Konn Lavery's Blog: Posts from konnlavery.com, page 34

Sitting on a Manuscript

Welcome back to unprocessed thoughts, this is the first installment
of 2019. 2018 offered many exciting growth opportunities, and 2019 is shaping
up to be of a similar caliber. Last year I was sitting on a manuscript that I
wrote in the spring, because it had some flaws that I did not know how to
address. I took some time away from it to write the Rutherford Manor novel,
that I am sure you have heard lots about through social media. Now, with the
Rutherford Manor novel nearing completion, I revisited the old manuscript with
a fresh pair of eyes. Man, does that make a difference.

Welcome to another edition of unprocessed thoughts

I’d like to elaborate more on what I mean by sitting on a
manuscript. Last year I had mentioned a slasher novel that was in the works,
and by August it was finished. The manuscript went to some beta readers and
they gave me their initial feedback. During the time that they were reading the
manuscript, I kept trying to figure out what was wrong with it in the back of
my mind.

Benefits of Sitting on a Manuscript

It took about four months away from the manuscript for
that aha moment to happen. Before I
took the break, I knew something was wrong with the book, but I did not know
how to identify it. I spent many hours reviewing the chapter outlines, the
character sheets, the subplot notes, and the manuscript itself. Yet I could not
find what was wrong with it. It turns out that I underestimated the power of
putting a manuscript away and revisiting it after working on another project. The
time away allowed me to study more about the power of storytelling, and let the
manuscript itself sizzle in the back of my mind without stress of trying to
figure it out right away.

In addition, working on the Rutherford Manor novel gave me a
chance to sink my teeth into a new concept. Writing a historical thriller is a
very different process from a horror novel. Especially a horror novel that
takes place in a particular time. I had to interview a number of people to
clarify facts, which was a lot of fun, very similar to what I did with the YEGman.
Through this sitting process, a working title has surfaced for the slasher
novel as well. More on the slasher novel will come in the future, for now I
will be shifting gears back to the Rutherford Manor novel.

The White Hand Cover Reveal and Synopsis

last week the cover and synopsis for my upcoming historical thriller novel was released. Woo hoo! You can click on this link to read the full synopsis and see the cover in larger detail. The exact release date is to be announced, but it will be this spring. More tidbits and goodies are sure to come in the following months, I am very excited to get this novel out and share with you all. This year, the white hand novel, will be the primary focus. This will give me time to reflect on the slasher novel, mental damnation, and other writing projects I have on the go.

New Tools

I am also learning to use new technologies to enhance my
writing. Upon completing NaNoWriMo 2018, I got a coupon for purchasing
scrivener. I have yet to use the software, as I have always use Microsoft Word
and kept various documents for all the research and pieces that go into the
novel. For future work, I will be trying to use scrivener to see the different
features it has. In addition to scrivener, I will be practicing speech to text
software to see if I can increase my word count. This blog post you are reading
is my first demo of exploring speech to text. So far it is quite enjoyable and
I am seeing an increase in word count. It is a bit of a learning curve to get
formatting and syntax down. Customer names for characters and places is also
going to be tricky, but it’s all part of the learning curve.

As the study into new software and tools continues, I will
be sure to share the progress. Always learn always grow.

Beer Note: Abdij Averbode

Brewed in the Norbertine abbey of Averbode, this Belgian strong
ale. I have reviewed Belgian beers before and I’m always giving them a positive
rating. This one is no different. It’s a lighter beer with a strong taste, and
supposedly it is from Japan, so of course I had to try it. It is pretty acidic
though and having more than one would be too much. With my hoppy taste buds in
mind; I’d give this a 4/5.

The post Sitting on a Manuscript appeared first on Konn Lavery.

Author DIY Graphic Design – The Design Process

Bravo! We have made it to the final blog post in the Author DIY Graphic Design series. Now we can apply everything we know into the design process. If you haven’t been following, for the past six months, we have been looking at the design fundamentals and theories that can help you improve your designs for your author brand and novels. Below are all of the blog posts to date:

The Basics of Design
Colour Theory
Typeface
Layout
Tools and Technicalities

Now, in this last post, we will be combining all of our new knowledge and seeing how we can apply them into a compelling book cover.

What makes an effective book cover?

This answer is quite broad. First, you must consider the genre that your book fits in. Remember throughout the blog series we have discussed the scope of your design project. To reiterate, the scope of your design project makes your job as a designer very clear. Design is functional art. It needs to serve a purpose otherwise it is directionless and has no value. 

The Design Process

All right, we’ve talked about a lot of theory and the scope of the project. Now, what do you do with all of this information? We start the design process.

What is the scope?

We have drilled this one into your head over and over again. We do know that the scope for this post is a book cover.

Research

If we are designing a book cover, then we know the scope of the project. Now, to ask the question again, what is your book’s genre? Once you know this, you can research into the target market. Take a look at what other book covers are doing for that genre. Jump onto Amazon, for example, and start filtering through the search engine to find your genre. Some questions to keep in mind are:

What type of colours are being used?
Are the covers using photos or graphic elements?
What typefaces are used and how are they being treated?
Where are the author name and the book title?
Is there any more information?

Make Notes

These are just some of the questions that you can ask yourself. Keep notes as you research into your genre and see what the top-selling books are doing. It also helps to take a look at some of the worst selling – or rated – books. It is just as helpful to know what doesn’t work as what works.

Your notes are going to be incredibly helpful as you go through the design process. It is very easy to get sidetracked from your scope, so keep those notes nearby.

Thumbnails

Once you have done your research take a piece of paper and begin drawing. Oh no! Writers having to draw, this is scary. Do not fear though, take a look at the example of thumb sketches below, they do not need to be anything fantastic. The purpose of thumb sketches is to get the visual side of your brain thinking in abstract senses. These thumb sketches are more so visual roadmaps of where you can go.

