On Writing and Illustration

Slightly Distracted

2012-02-23T19:49:00.001-08:00

Unfortunately, the last two weeks have been a bit off for me. I feel like I've been hit by one thing right after the other. That said, I'm hoping to get some work done this weekend. Here is the final composition for the Blue Flask along with an untidy color sketch for the same.
As for the final comp, when you compare it to the earlier postings, you'll notice that the characters are moved around just a bit. It's different from my original thumbnails, but, ultimately, I think it's stronger. The silhouette value is much higher and there are no stray limbs (read fairy leg) growing out of the boy's arm. And the colors? Well... I think i've settled on a more muted and limited palette (not as muted and limited as below but...). Let's get this one done already : )

A Quick Doodle While I'm Waiting

2012-02-16T20:50:00.000-08:00

Because I also write, I will often sit and stare at a blank computer screen and force myself to come up with things to write about. And while this exercise occasionally brings useable ideas to the surface, it more often produces only snippets of ideas—fleeting fragments that have no beginning, no middle, and no end. So here's a doodle based on something that popped into my brain a couple weeks ago. I may never do anything else with it, but I thought it was, perhaps, a little bit interesting...

There is magic in us all, though not all of us know it. Still, sometimes it leaks out when we are most unaware.

Down The Road A Bit

2012-02-10T20:03:00.000-08:00

So here's an image after continuing on from the last post. I took what I had there, made a pencil drawing (still not complete), then colored a bit in PS to get more of an idea of where I was going. From here I'll finish the background drawing. After that, we're on to paint... maybe.

A Peek Behind The Curtain

2012-02-09T10:14:00.000-08:00

Though I don't use the computer to create a final image, I will often employ one to get me through some of the preliminary work. You can see here that some of the elements are drawn, and some of the elements are computer generated. I brought the drawn images into Adobe Illustrator; and with a basic idea in mind, I began to lay in the rest of the pieces. It's obviously not all there, but it helps me see where things are maybe gonna live. And the reason I used Illustrator versus drawing it outright boils down to speed and convenience. Since virtually everything in the background is based around straight lines, it was easier for me to drop in simple shapes than to draw and erase till I got what I wanted. Doing it this way I can quickly try on different ideas without wasting a lot of time. That said, once I finalize this part, I will go back and draw all the Illustrator elements with the desired degree of detail.


At this point I don't worry about things like floors and doors that overlap foreground characters :)

New Project: The Blue Flask

2012-02-06T19:59:00.000-08:00

I'm in the middle of working out all my drawings for this next project. But instead of waiting for everything to be done before posting, I'll just put things up as I get them finished. Here are two of three character drawings for this illustration. I've got one more character and the background, then I'm on to paint.

On the boy you'll notice that I ran out of room for his feet, so I taped the drawing to another piece of paper.

And in case you're wondering, I do almost all my preliminary drawings on printer paper... Nice printer paper, mind you. But printer paper nonetheless. I find it to be super erasable, able to handle a lot of abuse, and smooth enough for fine detail at small-ish sizes. Honestly, I've tried the sketchbook thing. And I like the romance of it. But it just doesn't happen for me... Perhaps one day.

Mouse Meets Turtle

2012-01-31T18:52:00.000-08:00

Well, I've made it to the end of another one. There are two other's in this series that have yet to be completed, but I think I'm going to switch directions and do something a little different from what I had planned. I did a number of thumbnail sketches today, and it got me pumped for some other projects. We'll see where it all goes.

While We're At It...

2012-01-27T08:05:00.000-08:00

Well, I figured we may as well keep going... I dug out a few more things from my late teens and early twenties. Out of high school I found that there was decent money to be made doing portraits. So that's what I did. The three black and whites were done with an oil drybrush technique. This style was often requested. The angel was just a personal piece (oil on canvas).

Memory Lane

2012-01-26T06:10:00.000-08:00

So last night I took a walk down memory lane. For the fun of it, I went digging through my past to uncover old drawings, paintings, and other random pieces. I pulled a selection of them to share here. I tried to get a range of works, starting from when I was about 11. I'll do my best to put them in the right order. Note: The captions are not lining up properly... at least not on my machine. I apologize .


