Chris Baty's Blog, page 89

30 Covers, 30 Days 2018: Day Twenty-Two

Every November, during National Novel Writing Month, thirty professional designers volunteer to create book cover art inspired by novels being written by aspiring authors from around the globe. Why? To encourage new, diverse voices, and help build a more creative world.  

30 Covers, 30 Days is presented in partnership with designer and author Debbie Millman. Read more about these NaNoWriMo 2018 novels-in-progress, and the cover designers, below.

Unprompted

An Experimental novel being written this November by NaNo participant K.D.J. in the United States.

Characters come and characters go. Sometimes they do what writers want and sometimes they seem to have minds of their own. When Kelley sits down to try her hand at NaNoWriMo for the first time she immediately hits a wall. Cycling through less than helpful prompts as characters from her past projects pop up to offer entertaining interruptions, she ends up in an existential debate with one of the most loyal characters of her fiction, Dezik. Now she has 30 days to master her writing and hit 50,000 words all while Dezik is trying to prove he can exist without her.

Stay tuned for new covers every day of the month!

Have a happy Thanksgiving! I want to mention there is a Feedback Form open now that will allow you to send in your valuable comments, concerns, suggestions, and more about the 30 Covers, 30 Days program. 

Cover Designed by Christopher Simmons

Christopher Simmons is a designer, author, design advocate, and principal of the San Francisco design office, MINE . He speaks on design issues for colleges, professional associations, and media, and regularly participates as a judge for major design competitions. Christopher’s work has been exhibited in museums and galleries ranging from The Hiroshima Museum of Contemporary Art to The Smithsonian Institution. He is the author of four books but increasingly applies the written word to text-based art. Follow him on Instagram @thisiscchs.

Don’t Abandon Your Manuscript. Edit & Revise It!

Every year, we’re lucky to have great sponsors for our nonprofit events. Now that we’re closing in on the final stretch of November, you may be wondering what to do with your novel after the month is over. Today, AutoCrit, a NaNoWriMo 2018 sponsor, has some tips for post-NaNo noveling:

Well, the end of NaNoWriMo is almost here. How did that happen? All the ups and downs, doubts and bouts of confidence, procrastination and sprints—and now, only a few days until the finish line.

Whether you complete the 50,000 word goal or not, you have accomplished what many only aspire to do! Congratulations.

Today, I’m here to give you your next challenge:

Please don’t abandon your manuscript once the writing is done. Edit and revise it!

Completing a draft in just 30 days is satisfying and thrilling, but for most participants, it’s just the beginning. Even “plotters” who write to an outline during NaNoWriMo will end up with a pretty rough draft—that’s par for the course.

Now it’s time to take all those wonderfully creative impulses and gold nuggets buried within the raw material and shape it into something more complete and readable.

In a recent interview, we asked Ally E. Machate, a bestselling book collaborator, award-winning editor, and expert publishing consultant, her opinion of why editing and revision are so important:

“The editing and revision period is an essential step for any novelist, especially those who are considering publication.

But even if you’re not planning to publish, ask yourself, what was your goal in entering NaNoWriMo? Was it just to churn out those 50,000 words, or to try and write a novel?

The creative process rarely works such that a perfectly told story emerges whole-cloth from one’s brain. Creation is messy; it’s the editing that begins to shape it into something beautiful, and the revisions you subsequently make that will turn it into something that can be shared with others and enjoyed.”

You’ve accomplished something amazing by getting that rough draft done. Now give yourself the gift of taking the next step. The good news is that you don’t need to to go about the editing process alone.

AutoCrit is your secret weapon for self-editing.

AutoCrit is entirely focused on this mission: to help fiction writers transform their draft into a story that changes people’s lives!

We’ve studied millions of fiction books across many different genres, connected with top editors and agents, and worked with authors just like you to understand what makes a successful book.

Then we rolled this knowledge into a simple online tool that provides step-by-step recommendations for improving your manuscript in over 20 areas—categories like poor dialogue, use of adverbs, and relying on cliches—and guides you through the editing and revision process.

