Technology Sucks

I spent an hour today trying to correct the Wacom driver issue with Manga Studio, and it still isn't fixed. (Followed all the guides I could find on the internet.) I have been having the most terrible time getting this comic off the ground. And now things are starting to fall apart. Perhaps I should start small. Do a carefree, simple comic. That way I can familiarize myself with the programs and work out my own process. I need to experiment a bit. But right now, I'm completely overwhelmed to the point where I'm starting to dread working on it. That's not the place I need to be. I want to have fun with this, but all I'm feeling is anxiety and, well, dread. Something isn't right. Perhaps I need to take a step back for a moment. Or perhaps I have been pushing myself to hard.

I do have a manuscript that needs finalized for print. Then there's always the story I worked on for this past NaNoWriMo. This could be the nice break I need. And now my mind switches to the Steampunk story I have in the pipeline. Maybe I need to do what my grandmother says and make a list of the things I want to complete that day. It worked for Uma Thurman in KILL BILL.

Sketch Dump

Ever since I've hooked up my new 26" LCD TV as a monitor, I've noticed how it would better serve someone who only surfs the net or watches videos. When it comes to art, this LCD TV is lacking in color management. So after I get some type of stand or table for the TV, I'm stuck using it. At least I can hope over to another computer to do color corrections. My goal is to get a new 23" hp monitor I found at Best Buy. But since my funds are lacking, I'll be going back to the square 19" monitor.

Anyway, the first script for MONSTER SOUP is finished. I will be kicking myself into gear to being the layouts. If I can get up to five pages a week, I would call that my comfort zone. It's a lot of work, and I know I can't do the five pages a week to begin with.

Until those pages see the light of the internet, I'll keep posting random sketches.

Yes, I've changed my signature yet again. *sigh* I'm keeping this one, though. It's simple. It looks like a "D" but also a "B", and it also looks like a pitchfork. Works for me.

And for an added bonus, here's the warden from MONSTER SOUP.

Gargoyles make such cute humans.

It's Not Potted Meat

What started out as a little sketch ended up as this.

I Swear This Isn't Blood

I've began editing the first draft of MAY THE DEAD SPEAK (Book 2 in the EDEN series). I've been dragging my heels on this one. As with anyone else who writes, they know of the pain I'm talking about. Editing Hell. And it is. My mind gets to this point where I'm scrutinizing every word in a sentence. My pages begin to look like someone has bled all over them. I go so deep into editing-mode that I begin to lose sight of the story, the characters, and what's going on. That's when I have to take a break and mentally smack myself around. I have to slip into the mindset of a reader and not the writer. If it reads well, then move on. I need to stop with the editor mindset. Things tend to sound better when I'm actually reading instead of ripping my hair out over a silly comma placement.

I imagine myself being trailed by a typo demon or monster that pops up when I begin this phase. Sure, I may catch some of my mistakes, or change a sentence around to make it sound better, but this part always runs the risk of creating new typos. I've noticed this with my other books. After I've pulled my hair out over the editing process and managed to get to a place where I feel comfortable, I'll go back months later, grab my printed copy and discover these new typos. My stomach knots. My forehead hits my palm. I'm left feeling like an idiot. Tis my constant struggle with that unattainable goal of perfection.

Maybe I need to cruise the internet for some motivational quotes...

Rebirth of a Blog

I'm wanting to start using this blog more. I have plenty of others scattered about on the internet cosmos. I have given thought to merging my art blog with this one. Thus the new name here; "Pen, Paper, & Pixels." (Ooo, it uses an Oxford comma.) It's vague enough to encompass writing and art. Works for me!

Now it's time to look at new themes. Something pretty, classy, and sleek.

-Devin Blake

November already?!

That time of the year again--that mad dash to 50,000 words within 30 days. I've been bouncing back and forth between two stories to write. While I woke up this morning, set on one story, by the close of the day, I switched to the other. I may end up working on both at once. So would that count as 100,000 in one month, or still 50,000? I'll go with the latter. Too bad I can't count blog entries and chats as part of the count! Yeah, didn't think so.

2,000 words a day. That's my goal.

Today's count: 2,453

A New Way

I'm finally putting my foot down and beginning my adventure into the book called "The Artist's Way." I have tried to do this before, but I was using a PDF version of the book and ended up doing a week's worth of the morning pages. But now, I went to the bookstore yesterday and bought the paperback. Finally, I'm going to begin this process the proper way. I already started back on the morning pages this morning. Man, I hate writing long hand. Writing now on the computer I'm flying through these words. A pen in my hand is so much slower. Talk about lag!

