Getting Visual

A cool thing about Love Inspired is that authors are asked to give input into the covers of their books.

The uncool thing is that I'm so NOT visual.

Some writers have pictures of their scenes and characters taped to the walls. I don't. I have a vague idea, so when I was asked to supply pictures for cover ideas, I was befuddled. Thank goodness I have a friend who is the Queen of Visuality (you know who you are!). She supplied me with links to helpful websites where I could brainstorm who exactly my characters look like.

Are you visual? Do you already have cover ideas? If you were a character, how would you be physically described?

Comments

I can't picture things in my head - all sucked up by the black hole - so I see "pieces" of characters, places, etc.

if I decribed myself it'd be some feature and then some quirk or some nervous habit or something of that sort :-D
Terri Tiffany said…
I'm like you-- have no clue to titles or to what a cover should look like but I do know what I DON'T like!
kah said…
I've always had a cover for The Kindrily in my mind. But my mermaid story had no mental cover until recently. Now, I adore my mermaid coming oit of a book and I hope it really is my cover someday.

You'll have a beautiful cover. I just know it. :)
Oh my... I am not visual, I think. Although I have requested cover images... hhmmm, good question to ponder.
I am visual. I learn best that way too! I have pictures saved to my computer of all the characters, engagement rings, cars, etc...I probably spend too much time sifting through images when I ought to be writing. Help. Me. !! :)
Katie Ganshert said…
Ha! I'm the SAME way. Multnomah Waterbook sent me questions about my ideas for the cover and I was totally lame, because I didn't have many!

So fun to be walking through this process together!
Jill Kemerer said…
I'm very visual. I always comb through pictures of celebrities to find a close match before I start writing. It's really hard work sifting through cute guys, but someone has to do it. :)
Jessica Nelson said…
Kathryn, I personally would love to see you describe yourself. :-) I think it would be artful and clever however you worded it, and I also think it would be honest.

LOL Terri! That's a good thing.

Awww, thanks Karen. :-) It's nice when things just come to us, right?
Jessica Nelson said…
Marja, be prepared! LOL That's my lesson and I'll be more prepared with my next story, that's for sure. Thanks for popping by. :-)

LOL Jessica, that will all come in handy! So no help for you! *grin*

Katie, I know, isn't it? :-) We're pretty much at the same exact place, which is really cool!
Jessica Nelson said…
Jill! You're such a stinker. LOL
Diane said…
How exciting to see what you'll come up with!!! Can't wait :O)
Big time visual. It's how I learn best.

And my character would be gorgeous. So beautiful she'd make your eyes hurt whenever you looked at her. Completely cracking up w/ myself right now. You realize (I hope...hope) I'm kidding. I think I'd describe my character as comfortable in her skin and laughing. That's how I want to be remembered...just need to work on that first one some more.
~ Wendy
Erica Vetsch said…
Cover art is SO exciting!

I tend to have photographs for most of my characters. 'Casting' characters is a fun part of the process for me.
Jaime Wright said…
Ooooo! FUN! I love book covers and visuals! Half the time I create my own book covers just for fun and stare at them pretending I'm in B&N seeing it on the shelf. (I know. A little weird.)
Loree Huebner said…
I have visioned what my book covers could look like. The scenes reflect the most important moments in the books.
Tana said…
I'm visual but when it comes to artsy things I'd say I only get things right half the time.
Hee. *blushing*

I LOVE knowing what my characters look like from the get go. In fact, I don't know if I could write about them otherwise. It's part of their characterization for me. I guess that makes me really vain, come to think of it. Snirt

Hmm. If someone were to describe me as a character? Blond, blue/green eyes, a dimple in my right cheek, and CAMERA SHY in a big way. So good luck getting any head shots of this girl. LOL!!
Patti said…
I have no idea about the cover. I would be totally lost if I was asked to design my own. Luckily my husband is graphic designer.
My cover would have to be a cartoon character, since I'm all about humor. Thankfully, my son is an animator, so I'd have several samples drawn up. And since my characters are me and my family, I could easily describe us!

Thanks for your wise comments on my controversial post yesterday! I appreciate your insights.
Jessica Nelson said…
Hi Jeanette,
I enjoyed reading your post and having to work my brain a bit. :-)

LOL Patti! Well, I don't think I have to design my own, I just have to give the designers ideas on what the book is about since they don't read the book themselves.

Awww! Anita, that does sound like you and I like how you mix the physical with the personality. :-)
Jessica Nelson said…
Diane, I'm def. interested to see what happens too!

Wendy, you're too funny. :-) I'd like to be comfortable in my own skin too. Sometimes I am and then when I'm not I realize what I'm missing. I'm sure you're closer to it than you realize. :-)

Erica, lol, lucky you to like casting!
Jessica Nelson said…
Hahaaa! Jaime, you're NOT weird...at least not in the world of writers. For the visual writers, I'm sure most of them do the same thing you do. *grin*

True, Loree. A cover is so important in giving an idea of what the book is about.

Hmmm, Tana, any clue why? Do you mean you just don't "see" things right half the time? Verrry interesting. *grin*
Linda Glaz said…
I know exactly what I'd like. Let's hope White Rose liked the ideas I sent, if not, I have to trust their judgement. grrrr
Len Lambert said…
Hi Jessica! Right now, I'm trying to be visual because I find it easier to describe each character and places in my story. Thank you for your post and for visiting my blog. :) Will come back here often. I love your blog! :)
Melissa Jagears said…
Please share these links to helpful websites for visualization!
Warren Baldwin said…
Hadn't thought about if I'm visual or not, but maybe so, I did come up with the cover for Roaring Lions. And, there is a new cover, which you can see here: http://warrenbaldwin.blogspot.com/search/label/Roaring%20Lions%20Info

Thanks for the nice oomments today on Family Fountain. And I can't wait to get your book. My wife Cheryl is reading many of the books by fiction authors I've met on the blogs and FB! She's loving them. wb
Linda Kage said…
Man, I wish I could borrow your friend. I never know what the cover of my book should look like! I ususally just explain what the story is about and describe the characters.

Good luck with your cover. Can't wait to see it one of these days.
Angie Muresan said…
I like to think I'm visual. My husband doesn't share my view. Maybe he knows best. He's the artist in the family, after all.
Stephanie Faris said…
I do have some cover ideas but I'm not sure I'd know how to describe them if asked. Is cover art input something that's allowed by other publishers, outside of Love Inspired? I remember seeing a writer's worksheet a while ago when I wrote romance that was filled out by the author and given to the cover art designer...that was when I was targeting Harlequin and Silhouette so it could have been from them.
Laila Knight said…
Jessica, are you posting any of those links to let us play with them? I'm a visual person.

Describe myself? Small, curvaceous, striking...hey I have to make this good. :)
I am visual. I know what I would like my cover to look like. However I know if it is published it will look completely different!

Have fun with yours. :)
Danyelle L. said…
*sympathy cookies* I hear you. I "see" the story in my head, but as words, not pictures. I definitely have a few cover ideas though, which is kind of weird.

I know I'm very late to the party, but congrats on selling your book! So happy for you!
Jessica Nelson said…
I'm sorry I didn't get to all your comments, but thank you for popping by! I appreciate them and love reading them. :-)

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