Kingdom of Arthur update (June 3, 2019)

The six books are done but there’s still work to do.

First, I have about three more paperback versions to finish editing. After that I plan to upload some extra artwork that didn’t make the cut for the final book. Most of it comprises various character sketches. I tend to write like a screenwriter not a novelist. Screenwriters have to be very concise, to the point, with only the bare minimum of descriptive language. In a book, you’re expected to tell the reader what color someone’s dress is, how long someone’s hair is, and how good someone’s food is. In a screenplay, unless that information is (A) critical to the plot, or (B) spoken in dialogue, it’s nixed.

So when I write, my first drafts tend to be very bland, dialogue-heavy affairs. I don’t discover the look and feel of certain characters until I sit down and sketch them. By “sketch” I mean, whip up some crude drawings on MSPaint. It helps me to see someone so that I can know what to write about them. Character traits have formed and evolved as a result of this process, too.

I regret not including those sketches in the appendices of my Arthur books; one of the running gags is that Merlin changes his appearance one way or another every time we see him. I have a folder on my computer dedicated to every outfit, color combination, and hairstyle that he employs across the many books. Look for that, and more, soon.