I remember doing this one. It was a pair of Christmas bears. I set them up	and did a still life. I recall doing a number of life drawings at that point.


Charles Barkley... I'm gonna go with about age 13 on this	one. It's difficult to recall exactly, but I remember a specific event around the time I did this. I think I'm close.


Anybody ever read this version of the reluctant dragon? I think I was 14 or 15.


I believe this is the first oil painting I ever did—in all its	Bob Ross glory. Somewhere along the line this one got into some water. I'm gonna go with age 15 on this one.


I was in my junior year of high school when I did this one. Judging by the	detail, I obviously had way too much time on my hands. But I love the reflections.

The Mossy Rock

2012-01-24T21:26:00.000-08:00

There are a few things left to do to make the mossy rock exactly what I want it to be... But I'm close. That said, I'm really happy with how the thimble turned out.

The Mouse Gets Paint

2012-01-22T20:02:00.000-08:00

I've had a bit if time the last couple days to lay down some paint. It's not all there, but most of the hard stuff is out of the way. We'll see if I can't wrap this one up by the end of the week.
Just a side note about the way I paint: As you can tell by some of my posts, I tend to work an area to near completion before I move on. In this case I've brought the mouse up to a point where there's little left to do. Some people can work the entire painting at once, refining with each subsequent layer. For me, I need to know my main elements are working well before I feel comfortable enough to move on. Probably fear of commitment :-)

Shiloh Underdrawing

2012-01-16T17:52:00.000-08:00

Here's the underdrawing for a new illustration. One of the original sketches used for this was posted a few weeks back. It's hard to tell here, but the creature in the background is a turtle. This is number two in a series of three. When seen together it should all make sense... I hope.

Illustration, Art, Picture Books, Writing, John Voss, Jonathan Voss, Jonathan David Voss, John David Voss, Drawing, Painting, CF Payne, Gregory Manchess, PJ Lynch, Norman Rockwell, Chris Van Allsburg, Watercolor, Children's Books, Kid's Books, Technique, How To Draw, Craft, JD Voss, john voss, john david voss, jonathan voss, jonathan david voss, jon voss, Jon Voss, John Voss Illustration, Jonathan Voss Illustration, JD Voss Illustration.

Time To Let Go

2012-01-14T11:55:00.000-08:00

Well... It's finally time. I think I can let this one go now. There will probably always be things about it that make me want to pick up a brush again. But at some point you've just got to walk away. So walk away I will. Still, I'm happy to leave it where it is.

I've included a few closeups below. They're just cropped selections from the full image, so I apologize for the lack of clarity.

CyBoy And The Girl

2012-01-10T13:55:00.000-08:00

So the narrative in my mind was something along the lines of: CyBoy falls for real girl. He picks a flower, hides it behind his back and waits for her. But there's a tinge of sadness in his face. He soon realizes that the girl does not return his affection...

To be continued... maybe. This was just a doodle that I thought was interesting. Perhaps I'll expand on the idea later.

Closing In And Pulling My Hair Out

2012-01-02T16:56:00.000-08:00

So I carved out a little time over the holidays to make some more progress on this piece. I'm closing in on the finish, and I can't wait. As with anything else, there are always things I wish I could change. But all things considered, I'm happy.
I did have a couple frustrating moments while painting in the blue background: I began to rush, so more than once I flicked specks of dark blue paint into lighter areas of the painting. Guess, perhaps, I was asking for it. Onward.

Colors aren't reproducing as they appear in real life. But I guess I'm not
expecting them to just yet.

More Progress

2011-12-13T19:52:00.000-08:00

Well, I've had a bit more time to paint... It's not all there. But most of the tedious stuff is done, and it's starting to look like something... maybe...

Generally, all that's left is the floor, the background, and a couple odds
and ends. It should come together pretty quickly now.

Jimmy

2011-12-08T08:44:00.000-08:00

The other day I was digging through some old files and found this pencil drawing I had done a while back. I think I was just messing around and never really finished it... Nonetheless, there are elements of it that I really like, and I thought it worth putting up... If my memory serves me correctly, I think it was an exercise in value. There are surely easier things to draw—like an egg—that would serve the same purpose. But perhaps I had lots of extra time on my hands that day...

