November is just around the corner. The Painted Ship (Chronicles of Almoriden Book 4) is just about out of the editing stage, and I hope to have it ready for a December release date. I will begin editing The Sapphire Gate (Book 5) in January. I will start writing the first draft of Book 6 on November 1.
Novel prep is not something that I put a lot of time into. Generally, I figure out a starting point and an ending point, and I figure out the middle as I write the book. However, Book 6 of the series seems different for me. The Painted Ship and The Sapphire Gate feel like launching points for the characters in my stories. Book 6 seems more of a landing point that needs more consideration.
I do not want to spoil anything from a book I have not written yet, but I am spending a little more time this year prepping for Book 6, and I thought it would be fun to share my prepping process.
I am not very talented at drawing (after all, I started writing because I found that writing was easier than making the art for a graphic novel), but visualizing helps me focus and makes the ideas more real than the tentative words. I like to devote half of my page to notes and the other half to a drawing.
I want to shout-out my friends at Ox & Pine who made my novel notebook. It is a prototype, but it has served me well over the years. It is refillable and holds my fountain pen. It fits in my pocket and protects the valuable notes and sketches. They have many options, and it is worth checking them out, especially if you are looking for a journaling solution.
My notebook contains the inscription "Don't get it right. Get it written." First drafts are where the mistakes are made. Most notes have question marks and are subject to change. Prepping is about collecting all the ideas I can, so I can pick the best ones to include in my first draft. Many of the ideas go unused, but I have them saved in my notebook.
I almost exclusively use my fountain pens for novel prep. There is something special about cleaning the pen, filling it with ink, and writing with stained fingertips. Almost all my writing is done on my computer or phone. Scratching raw ideas on the paper pages is a tactile experience that I miss most of the year.
When I write my novel, I rarely consult my notes. Instead, I let the story unfold from my mind and record what happens.
Here are a few drawings I have so far. I have crossed out the notes. I hope you enjoy them!
In addition, I have been looking for cover art that works well with the concepts I am exploring. I always create a cover for my book before NaNoWriMo. The first cover does not always end up being the final cover, but it is an important placeholder. The cover makes the novel real, even before it is written. Usually, this means pouring over databases of public domain artwork. However, I have been using the AI image creator Dall-E 2 to bring some of my ideas to life. Here are a few concepts I am considering for the cover:
I should be announcing the working title of this novel as we get closer to NaNoWriMo. Until then, be sure to get caught up on The Chronicles of Almoriden at www.amazon.com/dp/B08MLCD8V5. Don't forget to write a nice review!
Also check out my friends at Ox & Pine at www.facebook.com/oxandpine/shop.