How to use this Page

I’m a graphic designer in my day job, and I have a background in art and illustration. It’s natural for me to think visually. In fact, I think visually before I think in words. This might seem odd for a writer, but in many ways it’s an asset.

One of the great things about writing is that you are painting with words. You are doing your best to build images in your readers minds. As readers we build character and world with an author. Before the movies ever came out, we co-created our own visions of what Middle Earth looked like, or Hogwarts. This interchange is an intimate and beautiful experience, and one of the great joys of reading.

So how do we paint those images for our readers?

Of course this has to do with language. Words. Which ones do we pick and how do we use them. But I want to talk about the step before we use language. The part where we visualize, dream, imagine.

What’s interesting about dreaming, however, is that it’s often vague. When we write, we want to be specific. We want rust-flecked candelabras, and fraying coat tails, and honey as thick and dark as blood. Details make a world real to the reader. So how do we dream up something concrete within the unlimited space of our mind?

I like to make collages.

I make dozens of collages to help me better understand and develop a character. I use collages to track down an emotion in a scene, or visualize a setting. The cliche says that a picture is worth a thousand words…so if you create a collage of pictures, you might find yourself with an abundance of words and details to weave into your language.

Let me show you a few of these…

The following collages come from three entirely different projects and each was created to help me access a different aspect of my novel.

1. Setting Collages

I’m doing a significant amount of world building with my current WIP, and I’m trying to decide how the world looks by collecting images that have a texture, color, or feeling that resonates with the one I’m trying to design. None of these images are actual locations in the book,  instead I’m inspired by the details – abandoned shelves of books, the quality of light as greenery overtakes a cathedral, or the possibility of a round Rosetta window staring down from above. Much of this will never end up in the book, but it does help me to create an aesthetic for the world.

2. Character Collages

I created this collage as a character development exercise to better understand how my protagonist sees her own mother. I began to notice that the character has a color palette and even textures that relate to her: wool, tan colored wood, morning light on hard-wood floors, delicate threads, soft feminine curves, etc. To the right, is a word list, which is the second part of this exercise. Here I’ve explored words that reflect how my protagonist views her mother. But often, I will also create a word/imagery list based on what I see in the photos (i.e. splinter, fuzz, shell, rust, golden light) which all become words I might use when describing the character on the page.

3. Emotion Collages

I was having trouble accessing the emotion in one of my scenes. It was a difficult scene (as you can imagine from the collage), and I think I was protecting myself from actually feeling the moment with my character. So I created this collage to help me feel it. I would look at this collage while writing the scene, and I also created a word list from these images to help add intensity to the writing. Things like dirty meat and hairy stomachs already make my skin crawl – so I tried to use similar words/images in the scene (that were appropriate for the scene – metaphors, etc.) in order to get the reader’s skin to crawl too.  (This technique relates to my previous post on the unconscious effect of image systems, motifs, and liaisons in writing).

If you find you’re having trouble with a scene, understanding a character, or really want to see the detail in a landscape, think about creating a collage to help you.

Get visual!

I’m a graphic designer in my day job, and I have a background in art and illustration. It’s natural for me to think visually. In fact, I think visually before I think in words. This might seem odd for a writer, but in many ways it’s an asset.

One of the great things about writing is that you are painting with words. You are doing your best to build images in your readers minds. As readers we build character and world with an author. Before the movies ever came out, we co-created our own visions of what Middle Earth looked like, or Hogwarts. This interchange is an intimate and beautiful experience, and one of the great joys of reading.

So how do we paint those images for our readers?

Of course this has to do with language. Words. Which ones do we pick and how do we use them. But I want to talk about the step before we use language. The part where we visualize, dream, imagine.

What’s interesting about dreaming, however, is that it’s often vague. When we write, we want to be specific. We want rust-flecked candelabras, and fraying coat tails, and honey as thick and dark as blood. Details make a world real to the reader. So how do we dream up something concrete within the unlimited space of our mind?

I like to make collages.

I make dozens of collages to help me better understand and develop a character. I use collages to track down an emotion in a scene, or visualize a setting. The cliche says that a picture is worth a thousand words…so if you create a collage of pictures, you might find yourself with an abundance of words and details to weave into your language.

Let me show you a few of these…

The following collages come from three entirely different projects and each was created to help me access a different aspect of my novel.

1. Setting Collages

I’m doing a significant amount of world building with my current WIP, and I’m trying to decide how the world looks by collecting images that have a texture, color, or feeling that resonates with the one I’m trying to design. None of these images are actual locations in the book,  instead I’m inspired by the details – abandoned shelves of books, the quality of light as greenery overtakes a cathedral, or the possibility of a round Rosetta window staring down from above. Much of this will never end up in the book, but it does help me to create an aesthetic for the world.

