Just a brief update this time around as everything has sort of piled on in the last while. And don’t even get me started on tax time. Trying to keep all your income and expenses straight is not something they teach you in art school which is a shame as many artists are entrepreneurs to one degree or another. Biggest piece of advice: Keep receipts for everything! If you can learn to set up a spreadsheet even better. Financial advice, geared specifically for artist/writers or other creatives is not easy to find. For small businesses, the advice is overwhelmingly slanted towards people selling something from a somewhere – like a brick and mortar store. That’s dramatically changing at the current time but many solitary artists still struggle with what they can claim or even just how to track things. These are skills that I am finally attempting to get a firm grip on. Oddly, thanks to the pandemic, I found myself with the time to focus more on that area. That is between writing five novels and creating more designs for our Redbubble store and working at my day job. If anyone is interested in how I’ve set up records to keep track of things, let me know and I’ll share it in another blog. I will admit that I go to an accountant for my taxes rather than doing them myself. This is mainly because I can never be certain as to what I can or cannot claim and how much. If that’s not an issue for you, you can save some nice cash by doing things yourself. And I’m definitely in support of that, especially as I’ll be launching my first novel later this year. More on that at another time. Until then, check out our latest design for our store. The Year of Dragons continues with a design celebrating Mothers’ Day.

So, here I am…waiting…to hear back from an editor about my manuscript. Book #1 of a planned five book series. Yep, here I am. Are you getting the feeling that I’m a little nervous? If there’s two things I’ve learned during this self-publishing journey, it’s that Editors are a necessity and you better put aside a hefty chunk of your budget for them. This isn’t actually a complaint. Editors are skilled professionals who’s talent significantly contributes to your book’s level of ‘professionalism’. You’ll want to approach editors who specialize in your genre too. For example, my book is set in late 19th century England. However, it is kind of an alternate England saturated with paranormal/supernatural elements. So, I wouldn’t have sent the manuscript to an editor who specialized in historical non-fiction. You can just guess the issues they would have with my story. Luckily, I knew a young editor who loves fantasy, paranormal and adventure stories so she now has the novel before her editorial eyes. Thank you, Rachel Walden.

However, before I sent her the current draft, I had two critique partners run through the manuscript an number of times (10?) picking out spelling and story mistakes for me to correct. NEVER send an editor your first draft. Never, never. Most editor have a fee based on word count or the estimated time it will take them to go through your story. So the more work they have to do the more $$ it will cost you. Naturally, this is not an issue for millionaire authors – which is not me, in case you were wondering.

The Different types of Editing:

Depending where you are with your novel will also affect the type of editing you require. Yep, there are about 5 different types and they come with different costs. Developmental Editing is the most in-depth and expensive with Copy Editing less costly but it doesn’t go into story structure and character development. It’s up to you, if you’re a budding author, to decide what you need and can afford. The other types include Editorial Assessment, Proof Reading and Fact-Checking. Websites like Reedsy and Fivver are great places to check out for editorial services and they’ll give you a good idea of the price ranges of the different types of editing. Reedsy also has a good blog post that defines the different varieties of editing. Find it here. This is where the biggest chunk of your money is going to go so take the time to find an editor that you feel would be the best match for you. You can also check those marketplaces for cover design and marketing services but that’s another blog.

So, that last piece of editing advice I would pass on is to be open to the suggestions that your editor gives you. It’s a waste of everyone’s time and money if you pull a “Grande Artiste” attitude to some cogent and constructive criticism and think you’re the “Special/Chosen One” that is above petty critiques. Yah, not so much. Just remember, anything that can make your novel better, the better it is for you. Not to mention your sales.

