March 2008
62 posts
IF: leap →
Painted this one this afternoon for Illustration Friday topic: leap. Click the pic to see it larger.
February 2008
29 posts
Another character from the next thing →
Here’s a quick one I painted this morning, sort of a forest demon who’s in the next story. Don’t worry, he doesn’t bite. Maybe a quick nibble is all. Click the pic to see it …
Extreme book title contest: name a character →
We have some great titles so far, but we’re looking for more—and we’re upping the prize. Right up front: What can you win? Come up with the winning title for the sequel to my novel…
Wind Follower by Carole McDonnell →
Wind Follower by Carole McDonnell Paperback: 248 pages Publisher: Juno Books Language: English ISBN-10: 0809557797 ISBN-13: 978-0809557790 “It is a strange thing to live a…
Dramatis Personae and the continuing contest →
I updated the SaltwaterWitch site with a character list from Seaborn and DEEP/DARK/SEA/SIRENS—whatever the sequel will end up being titled. Check it out here: …
Interview with a character →
Here’s my final painting of Cira, a character from the next story. Really coming together. I’ve done plenty of character studies for my writing, but this time I thought it would interesting to make it look like an interview—a job interview. You know, questions like what are your strengths and weaknesses? How well do you work under stress, would you consider relocating. ...
Character study for my next book →
Here’s a character from my fifth novel, going in a different direction. I just started this a couple days ago. It’s contemporary fantasy. I’m gathering ideas, doing character studies, making up names, and doing some really loose plotting. I have a title already, but I’m not certain about it it. Call it WD for short. Her name is Cira (soft S, like Seer-ah), and...
Title contest update for Sirens →
Suggest a title and get a print. This has been interesting, so many great title suggestions. It’s making me look at book titles in a new way. I have a preference for one of these: SIREN SONG SEA SONG SEAFAIR, SEAFEY, SEAFAE, SEAFAER, SEAFAERIE, SEAFARER DEEPSEA But I also don’t want to get attached to one of them before running them by my editor. Okay, I do like DEEPSEA enough to...
Seaborn wallpaper →
Seaborn Wallpaper for your computer, iPhone, or iTouch. I posted a couple on SaltwaterWitch.com. More to come!
1280 x 1024 | 1024 x 768
iPhone | iTouch .
Book Title →
I’ve been wading through a lot of great suggestions, and a handfull have stood out. Here are the latest two. What do you think of… Under the Sea or Seafair Here’s the long Book title contest post, with suggestions, comments: http://the0phrastus.typepad.com/the0phrastus/2008/02/name-my-book-an.html
Name my book and win something →
Seaborn (Juno Books) will be on the shelves in July. I just completed the sequel to Seaborn with the working title, The New Sirens—from the palinode by Matthew Arnold. There were sentiments in Arnold’s work that hit me right. Love this part: Who are they, O pensive Graces, —For I dream’d they wore your forms— Who on shores and sea-wash’d places Scoop the...
The Sea →
Here’s a quick sketch, about twenty minutes of work. The Sea contemplating her next move, plotting something dangerous, maybe just wondering how air-breathing land animals like humans can survive in the ocean depths. She has her theories. I have mine. Click the image to view it larger. Illustration Friday.
Boskone 45 update →
Skott and I drove down to the Westin along the Boston waterfront after work on Friday to catch a couple of the panels at Boskone, meet some cool publishers and writers, find out how the Naval War College plays games, the usual stuff. The preso by Christopher Weuve on Naval Analysis Through Iterative Wargaming was very interesting. He went through historic gaming, the war college’s...
Spiderwick Chronicles (Special Screening) →
A special Mulgarath thank you to Skott for getting two special screening tickets to The Spiderwick Chronicles last night in Boston. We were both surprised at how easy it was find the place. Took the T to Fenway, went through a parking lot for Best Buy, and found that its all part of the same complex. The snow was pretty slick on the way home, but all went well. The movie’s fun,...
Spiderwick Chronicles (Special Screening) →
Spiderwick Chronicles (Special Screening) →
A special Mulgarath thank you to Skott for getting two special screening tickets to The Spiderwick Chronicles last night in Boston. We were both surprised at how easy it was find the place. Took the T to Fenway, went through a parking lot for Best Buy, and found that its all part of the same complex. The snow was pretty slick on the way home, but all went well. The movie’s fun,...
