Anyway back to the point in hand... Darkness and light, well that's where I seem to be at the moment, in a good way, don't worry.
Well work is leading me in interesting directions at the moment. The book cover illustrations continue, working on another one in a series by Pauline Chandler at the moment, the first being Warrior Girl, a great read, will be available later this year I hope, but no spoilers from me. Viking Girl is next and both are beautifully written, so no trouble getting inspired with these. But the images I'm doing are very different from my normal style, but I'm loving their boldness.
The light side is the continued creations of designs really aimed at the greeting card market, that are a 'Play on Words'. The range so far can be viewed at http://www.egrahamillustrations.co.uk/cards/# , but there are so many ideas building up in my head, frantically trying to note them down to come back to and steadily work on. Well here is the latest, which seems to be a big hit over on my Facebook page. This is 'Mice-ion Impossible'...
On slightly darker side I'm back to writing. OK I just couldn't keep away. The first novel, written, edited, corrected, sits here waiting for me to be brave enough to try showing it to publishers. However the next one is just bursting to be written. But it's much darker than the last, more sinister, but there's a strange part of me that's loving it and the research is fascinating once again. To be honest I'm only writing for myself (I've probably said that before) but that's how it is. However if others read and enjoy then that's great too.
And now for the darkest part (Sorry Kevin in advance, you probably don't see them as such). Recently I picked up a great book, didn't know so at the time of reading the blurb, but it had me interested. First chapter and I was hooked. Wonderful descriptions of a place I know well, with a disturbing twist, vividly written, gripping and has pushed me to order all the rest of his books from the library. The book? you ask... Lucas by Kevin Brooks, a must read, as is the next of his I'm reading Black Rabbit Summer. OK so it was very late for me turning in last night, gripped again. Again dark but curiously enthralling, part of me wants to shy away, but there's just that bit of me edging me on saying 'Oh I need to know'. Kevin has won this years Carnegie medal (Well done Kevin!) for The Bunker Diary. I have read the reviews the comments, the criticism of the subject matter and horror, but know I will have to read it. I'm like a fly ensnared in the web that his words weave. But it does raise the question how dark is too dark and menacing for children and young adults? It has made me question my own writing, maybe I'm too soft. Although a friend that I have know for over half my life read my first novel and was shocked that I had it in me for murder (well writing it). I'm hoping my next novel will be more edgy but its just getting it so it works technically at the moment. But the re-workings will bring out the juiciness from the bare bones I'm writing now.
Creating stories for children will always be controversial, after all the Big Bad Wolf was scary when we were young wasn't he? Read more about The Bunker Diary here...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/10920101/The-Bunker-Diary-why-wish-this-book-on-a-child.html
No comments:
Post a Comment