Number 22 Appletree Crescent was a busy household on a Saturday morning. Imogens smaller brother would be in the back garden, playing around with his toy swords or guns as he acted out some kind of science fiction battle scene.
Her mother would be on the landing, running round after the tempermental four year old that did not want to get dressed.
Her father would be in the kitchen, supposedly trying to give his wife a day off from making breakfast. But the ingredients lay un touched on the chopping board and he sat at the table, his phone in hand as he talked to yet another business client.
And Imogen, she'd be in her bedroom, sitting at her computer desk. The laptop was open, it's keyboard calling out to be typed on. Yet Imogen just sat there, staring at the blank word document that was waiting to be filled with words and tell another story.
But Imogens mind was blank when it came to words. She could visualise the scene, hear the characters voices in her head. Yet the moment her fingers tapped against the smooth keyboard, the words didn't work together.
Imogen didn't know how to fix it.
So she emailed her friend, complaining of the frustration she was feeling and hoping that they'd have some suggestion for the writers block she was in.
Yet the response held little of the comfort she craved. So Imogen looked at the notebook she'd planned out the story in. Her eyes scanned the lined paper, reminding herself of the story and situations she knew by heart anyway. She mouth curved in small smile as she lost herself in the thoughts, excitement flew through her. It was going to be dramatic today, and she always loved writing dramatic scenes.
But all this waiting had left Imogen feeling anxious and when she sat herself up in the chair, placed her wrists on the body of the laptop, her stomach clenched tightly.
Nerves were getting the better of her.
Usually she'd try and coax herself out of it by reading a favourite book. But the way the words flowed so naturally when she sought the book out merely depressed her more.
Days passed and the situation didn't get any better.
Imogen found herself sitting in one of the cities many cafes with her friend a few days later. Although she'd cheered up considerably at the sight of her friend, she was still pained over not being able to write.
And Imogen didn't waste any time what so ever in explaining the misery she felt to her friend.
“Maybe you just need to experiment a little.”
Her friends suggestion threw Imogen off guard but she didn't voice it. Instead she watched as her friend unzipped her bag and rummaged around inside it. She pulled out a comic, and flipped to the back.
On the page was a comic script.
“Why don't you try writing a comic? I could draw it for you if you like.”
Imogen hadn't been into comics very much. She'd heard of them, and read a few of the usual Beano or Dandy comic strips over the years. But she wasn't repulsed by them.
So she tried it.
And grew to love it beyond any kind of prose story she'd been attempting to write beforehand.
Of course Imogen found herself looking at the comic she'd been dedicatedly writing in different ways as time went by. She couldn't help but imagine seeing it on book shop shelf.
Sometimes this bugged her. She hated making dreams for things that may not happen for fear of the disappointmentt, and Imogen found herself going through a similar bout of nerves that sheexperiencedd with the writers block.
But she soon got over it.
The excitement of making a comic had took over any doubts she may have had. Of course she had no idea what she was doing, but she was learnt over the years and found herself making the comic a lot better than she'd ever imagined it being to start with.
A considerably long time into the making of the comic (but also certainly no where near the end of it) the friends were on another coffee shop trip. They'd spent many more hours discussing through things that afternoon, and it was then that they concluded the comic was, very much a big experiment for them both.
Perhaps even “The big experiment of life.”
Friday 30 July 2010
Friday 23 July 2010
*insert interesting title*
This week has been so busy with parties and trips that poor little Heartstones hasn't had much work on it. Although I have now redone things, and am feeling a lot better about the whole thing. I do sometimes wonder whether I could call this blog “Heartstones weekly complaints” or something because I do wonder if sometimes, all I do is complain!
But of course, it's quite normal to do that. And I do love it all still, if I didn't then I wouldn't be here every week typing out a load of blogs now would I? :P
The story now appears to flow a bit better and I'm much happier with it all, for the moment at least! I don't know why it turned out to be such a difficult part of the project to write, but it was, and I suppose there's not much I can do about apart from fixing it and getting on with the rest.
Onto the next little extra feature for today! :D
The two little paragraphs of a story I don't know if I'll continue or not (we'll see if I get any inspiration for it!) is below. It's meant to be a story about Jack before the events that bring Eliza and him to meet happens. It's not very long (nor very good! And yes I know I've said that a lot this week! I'm still in a rut), and really is just a bit of a random story, but I think when finished it'll help me more with character developments!
