Heather Massey's The Galaxy Express blog recently hosted a three-part article series called Branding Science Fiction that has stirred up discussion on the net about what is and isn't Science Fiction Romance--and why we should care.
Here's an interesting discussion on the Fierce Romance blog [Science Fiction...for Women?] that you shouldn't miss, for the amusing quotes if not the discussion of SFR elements.
Ella Drake posts a humorous account entitled Green Goo: It's a Technical Term on The Raven Happy Hour blog that explores how science can create the basis for some fabulous What If? world building.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Discoveries in DC
I'm currently in Washington DC for David's retirement in a ceremony at the Pentagon. (His mandatory retirement date came up early because he started his career very young.) As a little side trip, I visited the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum today. What a motherlode for a SFR writer!
I got to venture inside Skylab to see the mechanics of many things we take for granted on a daily basis are adapted to the space environment. Like showers, a collapsible tube that is pulled up from the floor, locked to the ceiling and has a hand held sprayer. Can you imagine the chaos of showering in Zero G? The dinner table was a four-topper with a funny contraption that reminded me a bit of a pomma-lift from my skiing days. It had two pararllel horizontal bars attached to the floor with a small vertical post. The astronaut would slide his or her thighs between them in order to stay in place while they ate their meal, which was contained in plastic bags or containers. Yeah, chairs would be pretty useless in a weightless environmentl.
I also saw a 3-D IMAX movie on the International Space Station that was nothing short of awesome and gave me some wonderful :head movies" for my current WIP. This up close and personal look at the origins and construction of the ISS, in addition to actual scenes from inside, outside and "day of a life in" had my muse doing jumping jacks. Ah yes, a Skiffy Rommer's idea of heaven. :)
I also spent a lot of time in the solar system exhibit learning what I could about our neighbors in this little corner of space and the size and composition and other facts about the various planets and moons for my current WIP.
But one of the most pleasant and fascinating surprises I stumbled across was the artwork of astronaut Alan Bean. Bean who was on the second Apollo flight to land on the Moon--Apollo 12. In later years, his need to expess his experiences emerged through his amazing artwork. I can't post these remarkable paintings here because due to the copyright notice, but I can link to a just a few of a gallery that had me spellbound.
Is Anybody Out There?
Awe-inspiring.
An American Success Story
A patriotic statement--lunar style.
Mother Earth
You've probably seen the poster Earthrise. This is Bean's version.
Conquistadors
Being a New Mexican, the title of this one held a special meaning for me.
The Fantasy
This was a fantasy portrait of the three astronauts in Beans team--himself, Pete Conrad and Dick Gordon, standing on the surface of a Moon. It's a fantasy because, of course, Gordon was piloting the command module and never reached the surface of the Moon during the mission.
Now let me call your attention to this one: Neil Armstrong
This painting clearly shows Bean's texturing process, which is to use the sole of an actual moon boot to add detail to the work. He also uses a pick axe that was used on the surface of the Moon.
Go to this page for an introduction in Bean's own words and a videos about Alan Bean's artwork.
It was a very fun and edicuational day. I hope to get back the the Air & Space museum soon. (Besides, I missed the starship flight simulator! Must. Go. Back :))
I got to venture inside Skylab to see the mechanics of many things we take for granted on a daily basis are adapted to the space environment. Like showers, a collapsible tube that is pulled up from the floor, locked to the ceiling and has a hand held sprayer. Can you imagine the chaos of showering in Zero G? The dinner table was a four-topper with a funny contraption that reminded me a bit of a pomma-lift from my skiing days. It had two pararllel horizontal bars attached to the floor with a small vertical post. The astronaut would slide his or her thighs between them in order to stay in place while they ate their meal, which was contained in plastic bags or containers. Yeah, chairs would be pretty useless in a weightless environmentl.
I also spent a lot of time in the solar system exhibit learning what I could about our neighbors in this little corner of space and the size and composition and other facts about the various planets and moons for my current WIP.
But one of the most pleasant and fascinating surprises I stumbled across was the artwork of astronaut Alan Bean. Bean who was on the second Apollo flight to land on the Moon--Apollo 12. In later years, his need to expess his experiences emerged through his amazing artwork. I can't post these remarkable paintings here because due to the copyright notice, but I can link to a just a few of a gallery that had me spellbound.
