Not much I can do when it's the main storyline...but I've pondered on writing some short stories to connect all the dots for folks who haven't read the serial.
Not quite what I meant. Believe it or not, I have a hard time visualizing things in my head in detail. Especially when reading. The people in a story are generally faceless mannequins until I can choose an actor to fit. That's why I'll watch the movie before the book when possible.
In this case, seeing the SLAG helped me understand what you wanted them to look like to the reader better than the description did. Nothing wrong with the description, it's just how my brain works.
My brother, who is also an artist like yourself, sees things in his head in full 3d, surround sound, color, probably even smells, but that's just not how things work in my head.
The short stories could be a good idea, even if it's a prequel sort of thing that shows stuff like Alhannah's time before Wendell showed up, kinda as an into to the game in general.
I wonder if there are more readers like this. I'm a deeply visual person myself. Many tomes I just cannot grasp a concept until I've worked it out on paper and SEE the words, or shapes, or designs....and then my brain makes a connection.
When writing, my best year was writing 6 novels, half of those being 500 pages each....and it all flowed.
Why?
I believe it was because I had an office with a floor to ceiling + 12 foot wide whiteboard to use.
I'd map out the whole book in such a fashion, WITH DOODLES, that I could write like a madman and it had few if any revisions.
I've never been able to duplicate that progress without the sheer white space to mind map things....the walking about, thinking on my feet, jotting things down, connecting lines, plots and ideas.
It was perfect.
No room for that over the past 13 years. I'm slower for it, too.
BTW - fun tip, for someone who has drawn steadily since I was two yrs old...practice with a ball point pen.
Not a pencil.
Just get a ream (500 pgs) of cheap copy paper and a dollar store clipboard the holds paper on the inside (you take out sheets and clip it to the outside),...then a $1.49 pack of black BIC pens.
The KEY, is breaking your habit of wanting to "fix" things and making your hands and mind work in unison. Just let it be and doodle. Draw over it, around it, through it....until you're okay DOING that.
Try it...you may be surprised at how fast your drawing improves overnight.
Now, I decided to do this for a living...but I'll let you know that a pack of BIC pens and a $3.99 ream of white paper made me $50,000 each from clients.
True story.
Did that for years.
$56 flatbed scanner.
Take order, draw on paper with (blue) pencil, draw over pencil with BIC pen, scan into computer, make PNG files, send to clients = paycheck.
I remember the year I was doing taxes and realized I'd made six figures from doodles....and I started laughing out loud.
"What's so funny?" my wife asked from the laundry room. "I thought you were doing taxes?"
"I just realized I don't suck at being an artist," I replied.
Nice to put a face to the name. For some of us, those visual cues really fill in the story. Great song, as is expected.
I just realized that.
Not much I can do when it's the main storyline...but I've pondered on writing some short stories to connect all the dots for folks who haven't read the serial.
Not quite what I meant. Believe it or not, I have a hard time visualizing things in my head in detail. Especially when reading. The people in a story are generally faceless mannequins until I can choose an actor to fit. That's why I'll watch the movie before the book when possible.
In this case, seeing the SLAG helped me understand what you wanted them to look like to the reader better than the description did. Nothing wrong with the description, it's just how my brain works.
My brother, who is also an artist like yourself, sees things in his head in full 3d, surround sound, color, probably even smells, but that's just not how things work in my head.
The short stories could be a good idea, even if it's a prequel sort of thing that shows stuff like Alhannah's time before Wendell showed up, kinda as an into to the game in general.
Thanks for clarification, DW.
I wonder if there are more readers like this. I'm a deeply visual person myself. Many tomes I just cannot grasp a concept until I've worked it out on paper and SEE the words, or shapes, or designs....and then my brain makes a connection.
When writing, my best year was writing 6 novels, half of those being 500 pages each....and it all flowed.
Why?
I believe it was because I had an office with a floor to ceiling + 12 foot wide whiteboard to use.
I'd map out the whole book in such a fashion, WITH DOODLES, that I could write like a madman and it had few if any revisions.
That actually makes a ton of sense. It's one of the reasons I'm (slowly) learning to draw, so I can visualize what's in my head.
One of these days I have the time and space to get my own whiteboard or some equivalent and write a book that way. It'll be fun!
I've never been able to duplicate that progress without the sheer white space to mind map things....the walking about, thinking on my feet, jotting things down, connecting lines, plots and ideas.
It was perfect.
No room for that over the past 13 years. I'm slower for it, too.
BTW - fun tip, for someone who has drawn steadily since I was two yrs old...practice with a ball point pen.
Not a pencil.
Just get a ream (500 pgs) of cheap copy paper and a dollar store clipboard the holds paper on the inside (you take out sheets and clip it to the outside),...then a $1.49 pack of black BIC pens.
The KEY, is breaking your habit of wanting to "fix" things and making your hands and mind work in unison. Just let it be and doodle. Draw over it, around it, through it....until you're okay DOING that.
Try it...you may be surprised at how fast your drawing improves overnight.
Now, I decided to do this for a living...but I'll let you know that a pack of BIC pens and a $3.99 ream of white paper made me $50,000 each from clients.
True story.
Did that for years.
$56 flatbed scanner.
Take order, draw on paper with (blue) pencil, draw over pencil with BIC pen, scan into computer, make PNG files, send to clients = paycheck.
I remember the year I was doing taxes and realized I'd made six figures from doodles....and I started laughing out loud.
"What's so funny?" my wife asked from the laundry room. "I thought you were doing taxes?"
"I just realized I don't suck at being an artist," I replied.
DO...NOT...COMPARE.
That's the devil, not reality.
Just play.
There.
I'm done being dad here.
Now go be awesome.
Man now I want to see what the band looks like, some pretty good tunes