The Art of Plugging Away...

Ahhh... It's been a while since I wrote one of these.

shutterstock photo keyword writer

A lot has been happening with my writing. I'm applying for many writing opportunities, revising, editing, and then submitting. Being a nervous wreck as deadlines approach and I wonder will I be accepted. A short story was accepted, but a query letter's objective wasn't. *weeps*

 rgbstock.com photo by Arinas74

You may have noticed I changed the wording in the title and subtitle for this blog. I think it's more straight forward rather than so enigmatic with the previous title!

I also updated my website, "trimmed the fat," so to speak. I tidied up the wording, paying close attention to my Visitor Tracker on the main page. I've not only been getting visitors from the United States, but also a couple from overseas! It's both exciting and frightening, which is why I decided to tweak the wording and rearrange some of the icon links. Need to be professional at all times.

I'm also looking into more professional freelance writing so that I may supplement my income. The novel is now a 'working novel' instead of a 'novel draft' or a 'work-in-progress'. Its latest was at 580+ pages on the main manuscript. Still writing. Still researching.

I bring one book log (what I call my writing journals)

My two protagonists (c)

to my main job so I can use my breaks and in-between tutoring sessions to write some more. Stacey Hankin and Slasher Castellano are both fun protagonists to write about and that's a good sign to a writer. We need to feel sympathetic towards our characters, even our antagonists, or the tales would never be told.

Again, thanks for reading. As more writing adventures continue, even artistic ones, please watch this space!
The website is a focal point and my 'business card', but my blogs, especially this one, are a diary/journal that I use to keep readers in the loop.

Lastly, SUBSCRIBING to this blog is FREE! I may offer a newsletter in the future that will be attached to it. We will see.
And again, THANK YOU, Dear Readers.

A new short story accepted!

The literary journal Typewriter Emergencies has accepted a new short story based on my historical novel manuscript.

It's titled "Sleeping with Wolves" and will come out in May 2017! 

Before the story's publication, I will keep my readers and visitors posted. Once published, I will make available any URLs or links. 

Inktober 10/14/16 - Submission #10

I think I'm going to lay off the detailed work and do some ink doodling for the next few days. By the way, the satyr is the hamadryad's 'steady' (Can I still use that term? I've been accused of using a lot of old-fashioned words!).

'Silvinus'(c)

'Slasher' Castellano(c)

Inktober 10/12/16 - Submission #8

My protagonists from novel. This piece needs so much more but I'm pressed for time. I think I made Slasher's paw too large though he has large paws. I do like drawing them together and writing about them.

Stacey & Slash Castellano (c)

My main characters - In color pencils

Remember I had to give my female protagonist a new look? Well, I did some months ago. Now, I wanted to take her look up a notch. 

Stacey

Here is Stacey done in that painterly style trendy during the late '20s and early '30s. 

Castellano

Back to my favorite medium - color pencils - and Prismacolor, one of my favorite art companies. I used no graphite pencils, no inking. Just a soft light use of color pencil for sketching and outline.

Here is Castellano also done in the same style. Both characters are now available on  CopperSphinx on Deviant ART ! 

*Both edited & cleaned up by the use of PhotoShop Elements on my Deviant Art profile page*

Here is 'Slasher' Castellano!

I couldn't draw Stacey and not Castellano! Needless to say, he made a bigger splash on Facebook and I don't blame them. He always does.

Same materials: Prismacolor designer markers and Uni-ball precision 0.5 illustrator pens!

Another revised sketch

"Slash" & Stacey in each other's arms (c) Carmen Welsh

Here is my story couple. Wanted to give the image a sense of those love scenes from 30s films. I updated my female protagonist's features and her hair. She got a "permanent wave" as they called processed hair then. Like how my male protagonist did not vary much.

"It's Slash."

          So says my niece about my titular character.
I devoted an entire blog post about my canine crime boss on July 18, 2012. My oldest niece has lived with many of my stories since we were little, so she was constructively critical as I explained how a beloved bedtime tale had evolved since she last lived with us.
After I told her which key elements had been changed, updates, and the illustrations that accompanied the novel draft, my niece stopped me with the statement: "You need to make Stacey prettier."

