Merrellart

My life stories are coming together as my sister proof reads and edits all.  I plan to have it ready for book form by the end of February and printed in early March.  Already I see “What then?”  I have a number of ideas for more graphic books that are short fiction pieces.  I signed up for a class in short fiction writing.  I need help to bring these story ideas to a new level. 

Journey

A time for family and friends, so I set aside my writing projects.  For the New Year, I have signed up for a short fiction writing class.  One needs to keep learning, renewing, and growing.

Revisions of my life stories are coming together for that book which I will have ready in the spring of 2015.  This is the project I must finish for myself and the family.   Ideas for further graphic books will be noted and allowed to lie fallow until I am ready to harvest them.

Dance for Joy

I continue to revise my life stories to put in book form.  Since I am not composing from scratch, revising has not been as arduous as I’d anticipated.  Meantime, another ACEO.

Mime with a Parrot

THE  GUITAR another ACEO that I painted several years ago.  Revising the stories from Life Stories group and will put in book form for the family.  I plan to insert lots of art and illustrations.  It may cost more, but for a once in a life time project, I will do it.  Since the stories have been written, revising has not been as arduous as expected.

I made several miniature landscape paintings.  This one is my interpretation of the California desert where I lived for 10 years — stark, harsh at times, and always beautiful.

My life stories group which meets weekly resumes in September.  I have several new stories to begin.  I spent one day sorting the stories of my childhood written the past 3 years.  With revision and time gap fills, these will become a book only for the family.

When I finish one graphic book, new ideas crowd my imagination.  I begin developing parts and pieces of each.  Each seems nearly complete, ready to sketch; then the stories fall apart on the rocks of continuity, details, and believability.  I pick through the stones and manage to salvage one.  The other story bits I jot in my notebook.  It’s a graveyard of dead story ideas.  Once in awhile I revive one, but mostly I take a walk through that graveyard of ideas and have a moment of silence.

I have now published 5 books on Smashwords.  DEATH has by far the most downloads.  It is a topic that catches attention and it is a very personal story.  For a free download:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=Death%2C+penelope+merrell