Archive for August 17, 2009

From Sketch to Final Art; Final Art to Cover

I’m sure my Nation of Readers will remember this sketch, which I talked about here, fifteen months ago.

Well, lubbers, double quick, set your deadlights on the final art:

“Ahoy, me hearties!” I cried. “Prepare to be boarded!”

Interestingly, in the above final piece the pirates and boy appear rather small, almost lost. But I’m looking at the proofs, which I recently received, and can assure you that, thanks to tight cropping across a two-page spread, it’s anything but the case. You have to see it on the page (a thought to keep in mind during the Dawn of Kindle).

For many artists, rough sketches are exactly that — rough. Sometimes extremely rough — more shape and placement and perspective than detail — to the point when you almost wonder, “Can this person draw?”

Funny, that question never arose when it came to Greg’s rough sketches.

One of the things that editor, Liz Szabla, loved about the art for this book was, in her words, “The pirates look like REAL PIRATES!”

That’s Liz, sometimes she talks in all caps, sometimes italics.

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The other day I showed you this:

Below, please find the uncorrected, unapproved — read: still fretting the details, tweaking color tones, debating everything, etc. — cover design. A collaborative effort, indeed, involving the skill of many folks whose names do not appear on the front cover. (Please do click on the image, and double click, to see in greater detail.) I think this is part of what we mean when describing a book as “well published.” The tone of the relationships involved, the professionalism and courtesy, which is always hidden from view, plus the attention to detail throughout the entire process. I’ve experienced a wide range of extremes across the previous 20+ years; these days, I’m just feeling fortunate, because essentially all this good stuff happens without any help from me. To which I can only say, over and over again: Thank you.

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NOTE: If this aspect of the creative process is at all interesting to you, and if you are not a long-time reader here, please check out my seven-part series of posts, “What’s in a book cover?” In it, I detail the cover process from concept memo to rough sketch to final cover — including interviews with an editor, art director, and illustrator — of an upcoming Jigsaw Jones title, beginning here.

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POSTSCRIPT: Just realized that this is my 300th post since I started this blog, back in May, 2008. Each one, healthy and nutritious and self-absorbed.

Around the Horn: 6 Things & Music Video Friday

1) I thought this was very cool. Six word stories, illustrated!

2) Curious about this book.

3) This helped me rethink the opening of a new story. Nothing new under the sun, but there’s so much under the sun, it helps to get a little focus.

4) Amazing. But eight minutes long . . . is it worth it? Yes, yes, yes.

5) How to make a reader reluctant. (Give it a minute before the story starts in earnest; librarians will be especially glad they caught it.)

6) The last paragraph of this short article features an important reminder.

Thanks for the links: Stiles White via Greg Ruth, Bill Prosser, Dennis Cass, Betsy Bird, Julie Fortenberry, and, yup, my dear friend AOL.

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Lastly, as this is Music Video Friday, from a band I am dying to see, “Wake Up,” by Arcade Fire. NOTE: I just realized this song is featured in the “Where the Wild Things Are” trailer, which somehow makes this portion of the post topical, rather than merely self-indulgent.

Look out below!

You need to a flashplayer enabled browser to view this YouTube video

Lyrics

Somethin’ filled up
my heart with nothin’,
someone told me not to cry.

But now that I’m older,
my heart’s colder,
and I can see that it’s a lie.

Children wake up,
hold your mistake up,
before they turn the summer into dust.

If the children don’t grow up,
our bodies get bigger but our hearts get torn up.
We’re just a million little gods causin’ rain storms turnin’ every good thing to
rust.

I guess we’ll just have to adjust.

With my lightnin’ bolts a glowin’
I can see where I am goin’ to be
when the reaper he reaches and touches my hand.

With my lightnin’ bolts a glowin’
I can see where I am goin’
With my lightnin’ bolts a glowin’
I can see where I am, go-go, where I am

You’d better look out below

Fan Mail Wednesday #58 (Thursday Edition)

Let’s do it!

Dear Mr. Preller,
The Jigsaw Jones Mystery’s that you wrote are100,000,000% Awesome! I want to be a mystery book writer too. It’s so cool that Jigsaw and his partner Mila solve the crime really, really well! I’ve even started my all new crime mystery service and I have codes. How do you write so well?

Love
Your #1 fan, Catherine Holt.

