March is almost over… and while I’m panicking about getting my taxes done… I’m also stoked that Urban Gothic was released from Kyanite Publising. Considering the fact that it’s my second major release, I’d really like to take this chance to go into depth about how it came to be, because, it wasn’t easy to make.

It took many long years since its conception to really get the feel of the book down in my mind. I struggled from the moment it was started, agonized when I put it away, and doubted myself when I returned to it.

So… let’s talk about a few things… mostly… inspiration.

By now I’m sure you’ve heard me mention Dreampunk ad Nausea, but the idea was formed before I even had an idea that there was a word for the genre. My first thoughts of the Dreamscape, the alternate world of Urban Gothic, earned its first inklings thanks to a birthday gift, the 1996 Dragonlance Calendar.

Inside was a picture titled Dreamscape. Holy cannoli did that ever play with my imagination. I actually kept that picture up for two months longer…partly because the mermaid picture which featured a blue-skinned almost naked lady, kept distracting me. 😳

Then… a year later I was gifted a particular poster. This is from the 20th anniversary addition, but it’s almost the same.

The two pictures stayed up together for a few years on my wall, and I was proud of them. Lookit that griffin, lookit that clock, Lookit the stained glass window!

Yeah. It worked… I bought the books once I started first, real part-time job that and had some disposable income, and with money, came comics. Neil Gaiman’s Sandman to be exact.

(And an encompassing crush on death.)

Well, by then I had written my first 7 books and was querying them out to agents and publisher. Let’s just say they needed work. After reading The Lawnmower man from Stephen King I thought, why not get more publicity by writing a novella?

Foolish naive me tried to write Urban Gothic, and I failed only 5,000 words in. Why?

A few things.

• Lack of research: I couldn’t properly catch the wonder I wanted to portray.
• Lack of empathy: For those who’ve read Urban Gothic, you might catch what I’m talking about. For the rest, no spoilers.
• Lack of experience as a writer.

It was thanks though, to Thurston Howl and crew, and my finally growing maturity, that I learned enough to try my No-WIP-Left-Behind policy, and thanks to a few authors, like Moss Whelan and BK Bass that I returned to it.

But… I still feared I wouldn’t portray the dreamscape well enough, that is until I poured through my DVD collection. Hey gang, remember The Cell? It’s director, Tarsem Singh, was known for directing music videos, and it shows.

Wow.

Horrifying, beautiful, all within the mind

Another video, a small, independent film, also played a prominent point. 2009’s ink.

Something has to stop the flow.

If you want a low-budget film done right that punches you in the feels and takes place in a dreamscape…Just bloody watch it. I can’t recommend it enough, especially now that I’m the father of a little girl.

Yet, I still struggled with one concept there was one last part… how to portray a world built on the back of another?

This photo is from the book that has a place of honor ON MY NIGHTSTAND. The graphic novel adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere, adapted by Michael Carey and illustrated by Glenn Fabry. (I could fanboy about these three until the cows come home, as I love Hellblazer AND I have read all of Preacher over a dozen times.)

What Neverwhere did was finally give me a clue how to proceed. I’m fortunate to live in a city that takes pride in something special. With the graphic novel keeping my mind open, I scoured my town, looking for something special.

Recognize this?

Ottawa Street Art.

I could see people’s imaginations taking hold in a city.

It was the final clue I needed. I finally felt what was needed to turn the endeavor into something of a story. I’d love to show you who inspired the characters, but… some people have asked for privacy while other inspirations…. um… 😳

Lastly… It was the support of all my fans and friends, readers and writers and all those who showed interest.

If it wasn’t for you…

Urban Gothic would not exist.