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| Card index and cake — back to the 90s! |
The very best stage of a new book is when the idea arrives, flaunting its pretty possibilities. It's full of shiny promise that hasn't yet been tarnished by reality. And then as you start to work it up, it's still exciting and you keep thinking 'and I'll add this; and this!' piling on more insights and tricks until the idea truly sparkles.
And then you get down to work. You bump into reality. The book as you exactly want it comes to a number of pages that can't be accommodated, like 77 or 109. Do you pad it out to 96 or 128 or cut it down to 64 or 96? And your book is a new concept. Publishers prefer things which are a familiar concept even though they say they are looking for the next new thing. They're really looking for the next new take on an old thing. How are you going to explain it without rambling on for longer than their attention span? I'm obviously getting old and jaded as these issues occur to me earlier in the process than is healthy. I don't want them to kill my enthusiasm for the shiny new thing. I try to ignore them and hope the page extent will somehow fix itself further down the line and I will suddenly be blessed with astonishing explanatory and marketing skills.
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| Wiwaxia, 520 million years ago, stained glass 2026 |
This is actually my second time with this New Thing. No sooner had I started it in spring when I had a couple of new commissions which took over that bit of time and headspace. But now I'm back with my old dead things, and my book that spans 500 million years. And back with my paper database that is part of the I-didn't-use-AI paper trail, should it be necessary to show that [sigh]. Autumn is a good time for a new project. The black squirrels squabble outside, and often on top of, my garden office, the rain (at last!) drums on the roof, and escaping to the house would mean getting wet so I'll stay a bit longer. The light filters through the trees and then through the stained glass hanging in the windows, and as the stained glass is all of extinct animals it's just further encouragement. Give these old dead guys their moment in the sun again. Or the rain. I add 'rain' to the artwork notes.
Anne Rooney
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Out now: Science Museum 2027 Space Annual
1 comment:
I do love the subtle colour and line on your stained glass panel - as well as the creature. September certainly feels a time of pulling the year together again: a welcome second chance now all the summer distractions are over and before others arrive. Good wishes to your inspired idea & project.
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