Every author should know they're characters sins after all shouldn't they? :P
*****
The pub reverberated with the sounds of mens laughter and late night chatter as they played poker or discussed affairs that were important to them. The old, glass paned door to the little inn at the side of a Victorian street opened and Jack walked in.
His nostrils filled with the smoke that filled the room and he felt his throat tighten immediately. Yet the man that waved to him from behind the bar distracted him and Jack smiled as he walked over to greet him.
“Good evening,” Jack said, shaking the hand of the mans, “I believe The Professor made an appointment...”
“Indeed he did Master Fellows.” the man said coming from behind the bar and gesturning for Jacks coat and top hat. “The work that goes on here is of high secrecy. Whatever it is you are shown tonight you must not tell anyone.”
*****
And that's literally all I've done. :P Not very refined yet is it? WIP!
See you next week!
But of course, it's quite normal to do that. And I do love it all still, if I didn't then I wouldn't be here every week typing out a load of blogs now would I? :P
The story now appears to flow a bit better and I'm much happier with it all, for the moment at least! I don't know why it turned out to be such a difficult part of the project to write, but it was, and I suppose there's not much I can do about apart from fixing it and getting on with the rest.
Onto the next little extra feature for today! :D
The two little paragraphs of a story I don't know if I'll continue or not (we'll see if I get any inspiration for it!) is below. It's meant to be a story about Jack before the events that bring Eliza and him to meet happens. It's not very long (nor very good! And yes I know I've said that a lot this week! I'm still in a rut), and really is just a bit of a random story, but I think when finished it'll help me more with character developments!
Every author should know they're characters sins after all shouldn't they? :P
*****
The pub reverberated with the sounds of mens laughter and late night chatter as they played poker or discussed affairs that were important to them. The old, glass paned door to the little inn at the side of a Victorian street opened and Jack walked in.
His nostrils filled with the smoke that filled the room and he felt his throat tighten immediately. Yet the man that waved to him from behind the bar distracted him and Jack smiled as he walked over to greet him.
“Good evening,” Jack said, shaking the hand of the mans, “I believe The Professor made an appointment...”
“Indeed he did Master Fellows.” the man said coming from behind the bar and gesturning for Jacks coat and top hat. “The work that goes on here is of high secrecy. Whatever it is you are shown tonight you must not tell anyone.”
*****
And that's literally all I've done. :P Not very refined yet is it? WIP!
See you next week!
Friday 16 July 2010
Picture Dreams
I dream in pictures sometimes. The words and phrases that seem to come to my head in my dreams aren't seen, they're usually heard as panels of action put themselves in front of my eyes. Usually, I forget whatever it is I was dreaming about and I wind up having a distant memory of one of the said panels and pictures that are clearly part of a comic.
It never used to happen. Often my dreams would just be like watching a film and sometimes I was a companion to a Doctor (because that has happened before!) or just sitting down and watching these made up dream like characters on their adventures. They still do of course, but I've recently found myself dreaming things in a comic book format and I really do believe that it's because I've gotten myself writing Heartstones.
Sometimes I wonder whether I've forgotten how to write prose because I'm constantly writing comics or scripts apart from the random scenes that seem to automatically be prose in my notebook. Of course I know I haven't, but there's always going to be that little nagging feeling inside of me, telling me that I'm not doing as well as I should be. But then I think that's more of a matter of self confidence than the actual situation at hand. It was all fine until I suddenly scared myself with the thought that, no matter how much ambition I have or passion that people are forever telling me they see when it comes to writing.
How am I ever going to get anywhere, if that passion doesn't turn the words I write into something that's a piece of good quality work?
Of course, just to down my spirits even further I then saw a piece of writing that I'd done a few years ago (and yes I know I've improved!) and I have to admit it was pretty bad. At the time I was praised for it, which grateful as I was then, it did leave me wondering whether people tell me this just to keep me happy.
Because I'd rather people were completely honest.
How else am I meant to learn? It might be tough, but I've got to be one way or another haven't I? I think... 0_O
And then Heartstones starting playing up. I've spent I don't know how many hours attempting to perfect a few things here and there and I really do worry that it's still not up the standard I want it to be. Not because I'm not capable of making it like that, but because I realized that although I know exactly what's going to happen at the end of the volume, I haven't sat down and planned it throughly enough. Which of course, lead on to a bout of self battering inside my head and wondering about why on earth I hadn't thought of this problem before hand.
