Late again. Perpetually drowning in life's demands and obligations. Is that my brand?
In case you weren’t sure - yes, I am still mermaiding. And as the end of #Mermay approaches, I'm surprised at the turn my Mermay creations have taken. A single prompt - “sequential”, has sent me down a rabbit hole (swimming hole?), chasing down my own daydreams. Normally, for challenges like #Mermay, a prompt is just a prompt and I scribble down the first idea that pops into my head. But sequential was different. To me, sequential could mean only one thing - story.
Yes. Because of this one word, I have taken on the monumental task of writing a story. In pictures. Sequential pictures, if you will.
My whole life is devoted to storytelling and I’ve done that through prose and I still love telling stories with words. But here's the thing about stories - each one is different as a thumbprint, and its needs are unique and varied. One thing every story needs is a narrative form, a way to tell it. I’ve seen writers and readers insist that they could only ever write or read in first person, or couldn’t read something because it was told in third (or horror of horrors, second!). This to me, is a tragically limited way to approach and consume story. There is no best or right way to tell a story. There is only the way each particulalr story asks to be told. Some stories need, nay DEMAND, a first person narrator, others require the detachment of third. Still others are stories where the omniscient third is a narrator all themselves, a cheeky observer with hilarious insights into the action of the unaware characters. Or maybe the story is epistolary, a mix of letters and sources in a variety of perspectives. Maybe its a script! How the story is told is a decision unique to that story. When I get an idea for a story, it usually comes to my mind dragging its preferred narrative style behind it.
THIS story’s preferred narrative form is pictures.
And boy do I love when a story wants to be told in pictures. In fact, my first ever graphic novel concept, Humdrum Hills was the direct result of another online art challenge - Beatrice Blue’s Childhood Week. The prompts were released early to give us all time to prepare and a mini story began to take shape. When the week was over, the larger story made itself known and I got to work writing the script and putting together the artwork.
Another story, a short one, was a silent story told in pictures - a little girl on the beach who’s feeling self-conscious about being in a bathing suit. No words. Just pictures. It’s still one of my favourite short pieces (you can find the Beach Baby story in full on my instagram).
And so it is for the story inspired by “sequential.” As is usually the case with me, I have bitten off more than I can chew and I am very doubtful the full story will be complete in time for the prompt (which was actually due yesterday) nor do I think it will be done in time for the end of mermay. BUT I forge ahead anyway, excited to bring these two little gals to life. So I wanted to share with you a peek at what I’ve been cooking up.
A pre-teen loses her phone in a pond beneath the underpass where she finds herself face to face with a mermaid. This is a gross, suburban, bull rushy, stormwater management type of pond. We have so many of these where I live, and I always imagine gross scary mermaids picking through trash and lounging on abandoned rusty shopping carts. A bit of twisted magic in the burbs. I love non-traditional mermaids, coming up with sirens living in unexpected places. Tea cup mermaids and fish bowls, storm water ponds and sewers. They even make an appearance in Humdrum!
Like Beach Baby, this story will be silent, no text. So the characters don’t have names. If you would like to name them, I am desperate to know what you come up with, especially for the mermie!
Doodle
What I’m working on
With the end of #Mermay approaching, I’m getting excited to start drawing other things besides mermaids! But still, I will soak up every last drop of the mermaid magic before the month is through and will be sure to share progress on the mermay story through the Authorstrator chat. Speaking of which! I loved seeing the amazing works shared during the Mermaid draw along and would love to see more of what’s being created in the Authorstrator community! So once a month I will host a WIP (work in progress) Corner on the Authorstrator chat - this will be a space to share what you are working on, whether that’s art or writing or any other creative endeavor. Feel free to post pictures, links to your newsletters, books, socials, kickstarters and writing. Let’s celebrate our creativity and discover cool new projects!
I am making headway on my Wizard of Oz novel - I solved my outline problems and now, the book cannot be stopped! (Except by all the other ways a manuscript can get held up). *Paid subscribers*, look out for some behind the scenes of my outline struggle and final solution in your upcoming post on June 1!
I sent out the first ever Authorstrator Listy List last week and I’m so happy to hear from readers who found it useful. The next Listy List is coming at you in June and am hoping to add a “From the Authorstrator Community” section, so be sure to share what you’re working on in the WIP Corner on Chat.
And finally, Lava Cat Cruise Ship is already up to chapter 13! If you’re looking for a free read, give LCC a whirl. It funny, its scary and its a story I had a blast writing. I hope it fits perfectly into your commute or weekend reading list when you are looking for something to just have fun passing time with.
What I’m Reading
Loved this post from
about staying optimistic in a bleak creative world about what to put in a portfolio gives an amazing behind the scenes look at the making of a picture book.I’m feeling a shift in the AI discourse, a skepticism setting in and
breaks it down nicely here.And that’s it from me!
Til next time :)
Thank you for sharing my post 😊 love reading about your process 🎨🖌️
I keep thinking the pondmaid’s name is “Marsha” 😂 what a cool and clever form of inspiration! Looking forward to the result!