I do have some spare time over the next few days, of which I think I will attempt to edit my nano novel! I so want to publish it online soon to see what people think…

*sigh*

Funny how anti climatic it feels afterwards, it’s like what on earth am I going to do now to stretch myself creatively? I really want to go back and edit a lot of my novel, it needs some description added, some plot holes filled and the ending needs to be tweaked a lot to well get it at least worthy of fiction press. I am considering maybe in the next few months or so publishing my novel in edited and in most part re written chapters either on here or on fiction press. It would be great to be able to get some feedback of what people may think of my writing. It took a lot of effort to reach that finishing line, but I freaking did it! Woo!

And Hi to the Middlest Sister who is following me, yay my first one! *waves*

So yea.. If I do end up writing a rough outline at some point in this week before nano, it will be published here!

I must be insane…

Anyway it is getting closer and closer to November and I am getting excited about NaNo already! I am pantsing it this year with just a title and a quick synopsis I made up to go on. The novel title is Lilypants and the unravelling thread. Which I came up with from a random nickname for a radio presenter over here in Guernsey! (no copywright infringement intended of course!) Anyway by pantsing it and having some great online writing buddies, it will hopefully go well. I will be moaning and groaning here in my creative blog, and writing down all my random plot thoughts.

Good luck to everyone this year, I am hopefully going to make this year my year!

“Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia.  ~E.L. Doctorow”

Last year when I was at university, I learnt how to make bracelets from a friend of mine. It quickly became addictive and the more I made, the more I enjoyed it. I made several for friends of mine whilst I was there and they were all so amazed at the skill and simplicity of them that they suggested that they pay for them. Now being the nice person I am I refused to accept any money from them, but it did get the idea rolling in my mind. As it is shortly going to be Christmas and New Year, I thought it was time to buy some more cotton and to start making bracelets again, and as usual I end up with more than what I need. So I have decided to start making 5 of them a day, so that come New Year, I can start taking my ‘wares’ as it were around all the car boot sales on a saturday morning and start making myself known to the locals. Which is always important when running a mini business if you like!

I’ll post pictures up eventually of the bracelets, but I obviously need to make like a hundred before New Year! Wish me luck!

Thank goodness I have stocked up on the sweeties this year, I have chocolate coated brazil nuts, chocolate coated peanuts, Percy Pigs and rosie apple sweets. I aim to be either in a hyperactive *OMG I MUST WRITE!!!* mood tonight, or possibly crash out in a few hours time. Like I said only time will tell.

Wish me luck!

“The pen is the tongue of the mind.” – Miguel de Cervantes

I think it looks pretty darn good in my opinion, it admittedly did not take as long as I thought it would. I thought that the significance of the dying roses was very relevant to the plot and idea of my novel for this year. As well it is a dark, sad kind of novel this year for me, instead of the usual fluff I write, I thought it was important to really push myself to do something completely out of my comfort zone writing wise,  and so the cover art reflects how Aphelia’s life has not come up roses, as they are all dead and black, but there is still yet some hope. I have yet to plan the conclusion etc over the next few days. But I am happy with this so far so good.

“Drawing and color are not separate at all; in so far as you paint, you draw. The more color harmonizes, the more exact the drawing becomes. When the color achieves richness, the form attains its fullness also.” ~ Paul Cézanne.”

Here is a christmas card that I drew for my ex who I never got a chance to give to, but as a piece of artwork, I thought I should keep it all the same:

I am actually quite happy with this, as it is based on this picture:

Now for some of my original artwork:

This was my only attempt at anime drawing, I might experiment with it some more in the future, but for now it is just an example.

This is a pattern that I did a while ago, it took an awfully long time to fill the page, but as I quite enjoy experimenting and coming up with my own patterns, I just could not resist!

This is yet another pattern, although slightly more defined as it is entitled ‘Love Links’ I drew it to represent the links between friends, families and lovers. I thought that this depicted it pretty well!

This is my drawing of flowers, as I work part time/seasonally in a flower centre, I thought it apt to draw a picture of flowers which really happened at random as I was just trying to do another pattern, but then drew the actual flowers and thought that I should draw it like this!

I love fairies, so I have drawn two pictures which I am very proud of, the first one is of a series I was going to draw of fairies based on the elements, but only managed to draw Earth and Fire, using the colours of brown, green and black for earth and red, orange and yellow for fire. However I could not figure out how to draw water and air, but I might attempt them in future:

I am very proud of this drawing I did based on a postcard my fiancee bought me from Mont St Michel which was of three fairies, I used the facial shape, wings, and hair style to base this drawing upon. I personally think that this is my best yet.

So recently I have been reading the great work that is known as Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, who I greatly admire and I love his use of language in classic literature. I have decided to do a series of drawings based upon Romeo and Juliet and have done two so far. The first one is based on the lines: “Two housholds, both alike in dignity, where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. A pair of star crossed lovers take their life.” This is of course from the prologue of Romeo and Juliet and I drew a picture of two stars over crossing, the house of Montague and Capulet either side, a pair of hands in the middle with blood dripping, and Romeo and Juliet lying dead at the bottom. This is it:

Then I did a drawing of their first meeting at Capulet’s party, based on the lines, “Romeo: My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stend. To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss. Juliet: For Saints have hands that pilgrim’s hands do touch. And palm to palm is Holy Palmer’s Kiss” I drew them at first meeting, with their hands touching palm to palm:

I think I will be doing some more drawings as I read through Romeo and Juliet, this is just my work so far, personally I think I was a bit out of proportion with that second drawing, but admittedly I need to work on that.