Whether you write Romance, Sci-Fi, Mystery, Young Adult, or Short Stories, AutoCrit helps you infuse your manuscript with style and create vibrant prose that connects with your readers.

Click Here for the NaNoWriMo Special AutoCrit Offer. Expires Dec. 5, 2018.

Your self-editing efforts will be rewarded.

When asked if she appreciates when a writer has put in the effort to self-edit before passing their work to an editor, Ally Machate stated:

“To get the most out of an author / editor partnership, it’s best if authors first work to advance their drafts as much as they possibly can.

Tools like AutoCrit can help a lot to smooth out the writing and bring clarity to the page, which in turn enables an editor to better see through to the architecture beneath.

You don’t want your editor’s time or attention spent trying to figure out what a scene or moment is struggling to convey. You want your editor to be able to dig deeper into the more serious problems and/or opportunities for emotional impact.”

Commit today to go beyond the writing.

Just as you committed to writing during NaNoWriMo, today we’re asking you to commit to editing and revising. Your story is worth it!

Congratulations with all your efforts during NaNoWriMo this year. We look forward to helping you feel confident in your writing and getting your story into the hands of readers.

Until December 5th, 2018, NaNoWriMos can save 50% and become an AutoCrit member for only $45 for 3 months.

Jocelyn Pruemer is passionate about helping authors write and edit smarter with the help of research and technology. As the owner and creative mind behind AutoCrit, her goal is to make self-editing a real and powerful solution for authors at any level. AutoCrit combines the research of thousands of bestselling novels with feedback from authors, agents, and publishers in an easy-to-use tool designed to make good writers great.

30 Covers, 30 Days: Day Twenty-One

Every November, during National Novel Writing Month, thirty professional designers volunteer to create book cover art inspired by novels being written by aspiring authors from around the globe. Why? To encourage new, diverse voices, and help build a more creative world.  

30 Covers, 30 Days is presented in partnership with designer and author Debbie Millman. Read more about these NaNoWriMo 2018 novels-in-progress, and the cover designers, below.

To Stand Tall Amongst the Stars

An LGBT+ novel being written this November by NaNo participant M.L. Hook in the United States.

In 1991, Harriet is a journalism student living in London and trying to find a story to write. Then one day, while aimlessly walking through the National Gallery, she meets Mila, a professional Russian ballerina playing the role of Juliet at the Royal Opera House. The two of them fall in love in a world that is against them, facing homophobia from each of their cultures. Through their community, the two of them find hope, even when the violence against them keeps them apart. Mila skips rehearsal to go to London’s first Pride Parade and is sent back to Russia when her ‘life choices’ have been discovered. Now as true star-crossed lovers, Mila and Harriet have to navigate their relationship through the challenges of Post-Soviet Russia and conservative England.

Cover designer Courtney Glancy had this to share about the design process:

Although all three synopses were inspiring, To Stand Tall Amongst the Stars really grabbed me. Aside from a compelling narrative, it offered up rich visual and emotional inspiration. I could imagine the opposing forces tearing at this couple—their love for each other binding them together while the rest of the world tries to rip them apart. It’s almost a modern-day Romeo & Juliet. Though I usually hand sketch for projects like this, after one semi-sleepless night of turning over visual elements in my head, I went straight to my laptop. Taking a page from Russian Constructivism and propaganda posters, this design highlights the deep relationship between the women and the tension it creates between them and their respective cultures. I just adore this photo by Matthew Henry that captures such raw emotions: desperation, sorrow, fear, but above all, love and hope. The intense humanity of the image contrasts sharply against the harsh lines of the flat, graphic background drawn from elements of the Union Jack and the Soviet flag. To me, the contrast represents the struggle of the LGBTQ+ community against the intolerance of those two societies in that era. 

Stay tuned for new covers every day of the month!

