Category: Musings

Musings

Weekly Musing: Take a Look at This

DH Hanni

Book covers are a big deal. It’s what we, the reader, see first and if it’s attractive enough, prompts us to pick up the book. In addition to the basics like the author and title, we spend a lot of our time looking at the cover art.  After all it’s supposed to tell us what kind of book is in our hands. Is it an adventure novel with a ship tossed about in a violent storm? Is it a bodice-ripper with half naked people in awkward positions? Is it a YA book with an emotional teen on the cover? So much information is conveyed just by looking at the book cover, if anything, more than the blurb does.  At least nowadays with everyone having the attention span of a gnat.

With this in mind, I began thinking what personally draws my eye to a book. To be honest, I can’t recall what the covers of my favorite books look like because well, books go through cover changes. When I examine the covers in my own library, I notice what I appreciate most are simple covers. For example, I love these covers for my editions of the Outlander series, Pillars of the Earth, and A Song of Ice and Fire because it’s just a solid color background with an item meant to represent something about the novel’s world. Understated perfect for such sweeping epics. No need to clutter up the front with noise.

And I don’t think this pared down approach to book cover design is strictly for epics, I’m noticing it a bit more on some sci-fi books. The Humans by Matt Haig has an oddly wonderful cover. A human nose against a white background. Intriguing, what in the world is this about? It’s only when you read the book does the cover make a lot of sense. Or Lock In by John Scalzi. Again, very simple design with what appear to be white and red plastic figures. Why are some of them red? Only by reading the book does that cover make a lot more sense.

That’s the brilliance of a well-designed book cover. Don’t crowd it with lots of images or colors. Focus on one thing for the reader’s mind to linger over long enough to grab them. Of course publishing is a business which means they have marketing departments who do their homework analyzing what sells, what doesn’t, what is trendy, etc. when designing a cover. Each genre has it tropes and there are even gender biases in place to supposedly help us readers. Yet when covers stray from the expectation, I think that energizes a reader and cast the net out to a wider audience.

This is something to keep in the back of my mind as I hope to move forward in my writing career. When I get to point where I have a book(s) published, I’d like to see the covers of my book have the simplicity I admire. I don’t want them to fit into the trendy tropes of the time, why should I? If a book is to be hugely successful, its cover should strive to appeal to the general public rather than a specific group.

Simplicity in cover book art also creates this notion of timelessness. How many books have we picked up at a book store or yard sale or at the library with covers from previous decades? Nine times out of ten they look cheesy and dated. Admittedly some have some wonderful artwork and style a niche group appreciates today. However, most look so bad you may stay away from it as a reader. Shallow as it may sound, we humans are a visual bunch and we do judge a book by its cover so let’s keep it simple.

Musings

Weekly Musing: Oh, Look! A Squirrel!

DH Hanni

If my somewhat crappy memory is correct, when I first started this blog over two years ago I believed I mentioned something about suffering from what I refer to as Writer’s ADD. What I meant by that is when I write, regardless if it’s an initial draft or revision, I can go along at a good clip then I just stop and do something else for a few minutes. Usually this is to help me think, like staring off into space, but truth be told there are times when those distractions are just excuses to not write. I’m not proud of this and I know the reasons why I allow it. Something I’m trying to work on that since I know my word count and efficiency would go up and shocker of shockers, maybe my anxiety would decrease some.

IMDb: It’d be too easy to say the internet as a whole since in 2015 that’s pretty much what a black hole the internet is. Of late, IMDb is the bane of my existence. Why I feel the need to argue with idiots about TV shows and movies is beyond me. I guess it satisfies my analytical nature and to participate in discussions. I’m also genuinely curious about others’ thoughts and perspectives. However, IMDb really isn’t the right platform for that. So many trolls infest it. Good luck trying to have a rational, logical argument with someone who clearly has the emotional IQ of a teenager who just sooooooo knows they are right. What’s worse is I wind up learning spoilers and have even come to loath a show or movie because of how nutty some of the fans are.