Is Anybody Out There?
Awe-inspiring.
An American Success Story
A patriotic statement--lunar style.
Mother Earth
You've probably seen the poster Earthrise. This is Bean's version.
Conquistadors
Being a New Mexican, the title of this one held a special meaning for me.
The Fantasy
This was a fantasy portrait of the three astronauts in Beans team--himself, Pete Conrad and Dick Gordon, standing on the surface of a Moon. It's a fantasy because, of course, Gordon was piloting the command module and never reached the surface of the Moon during the mission.
Now let me call your attention to this one: Neil Armstrong
This painting clearly shows Bean's texturing process, which is to use the sole of an actual moon boot to add detail to the work. He also uses a pick axe that was used on the surface of the Moon.
Go to this page for an introduction in Bean's own words and a videos about Alan Bean's artwork.
Getting Art: First Glimpse
Last night I had a big surprise in my email.
Step 5
A first glimpse of my cover art for P2PC!
All I can say is....wow! It's dramatic and some of the elements are downright awesome.
(If you missed my earlier post on Getting Art, you can scroll down to read it.)
I'm sure it takes every writer time to "absorb" the first look at their cover art, since the image can never be exactly how you had it pictured in your head. The cover is meant to suggest big picture concepts like mood, tone, genre and theme of the story. Some of the elements went far beyond the bounds of my imagination while others were very close to what I pictured. I can't tell you how many times I opened...and closed...and re-opened the file again to take another look. :)
Here are my impressions:
Characters: Very, very close...amazingly close to my mental portraits...based on the few excerpts and descriptions I'd provided. Nathalie did a wonderful job capturing their essence. I did suggest a wardrobe tweak for Zjel that I thought was important along with a minor "prop" adjustment.
Layout: Not quite what I'd pictured (as a non-artist, y'understand), but the image is powerful in scope and perfect in capturing the SF theme. The more I study the design the better I like it. It has drama and flair that my "head image" was totally lacking.
The Ship: I loved how the ship was used in relationship to the overall design. Brilliant!
Background: Perfect for the SFR genre and the story I'm trying to tell. It wasn't a concerpt that I'd thought of or described to Nathalie, so I think she had some ESP going for her! It subliminally suggests the larger story behind the introduction of the two MCs and main character Zjel which isn't apparent in the first few chapters.
Colors: More subtle than I pictured, but they work very well. I made one request on color adjustment of an element, but I'm not sure how it will affect the overall product, so I'll go with the expert's opinion on that point.
Font: I like the futuristic fonts used and the stark simplicity of it. The easy-to-read lettering doesn't overpower the details related via the images.
What's next? I've sent Nathalie (Kanaxa) my suggestions for tweaks or changes, asking if they're doable, but I think we may be very close to a final product on the cover design.
So that's the status report to date. I'm really enjoying the whole experience of working with the artist on my cover design. Most authors don't have the opportunity for this level of interaction with the designer. The decisions about the cover art are made by the publishing house, the marketing department and/or the artist they contract and the author has little or no input until the work is complete. What you see is what you get. (Though I understand from my peers that a few of the e-publishers are a little more interactive with the authors than the big paper publishers.)
If I step into the publishers shoes for a minute, I can relate to their point of view. The author is the expert in creating and developing the story, but once the contract is signed, the publisher is investing their dollars into the packaging and marketing and in that area they have the expertise, not the author. (Unless, of course, you happen to be a cover art designer and an author, like Nathalie Gray.)
That said however, I can relate to my peers' dismay when a cover is released with an MC that doesn't match the story's description--wrong color hair, wrong look, etc. And I often ponder the covers that give me an impression of the MC--clean-cut, short hair--but the story presents a very different MC, i.e. long hair, spikey hair, etc.. Just my humble opinion, but hair style and length does make a visual statement about the character. Do you agree?
Stay tuned for more on the process...and the final unveiling of the P2PC cover art on this blog.
Step 5
A first glimpse of my cover art for P2PC!
All I can say is....wow! It's dramatic and some of the elements are downright awesome.
(If you missed my earlier post on Getting Art, you can scroll down to read it.)
