MG Novel: 8075 words with full outline for the rest. I have to keep reminding myself of Anne Lamott's "Sh**ty First Draft" concept, and not get all freaked out over what I've written so far. I want to submit it for the MS review during the SCBWI Conference, and the deadline is June 11th. I'm afraid I won't make it in time. It's not that I don't have enough pages - I totally do, I just feel like it's all over the place, because each time I sit down to write, my style seems to have a mind of its own, and depending on my mood, it can be all psychological, or all dialogue, or all action, or all oblique references, or spoon-feeding, etc... This reminds me of my handwriting - always different, depending on any number of things. So, I'm a bit concerned that my writing isn't going to quietly settle down into a set style, and that these inconsistencies in voice are going to be a problem down the line.
Picture Book: MS complete, and is under 700 words. Storyboard complete. Preliminary sketches for dummy are about half-way done. And here's a cellphone pic (why do I hate scanning so much?) of a style trial starring everyone's favorite bactrian (two-humped) camel (not that you can tell)
It's hard to keep pushing ahead on this one, keeping the faith, because of all the bad news about the PB market. But push I must, and I need to keep reminding myself that even if it isn't going to go anywhere, at least I'll have it for my portfolio, and for experience from which to build.
Illustration Portfolio: I've got a good handful of sketches (see above for ex.), but nothing inked, nothing colored. I think I'm just scared. I'm not sure exactly why - probably afraid of the possibility of discovering that I'm not simply the BEST CHILDREN'S ILLUSTRATOR IN THE WORLD. I don't think of myself as a perfectionist, but...that's my hypothesis, and I'm stickin' to it.
Magazine Articles: I've submitted one to Faces, a children's magazine put out by Cobblestone Publishing. I won't hear anything until August about that one and I'm putting the general mag effort on the back burner until I finish up for all the deadlines for the other things.
Classes: I'm not taking any right now, but I've got two critique groups, and loads of SCBWI events that I keep signing up for like it's going out of style. Went to a Easy Reader Writing ...er...Seminar(?) last weekend. I think I have at least one little something that can be modified a bit to fit the parameters. We'll see.
Painting: Also on the backburner, but I am slowly and sporadically getting to work on the HappyCat commission - luckily, I gave myself a GIANT lead time, so I'm not upsetting anyone by taking this long on it. Here's a sneak peak of the WIP (a closeup shot, and blurry b/c it's a cellphone pic)-- I am happy with the eyes, but the rest of the face is crooked and too smooshed. This may take a while...
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