P.S. If you ever see a book called ” Inventions”, That’s my book!

I replied:

Dear Catherine,

YIPPEE! My Number One Fan! That’s so awesome! Where have you been hiding? Last week I heard from my #54,237th fan (he was lukewarm, at best; okay, actually, he was my cousin and wanted to borrow money). Believe me, it was not nearly as thrilling as hearing from my . . . Number . . . One . . . Fan.

Hold on while I jump around and celebrate.

Okay, whew, I’m back.

Seriously, Catherine, thanks for the compliment. It makes me happy. I can’t believe that you’ve got your own Mystery Service. Is there a lot of crime where you live? Maybe you should move to a safer neighborhood.

I made a note of your name, Catherine Holt. And let me tell you, that’s a great name for a writer. A strong name. Catherine Holt, author. No, wait. Catherine Holt, bestselling author. There you go.

I’ll look for your name when I’m in bookstores, and one day I’ll pick up one of your books from the shelves. I’ll remember this letter, and think, “Wow, my number one fan . . . she really did it!”

And I’ll write you a nice letter. Maybe even become your #1 fan.

Enjoy the rest of your summer, Catherine Holt, and good luck in school next year!

My best,

JP

PS: Here’s two quick codes for you. The first is an alternate letter code, the second is an IPPY code.

1) CZAIND YROOUF FLIWNOD LPOOSIT STOECXKIS?

2) I CIPANIP NIPOTIP WIPAITIP TIPO RIPEADIP INIPVIPENIPTIPIONIPSIP!

If you can solve them, put the answers in the comments section. If not, I’ll wait a week and put them in myself.

Cover Art by Greg Ruth for “A Pirate’s Guide to First Grade”

One of the ruling ideas behind this blog is to document the working life of a writer. I try to skip the boring parts, of which there are many. But one thing that is never dull is when I first glimpse finished art for a book. About four years after I completed the manuscript for A Pirate’s Guide to First Grade (Feiwel & Friends, Fall, 2010), along comes the final cover art by the astonishingly talented, Greg Ruth. Obviously, art director Rich Deas hasn’t done his part of it yet, settling on a typeface and other design elements. So let me get this out of the way right now: Rich, my name should be bigger! I’m thinking GIANT TYPE, maybe orange neon, maybe with those sparkly bits they used on The Rainbow Fish. Definitely embossed. And, um, can there be fireworks included? Like instead of the letter “L,” there’d be actual bottle rockets? Which kids can light off. I’m just brainstorming here, typing out loud.

That said, take a gander at this:

I wrote the story right around the time Pirates were “hot,” and Jean Feiwel wasn’t sure if it could make it in the cluttered marketplace. She held onto it, and waited. I finally wrote to her and asked, “So . . . ?”

Jean decided to take it — after all, she liked it — and bide her time, determined to pair it with an illustrator who could do something fresh and original with it. She found Greg Ruth. And I was like, “Who?”

I looked up some of Greg’s work, here and here and, amazingly, here, and was blown away. Lucky me, lucky book. Impressively, Jean and Liz decided to let Greg stretch out his illustrations across 48 pages, rather than the traditional 32. Here’s another piece of finished art that will appear in our book, when — “Arrrr!” — the pirate-obsessed boy wakes up for the first day of school. Note: Be sure to click on the art to see it in full glorious detail.

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Shiver me timbers, what a slobberin’ moist mornin’!

Me great scurvy dog slurped me kisser

when I was tryin’ t’ get me winks!

To read an interview with Greg, click here. And don’t miss Greg’s new book, Our Enduring Spirit (HarperCollins, Fall, 2009), where he illustrates President Obama’s inaugural address.

I Need a Book Suggestion

Lurkers, uncloak! I’m working on a story that features a relationship with a young,  earnest teacher and a boy who tends to do inappropriate things in the classroom. He gets in trouble a lot. They butt heads. The new teacher, clinging to his authority, is afraid to let loose, afraid to smile. No one is having a good time.

In the end, they come together. But that’s a process, as you know, not a Golden Moment. So it hit me that  they could bond over a funny book. The teacher loves literature; the boy, Justin, loves to laugh. Maybe the right book could bring them together . . . just a little. Or at least help break the ice.

But: Which book? Any suggestions? I’m thinking about a title that would definitely be read and enjoyed in a fifth-grade classroom.

A little help, please.