Some more sample pages from my graphic novel WIP

CF Welsh Jr. - color/style choices

The following images will be from my graphic novel, Summer to Winter. More draft pages and front/section break covers can be seen on my Instagram: handdrawnbycarmenjr

CF Welsh Jr. - Front cover

CF Welsh Jr. - Front cover

'Summer to Winter' color vignette page

 'Summer to Winter' pg 1

'Summer to Winter' pg 2

'Summer to Winter' pg 3

'Summer to Winter' pg 4

'Summer to Winter' pg 5

CF Welsh Jr - Interior cover

What Am I? Aspiring, Emerging, and Established

The other day, I wondered how I factored in among funding entities - Aspiring, Emerging, or Established Writer? 

I asked myself this since I began to apply for fellowships the year before I started graduate school.

After some hopefuls, and even a *maybe* that dragged on six days after deadline, I decided in 2018 to make it my last time hunting down fellowships. I also spoke with two professor friends at work about my decision.

Now, don't get me wrong, applying for a fellowship is an adventure! Some organizations require you to be in mid-project. Others want recommendation letters from professors, to professionals in other fields, etc. And some want you to send in a CV (curriculum vitae) rather than a *simple* resume.  

These fellowship applications were hard to track down. Some were worded as "grants" or moreso "scholarships", yet when reading the requirements, and in the case of needing to take a month, more than a month, even a year from one's life, there were also stipulations to consider. 

If awarded, would the stipend(s) be enough to cover one's living expenses for the duration of the period?
When reading other fellows' experiences, peace of mind and well-being also needed consideration. There was also the question about one's "eligibility" to apply for WHICH fellowships and WHEN. One of those constant questions was if I was 'Aspiring/Early'? Was I 'Emerging', 'Midcareer', or 'Established'?

Though I started to take freelance writing seriously in 1996, I credit 1999-2000 as not only the year I published my first story in a fanzine, but with the beginning of a writing 'career'.

And therein lies the rub: the question about where one was in the spectrum of things. Shortly after my podcast interview with an overseas station, the questions I was asked and I later asked myself were a bit troubling.
Was what I've been doing since I was in my late teens to early 20s considered a 'Writing Career'?

Out of frustration, I vented in a tweet with gif attached about WHAT and WHO I was as an author. Other writing colleagues and fellow authors came to my rescue, believing I was in an existential crisis, but that wasn't the case. I KNEW I was a Writer, both lowercase and in CAPS. I knew I was an Author, both lowercase, CAPS, and what the writing community at large agreed on. 

My issue was IF I had a career, if I was considered established in certain genres while still being at the emerging stage in other genres?

I needed answers, so, like everybody else, turned to researching online.
Mind you, I had already done so to some degree in order to understand the fellowship applications better, to parse their industry jargon, and for the most part, I did get some nibbles: an encouraging letter from a grant genre-fiction director about one of the panel judges looking forward to more stories from me, to a nail-biting six-day-past-the-deadline wait when it later seemed I lost out to a professional translator, an international gallery artist, and a PhD candidate. 

Not bad, my mother and big sister told me and so did work colleagues. 

Still, though I'm done with fellowships for the time being, I still wanted to consider my status. So here are some links for consideration:

November 29, 2015 - By: Sarah Vincent[This link seemed one of the better and more comforting explanations, hence, it is at the top]

Writers | Victoria | All About Writers - Am I Emerging?

[I use Hope Clark's Funds for Writers often which is also a free e-newsletter. Lots and lots of good info! I counted about 149 grants, residencies, fellowships, and other funding opportunities on this page alone!]

FundsforWriters | FundsforWriters Tips and tools for serious writers to advance their careers! 

[The Authors Guild is one of the oldest and most influential writing guilds I know about. Here, this is more an explanation for who is emerging so that the writer can still be provided membership with access to resources as an established member]

The Authors Guild | What is the Emerging Writer Membership? 

May 21, 2019 [I happily blame ProFellow for getting me more into the fellowship rabbit hole! They are like Submittable, but listing regional, national, and international fellowship opportunities. With just a simple click to a free account, the world of multiple disciplines and their fellowships are open to you. If you ever need to take applying for fellowship opportunities seriously, sign up with them!]

45 Fellowships for Creative Writers in Any Career Stage 

Cara Ober - July 5, 2009 [This link is geared towards the visual arts but the rules still apply. And the article is more scathing]

Bmore Art | Differences between Emerging, Mid-Career, and Established Artists: Profesional Practices for Visual Artists

And there you have it, folks. Sorry I was a bit long-winded but I needed to get this off my chest. In the meantime, summer is coming up. Stay hydrated, try using the shade and skin protections more often, and thanks for stopping by, dear readers, to Pretty in Print!

I Completed A 20-page Graphic Novel!

Month of February was both a difficult month emotionally, mentally, and physically for me.

I won't get too much into one of the reasons but I can talk about the other reason: I worked on a 20-page graphic novel! It was a rush job as I only had roughly two months to complete it.

Instead of using my special micro nib pens for inking, I decided to use my double-head black designer markers instead. It gave a children's book feel. I drove this idea home especially that I used a junior high school-aged Latin-American boy as protagonist.

I had my mom and five co-workers read the graphic novel and received only positive and heartfelt feedback!

The application package had four deadlines and, on my part, I completed the cover sheet, my bibliography, a resume, and the work sample (graphic novel)! I already had an appointment with a professor colleague who worked on my letter of recommendation. I only have one letter left. That deadline isn't until the first day of next month.

I posted cropped pages of the comic on my Instagram (@Handdrawnbycarmenjr) since it's in the submission process.

Please wish me luck and keep your fingers crossed!

Application Life is Hard

Sorry I haven't posted in a while.

We had a death in the family and I'm currently out-of-state. In the interest of privacy, it was a sibling's spouse who passed away.

I have also been making changes to certain writing goals and choices. I've decided to make the most recent fellowship I applied for my last and just focus on residencies, grants, and the occasional writers contests.

What's a fellowship*? It usually involves a deeply personal packaging of information that may contain: a resume/CV, a bibliography of one's publications/credits/clips, (often) letter(s) of recommendation, and the work sample (in whatever shape the stringent requirements/submission guidelines state it must be).

Why apply to a fellowship? Well, it's as deeply individual and unique to each person. What I can tell you is that being awarded one, the newly 'minted' fellow has the ability to travel, to teach at a number of institutions, to take part in government programs and grassroots organizations. Now you might ask: but can't you do that WITHOUT ACTUALLY APPLYING for a FELLOWSHIP? Well, it depends on what goals one has in mind. Some of mine are to get funding for specific kinds of research, to travel broadly according to particular projects, and for me to promote myself as a scholar in certain pop culture circles.

I have been applying to these fellowships for almost 3 years, before and after graduate school, and now I think it's time to take a break and concentrate on another aspect of my writing career. So there is that.

In the meantime, take care of yourselves, Dear Readers, and continue to 'watch this space...'

*I'm speaking on writing/creative arts fellowships ONLY.

Fellowships** are as complex and diverse as the people who need and/or desire them. And depending on its industry, a fellowship will follow those particular requirements, rules, and guidelines for applying.

**To learn more about what fellowships are and what they can do for you, check out https://www.profellow.com