So today I begin reading Week One. What will it have in store for me? When I read the PDF, it was only up to Week One. I think I was waiting for when I purchased a hardcopy. Now that I have it, there will be no more excuses.

I will use this blog to track my progress. Let's hope I can make it through the 12 weeks without throwing in the towel.

*grabs the book to begin reading*

I Write Like...

Playing around with "I Write Like." There are no scientific methods involved. But it's fun to mess with. :)

Here's the breakdown of my work and the style I was compared to.

"Eden" Part I - Dan Brown ("The Da Vinci Code") *sigh*
"Eden" Part II - James Joyce ("Ulysses")
"Eden" Part III - David Foster Wallace ("Infinite Jest")
"Eden" (all) - Dan Brown *double sigh* (There must be something in the first half that's Brown-esque.)
"May the Dead Speak" - J. K. Rowling ("Harry Potter")
"Four Corners: Masquerade" - Robert Louis Stevenson ("Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde")
"Four Corners: Forever" - Chuck Palahniuk ("Fight Club")
"Four Corners: Legend" - Vladimir Nabokov ("Lolita")

Then I pasted some blog entries to see what it came up with.
Entry 1 - Stephen King
Entry 2 - Bram Stoker

Finally, I typed in this simple phrase, "I like to write. I write books. I love creating." Apparently, that sentence is in the style of Mary Shelley.

Personally, I prefer not to compare myself to any other author. I like to stay in my own head-space and deliver my own screwed up style.

Rain - My White Noise

When I write or try to relax, I usually listen to the rain and thunderstorm tracks on my iTunes. (Though nothing can really replace the real thing.) I've noticed that it's hard to find good tracks out there to listen to. Either they're too short, too much background noise (birds, planes, so on), or extremely LOUD thunder that catches you off guard. So I have made my own tracks to listen to.

Right click to "Save Link As" or "Save Target As."
These tracks are for personal use only.

Rainstorm (62mb - 192 kbps)
Thunderstorm (62mb - 192 kbps)
Thunderstorm2 (53 mb - 192 kbps)

The first two tracks are the same; one is with thunder and the other is without. The third one listed is actually the first storm track I ever made. I listen to the "Rainstorm" track the most. On my Thunderstorm playlist in iTunes, I have about 7 hrs altogether. I have a strange fascination with storms. I think that's why I get all giddy when a hurricane or tropical storm is looking to strike the Grand Strand.

Free To Read!

I posted EDEN online to read on June 8th. You can find the link through my main website. I also posted the first twelve chapters of MAY THE DEAD SPEAK, which is a story under OF THE MOON AND SUN. So far I've been have a positive response to this move. This has also pushed me to fill out the series website. I'm working on the Characters area right now. I also plan to have a FAQ section, some dealing with the mythology while the other will focus on the miscellaneous questions I receive.

This brings me to FOUR CORNERS. I plan to bring this series back online, as well! :D Not sure when I will find the time to convert everything to their online format. It will take me a full day of HTML editing for that series. Though only two of the books have been published, I do have a third that's finished and ready to be edited. So much stuff to do. But I will work on this series when I need a break from EDEN.

Switching gears. My cousin is planning to publish the first book in her series called [name removed upon request]. She, however, will be going the traditional route and will be looking for a publisher that way. She expressed how she hopes she won't create a green-eyed monster out of me when/if she gets published. Seriously? She fails to realize something; I'm already published. But this is where self-publishing is looked down upon. Let me clarify. Everyone that follows me knows that I've tried twice to get published the traditional way, even looking for an agent. She says that I gave up too soon. That's not the case. I only changed my plan--my path in the whole publishing journey. I haven't completely tossed out the idea of nabbing an agent or landing that publishing contract with a respected company. The thing is, my method isn't traditional. I doubt any agent or publisher would allow me to post my work online as I write. I need this to help fuel my drive. I got a taste of it when I began publishing FOUR CORNERS online back in September 2000. It was like the webcomics of today, releasing 1-2 chapters a week. I didn't have a set released date at that time, but I hope to use one for my EDEN series. This will give me to drive to meet my deadlines, something I need to get comfortable with. If I can win NaNoWriMo, then I can meet a weekly deadline.

So no, no green-eyed monster here. It just upsets me that indie authors are looked down upon. It's not because we were rejected elsewhere and this is our only option. It is a choice! I choose to be an indie author. I choose to have complete control over my work. I choose to write for myself and not worry about making money. This has never been about making money. It's about writing stories that entertain me and perhaps others. I know I'm not the best writer, but I'm having fun. I've said this before and I'll say it again; too me, it's all about having fun, and if I can entertain others in the process, it's just sprinkles on an already iced cake.

;)