More Martin

... and a dorky jacket! :)

More Emma

Character design: Anne

 

Anne is fun to draw! She started out as a kind of Emily Dickinson, but it looks like she went to the same hairdresser as Amy Winehouse. What was I thinking? No idea. Anne is a weird girl who does weird things, like bruising in the rain, so I thought I could get away with some outlandish looks here.

So, sketches for the whole cast are up and running. I'll probably make a few extra sketches of each character, so look out for those.

Next, I'll be collecting reference material for all the indoor and outdoor locations, as well as for some crucial props. I can't sketch an accurate sparrow skull out of thin air, for example...

Character design: Martin

Martin's looks are based on the gorgeous Mr. Gary Lightbody (cue annoyed boyfriend shouting in the background: 'Lightbody?! Come on! Is that even a real name?!'). Actually, Martin is based on the most unflattering picture of Gary Lightbody I could find. No pretty boys in my book!

I think he still needs a bit of work though. Martin is the kind of guy who's a little soft in all the wrong places, both physically and psychologically. The nice guy (art school drop-out) who'll break your heart anyway. That doesn't come out enough in this sketch.

Character design: Emma

 

Meet our protagonist!

This is Emma, 24 years old (as of 2006, the year this story will take place). Always dresses like she's going to the office (probably some nondescript-fresh-out-of-university job), even on nights and weekends. Sometimes she sleeps in this outfit as well.

When I come up with a character, they're usually 'played', in my mind, by an actual person. A singer, an actor, a writer, or someone else I happen to be aware of, in real life or through the media. This person then becomes the starting point for the character design.

Emma is based on Beth Orton. That (partly) explains me including one of her songs on my playlist. Upon closer inspection, I suspect I also added some Kate Winslet to the picture :)

A blurb

Nothing's harder than trying to explain what your work-in-progress is about. At least, it's hard for me. I tried to explain Scratches to my boyfriend. His reaction: ' That doesn't sound very interesting'. My reply: 'Well, I'm just not very good at selling stories. I couldn't even tell you what this book is about (I held up the Murakami novel I was reading) and make it sound interesting to you!' And he admitted I was right about that.

But I can't share my progress on this project here and not tell you what the story will be about. So I tried my hand at writing some 'blurb' text. Something that could be printed on the back of the book. Something that might make it sound interesting. Here we go:

How do you stop loving someone?
Emma needs to know.

Since Martin has left her, she's been trapped in a place 
between night and day, dreams and reality, past and present.
Literally.

The damage is invisible on the outside.
But somewhere, someone is drawing blood. Scratching the surface.

Emma finds that there is no safety in memories, or in good intentions.
Not even in friendships that never die.

Emma will have to draw a line somewhere.
Dig another's grave, or be buried alive.

There. How does that sound?

A playlist

Perhaps it's a silly thing to do, but I love compiling soundtracks when I'm working on a story. Here's what I've been listening to while writing the script for Scratches:

01 The Postal Service - The district sleeps alone tonight
02 Beth Orton - Stolen car
03 Mystery Jets - Half in love with Elizabeth
04 Doves - The cedar room
05 The Killers - Smile like you mean it
06 Kashmir - The curse of being a girl
07 The Arcade Fire - No cars go
08 Say Hi To Your Mom - The death of girl number two
09 The Cranberries - I can't be with you
10 Counting Crows - A long December

And now, you'll have to excuse me. I'm putting a playlist together for the story I'll write after Scratches is done. I know, I won't be doing anything else but Scratches for at least a year, but it's just too much fun :)

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a script

Twenty-nine pages of dialogue, monologue & descriptions: the script for Scratches is done! I wrote the final scene yesterday morning, on a train to Rotterdam that had to cut its way through the fog. Some of that fog ended up on the last page of the story. Which is only fitting, since that last scene also takes place on a February morning :)

And now I've got my work cut out for me...