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Done Outlining My Next Graphic Novel...(Check Out These Thumbnails!)
🕑 Added 2020-08-28 22:25:32 +0000 UTCProject Yesenia is the "Work In Progress" code name for my next graphic novel. (It actually does have a name. Points to anyone who can guess what it is!!!! IT'S OBVIOUS!!!!)
In this thumbnail, Chi-Chi describes how she has unfortunate crushes on white boys at her school. (And one Ghanian boy who doesn't know she exists.)
What This Book Is About: Project Yesenia follows Chi-Chi Ekeh during her final weeks at Mission Springs Prep School, an expensive private boarding school that she's attending on scholarship. She's Nigerian, a k-pop nerd, yearbook editor, and an all around shy nobody with low (read: negative) self-esteem. But what happens when she asks Flip Henderson—a popular white jock—out to senior prom? Well, the unexpected of course...
Current Status of Graphic Novel
Page Count: ~290pgs
Outline: 100%
Script: 75%
Thumbnails: 50%
Pencils: 0%
Inks: 0%
Colors: 0%
Final Edits/Submission: 0%
Right now, I'm finishing up thumbnails for Project Yesenia. I've been writing and revising this graphic novel as I go, mainly focusing on fleshing out characters and re-imagining scenes to give them more impact.
- Chi-Chi was super inactive in the first draft whichI turned in to my editor, Kiara Valedez of First Second back in July The solution to making her more active was to, uh, well, make her a nervous mess whose anxiety outweighs her proclivity to be quiet and introverted. This spurs her into action
- Flip, the deuteragonist, still remains elusive, but he's come along! I've made the clear "want" for him in this graphic novel to be his desire to reconnect this ex-girlfriend, Madison. She broke up with him after Flip went AWOL the summer before senior year.
- This week, I revised a few scenes in ACT II so that everything goes from good to bad at once. 🙃 Really trying to make the "dark night of the soul" pitch black!
Thumbnails
Flip's room, the morning of the inciting incident. Or hmmm I guess this is the catalyst. Whatever!! Something happened! Something weird!
DO YOU LIKE ABSTRACT DOLL IMAGERY?!
During an existential cosmic crisis, every African kid loves texting their friends over a steaming plate of jollof rice.
I am meticulously developing a k-pop band from scratch. Their various pieces of merchandise will be all over Chi-Chi's room, which is shown here.
And that's it for me, for now. I've got a September deadline of sending another draft to my editor. I'm on it!
PLEASE ASK ME QUESTIONS
Comments
emylisis
I can't wait to stan your fictional k-pop boy band!!!!
Math
!!!! I now feel super informed and excited YET ALSO mystified by the abstract doll imagery, thank you
Ngozi
Should be late 2022? Depends on when I get these pages in.!! 🙃
Ngozi
There won't really be too much food in this GN, but food does come up at key moments. (So not much cooking!)
Cathy Berner
Thanks so much for letting us see behind the scenes! Cannot WAIT for this one - can you remind us of the pub date?
Ngozi
ESTHER BANKS. She's very mean to Flip and tall and will probably be a CEO one day. She is extremely dramatic. 🥰
Esteban
Since you mentioned the jollof rice, will food also be a recurring motif in the story, kind of how pie played a part in Check, Please? Because I’m all for it!
TD Keh
Who is your favourite character to draw and/or write so far in this project?
