Briefs
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Eizel’s First Cover
In an effort to not break my second law—thou shalt not announce plans since plans always change—I will only say that this cover will likely never be used. As such, I’m willing to show it off despite needing to fix the building on the left.
I’ll reveal my Dungeon Runner plans “sometime in the future.” Until then, the Dungeon Runner episodes will remain available on Amazon for $0.99 each (or free until Amazon realizes the books aren’t listed anywhere else anymore).
This was the first cover I designed using AI-generated assets. I used five different images, and I absolutely love the end result. Unfortunately, I may only have room for one of these covers, and her second cover, IMO, is better.
You’ll have to wait and see. ;)
I designed these covers at the start of December. So I’ve been very good at keeping them secret. This cover is actually what pushed me to redesign the main covers. The old covers just didn’t match my vision or quality.
Enjoy! :)
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Secrets!
The post I was going to make today kind of fell through. You guys don’t need to know about all the crazy decisions I’m in the middle of making. I’ll figure it out and let you know what’s happening. :)
Or I’ll break down and start tossing out surveys!
You really never know.
Fine! What I need to know is…
Do you brush your teeth before you floss or after?
See the attached image if you need instructions. That top-right monster is really having some problems, so… don’t do that. ;)
Click the image icon below to see the cute monsters.
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The Maze Runner
Every so often, I get to experience a bit of story that just excites me. I really like the premise of The Maze Runner, at least until the story outgrew its premise.
Waking up without memories in a post-apocalyptic world, trapped in a giant maze that changes every night, is so fun! It’s creative, it’s mysterious, and it gets me turning the pages to figure out why this is happening.
Alas, the “why” wasn’t that amazing, haha.
Yesterday, I randomly bumped into The Maze Runner on HBO and decided to let it stream. I rarely re-watch movies, but this one had a bit of nostalgia.
It’s that premise. It’s the picture attached to this post. It makes me want to push the envelope of what I create.
This is what it’s like to be a writer. We must read and watch and experience all the creativity others are coming up with to develop what some have called their creativity well. This is where the ideas come from, a remix of all of our experiences. It’s why no two authors will write the same story despite having the same idea.
The Maze Runner is just one of the thousands of stories that have influenced me. If you haven’t read or watched it, check it out. :)
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Sunday Thoughts
When I was at the eye doctor’s last week, they had a poster that featured a big and bold FREE next to the product they were marketing. It also had an asterisk and, in very tiny text, explained the conditions. I thought, “Damn, these guys really know their (blind) customers.”
The best days for a walk are when it’s freezing or raining or the wind is attempting to tear trees from the ground. It is these days that you don’t run into other people. Until you do… Then you have to figure out where they are going and choose alternate routes while not looking crazy. Am I the only one who does this?
Sleeping on your stomach is a magical experience. If you do it right—which takes some training—you get to experience the surreal sensation of being armless halfway through the night.
Does anyone actually wash their bread knife?
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And, in other news, I’ve come up with my second law: Thou shalt not announce plans since plans always change.
You might, someday in the vague future, find out why this is a new law. It involves big business changes but not project changes. :)
(The attached image was created with `jrpg –v 4` on Midjourney and shows how AI can inspire new stories. But I already have too many stories! Also, WTF is that flying in the background? Haha)
Have a wonderful Sunday!
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Making a Map
I worked all yesterday trying to generate a map for Dungeon Runner. I now have hundreds of crazy maps, but most don’t work. And the one that does work, I couldn’t replicate the style…
Until today. Muahahah!
In fact, I figured it out while writing this update.
I decided to try blending (give the AI two images) my drawn map (see the attached) with the map style I liked. This failed miserably. 😅 But it gave me an idea. Instead of trying to generate the bulk of the main floating island via AI, I should generate individual assets.
I did this a bit last night with building icons I could use on the map. This worked very well. So why not use the map image I liked and ask for assets that matched its style? Success! I asked for mountain map assets on a white background to get those cool mountains.
I never expected the AI to do the entire job for me. I just wanted more graphics to work with before I bashed them together and painted over them. With this new technique, I can generate hundreds of mountains or forests or lakes or hills, etc., until I get the assets I think will work best.
Let me know if you like these progress/behind-the-scenes updates. With a bit more time, I hope to show you an awesome map for Dungeon Runner. Until then, have a wonderful Saturday!
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Eleista, LLC
I got my new company registered yesterday. Things are still being processed, but it’s looking good. This company will have a DBA (doing business as/fictitious name) of Eleista Publishing, which is what my books will show.
