In this blog…
- Surprising revelations about my creative process
- The intersection of writing, visual art, and theatre
- How i was inspired by the work of Audra Balion
Reflecting on my process as an author
Looking back at how I approached writing Crown of Horns, I discovered something surprising. I learned that my writing methods are very similar to those of my partner, Audra Balion. Why is that so surprising? Because she’s an illustrator, painter, and sculptor; her narratives come from a place of pictures, images, and visuals. I am no visual artist. But I discovered that I approach a story from the same place.
Inspired by images
When Audra wrote Flight Nineteen, her silent graphic novel that gave rise to the world that Crown of Horns calls home, she started with a picture. She created a beautiful illustration of a woman riding a strange, winged beast. From there, she asked, who is this woman? What is this beast? Where are they going and why? The answers revealed a tragic story that spanned cities, forests, oceans, and swamps, all populated by a variety of strange creatures and peoples.
The image that inspired an epic.
Before I wrote Crown of Horns, I saw people protesting in the square of Kiev. I saw images of police brutality. And from that, I imagined a woman standing next to a statue, waving a flag. I pictured police clambering up and throwing her to the ground. I envisioned a cloaked woman carrying her away to a safehouse. I imagined posters that glowered overhead that once promised “harmony,” but as they fell and boots tore them apart, they spoke only of “harm.”
Those real-life images inspired me, and the short scene that came from that inspiration quickly expanded. I needed to tell a story that explained how the world got to that moment. I needed to know what came after. As I look back on that process, I realize that so much of my writing has come from the same place: a scene that plays out in my mind. From there, my process is working out how to get to that scene and figuring out its consequences.
The Protest from Crown of Horns.
Writing for theatre
I have a background in theatre. I’ve written several plays that have been mounted on stage. I may not be a visual artist, but most of my work has been given life in a visual medium. I start by imagining a moment. Whether it be a pair of simultaneous sword fights or a suave (if incompetent) alien captain obsessing over cereal. I picture these moments and write towards them. I want to capture those visuals and bring them to life.
Crown of Horns had no intention of being acted out on the stage, I still thought of it in terms of visual moments. Just like Audra’s first illustration of Andromache upon the narbatross inspired a steampunk epic, my own narratives have been driven by images. When Audra illustrated the four-winged phoenix of Oksana for me, the result blew me away. I had several ideas for the creature’s physiology and importance, but when she came back to me with such a stunning illustration… Well, I wrote entirely new chapters just so I could describe this glorious bird and feature it more prominently.
A sketch worthy of inspiration.
The title was a lie
I claim to be writing about a non-visual medium, aka a novel. But readers of my book will know that there are a lot of visuals. Every chapter includes an illustration done by my remarkable partner.
In the end, it felt wrong to not include pictures in a work that relied so intrinsically on visuals. Especially when Crown of Horns was set within the same world that Audra had built entirely through visual storytelling. It was an honour and a delight to team up with my partner and have her breathe life into the story I was telling with her own visuals.
The value of reflection
Now that I’ve taken the time to really consider my approach to writing and storytelling, it has made me more confident as I work toward a Crown of Horns sequel. As I imagine my next big set-piece moments, I’m excited to see where the story takes me to get to them, what consequences will come thereafter. See you on the next step of the journey!
I’d love to hear from you and learn about your own approach to creative projects. Do you get as much value out of reflecting on that process? Find me on my social media and let me know!
Learn more about Audra Balion’s Flight Nineteen by visiting audra.balion.ca
