Much to report from the past several weeks.
The Doll Collection: Volume One—
All stories for this anthology have been completed and edited; five out of thirteen illustrations are finished and they are gorgeous!! I’m still shooting for an October release, but as I have no shows beyond October until February, there’s some flexibility. Some. I confess, I’m so excited to see this one completed that the sooner it’s done, the better. That’s just my selfish take on it!
The Doll Collection: Volume Two–
Currently, eight out of thirteen stories have complete first drafts. I have the other five stories in progress and am going to push to have them completed as well (and hopefully edited on my end!) before the fall semester begins. Having learned from the last two terms, once class is in session, writing grinds to a nauseating halt until winter break. As with TDC: V1, I’ve offered the commission of the artwork to Felix Eddy-McClain, and she (Thankfully!) said yes!
The Doll Collection: Volume Three—
Yes: THREE. The story ideas have just continued to come, so I’m just going to continue writing them until they stop. I’ve moved one of the completed stories from TDC: V2 to V3, and beyond that, I have six out of thirteen story lines sketched up. Again, Felix will be decorating these stories with her incredible art. The honor is All mine.
Darling Orphan: The Case of Lucy Stewart–
It has been a painful draft to get through. While I’ve added less than ten pages since my last post, I’ve added bits here and there to the three books in this series that follow it. The story is still alive–just a bit dormant. Even though I would love to get this one done and move it off of my plate, this is at least giving me some time to find a new cover artist. I haven’t felt much like attempting it myself, so the search is still on.
Shows—
Up next, I have the Steampunk Farmers Market in New Freedom, PA (8/25). In September, the Erie Comicon in Erie, PA (9/15-16) and Clocktoberfest in Columbia, PA (9/22). I believe that’s all until February 2019, when I will be returning to FarPoint in Hunt Valley, MD.
Other stuff–
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of going to an open photo shoot themed Carnival of the Lost. I think about 6 photographers went around to different sets on at the location to take pictures of me (as well as some others who caught an image here and there). It was quite a lot of fun, even if my second costume came out horrible and was more reflective of my sewing skills 20 years ago, versus what I’m really capable of. That was disappointing, but hopefully it won’t show in the photographs. At some point, I will take it apart and reconstruct it properly. That’s what I get for a last minute attempt (and during a mercury retrograde, no less). I don’t have any other costume ideas at the moment, but here’s hoping that I’ll allow myself more than a few hours here and there over the course of a week and a half next time!
On Wednesday, I will be taking a train up to the North Shore area of Massachusetts. The good news is that the train up and back will mean about eight hours each way of writing time. The bad news is that I won’t have a car while I’m there and that will mean not being able to get to the Crane Estate or possibly even Long Hill–both places where I used to go and daydream and write my brains out. It will be nice to be able to get around to a few places by the commuter rail, and to walk around Salem again. I’ll attempt to get out to the Wenham teahouse and the toy museum across the street. I know they have at least a few dolls there, so that could help me with some of the remaining story lines I need for TDC: V3, though what I’m hoping for may need to come from stranger places. I will keep poking at what life offers and see what moves and speaks.