Isn't the New Picture Eye-Catching?

Things are kind of rolling even though I don't seem to be writing much -- in spite of punching computer keys a lot.

You can see the newly completed artwork.  I really like the implied act of creation within the picture.  More important, I wasn't the only one who's commented on it.

Doubt if I'll be getting any more new art soon.  Igor Glushkin is still busy with his personal life.  I really think he's done a great job on the illustrations ... by getting away from the cutesie pictures of elves. 

The trailer is moving along though it'll probably be June before we get a finished product.   One happy note.   Instant update: Glushkin has agreed to do another picture in spite of his busy schedule. 

I'm willing to accept amateurs take ten times as long.  My impatience sometimes wishes I could do stuff faster.  Whatever, I'll have non-conforming original harp music when it's done.

Oh, the Renna Half-Elven stories.  Didn't even break open the file this weekend.  But I did get a lot of garbage cleaned up after my computer crashed.  -- Seems it didn't like being hitched to a broken printer.  Fixed now ...  I think.  ... I hope.  --  With luck, I'll get personal emails caught up today ... after the gym ... fixing food ... running errands ... watching Castle ... etc.  etc.

Now, if my tail bone would stop throwing a pain-killer-sized tantrum  ...

Slogging 'Round My Website

Thought I'd have a new short story up by last night.  I wasn't looking forward to all the formatting etc., but formating didn't delay me.  Revisions did.  All in all, the Half-Elven are taking entirely too much of my time.  Mostly because I don't know what I'm doing.

I put myself between a rock and a hard spot.  I need to promote and have a website since I have an e-publication coming out in 2011.  I need new material to keep my website interesting.  Since I'm not a sales machine, I decided on the free short story bit to create new content.  Only problem.  I'm lousy at writing short stories.  My ideas always have a long back story ... plus a forward story about what happens afterwards.  I think my anthropological background has doomed me to getting mired down in context.

So, I'm trying to give my stories a context.  I started out thinking that I'd do a few short "Renna's Tales" based on an old lady gossiping. ... Only the background events and people are complex ... and get more complex as my main Half-Elven characters live out their 400+ year lives.  My solution?  Renna's Tale is now the story of the days immediately after the Rebellion created the Marches, and the Half-Elven fought among themselves over who would rule.


Now, all I have to do is revise ... revise ..., and probably revise again.  Ugh.  Maybe next week?


An illustration note.  Mr. Glushkin is in the process of creating the last illustration for the site ... in between taking care of a new baby.  Would you believe babies take a lot of work?