Cover Designed by Courtney Glancy

Courtney is a senior designer at idfive, a mission-based marketing agency in Charm City. A proud Baltimorean, she served three years on the board of AIGA Baltimore and led the creation of the chapter’s annual Design Week event. She loves unusual brands, grid systems (and breaking them), beautiful typography, and the smell of Pantone in the morning. She comes equipped with nearly 15 years of experience and is equally adept at herding cats both at home and in the office (really, a coworker once said this about her ability to lead a team). You can find her procrasti—er, providing inspiration on Instagram at @charm_city_gal.

Pro Tips from a NaNo Coach: Write the Joy

NaNoWriMo can seem like a daunting task sometimes, for NaNo newbies and veterans alike. Fortunately, author Rebecca Roanhorse is here to share her advice on how to overcome some of NaNo’s obstacles:

It’s week three of NaNoWriMo, and you are either: 

deep into the slog, floundering helpless and feeling that you’ll never catch up, or a few thousand words from the finish line, victory in your grasp! 

Most of us are either at number one or two, with a few industrious souls claiming number three. But no matter where you are in this wild writing month, take a moment and congratulate yourself. You’ve made it this far. You have dared something very few people ever dare and given it your all.

And now, staring down Week Three, maybe you’re ready to quit.

Because writing a novel is not as fun as you first thought it would be, is it? In fact, it’s a lot harder, and maybe a lot more boring. Your daily word count goal is feeling like a punishment. You finish it and wake up the next day to re-experience the same dread again. Unless you’re writing a horror story, that’s not exactly motivating.

So, I’m here to remind you to find the joy again. 

Remember how you felt on November 1st? You were nervous, unsure, but brimming with ideas. You had a setting, a journey, a possible ending. But most of all, you couldn’t wait to meet your characters. You knew their names, first and last. Maybe you did one of those lengthy character brainstorming sheets and knew their habits, likes and dislikes, favorite colors, childhood pets. You couldn’t wait for all your characters to meet each other and interact. They were going to go on adventures or solve mysteries or fall in love or commit murders or…what? No murders? Just me? Okay.

Anyway, no matter what you were dreaming up for your characters, if you are anything like me, you had some of your favorite potential scenes already visualized in your mind. That final showdown with the villain, that awkward first kiss, that moment your main character realizes they had an evil twin. No evil twin? That’s just me, too? Fine.

“It’s your story. You don’t have to write anything you don’t want to write.”

Okay, well, you knew you had some great scenes in your head, whatever they were, but here you are, studiously following your outlines (you did outline, didn’t you?), pushing through the soggy middle of your draft, feeling like those fun parts you imagined will never come or have long passed you by. Well, here’s my Week Three advice for you:

Ditch the boring parts.

That’s right. It’s your story. You don’t have to write anything you don’t want to write, and if week three has turned into trying to remember why you started this impossible thing in the first place, stop making it impossible. Go write the scenes you first dreamed of way back at the beginning of the month. Write the fight scene, the kiss, the best friends’ banter, the murder! If you already wrote the bet parts, make up some new best parts. (You’re supposed to save the best for last, anyway.) Make writing fun, again. Write something just for you that will make you and only you happy. Embrace that garbage ship, lovingly detail that planetary landscape, indulge in that dream sequence with the killer deer… again, that’s only me, isn’t it? I knew that.

Let Week Three be the week that reminds you why you love writing. Week Four will be here soon enough to remind you why it’s hard work, again.

Rebecca Roanhorse is a Nebula and Hugo Award-winning speculative fiction writer and the recipient of the 2018 Campbell Award for Best New Science Fiction and Fantasy Writer. Her novel Trail of Lightning, Book #1 in the Sixth World Series (Saga Press), is available now. Book #2, Storm of Locusts, is out April 2019. Her middle grade novel, Race to the Sun (Rick Riordan Presents), drops Fall 2019. She lives in Northern New Mexico with her husband, daughter, and pug.

30 Covers, 30 Days: Day Twenty

Every November, during National Novel Writing Month, thirty professional designers volunteer to create book cover art inspired by novels being written by aspiring authors from around the globe. Why? To encourage new, diverse voices, and help build a more creative world.  