Jimmy

About A Mouse

2011-12-07T09:31:00.000-08:00

Here's a sketch from a series of paintings already in progress. The concept for this series is pulled from another of my PB manuscripts... I know agents and editors are saying no more animals, but... honestly, I just couldn't help myself!

A New Project

2011-12-06T17:29:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm back... I think... at least for a little while... until I get distracted again.

But here's the latest: I'm working on a two-page spread portfolio piece. The concept was pulled from one of my completed PB manuscripts.

This piece has been done in watercolor up to this point. I will likely finish up with touches of gouache to punch up the brightest brights and deepen the darkest darks.

You'll see that the concept and size have changed a bit from the original drawing (first picture). I don't like to mess with things midstream, but I just wasn't satisfied with where I was at. Actually, the last image here doesn't represent the most recent round of changes. I'll post that shortly...

Here's the original preliminary drawing. In the images below you'll see
that the size (aspect ratio) has changed considerably.

The beginning. I work on illustration board so there's no printing of the
pencil drawing. If I screw up, it's literally back to the drawing board.

Moving right along... More progress here. But I'm getting to the dreaded
point where I'm starting to dislike things... All I can do now is push on.

Gregory Manchess Speed Painting

2011-05-27T19:00:00.000-07:00

This is one of my all-time favorite illustrators. He's a phenomenal painter and a super nice guy.

Massive Black has a two part video series of him doing his thing. You can purchase part one here and part two here. This, however, is a speed painting unrelated to the series but still awesome. Enjoy!

Like A Wee Leprechaun In Search Of His Gold

2011-05-27T07:55:00.000-07:00

Last evening I went to my local SCBWI group meeting. With critiques in hand, I was poised to strike like a cheetah stalking a gazelle.

I arrived late, so I slipped in like a burglar through a back door. When I sat down, the group was feverishly writing from a prompt. I pulled out my computer and went to work. We were all pounding our keyboards like procrastinating student's working on an overdue paper.

When time was called, I sat back in my chair and twitched nervously like a cat's tail—I'm not fond of reading in front of people, but I was going to anyway.

I was the last to go, and my stomach churned like the waters of a great tempest. I took a deep breath and started to read. Before I knew it, it was all over. I had survived.

Next, we began our critiques. I dished out criticisms like Simon Cowell on steroids. I was ruthless like a rabid badger protecting its young. I took no prisoners.

When it was over, I felt bad. But at the end of the day, I realized it's all about getting better. Now I look forward to the next meeting when my own manuscript will be shredded like cheese from a grater.

Okay... If you have no idea what point it is I'm trying to make, you may be a guilty culprit.

Here's the deal: Watch the analogies. Use them VERY sparingly or not at all. Show me what you're really trying to say. And at the very least, if you do use this sort of thing, don't try to sound too writerly. It can end up sounding forced like a ten pound sound trying to come out of a five pound box.

The Difference Between Showing And Telling... Simplified

2011-05-23T10:29:00.000-07:00

I was thinking the other day, again, on the whole idea of show and tell. I wondered if there was a way to break it down into super simple terms.

In the past we've given examples. And we know that there will be, both, show and tell in any writing. But how can we really break it down?

Well, I did some thinking, and I did a little researching. And here's what I came up with: The easiest way to judge a telling sentence is to ask, "How do we know this?" Let me explain.

If we were to write: The dog was scared. The question then becomes: How do we know the dog was scared? What clues us in to the fact that the dog was scared? It's the clues that can become the showing.

So let's go a little further with this example.

The telling: The dog was scared.

The question: How do we know the dog was scared?

The answer: Tucked tail, shivering, and whimpering. (You could use any or all of these to show)

The showing: The dog tucked his tail and slunk into the corner.

By asking this simple question of a sentence, we learn how to show instead of tell.

And a point that's been made before: USE STRONG VERBS.

But at the end of the day, choosing between show and tell often comes down to story, pacing, and importance. Sometimes the right thing to do is simply state that the dog was scared. However, if story requires it, if the details are important, and if pacing allows... show it.

Can It!

2011-05-20T08:01:00.000-07:00

For the last month or two I've been working on a project that, at first, seemed like a good idea. And without muddying the point by going into story specifics, the other day I decided to can the project—at least for the foreseeable future.