It rendered me speechless. I fumbled with an explanation that the character was young and unfortunately dressed frumpy, and would, as story progress, learn to dress better, or more fashionable.

My niece wasn't having any of it: as she read romance books, she was fed-up that one person in the couple never looked up to the standards of the more attractive partner.

I took what she said, and realized how good it was that I hadn't made this a graphic novel or illustrated story. Slash has inspired, provoked jealousy, and more than one person has shown their displeasure at my female protagonist put next to my gang leader. It's been suggested that I 'bump off', or, in some way, compensate the idea that, by Slash's good looks, even his partner must add up! This niece once told me to stop drawing the character in brown suits, which I since added as a subplot!
Slash Castellano continues to infiltrate people's imagination, long before this story became a full novel. It excites me that there will be fans of this guy and other characters long before this hopefully sees publication!

In Summer/Fall Chic circa 1932 (REVISED & ORIGINAL SKETCH)

"Summer/Fall chic" by Carmen K. Welsh

I originally posted this on Dec. 21, 2011. (Orig. 5 1/2in x 8 1/2in.)

For those following the blog, there has been a series of pencil sketches (and I apologize, some have been so faint) pulled from the work-in-progress.

When updating, realized I was fresh off reading and reviewing popular1920s/1930s art movements, such as Art Deco.
Art in this period, was highly exaggerated, and with very angular, bold lines.
(Just check out Dagwood Bumstead from the "Blondie"(r) comic strips!)

This kind of caricature was also used often to portray celebrities and politicians in the glossy magazines of the time.

And the update (9in x 12in):

"Don't cry, honey." (REVISED & ORIGINAL SKETCH)

"Don't cry, honey." Pencil sketch by Carmen K. Welsh

I originally posted this on Oct. 29, 2011. (Orig. 5 1/2in x 8 1/2in.)

For those following the blog, there has been a series of pencil sketches (and I apologize, some have been so faint) pulled from my novel draft.

After some soul-searching and researching through Sears, Roebuck & Co. catalogues, I decided to do a dark pencil-wash. Kind of like imitating the black-and-white days.

And the update (9in x 12in):

"Don't cry, honey." Ink and pencil-wash by Carmen K. Welsh

"Bascomb" & "Slash"

"Bascomb Thompkins" (c) by Carmen K. Welsh

"'Slash' Castellano" (c) by Carmen K. Welsh

Art again! Jeez, I really need more breaks! Was so drained, I couldn't even lift myself to do more image uploads to this blog.
But now I am back and, hopefully, in FULL FORCE.

Here are two characters from the dog novel (Yes, it is still being typed). The one on the left is my adorable Newfoundland (Yay, I like these dogs the same reason I like Saint Bernards and Great Pyrenees - the later used in an 80's Japanese anime "Belle & Sebastian"). As pups, these breeds tend to resemble bear cubs, and these dogs seem to know they are of immense size, and so, they are often good with children.

Bascomb is my straight-shooter, a down-to-earth guy. In the middle of the story, he meets my canine gang leader to the right.
Both men, though worlds apart, become fast friends. Yet, in spite of my dog gang boss' ties to the underworld, he does not try to besmirch his boxer friend.

I also have Boxers who are boxers, but I did not want to use the breed for my champion heavyweight character. Too obvious, done to death.
Also, though the Newfoundland is considered a gentle giant, I think, in a boxing match, could take on a Boxer any day! But, I digress. I don't want the dog lovers to come with torches and pitchforks!

Notes from the sketchbook

The post topic is originally from my notes in sketchbook, but first, a bit of news...

The FIRST DRAFT IS FINISHED! IT'S DONE! FINITOOO!!

Now that I got that off my chest, the long haul to edit the second draft begins...
**********

Stacey and Slash may appear as an ordinary couple, I mean, they're both dogs, right?
However, remember what I am trying to state: they are interracial (one is Black and the other is Italian).

Nowadays, many interracial, inter-religious, as well as intercultural couples, are considered very common and everyday to many folks.

However, such pairings were highly unusual in the 1930s, and even quite dangerous for the pair involved!
There was once what were called 'Miscegenation Laws'.

State officials, as well as other authority figures, had taken it upon themselves to keep, not only their own race, 'pure', but made it unlawful for other types of interracial couplings: this meant NO Asian/Black, NO Black/Native American, NO Native American/Asian.

