Chris Baty's Blog, page 31

30 Covers, 30 Days 2021: Day 8

We are already on Day 8! Today we have a beautiful piece centered on LGBTQ+ identity, Of Flowers and Flames: A Short Story and Poetry Collection by our YWP participant Clara Goldberg. This cover is designed by Rachel Gogel.

Of Flowers and Flames: A Short Story and Poetry Collection

A collection of 20 short stories and poems focusing on topics of identity exploration, loss, grief, love, and hope. Nearly all of the works are through the lens of LGBTQ+ characters, who grapple with the hardships of reality and the weight that their own identity has on their life. This collection explores a wide scope of emotions, from the lightness of flowers, to the heaviness of flames, just as the title suggests.

About Author

Ever since Clara Goldberg was a child, she has always had a passion for writing. She used to staple loose-leaf pieces of paper together and write stories within the pages, making it look like her own published book. She has kept that love for writing with her ever since. She is currently the Editor-In-Chief of the award winning Erehwon Literary Magazine and co-author of the New Voices Of Potomac anthology. When she’s not writing, you can find her playing guitar, blasting Taylor Swift at top volume, or having weekly movie nights with her friends.  

About Artist

Rachel Gogel (she/her/hers) is an independent chief creative & culture officer committed to helping brands retain their integrity in a world demanding disruption. As a passionate people leader and creative director, she fosters inclusive spaces that unlock human potential. Rachel has worked at the intersection of editorial, advertising, strategy, and product for over a decade—from launching story-driven experiences at Godfrey Dadich Partners to building multidisciplinary teams at The New York Times’ award-winning T Brand Studio, GQ Magazine, and Facebook. This year, she finds herself leading projects ranging from developing global brand systems to scaling creative operations. Rachel helped relaunch lifestyle brand Departures and is advising Airbnb on how to restructure their internal brand team. As the newly appointed Women in Leadership & Design (WILD) Chair on the AIGA SF board and as an active member of the Queer Design Club, she continues to use design as a tool for change and seeks to influence the next creative generation as a design educator. Born and raised in Paris, France, she currently lives in San Francisco with her wife and cat. Check out Rachel’s work here and follow her @rgogel on Instagram and Twitter.

30 Covers, 30 Days 2021: Day 7

Today’s novel is a Personal title, Raising Seventeen by Alicia with the cover designed by Maddy Angstreich!

Raising Seventeen

“Raising 17” is a tribute to my mother who had 17 children, 11 girls, 6 boys, single births, one husband.  It begins with my trauma filled birth where my mom almost lost her life. I am the youngest of this family and I’ve captured various events and pivotal turning points of each of my siblings’ lives.

I genuinely hope that by writing out these stories, each of the decedents of Lola & Sencio (17 children, 41 grandchildren, and ~35 great-grandchildren as of this writing) will find comfort, joy, and perhaps some healing from getting to know Lola from my perspective. I think of it as a gift because it may help each of you understand your parents/grandparents a little better and help you appreciate yourself as you continue through life. -Alicia

About Author

Alicia is the youngest child of Lola and Sencio.  She was born and raised in Lorain Ohio and currently resides in Cleveland Hts, Ohio.  She is married and chose to only have one child, the pain of 36-hour in labor to birth that child was enough to convince her that Lola was definitely a strong and courageous woman and she was definitely not!!

About Artist

Maddy Angstreich is a designer based in Brooklyn by way of St. Louis. She is currently a freelance designer at PORTO ROCHA. Since graduating from Washington University in St. Louis her practice has been rooted in a love of storytelling, research, and  exploration. Her work has been featured by The Brand Identity, Cargo Collective, and AIGA St. Louis, among others. She loves to read and co-manage a twitter account posting , which will certainly go viral any day now. 

30 Covers, 30 Days2021: Day 6

Today we present 30 Covers, 30 Days 2021: Day 6. This is a fascinating Women’s Fiction novel called Sergovia by Susan Katz. We love this design created by Roshanak Keyghobadi.

Segovia

Young Alice leaves university to try her luck on Alaska’s commercial salmon fishing boats.

