What A Great Graphic Artist Can Do For (Or Is It To?) A Writer

How Can Such A Cute Face Cause A Major Rewrite?

You know a great Graphic Artist is a gift from God, but they can also really mess a writer up. 

The graphic designer who redesigned my blog, Jesse Ruiz, and I had so much fun we decided to collaborate on the cover of my next e-book, Chasing Lady Midnight.

You all know what the plan was. I had posted a free little story, was going to put it into e-book format, offer it for free, and then maybe do a follow-up book later. Jesse and I got together, I told him my idea, he gets an idea on the basic premise, to which I agree. After a few days he works his magic, shows me the cover and throws a monkey wrench into everything because of his awesome talent!

Now I need to warn you, I’m going to give you a few details, but not tell you the the end design. Not because it’s a good cover, but because it is a fantastic cover! It will be revealed just before the book comes out in the Fall. Trust me, it will be worth the wait.

So how did Jesse singlehandedly turn my story on its head? By making a couple of little additions.

On the cover is Lady Midnight’s alter ego. Fashionably dressed walking a dog. So what? There was no dog in my story! And it’s not just any dog, it’s a basset hound. My favorite breed of dog (I even love Hush Puppy shoes because of them) and the most comical dog on the face of the planet. Imagine a fashionista (on a budget) who owns a basset hound whose superhero costume is all black which she hates because it's just too Goth!

Brilliant!

But now I have to do a major rewrite! Why? Couldn't I have made her a dog walker or something? No! I fell in love (can you fall in love with a graphic?) which got all my creative juices going! I immediately gave the dog a name (to be revealed later) and then God gives me another idea that has it morph into a superhero cozy mystery with a brilliant choice for a villain and everything! 

See what a great cover can do for a writer, or is it to you?
Graphic Artists! They cause nothing but trouble, but in a good way. I think.

Of course Jesse is anxious for the book to be released. It's his first e-book cover and he's really excited about it. But I tell him, you're the one who necessitated a rewrite. So be patient!

Because now I’ve got to write a story to live up to this fantastic cover, and trust me, that is not going to be easy.

A lot of prayer is going to necessary. But isn't it always?

Mystery writer C.L. Ragsdale is the author of The Reboot Files a Christian Cozy Mystery Series, and a superhero story called Chasing Lady Midnight. A California native, she loves to "surf" the web to research plot details for her fun, quirky stories. She has a degree in Theatre Arts which greatly influenced her writing style. Working in various fields as a secretary has allowed her to both master her writing skills and acquire valuable technical knowledge which she uses liberally in her plots. Although that is where she got her idea for The Secretary, she is not an evil mastermind. Although some of her former employers might disagree. These days she contents herself with knitting while contemplating her next diabolical plot. Story plot that is.

Her blog is located at http://shortmysteriesandtalltales.blogspot.com

Her Facebook Authors Page is located at http://www.facebook.com/pages/CL-Ragsdale/219184744858421