Try sketching out 10-15 of them. Thumbnails are small and do not need to take up a full page. Do not get hung up on the details of the thumb. Use boxes and squiggly lines to represent photos, text and other design elements. Once you have done around 15, pick your best three that can be brought into the next stage.

Roughs

Your roughs are where you can be picky about what the details look like. Here you can start exploring form to elaborate on where the vision in your mind is going. Look at the example below, this is no masterpiece or final product, but they tell you the primary direction that you want to go in.

Take the three thumbnails that you decided to work with and flush them out more. Try doing three variations for each thumbnail concept. Once you have done this, think about which one is the strongest, this will be the book cover direction you will go with.

Finalize

Now that you have done your rough sketches, time to jump into the digital world. Where do you go from here? Well, it will vary depending on the graphics software you have. It will also depend on the book size. Is it a trade paperback? Is it ebook only? Take a look at some of the specs for your cover type.

As we had discussed before in the Tools and Technicalities blog post, you will want to be aware of your colour mode, DPI and dimensions for your book. Explore the Tools and Resources section that shows where you can find photos and graphical elements. Reference the Colour Theory post to know how to create pleasant colour schemes. Look back at the Typefaces post to understand how to treat your text. The Layout post will expand on some layout theory on how to create a hierarchy of importance for the elements on your cover (book title, author name, etc.).

Your Exercise

Apply the knowledge you have learned from the Author DIY Graphic Design series to your next design project! Step up your branding and marketing by creating engaging visual messaging that has an impact on your reader. Unfortunately, the cliché is true; people do judge books by its cover. If you have to make your cover, it is essential that you invest into creating an eye-catching design.

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Cover and Synopsis Reveal of The White Hand

I am pleased to finnaly release the cover art and synopsis of my upcoming novel this summer.

The White Hand, A Rutherford Manor Novel releases this summer.
Synopsis

Based on the award-winning Haunted House and forthcoming television series, The White Hand brings you into a historical thriller combining mobsters, forbidden love, old souls, murder, and betrayal.

Rutherford Manor – a safe haven for some. For others, a home that holds many sinister secrets. Run by the Fleshers and the Savidges, these two families have survived for generations leading up to the present day of 1890. Headmaster Alastor Flesher and his business partner, Spalding Savidge, find themselves in desperate times to provide for their families.

Their needs wrap them into a deal with the Irish mob – The White Hand. The two men willingly work with the gang as resurrectionists, obtaining bodies for anatomists. Alastor and Spalding develop a unique process, gaining access to the most well-preserved bodies. Their product becomes desirable throughout the black market in Illinois.

Despite the handsome pay, Spalding is left in disarray. Alastor’s desperation for income runs deeper than he ever knew. His moral compass is shattered due to their snatching methods. Spalding plays with fire, developing something known as love for Irene, the daughter of The White Hand’s boss. With a dash of foul play and new allies, Spalding becomes the glue that holds Rutherford Manor together, and he is coming unbound.

Join the Fleshers and the Savidges as they plummet into an era-altering series of events that will change Rutherford Manor forever.

Release Date – Summer 2019

The White Hand, A Rutherford Manor Novel Cover Art

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Craig DiLouie, Thriller, Apocalyptic/Horror and Sci-Fi/Fantasy Author

Craig DiLouie, Thriller, Apocalyptic/Horror and Sci-Fi/Fantasy Author

The first guest of 2019 is author Craig DiLouie who is known for writing thrillers, apocalyptic, horror, sci-fi and fantasy fiction. His work has been reviewed hundreds of times, being praised for his gritty realism, strong characters and action. He has been nominated for major literary awards. His novels have been translated into multiple languages and optioned for film. Let’s welcome Craig to the blog and learn more about his writing!

Thank you for joining us Craig DiLouie. Can you share with us how you first got into writing?

Thanks for having me as a guest!

I grew up on a farm outside a small Andy Griffith-type town in New Jersey in the 1970s, so I got very good at using my imagination to keep myself entertained. After growing up on movies like Soylent Green and The Towering Inferno, I discovered the works of Robert E. Howard. He fired my imagination and inspired me to create my own worlds to discover.

Tell us more about your latest work, One of Us, which is set to be on paperback February 26th.

 One of Us is a dark fantasy story about people in a small town who live in constant fear of the children living in a nearby orphanage, who are monsters because of a mutagenic disease. When a body is found and a plague child is blamed, the tension between the townsfolk and the plague children comes to a head.

Thematically, the novel is about prejudice, a universal human trait, and whether monsters are born or made. Stylistically, it’s a Southern Gothic, which traditionally includes elements such as the taboo, grotesque, and a society in decay.

Author Claire North called One of Us “To Kill a Mockingbird meets The Girl with All the Gifts,” which I think nails it.

One of Us has been called heartbreaking and a powerhouse of a novel. What was the inspiration for this story?

Thank you for calling that out, I certainly hope most readers agree that’s true. One of Us started with an interest in developing a fresh take on the misunderstood monster story, and recasting it as a Southern Gothic, which offered me as a writer a veritable playground of rich language and tropes. I wanted the reader to experience what it’d be like to be living in the town and in the orphanage through a highly empathetic ensemble cast of characters, this being a character-driven story.

Besides Southern Gothic literature, inspiration was found in works like Frankenstein, The Island of Dr. Moreau, X-Men, and the film The Conquest of the Planet of the Apes.

You have an impressive collection of work, is there a type of genre you are not fond of writing in?

