Work is continuing along quickly with The Unknowns. There are a lot of questions I am asking myself about how and when this book will come out to the public. Knowing it’s such a long process to make one of these books and it can start to be draining creatively. A lot of the future hinges on how this pitching process goes but there are a few things I have been up to to keep myself excited and moving along swiftly. They might just keep you inspired on your own projects as well!
1) Remember why you love the project. The Unknowns is a book that gives me chills inside when I think of it. It was one of those ideas where I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when the idea came to me. I pass in front of the laundrymat every day on my way to work and it gets me excited about this idea going out to the world.
2) Keep it to yourself. With the exception of a few friends and family, not many people have seen any of this book. Which only builds the urgency to get it out there to the world. So you can see it!
3) Watch a movie or read a book that follows the same feel of the project. The movie SUPER 8 was a huge driver for me to get back in the saddle with The Unknowns. I was hesitant to make it just now for a few reasons. I had started work on another script for a book I have since abandoned. When I left the theater for that movie I kept asking myself: “You know that’s the kind of story you want to tell, why aren’t you?” I went home that night and made the committment to tell the story I wanted. No matter what happened with it. The movie Monster House also really keeps me excited about my project. Though tonally I think The Unknowns and Monster House are quite different, the theme around kids caught up in a paranormal mystery and the humor, are pretty close.
4.) Change Things Up – As you work through on of these books, parts of the process can start to feel stale or boring. When I start to feel a bit burned on a process, I change gears to something different. Just keep the project rolling. Every step you take, gets you close to the end product.
And with that I will give you all a quick update on things and what’s done.
Script: Done (a few rewrites happening)
Thumbnails; 50 pages done
Pencils: 50 pages done
Inks: 28 pages done
Color pages: 20 done (28 needed for pitch)
How do you keep the process going?