30 Covers, 30 Days is presented in partnership with designer and author Debbie Millman. Read more about these NaNoWriMo 2018 novels-in-progress, and the cover designers, below.

Albion Grove

A Horror/Supernatural novel being written this November by NaNo participant A.C. Reynard in the United States.

In 1873, Albion Grove is a sprawling estate in Yorkshire, and its sole tenant, nineteen year old Allegra Godwin, has never seen the world outside of its gates. Allegra is bound to the Grove on a promise to her long-deceased parents, with the excuse that it’s for the concern of a debilitating heart condition that Allegra has had since birth.

The truth is, Allegra’s heart speaks to her, very literally.

When her heart tells her that the time has come for her to leave Albion Grove, Allegra unknowingly triggers a prophecy that involves most of the ancient beings and legendary figures of the British Isles. As the fantasy world of Great Britain seems to come to life, a disastrous force also begins to form on the horizon, and it seems that Allegra, and the group of strange and whimsical friends that she finds, are all the stands between it and the future of the land.

Cover designer Frances Yllana had this to share about the design process:

“The cover was inspired by the idea of the speaking heart, with the British isles and the hero’s love and dedication imprinted on it.”

Stay tuned for new covers every day of the month!

Cover Designed by Frances Yllana

Frances Yllana is a branding, experience and community strategist, designer, teacher, speaker and consultant for businesses and non-profits. You can find Frances online at  moreactionthanartifact.design and  francesyllana.com. Frances is also on Twitter @francesy, and on Facebook and Instagram @sofrantastic. 

What Makes a Successful NaNoWriMo?

What defines a successful November may vary from person to person; for some, it’s getting 50,000 words on the page, while for others it’s 50. Today, Jill Shirley shares her thoughts on what a “successful” NaNo might look like:

What does a successful NaNoWriMo run look like? Good question, if this is your first time—or even if it’s not (thanks, imposter syndrome). What does a true NaNo “win” look like? As a current three-time winner—yes, that’s right, THREE how ‘bout that—allow me to break it down for you.

1. You’ve Declared Your Novel. 

Oh, you thought I was going to say “write 50k in 30 days” didn’t you? Well, sure, that is technically how you “win”, but really if you’ve taken the step to declare your intentions to even attempt such absolute madness, you’ve won. You’ve won before you started. Look at you! You didn’t think you had it in you, did you?

2. You’ve Written Down Words. 

Declaration is your first win. The second win? You wrote words down on November 1. And then on the 2nd, you did it again. And the 3rd. And—okay you skipped the 4th because of grandma’s birthday, but the 5th? You totally wrote down more words. Hooray!

3. Those Words Actually Make (Some) Sense. 

Not like, total sense. We can’t all write Pulitzer/Hugo/Nobel winning material right out of the gate, not even Kerouac did that (do not come at me with that stream of consciousness nonsense we have physical proof he edited his work). But they’re words that create mostly complete sentences, and involve characters with names we looked up on baby naming sites, and there’s some dialogue maybe, and in that one part you even figured out how to transition out of the action scene into a tender love scene, and like, WOW. There is a story here. Sort of.

4. Never Give Up. Never Surrender. 

You missed a day. No big. The next day you wrote twice as much. You were sick an entire WEEKEND because your coworker sneezed on you. Maybe you wrote on cold meds; maybe you had to delete it all because it was just “I wuv my kitteh” for ten pages. Now you’re really behind but you know what you didn’t do? You didn’t throw in the towel. No white flags here! You just pushed through and kept. On. Writing.

5. You’ve Made It To November 30. 

With most of your sanity intact even, maybe. Did you write 50k words? Yay! You won! You get to order the t-shirt and download the certificate and put the fancy banner on your social medias!

