Solidifying Imagination With Illustration

Readers tend to come to the page with their imaginations poised for creation, even if they're not aware of doing so. Writing is unique and occasionally frustrating because you don't always start creating on the page with your imagination ignited.

Yeah, it can suck. But hey, there are tons of mechanisms, tools, and practices just shy of magic you can utilize to jumpstart your dreaming machine.

One tool I particularly enjoy is illustration. I can't draw, so I commission artists to help me. And when I see something that is only in my head (and on the page) come to life outside of those places my imagination practically explodes.

This isn't a good idea for everyone because some people don't want to discuss a story they're only drafting, a story they may in fact never finish, and that's totally okay. A lot can change between first, second, and tenth drafts. But also, visuals have played a large role in my storytelling life since I was a kid thanks to comics and movies. You may have other inspirational requirements.

Illustrations can really help me see what I'm imagining take on a life outside the immaterial plane of my dreams and the early drafts of a story. That's why I sometimes reach out to an illustrator if I feel like it will benefit my process.

These images are by Luca Vassallo, a regular comic book collaborator and all-around awesome person. He's illustrated a lot of fantastic images for me so far and this is one connected to a project I can't share, because it doesn't exist yet, not in any form that is close to shareable. I have around five chapters written and a lot of notes and backstory.

The most I can tell you is it's prose fiction and it's about superheroes, but not any superheroes you'd see in Marvel or DC. I have a lot more of these characters and their world in my mind. Seeing this character somewhere other than behind my eyes gave me an amazing nudge forward with what I was working on.

It's not the only time I've commissioned someone to illustrate something for an unfinished project and it won't be the last. It's such a helpful way, for me, to get storytelling traction when my imagination might need a jolt.