Games on my phone: I play three games on my phone. They manage to suck up my time because I tell myself I’m taking a break to think. This wouldn’t be such a bad thing if these game breaks came after half an hour or an hour of writing but I stop after a relatively short period of time. I think it’s a combination of fear, anxiety, and writing gremlins creeping in to tell me to get stuck in a corner on purpose. Instead of just buckling down and tackling the problem, I justify it as a break.

YouTube: More specifically what are known as “crack” videos which are snippets of a particular show or movie people edit together with various pieces of music and dubbed over dialogue for laughs. Usually these videos are about 5 minutes or less which makes them incredibly dangerous. They’re potato chips. One just won’t suffice although if I see one more person using Alicia Keys’ “Girl on Fire” or Dido’s “White Flag” I’m going to through something at my computer. But dammit, the lulz. So much lulz.

Spotify: This is a double-edged sword. I love Spotify because of all the new artists I’ve discovered, the playlists which help me tune out the world, and being able to create playlists for whatever I’m working on. However, dear god when an annoying song comes on and I have to stop what I’m doing so I can skip it. Or if I hear a song that blows me away and I have to stop what I’m doing and save it. And sometimes I just can’t get the right music mix and I get grumpy.

Oddly enough, there are common distractions which don’t suck me in. For example, Facebook. I can easily limit my time on that since most of it is just the same old same old. TV isn’t a distraction either since there is absolutely nothing on TV during the day I care to watch. I could very easily binge watch all the shows and movies I’ve got saved up but if I did that I’d feel so much guilt for wasting time. Same reason why I can resist the urge to play video games. Why those other things don’t feel me with as much guilt I have no idea.

 

Musings

Weekly Musing: Picture This

DH Hanni

This week I thought I would do something different. Something hopefully less wordy then my posts of late, a little bit more fun, and something more visual because sometimes that is the best way to express a thought. Or in this case just to brag a little bit about my writing space.

A while ago I found a link with pictures of 40 creative people, most of whom were writers. What’s so neat about looking over these pictures is how these people were either completely messy or completely organized, nothing in between. Granted some of these spaces have been preserved and thus tidied up for tourists.

My own writing space has evolved over the years and continues to do so. In our old house I took over a spare bedroom that overlooked the park behind our house with a boring view of the desert.

Now my writing space is different. When we were looking at houses, one of the requirements was that I had to have my own space and it had to be fairly good size. What I got was a loft all to myself although it is technically considered a bedroom since it had a full bathroom.

As you can see I have not one but two desks. One holds my laptop and is nothing more than a simple heavy-duty plastic table. Messy but still somewhat organized if only for me. It’s odd having a messy space because I’m a pretty organized person and can’t stand to have things out of their right spot. Yet when it comes to the space I spend a good chunk of my day, a little mess is fine. I can still find things including the desk top itself so no harm, no foul. Computer Desk

My other desk, free of electronics, is my actual writing desk. Admittedly, though, there are times I write in other places but this is my primary spot. As you can see, it’s a bit more organized as the space itself is an actual proper desk. I love it and the chair is really comfortable. Although it isn’t open like my other desk, I think the closed in space works well for me. Makes for mostly distraction free writing. I also have on it reference books I use most often. Tucked away in a drawer are legal size pads for when I’m just brainstorming or revising. Writing Desk

Since my writing sanctuary is a loft space, the one thing I didn’t get was a view. All I have are a couple of windows that look out to the side of the neighbor’s house. At least the cat enjoys the view. Windows and bookcases

As you can see I do have somewhat adequate room for bookcases although if I don’t stop acquiring books I’ll run out of space. I also have filled up pretty much every available piece of wall space with various things including 2 white boards, a map of the United States, and a dry erase calendar to help me keep track of deadlines and events. I’ve even tacked stuff up on the closest door but that’s as part of research for a book I’m working on. Corner Whiteboards

There you have it. My lovely writing space. Not my ideal but it’s more than functional especially when I consider the floor as additional work area. I love it for its openness and being completely separate from the rest of the house. Definitely my own personal corner of the world.