capacious. She leaves inspiration under the pillow. Sometimes if you were a really good boy or girl, the novel fairy actually leaves a manuscript with a favorable publishing contract attached.

I tried to tell the barista my first novel wasn’t published and Other Systems was published by a small press. She did not want to hear it. She certainly didn’t want to hear that I worked fifty hour work weeks. Sadly, hardwork and struggle are not impressive. She would have been disappointed to know I live a comfortable middle class lifestyle is primarily due to my husband’s job. She would have been really disappointed to see my closet/office.

She only saw that I was blessed by the novel fairy.

I think some people write or want to be an author because they believe it is an easy way to wealth and fame. I wonder how quickly that idea shatters as soon as they realize it is actual work. A while back, Kristen Lamb talked about self discipline on her blog and honestly that’s what got me thinking about this.

It is a pet peeve of mine when I hear successful authors say in interviews, “I never set out to be an author…” Ummm. I’m calling BS.

“One day, I thought it might be fun…and before I knew it I popped out a novel. Tee hee…” I’m calling Double BS on that one.

Maybe when someone begins writing–it was just a lark, a way to express emotions, or [fill in the blank], however, one day that changed. One day, it became work and the author had to decide to keep going. We sacrifice hobbies, time with friends, a clean house, and sleep to writing a novel.

More than that, writing the first draft is not the only piece. Then we rewrite. Then editing. Then another rewrite. More editing.

Whether a book is self published, published by a small or traditional press, the author most definitely wanted to be an author at that point. Books don’t magically get published. Books don’t magically get promoted either. It’s a lot of work to bring a book to market. It is a beautiful thing to see a project come to fruition, however it is a lot of hard work.

All I can assume is this is an unpopular message, because the myth of the novel fairy is perpetuated.

What are some of your favorite or least favorite myths of being an author?

 

 

Interview with Zachary Bonelli and Aubry Kae Andersen!

I am so happy to welcome author Zachary Bonelli  (founder of Fuzzy Hedgehog Press) and artist Aubry Kae Andersen (The AKArchy) to my blog today. They are running a Kickstarter campaign to raise the art buget for Insomnium: a story that is as much about coping with loss, tragedy and adversity, as it is about finding purpose and meaning in a hostile and barely comprehensible dream world.

Nel Hanima goes to sleep in his Seattle apartment and awakens in the fantastically paradoxical City of Nowhere. Among the city’s bizarre inhabitants, Nel discovers three other humans—Giniip Pana, Rev Merveille, and Drogl Belgaer—each from their own alternate reality version of Seattle. Together, they learn that Nowhere is actually a dream, a whole universe conjured into existence by someone’s overactive nighttime imagination. But this begs the question—whose dream is it? And more importantly, how do they wake up?

Insomnium is expected to begin its release cycle on October 30 of this year. A final version, all twelve collected episodes in print and ebook formats, will become available on February 12, 2014. In order to make this schedule a reality, the Kickstarter campaign will have to reach its funding goals by the end of the day on July 7.

Okay, let’s get started on the questions!  How did this collaboration come about?

Zachary: Aubry and I met in our science fiction writers’ meetup group. About a year ago, I described to her one of the scenes I wanted illustrated for Voyage. It was Kal and Rko’s kiss inside a forcefield bubble surrounded by lava. She drew it up on the spot, and I asked if she would be interested in working on the series.

Aubry: I’ve been working with Zachary on his Voyage serial project for nearly a year now, providing illustrations, cover art, and other random graphics, as well as editorial advice on the story.  When Zachary decided to take a break from Voyage and work on a fresh story, he approached me to provide illustrations.

How has it been to work together?

Zachary:  Great! I think that Aubry’s illustration style compliments my writing well. I tend to write about people being thrown into places that are weird, not only in that the normal social rules break down, but even the places and people themselves tend to be different and unique. Aubry’s signature style, the hand drawn faces, with cloth and other textures filling in the color digitally, fits this motif.

Aubry: Working with Zachary has been great.  Our ideas mesh together very well.  He has a fantastic imagination and I love bringing that to life.   I can’t really say there have been any challenges involved, either.  I couldn’t have asked for a better client, or a better friend.

How did you decide which scenes to illustrate?

Zachary: In the case of Voyage, it depends on the episode. Sometimes I have a scene that’s screaming out at me, begging me to be artistically realized, and I communicate that desire to Aubry. Other times, it won’t be as clear in my mind which scene should get illustrated, and we’ll both chat about it until we come up with something. Sometimes I’m useless and I just leave it up to Aubry entirely, based on the text of the story.

In the case of Insomnium, the illustrations will be for the covers. Insomnium’s City of Nowhere is divided up into wards, which each have a governor. And the episodes more or less contain one new ward and one new governor. Our plan is basically to match governors and wards to the covers for each ep. You can see the preliminary sketch for the ward of Earth Above Heaven Below and its governor, the Farseer, on the Kickstarter page, for example.

Aubry: For Voyage, I read all his episodes, then together we pick out the scene that would be most visually appealing and representative of the themes.   Zachary trusts me a lot to envision an illustration’s subject and composition, but I always present him with a sketch first, in case I miss a detail like correct clothing or hairstyles.  For Insomnium, this process will be much the same.

What have you learned during this project?

Zachary: I feel I’ve learned a lot about the drafting process. Voyage is this big, sprawling thing, that’s taken over a decade to finally get into a state where it feels “right.” Insomnium, on the other hand, is a much more tightly contained story, coming it at a total of twelve episodes, as opposed to Voyage’s seventy. Not to imply that Insomnium is superior. Voyage is just more “epic” in scope. Planning and writing Insomnium has taught me a lot about the structure and arcs of shorter serials.

