Sunday, April 18, 2010

Breathing

i'm sighing in relief as things are coming to an end. The craft fair was yesterday. it was unimpressive. i sold one print, which doesn't even equal the money i paid to prepare, but you know what that means? i just have everything done for a real fair somewhere else, don't i?? so i am going to start looking for fairs and that makes me excited.

I also finished up A Study of Shade and Shadow's first draft two days ago. I first assumed i could do it in less than 5 chapters which was my original goal, but i actually went over by just a little bit, sticking on a short epilogue that is not exactly an epilogue.

my plan now is to let it sit, because it needs that stewing time. I don't think it will need long because it is only 5 chapters and there is really nothing missing from the story aside from some names i haven't invented yet, and some descriptions of places that could use a little more umph. After it has been revised I am intended to put it up on Authors Den in 5 installments (the fifth chapter is short-ish so the epilogue will be tacked on there).

When that happens I believe I am going to take down the chapter eleven excerpt with Enna and Eillim from the Spaceship Story. The events of Shade and Shadow occur much before even the Prequel and i believe i am going to start to present my world from the beginning. Even though Enna and Eillim are new (though old) characters and not directly related to the main story line i can use it as a starting point to start revealing everything else i've done, in a sensible chronological order.

About Shade and Shadow, specifically, it was great fun to write. It was interesting because it was not the way I usually do things. Starting with the title changed my entire approach to the story. It became structured, 5 chapters, the first 2 introductory, the middle 2 half and half views from the perspective of each girl (and i made sure to start chapter 3 with Enna and chapter 4 with Eillim). There are aspects of repetition between the girls' stories, though i tried to make each journey as individual as possible.

My thoughts concerning the title itself were what created the gods the girls travel with. A Shade can be seen as a thin, ghostly thing (or whispy and invisible) and a Shadow, as a dark, vicious thing of only anger and violence... But both Shade and Shadow are dark places that light doesn't go. I wanted Svanir and The Foxen to be different, but the same.

And the development of the religions surrounding the gods!? oh, gee was that a ton of fun to fabricate!! I started with the gods, sure, but i allowed the civilization i placed in each locale to create the religion. I caused a great cataclysmic natural event that changed the course of life's development and let them adapt their relgion around it. They did me proud. The Foxen makes me laugh, though I feel like i need to add something of a character trait to Svanir. That is one of those flavors that will come out in the stew, though.

I'm going back to the prequel now. I will most likely head to the coffee place on this upcoming weekend and work through chapter two revisions and perhaps start sorting out pieces of the Unknown chapter into their proper locations. I also get to clean the house this weekend, since i've been neglecting it... And the Lost Dvd cases i'm making will get their start... i love my long weekends.

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