#009

A Fresh Beginning.

This is the time of year, here in Minnesota, when we get our first snow. (At least, usually. Sometimes it takes a minute). While currently we don’t have enough to cover what’s left of the grass, the rooves and streets have a nice, fresh dusting of all-natural powdered sugar. This is the time of year that I await with eager breath. The wonderful nip of subzero temperatures, the brisk wind-chill, the dawn served at eight. And with this fresh beginning comes a fresh desire to write and a new idea. I have been experiencing a lack of luster when it comes to writing my stories, and I came to the conclusion that this is because I was biting off more than I can chew. A full-sized graphic novel is a much larger undertaking than a smaller, bight-sized short story.

Triumphant Fanfare!

And so I present the new plan! Instead biting into that full-sized chunk of meaty story, I will instead be writing a series of stand-alone short stories. Having watched a total of two videos on writing short stories, I am certain that this is a decision that won’t kick back. It will be a way to practice writing and drawing, also a way to squeak out those small ideas and wring them for all their worth. I hope to have the first out before March of 2025, but we’ll see how things go.

Promised Art

All that said, I did promise fresh new art, and here it is. This is the character I named Pace, for the book Tía. This is not one of my finer pieces when it comes to character reference, because all it includes are a few expressions and an outfit. However, it was fun to practice drawing someone of darker persuasion. This however is an early sketch, and in the (far flung) future I intend to do more. Pace is a tinkerer, an inventor of clockwork gadgets and gismos. On Tía, there is no electricity, so all moving machines are clockwork. He is one of the few people on Tia who are not native Tian, and all non-native Tians are considered inferior in every way.

Short Stories

As stated previously, my intention is to have this first short story ready for the public by March of 25. My hope is that this will be the first installment of many. Short stories are a good way to explore an infantile idea, to flesh out some inkling of a fresh new perspective on an old topic. Most of my stories will probably be science fiction, since this is the genre closest to my heart in inches. Things such as alien invasions, cloning ethics, space-cowboys shootouts, and the rest. Who knows what may come down the proverbial pipeline?

Farewell

and thus comes the end of a shorter post than usual. I hope you all enjoyed this little respite of witty writing and experienced a brighter week because of it. My thanks to all who read this far, and I hope the day sees you well. Don’t forget, my friends, to spread the good word of this podcast, so that my work will not be in vain. Farewell, fare friends, until next time.