In the works

I’m working on a zine about my favorite writing advice. It’s a quarter-page zine, meaning four zine pages will fit on one sheet of paper.

The most complicated part of making quarter-page zines is the print layout.

If you make the zine pages in order, you have to reshuffle them so that they print in the correct sequence.

If you don’t want to reshuffle, then you have to make the pages out of order. That may or may not work for you.

It doesn’t work for me.

So what I’m doing is working in two Canva files. One is my “working file” and sized for the finished zine page size (4.25 inches x 5.5 inches). When I finalize the pages, I’m going to export them as images.

Then the second Canva file is my “print file” and sized at 8.5 inches x 11 inches. I added guides to divide the pages into quarters. I labeled the page numbers so that the zine will print in the correct sequence. Then I’ll add each zine page (as an image) to this print file.

It’s not necessarily a difficult process, but it does feel like extra steps and extra time. And I haven’t been able to simplify from here.

I should mention I did try downloading all the zine pages as a PDF and then printing 4 pages per sheet. This printing method leaves gaps between each page, so there’s extra white space around each page. What I’m doing in the print file in Canva doesn’t leave any gaps.

In the works

I finished the submission for that local zine. I think it’ll come out in March, so I’ll post about it when it’s available.

I typed up the quotes I gathered for my zine on writing advice. The document is three and a half pages long, and that’s before I add commentary for each quote. So I may end up cutting some quotes.

The theme has been shifting a bit.

Originally, I wanted to focus on tips for writing online. I started gathering quotes and the content felt sparse. So I broadened to gathering tips for any kind of writing. Now the quotes are a mix of writing online, writing fiction, and writing in general. Maybe it feels like a mishmash. I’ll get a better feel for it when I start adding commentary.

After I posted yesterday, I saw a link to The Underground Blog via Warren Ellis. It’s a blog that can be read only via RSS, with a feed reader. No posts on a website and nothing to link to. It feels, yeah, underground. It’s the nerdiest thing I’ve seen in blogging and I love it already.

I just realized these log posts might make good fodder for things I share in my monthly newsletter. Everything builds.

In the works

I did some research for that zine I volunteered for and sent the organizer a few ideas to get his feedback. Looks like I’ll be making a list of tips for making zines by hand. 🙂

I remembered one quote to add to my zine on writing advice:

“I’m writing a first draft and reminding myself that I’m simply shoveling sand into a box so that later I can build castles.”

– Shannon Hale

On my mind

When it comes to posting online, I go through phases of posting to a lot of places and then later consolidating to just a couple places. I think I’m in a phase of consolidating. Mostly I’m tired of keeping up with different sites and apps and what I posted where. I have a whole to do list for posts when I make a new zine and ooof, I get tired of it.

I’ll focus on posting here and posting on Instagram when I have images to share. (I’m also focusing on posting here as an antidote to doomscrolling on social media.) And my monthly newsletter is the consolidated, here’s what I’m up to and here are some things you might be interested in.

I spent some time today wandering around other people’s blogs. It’s the kind of thing that fits especially on wintry Sunday afternoons.

One thing I’ve been skimming through is “status” posts on Warren Ellis’ website. He uses status posts to share updates on what he’s working on, what he’s reading or watching, and whatever else he wants to share about the day. Some posts are only one paragraph. Some are longer.

His way of sharing his work is in the same vein as two other writers whose work I admire: Robin Sloan (work with the garage door open) and Austin Kleon (show your work).

I’ve been doing the show your work part for a while, especially with sharing how I make zines. I love the idea of working with the garage door open but I haven’t done that a lot. Online, it means sharing what goes into your work and not just the finished piece. What I’ve been missing is the status part.

I’m going to adapt the idea of Ellis’ status posts and blend that with what I already do to share my creative work.

Here’s my plan:

This blog is about my creative projects and what I do for fun. Not my day job. So “status” doesn’t feel quite right for me. I’ll categorize my posts as “log” instead. As in, “captain’s log” for capturing important info.

I like how Ellis uses the date to title his status posts. That shows right away what kind of post it is. I’ll use dates in my titles, too.

My log posts will not be daily. I’ll see how once or twice a week feels.

So, let’s see:

In the works

I’ve been doing research for a new zine about my favorite writing advice. I’m collecting quotes right now from books on my shelf and a few quotes I have to google. My plan is to list all the quotes in a document and then write a few notes or comments about each one. After I see how much text that is, I can decide on zine format. So far, I’m leaning toward a quarter-page zine. Black and white on the inside pages with a color cover.

What I’ve been watching

Yesterday I watched Spy Game (2001). I like seeing a spy thriller that isn’t all car chases and fight scenes. A lot of the movie feels like watching Robert Redford play chess. You’ll see what I mean if you watch the movie. I’m not going to spoil anything.

I’ve been re-watching The Flash, and I’m about a third of the way through season 2. The first two seasons of the show were my favorite.

To dig into

ooh.directory – Warren Ellis (and maybe someone else I follow?) have linked to ooh.directory as a way to discover blogs. The site has been on my radar for a while, but I haven’t spent time browsing it yet.