To form your LLC, you have to file your Articles of Organization. This is a fancy document that tells the state your business name, its purpose, duration (perpetual), how it’s managed (members or manager), and a bunch of other things like record keeping and dissolution.
Well! Since I’m a designer, I went all out making sure my Articles of Organization was perfect.
I found a list of ideal fonts for legal documents and, of course, used the professional fonts plebs don’t have access to (plebs are other lawyers…). I researched font size, indents, line spacing, and header styles. And then, I wrote the document using my many resources to cover all of my bases.
With these gleaming three pages of legalese—and a grin on my face—I logged into Utah’s Division of Corporations and Commercial Code and answered their thousand questions, none of which asked for my Articles of Organization.
Turns out… Utah generates this document for you… 😅
(And they use terrible fonts!)
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Votes are in!
I posted the new Dungeon Runner cover yesterday and got a ton of replies (mostly on Twitter). 29 votes in all, 13 for the original cover and 16 for the new cover.
From what I gathered, people like the composition of the original cover, saying it felt more dynamic, tense, and action-oriented. The art is less polished, but the composition is stronger. The portal and light draw the eye.
Those who prefer the second cover more appreciate the better art, the larger character, and more details that reveal the world. Some like the portal design more (it’s more accurate, too).
The reason I posted the covers was to get feedback, and I got lots of it. If you shared your thoughts, thank you!
I’m going to go back to the drawing board and try a few new ideas. For a series about running and exploiting dungeons, I feel the cover should convey that sense of energy that is lost on the new cover. The art is beautiful. In fact, I feel that’s the primary reason why people chose it more. The fact that my old photobashed cover did so well says I don’t have a clear winner.
It’s time to stretch my creative muscles and push the envelope! Wish me luck. :)
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Dungeon Runner 1 Cover
Which do you like more? Be honest! :)
The first image is the original, and the second is the new cover I’ve been working on (still polishing). I designed both. If you dislike one or both, you won’t hurt my feelings.
(Click the image icon below to see the first image, then click the right arrow to see the second.)## Vote ##
Did you vote? Good! Now for my thoughts.
I really like the art quality and colors of the second cover. It looks more professional, something you’d see in a store or library. And I like that the portal is more accurate to the books’ descriptions.
But I have a few reservations.
The original cover is more exciting. It conveys a sense of danger and has a very strong focal point. The new cover feels tame and less adventurous.
I like the original character’s pose, but he looks too small, and I don’t like the quality of the art. The new character looks great but might appear too young (he’s almost 18 in the book). I also don’t love showing character faces…
What are your thoughts?
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I just got this email from Goodreads. It’s kind of sad that all the ads they show are unrelated to books. They have a hyper-targeted audience. Readers. And what do readers want!?
Is… that a cock ring?
I’d love to see Goodreads up their game, but they seem to be stuck. This email is a good example. They know what I like to read, and yet, they send me a bunch of books I have no interest in.
Fantasy and Science Fiction books were shoved to the bottom of the email, below the point where Gmail cut the email for being too long. You’d think the professionals at Goodreads would understand the limits of sending long emails and use a testing service.
If you are unhappy with Goodreads’ ancient system and incompetence, might I suggest checking out The StoryGraph?
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Bad Communication & Potatoes in Dresses
Nine days ago, I reached out to Yen Press. This is the publisher of the Log Horizon US Light Novels. I love the trim size, covers, and feel of these books.
My email praised them for a job well done and asked a simple question. “The back of the books say they were printed in the US. Can you tell me what company prints these books?”
They replied that they were the publisher. I read the tiny email twice, shook my head slowly, and emailed them back. “Are you saying that you are the publisher AND printer? Or do you use a third party to handle printing?”
And they replied (a week later), saying they use a third-party printer, failing to divulge WHICH printer. This obnoxious exchange of emails has inspired the following story of two potato girls.
“Damn girl!” says Taterrella. “That’s a beautiful dress. Where did you get it?”
Ms. Spud blushes. “This old thing? It’s a pretty dress.”
“It… really is. Where did you GET it?”
“I got it from the store.”
Taterrella frowned. “Yes, hon, WHERE?”
“In the USA, of course!”
“Girl, if you don’t answer my damn question, I’m gonna make hashbrowns outa you. You hear me?”
Alright, this was dumb, haha. But really, how beyond stupid can a company be? I LOVE their products. I own many of them. All of their books say they were printed in the US, but they don’t give credit to a specific company. And it seems they are dodging my questions.
All I’m saying is, I’m about to make some damn hashbrowns.