It needs more work, because I'm one of these writers who seem to think they're imaginations will tell then what to do. But sometimes, I think it needs more planning so that there's no inconsistencies later on. Plus, I then won't hit any more problems and frustrate myself (which granted was worsened by the fact I was feeling a bit self doubtful) even more.
So my new plan for the next week is to work out everything I need to do with Kathryn (even though I know it's my story!) and sort everything out.
Then I can crack on and write it.
It never used to happen. Often my dreams would just be like watching a film and sometimes I was a companion to a Doctor (because that has happened before!) or just sitting down and watching these made up dream like characters on their adventures. They still do of course, but I've recently found myself dreaming things in a comic book format and I really do believe that it's because I've gotten myself writing Heartstones.
Sometimes I wonder whether I've forgotten how to write prose because I'm constantly writing comics or scripts apart from the random scenes that seem to automatically be prose in my notebook. Of course I know I haven't, but there's always going to be that little nagging feeling inside of me, telling me that I'm not doing as well as I should be. But then I think that's more of a matter of self confidence than the actual situation at hand. It was all fine until I suddenly scared myself with the thought that, no matter how much ambition I have or passion that people are forever telling me they see when it comes to writing.
How am I ever going to get anywhere, if that passion doesn't turn the words I write into something that's a piece of good quality work?
Of course, just to down my spirits even further I then saw a piece of writing that I'd done a few years ago (and yes I know I've improved!) and I have to admit it was pretty bad. At the time I was praised for it, which grateful as I was then, it did leave me wondering whether people tell me this just to keep me happy.
Because I'd rather people were completely honest.
How else am I meant to learn? It might be tough, but I've got to be one way or another haven't I? I think... 0_O
And then Heartstones starting playing up. I've spent I don't know how many hours attempting to perfect a few things here and there and I really do worry that it's still not up the standard I want it to be. Not because I'm not capable of making it like that, but because I realized that although I know exactly what's going to happen at the end of the volume, I haven't sat down and planned it throughly enough. Which of course, lead on to a bout of self battering inside my head and wondering about why on earth I hadn't thought of this problem before hand.
It needs more work, because I'm one of these writers who seem to think they're imaginations will tell then what to do. But sometimes, I think it needs more planning so that there's no inconsistencies later on. Plus, I then won't hit any more problems and frustrate myself (which granted was worsened by the fact I was feeling a bit self doubtful) even more.
So my new plan for the next week is to work out everything I need to do with Kathryn (even though I know it's my story!) and sort everything out.
Then I can crack on and write it.
Monday 12 July 2010
SKYPEY TIMES!
ast night Kathryn and I hopped onto Skype, worked out how to make it so that both of our screens could be seen and I merrily watched (and chatted and giggled like we always do) her putting the finishing touches to the very first page of Heartstone Odyssey. :)
It was a very surreal thing to do. After almost two years of this comic being made, we're finally at a point where things are coming together and Kathryn's beginning to draw it. But I think the page looks great, she's worked really hard on it and well I love it.
Although how on earth she uses Photoshop I'll never know. It looked very complicated to me! I do have photoshop, but I wouldn't know how to use it beyond adding a lens flare every now and then.
I don't think you'll be seeing the actual comic until a bit later on in the year because I believe Kathryn wants to literally be a volume ahead with the drawing before we start updating the website with the comic, which to me makes complete sense!
She also mentioned that she'd like to have V2 drawn by the end of the year (I think!). So I'd better get writing hadn't I? Volume Two needs to be finished by the end of the summer (preferably the end of the month, but I don't know how realistic that is!) because I want two volume of it safely under my belt by the time I go to university.
Then I'll only need worry about the remaining two (or one if this story continues to condense itself further!) volumes. Although again, idealistically I'd love to have V3 done by the end of August/early September as well.
Whilst Kathryn was drawing/adding effects on in photoshop I was batting out the next few pages on V2. Currently its only on page 12, but quite a lot has happened I suppose. Of which is for Kathryn and I to know and people who might actually read this to find out.
I'm going to go now and get on with more V2! Ahh I love it.
I do feel quite sorry for my male characters though... (once again, you'll find out!)