About the Author

Susan loves the sea and ships and is known to spin a yarn or two about them, or break into singing sea shanties. Letters home from summer camp at age nine launched her writing career. 

Susan’s first professional publication appeared in 1980. She has since published over 45 journal articles, edited six books, and is the creator of the independent writing programs for mental health consumers, “Write From the Heart©” and the “Recovery Narrative Project©”.  

Susan’s writing awards include: the Mensa Canada Annual Literary Contest/Short Stories; the Tom Howard/John H. Reid Poetry Contest; and she was a SAMHSA  Voice Award® Nominee for her books, newspaper articles, and editorials by and about Vancouver, Canada’s marginalized and vulnerable populations.

Susan, originally from Los Angeles, now resides in Toronto, Canada, where she writes, plays the oboe, and listens deeply to others’ stories.You can read more about her on her website: The Compassionate Oboe.

About the Artist

Roshanak’s artworks which are mostly collages and photomontages are highly detailed and playful and she enjoys the whole process of searching, cutting, pasting and creating the final compositions. Roshanak holds a doctoral degree in Art and Art Education (Columbia University) and her MFA (Indiana University) and BFA (University of the Arts) are both in Graphic Design. She is a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Visual Communications Department at Farmingdale State College and also teaches art classes and workshops at Art Circle Studio.

30 Covers, 30 Days2021: Day 5

Are you ready for 30 Covers, 30 Days: Day 4? Today we present the Horror/Supernatural novel Split Souls by our amazing YWP participant Catherina Jannine. A spectacular design created by Sean Childers-Gray.

Split Souls

Kaelie and Kestrel are twins. Supposedly. But really? No. Kaelie and Kestrel are the same person, splitting its soul into two bodies. Let’s call it Kestie, right now. As for how it happened, No one else showed up, so Kestie ended up playing double duty. Kestie is trying, really trying to keep this a secret, so shhhhhhhh.

About the Author

Catherina Jannie was born and raised in New York City. She has six siblings and likes to write, read, play the harp and do strategic games like checkers. 

About the Artist

Educator | Husband | Father | Advocate | Trans Man - Sean has spent almost two decades working in the field of graphic design. Currently he’s seeking out his next chapter in his career, but is freelancing while navigating life’s curve balls.  He earned his MFA in Media Design from Full Sail University. He and his wife spend their free time volunteering for the LGBTQ+ community and he serves as the President of the Board of Directors and is the Marketing Director for Ogden Pride creating festival materials, branding, environmental graphics, and more. Be sure to check out his Behance Portfolio or catch him stalking his favorite designers on Twitter @15to1montgomery.

30 Covers, 30 Days2021: Day 4

Are you ready for 30 Covers, 30 Days: Day 4? Today we present the Horror/Supernatural novel Split Souls by our amazing YWP participant Catherina Jannine. A spectacular design created by Sean Childers-Gray.

Split Souls

Kaelie and Kestrel are twins. Supposedly. But really? No. Kaelie and Kestrel are the same person, splitting its soul into two bodies. Let’s call it Kestie, right now. As for how it happened, No one else showed up, so Kestie ended up playing double duty. Kestie is trying, really trying to keep this a secret, so shhhhhhhh.

About the Author

Catherina Jannie was born and raised in New York City. She has six siblings and likes to write, read, play the harp and do strategic games like checkers. 

About the Artist

Educator | Husband | Father | Advocate | Trans Man - Sean has spent almost two decades working in the field of graphic design. Currently he’s seeking out his next chapter in his career, but is freelancing while navigating life’s curve balls.  He earned his MFA in Media Design from Full Sail University. He and his wife spend their free time volunteering for the LGBTQ+ community and he serves as the President of the Board of Directors and is the Marketing Director for Ogden Pride creating festival materials, branding, environmental graphics, and more. Be sure to check out his Behance Portfolio or catch him stalking his favorite designers on Twitter @15to1montgomery.