Caitl??n R. Kiernan →
Caitl??n Kiernan is one of my favorite authors. She’s influenced my own writing and love of words. She needs a little help with medical expenses. Simple as that. Bid on signed books at eBay or donate direct. Find out more here: http://greygirlbeast.livejournal.com/428785.html Donate directly here: http://greygirlbeast.livejournal.com/428947.html Jeff Vandermeer, Paula Guran have...
What do you do after you've completed a book? →
I mean right after you write “END” at the end, and you sit back to admire your accomplishment. In one sense you’re done writing, all the hard work is complete. Sort of. But there’s still plenty of detail stuff to do. There’s general editing, lining up a reader or two if you don’t already have them. There’s consistency checking, characters whose...
What do you do after you've completed a book? →
I mean right after you write “END” at the end, and you sit back to admire your accomplishment. In one sense you’re done writing, all the hard work is complete. Sort of. But there’s still plenty of detail stuff to do. There’s general editing, lining up a reader or two if you don’t already have them. There’s consistency checking, characters whose...
Caitlín R. Kiernan →
Caitlín Kiernan is one of my favorite authors. She’s influenced my own writing and love of words. She needs a little help with medical expenses. Simple as that. Bid on signed books at eBay or donate direct. Find out more here: http://greygirlbeast.livejournal.com/428785.html Donate directly here: http://greygirlbeast.livejournal.com/428947.html Jeff Vandermeer, Paula Guran have also...
Just finished my fourth novel! →
It’s done. I completed the sequel to Seaborn last night, with my working title, The New Sirens, 108k words, 33 chapters and an epilogue that wraps everything up. Cheers!
IF: Choose →
Perfect for Illustration Friday: choose, a scene from Chapter 15 of The New Sirens (sequel to Seaborn - out in July from Juno Books), Nikasia getting the ride of her life on a dragon, and she’s about to have to make a choice between remaining with the beast or letting the innocents on the surface drown. It’s tough, but she has to choose. Click the pics to view the large versions. ...
IF: Choose →
Perfect for Illustration Friday: choose, a scene from Chapter 15 of The New Sirens (sequel to Seaborn - out in July from Juno Books), Nikasia getting the ride of her life on a dragon, and she’s about to have to make a choice between remaining with the beast or letting the innocents on the surface drown. It’s tough, but she has to choose. Click the pics to view the large versions. ...
Just finished my fourth novel! →
It’s done. I completed the sequel to Seaborn last night, with my working title, The New Sirens, 108k words, 33 chapters and an epilogue that wraps everything up. Cheers!
I can't tell you how many times I have dreamed of... →
Okay, it’s a lot. And I completed it tonight. So, I am about half a chapter from the finish. The chapter line up ends with 33 plus an epilogue—first time I’ve ever done one of these, but this is the end of the story, and it ties up everything neatly. Sure, there will be edits, tweaks, a couple consistency passes before it goes to my agent, but I’m there, the final...
I can't tell you how many times I have dreamed of... →
Okay, it’s a lot. And I completed it tonight. So, I am about half a chapter from the finish. The chapter line up ends with 33 plus an epilogue—first time I’ve ever done one of these, but this is the end of the story, and it ties up everything neatly. Sure, there will be edits, tweaks, a couple consistency passes before it goes to my agent, but I’m there, the final...
Almost there →
I mean, I’m this close </holding thumb and forefinger a centimeter apart> to finishing my current book The New Sirens (working title, after the palinode by Matthew Arnold). Sirens is the sequel to Seaborn which will be out in July from Juno Books. (Hey, go pre-order Seaborn from Amazon).
Words have power →
Here’s a trick I do when I write and it’s going a bit slow. I know I need to open this scene with something bright, something heavy, bloody, claustrophobic, there’s a mood I need to drop the reader into. One of the things that can get me going is to grab a dictionary, thumb through it, pull out a random word or four to see if they spark anything. It doesn’t always work,...
Words have power →
Here’s a trick I do when I write and it’s going a bit slow. I know I need to open this scene with something bright, something heavy, bloody, claustrophobic, there’s a mood I need to drop the reader into. One of the things that can get me going is to grab a dictionary, thumb through it, pull out a random word or four to see if they spark anything. It doesn’t always work,...
