caede17223

Writing Log #22 - The art alongside the words (woah)

Added 2025-07-31 12:34:49 +0000 UTC

Besides commission work (and Dealing With Some Stuff™️), this month was entirely dedicated to Sanctuary 17223. I can't put into words how nice that feels.

Anyway, July progress:

Chapter 1: Illustration drafts (2/2)
Chapter 2: Illustration concepts (+ 3) ✅
Chapter 2: Illustration drafts (2/2)
Chapter 3: Illustration concepts (+ 2) ✅
Chapter 3: Illustration drafts (2/2)
Chapter 4: Second draft (+ 8,300 words)

What you're seeing in the attachments is all sketches. It's kind of an open secret that I don't consider myself an illustrator, but I'm putting in a - for me - unprecedented level of effort because I really, really love this story. Beware of mild spoilers (some of these are real fun out of context lol), and check the final image for the very rough versions of these. I think that kinda stuff is fun.

Also, fun fact, that illustration of Lulu and Alvin kissing is the key scene that inspired the entire story. Who knows what's up with that... (Me, I do.)

In any case, that's all the illustrations for the first half of the book mapped out. Now onto the second half (and the cover art I still need to figure out)!

I'm about 8,300 words into the second draft for chapter 4, by far the one in need of the most rewriting and restructuring from the first draft. Throughout the month I was chipping away at that mountain of a chapter, usually only managing 400 - 500 words per day, but I'm back in the 1,000+ per day groove. Lulu and Alvin are very silly in this one. (Well, they always are...)

For next month, I had to take on a few more commissions than usual, and my friend will be visiting for a week - but she's a fellow creator and incidentally one of my beta readers so we're absolutely getting some writing hours in. :P