30 Covers, 30 Days2021: Day 4

Beautiful stories and beautiful covers, what a time to be alive! Check out this Sci-Fi novel by Jessi Rose, designed by the wonderful lberto Rigau.

Canis Majoris

The worst thing Calliope can imagine is being like her overbearing, boring, military-minded mother. She loathes the time she spends aboard her mother’s starship, the SS Khalida, and longs for the opportunity to terraform planets across the galaxy.

She’s so determined not to follow in her mother’s footsteps, that she’s even estranged from her best friend, Reese, who hero-worships her mother.

When she boards the science ship, Ptolemy, Calliope feels freedom for the first time. She’s part of a crew headed towards a new planet to begin the long process of terraforming. It’s everything she’s ever wanted.

Until her mother’s ship is boarded by an unknown enemy, and she’s forced to choose between doing what she loves and saving her mother’s life—with nothing but a ragtag group of scientists.

While leading the search for the SS Khalida, Calliope must reckon with the fact that she’s more like her mother than she ever knew… and perhaps Reese isn’t as optional in her life as she thought.

About the Author

Jessi Rose is a thirty-something dreamer who grew up reading anything she could get her hands on—including a set of 1984 encyclopedias. She is a recurring contributor to The Mighty, but when she’s not advocating for mental health and fat acceptance, she’s digging into rich, diverse worlds and forcing her characters to do her bidding. Jessi writes best with coffee, a playlist on shuffle, and surrounded by rose quartz. Her kid, pups, and husband are pretty great, too!

About the Artist

Alberto Rigau leads Estudio Interlínea and Co-Chair’s AIGA’s Design Educators Steering Committee. He is a graduate of the Masters in Graphic Design program at NC State University’s College of Design, a Poynter Institute Visual Journalism Fellow and an alum of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. He is located in San Juan, Puerto Rico.  @ajrigau

The Most Dangerous Game: Talking About Your Work In Progress

Every year, we’re lucky to have great sponsors for our nonprofit events. Campfire Technology, a 2021 NaNo sponsor, creates writing software to help storytellers write better stories faster. Get 30% off lifetime purchases with Campfire’s offer for NaNoWriMo writers! In this post, author Jackson Dickert shares some of the dangers of talking about your draft:

Hey, Wrimos!

As an extroverted writer, one of the biggest factors in my writing productivity tends to be sharing/talking about my writing. And the effects of discussing my writing vary depending on where I’m at in the writing process.

I love to talk about writing. Nothing gets me fired up about writing more than talking about it with someone who’s also passionate about storytelling. But when I start talking about my specific work in progress… Things get a bit more nuanced.

Let’s say I’m early on in outlining a project. It’s got lots of dragons and magic. So, I go talk to a friend about it, and I tell them about the cool dragons I’ve dreamed up and the magic system I’ve designed. They go wild. They tell me how cool it sounds, what a fantastic idea it is, and all-around gas me up. “It could be the next Game of Thrones,” my naive but very well-meaning friend tells me.

Nothing kills my drive to write the story faster than that scenario. And it’s 100% my brain’s fault. Once my ideas are validated, once I get that dopamine bump from being told how great my idea is, the project is instantly less exciting to me and I’m not as likely to work on it. (Not to mention, that’s a lot of pressure! Though friends are always well-meaning, a grandiose comment like that could make someone too nervous to ever touch their project again.)

Now, I’m sure not everyone is like this, but it took me a good bit of time to figure out that it’s vital I “write the first draft with the door closed” as Stephen King puts it. I need to outline and draft my stories without saying a word to someone else. I don’t even share with anyone that I’m writing a novel, because it’s the same thing.

“Wow, you’re writing a novel? That’s so cool!”

“You’re writing a novel? Very impressive.”

“I’ve always wanted to write a novel, good for you following your dreams.”

You wouldn’t think that all that positive feedback would hurt my productivity, and it probably doesn’t for everyone, but it does for me. My brain gets the reward before it’s done any work. That’s why sharing my writing is damaging to my process.