It's not because I didn't like the story, or that I couldn't work out the plot, or that the ending sucked. No. It was simply a matter of passion... or lack thereof.

Every time I went to work on the story it felt forced. I dreaded and avoided working on it. It wasn't natural. I had no passion for it.

From that I figured: if this doesn't do it for me, why should I expect it will do it for someone else. Ultimately, I decided I wasn't the one to tell the story.

And let me be clear. The story was finished. I had all the pieces. I was just going through the process of fine tuning. So why would I quit?

Answer: If you don't love it, don't do it.

Don't write something just because you think it's a neat idea... there are enough of those out there. Write the story you're passionate about. Write the story you must tell. The one that won't let you go.

If you're passionate about your story, it will show in your writing. And it will be contagious to the reader.

Love it... Or can it!

Let It Marinate

2011-05-19T07:24:00.000-07:00

Just an update: Part three of the C. F. Payne illustration series will be up early next week. Unfortunately, I experienced some technical difficulties with the footage.

An argument for marinating: Sometimes the way to go is to take a chicken breast, slap some salt and pepper on it, then throw it on the grill bare naked. Other than, say, corn on the cob and watermelon, nothing makes me think of summer food more than the smokey flavor of a piece of grilled meat. And that bare naked chicken can be pretty darn good.

However, on the flip side, some of the best chicken I've ever had has first been marinated.

Now, I'm not gonna do a cooking lesson here, but my point—as it relates to writing—is this: Sometimes a story will simply fall in your lap, and all you have to do is write it down. It's a very "Wham! Bam! Thank you, ma'am" experience. It just happens.

But other times the best stories come from letting a single idea marinate.

For me, more often than not, I have to let my ideas marinate a long while. Collect some flavor. In fact, I can't give you one personal example where a story ended up looking exactly like the original thoughts. And that's likely a very good thing.

On my computer I keep a document entitled story ideas. In that document, I write all my brain farts as they come to me. Some of them stay brain farts. Some of them develop into other things. But most of the ideas are simply one-liners that, at some point in time, just popped into my head. There's no substance to the idea. There's no depth. No story, even. But that's why I let things marinate. The good stuff will rise to the top and develop. The bad stuff will fall away.

I spend time thinking about an idea. I play with it in my head. I ask a lot of "what if" questions. I move the characters around. I think about personalities and plot. I could be driving or laying in bed at night; but by giving my ideas time to grow without forcing words, the end result is stronger. And the process is far more enjoyable.

In conclusion, don't be in a rush to write the next great thing. Let your ideas mature. Give them space. Let them breath. Let the chicken marinate.

C. F. Payne Illustration Technique Pt2

2011-05-18T12:40:00.000-07:00

C. F. Payne Illustration Technique Pt 2 from John Voss on Vimeo.

In this second installment, Chris begins to add more depth by adding and removing his signature oil wash.

C. F. Payne Illustration Technique Pt1

2011-05-18T06:49:00.000-07:00

Untitled from John Voss on Vimeo.

In this first installment, Chris walks us through the beginning steps of his process (acrylic and watercolor). Note: Keep watching. The picture does zoom in on the illustration.

C. F. Payne Illustration Technique

2011-05-18T05:40:00.000-07:00

It's coming! The video is almost here!

We're gonna serve it up in three parts, and part one will hopefully be up today.

I apologize in advance for the lacking quality of the footage. It, unfortunately, was shot before the evolution of digital video.

Nonetheless, this is a special treat for anyone who has ever wanted to watch C. F. Payne do an illustration.

C.F. Payne

2011-05-16T07:51:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it's been a few days since my last post. I do apologize. With Blogspot down and a trip out of town, I managed to get a little behind.

But...

I have some exciting news: More than fifteen years ago I was handed a video (vhs tape) that blew my mind and revolutionized my way of thinking. What was on the tape, you ask? I'll tell you... Or better, over the next couple posts, I'll show you.

Imagine a classroom full of buzzing students, a teacher, and one icon of the illustration world doing his thing. If you can imagine that, what you have is a C.F. Payne Illustration Technique Demo. To my knowledge, it's the only one floating around on the internet. I've seen video slideshows and read articles, but I've never seen video of him doing what he does best. But It's coming! And you will not want to miss it! Stay tuned!

