Art Appreciation Week - Writer/Illustrator K. Marie Criddle

Today we have K. Marie Criddle, freelance artist/illustrator, as well as a YA writer repped by the famous Nathan Bransford. She has a ridiculously cute website and a blog where she posts all kinds of cool stuff, when she’s not shopping for cats. I ran across Marie's work on Matthew Delman's blog, where she guest posted this impossible-not-to-love comic about steampunk.

Marie, you have so many great things going on! Can you tell us a little about your contemporary YA that’s out on submission, and the YA steampunk fantasy you’re working on? Also, if Matthew Delman and I start a twitter campaign, can we get you to put that steampunk WIP on the front burner?

A twitter campaign!  Rad.  To be honest, I can be just as easily swayed with M&Ms.  But I am really excited about all my projects, for sure.  The YA contemporary, THE MIGHTY MR. MARBY, is about a teenage boy, Owen Marby, diagnosed with childhood onset schizophrenia.  After years in hospitals and youth homes, he's back in the "normal" world and just aching to be a regular kid.  But, as with most of our honest intentions, things don't necessarily go as planned.  Cue ominous, voice-filled music...mua ha ha. 

And the steampunk fantasy is one I'm pretty stoked about, too!  In a world of tiny teacakes and twelve inch corsets, 16 year-old, 6 foot tall Hannah P. Bartleby just doesn't fit in...literally.  While trying to force herself into becoming a lady, she falls in with an airship trading crew led by a handsome, young and--above all--infuriatingly mysterious captain.  War boils in the countries below!  Secrets explode from blunderbusses!  Family rivalries!  Romance!  Steam!  Hannah!  Hmm...maybe I need to work on the one-line pitch for her a little better.  Fewer exclamation points?

And of course, there's always the UNTITLED ANGRY UNICORN PROJECT.  But more on that some other time.

OK, you had me at blunderbusses. Please get busy with that one, so I can read it!

You’ve done lots of commissions with your art, but also have some things for sale (usually print-on-demand and commissions). Just perusing your website makes me wish I could draw more than stickmen (or women; you can’t really tell). That steampunk fairy has already captured my heart. I think I need to write a novel, just about her. Tell me, were you a writer or illustrator first? How do you feel one influences the other?

Ooh, good question.  I like to think I was an artist first.  Up until college, I would have given up my knees to work as an animator for Disney, but life naturally veered elsewhere.  Yet as I've focused more on writing than full-time illustrating, every story I write still begins with a drawing.  It's how I initially outline: no words, just drawings.  I design settings, costumes, people, situations and, eventually, plot and characters will develop from that.  When I get stuck in a scene, I sketch it out until the characters start talking to me again.

Honestly, I can't tell you how many "Owen"s and "Hannah"s and "Bob the Surly Unicorn"s are tucked away in my sketchbooks with captions like: "Get to work!" and "I will gore you if you don't write my story."  But the steampunk fairy is kind of mute right now...give her a voice, she's all yours!   

I can already hear her talking to me! Also: I'm insanely jealous of your writing process.

Finally, I can’t let you escape without asking about working with the famous Nate B. Is he as great as he appears on his blog? Is his favorite color really orange? Seriously, how has life changed now that you have an agent?

The rumors are completely true: Nathan is every bit as amazing as he appears!  Writing can be a largely lonely, beating process and he's by far the best person to have in the corner, holding my metaphorical towel while I fight through a novel.  He's a cheerleader, a coach, an editor, a writer, a researcher and more.  If I hadn't have met him already, I would have guessed he was eight people fused into one (with one hand the iPad, reading manuscripts.  And another answering emails.  And one more making me peppermint tea when I'm having crippling bouts of self-doubt.)

Having an agent lights a fire under you.  You still write, edit and love (sometimes) your work, but having a bona fide professional sitting by and helping you just because he thinks that other people will like your writing, too?  It's exciting and humbling all at once.  And it makes me work that much harder, just to prove that he wasn't crazy to take me on as a client.   

As far as the orange thing goes?  I think it's safe to say that at least one of his eight working brains counts it as a favorite.

I can see why Nathan took you on! I can just imagine the inspiration that comes from a professional believing in your work, and how important it is to find that right fit in an agent-writer relationship.

Thanks so much for joining Art Appreciation week and sharing your work with us! I can't wait to read your work when it comes out - and feel free to share any more steampunk fairies you find showing up in your sketchpad. Best of luck in all your endeavors!

Thank you so much for having me!  Happy artisting to all!

Marie does print-on-demand and commissions.  You can see some of her work here and here.  For any requests or prints, feel free to contact her at kmcriddle@gmail.com.


More interviews to come! Remember to leave a comment to be entered into a drawing for a copy of Amazing Faces.