#writerscoffeeclub 01/09/2024 What have been your ~~writing~~art-related achievements in the last year?
Publishing my first books 🤟🤟🤟
In case you would be interested, here’s the links
⁃ Ko-fi https://ko-fi.com/nautilebleu/shop/
⁃ Amazon https://mybook.to/EstherNErieChapter01
[Illustration: Covers of the Artbook and the Chapter One]
#writerscoffeeclub 02/09/2024 What is your favourite part of the writing process?
Storyboarding: this is the heart of doing comics.
[Illustration: Storyboard of Page 8 from Chapter One]
#bd #esther #erie #characterart #esthernerie #comics #indycomics #horror #victorian #steampunk #maid #harp #fediart #mastodonart #mastoart #creativetoots
#writerscoffeeclub 03/09/2024 Do ~~writers~~ artists read differently from non-~~writers~~artists?
I must admit, when I read a comics I am often more inclined to study how the pages work than just enjoying the story.
#writerscoffeeclub 04/09/2024 Do you have specific goals when creating a scene?
Immerse readers in the story and makes them feel the different emotions my characters go through. I reuse my art for #wordweavers yesterday’s question.
[Illustration: Excerpt from Page 6 of Chapter Two]
#bd #esther #erie #characterart #esthernerie #comics #indycomics #horror #victorian #steampunk #maid #harp #fediart #mastodonart #mastoart #creativetoots
#writerscoffeeclub 05/09/2024 What kind of birthday cake would your main character/s enjoy?
Esther always enjoys a lemon meringue pie, so she would ask Erie to prepare one for her birthday
#writerscoffeeclub 05/09/2024 Where is your book listed?
Go back to day 1! https://mamot.fr/@nautilebleu/113061018786135939
Attached: 2 images #writerscoffeeclub 01/09/2024 What have been your ~~writing~~art-related achievements in the last year? Publishing my first books 🤟🤟🤟 In case you would be interested, here’s the links ⁃ Ko-fi https://ko-fi.com/nautilebleu/shop/ ⁃ Amazon https://mybook.to/EstherNErieChapter01 [Illustration: Covers of the Artbook and the Chapter One]
#writerscoffeeclub 07/09/2024 What genre are you least likely to write? Why?
Children books. It’s probably the opposite of what Esther and Erie is.
#writerscoffeeclub 08/09/2024 The Hero's Journey is garbage. Discuss.
I fully agree. I really try to make Esther’s story to be the opposite.
#writerscoffeeclub 09/09/2024 Do you go to book festivals?
Yes and I will attend two the last weekends of September.
[Illustrations: some arts given to future buyers]
#writerscoffeeclub 10/09/2024 Do your characters have birthdays or anniversaries during your story?
No, so no lemon meringue pie for Esther (see day 5)
#writerscoffeeclub 11/09/2024 Do you ~~write~~create old-school or digital? A mix?
Mostly digital but there’s two moments during which I often practice traditionally:
⁃ Storyboarding: it can be surprising because it’s easier to redo/undo digitally, but I feel better the page’s area with a real piece of paper. Even if I do it digitally, I write text by hand
⁃ Custom arts: I progress a lot lately after doing many
[Illustrations: storyboard sample & a custom art digital sketch/traditional art]
#writerscoffeeclub 12/09/2024 How do you visualise a scene when writing it?
I draw it 😁. I imagine most scenes in my head like if it was a movie, with movements, zooms and travellings.
Then I have to pick the best shots so most informations are kept while decomposing the scene into panels, especially movements. Someone once wrote that comics are the art of the blank between the panels and I agree more and more as I progress.
[Illustrations: Draft vs WIP of page 7 from Chapter Two]
#writerscoffeeclub 13/09/2024 Do you reuse characters?
I recycle nearly everything ♻️ Erie has started in a totally different story in 2005.
[Illustrations: First art of Erie]
#writerscoffeeclub 14/09/2024 Do you read non-fiction, and if so, for pleasure, research or both?
Yes, the two last ones were biographies of extraordinary women: Hedy Lamar and Theodora.
I read the bio of the Byzantine Empress after visiting Ravenna last year, especially the basilica San Vitale.
I have an idea for a story about her, involving time travel, maybe it will be my next project after Ester and Erie.