For those who do not know about C.F. Payne's work: www.cfpayne.com

Not A Crutch

2011-05-11T11:24:00.000-07:00

This portrait is an example of how the projector
can be invaluable. This oil drybrush technique
does not allow for sketching or mistakes. I used
the projector to give me a very light outline.

Let me explain—And by explain, I mean get up on my soap box and preach.

I am all about using tools. In fact, I love building furniture (heirloom quality, shaker style). And we all know that to get a piece of wood from rough cut to finished product you need tools. Some are hand tools. Some are machine tools. Some blur the line between the two.

But here's the thing—and this is when I start getting preachy—I am grateful for all the technology that makes woodworking a lot easier, but I kinda have a beef with those who use the machines without knowing how to do it by hand first (I'm talking things that can be done practically). That's not to say that you drop your machines and do everything by hand. No. But at the very least, respect the art and the craftsmen that came before you. Study, learn, and practice so that you know if you had to, you could.

The same holds true for drawing. If you haven't learned how to draw, don't use the projector as a crutch. It can actually hinder you in the long run.

Call me old fashioned, but don't throw skill on the alter of creativity. Just because something is easier and moves the creative process along a bit faster does not mean you should forego learning. The projector is a tool. Use it like that. Learn how to draw first. Then use the projector to speed and simplify the process. It's a wonderful tool that can open doors to amazing creativity. Some of the greatest have used projectors to get their images down. You can too. But use it as a tool, not a crutch.

End rant.

The Difference Between Showing And Telling

2011-05-10T11:07:00.000-07:00

Part of what I wanted to do with this blog was create a place where I could compile all the bits and pieces I've learned about writing and art. My hope is to cover everything from basic craft to advanced thoughts and techniques in both.

So with a deep breath and a healthy dose of wishful thinking, I embark on this adventure. Sadly, this may take a while… Oy.

Here's one on basic craft: Show, don't tell.
This truth, however, I found, was much easier to grasp when someone actually showed (no pun intended) me the difference between the two. So that's what I'm going to attempt to do today.

As an aside and something we can touch on more in the future, a writer will use both show and tell. To use one exclusively will render a work lifeless. There must be a balance... not to sound too zen.

So here we go.

The telling: The boy was tired and he was sweating. He couldn't run fast enough. He was shouting for help, but no one was listening. The man in the black trench coat was getting closer.

This is an example—albeit a much exaggerated example—of two things: telling and passive writing. Unfortunately, with this, you never engage the reader. They never have a chance to enter the story. Consequently, the reader just stands back, emotionally unaffected by the events. But if you can show...

One way to eliminate telling and passive writing is to watch out for constructs, such as he/she/it was, they were, and he/she/it is. Also, be selective on verbs. Make them strong. Bring the reader close to the subject. Let the reader feel what the character is feeling. And finally, add dialogue. With all this in mind, let's do version two. Remember: balance.

The showing: Sweat rolled over Benny's brow and stung his watering eyes. A flight of pigeons split and tore into the sky as he darted across the square with the man in black at his heels. Benny yelled between wheezing breaths."Somebody... help me... please!"
No one moved.

Granted, this may be a less than great writing sample, but you get the point. We've removed the passive writing, added a bit of showing, and found some balance. Now we've hopefully engaged the reader. So at the end of the day, show AND tell. The end.

Who likes to see nose hair anyway?

2011-05-06T09:36:00.000-07:00

By the way, this is NOT my nose!

Over the last few months I've read a number of great articles on point of view as it pertains to writing. But I believe there's a facet to it that doesn't get much attention and is particularly useful when trying to tell a great huge story in very few words.

Sure, we talk about whether to use first person perspective or third, objective or omniscient. But have you ever considered distance—distance from the story being told?

A few weeks back I started a new project. There were the usual suspects. Characters A and B do this and that. Then something happens. Everyone finally reaches their goal and lives happily ever after.

Sounds straight forward, right? It was. It was funny. It had action. It had good bones. Problem was, it was supposed to be a PB. And while the subject matter lent itself to that, I was struggling to trim it down to size. I couldn't figure out where to cut, and it was driving me nuts.

