The Face On the Page

October 26, 2012 by Cassidy Frazee | 5 Comments

Yesterday was time to play.  I started looking at the NaNo page, and was thinking about what I was going to do with my book cover.  Yes, I’m doing that as well.  But you have to expect this from me, ’cause I’m crazy.  There, I said it.  Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful.

So I found a picture–something that came off the Creative Commons Flickr, which means people don’t mind if you use their work for usually non-commercial purposes.  And, yes, Mister I’m Letting You Know You’re Stealing a Photographer’s Work, But You Know That:  yes, I do know that, because I’m not a brain-dead fool going around ripping shit off from the Internet as so many do.  That’s why I did my homework, that’s why I know about Creative Commons, and use them when I can, as should you, and you know who you are.

In short, back off, man:  I’m a professional.

As I was saying, playing.  Yeah, I like doing things like that.  I wanted to get something that looked spooky, something that had a similar font as the one I used for Kuntilanak, and something with a touch of green.  That’s right, green, and there’s a good reason for that, but not one I’m going into now.

I used a couple of free things to play with the design:  Gimp and Paint.net, which I’m trying out because I want to see how they work; both are free, by the way.  I also used PhotoPlus X4, which can now be had for $20.  Each has it’s good and bad points, and it was sorta fun to play with them.

So what was the end result?  Feast your eyes, if you will:

That’s taking a stock picture, giving it a little of a black and white overlay, then darkening it a bit, and turning up the green filter.  I’m thinking of adding something in the doorway, something that is hiding just at the edge, something that makes the picture just a little spookier.

Don’t know if this is going to be the actual picture I post on my NaNo Novel Page, but it’ll be something along these lines.  There is something else I want to try, maybe try it tonight or tomorrow.  I’ll compare it to what I’ve already created, and then see what the consensus becomes.

Though, in the end, it’s my say.  Or the Muse’s say.  Or both.  Though I’ve been told by the Muse to just shut up and listen to her.  Which is usually how it goes, right?

This is pretty much the end of the prequel leading up to NaNo Novel 2012.  I don’t need a cover, but I’ll likely throw one up there for the hell of it, because . . . yeah, why not?  But this is it; this is the end.  I have my outline, I have my times, I have my death list, I have my cover.  There’s nothing left to do but wait for a minute after midnight on 1 November, and crank out a few hundred words to get the party started.

Two thousand words a day–or more–everything.  For thirty days and nights.

Yeah, chill the hell out.  I got this.