I’m interested in writing good stories with an emphasis on seeing what ordinary people are made of when challenged by extraordinary circumstances. Genre fiction offers the most fertile ground for that, from WW2 historical to sci-fi and fantasy to horror and apocalyptic. My current work with standalone novels published by big houses like Orbit tend to be strong genre backed by a powerful theme or big idea and with a literary bend/character focus.

That being said, the extraordinary circumstances are as important to the fun for me as the ordinary people, so I don’t think I’d be very good at say literary fiction. I think it’s important as a writer to play to your strengths and be realistic about your limitations, while at the same challenging yourself to grow.

Is there any story you have written that you personally hold in higher regards? If so how come?

While I love each of my works at least for one particular thing, I have to say overall One of Us is my overall favorite. I wrote it with a fierce joy without the usual angst and speed bumps. It just poured out of me. This novel was my first with Orbit, which allowed me to work with Bradley Englert, an editor who knows how to get the best out of me. He challenged me to refine the book and take it to another level. That part was even harder work but just as joyful and rewarding. I couldn’t be happier with the result.

After One of Us releases, what is your next project?

I just turned in final revisions for Our War, set to be published by Orbit in August 2019 and available in audio, eBook, and hardcover and trade paperback. The novel is about a UN worker and journalist who discover the use of child soldiers during a second American civil war. The story focuses on a brother and sister forced to fight on opposite sides. As with One of Us, I hope readers will find it powerful and heartbreaking, and that they’ll reflect on the theme of political tribalism and its dangers.

For aspiring writers, what would be one piece of advice you would give them?

Everybody’s path to success is different and depends on differing definitions of success, so it’s hard to offer hard and fast advice. The closest thing I’ve found as a formula for success in fiction is to always be producing, always be learning and growing as an artist, and then to be at the right place at the right time with the right book. In short, be the best you can be and hope that the elusive X factor in publishing, which is really luck, goes your way and your book resonates in some way with your intended market. (Which also means it’s good to understand who you’re writing for.) Often, this is not a rags to riches kind of thing but instead a ladder with many rungs. So I’d also counsel patience and perseverance.

Let’s thank Craig DiLouie for joining us to talk about him writing!

Thank you for having me as a guest!

You can find Craig DiLouie’s work and social media from the links below:

Novels

http://craigdilouie.com

https://www.amazon.com/Craig-DiLouie/e/B001JS1SCQ/

Social Media

https://www.facebook.com/craig.dilouie

https://twitter.com/CraigDiLouie

Craig DiLouie’s Biography

Craig DiLouie is an acclaimed American-Canadian author of literary dark fantasy and other fiction. Formerly a magazine editor and advertising executive, he also works as a journalist and educator covering the North American lighting industry. His fiction has been nominated for major awards, optioned for screen, and published in multiple languages. He is a member of the Imaginative Fiction Writers Association, International Thriller Writers, and the Horror Writers Association. He lives in Calgary, Canada with his two wonderful children.

 

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Listen to Me – Part One

It was another day at the print shop, or so Janet thought. A country-wide epidemic is broadcasted on TV, causing panic. The workers of the shop have little time to react and become a part of the chaos.

Listen To Me – Part One is January’s flash fiction that’ll bring readers into an end-of-the-world themed thriller. Experience the story in written word, audio, artwork and soundscape.

Listen to Me – Part One

Business as Per Usual

Clicking of keyboards, ringing phones, and working machinery filled the room. Stacks of paper and large commercial printers were in the backroom behind the lobby. Beeping from the front door came every quarter of an hour or so as customers entered and left the shop. The busy season, summer, had begun. Every individual was looking to get their posters made, wedding invitations prepared or other small side projects done. The bigger corporate cheeses were looking for trade show displays, brochures and booklets. It was a lot for everyone to keep up with at the shop. It also didn’t help that they were understaffed.

A lady let out a sigh while staring at the computer screen. There was a graphics software open with a business card photo and some basic shapes overtop of it.

“Still tracing that logo?” called a man from the other end of the room. His puffy, black-frizzy hair bounced as he turned to face the lady.

The lady looked behind her and put on a closed smile. She knew the man, Craig. He liked to start small chat, something that she was not too fond of. She just wanted to get the job done and go home.

The man sipped on his coffee, creating slurping noises. Then there was silence.

The lady turned back to her desk and eyed her business card holder, keeping her cards neatly angled upward. Having cards was flattering, it made her look like some sort of professional. At the same time, the card design itself was hideous, making her feel incompetent at her profession.

How I would love to fix up that typeface. That colouring, awful. The logo needs work too, she thought, eyeing the Mega Speed Print logo just above her full name: Janet Harkovitch. Her title Graphic Designer was just below her name. Perhaps one day she could convince the boss that their whole visual communication needed improvement. Then, she could have a decent portfolio piece and get out of the dead-end print job. Janet could apply to a design studio and take on some actual challenging projects. Until then, she was stuck tracing another designer’s work. Tracing it from a photo none-the-less. A monkey’s job.

Real World Stuff

High heels clicked as a shorter, middle-aged, woman came into the office from the front lobby. Candice, part owner of Mega Speed Print. She looked up at the mounted TV at the far corner of the room. “You getting a look at this?” came her raspy voice.

“What do you mean, on the telly?” asked Craig, adjusting his thick-framed glasses.

“That’s what I am saying,” Candice said. “It’s completely bonkers, look!”

Janet and Craig gazed up at the TV to see the news channel had a reporter and cameraman riding on a helicopter, overlooking the streets below. Cars were crashed into one another on the road, civilians lay on the ground, the pavement was littered with random debris. The people that were able to move were running in all directions. The TV was muted, but subtext was typed out as the reporter talked, saying:

“THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE MOVING IN A PANIC HERE IN DOWNTOWN LONDON…”

“My God,” Janet said, wide-eyed. “It’s like it is out of a movie or something.”

