I’m trying a new thing here. Every month on Patreon I post a writeup of how (and where) the month has gone; these are always public and free to anyone who cares to visit, but a lot of people seem hesitant about clicking on a Patreon link, so I am going to copy them here. If I can remember. Let’s see how many months this lasts …
LICAF
The Lakes Comic Art Festival was both interesting and enjoyable. Being behind a table all day, I didn’t get to do much, but I met some cool people, had some nice chats (including with someone wanting to tell me how Scott did everything wrong, which I consider permission to take the gloves off), quaffed litres of delicious water in the pouring rain, and generally enjoyed the atmosphere. It wasn’t exactly a profitable weekend – Indie Novella made back the table deposit, but we didn’t come close to covering hotel and travel – however we learned what worked for us and what didn’t, and everyone considered it a worthwhile enterprise.
Scotland
One of the first new friends I made in the UK moved home to Scotland last year. I’ve been owing her a visit, but it’s a long and awkward journey from Cambridge to Glasgow, and there were always more pressing things to do. However, LICAF got me about 3/4 of the way in her direction, so I finally stopped by for a few days; we both had work to do so mostly we relived our studio days plugging away at our respective computers and chatting, but we did get away for one day of sightseeing. A little oxygen is reputed to do one good, occasionally.
Of course, when I got home I had to catch up with the previous week’s worth of admin, on top of what the week itself required, nevermind actual book stuff. Thus I was reminded that I must never be allowed ever to go away or do anything that isn’t work ever again.
Dash to Cheltenham
So, of course, a couple of weeks later I was back on a cross-country train. This time it was a sprint to see the Bill exhibit at The Wilson in Cheltenham – it was supposed to have gone up last year, for his sesquicentennial, but they hadn’t finished renovations yet. I had been invited to the opening, but it was the weekend after LICAF, and logistically that was just too much, so instead I made it a very long day trip with a friend down from Scotland. (Different friend, other side of Scotland.)
It’s a really good exhibit, and if you are at all able to make it, it’s worth a visit. Halfway through I’d made up my mind to come again if at all possible; however it will have to be sometime before I leave to teach in February, and the intervening time is filling up alarmingly quickly.
Meanwhile, back at SPRI
In 2021 I was honoured with being made an Institute Associate at SPRI, a role which gave me such privileges as free access to academic journals and a beepy card which relieved me of having to wait, like a cat, for someone to open doors for me. Unfortunately, most of my time and energy over the two-year term was spent selling Vol 1 instead of taking advantage of the perks, and I found myself having to apply for a second term without very much to show for the first. I’m happy to say they’ve granted me another two years regardless, and top of my to-do list is downloading all the articles I can get my hands on, as fast as I can.
First, though, I collaborated with a PhD student (and longtime polar history friend) on a presentation about the emotional history of the Terra Nova Expedition (her speciality). It’s quite an interesting topic, which takes in the cultural landscape of the seminal retellings, Aristotle’s Poetics, and the sort of character deconstruction I really enjoy. We only had an hour, including Q&A, so the presentation had perforce to skim the surface, but looking at things from a new angle, and explaining them, are both helpful exercises to furthering one’s own understanding. It has taken time away from Vol.2, but it tickled my story neurons the right way at the right time, so I hope it will make up for that.
Speaking of which …
Writing
At long last, the first scratches of what is unequivocally Volume 2 have appeared on paper. These take the form of a list of story beats and the order in which they happen, guided by what’s in Worst Journey, with a supplements from other accounts which contribute to story/character arcs or which I intend to pay off in a specific way. I’ve got the general shape of the Depot Journey now, and am starting on the hygge of Cape Evans’ first winter. Whether on account of the subject matter or because of some deeper psychological quirk, I can’t do this type of work at a desk; I have to do it curled up sideways in a stuffed chair under a warm lamp. Luckily the weather has been pretty good for that sort of thing lately, so I hope to make some more progress now the presentation is out of the way.
I will be going through and doing the rest of the Expedition like this, then revisiting these rough notes to make them tell a tale, before typing them up into a more formal script – each iteration gives me a chance to reappraise my decisions and tweak things as necessary, so that when I finally start making drawings I can do so in full confidence that the story machinery is working properly and I only need to think about how to visualise it.
On Patreon
Last month Patreon made free posts viewable en masse to the un-signed-in public; this month they’ve introduced what is, in effect, a Free tier. This replaces the old “follow” function but works a bit better: in essence, you can subscribe for $0 and get emailed public posts and formerly paid posts which become public, just like if you were a paying Patron. Updates like this one are always free, but I try to remember also to take the paywall off factual posts after a certain time has elapsed. New art, and especially new pages, are kept under lock and key for paying Patrons only. Newcomers who either don’t want to, or can’t afford to, commit actual funds to the cause, can sign up directly to the Free tier.
You access this tier by clicking the shiny new “Join for free” button on the splash page of my Patreon site:
Once there, you set up an account, or sign in with an existing account, just as you would with a paid membership. And if remembering your Patreon login is challenging, you now have the option to sign in with your Google, Apple, or Facebook account instead.
Coming Up In November
There’s a first edition of Worst Journey Vol.1 in the auction for Children in Read, a fundraiser for BBC Children in Need. The winner will get a drawing as well as a signature in their copy. It would be really helpful if you could spread the word about this, as my own reach is limited. I have made posts about it on Twitter and Instagram (both @twirlynoodle) if you want simply to hit a share button; if you don’t mind a little extra work, you are welcome to write your own, or do whatever!
Looking down the pipeline, we’ve got some themed months ahead on Patreon. The theme for November is … PONEYS!
- The story of Scott’s ponies!
- Pony sketchbook!
- Pony designs! (Yes, actual drawings, I know)
- a very special pony drawing tutorial, for the fivers
Plus whatever else comes up in the meantime, and of course another Update at the end. I will be going to Oslo to talk about the book towards the end of the month, so there should be quite a lot to share, although that may not appear until December or January.
And that’s it for October! See you again worryingly close to Christmas …
The Worst Journey in the World: Graphic Novel 