In my initial drafts, setting and description often take a back seat to character, action, and dialogue. Milieu details, therefore, often occupy a prominent spot on my redrafting checklist. Sometimes you can work out the placement of a scene in your head. But sometimes the arrangement of a scene requires mapping out to get it just right. That's where today's Tool of the Trade comes in: the sketchbook.
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| Three of my favorite sketchbooks: Two 9" x 12" Cansons and a B5 Deleter sketchbook mini. |
The usefulness of a conducive piece of paper - sized according to your specific needs - comes into play especially when you're dealing with fantastic or sf elements that simply don't exist in the real world. Case in point: a short story I've been working on that takes place on an O'Neill-cylinder-style space station. The climax, which once took place in a deserted industrial district - just like any you'd find on a planet - has moved to a observation "ring" that overlooks the cylinder's interior:
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| A bare-bones line sketch viewpoint shot of the observation "ring" - which might eventually be fleshed out into concept art. |
I found I couldn't wrap my head around the arrangement and logistics of the climax without drawing out some references first. In more terrestrial situations, even an overhead two-dimensional map could go a long way to sorting out venues. In Characters and Viewpoint, Orson Scott Card revealed that the entire premise of Hart's Hope came from a gate-dominated city map he doodled one day.
The more I've worked on my writing and drawing techniques, the more I've found that each sphere of creation resonates with one another; that lessons of technique from one strangely reinforce and point toward lessons in the other. If nothing else, the deeper you delve into either craft, the more you realize you have left to learn.
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