After completing the story, I was at about 1,500 words (Granted there are PBs that long, but I had specific reasons for not wanting it to be). I liked the story, but it wasn't right. So I sat on it for a couple days.

It was then I had an epiphanous moment that brought everything into focus: I was too close. I had all this action and witty dialogue, and I was absolutely too close. And this is what I'm talking about. Distance.

Every time you tell a story—or even part of a story—you've got to figure out how far you should be from the action. Not just who's doing the telling. This will ultimately determine how big your strokes are. Are they broad, buttery brush strokes, or are they fine, tight, juicy details?

In my case I needed to step back a bit, hack a lot of the dialogue, and find more concise ways to deliver the action. I know it seems like it should have been obvious, but it absolutely wasn't.
Imagine being behind a movie camera, and that movie camera is on a crane. The further you pull back, the less finite the detail. You still get the whole story. You just may not hear and see everything.

Keeping this in mind helps me stay focused on the task at hand, and gives me a guide by which to hack away—if it's too close and not an integral part of moving the story forward, I cut it.

Her Eyes Fell To The Floor

2011-05-04T11:51:00.000-07:00

So here's one that I happened on quite by accident.

For reasons too numerous to discuss in this post, and for reasons most should already have a handle on, writing picture books is much different from writing a novel. My hat's off to those who can muster the will to write so many words. But I digress.

Novels and picture books are two completely different beasts. As such, I've only been able to apply the following thought... or idea... or rule on a couple different self-editing occasions. And it's certainly not because I'm a super writer who has all the answers. No, not at all. It's simply because the writing strokes in PBs are so much broader compared to novels that these things just don't come up that often.

Let me fill you in on what I'm talking about. I'm simply referring to good-intentioned phrasing that, if taken literally, would sound a bit off. In other words, someone writes something like this: Scanning the room, her eyes fell to the floor where the body lay contorted and disfigured. Read literally, this woman's eyes fell out of their ocular cavities and landed on the floor next to a dead body. Or how about: His eyes popped open, and he listened for the sound again. That would be disastrous if, upon being startled, a person's eyes exploded like a kernel of corn.

Put whatever you want here. I'm sure we could come up with hundreds of examples. Some even suggest avoiding phrases such as, he rolled his eyes and his jaw dropped to the floor. Now, you can decide if that's taking it to the extreme. But be aware, some do caution against it.

The whole point is to keep the reader from hanging up on a word or words. Sure, they could probably figure it out... But don't make them. The writing—and ultimately, the reading—should be fluid. No hiccups.

Also, as an aside, watch that you don't give autonomy to nonautonomous objects like... well... the eyes. Her eyes looked around the room. Ummm... No they didn't. SHE used her eyes to look around the room. Or: Her eyes darted back and forth. Really? That's incredible! Running eyes! You get the idea.

So to wrap it up, I had never really thought about any of this until I happened on an article by John Robert Marlow. Since then I have seen it quite a bit of it in my critique group—I'm sure they love me now... But let's all thank the Maker we don't have exploding eyeballs!

The Importance Of Excellence

2011-05-03T06:18:00.000-07:00

A while ago I heard the story of a pastor who was having part of his existing church structure built out to accommodate more office space. To his eventual woe, this pastor agreed to let some of his parishioners take on the construction project.

He goes on to tell how he would listen from his office as the volunteers went about doing their thing. Every so often he would hear one of the workers shout a dimension. A few seconds later a saw would start and pitch up as it cut through wood. Afterwards, he would hear another man yell, "How's that?" This was always immediately followed by: "Close enough!" Then Bang! Bang!

When all the walls had been framed and the drywall hung, the only thing left to do was set the doors. But this is where all the "Close enough!" came back to haunt everyone.

By the time the project was completed, there wasn't a square door, plumb wall, or level ceiling to be found. And we're not talking minute discrepancies and fodder for the anal retentive, but a lack of squareness a fun house could be proud of.

As with building and many other things in life, excellence is crucial. It requires study, hard work, fortitude, and a desire to do something the best that it can be done. To be clear, no one is perfect. But let's not settle for close enough. Be excellent in everything. In writing. In art. In life. Someone once put it this way: Find what you love to do, then do it better than everybody else. Be excellent.