“What is happening?” Craig asked.

Candice pointed at the TV, saying, “that!”

Several people walked calmly down the road as civilians hurried away from them, like fish trying to escape a whale. There was a man and two women. All were wearing common clothes: jeans, t-shirts, blouses, nothing obscure. The three had single hands extended outwards, pointing at the general crowd, blood ran from their fingers, drizzling down their skin and onto the pavement. They had blank stares on their faces, eyes completely white.

“Where are their pupils?” Craig asked.

“WE CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE THREE FIGURES THAT WERE REPORTED MERELY MINUTES AGO. THEY SEEM TO BE FOLLOWING THE MASS CROWDS, CAUSING CHAOS FROM THEIR PRESENCE….”

“What are they? Terrorists?” Craig asked.

“I don’t think so,” Candice said. “They just seem to be walking down the street.”

Whispers

A man on the TV dashed out from behind a wrecked car, holding the hand of a lady, trying to get by the three that were slowly approaching. As a single unit, the three stood still while moving their extended hands, palms upward, out towards the man until their hands aligned with him. The man stopped dead in his tracks, his hands began to shake, then his head. The lady tugged on the man’s arm, trying to get him to move with her. She shook her head as she cried, tugging on him with all her might. The man didn’t budge, it was as if he were glued to the ground.

“What is wrong with him?” Janet asked, watching in disbelief. This isn’t like anything natural, she thought. She blinked twice, seeing if she was still in control of the situation. She had pretty realistic dreams in the past and wanted to be sure she was actually awake. She was.

“WE’RE GETTING A CLOSER LOOK AT AN EXAMPLE OF THE CHAOS THAT THEY ARE CAUSING….”

The cameraman adjusted the lens, zooming in on the four people. With the closer view, it was clear to see that the blood from the fingers continually seeped out of the cuticles of the three figures. Their lips were moving, but due to the height of the helicopter it was impossible for the subtext to interpret what they were saying. As they talked, the targeted man began to shout, looking up in the sky, arms coiling into fists. Red liquid oozed from his clenched hands, drizzling onto the road.

The lady gently grabbed his arm, shaking her head as tears rolled down her face. The man stood tall, looking at her, fists still shaking. He relaxed his hands. His shoulders lowered and his face released all tension. He looked at her with wide-eyes as he gently touched her face. She smiled at him and held his hand with her own.

The three figures took a step closer to the two of them, reaching their hands as far as they could towards the man, causing him to twitch. Their closer presence made him clutch the lady’s face with force, causing her to scream. She tried to pull away from him but was unable to break free. With his free hand, the man curled his hand into a fist, letting out a roar, and slammed it into her face.

“Christ,” Janet said, looking away from the TV. She couldn’t dare look at the intense violence, she never did handle it well. She preferred to watch some reality TV for a few chuckles, or spend the night at the pub, maybe get lucky with a man. Violence was just disgusting.

“He won’t stop hitting her!” Craig exclaimed. “The Prime Minister have anything to say about this?”

“I’m not sure, I haven’t looked,” Candice said. “I saw all the chaos and went here to ask if you two had seen anything about it.”

Janet looked up at the TV again, watching as the man continued to beat the lady who was now on the ground.

“IT REALLY IS UNEXPLAINABLE MAT, WE ARE SIMPLY REPORTING INFORMATION AS IT COMES IN. THE POLICE ARE BELIEVED TO BE ON THEIR WAY….”

Remorse for the Unknown

The three people on the TV re-directed their extended hands away from the man as their lips stopped moving and continued to move down the street.

“OUR RESPECTS GO OUT TO THIS TRAGIC LADY’S FAMILY….”

“Now why’d he go and do that for? Running out in front of those three?” Craig asked.

“They didn’t even touch him,” Janet said. “Are they using some nanotechnology?”

Craig snorted. “Nanotechnology? This isn’t some sort of sci-fi story, Janet. It could be some sound based hypnosis.”

“Why are their hands bleeding?” Janet asked. “Can we switch the channel at least? This is making me unconformable.”

“Sure, whatever,” Candice said with a sigh. “The remote is around here somewhere. With all this ruckus, business is sure to slow down today after this.”

“That don’t matter much I think, look at what is going on!” Craig said.

“We rely on the busy season, Craig. As you should know, that is what keeps you employed during the dry seasons. You should be worried.”

“I’m sure I will be tomorrow. Today, I want to know what the hell is going on here.” He took a sip of his coffee and said, “can we change the channel to see if there’s any other reports on this?”

“Look for the remote!” Candice said.

“Candice!” came a young man’s voice from the front desk.

“Yes Mark?” Candice said with a groan. Janet knew that Candice was testy with questions. Mark was the new guy. He didn’t know Candice’s wrath yet. He was brave in his naivety.

“This invoicing software is being funny, can you come take a look?” Mark asked.

“On my way,” Candice said. “You two keep working, don’t let that rubbish on the telly distract you,” she said before leaving the room.

Another beep came from the front entrance – the front door was pulled open. More customers. Perhaps Candice was wrong about the day quieting down.

An Epidemic

Craig watched as Candice left the room, waiting until she was gone. He spun his char around to face Janet, saying, “funny, ain’t it?”

“What?” Janet asked, while turning to face him.

“The boss can come by and chit chat with us but when she is gone it is back to work. That is some history-in-the-making stuff the news is reporting!” he stared at the TV and continued to watch the chaos.

Janet looked up for a moment, to see that the cameraman had shifted the camera to look at the news reporter.

“WE’RE GETTING INSIGHT THAT THIS IS NOT THE FIRST CASE, THERE ARE MULTIPLE REPORTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY JUST LIKE THE THREE WE ARE WITNESSING BELOW…”

“Across the country? Are we under attack?” Craig asked, now fiddling with a pencil against his lip.