Did you fall short? Yay! You won our hearts! Do you know why? Because you wrote a NOVEL. Or more likely, MOST OF A NOVEL. Do you understand how wild that is? Not everyone could do that or we’d be drowning in seas of books. But you did it, you crazy NaNo fox you. And if you did fall short, fret not. Finish it anyway, once you’ve had a chance to reacquaint yourself with the non-NaNo world. Stories are important. YOUR story is important. Even if you can’t download that banner—tell your story anyway. And then download that banner anyway.

Jill Shirley is a future famous author stuck in a retail worker’s body. Besides writing, she designs jewelry for her Etsy shop, maintains a jewelry-focused Wordpress blog, is active in the MN cosplay scene, and puts makeup on her face, photographs it, and puts it on Instagram for fun. She would be tickled pink if you followed her endeavors!

Personal/cosplay/makeup Instagram: @jilliannicola Jewelry Instagram: @jilliannicolajewelry Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/JillianNicolaJewelry Writing Portfolio: www.jillshirley.wordpress.com Jewelry Blog: www.jilliannicolajewelry.wordpress.com

Photo by Samuel Zeller on Unsplash.

30 Covers, 30 Days: Day Nineteen

Every November, during National Novel Writing Month, thirty professional designers volunteer to create book cover art inspired by novels being written by aspiring authors from around the globe. Why? To encourage new, diverse voices, and help build a more creative world.  

30 Covers, 30 Days is presented in partnership with designer and author Debbie Millman. Read more about these NaNoWriMo 2018 novels-in-progress, and the cover designers, below.

Nursing Holmes

A Mystery novel being written this November by NaNo participant Mira Price in Canada.

Phyllis and Virginia are enemies, and it’s been like that for three decades. The oldest residents of the “Sunny Holm” retirement home, the two are bickering when they are not giving each other the silent treatment. The things are heating up for the New Year’s knitting competition, and each knows that her work is superior. When their favorite nurse is killed by a knitting needle that doesn’t belong to either of them, Phyllis and Virginia must strike a piece and join forces to find the killer.

Cover designer Eva Crawford shared these notes and sketches from the design process:

“I’m definitely a pen and paper person when it comes to rustling up ideas. Not only do I illustrate more quickly on paper it also seems to expedite the thought process. I’m a lot less precious about tossing out an ink thumbnail. To drum up initial ideas I often also start with lists and word maps as seen here.

For “Nursing Holmes” I thought there might be a particular knitting pattern name could serve as a visual metaphor. I learned quickly that patterns have great names and there was a perfect one. The “broken rib stitch” but illustrating it to look distinctly different than any other knitting stitch proved unsuccessful at this size. Abandoning that idea I tested a strict noir thumbnail with the dramatic fist holding a knitting needle with the unsuspecting silhouette in the background. 

But that felt a bit on the nose so onwards. Early on after drawing the thumbnail of the knitting needle the visual of a femur bone popped in my head so I revised that concept in the thumbnails of the femur bone knitting needles. The visual was powerful and I chose to go straight to the sketchbook. 

I illustrated it with white ink on black paper which really produced the drama I was searching for. Typography on the title treatment in Bellucia (a beautiful Opentype achievement!) was chosen for it’s ornate calligraphic strokes because it echoes the beautiful handwriting of many in an older generation. And of course it echoes the drape of loose yarn. Mira’s name is set in widely tracked PT Sans, adding one more note of refined drama.”

Stay tuned for new covers every day of the month!

Cover designed by Eva Crawford

Design is more than aesthetic it’s problem solving. I’ve also learned the greatest solutions lie somewhere in the spaces between disciplines. Eva has over 15 years of experience working with several well known design agencies, artists, entrepreneurs, non-profits and more. When not knee deep in a branding or design work she pursues film photography, trading pixels for silver like all wishful luddites. She may also be anthropomorphizing produce on her Instagram @grooveva. During all aforementioned pursuits she is a proud resident of Los Angeles. Check out her website at theaxisofeva.com or on Facebook at TheAxisofEva.

Watch the 2018 Night of Writing Dangerously Live Stream!Sunday,...

