I have been writing and revising the
story called Grass Wheels for the past year, struggling with
various aspects of the manuscript: wondering if the characters were
right, concerned about whether it should be in verse or prose,
tormented by the old desire to 'please' a traditional publisher,
sometimes forgetting that I have determined to self-publish. I tried
to rewrite it as prose and, though it might have worked, I felt that
the charm of the story suffered, so it is back to the poetic style in
which it emerged from my mind.
Now that the manuscript is finished,
the next struggle is in the form of illustration. Illustrating a
story is (for me) just as hard as writing the manuscript. Questions
abound:
- What color palette should I use?
- In what setting should it take place?
- What composition would be best?
- What should the characters look like?
- At what angle should the pictures be?
- How can I make the art as important as the text?
- How can I make the art lively and funny at the same time?
As I have sketched for days on end I
have been assailed by frustration over my artistic skills, and that I
can't 'just do it' like Nike™. Just doing it requires skill and practice, both of which are in short supply here, but not impossible to gain eventually by the said action. So, I'll keep you posted and post some of my art so you can see it, like the picture next door to this post. Never give up!