“We should get back to work,” Janet said, spinning her chair around to look at the graphics software again.

A scream erupted from the front entrance, catching both of their attention. The sound of fumbling and toppling items erupted as more grunts, a crash, and then gurgling. Janet stood up, mouth open, while looking at the doorway. It was impossible to see anything other than the walls and the entrance door to the building.

“Candice?” Craig called out while getting up from his chair. He looked over at Janet as he walked towards the front entrance. “Stay here,” he whispered.

Craig crept up to the wall, getting closer to the entrance as more fumbling came from the front lobby. He took another step closer, looking back at Janet, then forward, ready to take peek at the entrance.

“Help!” came a man’s shout from a worker – possibly from the backroom where the printers were. “Somebody please help! Mark… wait… what? Mar-!” A thumping sound came from beyond the office, silencing the worker.

Another beep from the front door came, indicating the door was pulled open.

Craig swallowed heavily before leaning forward, peeking around the corner, then bringing his head back.

“What do you see?’ Janet asked.

“Nothing. No one is there,” Craig said.

Janet hurried over to Craig and whispered, “who was calling for help? Dan?”

A scream came from the other room.

“Maybe?” Craig whispered. “Or Daniel. It’s hard to tell.”

“Think this has anything to do with what we heard on the telly?” Janet asked. She knew it was a stupid question. From what they heard, it was. She just wanted reassurance from someone.

“I’m going to guess so. Come, let’s call the police.” Craig said while getting up. He quietly walked over to Janet’s desk – the closest to the entrance – and picked up the phone. He punched in the numbers and brought the speaker to his ear.

Janet hurried over to Craig, keeping her eyes on the entrance, just in case someone was to come into the room. She couldn’t help but wonder what happened out there.

“The line is busy,” Craig said coldly.

“What do you mean?” Janet asked.

“I can’t get a hold of them, there’s nothing there,” Craig said. “We’re on our own.”

Janet felt her heart race. Who yelled from the back room? Who else was in the print shop still? Her answers weren’t going to be given to her with the rescue of the police, Craig and Janet had to fend for themselves.

The post Listen to Me – Part One appeared first on Konn Lavery.

Author DIY Graphic Design – Tools and Technicalities

Previously in the Author DIY Graphic Design blog series, we have looked at:

The Basics of Design
Colour Theory
Typeface
Layout

These are all very theoretical based, and we have yet to discuss graphic design tools and technicalities. The theory is highly relevant because what you learn can be applied to an array of situations. The tools and technicalities are more constrictions on how you can integrate the theory. In the Layout issue, we go to explore some technicalities due to the nature of formatting a document. Now, we get to go further into the parts of a document and how to properly read the specs seen in print shops so you too can communicate with the printers.

Common File Formats

If you’ve worked on a computer, you must be familiar with file formats. Now, some computer settings hide the file format, but this can be disabled depending on your device. For example, most writers work in word documents which usually a .doc or a .docx.

For design work – and keeping in the scope of the series – such as a book cover, you will be looking at a range of file formats. Some of the common ones are below:

JPG: Used as a standard for web and print. A JPG file is for photos or high-detailed renderings, such as book covers.
PNG: This file format is on the web due to its support of transparency which works great for logos and icons. However, they are generally much more extensive in file size.
TIFF: A print file format that stores a lot of the original quality of the image, whether it was scanned from a scanner or exported from graphics software, like Photoshop.
PDF: A very versatile file format, often seen in print. A PDF can serve many functions and needs. Some print shops prefer if you only provide PDF formats of your designs.
PSD: The standard for Photoshop documents. Other graphics software can open PSDs.
SVG: A graphic format seen on the web that supports vector graphics, more info below.

What file format do you use?

Remember the common theme? Scope. Each of the file formats mentioned server a unique purpose. Recall what the scope is for your project and then you can make an educated decision. Read the specifications from the print shop, such as Kindle Direct Publishing, or on the printer company’s website. These will tell you what files they prefer.

Print Vs Digital

Some of the file types mentioned previously are in print and web. While others, such as TIFF, cannot. All files also have two primary specs that you should be aware of:

Colour Format: There are two main colour formats – and several less important ones – that everyone uses with graphic design. CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key Black) and RGB (Red, Green, Blue). Without getting too technical, CMYK is for print and RGB is for the web. If you end up using the wrong colour format, your colours will be a mess. Colour formats are controlled in the graphic design software of choice.
DPI: Dots Per Inch controls how detailed the design is. It dictates how many times the printer drops ink onto the page in a square inch and how many pixels to render on a screen in a square inch. There are many more technicalities to how this works. I’d recommend googling it to learn. In general, print often works at 300 DPI and digital works at 72 DPI.

Raster Vs Vector

wikipedia.org

In addition to the file specs mentioned above, you have two types of renderings: Raster and Vector. Raster images are what we are most familiar with seeing. These images are made up of hundreds or thousands of tiny square coloured pixels that create the image. Vector images are based on math and are resolution independent. The diagram below elaborates more in the difference between raster and vector graphics when zooming in.

Print Specs

We’re going to jump over web specs. The colour format and DPI are the two most important things for the web. For print, there are more specs to be aware of. Below is a demonstration of a book cover. On the left side is an empty document with coloured boxes. The right has the same coloured boxes and the book cover design.

Depending on your graphic design software, each program will display these bounding boxes differently. Some print shops even offer templates – in PSD or PDF – formats that have these set up for you.