Watch the 2018 Night of Writing Dangerously Live Stream!

Sunday, November 18, 2018, 5:00 PM PST—11:00 PM PST

It’s the last year for our epic night of literary abandon! We’re bringing the whole event to you, live-streamed from the Julia Morgan Ballroom in downtown San Francisco. 

We’re sad to leave this event behind after 12 years, but we’ll try our best to come up with something equally awesome next year. We know a lot of you who wanted to attend weren’t able to make it, which is why we decided to bring the Night of Writing Dangerously to you! 

You can view the elegant ballroom, dress up in your own Noir-themed outfits, write along with our word sprints, and cheer on the Wrimos who reach 50K and ring the bell! 

30 Covers, 30 Days: Day Eighteen

Every November, during National Novel Writing Month, thirty professional designers volunteer to create book cover art inspired by novels being written by aspiring authors from around the globe. Why? To encourage new, diverse voices, and help build a more creative world.  

30 Covers, 30 Days is presented in partnership with designer and author Debbie Millman. Read more about these NaNoWriMo 2018 novels-in-progress, and the cover designers, below.

Monroe & Patsy: A Few Times Too Many

A Literary novel being written this November by NaNo participant Amy Reinholds in the United States.

Young musicians coming of age in the early 2000s, with flashbacks to an earlier generation of influential musicians in their lives and families. Monroe wants to find the sweet spot where music can be part of his life, but insecurity and chasing celebrity do not control it. He is breaking away from the family ties of his charismatic, talented, and problematic uncle. Patsy seeks happiness and being comfortable with herself. A drive to be the best and to collect accolades propels her to achieve great things, to innovate and create music that speaks to people. But instead of seeking approval and fame, she needs to listen to the authentic voice that comes out when she plays music and expresses her true self.

Cover designer Traci Larson shared several alternate versions of the Monroe & Patsy cover. Here are two: 

Stay tuned for new covers every day of the month!

Cover Designed by Traci Larson Traci Larson is a 33-year-old graphic designer, web developer and artist whose studio Visual Issues is located in Los Angeles. Specializing in bespoke design for discerning clients, Traci’s design work can be seen at The Broad museum and Walt Disney Concert Hall; she’s done major projects for brands including Chobani and Sprinkles cupcakes; and she counts a number of nonprofit, art and charitable organizations as regular customers. Equally at home with a paintbrush, a code editor, or InDesign, Traci’s work has been featured in Print, Frame, The Dieline, I.D. and Form. She enjoys music, vegetables and raccoon memes. Follow her on Instagram @treysea and on visualissues.design.

30 Covers, 30 Days: Day Seventeen

Every November, during National Novel Writing Month, thirty professional designers volunteer to create book cover art inspired by novels being written by aspiring authors from around the globe. Why? To encourage new, diverse voices, and help build a more creative world.  

30 Covers, 30 Days is presented in partnership with designer and author Debbie Millman. Read more about these NaNoWriMo 2018 novels-in-progress, and the cover designers, below.

Cracking Up

A Satire/Humor novel being written this November by NaNo participant Paul Ciampanelli in the United States.

Dale Birch moved to Los Angeles six months ago to try making it as a comedian. It was going OK until the little bit of money he came with ran out. Cippy Panzarasa needs a “personal assistant” for one day’s work. Exactly what that work entails isn’t clear from the ad he puts online. But the pay’s too good to pass up, and Dale’s the kind of guy who doesn’t ask a lot of questions. Which is exactly the kind of guy Cippy’s looking for. A single day working for Cippy turns into more. Soon, Dale can pay his bills and then some. He may make it in Hollywood after all. If he doesn’t wind up in jail.

Stay tuned for new covers every day of the month!

Cover Designed by Val Head

Val Head is a web animation expert, author, and Design Advocate at Adobe. She is the author of Designing Interface Animation, teaches CSS Animation on lynda.com, and curates the weekly UI Animation Newsletter. You can follow her on Twitter @vlh.