Snow and writing (and teaser art)

Leah E. Welker
Jan 30
2 min read

Brown and white dog sniffing snow by a small stream in a snowy landscape. Sparse trees and branches in the background. Calm winter scene. — Photo Credit: Me! (That's Lily)

What I've been up to

☃️Brrr, the Eastern USA got a "big" (for us) snowstorm last Sunday, and the snow has stubbornly stuck around because it's stayed well below freezing, sometimes with a low in the negatives (Fahrenheit). I took a walk in the woods with Lily (Mom's dog) the other day, and I could walk on the snow without leaving footprints—the snow was that solidly frozen. And treacherous, which means no twice-daily walks with Lily. She's starting to get cabin fever. If this snow doesn't melt soon...send help. 😂

Snowy ground with scattered leaves. Two feet in black boots with snow. Creates a cold, wintry atmosphere. — No footprints. (I'd say I'm an elf, but would an elf wear those boots? No, no they would not.)

Buuuut that means great writing weather, so guess what?

Three circles on a dark background display stats: 136.6 Hours, 120,283 Words Written, 44 Elements Created. The word "Stats" is above. — My Campfire writing dashboard as of this morning

Yup, I'm 120k words in! For perspective, book one of the last series, Dragon's Blood, was in the 140k range.

Where does that land me with this book? Well, I just finished the penultimate climax and I'm ramping up for the final climax, so that's probably around 3/4.

I hope. 😅

Teasers!

Now that I'm getting so close to finishing the "zero draft," it's time for some teasers! And what better way to do that than to whip up some art for you on Midjourney?

Now, remember,

I use AI tools ONLY for research, inspiration (mainly in image inspiration; I don't need plot inspiration), and editing (critique reports, copyediting, and proofreading).
I have decided against using AI to write for me in any way.
I will pay human artists to create art as soon as I can afford to.
I will pay human editors as soon as I can afford to. (I mean, I was a human editor, so of course I want to give them work.)
Midjourney's AI can't get things exactly as I picture them, but I'm learning to steer it closer. I'll always tell you how close.

So, for these next four posts (counting this one) I thought I'd share one "vibe" image and one "character" image with you.

The vibe images especially are much more to give you an idea of the atmosphere, since I have the hardest time of all getting it right.

Vibe Teaser 1

Without further ado, here's the first "vibe" teaser image. And the vibes for this one are accurate—the exact scene, not so much.

Majestic trees under a vivid blue sky with fluffy clouds. Three people stand on a sunlit grassy hill, evoking a sense of adventure. Created in Midjourney. — Feel the vibes. Feel them.

Character Teaser 1

And here's the first character teaser! This one is almost spot on. I pictured a tad more foxiness in the face and body, and even more fluff in the tail, but otherwise, she's perfect.

Fantasy creature resembling a squirrel, with bright blue stripes and large eyes, sits on the ground. Neutral background, detailed fur. Created in Midjourney. — Do not be fooled....

Hope you enjoy!