There are certain steps in starting out a new project that I now realize are not optional. They provide fuel that keeps me going, even activating my subconscious. One of the most important of these steps is to make desktop wallpapers for my devices—my own take on a vision board. I learn so much about the characters, plots, and worlds this way.

Take this picture of Craig, for instance. He’s a four-armed, Lyrian “space-Sasquatch” (don’t tell him I called him that, but it’s true—in the world of The Department of Homeworld Security, he and his mate, Barbara, are responsible for a lot of “Bigfoot” sightings). Craig was a pivotal character in Entry Visa, so I included him in my vision board while I was working on that story. Continue reading “Vision Boards”