There are many different ways into a new story. This time I decided to draw the main characters and some of their items for a fantastic new tale. Hunter and Bain feature in a number of stories, but this one is the end of a linear time sequence, so I’m trying to keep the exposition down to a bare minimum which helps the mystery of the narrative and allows a swifter flow of action.
I’ve been exploring some horror and steampunk themes recently so discovering a Venetian flintlock set me onto a new path. At some point I hope to make some images available as part of the promotion for the books, or integrated into the books themselves. I’m undecided because I prefer to build word pictures and engage with readers to create worlds together rather than be overtly prescriptive.
Anyway, here’s a simple infographic on how to turn a pencil sketch into a simple digital painting. It’s helped me clarify my approach and might be of some interest.
Writing Tips
- From The New York Times, an interesting article on character development, here.
- From onceuponasketch, Joss Wheedon’s top writing tips for movie writers but useful for all writers, here.
And some other posts on this site you might be interested in:
- Writer’s Journal: The Struggle to Write
- Writer’s Journal: The Time vs equality Equation.
- Other writing links in These Fantastic Worlds can be found here.
Do you have any other strategies for creating characters? I’d be interested in your comments.