How I became a Plotter: Crappy First Draft

   I have a friend who recently came to me for advice because she is feeling a little lost about who she is and what she should be doing with her life. She had done a lot of thinking up to that point and journal writing and still felt stressed. My advice was simply:

There is only so much thinking and planning and list making you can do before you HAVE to get out there and test the waters. Try out some ideas and see if they work for you. If they don't move on to the next but TAKE ACTION! 

Little did I know, I was going to have to take my own advice.

Apparently, a problem with being a plotter is getting stuck in the plotting stage. I started thinking about all those little tips from writers/publishers/agents that all advised to “Write a crappy first draft.”

Their words nagged and irritated me because the "crappy first draft" feels completely counterintuitive to my new “I'm gonna be a plotter” approach. Just sit down and write out a stupid first draft? Even if my character decides to end a pointless argument with, You’re a stinky poo-poo head? Where is the method in that? Where is the strategy?!

 In my pantser days, I thought a crappy first draft was simply a reminder to not get distracted by editing as I write, but it’s not and it definitely is NOT in contradiction to Plotterism.* Here's why:

1. Getting stuck in plotting phase is such a plotter hazard it’s important to get started or else you never will. There are endless things to make lists about and research and post-it note. You could seriously do it forever. At some point you have to cut yourself off and just begin. You may not feel ready but that's okay, get started and allow yourself to write some crap. Pat yourself on the back when a scene is truly crappy, you got it down! You can mold it later.

2. You will not REALLY be able to see the shape of things (your story) and get a feel for the mood and the real creative stuff until you get the whole ball of clay (or crap) on the table.


So, here’s the deal. Some online friends started a NaNoWriMo NOT in November. Initially, I was like, “Yeah, no...I'm plotting (foreverrrrr).” But after so wisely advising the friend I mentioned above, I realized, I have to do it. This is a crucial step in the whole plotting procedure. And now that I view it as just another step - another thing to check off the plotting list - it's not such a big deal. Hooray for checklists!

Anyway, wish me luck. Crappy first draft, you're mine.


Next Time: Setting Goals
Previous Post: Surprise!(Just when you think you have it all plotted out)

*Yes, I made that word up.

Squash in Progress

Since many of you enjoyed seeing how I created "The Rebel", I decided to do another art-in-progress post. This one is of my sweet little creativity mascot, Squash. He recently wriggled his way into a new children's book story idea.

First, I sketch in Photoshop CS5. This one is fairly clean but without much detail:

 

Next I choose/refine my lines and add details. I usually do this traditionally, with ink and paper, but I've been trying to make the move over to digital. You can still see the sketchiness in the under layers here:

 

 

Now it's time to pick my colors and block them in. I really enjoy doing this part in Photoshop because if I'm not sure about a color (which is often) I can easily play around with them until I'm satisfied:

Finally, I shade and add highlights. I think many pro artists who understand Photoshop better than I have ways of using its lighting tools to make this step easier, but I pick my shadow and highlight colors using the trial and error experience I've gained creating art with colored pencils:

 

There he is! Such a sweet little guy! He's got nothing but love...and spikey tentacles.

 

 



The Crystal Method

From time to time, I've had people ask how I create some of my drawings and this week I had the presence of mind to save each stage of the progress of my latest drawing, The Rebel.

I start with a rough sketch. Really rough...in the past this stage took about five sketches/pieces of paper. Now I'm down to one. Go me!

Next, I do, what I like to call, a clean sketch. I choose my lines, I add detail (clothes and hair), and I fix her wonky left hand.

Now I get to ink! I love inking, it's calming somehow. Basically inking is just tracing my lines and refining them even more. Not a lot of thinking, just pulling and curving an art pen over clean, white paper. I use a light box to see my pencil lines on the paper beneath.

Now for the stressful fun. I have a serious love/hate thing going on with coloring. I love color, I hate the process. It takes me forever and I always second guess myself. Anyway, I scan my inked drawing into Photoshop and start blocking out my colors. Then I start adding highlights and shadows. I do this with a mouse. All of it. *grumble* I really want a tablet.

After a lot of grumbling I get to a point where I can add fun details, like blood and tears. Then I flatten my layers, save, and post it for the masses. ;)

Hope you enjoyed this and hope you have a great Friday!!!

<3 Crystal