 Aubry: In our preliminary preparations for Insomnium, we’ve learned making a video of ourselves is hard.  We’re both fairly introverted people with weird senses of humor.  We’ve also been learning the nitty-gritty of publishing–the unglamorous stuff, really, like how to register a business, how to pay taxes, how to handle marketing, and so on.  Artistic endeavors like this are a lot more than just spewing your imagination onto computer screens and paper.

Aubry, What/Who influences your artwork?

My mother, Charlotte Warr Andersen, has always been a big influence on my artistic tendencies.  She’s a pictorial quilter, and you can really pick up a similar style in the art I make.  I just don’t have the patience to sew, so I piece together paper and fabrics using glue or Photoshop.

She and my father encouraged me to pursue my art, ever since I was a child.  It’s not a lucrative career choice, so anybody going into an artistic field really needs to find support like that.

Aubry, Who are some of your favorite artists?

My favorite contemporary artist is Yoshitaka Amano, a Japanese illustrator most famous for his depictions of Final Fantasy characters.  I played those video games while growing up, and was always wowed by his work in the instruction booklet and Nintendo Power Player’s Guide.  That was before the Internet was everywhere.

If we’re talking dead artists, my favorite is Francisco Goya.  He was before his time, I think, making very raw, expressionistic work during a time when art was more about hazy, romantic perfection.   

Zachary, What/Who influences your writing?

My favorite book of all time is The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. You’ll see a lot of that influence in Insomnium. I’m also fond of Neal Gaiman and China Mieville. If a piece of writing has a really weird and creative high concept, I’m game. 

Zachary, Who are some of you favorite authors?

Besides the three mentioned above, I’m also fond of Ursula K Le Guin, Philip K Dick, and Neal Stephenson.

Finally what is your advice to aspiring authors and artists out there.

Zachary: I’ve lost a lot of time in my life, which I could have spent writing, to the false idea that I would never be “good enough.” If you have a story that just needs to be told, then write. Just write. Seriously, go write your story. Then write other stories. Then come back and write your first story again if you need to. Whatever you do, just keep writing. Don’t stop because of something as trivial as not meeting someone else’s expectations. Grow, live, learn, and write some more.

Aubry: A lot of people are pursuing the arts these days.  The people who succeed will be persistent and differentiate themselves from the crowd.  This comes easier if you truly love the make your art, if you need to express yourself in order to keep yourself happy.  There’s a reason so many artists and writers are perceived as a few cards short of a full deck.  Creativity often comes at the cost of normalcy.  People who lack the same creativity still enjoy creative things, yet they’ll often look down upon the everyday artist struggling who sacrifices their comfort for their art.  That type of person will call the artist or the writer lazy or crazy because they aren’t pursuing a more stable career.

Don’t listen to them.  Embrace your own weirdness.  Surround yourself with friends who will accept you in all your mad glory and support your goals.  Show naysayers to the door.

That’s great advice! Thanks for stopping by!  

Zachary Bonelli grew up in a small town in northern Illinois, west of Chicago. After graduating high school, he dual majored in English Literature and German Language at a small, Midwestern liberal arts college. After undergrad, he turned his eyes towards exploration, and spent many years in Japan, Thailand and Hawaii. Zack loves stories. He’s long been fascinated by video games as a storytelling medium, and loves exploring different cultures, discovering the different underlying stories that different groups of people tell themselves, the stories that define who they are and how they perceive the world. Nowadays, he lives with his partner near Seattle, Washington.

Aubry Kae Andersen is a freelance designer living in Seattle, WA.  Her business, the AKArchy (akarchy.com), does design work for web and print, as well as illustration.  She has a BFA in Studio Art from Westminster College of Utah, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for A/NT Gallery (antgallery.org), a non-profit artist’s collective where she shows her more traditional work.  In addition to all that, she’s working on her debut novel, Isaac the Fortunate, slated for release later this year.

If you’d like more information about the Insomnium Kickstarter campaign please go to: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/zacharybonelli/insomnium-a-serialized-science-fiction-novel

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ZacharyBonelli/

Publisher Website: http://www.fuzzyhedgehogpress.com/

Blog: http://www.zacharybonelli.com/

 

Dan Thompson’s The Caseworker’s Memoirs is Free on ebook June 14th to 18th!

  It’s Dan Thompson’s blog’s first birthday! To celebrate his novella ‘The Caseworker’s Memoirs’ (ebook version) is FREE  from Friday 14th June – Tuesday 18th June!

Synopsis
Malcolm was losing touch with the world; a retired counsellor and recently widowed, he lived each day sat at his desk, watching the world pass him by. That’s until his daughter gave him a leather-bound notebook. She encouraged him to write about times long past that he shared with his loving wife, but as dreams of his previous patients take hold of him, he has no choice but to share his experiences and thoughts. This is Malcolm’s attempt to rid himself of his pent-up guilt, his emotional involvement with his former occupation, but perhaps most of all, his attempt to have a purpose in life. From the rational fear of heights to the peculiar fear of time, from the obsessive fear of terrorism to the psychological ignorance of homophobia, The Caseworker’s Memoirs is not only a tale of one man’s grief, but also the tale of seven other families that are affected by real phobias.

The links are:

UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Caseworkers-Memoirs-ebook/dp/B00CAUIY7Y/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1370944798&sr=8-1&keywords=the+caseworker%27s+memoirs

US/AUS: http://www.amazon.com/The-Caseworkers-Memoirs-ebook/dp/B00CAUIY7Y/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1370944824&sr=8-1&keywords=the+caseworker%27s+memoirs


Dan Thompson is the author of The Black Petal, Life is all but a vast array of Colours & The Caseworker’s Memoirs
Website & Blog: Dan Thompson
Twitter: @dan_pentagram
Author Facebook Page: Dan Thompson
Why not check out his Goodreads page too?