January 25, 2007
Forward, March!
Thankfully, this has been an extremely productive month for me. I've got seven or eight pages pencilled and four inked and painted. Last night I cleaned up three half-finished pages and completed their pencils.
This means, by my count, that I only have two more pages to pencil, and the forward narrative is finished! I could be done by early February if I get a move on!
Then I still have to go back and add an extra page, and at least one extra clarifying panel, and complete the one remaining scene, and I'm done. All told, probably only 10-12 more pages to go.
Then I get to scan and letter the last 20-30 pages, slot them in InDesign, print it out, and start going over the complete manuscript with a big red pen. I've got all my beta readers' notes, as well as some of my own, and that process of hemming and hawing and redacting and tweaking will probably take a few weeks. I'll also write the notes, design the cover, and finalize the pinups and photographs that will be appearing in the back.
I hope -- and maybe I'm being overly optimistic here -- I can get it done by the end of March, and have it in hand by mid-May, which will leave me April May and June to work on promotional stuff.
Lord help me, this summer's gonna be a wild ride.
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January 4, 2007
Fear: the best motivator
So, it's official. Paul, Jim Ottaviani and I just booked ourselves into the ALA Annual Conference in DC. The booth alone -- not counting the carpet and table rental fee (!) -- costs more than my first two used cars did. Put together.
Now I really have to get the new book done.
Panic: It's not just for breakfast anymore.
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January 1, 2007
Nose to the grindstone
Having just completed the paints on my seventh page this month, it is hereby time to celebrate. I was hoping I'd get four pages done, what with the holidays and all, but heavens to Betsy, I've nearly doubled that.
My thumbnails indicate I've got another six pages to go in the narrative, minus the pickup scene. Good Lord... I might have this bad boy finished ahead of schedule.
Oh. And happy New Year!
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