Seven Devils challenged me to express myself as not just a writer, but also as a visual artist. I am not great at drawing. In fact, I avoid it usually, but when it came to this project, I had a clear vision of what I wanted the cover to look like and decided to pull out my colored pencils and give it a try.
The first draft wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t what I wanted. I loved the colors and the use of the numerical “7” versus spelled out (as is the actual title), but it was vaguely reminiscent of the Chicago Bulls logo. This didn't suit me or the tone of the story, so I tried again.
I got some ideas from friends and my second attempt was much better. I kept the elements I loved from the first draft and added some dimension and mystery with the “7” standing in a pool of blood that dripped from its tip. Also, I chose to write out “Devils” in bold red hash marks that sort of look like cut flesh.
Though I still don’t own myself as a visual artist, I feel accomplished for having tried and succeeded at the Seven Devils cover project. I’ll still defer to the professionals for my big novels, but I now have given myself permission to even try.
Find out what the excitement is about and read SEVEN DEVILS today!