I'm sure it takes every writer time to "absorb" the first look at their cover art, since the image can never be exactly how you had it pictured in your head. The cover is meant to suggest big picture concepts like mood, tone, genre and theme of the story. Some of the elements went far beyond the bounds of my imagination while others were very close to what I pictured. I can't tell you how many times I opened...and closed...and re-opened the file again to take another look. :)
Here are my impressions:
Characters: Very, very close...amazingly close to my mental portraits...based on the few excerpts and descriptions I'd provided. Nathalie did a wonderful job capturing their essence. I did suggest a wardrobe tweak for Zjel that I thought was important along with a minor "prop" adjustment.
Layout: Not quite what I'd pictured (as a non-artist, y'understand), but the image is powerful in scope and perfect in capturing the SF theme. The more I study the design the better I like it. It has drama and flair that my "head image" was totally lacking.
The Ship: I loved how the ship was used in relationship to the overall design. Brilliant!
Background: Perfect for the SFR genre and the story I'm trying to tell. It wasn't a concerpt that I'd thought of or described to Nathalie, so I think she had some ESP going for her! It subliminally suggests the larger story behind the introduction of the two MCs and main character Zjel which isn't apparent in the first few chapters.
Colors: More subtle than I pictured, but they work very well. I made one request on color adjustment of an element, but I'm not sure how it will affect the overall product, so I'll go with the expert's opinion on that point.
Font: I like the futuristic fonts used and the stark simplicity of it. The easy-to-read lettering doesn't overpower the details related via the images.
What's next? I've sent Nathalie (Kanaxa) my suggestions for tweaks or changes, asking if they're doable, but I think we may be very close to a final product on the cover design.
So that's the status report to date. I'm really enjoying the whole experience of working with the artist on my cover design. Most authors don't have the opportunity for this level of interaction with the designer. The decisions about the cover art are made by the publishing house, the marketing department and/or the artist they contract and the author has little or no input until the work is complete. What you see is what you get. (Though I understand from my peers that a few of the e-publishers are a little more interactive with the authors than the big paper publishers.)
If I step into the publishers shoes for a minute, I can relate to their point of view. The author is the expert in creating and developing the story, but once the contract is signed, the publisher is investing their dollars into the packaging and marketing and in that area they have the expertise, not the author. (Unless, of course, you happen to be a cover art designer and an author, like Nathalie Gray.)
That said however, I can relate to my peers' dismay when a cover is released with an MC that doesn't match the story's description--wrong color hair, wrong look, etc. And I often ponder the covers that give me an impression of the MC--clean-cut, short hair--but the story presents a very different MC, i.e. long hair, spikey hair, etc.. Just my humble opinion, but hair style and length does make a visual statement about the character. Do you agree?
Stay tuned for more on the process...and the final unveiling of the P2PC cover art on this blog.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Getting Art
Sorry for my hiatus on this subject. I ran into some problems behind the scenes with my cover art design, namely the orginal designer has been pretty much incommunicado. But!...I'm now very pleased to report I've found another designer and we've been very busy working on the cover art design for P2PC.
And even more exciting? My designer is a Skiffy Rommer! You can see Nathalie Gray's books on her website. And you can see her wonderful portfolio of covers on her artist site, Kanaxa. I discovered her cover talent quite by accident when I stumbled upon an interview done by an author with cover art she'd designed (via my Google search for "Science Fiction romance"). I took a look at her online portfolio and I was sold! I emailed her explaining the situation and she said she would be very happy to work with me on my cover design. (Woooooot!)
Just to clarify, P2PC has not yet been sold. The cover art is mainly for a site I'm designing for and about the novel.
As I previously mentioned, I hope to "unveil" the cover art on this blog, once it's complete. This artwork will be used on a new blog I'm setting up for P2PC (or the final title, whatever it may be).
So here's where we are in the process:
Step 1
I summarized my ideas for layout designs and sent the ;images of three book covers that I really liked, why I liked them, and a few possible ideas how the design concepts might be used for the P2PC cover. Ultimately, though, I'm leaving the design up to the expert.