On the Illustrative side of things:

I’ve rendered another Dragon for the Holidays illustration. Yep, we’ve got ourselves a theme. You can remind yourselves of our other dragons by finding them in the Gallery. With the arrival of April and Easter we present to you the SillWill Studios “Easter Dragon”! Given current world events and the well-known Ukrainian Easter eggs, I couldn’t avoid being influenced for this latest design. Easter and its association with Spring is a time for hope and renewal. Something we all need these days. You can find our hopeful dragon on t-shirts to tote bags, coasters to coffee mugs and other quality products in our Redbubble Shop

So, I’ve recently been involved in the tenth (?) round of editing my novel – insert big sigh – and one thing you realize when involved in that particular exercise is that there’s always loads that need to be cut. You may think you’re a genius but – you know – not really. I have discovered that I tend to be what’s politely called “a little wordy”. My greatest step toward correcting this aspect of my writing was first, to divide my novel into two and then to get other eyes on it to dispassionately point out mistakes and areas to trim. It’s an illuminating experience but necessary. These could be Beta Readers or Critique Partners. They’re invaluable. The next step will be to find a professional editor – one of the biggest expenses in the self-publishing game.

Now, due to the fact, I originally approached this enterprise back-to-front, I probably would have have thought of this point much earlier. However, it is absolutely essential to do some editing yourself before submitting your manuscript to an editor. Mainly because they charge according to word-count and secondly, if you submit your first draft, any editor will immediately peg you as a blatant amateur and take a pass on your manuscript. Editors will give you a idea of their fees before you submit to avoid any surprises. Then, it’s a matter of deciding on the type of editing you’re looking for: Line Editing, Developmental Editing, Copying Editing and Proofreading.

Of course, you can declare your genius doesn’t need to be “edited” and is fine as it is and throw it up on the web and sit back and wait for the money to come rolling in…. To which, I can only say, “Don’t give up your day job.” The self-publishing world is a dynamic and constantly changing world and if you want to go this route just be prepared for that. Millions of books are published EVERY day and it takes a polished, professional product to stand out. Plus a fair degree of marketing. More on that in another blog.

However, as with any “Rule” you must know when to abide by the current advice and when to break free. Rules are guidelines after all, not dogma that can never be questioned. Just be prepared to face criticism if you try to avoid certain steps and end up releasing a seriously flawed product. Criticism on the internet can get fierce and vicious. If you have a thin skin, you may be vulnerable to a traumatic experience.

An interesting side effect of this process, has been discovering just how often I tend towards ‘excessive verbosity’. Sometimes I just love words too much. This might be overcompensation for my graphic novels where I didn’t have to describe how a character looked, you could see for yourself. The mood I could illustrate with a gesture or a tilt of the head, I was required, in prose, to evoke with words. And now, that’s led me back to editing. Even this many times around I see scenes, paragraphs and words that are not truly necessary to the story.

Sometimes I take a break from editing to do rough sketches of scenes, settings and characters from my novels too. This little sidestep can relieve some of the anxiety that editing induces. In my last blog, I included a small sketch of the cottage in the woods where some of the action takes place. This time I’ve included a sketch of a drawing room in a fancy manor. It’s not quite as gothic as I portray in the book but the large family portrait is a symbolic note that has a presence in that particular setting. I think I may need to do another sketch that conveys a greater sense of the size of the room. However, those two couches witness a lot of amazing things…Just saying.

In addition to working on my novels, I took the time to add to our Holiday Dragons with this design for a special St. Patrick’s Day Dragon named, Lucky. With his four-leaf clovers and pot o’ gold he’s ready to share his good fortune whenever you bring him home on any of the quality products from our Redbubble shop. Move over Leprechauns. The St. Patrick’s Day Dragon is sharing the gold at the end of the rainbow!

About three years ago, I decided to write a book. Or to be more accurate, I decided to see if I could write a book. I had an idea for a story but was looking to step back from the graphic novel world and see what else I could accomplish. Yet, I wasn’t entirely confident I could write an entire prose novel. However, here I am, having developed an entire series around the original idea. So, how did I get from wondering if I had the stamina to complete a novel to…well, completing it?

Short answer: I was sneaky about it.

Firstly, I started by telling myself that I would just write what I could. I put no pressure on myself about word count per day. I just wrote. In a spiral-bound, hard cover journals, as seen here, in long hand. Yep, I wanted to be able to write anywhere when the urge took me without having to log onto my computer. I went through six and half of them. Mostly I wrote a night, so you can see by my “penmanship” when I was getting really tired. However, I had fun, didn’t bother with plans to “publish” and eventually finished the story. It was a mess, like all first drafts, but it was also a lot of fun. So I kept going.