On with the write a thon! :D
It was a very surreal thing to do. After almost two years of this comic being made, we're finally at a point where things are coming together and Kathryn's beginning to draw it. But I think the page looks great, she's worked really hard on it and well I love it.
Although how on earth she uses Photoshop I'll never know. It looked very complicated to me! I do have photoshop, but I wouldn't know how to use it beyond adding a lens flare every now and then.
I don't think you'll be seeing the actual comic until a bit later on in the year because I believe Kathryn wants to literally be a volume ahead with the drawing before we start updating the website with the comic, which to me makes complete sense!
She also mentioned that she'd like to have V2 drawn by the end of the year (I think!). So I'd better get writing hadn't I? Volume Two needs to be finished by the end of the summer (preferably the end of the month, but I don't know how realistic that is!) because I want two volume of it safely under my belt by the time I go to university.
Then I'll only need worry about the remaining two (or one if this story continues to condense itself further!) volumes. Although again, idealistically I'd love to have V3 done by the end of August/early September as well.
Whilst Kathryn was drawing/adding effects on in photoshop I was batting out the next few pages on V2. Currently its only on page 12, but quite a lot has happened I suppose. Of which is for Kathryn and I to know and people who might actually read this to find out.
I'm going to go now and get on with more V2! Ahh I love it.
I do feel quite sorry for my male characters though... (once again, you'll find out!)
On with the write a thon! :D
Friday 9 July 2010
V2 Writing continues
It was half way through the day before I realized that it was friday, and poor Heartstones wouldn't have had an update from me if I hadn't looked at the clock and realized it was the very day to update!
Holidays eh? You get so lost in the days that you begin to forget what day it is!
Kathryn has begun drawing the comic, I believe she's finished sketching out the first page and well that's all I know (if that's even right! I know she's drawn a church and... well you'll see!) She hasn't told me anything else, nor have I seen anything (because she wants to show me it when it's finished :D) but the drawing has officially started (unless she's gotten fed up with that page and thrown it in the bin and started again, although I don't think that has happened! :P)
I'll tell you more, when Kathryn tells me, or she may just tell you all herself on the website! :D I have no idea, so we'll just have to wait and see!
As far as the writing goes for this comic, I've been working away at it all week. It's made slow progress, partly because I've had to make even more decisions about what was going to happen in the next bit. When it comes to planning, I do know what's going to happen, it's just the words and pictures that I haven't planned out yet so it can take a bit of time to get it right.
But it's all go and I'm highly enjoying it!
I think V2 has about 13 pages, and I've about 37 more to go! :D
It should prove to be an interesting ride! This volume gets quite dramatic, lots of questions are hopefully just about going to get answered (unless this changes because if there's one thing I know about this comic, is that everything changes!) and another dramatic ending for the volume! :D
I can't wait to write it.
I just hope the story lives up to the art!
Holidays eh? You get so lost in the days that you begin to forget what day it is!
Kathryn has begun drawing the comic, I believe she's finished sketching out the first page and well that's all I know (if that's even right! I know she's drawn a church and... well you'll see!) She hasn't told me anything else, nor have I seen anything (because she wants to show me it when it's finished :D) but the drawing has officially started (unless she's gotten fed up with that page and thrown it in the bin and started again, although I don't think that has happened! :P)
I'll tell you more, when Kathryn tells me, or she may just tell you all herself on the website! :D I have no idea, so we'll just have to wait and see!
As far as the writing goes for this comic, I've been working away at it all week. It's made slow progress, partly because I've had to make even more decisions about what was going to happen in the next bit. When it comes to planning, I do know what's going to happen, it's just the words and pictures that I haven't planned out yet so it can take a bit of time to get it right.
But it's all go and I'm highly enjoying it!
I think V2 has about 13 pages, and I've about 37 more to go! :D
It should prove to be an interesting ride! This volume gets quite dramatic, lots of questions are hopefully just about going to get answered (unless this changes because if there's one thing I know about this comic, is that everything changes!) and another dramatic ending for the volume! :D
I can't wait to write it.
I just hope the story lives up to the art!
Friday 2 July 2010
Rambles on imagination
Everyone has an imagination. How else do you think, as children we came up with all these games and sometimes “wacky” ideas that we played? But, when we get older, that ruthless imagination in my opinion, seems to “mature” as we do.
