In the ten years since I last used this blog much has changed about the format of a blog. Not so much has changed about me, in that I'm still writing -mostly memoir and haiku- and still sketching. Hoping to be able to use this blog again once I learn how a blog fits into everything else these days. 

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Pics of Nano drawings, failed cartoons, dog class biro sketches etc

On train home, trying to sketch people with the A4 book under the table.

I once lived here

She didn't much like being drawn and kept changing position, even when she lay down

Sleeping through early fireworks

I overworked the upper one, but the lower one I liked. 

I used this page to get my hand moving (like not knowing what to write)

A street entertainer by the Thames

St James' Park Tube Station

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New iron, and train people

Some cartoons that didn't get published

I always sketch at dog-class for practice

Inspired by Nano graphic artists I started to note ideas for short strip cartoons

I was trying out pens and a water wash-brush in the back of the Nano book

Almost a technical drawing, this one.

Not sure how successful this will be but I've taken some pics of my assorted Nano drawings, some cartoons that I didn't manage to sell, and my A6 dog-class sketch book, just to give a flavour of the sort of stuff I like to draw and sketch.

Nanowrimo or Nano-draw-mo

(Oops! Have to do something useful with this blog. It's been asleep over a year.)

I've decided I'll be drawing my way through November 2011, which should be fun. A few years ago on an a painting module, they made us all draw with ink and a twig, on large sheets of sugar-paper fixed to almost vertical easles, then we had to wash over our drawings with water and work back into them once they had begun to dry. I loved it, and have been a fan of ink drawing ever since. No tentative pencil sketching, rubbing out, etc. You had to risk it and go for it.

Not that I'll be able to work on that scale or make that much mess in November, but I have various ink pens from Rapidographs to cut bamboo for working A3 and A4, which is as big as I can carry around, and for pocket sized work: Pentel V5s and Bic biros so I'm looking forward to it. :)

A change from handwriting everything

For the past year I've been handwriting everything but there is still a need for typed-up copy so today I bought an Alphasmart Neo from Ebay.

I have a Dana, which is a delight to type on, as the keyboard is positive yet light but the Dana only last about 24 hours per re-charge so I've been keeping an eye out for a Neo for some time.

If the keyboard has the same light 'action' as the Dana I'll be very happy.

( PS It does, and I am, but handwriting is still my preference. )

Clunky bolted-on subplots.

I've recently finished two crime novels by different authors. Reading one after the other highlighted a big difference in how the subplots were handled.

In the first, the story dealt with one main crisis and all subplots seemed to arise out of that. The readers got a flavour of the other aspects of the MC's life but these subplots remained integrated with the main story.

In the second there were five distinct story-layers:
the main story crisis
the MC's love live
the MC's family life
the MC's work situation
the MC's dealings with other agencies / government departments.

In this one the flow of the main-story seemed to be interrupted by large chunks from these other four layers being 'bolted on'. Not a good experience for the readers.

Oh Xmas Tree, Oh Xmas Tree...

Writing the first-draft of a novel has some parallels with decorating a Xmas tree.

We know what a finished tree should look like but at first all we have is the dark mass of the tree, some boxes of tinsel and baubles, and a string of coloured lights.

The aim is to create a pleasing whole, with glow and glitter in all the dark corners, but no one teaches you how to do that.

We just have to plonk it all on there somehow, stand back and view the effect, then re-arrange bits.

After hours of effort and pine-needle scratches, the family barely glance at it. After all it's only a Xmas-tree, and anyone can decorate one, can't they?

Second time around

Yesterday, listening to Natalie Goldberg's 'Bones', she described another technique which could be used to improve a weak scene.

Rather than ajusting what's already there, write the whole scene afresh:

• re-envision the key points of the scene -start-point, end-point, key events
• set a timer for say 30 mins
• write a fresh version
• incorporate the best parts into the original
• repeat as necessary.

(As in word-wars, the timer stops you dithering. )

I like this approach. It helps me drop down into the subconscious for new material.