Sunday, February 28, 2010

Notebooks


Well, a simple post just to show(off?) my ever-growing stack of notebooks - essentially the Half-Continent right there, growing more and more with every volume. The tags are me marking entries for use in the MBTs: yellow = Book 1, Foundling, pink = Book 2, Lamplighter, green = Book 3, Factotum (see, its nigh March already! September is not that far off at all...)

#1 was started about 1992, then one a year until 2000, then from 2000 - 2010 I have gone from 8 notebooks to 34 (that's 2.6 a year, and they have gotten thicker too! - ok, now I AM showing away...) Much of that time I was thinking I was a drawer and here I was filling books with tiny srawlings of madness, not in drawings but in WRITING!

Go figure.

32 comments:

Zesty Zombie said...

wow... I want to look through them. I love notebooks. What is your favorite kind of notebook to use?

Brandy said...

Oh, this is a special treat! I love the picture, Mister Cornish! It's a delight to see and hear a little bit about your particular way of forming MBT. As has already been mentioned, the desire to scour through and pick up little bits and pieces of your world would be ever so enjoyable. Thank goodness we'll all happily settle for novels!

Additionally, thank you for answering about Sebastipole's name. I understand what you mean about 'it always having been thus', so to speak. It certainly suits him beautifully, but should anything more ever occur to you, I'd love a hear!

smudgeon said...

...yellow = Book 1, Foundling, pink = Book 2, Lamplighter, green = Book 3, Factotum...

I spy a few blue tages in there.

I assume those notebooks there are only a tiny part of your half-continent. There must be a huge amount in your brain.

Alyosha said...

It's a privilege to see part of the genesis of your story, so thanks for sharing the photo. I notice, though, that there’s only one notebook between #17 and #20, so either #18 or #19 is missing. I suppose, though, that in later centuries ‘the mystery of the missing notebook’ will only add to the legend of the Half Continent and its creation. Perhaps the missing notebook is the one which describes the hidden nature of Rossamund's valise?

Anonymous said...

Ahh, the notebooks. Funny enough I only remember the red ones! What incredible work.

-ferd

monday said...

*awe*

suddenly I feel really good about the giant box of full notebooks sitting under my desk.

notgene: ....well...not a gene...

Brandy said...

Perhaps the blue are for 'Corser's Hinge'?

M. Walker said...

Ahh, now we see where all the wonderful details about the world of the Half Continent have their Genesis. I hope that you have double and triple copies, because I am sure that the notebooks are filled with gems.

Yay for September!

By the way, I am currently rereading 'Foundling' and am enjoying it as thoroughly as I did the first time through. I really do loves these books, Mr. Cornish. I am glad that I became aware of you early in your writing career so that I can read everything you write as it comes out.

portals said...

Very Cool.
I tend to fill a couple of pages, rip them out, then get a new notebook. It's not a good habit.

Recently I went to see a performance of 'The Importance of Being Earnest', and I now really want to see more plays. Does anyone know of some good plays that are really worth seeing. I know that Shakespeare is all good as well.

djgr said...

absolutely love dropping by here from time to time to see what's up...thanks for sharing the notebooks, i am much in awe.

my daughter has to do an assignment on a fave book and has chosen MBT so thought i would drop by...i felt very proud of her for making such a great choice...and hope you have made it past the kraulschwimmen!

trust you are travelling well there mr cornish, the usofa name change is a challenge but have my fingers crossed for you that good things will come. cheers mate!

monday said...

Portals: Rozencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead is a pretty good play. I've never seen it performed, but I read it a few years ago and both my parents saw it somewhere and said it was super.
I also believe that Arsenic and Old Lace was originally a play, though I can't recall at the moment who wrote it...

Jackie said...

GREAT PIC!

O_o So many books.....33? Wow....

Greg Mitchell said...

That is absolutely beautiful...

I am in awe of your dedication (or is that obsession? :P).

Unknown said...

Oooh! I love it when artist's write! It always means extra nifty little scribbles too. I DO so dearly hope to see an "Art of the Half Continent" book sometime. Do you have a DeviantArt account, so that we might all glory and gape at your art as it is made?

portals said...

Thanks Monday
Anyone seen wicked? I've heard thats good...

noelle said...

Portals: Wicked is GREAT. One of my all-time favorites, and great music. Also, Skin of Our Teeth and Cabal of Hypocrites are two good plays. Oooh, and anything by Tennessee Williams, I love that man.

(is a theatre geek)

Mr. Cornish, do you use drawings straight from your notebooks as illustrations in the books? I always loved the fact that the illustrations looked like observations from someone's field notebook.

Alyosha said...

I'll second that Wicked (the musical) is a great broadway show, but caution that Wicked (the book) is not so good, unless you enjoy seeing Oz depicted as a miserable land (the kind of place you'd be going over the rainbow to escape) where magic is malignant, and most people are self-centered zealots.

Magos Kasen said...

Most impressive, Master Cornish. Your notebooks, like everything else to do with your writing, fill me with admiration!

Anonymous said...

Wow...

(few minutes of silence, well, seconds really)

I'm looking at a whole WORLD AND SMILING LIKE CRAZY!

(But then I always smile like crazy)

Unknown said...

I need that kind of dedication. In ten years I hope to have that kind of collection.

Mr. Cornish, I wonder if you wouldn't be able to answer a few questions (via email if you like) regarding you illustration career. I'm graduating this semester and part of my Senior Seminar class is to interview a well acomplished professional in the field we hope to enter. I don't have your writing talent, but I do hope to enter illustration, and find you style and method an excellent example. As I said, this would just be a few questions on illustration. I won't try to get spoilers on your books.

If your interested at all, please email me at kmullen8@uncc.edu or to this comment. Sorry I couldn't contact you more directly. I tried the halfcontinent address, but couldn't tell if you recieved my email or not. If you don't have the time, I understand. Thank you!

Kelly

portals said...

Cool, Thanks Noelle and Alyosha

Sara Charlotta Johansson said...

Thank you for sharing this picture with us! Ever since I first read about the collection of notebooks I have been curious about what they might look like. How I wish to know more in the future of what fascinating adventures and details they might contain!

DEZ said...

Haha, I love seeing stuff like this. I discovered Foundling recently and was delighted. Reading your bio on the website made me feel excited because I am much like you. I am currently attending college for Illustration and am working on a book aswell. I sense a kindred spirit! In any case, I can't wait to grab hold of Lamplighter. Keep up the terrific work!

D.M. Cornish said...

Cheers very much, I shall, Lord willing: you too!

DEZ said...

I'd be flattered if you took a peek at the stuff on my blog. I always appreciate the eye of a fellow illustrator (and I'm also a little nervous to ask)... Haha. Have a good day!

DEZ said...

Sorry, that was DestinyHarding.blogspot.com if you had a tick. Thanks!

Enchilado said...

A fabulous collection of notebooks there, Mr Cornish! I imagine they're full of notes and snippets and so on, quite unlike mine - I tend to doodle all over the page, then jot a few things in the margins.

And that pen appears to be a Pilot BeGreen G-Knock. Is it? They're a pretty good pen but I prefer the Bic Pro+. And recently I bought myself a $32 Parker that was on special - it's luxurious, a pleasure to write with.

*cough*

I better stop advertising pens. Nice notebooks once again!

Jack Dixon Ryan said...

Hahahaha! I know its been a while, and I know this is totally off topic, but that pen has utterly drawn all of my attention. I LOVE that kind of pen exactly- I have used Bic and all sorts of ballpoint for my writing, but that kind of pen tops it off! I was just so excited when I saw that pen.

Y'know. Small world.

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