NO ONE, under penalty of law, could marry OUTSIDE their race.
Even if couples were legally married elsewhere, in certain states, such marriages were considered illegal.
Furthermore, children born in such unions were considered (I HATE this term when applied to people) 'illegitimate'!

During both of the characters' development, not only has each had to fight against society's ideas about who can develop a relationship with whom, but oftentimes, the person has had to fight cultural standards, expectations, and identities.

With Slash, he struggles with his ethnic group's ideas of masculinity as well as how he must behave.
This is both within the gang subculture he has spent much of his adult life, but also the broader, wider culture he originates from.

With Stacey, she struggles with her working life, and with a society that has historically hampered, impeded, and hemmed in Blacks.
Throughout the story, she is underestimated, ridiculed, and misrepresented, by a society's need to separate the black individual from the post-modern world.

Character "by any other name..."

My mom has been getting exclusive access to my WIP because
1) I still live at home and
2) she, being a retired educator, can be objective to the grammatical mechanics of what I have written.
My mom just loves my character, "Slash" Castellano!

"Slash Castellano - in work mode and suited" (c)

And she isn't the only one. Since creating the character in sixth grade summer school, and with his numerous incarnations after, my canine gangster has impressed and awed numerous people over the years.
Junior high classmates adored him. High school friends thought he was cute/handsome/gorgeous.
I had a fellow-Caribbean girl friend tell me she was jealous of my heroine because she would get to be with my dog mobster! I told her, "But he's a dog! You're human!"
"Who cares? He's still cute!"
I even had a male friend, who was Russian-Jewish, ask for a simple line drawing, so he could have my dog gangster tattooed on his upper arm after he entered the military!

"Slash" has also impressed head-banger classmates, (that's 80s-90s speak for fans of Heavy Metal) because of the obvious nickname association with the guitarist of "Guns-N-Roses"! 
Someone asked me if I wasn't afraid of people assuming I fashioned the character after the famous guitarist, and I said "No!", because I got the nickname from growing up on classic gangster films and mob flicks. In these black-and-white reels, there was always a "Slasher", "Spike", "Whitey", "Smiley", and even a "Gimpy" (I apologize that this particular term offends, but this was an actual nickname for many regular folks, underworld figures, criminals, and even street urchins, back in the day!).
I once watched a 40s Western where the criminal who went around shooting people was named "Slash"!

It is how I see that an unpublished character has affected so many, from differing backgrounds, why I know I have a fully-realized person. I've lived with this character since age 12, and now I'm in my mid-thirties!
My sincerest wish and hope is that, once published, "Slash" Castellano will continue to impress, awe and enliven many more soon-to-be fans!

"Grace & 'Slash'"

And while we are on the subject of couples, please know that my canine crime boss is very much a lady's man!
Grace and 'Slash' Castellano met at a casino and have been together for 5 years. Of his many girlfriends, she's his favorite.

'Slash in a pensive mood' & 'Love ya, Baby!' sketches

"Slash Castellano in a pensive mood" & "Love ya, Baby!"

The above images are titled 'Slash Castellano in a pensive mood' & 'Love ya, Baby!'.

I apologize for the light quality. The next pics after SHOULD be easier to view (especially since some will be inked).

On the left is my titular character, smoking and deep in thought. This is a gesture drawing as I tried to capture the light ash dripping from the cigarette.

On the right is my female protagonist with the same male character 'canoodling' (Their word, not mine!). Do some folks still use this term?

Let me know what you think. More to come this week!

"Stacey and 'Slash'" by Carmen K. Welsh (c)

This needs more explanation (Sorry that the sketch turned out so light!).

I had found the perfect dress that my female protagonist should wear for her first time at a 'Havana' club (Historical Note: Cuban culture, style and music was very much in vogue during the '30s). On her tail are 'bracelets' to match those on her wrists.
My male protagonist is in typical 'Cuban-club' style: cream suit jacket, black slacks, spats and slicked back hair.

'Slash' Castellano

"'Slash' Castellano" by Carmen K. Welsh (c)

 Main protagonist. Neighborhood tough. Enforcer. Soldier. Bodyguard.