Crop Marks: These small slits help the printer to know where to cut the paper.
Bleed: When you are printing on paper, and what to take up the full document from corner to corner, the way to do this is with bleeds. Bleeds are an additional space beyond the document itself, and the design elements are also on the bleed. Crop Marks align with the bleeds so when the printer cuts, it doesn’t leave any white space behind. Try printing out a photo and then cut it out, it is challenging to exclude white slivers on the edges. Bleed sizes will range, be sure to check with the print shop on what bleed size to use. Often 0.125” or 0.25” on each side is standard
Final Trim: This is the edge of the finished piece after the printer has trimmed off the bleeds and crop marks.
Page Margin: The page margin is the safe space to include all of the critical information on the document. Margins will range depending on the project. The safe-zone for your content is there in case of a printer shifts the paper, or when trimming the crop marks, they cut too close. Stay within the recommended margins, and you won’t have any information cut.

Print Specs vary from Shop to Shop

The technicalities mentioned above will vary depending on the shop. There are some standards across the board since a lot of them use similar printers and processes. Especially in digital printing vs offset printing. Be sure to ask your print shop or review their specs online. Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing outlines all the specs needed.

Graphic Design Tools and Technicalities Resources

Okay, we’ve covered many technicalities, now, let’s go over some tools. We will not be discussing each software and how they work. There are full resource books, courses, and website dedicated to learning how they operate. What we will do is separate the resources into paid and free categories so you can determine how you want to control your budget.

Doing graphic design as a profession, I am biased and would recommend the paid software. The reason for this is you get more tools readily available, and you get to work with industry standard files. Freeware can also be buggy and limited.

Paid Tools and Resources

Adobe Stock (graphics and stock photos)
Photobucket (graphics and stock photos)
Corel Draw (Software Suite)
Adobe Creative Cloud (Software Suite)

Photoshop
Illustrator
InDesign



Free Tools and Resources

thenounproject.com (graphics)
vecteezy.com (graphics)
color.adobe.com (colour)
pexels.com (stock photos)
freeimages.com (stock photos)
canva.com (software)
Gimp (software)

Your Exercise

We’ve covered graphic design tools and technicalities from a high-level perspective. Now, in preparation for the final blog post, obtain a graphic design software and become familiar with the interface and the tools within the program. Gimp is a free program that mirrors a lot of Photoshop’s capabilities. Alternatively, you can download a trial run of Photoshop for 30 days. For the final blog post, we will combine our new knowledge and design an awesome book cover.

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The Edmonton DEADbyCON Horror Convention

DEADbyCON
To kick off 2019, I will be at Edmonton’s very first horror convention, Dead by Con.



When and Where?

February 16 – 17 from 10am to 5pm

The Radisson Hotel & Convention Center 4520 – 76 Ave NW,

Edmonton

Alberta

Guests and the Event

Learn about all the guests and the event itself at the DEADbyCON website: deadbycon.ca

 

Grab Tickets Today!

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Goodbye 2018

December 31st has arrived. New Year’s Eve. Goodbye 2018. What an exciting year it has been! First a huge thank you to everyone that has been a part of the journey throughout 2018. This post is the last Unprocessed Thoughts for the year and is going to be a summary and what you can expect in 2019 — goals and milestones. As cliché as they are, they do work, and we’ll talk a bit about them.

Welcome to Another Edition of Unprocessed Thoughts

Where did 2018 go? It feels like the whole year just buzzed by. There were conventions, panels, book signings, book launches, writing, studying and more! I’ll outline some of the big highlights below here.

2018 In a Nutshell

Okay, so to kick off 2018, the winter involved lots of planning for the launch of YEGman. This book was a huge learning curve as I was unfamiliar with the genre (or what genre it was) until post-launch. I know, shame. I didn’t quite do enough research. However, the book launched in the spring reached Edmonton’s best seller list, received a review group award and sold out at the Calgary Comic Expo. I also began an experimental monthly blog release of flash fiction. Not a bad start!

Slasher Experimentation

Following the launch of YEGman and the Calgary Comic Expo was the Calgary Horror con which, as with every year, is a blast. After the first wave of conventions, I began playing with a spring edition of NaNoWriMo. I wanted to see if I could apply some of the tactics I had learned in the Story Grid. I wrote a slasher novel during this time. Currently, the book is in the hands of beta readers and shelved. Why? Well, let me tell you.

Meeting the Rutherford Manor Crew

During the Calgary Horror con, I met the Rutherford Manor group. They have a lot going on. There is a haunt, a comic series, an album, an anthology and film. Our conversation evolved to having me on board to write the next book, their first full novel. I was beyond excited and took the opportunity.

Throughout the summer and fall, in-between presenting at When Words Collide and Edmonton Comic Expo, I researched and absorbed myself into the historical thriller world of Rutherford Manor. Oh, and Purity: Part III of Mental Damnation re-launched in the fall too. It was a busy year.

Descending

During the fall and winter, my graphic design and web development work pick up. I also had to write the Rutherford Manor novel. To achieve all of this I cut down future book signings, conventions and other events so I could plot, outline and draft the book in preparation for NaNoWriMo in November.

I did manage to sneak out to Austin, Texas for the A Perfect Circle tour with Tricky and Night Club.

End of the Year

With only two months left, I pushed into overdrive and hammered out the first draft of Rutherford Manor during NaNoWriMo in 11 days. From there, it was edits, lots of edits on top of juggling a massive wave of contract work and the holiday chaos. That brings us to where we are today, saying goodbye 2018.

Entering 2019 with a Goal

There were many more highlights during 2018 but to explore all of the fantastic things that happened this year; I’d need to write a book on it for you. The regular blog and the Unprocessed Thoughts do cover some topics in greater detail. So, moving into the new year, what is next?

Rutherford Manor Novel

All the hard work over the past six months have been a real ride, but the Rutherford Manor crew is active on their social media and sharing updates about the novel as we reach milestones. 2019, keep watch for the new book. More to come in the following months.