Your Kid Is Ugly!

2011-05-02T10:21:00.000-07:00

They might as well have said that my kid's forehead was grossly out of scale for the rest of his cranium. Or that his face was lopsided. Or that... that... he looked like Sloth from The Goonies. But actually, what they really said wasn't at all that bad. What I'm referring to here is my critique group—I love these guys.

The other night I had a PB manuscript up for critique. And honestly, by and large, most of the feedback came from a couple little things that weren't a big deal—Granted, minor fixes were in order—But they were teeny tiny, itsy bitsy things. However, after the critique, it took me a good couple days to recover and refocus.

Now, I'll admit that this is largely because of my personality. And I'm sure there are those who can simply walk away from these things unphased. But I am not one of them. I want need people to like me... or any extension of me. So let's all take a deep breath and consider the following as we battle the feedback that would try to eat our lunch, beat us senseless, and enslave us to an unrealized destiny blanketed in insecurity and self doubt.

You can't please everyone, so please yourself... kinda.

There are guidelines and established frameworks that I suggest you pay close attention to. But other than that... have at it. Write the story you want to hear or tell. The thing is, everyone in your critique group is unique and different. As much as you think everyone on the planet should fall madly in love with your ms, it's just not gonna happen.

Case in point: I absolutely LOVE The Polar Express picture book. It is one of my all time favorites—as it is for thousands of others. Yet, when I searched amazon.com, I found that there were more than a couple one star reviews for that book. I was stunned. How could they. What do they know? Who are these anti warm fuzzies people? But it's true. They exist. There are people out there who could not care less about one of the more beloved Christmas tales written in recent years. But there you have it. And the same absolutely goes for my story and yours. Not everyone is going to fall in love with it.

Also, keep in mind, as people give you their critiques, make sure you have a solid handle on the difference between what makes something better, and what makes something... well... just different. You must absolutely be true to yourself and tell the story you want to tell. Much of what I received back I could write off as personal taste of the critiquer. There's possibly a dozen different acceptable ways to write a particular thing. But make sure you say it with your voice.

Lastly, be willing to change. If a suggestion is offered and it makes the story stronger, don't be too proud to make the adjustment. You may be surprised at the little things you can miss.

But in review, realize that everyone is unique, not everyone shares your tastes, tell the story with your voice, and tell the story that you need to tell... And don't worry, your kids look just fine... They'll eventually grow into their ears!

The Cheese Filter

2011-04-28T11:17:00.000-07:00

A while back I received a call from a friend of mine. He wanted me to listen to a couple songs he had recorded (As well as writing and art, I am also a musician; and I dabble in music production).

He brought a cd over along with a group of about six guys. We all sat down and listened to the tracks. The music style was hip hop with a kinda sing-songy melodic hook.

As we listened, I would hear things and think, yikes, that wasn't quite right. Occasionally, when I would catch something, I would also hear a moan from one of the guys or catch two of them giving each other a knowing look.

When we finished listening to everything, I gave a general critique of the goods and the bads. Then I said this (perhaps not these exact words, but you get the point): If there are things that make you cringe or rub you the wrong way, if you let something slide with a "it's good enough", or if it doesn't make it through your internal cheese filter, cut it or do it over.

Now you're wondering what all this has to do with writing, right? Let me show you. But do keep in mind that cheese filters are very subjective things. What's cheesy to one, may not be cheesy to another. So with that thought, there should be some latitude given. Not all cheese filters are of identical mesh size. But here we go.

With writing, the process can be much the same. Granted, there are rules to writing—grammar (which I do not claim to have mastered), avoiding passive voice and lazy writing, cutting extra adjectives and adverbs yada yada—But outside all that, you have your cheese filter.

In the editing process, if something nags at you every time you read it, or if something doesn't sound quite right, or if some turn of phrase makes you feel awkward when you read it to your friend, cut it or rewrite it. Don't just let it go.

Everything you write—in the end—you should want to flow off your tongue without hesitation or awkwardness. You should be proud of every word. Strive for perfection, be critical, and don't doubt the cheese filter—It's usually right.