At christmas I sat down with my brother and sister who are a lot younger than me and still have the ability to use their imaginations for anything and everything as they play. They know I like making up stories and loved it when I asked them to come up with their own and told them I would write it down for them (in fact my sister loved it so much she asked me if she could do it again the very next day! :))
It was an interesting exercise for me, because I learnt that the beauty of children's imaginations is that they really do think of anything and everything, yet the little logical bits in between doesn't matter. My sister for example, came up with ideas that were all very science fiction based (much to my amusement!) and at one point in her story, the main character “christmas teddy” landed on the moon.
Yet he'd been on earth seconds before hand and I remember asking, “But how did he get to the moon?”
She didn't answer because she was too excited by the story she was telling me, and it was here that I realised that myself, as an adult, I do tend to change my stories so that it seems to make more sense.
I wouldn't make someone land on the moon without a spaceship around somewhere. :P
In a way, this “logical” thinking was why we decided to completely change Heartstones. The old script in a way was Kathryn and I getting everything out in a bit excitement at what we could do. And because the story, characters, and world just developed so much as we went through the next six months of writing that when we looked back at it, we realised that that bits of it didn't fit or make sense anymore.
And of course we're going to want it to make sense. How many times have you seen a film and come out of the cinema stating “well the visual effects are great, but what the heck was the storyline about?!” and then it ruin the whole film because you had no idea what it was about?
So why wouldn't we go back and refine it? The 200 + page “excited” version of this story isn't something that I'd want to put up online. Not because it's bad, but because everything changed so much I don't think it'd be very wise to. Of course, at the time we were writing/developing the “excited” version we had no idea that we may one day look at it and decide to completely change it. But it needed to be done, and I really do think that we made the right decision because it's a better storyline and I know I've certainly enjoyed writing it more than I did before, partly because I was excited to get to the dramatic bits that I knew were going to happen.
The editing of the final version of Volume One of Heartstone Odyssey has officially finished, and the changed version is now sitting with Kathryn, awaiting to be drawn out. :)
And that feels great. It adds to the excitement of what happened last week with our grades and the thoughts (and realism! :P) of going to university, and in a way, is everything we've been working towards in the last year and a half.
At christmas I sat down with my brother and sister who are a lot younger than me and still have the ability to use their imaginations for anything and everything as they play. They know I like making up stories and loved it when I asked them to come up with their own and told them I would write it down for them (in fact my sister loved it so much she asked me if she could do it again the very next day! :))
It was an interesting exercise for me, because I learnt that the beauty of children's imaginations is that they really do think of anything and everything, yet the little logical bits in between doesn't matter. My sister for example, came up with ideas that were all very science fiction based (much to my amusement!) and at one point in her story, the main character “christmas teddy” landed on the moon.
Yet he'd been on earth seconds before hand and I remember asking, “But how did he get to the moon?”
She didn't answer because she was too excited by the story she was telling me, and it was here that I realised that myself, as an adult, I do tend to change my stories so that it seems to make more sense.
I wouldn't make someone land on the moon without a spaceship around somewhere. :P
In a way, this “logical” thinking was why we decided to completely change Heartstones. The old script in a way was Kathryn and I getting everything out in a bit excitement at what we could do. And because the story, characters, and world just developed so much as we went through the next six months of writing that when we looked back at it, we realised that that bits of it didn't fit or make sense anymore.
And of course we're going to want it to make sense. How many times have you seen a film and come out of the cinema stating “well the visual effects are great, but what the heck was the storyline about?!” and then it ruin the whole film because you had no idea what it was about?
So why wouldn't we go back and refine it? The 200 + page “excited” version of this story isn't something that I'd want to put up online. Not because it's bad, but because everything changed so much I don't think it'd be very wise to. Of course, at the time we were writing/developing the “excited” version we had no idea that we may one day look at it and decide to completely change it. But it needed to be done, and I really do think that we made the right decision because it's a better storyline and I know I've certainly enjoyed writing it more than I did before, partly because I was excited to get to the dramatic bits that I knew were going to happen.
The editing of the final version of Volume One of Heartstone Odyssey has officially finished, and the changed version is now sitting with Kathryn, awaiting to be drawn out. :)
And that feels great. It adds to the excitement of what happened last week with our grades and the thoughts (and realism! :P) of going to university, and in a way, is everything we've been working towards in the last year and a half.
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