Threads of an Old Life (Day 272)

I've been really wanted to do some drawing lately, but it's clear that I don't have much talent in that area. I used to draw constantly when I was younger (mostly because I had regular access to a notebook) but I never felt I was all that good at it. All this talk about better visualizing my characters hasn't gotten me in the mood again, though. I think even if I did start drawing again I'd just get frustrated at how I couldn't get what's on the paper to match what's in my head.

I dug up my electronic tablet recently but unfortunately I can't find the stylus for it. I've experimented with it a fair amount over the years but I've never been super satisfied with what I came up with. I feel like something's off about the sensitivity as well--something that I've never been able to completely resolve. It's very. . .twitchy and unpredictable sometimes. It feels very difficult to keep my lines neat. Admittedly, that's a problem I have on paper as well, but I think digital art afford you the opportunity to more easily fix mistakes.

I might actually consider purchasing another tablet in the next few months--maybe a higher quality one. Although I don't consider myself a very good artist, I can sometimes draw passably. If I could jot down some designs to give me a better idea of what my characters look like, I think I'd be pleased. I keep getting these ideas for new characters, creatures, and places in the story, but I have such a hard time visualizing them effectively. I think if I could just draw them out I'd be able to describe them in excellent detail.

I've been considering lately that I want to introduce some more fantastic elements to my story. Despite the fact that it deals with what is essentially magic, it reads as more of a survival story at the moment. It's pretty down-to-Earth--which is fine, but I think eventually I want to expand the focus of the story. I want some crazy stuff to happen. I want giant mythical beings and violent magics and cities in the sky and stuff like that. For the longest time my characters have just been wandering aimlessly through a forest with only their internal monologue to keep them company. I think that's a big part of why I've grown tired of the story. It would be as much of an issue if I felt like my characters were more fleshed out and interesting. It's pretty bad when the writer can't identify with his own characters.

I need to figure out how I'm going to approach this. The whole drawing thing will help me to better visualize the situation--at least I hope it will. I really want to work on painting a more vivid picture with each scene. I talk a lot about what my characters are thinking, but I barely describe what they're doing and where they are. I talk about trees and grass and the mist that clings to the air--but none of it feels real or visceral. That's what I need to work on. I need to breathe life into this story.