Famous Last Words

I posted on Thursday – Boxing Day – about the ridiculous speed with which I wrote and illustrated chapter IX of Alice’s Adventures at the Poles. My plan was that I would take it more easily after that. Famous last words. I sat down on Friday morning before work, and wrote almost 1000 words of Chapter X. I wrote the rest of the chapter on Saturday, made one illustration for the chapter, then wrote the notes for it and made the three illustrations I needed to complete the chapter yesterday. So in the space of a week I’ve gone from 2/3 of the story completed, to five eighths.

I mentioned the notes for each chapter. I’m not entirely sure whether I’ve mentioned them before. In case I haven’t, when I’ve completed each chapter I like to write a set of bullet notes accompanying it. The notes can cover a variety of subjects. Originally I just wanted to explain the significance behind some of the references in chapter I, and what they mean in terms of Lewis Carroll’s stories and also the real-life Alice Liddell. This soon expanded to the more general historic context to some of the incidents in chapter 1. Then I decided it might be nice to explain some of the choices I made when making the illustrations. Then I though it was only fair to acknowledge where I have been influence by the Alice books in the choices I’ve made for the narrative. . . and so on. While I wouldn’t say that I’ve necessarily enjoyed making the notes more than writing the narrative or making the illustrations, making the notes has become an intrinsic part of the whole act of creation for me. And yes, if you push me, it plays to the natural show off within me that is never that far from the surface – I suppose it is me saying – Look how clever I’ve been! – when I’ve written something that I think deserves it.

Well, I’m two hundred and fifty words into chapter XI which will be the penultimate chapter and I know the broad sweep of what is going to happen in it. I have no intention of rushing through the chapter at full tilt again, but we’ll just see how it goes.

Meanwhile, here’s the illustrations to Chapter X