Graeme Brandham

Hmm good point. I mostly agree, while I think both can achieve that, books generally do it better.
I'm also a massive music nerd and find it very emotive. But that said, I've never been as affected by a song or a movie as I have by a book. Some have stayed with me for years.

Controversial question time:

#writerscommunity #writers #authors
#booksky

Can a book ever reach the same heights of emotion as a film when a book doesn't have a supporting soundtrack? 😱😱

Opinions needed asap!
Friendly debate happening. Help appreciated.

I feel that. I'm 35 and still some of my fave tracks come from Hybrid Theory.

Early fall out boy... Gosh... It takes me back.

It sounds like you provide a vital and wonderful service. I've often wondered if fantasy and sci-fi need it the most, simply because by virtue of the authors creativity and enjoyment of the subject, they get lost in all the fun side moments?

Please go further and tell us what tracks!
I'm desperately hoping for something my chem, and something bowling for soup.
Maybe a dose of system of a down thrown in for some angsty anger?

Dreams & Goals:

A few; I would love to finish my book and have it available online as a serialisation. I am keen to progress in my wine journalism/marketing career. I would like to go on a silent retreat. Maybe one day be a dad? Visit St Lucia, derive income by my own means.
#FantasyIndiesAugust

The art of the panel strip has slowly been diminished since the newspapers went online. So it goes without saying, it makes me immensely happy to see it being done here. And with a dinosaur too!

It's a beautiful piece 😍

Another beautiful addition to my daily scroll. This haunting image fills me with both hope and wonder. The framing of the scene leaves me in the wilds, lost, maybe alone. But this glowing white tree fills me with warmth. It's lamp-like quality draws me in.

This is fantastic! I love illustrating dinosaurs from time to time as well. As for where I would go in a prehistoric museum. I am incredibly basic and will always try and find something Triceratops based. That said, I also love primitive stone tools from early humans.

No problem at all, thank you for populating our feeds with good art!

It's got me wondering what other hidden treasures are out there.
So, what's a film, book, or game you feel is a secret masterclass in storytelling? I'd love to hear your recommendations!

I chose to write this week about Surf's Up partly because I think it’s important to show that you can find absolute gems of story-craft in less-celebrated places. It’s easy to point to the big, famous examples, but sometimes the most potent lessons are tucked away in a quiet corner.

The palette is what immediately grabbed me with this image. Those purple tones for the shadows are so warm and inviting when contrasted with the muted earthy greens.

Also who doesn't love stepping into the paw prints of a little mouse curious to nose a wee ginger plant.
Is their name Ralph?

I can imagine that must have been an affecting day of writing. Especially if you were sunk right into it. Lost in the words you were creating.

Its great isn't it. You can almost feel it!

The inking of the image is so nicely balanced. (Not an easy feat). The colours pop and at the same time feel complimentary. The slight pastel tone of the image gives it a feeling of being sun bleached, well loved. An image that has hung proudly on a wall in the brightest corner of the art studio.

Mental health in WIP:

2 things. My mental health whilst working on my book, and mental health within my book. For myself, keeping a check on expectations works. Allowing myself time and routine. For the book, it is an evident theme albeit discussed through multiple views.
#FantasyIndiesAugust

Haha it sometimes does for me. Early to bed can also sometimes, for me, just mean more time in bed. 😂

It can be both! I'm always curious what other peoples habits are, and how they get to them. If anyone has advice on how to get up in the morning without begrudging it. Let me know 😂

Thank you. It sounds nice, but it's also something I firmly believe 😊. It sounds as though you do too.

What kind of books would your MC read?

There are a few main characters, but Elias is probably the emotional core of the story. He is a stuffy middle aged man, a historian of rabbit history. He likes to read dusty books about myths, archeology, and Rabbit culture.

#FantasyIndiesAugust #Writing

Do you tend to write in the morning, afternoon, or evening?

- I would like to get into a routine of doing my two pages a day in the morning, but I am not a very good person at that whole waking up thing. So generally it's either in my lunch, or on the bus to work.

#FantasyIndiesAugust #Writing

Favourite line in my WIP:

Gosh that is hard...

"It all began, as many good stories do, in the bustling Polis of Athens city. Under the watchful eyes of the gods, Philoc the Terra runner, who was indulging in a few well earned market figs, overheard a proclamation."

#FantasyIndiesAugust #Writing

Show us your book cover:

Hmm this is a trickier one, as I don't currently have one. However, here is a picture of one of the rabbit characters, Cash'ya, I drew recently.
#FantasyIndiesAugust #Writing #Booksky #Art #Conceptart #Illustration

Snippet Saturday:
"Time slipped past as she hid motionless on her branch, staring down at the young human. The child below gently grew still. She sensed this was not the stillness of sleep, where breathing became a sonorous to and from. No, this was a sullen stillness. A dead stillness."

Going to catch up on this:
My name is Graeme, and I am writing a Fantasy/near future Sci-Fi, set in an alternative earth where both Humans and Rabbits became self aware and sentient.

#FantasyIndiesAugust #WritingCommunity #WriteSky #Writers #Writing

The Tao of the Penguin: What 'Surf's Up' Teaches Us About Forgetting the Goal and Finding the Story. Why a 2007 animated mockumentary about surfing penguins is a masterclass in character, theme, and the art of staying present.

I wrote about the whole experience and the surprising wisdom I found. Read the full dispatch here: graemesatlas.substack.com/p/the-tao-of...

As an adult, the pressures to succeed and the fear of failure have worn me down a bit, and I've felt that capacity to just have fun begin to fade. The movie was this poignant, powerful reminder that there's more to life than the grindstone, and it hit me even harder now than it did back then.