Now, I had begun this project without any thought of marketing or looking for an agent or plans for the future, even when I broke down and bought a laptop to continue writing. The exercise had progressed from a “diversion” to a full-fledged project. Normally, I like to think, I don’t approach projects this unconsciously but here I was spending a chunk of cash on an idea. What I have since learned is that there are millions of “writers” out there on the net and in bookstores but the process to getting to that point is both unique and structured for everyone of them. So, I hope to share more of the things I’ve learned and am learning with everyone else. For the first, start letting people know about your story even from the beginning of the journey. Well, this is not quite what I would call the beginning and I’ve hinted in previous blogs about the novels I’m writing but I plan on being more consistent with the news I release. In that vein, I did a rough little sketch of one of the settings for the novel. There’s magic and mystery, struggle and triumph and a little romance in this story and it begins in the forest. If you stumbled upon this cottage in the woods, would you knock on the door?

We hope you have a joyful and loving holiday season. Treasure your loved ones and enjoy all those traditions that hold a special place in your history and your heart.

And just in case you were wondering what new design we have for this Christmas, say hello to our Christmas Dragon. The reindeer are out of commission so Santa calls on a very special friend for help. Our latest design is available on high quality t-shirts, greeting cards, stickers and much more in our Redbubble store. We also have all our previous seasonal designs too. Spread some holiday cheer when you support an Indy Artist!

For my latest project I chose to write a novel set in late 19th century England, unlike my previous works in which I avoided real historical settings altogether. For example The Sorcerer’s Children took place in a completely imaginary land of my own creation during a late medieval/early Renaissance period of development. As well, the magical kingdom had had the same ruler for over five hundred years. Likewise, The Adventures of Astrodog was set in an idealized domed-city on Earth’s moon. In each case, I was free to make-up historical and cultural norms without the limitations of actual, you know, facts–to a certain degree of course.

In my new novel I use a good amount of “Artistic License,” a term used when many novels, films or other stories stretch the truth about a time, characters or events for dramatic purposes. I admit, my new story relies on that broad, stretchable term quite a bit thanks to the characters and the use of paranormal elements. I particularly wanted to let myself have more fun this way. So, I began a story within a twisted or alternate historical setting.

Another point I favour with a “historical” setting is that it helps in the isolation of the characters and allows you to build the tension. There’s no cellphone service, no internet to consult about bumps in the night or to check on the background of questionable people. The characters have to proceed on their instincts and what knowledge they can uncover for themselves. Now my main character does have some powerful help of her own; the core secret that makes her distinct. What that is, will wait for another blog to reveal. Suffice to say, she’s damn lucky in that regard…but not invulnerable. As her enemies discover.

So, as the forces of darkness gather and the danger to everyone rises, what will be the price our heroes must to pay for victory?

In the end, it’s not inaccurate to say all stories are flights of fancy, no matter how rooted in “reality” they are. How far a writer strays from that position depends entirely on what their story is meant to explore and achieve. Or simply on what you like to read yourself. To decide for yourself on the direction you’d like to take for your writing/storytelling, the first place to look is your own bookshelf.

In a previous post I commented that two of my favourite books were: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and the pulp fiction Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Quite a combo, I know. I’ll even go so far as to state that both works have influenced the paranormal series I’m writing. Not that I’m trying to be pretentious or anything.

What kind of books or genres or themes influence your writing or reading? Do you like the slow, tension-filled build-up to a massive payoff or do you prefer the dive-right-into-the-action approach? Or is there another take that fuels your imagination? Is it mood and atmosphere or relatable characters? Or both? Feel free to let me know what you look for most in a story.

As Halloween draws nearer and the spirits of the season prepare to walk amongst us, you can find lots of cool Halloween merchandise in our Redbubbble store. Like our Lady In White who strolls through a haunted graveyard to the Halloween Witch you were introduced to in the last blog, there’s plenty of magic for everyone. So, cast your spell and make your wish and grab onto the magic of Halloween with us!