Now, this all changes as soon as I hit a roadblock or the first draft is done, because that’s when I need the help. If I’m stuck in a story, nothing gets me unstuck like talking about it and brainstorming solutions with both writers and non-writers alike. If I’m in the middle of the story or preparing to edit, that’s when the feedback is most helpful for me.

All this to say, just like all writing advice, you have to figure out what works for you. This is just my experience. I’m sure there are people out there who discuss their outlines and it encourages them to write their story faster. But if any of this sounds familiar to you, hopefully my experience can help you figure out what you need during your writing process.

Once you figure it out, however, you should share your work over at www.campfirewriting.com/explore.

Explore is Campfire’s new platform for writers to display their projects and grow their readership. You can show off character profiles, your outlines, and even your manuscript if you want. (Among other things like languages, magic systems, cultures, maps, timelines, relationship webs, character arcs, species, research, and more).

Did I mention it’s free? You just need an account to post a project on Explore, no credit card required.

Check out the project I made for my young adult novel, The Quest for the Golden Plunger, which follows a rowdy, irreverent group of teenage boys at summer camp.

On your published Explore project, you can also embed videos and link to your book’s Amazon page to help hungry readers find your books.

During NaNoWriMo, you can use Campfire Write’s free account tier to help you keep track of your story. After you win NaNo, publish your story in Explore to show off everything you worked so hard on in November!

Here’s a cool fantasy project from YouTuber Shadiversity which helps introduce people to his world and even has the first two chapters of his book, Shadow of the Conqueror, available for free.

Whether you love to share your outlines, or you’re a bit more like me and hold off on discussing your writing until you’ve got a first draft, Campfire Explore is the perfect place to share your work once you’re good and ready. 

Until then, happy writing, and kick NaNoWriMo’s butt this year!

Jackson Dickert is Campfire’s Chief Marketing Officer. He loves epic fantasy stories and humorous young adult novels. His debut novel, The Quest for the Golden Plunger , came out this year and is a perfect read for anyone who needs a laugh after the way the last year or so has gone. His current hyperfixation is vikings.

Pro Tips from a NaNo Coach: How to Meet Your NaNoWriMo Goal

NaNoWriMo can seem like a daunting task sometimes, for NaNo newbies and veterans alike. Fortunately, our NaNo Coaches are here to help guide you through November! Today, author Alexandra Villasante is here to share some specific tips for meeting your goal this month:

National Novel Writing Month is here again and I’m excited and scared and slightly nauseous. PERFECT conditions for starting to write a novel!

Because writing is a freaking adventure. The kind with unknown obstacles, pitfalls (possibly of quicksand, more likely research rabbit holes) where you’d better bring the write weapon (both pen and sword), pack the Takis, don’t forget to hydrate and wear comfortable shoes. This endeavor should be taken on with equal parts trepidation and glee.

But how do we start?

1. Math Your Goal. 

Figure out how much time this will take. Divide that by how much time you have. Put some x’s & y’s in there to make your equation look cool, and you have your writing goal (if you are looking for real math, see below, but I warn you, I went to art school so I didn’t have to math.)

1666 words a day breaks down into:6.5 pages per day 250 words per page (12pt font, double spaced approximately) so you can:Write 2 pages before your breakfast; 2 pages during your lunch break; 2 pages while you eat; half a page while you brush your teeth.OR-if your work week is hell and you cry into your ramen every night –ONCE A WEEK you can crank out a marathon 50 pages.2. Prepare your space.

When you sit down to write, write. Don’t get up and put the clothes in the dryer, or go change your cardigan or search for your perfect playlist on Spotify. Those are the things you do BEFORE you sit and write. Time is words, so preparing your space before you sit to write is key. And also, all kidding aside, take this seriously. Your words don’t have to be perfect; YOU don’t have to be perfect, but words change people’s lives every day. So let’s prepare:

Clean off a part of a desk or table – move distractions (bills, notes from your Mom, YOUR PHONE) off your space.Pick your music, if that works for you, or use noise cancelling headphones if you need silence.Water, tea, coffee, snacks should be nearby (but you don’t need to replenish your wasabi peas every 15 minutes.)Light a candle, ring a bell, utter a spell. Whatever you need to do to let your unconscious mind know that you are creating now, shut up with the raking leaves thing, do that now.3. Write.

