{"id":5846,"date":"2021-08-11T11:35:15","date_gmt":"2021-08-11T15:35:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.caraghobrien.com\/book\/?p=5846"},"modified":"2021-08-11T23:47:28","modified_gmt":"2021-08-12T03:47:28","slug":"ari-milo-on-wattpad-so-worth-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.caraghobrien.com\/book\/writing\/ari-milo-on-wattpad-so-worth-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Ari & Milo on Wattpad ~ So Worth It"},"content":{"rendered":"

When I started posting my novel Ari & Milo<\/em> as a serial on Wattpad<\/a>, I wasn\u2019t sure what would happen. It was an experiment. I didn\u2019t know if readers would find it, or if I could keep up with doing a new drawing every day, or how I would feel about putting up my work for free.<\/p>\n

It turned out to be a really nice experience in so many ways.<\/p>\n

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Ari & Milo: the first cover<\/p><\/div>\n

First, I\u2019d always wanted to design a cover for one of my books, but I had no idea how. I discovered sites like Book Cover Zone<\/a> that have pre-designed book covers where all you have to do is put in your own title, author name, and tag lines. It was super fun to check out the images and contemplate how they might match my novel. Genres have their own parameters for cover art, and this made me think about whether Ari & Milo<\/em> was more sci fi or romance, more YA or mature. I started with one cover, and halfway through, I switched up to another one that felt like a better fit. In each case, I added some details (two moons, a futuristic border effect) to fit my story even more.<\/p>\n

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Ari & Milo: the second, final cover<\/p><\/div>\n

Second, breaking the book into short chunks was an interesting exercise, and focusing on 2,000 words each day gave me a chance to edit once more under just the tiniest bit of pressure. I love small-scale editing, and it was satisfying to go over the novel once again, word by word.<\/p>\n

Third, the drawing was a blast. I\u2019ve learned a ton about how to use Procreate, and I relished trying out different styles and effects. Most often, I worked from a photo or two to get my contours, and then I made the images my own with colors and smudging. It was a treat when my niece Julia Hart contributed a guest drawing for Chapter 24 Black Cat. She is one of the people who inspired me to try digital art. (Thanks, Julia!)<\/p>\n

Here’s a time-lapse video of my artwork for Chapter 21.<\/p>\n