What else? What Goals?

Well, you can’t just release a book and say yay. As mentioned at the beginning of this post, the YEGman launch took critical planning for its success. So setting up goals and milestones for the whole year takes a bit of time. These goals include launching a book, where you want your author career to go and what type of person you want to be at the end of the year.

A beneficial resource is Chris Fox’s series on YouTube. He has a video called How to set SMART goals for 2019. He has a follow-up video that goes into more detail about it. The video is below. I’d recommend watching it if you have goals that you want to reach but are unsure where to go.

Have Fun, Stay Safe

To be honest, I haven’t fully mapped out the 2019 goals yet! It looks like I will be doing that in the new year. Today is a day to celebrate the end of another year. Goodbye 2018. For those that are leaving their home today to rejoice, have fun and stay safe. Catch you all in 2019.

Beer Note: The Grizzly Paw Brewing Company Grumpy Bear Honey Wheat

I’ve featured the Grizzly Paw beer a number of times on this blog. I like their beers. They come from Canmore and have a range of flavours. This one is their honey wheat beer that is all around tasty — not many hops and not too sweet like many honey ales. Now that more liquor stores are carrying the Grizzly Paw beers, I can get this one on a more regular basis. All that aside, with my hoppy taste buds in mind; I’d give this a 4.5/5.

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The Last of Ka’dubarh

On top of the frozen wasteland of Ka-dubarh, brave men defend their families and village from their enemies – the trolls. One man and one troll are the last, will there be peace? Or blood?

The Last of Ka’dubarh is December’s flash fiction that’ll bring readers into a fantasy themed battle. Experience the story in written word, audio, artwork and soundscape.

The Last of Ka’dubarh

Recall

Family means everything. This is something that has been engraved into the hearts of my people for centuries. Our blood is what binds us together. Unity is what makes us strong. The ancestry tree has been carried on for generations, keeping us robust and pure. Each new generation carries on the legacy of the last. We support one another, care for one another, and fight for one another. Even if it means the most significant sacrifice: our own life.

This is why I find myself on the frozen planes of Ka’dubarh, crawling over dozens of frozen corpses. Some of them I recognize, hell, I even had them over for wine and dinner back home. Now, their lifeless, cold faces are empty shells. Their souls have moved onto the afterlife. That leaves me here, alone, as the last.

My feet were numb. Possibly from the blood loss or the icy weather. I didn’t know, all I knew was I could no longer feel them, or walk on them. I had to crawl on my arms to push forward. The vast chasm leading out of Ka’dubarh was the one path that protects my people’s homeland from outsiders. If I could just keep pushing on, I could crawl down the mountain and back to the warmer wilderness. I could make it back to my family.

I let out a grunt, my arm gave out, and my face collided onto the ice-covered chest of a corpse. Pushing myself up, I looked over to see the head was a wrinkly grey colour with curled tusks and an elongated nose. Green-tinted icicles hung from the tip and the rims of the nostrils. That was no friend, it was one of my enemies.

“Damn trolls,” I muttered to myself. If they hadn’t been consumed by greed, maybe we would have been able to find some sort of common ground. We aren’t that different after all. It is only the names of our faiths that separate us.

A groan came directly under me as the chest began to move.

It Lives!

Oh no, I thought while pushing myself off of the troll. The being slowly lifted his limbs as his yellow eyes flung open. The ice cracked and crumbled as the body came to life.

“Goo’cha abu,” the troll muttered to itself while adjusting its helmet.

“Goddamnit,” I whispered while patting around my belt, where was my knife? I couldn’t find it, I had no weapon on me.

The troll rolled onto his side and looked up at me. His ice-coated face crunched into a scowl as he let out a nasty hiss, saying, “human!”

I extended my one hand, palm, outward, staring at the troll. “The battle is over, foe, we can go our separate ways, back home,” I said. Maybe I could reason with him. Perhaps we could come to some form of an agreement and leave this blood-filled snowscape.

The troll attempted to get up but collapsed with a yelp. His leg had an arrow through it, he was as crippled as I was.

“No battle over,” the troll said. “Your people shun us, and you will die for the dishonour.”

“This can be settled another day,” I said. “Go home, and I will do the same.”

“We fight, human.”

“We have fought! Look around you! Our comrades and friends lay slain. The battle is over.”

“No,” the troll reached around his belt until he pulled out a large jagged black dagger. “For my fallen brethren!”

I thought the cold was a difficult thing to deal with as is, now, I wish that was all I had. My hopes of survival drastically dwindled as I watched the troll crawl towards me, the knife in his mouth. With all my might, I pushed myself to the side to move away from him. The issue was, the troll was directly in my path leading back to my village. I needed to get around him.

“Humans will pay!” the troll shouted, drool running down his chin.

“Back!” I shouted, feeling the troll’s hand slap against my boot – a failed attempt to snag me. I picked up my pace, crawling faster, feeling my arms shake. The troll had longer limbs and would easily be able to catch up to me.

The Chase

The troll’s grunting and my panting accompanied by the crunching of snow was all that filled the soundscape as we crawled over our fallen comrades. I kept my eyes focused on the curved path I took around the troll. I could feel my lungs burn as my body begged for me to stop moving. It wanted me to end it all right now, stop trying to push forward.

I couldn’t give up. My wife and my son waited for me back home. I didn’t come to Ka’dubarh with my comrades to die here. I came here to defend my family and return to them.

A piercing sound filled the air as a sharp pain spiked from my ankle. I let out a cry of pain, realizing the troll had got me.

I glanced back while launching a kick at his face. Despite my numb foot, the boot was still an effective blunt object to my enemy’s nose. The blow made a crunching noise, causing the troll to hiss and back off. He let go of the knife in the process.