Step 2
Nathalie asked for specifics on the story time frame, setting, main characters, tone or mood, ships, weaponry, other details, etc. I sent a collection of images I'd compiled of my three MCs, ideas of Specter's design and several excerpts to illustrate scenes from the story, such as MCs first encounter with the ship, with Zjel (major character) and with Drea (female MC) and other scenes that illustrated the characters, their dress, traits and interaction. We also discussed some ways of showing the characters without showing actual details of their faces hopefully without chopping off heads or turning the character's back to the reader. (This isn't a do or die necessity. I'm leaving that up to Nathalie.) I also sent some art resembling my mental images of Specter and details of her design. Since cover art is meant to reflect the general tone, mood, setting and elements of the story, I know the cover won't be exactly like what I'm picturing in my head. I'm very excited to see the end result but I told Nathalie to take her times. I'm not working under any deadlines here.
Step 3
Nathalie wanted clarification on one very important point on my cover ideas. My thoughts were that the two MCs and Zjel (a very major character) should be equally represented on the cover. Nathalie suggested that this treatment on the cover would imply the story was a menage a trois, which P2PC definitely is not. So I "rethunk" my ideas, and gave further input on possible ways to portray the two MCs and the major character without suggesting the story involves a menage.
Step 4
Now we're cooking. Nathalie informed me she's zeroed in on the the ship, the hero and Zjel, but she's still working on Drea (female MC). She wants a character that says "captain." I couldn't agree more. Meanwhile, I'm working on ideas for the backcover blurb.
And that's where we are to date. We've covered a lot of ground in the last couple of weeks. It's been a true joy working with Nathalie every step of the way, and I'm really looking forward to seeing the final product.
Now it's my turn to get to work on the back cover blurb.
Stay tuned for more on my Getting Art series.
And even more exciting? My designer is a Skiffy Rommer! You can see Nathalie Gray's books on her website. And you can see her wonderful portfolio of covers on her artist site, Kanaxa. I discovered her cover talent quite by accident when I stumbled upon an interview done by an author with cover art she'd designed (via my Google search for "Science Fiction romance"). I took a look at her online portfolio and I was sold! I emailed her explaining the situation and she said she would be very happy to work with me on my cover design. (Woooooot!)
Just to clarify, P2PC has not yet been sold. The cover art is mainly for a site I'm designing for and about the novel.
As I previously mentioned, I hope to "unveil" the cover art on this blog, once it's complete. This artwork will be used on a new blog I'm setting up for P2PC (or the final title, whatever it may be).
So here's where we are in the process:
Step 1
I summarized my ideas for layout designs and sent the ;images of three book covers that I really liked, why I liked them, and a few possible ideas how the design concepts might be used for the P2PC cover. Ultimately, though, I'm leaving the design up to the expert.
Step 2
Nathalie asked for specifics on the story time frame, setting, main characters, tone or mood, ships, weaponry, other details, etc. I sent a collection of images I'd compiled of my three MCs, ideas of Specter's design and several excerpts to illustrate scenes from the story, such as MCs first encounter with the ship, with Zjel (major character) and with Drea (female MC) and other scenes that illustrated the characters, their dress, traits and interaction. We also discussed some ways of showing the characters without showing actual details of their faces hopefully without chopping off heads or turning the character's back to the reader. (This isn't a do or die necessity. I'm leaving that up to Nathalie.) I also sent some art resembling my mental images of Specter and details of her design. Since cover art is meant to reflect the general tone, mood, setting and elements of the story, I know the cover won't be exactly like what I'm picturing in my head. I'm very excited to see the end result but I told Nathalie to take her times. I'm not working under any deadlines here.
Step 3
Nathalie wanted clarification on one very important point on my cover ideas. My thoughts were that the two MCs and Zjel (a very major character) should be equally represented on the cover. Nathalie suggested that this treatment on the cover would imply the story was a menage a trois, which P2PC definitely is not. So I "rethunk" my ideas, and gave further input on possible ways to portray the two MCs and the major character without suggesting the story involves a menage.
Step 4
Now we're cooking. Nathalie informed me she's zeroed in on the the ship, the hero and Zjel, but she's still working on Drea (female MC). She wants a character that says "captain." I couldn't agree more. Meanwhile, I'm working on ideas for the backcover blurb.
And that's where we are to date. We've covered a lot of ground in the last couple of weeks. It's been a true joy working with Nathalie every step of the way, and I'm really looking forward to seeing the final product.
Now it's my turn to get to work on the back cover blurb.
Stay tuned for more on my Getting Art series.
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