2. Character Collages

I created this collage as a character development exercise to better understand how my protagonist sees her own mother. I began to notice that the character has a color palette and even textures that relate to her: wool, tan colored wood, morning light on hard-wood floors, delicate threads, soft feminine curves, etc. To the right, is a word list, which is the second part of this exercise. Here I’ve explored words that reflect how my protagonist views her mother. But often, I will also create a word/imagery list based on what I see in the photos (i.e. splinter, fuzz, shell, rust, golden light) which all become words I might use when describing the character on the page.

3. Emotion Collages

I was having trouble accessing the emotion in one of my scenes. It was a difficult scene (as you can imagine from the collage), and I think I was protecting myself from actually feeling the moment with my character. So I created this collage to help me feel it. I would look at this collage while writing the scene, and I also created a word list from these images to help add intensity to the writing. Things like dirty meat and hairy stomachs already make my skin crawl – so I tried to use similar words/images in the scene (that were appropriate for the scene – metaphors, etc.) in order to get the reader’s skin to crawl too.  (This technique relates to my previous post on the unconscious effect of image systems, motifs, and liaisons in writing).

If you find you’re having trouble with a scene, understanding a character, or really want to see the detail in a landscape, think about creating a collage to help you.

Get visual!

Happy Friday to everyone and congratulations for making it through a rather rainy and dreary week. Friday is here, there is sun in the forecast and hopefully a return of spring weather. Enjoy the links below and I’ll see you all on Monday.

Who knew?  The Victorians made great collages.

A guide to free museums in NYC.

Speaking of museums, the Museum of Scientifically Accurate Fabric Brain Art.

Does poetry matter?

Which governments ask Google to delete information the most often?

Don’t underestimate the value of that sugar pill.

How one ultra-runner gets enough calories.

The coming Shakespeare apocalypse.

What does “off-the-record” really mean?

An argument for attending grad school during a recession.

Finally. Long overdue. Remember Collage Sunday? These are the last pages from my beloved collage journal. I enjoyed sharing them here, i hope you enjoyed seeing them.

#77.

#78.

#79.

#80.

#81.

#69. Yum Pop. Okay, i admit. This is one of my least favorite pages in my journal. But when i started this, i mean, showing the pages here on my blog, i said i would show them all. If i loved them or not so much. This one, not so much. I do like the striped background. And the little neon make up sticker that is straight from one of my day planners from the eighties. Remember those bright neon colors?

#70. Basic Black and White. Even though i think this page could have used something extra, i do like this one more than the previous. Why didn't i add another something something? I just haven't come across the perfect image to add. I love the image on the right. I think it came from a CB2 catalog. And ofcourse i love my Bumble and Bumble Model Appointment Card. They never use it to write down my next appointment so no harm in glueing it in my journal! ;) The stripes on the card give a nice contrast against the round shapes on the right page.

#71. NY the most creative! I love the right page, background image from a wallpaper catalogue with stamps and thread spool stickers. The left page so isn't perfect, but i love the collection of paper NY coffee cups and ofcourse, what can be more true-er than "New York is the most creative town in the country".

#72. Mixacollage. This and that. Remember the times when you could just have overweight luggage without having to pay surcharges at the airport? As long as you were checking in early enough you would just get a special HEAVY tag on your suitcase.

Okay, so these might not have been the strongest of pages from my collage journal, i promise next week Collage Sunday will be more interesting again.

#57. Little Black Book of Secrets

#58. Dreaming of Indonesia. (feels unfinished)

#59. Craft and be cute!

#60. I love Green.

I can't believe it has been since early October that i last posted pages from my collage journal! I apologize to those who came back every Sunday to look for them. I promise, Collage Sundays are back!

#53. Love & Design. I'm always all about color, but this girl can appreciate some black and white action too. And if it comes in pretty patterns, even better!

#54. Delish in style. This page started out with the photo of the bapoa. An Indonesian snack, if well prepared, maybe one of my favorite foods out there (since i moved to NY i haven't eaten one, so i'm feening!). And how sweet is it that the name on the paint swatch card is Pink Inspiration? Oh and i need to point out that lovely orange tag that came on my measuring cup set? Its so cute, the girl on the left says "Bake with me!".

#55. Blue Fav. This is one of those pages that makes me really happy. I love the color hue. Maybe you recognize the deer from one of my older illustrations. The image with the little dolls i once found in a magazine, unfortunately i have no clue which anymore or what the feature was about. But i do know i adore! My Melody is my favorite of all Sanrio characters and the collection of tins, well i wouldn't be mad if those were in my kitchen!

#56. Style is everything. If i knew how to knit better i would say, knit your way to style.