It’s been a weird month! Luckily, I was able to find the time to render a little tribute to the upcoming season of all things spooky. That’s right! Halloween is coming! After our previous designs for the season of the supernatural, (a magical Jack O’ Lantern, a Haunting Ghost and Skeleton Fairy), I realized I didn’t have a witch design! To avoid being cursed I immediately rectified the situation by designing a light-hearted, wickedly-fun Halloween witch. With her bright colours and Mona Lisa smile, she’s ready for any and all Trick-or-Treaters. You can let me know what you think.

I know, with the pandemic, Trick-or-Treaters may be few and far between. Though Halloween may not be as festive as it once was but it can still be fun! That’s where our holiday designs come in. Whether it’s a spirited t-shirts because full-on costumes aren’t your thing or you need a haunted coaster on which to rest your pumpkin-spiced latte, we’ll get you ready for all your ghostly activities.So, get those pumpkins and black cats ready and let the Halloween festivities begin!

You can sweep up our Halloween witch or any of our other seasonal designs by clicking “Claim Your Magic”!

Well, I’ve been away for awhile and knew it was time to touch base. It’s personally been a crap month for me this August. I won’t be putting a candy-coated lacquer over it. The passing of my mother, a little over a year after my father’s passing, has set me into full-on distraction mode. So, a break was needed. I focussed on personal things and relationships instead of this blog. I made a decision to let it slide and I’m okay with it. Sometimes self-care means stepping away. So, considering the current circumstances, there has been some of the below going on…

I hope to be out with a more interesting and engaging blog the next time around. Right after I evict the least liked Fairy Godmother of Meh.

Until then take care and give your Mom and/or Dad an extra hug. I wish I could.

So, recently during the editing process of my work and in this blog, I admitted that I had to split my “Magnum Opus” into two books if I wanted to have a product that readers who favoured my genre of “Gaslamp Fantasy” would most likely pick up. My late-to-the-game market research revealed that the average size of such novels ran about 80,000 (or maybe a little more) words and around 350 pages. Trying to push a tome of almost 200,000 words really wasn’t a fight I wanted to take on. I could have found a way, I suppose, where I gutted the book and squished it down to 100,000 words but what effect would that have on the story? And that’s where a writer’s/artist’s idea or vision comes up against “What the Market wants”.

For some reason among creative types, the idea of “Writing to Market” is sometimes seen as selling out. After all You’re supposed to be an artist following some sort of “Divine Calling”. Right? Ahh, those pesky 19th century Romantics and their cute ideas about the artist’s life. I could punch them in the nose. Most artists or writers do not want to starve in an attic while waiting for their Fairy Godmother of Inspiration to descend and bestow Celestial Insight. We got bills.

So, for practical reasons I’m breaking my novel into two more marketable books. On the creative side, I’ve been able to go back and flesh-out supporting characters and bring in new ones that lend even more depth to the world I’ve created. That, weirdly, was a nice surprise and I suppose if I was more of a hardcore “Plotter”, I might have foreseen this. But, that’s okay. My goal is an adventurous, suspenseful, with a little romance, story that will draw readers along for a great escape.

I’ll reveal more and more about the plot for my book over the next while and you’ll get to be the first to see how it develops. There won’t be a Fairy Godmother in it but there will be monsters because….Do I really need a reason?

You can find another great escape in our graphic novels, the fantasy-adventure trilogy The Sorcerer’s Children or go for high-flying sci-fi in The Adventures of Astrodog. Let the stories and characters take you away on adventures of your own.

I’ve been swept up in a number of personal responsibilities so I thought I would repost a funny diversion until I can get back to you about my main focus. Hope you like it.

I always know when I need a break from writing my novel when my mind insists on wandering down sometimes ludicrous paths. After reading the above, I hope you know what I mean. Of course, I do still wonder what it would be like to go to a Superhero Potluck. What would you bring?

If you’d like to take your own stroll down the path of an entertaining diversion, consider checking out our graphic novels like the fantasy trilogy The Sorcerer’s Children and dive into magical adventure in the land of the Twin Kingdoms. Or leap into sci-fi hijinks with The Adventures of Astrodog. If you like dogs, especially dogs on the moon, those graphic novels are for you!