If you're visiting my blog, you know that I'm always working on . . . something. If you've signed up for my newsletter, then you know that the big something is a new historical fiction project that is close to my heart.
I've been working on new book, Fannie's Fight, since March. When I put that down, it really doesn't seem like all that long, but the idea for the book has been bouncing around in my brain for the last twenty years. It has just taken a while to find the best way to come out.
I have been taking back-to-back graphic novel intensive classes through Kids Comics Unite (which I highly recommend) and we are coming up to the final week of the 20 weeks. That's right - TWENTY weeks. So this is 20 weeks of work from 20 years of thinking.
So the last step of the process is the final critique. You know, like you're final exam. I've been committing a huge chunk of my outside of work/family time to creating and crafting this project and for this step, this is the big finale.
But here's the deal: this critique, while final, like a final exam, is not private like a final exam. So, it will be a critique in front of "the class." For someone who is an introvert, highly sensitive, and equates any kind of constructive criticism to failure, this is not my favorite part of the process. But is an important part of the process.
So, I'm sharing it with you.
This is a pitch packet overview. It is what will be sent out to publishers in hopes that they will buy my book. It has a ton of information in it, all the basics of the book, as well as character design and sample art. So this is what will be shared with the class and what I will be critiqued on.
I can't think of many days in the last 20 weeks that I have not worked on this project. It went to Maui with me and I would wake up early and draw, or take my writing down to the pool. It is a huge mental and emotional commitment that feels pretty overwhelming at times, simply because it means that much to me.
If I think about it too much, it feels like I've bitten off more than I can chew, so I shove that feeling way down deep, and bury it underneath some ice cream. Because that's what overly sensitive and artistic types do.
Improvement and growth only makes my book better, but they are absolute growing pains and they are absolutely necessary. It is all part of the process.