How painting and writing match up in the world of creativity
Maps are important parts of Fantasy worlds. As a key to world-building a writer must see where her characters live, how the climate affects them, where water sources are located, and the best routes for trade, protection, and natural resources.
As a nod to Mr. Tolkien who inspired me with his maps of Middle Earth as a child, I decided, "HEY - my Fantasy Romance novel, Chalvaren Rising, needs a map too. I'm an artist - I can provide that."
Kingdom of Chalvaren (c)Paula Millhouse/Boroughs Publishing Group 2015
Developing a Watercolor Painting
Here's the first really rough draft of my map. Kinda ugly, right? Just like a first draft of a novel. You kinda know it's got potential, but... you're not willing to share that ugly puppy with anyone. I knew it needed some time to marinate, so I let it perk. I re-worked it and re-worked it again until I could really feel my characters living there. (Note my color-wheel, and yes, those are my slippers. It was a cold and wintry day in North Georgia when I started this project way back in February.)
I took my really rough composition above, thought on it, and reconstructed it. I edited out the parts that didn't work, added new elements like any great Cartographer would to ground the map's Reader, and I revised the entire painting. I went to my photo-imaging program Gimp, and added text to the base image. Now I had an image that wasn't perfect yet, but was much improved over that "shitty first draft." (Writers will key in on that concept immediately - ask any of us and we'll be glad to share what it means, and how they torture us.) See what a good edit and some time can do for your story?
Draft 3: How the Process of Creativity is Unified
Finally, I added my copy edit - which visually included development of the pencil dragon drawings, and what I thought might be the final text images. I love this edition, and honestly at the time I didn't think it could get any better (Ha! Ha! - sound familiar, Writers?) This framed original will hang in my house as a lovely reminder of the process creativity goes through to reach its final design. This is how art is made, whether with brushes and watercolors, or with the text of your prose. It's a process. No matter what, I created this world of Chalvaren, and I feel her and now I see her not only in my imagination, but also on the page. This original watercolor painting now hangs in my house in honor of the love I have for Chalvaren's territories, her castles, her dragons, and her citizens.
But, and here's the caveat of this post, remember Editors Always Matter.
My amazing editor over at BPG, Christopher Keeslar took my piece of art and transformed it even further into what I consider to be the finished product, just like he did with my novel. I adore the "Mappiness" of the image below, don't you? He's a whiz with photo-editing software - you must treat yourself to a look at all the amazing Boroughs Publishing Group story covers at our website for testimony. So, this is what we ended up with, and I'm thrilled to share the final piece of art with my Readers. As a final thought I'll say a special thanks for inspiring all of us with your maps and your stories, Mr. Tolkien. It's kinda in your honor I branched out from Middle Earth and came up with my own Fantasy Romances in the Kingdom of Chalvaren.
A Kingdom of Chalvaren Romance
byPaula Millhouse
Publisher: Boroughs Publishing
THE DRAGONSTONE HAS RETURNED
With the love of Kort, Chalvaren’s warrior-prince heir, Mia Ansgar will seize her birthright and become the great dragon-riding wizardess prophesied to free that elven kingdom from her embittered sorceress kin.
TO ASCEND TRIUMPHANT
Twenty-five years ago, Theo Ansgar abandoned the Kingdom of Chalvaren for a hiding place on another world. Some called him traitor. Some, thief. Now his fully grown daughter Mia must return to the land of her birth...and their war.
It was the elf prince Kort Elias who brought her back. Theirs was an instant connection, an inescapable union of body, soul and sorcery, reminding Mia of what she truly is, and what she must become. There is also Magnus, destined to be more potent than any wyrm Chalvaren has ever seen, a three-day-old dragonlet Mia must nurture and then ride. And then there is the Dragonstone, an artifact of power nonpareil. Joined, they can tip the scales of battle against the wraith-possessed forces of darkness, of Mia’s own embittered kin. Redemption will be offered, the protected will become the protector, and an ancient prophecy will come to fruition, but only righteous love can conquer all.
Book Trailer:
About the Author: Paula Millhouse grew up in Savannah, Georgia where Spanish moss whispers tales in breezes from the Atlantic Ocean, and the Intracoastal Waterway. As a child, Paula soaked in the sunshine and heritage of cobblestones, pirate lore, and stories steeped in savory mysteries of the south.
Paula lives with her husband at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains with their pack and pride of furry babies. In the southern tradition of storytellers, she loves sharing the lives of her characters with readers, and following her muse on the quest for happily-ever-afters in thrilling romantic fiction.
Tour Giveaway
$25 Gift Card to Boroughs Publishing Group, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble - Winner's Choice
3 custom designed Dragonstone Book Thongs open to US Shipping
2 e-copies of Dragonstone (Lunchbox Romance prequel to CR)
2 e-copies of Chalvaren Rising
