Covering Saving Wonderland
by Lynn Daniels on Sunday, November 1, 2009 at 11:14 pm
NaNoWriMo has officially begun, and I’ve managed to get a pretty good start. Of course, I got a good start last year, then tanked for the following two weeks. Then again, I did win…
The good news is that over the past few days of playing ideas, my plot evolved and expanded, and I think I’ve got some great ideas that are going to be fun to write. Plus I finally settled on a name for my main character, which is a major weight lifted. I know the absence of a name doesn’t bother some people, but for me, it’s hard to hear a character who doesn’t have a name. Once the name appears, the personality becomes better developed and the appearance is easier for me to see. Overall, the character becomes more tangible to me.
Yes, I’m very happy I finally found her name.
ANYWAY — last post I promised to show how my covers developed. I went through four different covers before finally settling on my fifth and current one. Me? Indecisive? Bite your tongue!
My 1st cover try
This was my first attempt. It was a quickie; I just wanted to get something up on my novel information at the NaNoWriMo site. The photograph is one of my own, taken during one of my family hikes. Even though the photo had the fantasy feel I was looking for, it didn’t seem to reflect the more lighthearted tone of the story I had in mind. I barely had this cover posted before I was already working on a new one.
Attempt #2
My second try got closer. I found a couple stock photos at stock.xchng (with thanks to the talents of Sanja Gjenero and Jonathan Bydendyk) that came closer to what I saw in my mind for the cover. Through the magic of Photoshop, I was able to blend the two photos, change the zebra’s color so he more closely resembled the mentor in my story, and present a feel that to me was less fairy and more fun. But it still wasn’t quite there.
My 3rd try
Since the blue zebra didn’t quite represent enough of the magical-type out-of-the-ordinary elements I had planned, I went a little further with the cover. Sparklies and more color appeared in this incarnation, but it didn’t last long. It was looking too busy for my liking.
Number 4
Fourth try. The colors went, but the sparklies stayed, because to me, the sparklies said fantasy. Not that the blue zebra is an everyday sight, but you know what I mean. This is the cover that stuck for quite a while.
Final...for now
Just days before the start of NaNoWriMo, I came up with a few new plot elements and plot twists that really brought the whole story plan together for me. Additionally, I finally found my main character’s name. This constituted the need for a couple changes to the cover. First, the logline had to be amended. While there would still be oddities, I didn’t want that idea to be as prominent. And to me, Fantasies made it sound very romancy. While that wouldn’t normally bother me (and truth be told, it still really doesn’t), the story I have in mind is not a romance in any way shape or form. So that logline went from Fantasies, Oddities … and Dianna to one that’s more fitting: Fantasy, Prophecy … and Lois. I love it!
When I came up with the whole ancient prophecy plot twist, that changed the nature of my main character’s journey. It changed what she was working toward. And it also changed the story title. It was more of an amendment, actually, but still a change. So my story has gone from Wonderland to Saving Wonderland. Who knows … before I’m done, the whole thing may change again. But since the writing has started, I’ll be concentrating less on the cover and more on the story.
If you’re curious, I’ll leave you with the current blurb I have posted at the NaNoWriMo site:
What’s an overworked, unappreciated mom to do when she goes on strike and nobody cares? Why, she goes on vacation, of course! At least, that’s what Lois Brockton does when her husband and kids disregard her strike and continue to take her for granted. She hops into her minivan and leaves, intending to drive across country for a little “me” time.
Everything changes at the Victorian bed & breakfast she chooses for her first night’s sleep on the road. A sudden vacancy following a discussion with the owner gets her the key to an enchanted room that turns her entire world upside down.
When Lois stumbles through a hidden portal, she’s thrust into Wonderland, a fantastical world ruled by dark forces. Ancient prophecy says she alone will restore this once regal land filled with fantasy and fairy tales to its former glory. But it’ll take more than enchanted texts and the word of her talking zebra companion to convince her she’ll be the one SAVING WONDERLAND.
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