[Illustrations: Cover of Virginie Girod’s book and photo of Theodora mosaic]
15/09/2024 Name check any #writerscoffeeclub members who've inspired you or helped you in the last year.
You’re all amazing, thanks for being there in all your diversity! You’re too numerous but nothing would have been possible wo @johnhowesauthor
@anderlandbooks @AnnaSaultron @TheAuthorVivian @nillyrobot @HeliaXyana @NaraMoore @ixtlidekami @gahlearner
#writerscoffeeclub 16/09/2024 Name check your cover artist, even if it's yourself. Share your best cover.
It’s me ☺️
I don’t have much covers but I really like what I did for the Chapter One: I think it introduces pretty well the two heroines and creates a tension.
[Illustrations: The Chapter One of Esther and Erie]
[EDIT: fix date]
#writerscoffeeclub 17/09/2024 Do you agree with Somerset Maugham, who said, "There are three rules for writing a novel.
Unfortunately, no one knows what they are."
I’m pretty sure one of this rules has 42 as answer.
#writerscoffeeclub 18/09/2024 Do you believe the magic happens in the edit, or do you have a different approach?
When doing a comics, the magic is supposed to happen during storyboarding. That said I am baffled by how I can change the dialogues (both in form and in substance) at the very last moment.
#writerscoffeeclub 19/09/2024 Do you include bodily functions in your stories (do your characters poo)?
The story spans over 6 days, so certainly characters have to pee and poo but I don’t show this. Esther is too distinguished for me to show her like in such situation. But I show grooming and dressing.
[Illustrations: draft of Page 15 from Chapter Two]
#writerscoffeeclub 20/09/2024 How do you commemorate hitting a milestone?
I’ll move on to the next. Drawing on a daily basis is my reward, I don’t feel the need to do more (well, ok, if one day Esther and Erié is signed with a publisher or if the comic is adapted on Netflix or Apple TV, I may organise a little party)
#writerscoffeeclub 21/09/2024 Do you ever get inspiration from dreams?
Nearly everything comes from dreams. I wonder if this is why dreams take such a big place in the story?
#writerscoffeeclub 22/09/2024 Would you ever pay for a review? Or have you? Do you feel it's worth it?
Nope
[Illustrations: Esther meets Lady D’Arcy]
#writerscoffeeclub 23/09/2024 Ursula K Le Guin said that Earthsea began when she drew a map. What's your starting point?
In a dream (see day 21 https://mamot.fr/@nautilebleu/113174446874700815)
#writerscoffeeclub 21/09/2024 Do you ever get inspiration from dreams? Nearly everything comes from dreams. I wonder if this is why dreams take such a big place in the story?
#writerscoffeeclub 24/09/2024 How do you feel about fan fiction?
It’s great! When people starts to adopt (and adapt) your universe, it means it has become a thing bigger than you and will stay.
@nautilebleu
It's an interesting difference between graphic novels and all-prose works: in graphic novels the cover is introducing the characters exactly as you'll see them in the story. Your cover is a good example: I want to know who these ladies are, and I know I'll be meeting them and finding out when I open the book.
When there are no pictures in the story itself, the cover art can't honestly do that, and it can mislead or set inaccurate expectations.
@petealexharris that’s true and that’s probably one of the reasons for a long time, in France, “true” novels were supposed to have a uniform cover without any art (like first image). If your novel had a cover with an illustration (like the 2nd image) you were doing sub literature (aka Romans de gare/railways stations novels)
So not to speak if you’re doing a comic book 😅
Luckily things have changed now
I know which of those I'd rather pick up for entertainment.
@petealexharris especially as I choose a novel from Frederic Dard, who is now considered as a classic 🙃
He was one of the first to heavily use slang in his books, making them very down to earth (in fact even the title is in slang, “Chez les gones” means “in Lyon” (big town in France)
@johnhowesauthor many thanks 🙏 I really enjoy your prompts, especially the July one about the WIP, it was excellent 👌
@anderlandbooks @AnnaSaultron @TheAuthorVivian @nillyrobot @HeliaXyana @NaraMoore @ixtlidekami @gahlearner
~~Art of Goulwen R~~ [Closed]
Kurt Hohmann
David Scott Moyer
Pete Alex Harris🦡🕸️🌲/∞🪐∫
John Howes
Ixtli Dekami 
🍕⚾🖖
John Hartley Writer