“Come on,” I muttered under my breath. Even with the knife in my ankle, I continued to crawl forward. The sound of the troll picked up, he was on the chase again.

“Your people hate our kind, kill our kind, I will gut you!” the troll called out.

At this moment, I realized I couldn’t out-crawl the troll, he had more energy. They were more resilient and had more stamina than humans. He wasn’t willing to be reasoned with either. I had to fight him.

“You,” I grunted while rolling onto my back, bending my stabbed leg towards my hand. “invaded our land.” I coiled my hand around the large knife. “Ka’dubarh is the sacred entrance!” I shouted while yanking the knife out of my ankle. Blood began to pour out of my wound and onto the snow, that wound had to be sealed soon. But first, I had to fend off my final foe on the battlefield.

The troll hissed and snagged both of my legs. “Ka’dubarh hides our holy temple.”

“Then why do you shed blood on the holy?” I growled while pushing myself upward, gripping the knife tightly.

I thrust the knife down, aiming for the troll’s arms. He let go of my limbs and rolled to the side. My knife stabbed into the ice, and I quickly pulled it out as I fell forward, crawling towards the troll in one smooth movement.

“Our ancient temple belongs to us!” the troll hissed while crawling on top of a troll corpse. He patted the body, searching for some sort of weapon. The troll’s face filled with a toothy grin as he pulled out a smaller dagger from the corpse’s belt.

“We will claim back our land,” the troll said as he scurried off the corpse and towards me.

End of All

Here we go, I thought as the sharp-biting wind picked up, blowing my hair in front of me. This was it, the final battle of Ka’dubarh.

The troll let out a roar as he forced himself onto his knees and slashed the knife at me. I rolled out of the way and plunged the blade into his outer thigh. The dagger pierced into his skin and he let out a roar. He backhanded my face, causing me to pull the dagger out of him as I landed on the snow. Thick forest-green blood oozed from his new wound.

“You will die, human!” the troll thrust the knife down at me, the blade pierced into my gut, and I let out a cry of pain. Gripping my dagger, I stabbed it up into his chest, piercing into his lungs.

The troll pulled his dagger out and thrust it down on me again as I did the same to him. Our weapons punctured our torsos repeatedly, causing green and red blood to spray over both of our bodies.

The troll let out a howl of pain as his body weakened, he nearly fell on top of me, using his one free hand to keep upright as he continued to stab me.

I cried in agony, clenching my teeth. The pain was only a thought in my mind, and I tried to ignore the powerful sensations that erupted from my wounds. I could feel the strength in my system begin to leave, I had no fight left, except for one last attack.

Letting out a roar, I thrust the blade further up from the previous stabs, this one piercing into the troll’s heart. He let out a gagging noise as he dropped his knife and his weight collapsed onto me. His tusks scraped against my cheek as his saliva drizzled down onto my face. The vile stench of mould and rotten meat reeked from his body, the typical troll smell. I just didn’t think it would be the last smell I ever smelt.

As I lay on the snow, in a pool of blood, my body began to warm up. The light from the sky started to become overpowering, causing all of Ka’dubarh to turn white. My overstimulated senses relaxed. My breathing was slowing down. The vile smell of the troll dwindled and was replaced with a soft sweet aroma. A familiar one. My wife?

My vision faded. Only the white light remained. I was warm now. I felt no pain. I could sense my family. I would reunite with them.

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Marc Watson’s New Fantasy Novel, Catching Hell Part Two: Destination

In 2016 we had a special interview with Calgarian author Marc Watson who shared an excerpt from his unpublished fantasy novel. Since then, Marc has released two novel, Catching Hell (the fantasy novel), and Death Dresses Poorly.

Nowe we welcome him back to share the wonderful news of his sequel novel being released!

Technology and Magic Collide In the Second Installment of Young Adult Duology Catching Hell

CALGARY, ALBERTA: As a self-proclaimed anti-author, Marc Watson’s success has a lot to do with his unconventional approach; he takes his writing seriously, but he’ll also be the first to tell you, sometimes, he’d rather be fishing on the river or watching his son’s play hockey, and manages to balance his time because he knows the stories he wants to tell are worth writing down. Marc also pushes the boundaries of genre fiction, and captivates readers with the question–who says you can’t have robots and magic in the same novel? Enter ‘Science Fantasy’ and Marc’s latest release, Catching Hell: Part 2 Destination released by Double Dragon Press.

On the heels of the release of Catching Hell: Part One Journey (April, 2018) which is still fresh in the minds of readers, Part Two Destination (November, 2018) continues the perilous journey of two best friends, Johan and Aryu, as science fiction and fantasy, technology and magic, collide in this epic finisher like no other. Avenging the destruction of their home was their goal, but with much more at stake, the robotic Army of Old, and the mysticism behind the Power, the two brave warriors will have to do more than just fight their fears if they are ever going to bridge the gap between them and reunite.

Marc, also a part-time writing student at the Athabasca University, is known for using a variety of writing styles to write effectively and believably his cross-genre fiction in order to engage readers with thought provoking world building and unforgettable characters.

Catching Hell Part Two: Destination

The second part of this epic duology! A critical blow has been dealt to the robotic Army of the Old, but at a great price. Broken and weary, best friends Johan and Aryu have been separated while chasing forces from the distant past that they both fear.

Aryu, the man with wings, pursues the enemy while he slowly slips into the enticing magic and mystery of the Power, led by the great phoenix Nixon Ash.

Johan stands on the steps of Bankoor, a futuristic city full of wonder and mistrust. Here he must make his stand to avenge his destroyed home and find his friend.

As the gap between the brave warriors closes, the worlds of technology and magic will clash!

Learn More About Catching Hell on Double Dragon Publishing’s Website.

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