And that is it, all my best drawings for you to see. Click on them to see the image in full.

I shall leave you with this quote:

“Matisse makes a drawing, then he makes a copy of it. He recopies it five times, ten times, always clarifying the line. He’s convinced that the last, the most stripped down, is the best, the purest, the definitive one; and in fact, most of the time, it was the first. In drawing, nothing is better than the first attempt. ~ Pablo Picasso.”

The first one I did was of Belle from Beauty and the Beast I drew this as me and my friend were going to Southampton/Bournmouth for a holiday and we went to see Beauty and the Beast the musical, I copied it from an image I found online, here is the original, and my interpretation of it:

This is obviously the original, then there is mine:

Then I went onto do Ariel from The Little Mermaid which is one of my all time favourite films:

This is the original

My interpretation of it.

Then I did Cinderella, which is another classic:

Unfortunately, I do not know where the original is of this drawing, but in my opinion it is one of the best ones I have done thus far. Also I did a Ariel picture for a friend of mine:

And thus concludes my Disney drawings! I hope you enjoy them!

“It’s like rain on your wedding day
It’s a free ride when you’ve already paid
It’s the good advice that you just didn’t take
Who would’ve thought… it figures” -Ironic Alanis Morissette.

Anyway, I just thought that I should update with a more polished plot plan, and my first complete (I think!) character biography for my FMC. (Female Main Character.)

Life Doesn’t Always Come Up Roses.

Plan/Plot/Prep etc…

Plot line: (i.e. short summary) Escaping her father, Aphelia is on a life-changing journey to discover who her family are, with dark consequences that threaten the life that she knew.

Main idea/plot:

The FMC (female main character), Aphelia Falle lives at home with her lazy good for nothing father, he is all she has for family as her mother died of complications at birth. (but in actual fact she was murdered by her father’s gang.) Her father has dealings in drugs, and drinks heavily on a regular basis. Aphelia is constantly abused and blamed by her father for things she does not know about but will do in time. After one fateful night where her father over steps the boundaries and rapes her, robbing her of her innocence, she packs one bag with a few clothes, a picture of her mum and with a small amount of savings, escapes into the back streets of London.

On her journey she meets many different and interesting characters. The first one that she comes across is a prostitute by the name of Tabitha. Tabitha is a prostitute not by choice, but because that is the only way for her to make money in this day and age. Taking pity on the young girl, she takes Aphelia in to her grotty bedsit, which is not much, but is all that Aphelia can find at such short notice after escaping the clutches of her father. (for the first few chapters.)

Other plot points for the middle/end:

• Old drug dealers of her father harass Aphelia as her father owes them a lot of money.
• Tried to when younger, go to the authorities for help about her father, but they never helped her or caught him.
• Aphelia ends up somewhere far from home i.e. Europe or America.
• Aphelia finds and meets up with family from her Mother’s side (via the surname, Falle.) Each have their own dark pasts with issues of betrayal, lies etc. Possibility of her being abandoned/ dumped to her father after her mother being murdered.
• Possibility of meeting and falling in love with someone along the way, (MMC?) Won’t bring him in until the plot is well established.
• Also include flashbacks of her past etc.

Female Main Character Biography:

Physical:

Name: Aphelia Falle

Age: 19

Height: 5foot7

Weight: 10 stone 5lbs

Hair: Long red straight/wavy hair

Eyes: Soft brown doe like eyes

Walks with confidence, but is guarded. Always on the edge and ready to flee at any moment. Muscles are strong but small for her slender unassuming frame. She has a fringe of red hair hide her eyes. Defining feature is a small scar on the inside of her wrist from where she cut herself once as a child by falling through a window. Therefore her physicality is a quiet, unassuming although untrusting girl, she is strong. Appears weak due to the fact that from years of abuse, she doesn’t know how to react to certain situations and will either be sarcastic/cocky/interested or quiet and withdrawn. Has not been in many social situations.

Social:

She was public schooled and left at the age of 16 with 9 GCSE’s all at grade C and above. She really enjoyed school and learning, and had a few friends. However her father dragged her out of school and forced her into working at small gift shop, doing the tills and stacking shelves as well as being forced to sell drugs by her father. All of her money went to her father for his drink/drug habit and was therefore economically poor, yet saved up 10 pounds each week under her bed. When she leaves her father she has 520 pounds saved from the 3 years that she has worked. Aphelia does not believe in anything and holds the viewpoint that if there was a God he would have helped her by now. As far as she is concerned he does not exist. She is white and has no political inclinations as they are all a waste of space and never helped her when she needed it. Does not have many hobbies, but does enjoy reading occasionally, and listens to music as a form of escapism, dreaming of a better life.

Emotional:

She is very often lonely, isolated and feels like no one understands or knows what she has been through. She does not have any reason to trust anyone that she meets or knows. She has lacked a strong female role model as her mother died when she was young. She fears angry people, but will snap when provoked. Always scared that she will never escape the clutches of her father. She has never been able to have a relationship as she feels that she is never able to be close to anyone. Has always craved that intimacy with someone else. Her main goals and motivations are to find out who her mum’s family is and understand where she comes from. She is introverted and pessimistic as well as untrusting and hates being seen as vulnerable.

I am loving this so far, I think I have a pretty strong main female protaganist. Anyway my goals before NaNo start now are:

• To write all MC/SMC character biographies like the one above.
• Plan a conclusion
• Work on and polish other plot ideas
• Possibly think of some scenes.

And of course keep it all updated here in my creative blog! <3

“A writer doesn’t solve problems. He allows them to emerge.”- Friedrich Durrenmatt