It’s only word after word after word; as hard and as simple as that. Whatever your reason for starting this chaotic journey (with SO MANY of the world’s writing fools) it means a lot to you. For me, it’s been a terrible year and I have given my writing mind zero attention. I’ve been scared to start something new because the world is so dark and it sometimes feels like there’s no point. National Novel Writing Month reminds me that the point is the community and the words on the page. That’s it. It’s a chance to make something (and you WILL make something, whether you get to the finish line or not) that didn’t exist before. That’s beautiful. 

Buena suerte. I’ll be shoving Takis in my mouth and crying into my ramen right along with you. And when November ends, we’ll have made new words and new worlds. I can’t wait.

Alexandra Villasante has always loved telling stories—though not always with words. She has a BFA in Painting and an MA in Combined Media (that’s art school speak for making work out of anything). Born in New Jersey to immigrant parents, Alex has the privilegio of dreaming in both English and Spanish.

When she’s not writing or painting, Alexandra plans conferences and fundraisers for non-profits. She lives with her family in the semi-wilds of Pennsylvania. Her debut Young Adult novel, The Grief Keeper, was an Indies Next, Indies Introduce and Fall 2019 Junior Library Guild Selection. The Grief Keeper is on ALA’s Rainbow Book List 2020 and is the winner of the 2020 Lambda Literary Award  for LGBTQ Children’s Literature/Young Adult Fiction.

30 Covers, 30 Days2021: Day 3

30 Covers, 30 Days: Day 3, we are loving this cover to The Color of Memory, a literary novel by Suze Heather. Truly, a masterpiece cover designed by Adrienne Grace. 

The Color of Memory

An unexpected memory opens a window for a mixed race woman and leads her to explore her family in NY and Jamaica, past and present.It is told from the perspective of grandmother, mother and daughter from 19th -21st century.

About the Author

Suze Hearty is a Jamaican-American who was born in the Bronx, grew up in Levittown and currently lives in South Carolina. As the child of an interracial, interfaith marriage, she has long been interested in issues of race, color, class and identity.  Suze is among the first female undergraduates at The Johns Hopkins University where she was an early participant in the Writing Seminars program.

About the Artist

Adrienne Grace is a creative director and co-owner of Vim & Vigor, a strategic branding and design firm. Her business partner, Tony Pinto, also happens to be her husband, so there’s plenty of design-nerd talk over dinner about things like user interface, typography, and digital accessibility. https://vandvcreative.com/

30 Covers, 30 Days2021: Day 2

Welcome to the second day of 30 Covers, 30 Days!  We present the YA novel Jogue Como Uma Garota, or “Play Like a Girl by Paula Bastos Araripe. This amazing cover was designed by Cookie Redding.

Jogue Como Uma Garota/ Play Like a Girl

When does a hobby stop being just something for fun and become a serious activity? Lara had to ask herself this question when she got so immersed in the universe of the competitive videogame “Magnolia” that she desired to go further. “Play Like a Girl” is a novel about the journey of a young woman discovering the gaming world and with it the opportunity to build a challenging yet rewarding new career. 

About the Author

Brazilian journalist, writer and adventurer of fictional worlds. So fond of playing with paper and pen as a child that chose a career that could take this hobby seriously. Spends most of the time exploring fantastic worlds of books, games and TV series. Every now and then comes back to reality. Has short stories published in anthologies and is currently writing her first novel.

About the Artist

Cookie Redding is an artist, designer and lecturer with the School of Visual Arts at the Pennsylvania State University and teaches courses in the DMD Program. Her work encompasses the art and design world, with a focus on multiple media forms of expression. Redding’s influences are from a diverse array of disciplines with a focus on engagement, feedback and technology practices.

Spawning from the classics and antiquities, to history and tech, her explorations integrate these elements into a study of symbols.  The imagery she deals within her work is a study from the beauty of words and by being within nature. Her explorations show how the literary world meets the natural work with color and texture.