The Fezziwig News by Stu Jenks

More chapter-heading-images for Novel SZ

Novel SZ is the super-secret public working-title for my novel. I'm about 1/4 ways through the revision. At first, I wasn't enjoying the rewrite but I really am now. I'm on a mission here, to produce a piece of work that will be helpful to others. That's all I can say for now. Below are some graphic-pen images that may be used as chapter-heading-images for Novel SZ. And for what it's worth, after the rewrite, Novel SZ goes to an editor for notes, then to a line editor for proofing, and then to press at Fezziwig Press. My plan is to print it hardbound and as an ebook. I much prefer hardbound books but ebooks is where the money is, or so they say. Anywho, enjoy these teaser images.

All 8 1/2" x 11" A/P archival pigment prints by Stu Jenks for $25, shipping, handling and taxes included...

Image: "Queen Esther Baptist Church, Lancaster, Virginia" (c) 2011 Stu Jenks (Just down River Road from Victoria's house. Love that luscious red carpet. And for you nocturnals out there, it was handheld. Rare for me.)

In this time of making photos on iPhones and Macbook Pros and only looking on screens, I forget I'm a old-school guy. I make a 8 1/2 x 11 work print on archival paper of EVERY image I make. EVERY one. It's the only way, for me, to accurately check for color shift, density, composition, etc. I really like my iPad screen but it's no way to make a good print.

And I have hundreds, if not thousands, of work prints artist proofs at my studio.

If you see an image of mine on The StuBlog or on my old website or on the Fezziwig Press Store or in any of my books, there's a beautiful small print in a box somewhere, perhaps with your name on it. And since I'm organized, I can find it.

Many of you can't afford my larger prints. I understand. I don't have an extra 50 or 100 lying around either. But I do have an extra $20 for stuff I really like.

So if you see an image of mine on any of my sites or in any of my books and you want it, it's yours for $25, shipping, handling and tax included. (I believe in paying taxes, sales and otherwise.)

Just email me at my facebook page or through the StuBlog or at stujenks@gmail.com, and tell me what print you would like or just pull the jpeg and send that to me.

I was just watching the Tarhells lose today in basketball, working on images at my computer when I thought, 'I bet people don't realize I have boxes of work prints here.'

You all do now.

Love and light,

Stu

p.s. Ignore the catagories belows. The computer went wacky. Another reason why I prefer a print in the hand as opposed to an image in The Cloud.

...The first draft of the novel is done!!!...

The first draft of the novel is done!!! It came in at 149,000 words, 552 pages in my document. Yeaaaa! I can't tell you how good it feels. The ending made me cry, as I hope it does you. (Last word in the novel, which won't change in revision: Sighs.) I want to jump right back to the beginning and start revisions, but Mary Ann suggests I take more than just a couple days off. OK. I'll take off three or four days. LOL. But then it's fixing this and revising that, then off to the editors. And I have ideas for the next novel in this series, too. I have some pretty great characters, I think, and I want to see what they will do next. But first things first. Get this novel to print.

One serious note: It took about a year to write this novel, but it almost didn't get done. With Mary and Pamela dying and all, I didn't work on it for about six weeks and it was so hard to get my momentum back. But I did. But it was difficult. If you are working on a novel or a large work, I recommend you plow through, even if the field is frozen. I've been told I'm very lucky to have gotten back on track.

Speaking of track, good luck to Danica Patrick tomorrow in the Daytona 500 and in the rest of Sprint Cup and Nationwide races this season. I might just have to go up to PHX next Saturday to watch her race.

By the way, did I mention I finished the freaking first draft of the novel?

Yeaaaaaaaaa!

...some images from the Tohono O'Odham Nation...

...some images from the Tohono O'Odham Nation (c) 2012 Stu Jenks

"Adobe LEDs"

"Adobe LEDs, Tucson, Arizona" (c) 2012 Stu Jenks

Not that it's a big deal, but I'm heading toward the end of the first draft of the novel. Three more big things need to happen to my characters, including one character's mother dies of dementia. (Wonder where that idea came from.) And thanks to two writer people friends who will remain nameless (for now) for pushing me to finish the first draft before I do any revisions at all to the novel. Y'all are so right about that and so encouraging. I can't thank you enough. Now back to work.

...getting back on the Sunset Limited...

300 plus pages into the first draft of the novel. My main characters have just gotten off the train in Yuma. They'll be spending the night in Yuma, getting back on the Sunset Limited in the morning. God willing and the writer doesn't change his outline, they should be home in Tucson, tomorrow.

I'm guessing there's only about 70 to 100 pages untl I get to write the big climax of the novel. (I have a nice, hopefully-very-satisfying ending planned.) Then re-write and editors but that's then, not now. Now, I just want to share some more Graphic Pen images (and some straight photographic ones) that will be chapter heading images for the book. And just if you are wondering, Graphic Pen images are easier and cheaper to print lithographically and a little easier to design and upload for the IPad, Kindle and Nook. Anyway, have a happy Twenty Twelve, y'all, and don't forget to enjoy the mystery of it all.

Mormon Tea: A Novel

"Mormon Tea, Utah" (c) 2011 Stu Jenks

[Teaser: Morman Tea plays a role in the novel I'm writing. Under advice of other authors who are really go at this, I best say little else about the book, besides I'm enjoying the heck out of writing fiction. Hope to have the novel done by the end of the year, and in ebook and book book form soon after.]

"On The Road To Florence"

"On The Road To Florence, Arizona" (c) 2011 Stu Jenks

"ATK, Utah"

"ATK, Utah" (c) 2010, 2011 Stu Jenks

Sometimes less words are best.

 

"Uranium Mines at Temple Mountain"

"Uranium Mines at Temple Mountain, Utah" (c) 2010, 2011 Stu Jenks (Below: "Hoodoo at Temple Mountain", and "Petrified Log at Temple Mountain.)

A very strange place, not far from Goblin Valley in Utah. A huge uranium mining town until not long ago. Now, just a parking lot and numerous roads leading to abandoned mines entombed with concrete. A scarred mountain that's slowly coming back. A beautiful yet sad place.

I'm working on a new project, a novel this time. More about that later, but the novel will have some black and white photos in it, a Photo Graphic Novel of sorts. Having a good time creating a new world and peopling it with characters that I love and hate. And it's very true what my writer friends say. You create characters, and want them to say and do certain things, and then they do whatever they want, ignoring what I think altogether. A creative surrender of a different sort that I'm enjoying quite a bit.

Some of the photos on the StuBlog in the coming months will be considered for the novel, including some of these here. Enjoy.

P.S. The Mary book, Dementia Blues, will be for sale soon. Very soon. Shooting for March 7th.