Now that Prelude is out in the stratosphere, doing it’s own thing, I’ve been concentrating on my next great adventure.
This is a fanciful cover I did a while back for it, even before I began Prelude actually. I used this wonderful software called Pulp-O-mizer, and it creates the most wonderful ‘golden-age’ pulp fiction science fiction covers. It’s not for commercial use but it makes a wonderful placeholder to wrap around my new work until I finish the story and have a clearer idea of what the true cover will look like;
Bel and the Knight Whiskey Runners
-oOo-
I’ve had this ratty old spiral-bound notebook that I use as my writing workbook for, (first entry is dated, 4th March 2010, and still going strong) so, for a long time, and it’s starting to show its age.
I have a few journals going, for all sorts of aspects of my life. They help keep my thoughts organized on the task at hand, otherwise I’d be haring off in a gazillion different directions.
My writing journal is probably the simplest of them all. It’s just an abbreviated list of what writerly things I want to achieve in a day, and whether I’ve managed to achieve them, with a brief note or two if appropriate – hence it’s longevity.
But opening and closing a spiral-bound notebook over three thousand times has a price, and this is the price …
Worn out corners
I thought it needed a new cover too, so I decided to do a two-fer upgrade.
But how was I supposed to reattach the separated bit of the cover inside the spiral to the rest of it and still have it open and close?
First I measured the distance between the spirals. Turns out they’re exactly 8mm apart.
Checking out how it looks BEFORE I glue anything
I had some business-card-weight sheets of paper stashed away, (we don’t throw away anything in this household!) that I measured up and cut into strips like this ….
Card strip on cutting board – I used a large needle to perforate the mid-point and cut and trimmed each bit where the spirals would go
Then, starting on the back cover, I carefully, and very patiently threaded the strip inside the spiral and pulled it in-between each turn of the wire spiral, and glued it in place with some PVA glue, thusly …
Back cover – Shades of dentistry
Having practiced on the back cover, I turned my attention to the front …
Front cover – The tricky bit was getting the completely separated bit of cover the old cover to stay in place while I glued it
And here she is, all shiny and refurbished, albeit with well-worn pages within.
Final cover – Ready to go for another nine years
-oOo-
It seems that this week I’m all about D.I.Y. because I have a post up on my Widds The Shaman blog about making salves.
Widdershins Worlds 
[…] It seems that this week I’m all about D.I.Y. because I have a post up on my Widds Worlds blog about repairing a journal. […]
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They say ‘where there’s a will there’s a way…’ and how true that is…
So clever of you to figure out a way to rescue your old favourite. I will remember this, in case I ever need to do it!
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If you do, make the holes where the spiral goes a little bit bigger. Mine’s a bit stiff. I know they’ll wear as I use it but right now I have to be a bit careful how, vigorously I open the front cover. 🙂
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Hopefully it will wear in a bit?
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That’s the plan. 🙂
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This is great, and thanks for the Pulp-O-Mizer link. It looks awesome!
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It’s a bottomless pit of geeky awesome! 😀
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😀 that it is!
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Thank you Widds for the tip-off regarding Pulp-O-mizer.
I’ve had a play with it just now and it’s a lot of retro fun. If you see one of its creations turn up anytime soon on SCENIC WRITER’S SHACK this is me thanking you ahead of time.
Thanks!
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It’s a wonderful rabbit-hole isn’t it? 😀 … I love how they get that ratty-around-the-edges look to the images.
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Impressive repair work
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Heh. I’m rather impressed with it myself. 🙂
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🙂
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That is quite a feat, reinforcing your journal. Meticulous work – you must love it.
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I’ve always loved detailed tasks like this … and such a sense of accomplishment they bring too. 😀
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But they take so much time! Customizing always does. I used to enjoy the process – so at least I’ve done things like this. 🙂
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Once I figured out how I was going to do it, which is always the most time-consuming part, in this case a few days while I considered all sorts of options, the actual ‘doing’ of it only took a few hours … ani’t it the way. It’s the prep and the cleaning up afterwards that takes so much time. 🙂
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And of course you could do it faster and better a second time – if one ever happens. 🙂
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Heh, heh, heh … the ratty old journal fixer-upper, that’s me! 😀
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Good for you–you must be at least my age to never throw anything potentially useful out, and to actually have hand-written notebooks and journals. I’m glad the repair worked.
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Vintage 1958. 😀 … I tried creating digital ones, but I do all my computer-ing on a desktop, at my desk, so if I wanted to write down some thoughts while I was elsewhere, I was out of luck. I have notebooks everywhere too, but I’d end up transcribing what I wrote in them anyway, so I just cut out the middle … erm … note-taking! 😀
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I’m a few years younger, although I am completely firm in feeling about early 30s in age somehow. I am writing a book on tarot from the perspective of having been dead three times and having lots of friends who are old-fashioned multiple personality folks/those with DID, and the book right now is a stack of notes on huge index cards about the size of a notebook, and very little is in the computer as yet–it’s just not as fun somehow!
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Heh, nope, the creative bit is where all the juice goes, but there’s something to be said for a good edit. I know when I transfer something from paper to computer I find myself in creative mode anyway. 🙂 … good luck with the book. It sounds like a good ‘un. 🙂
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Thanks. I just spent a few days at the big tarot conference in NYC, and there was really a lot of inyterest in it, including from a publisher, so I have been working and working on it, as in my latest name-droppy post.
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Wow – you are such a handy-woman.
And I truly love the ‘pulp’ cover. I must check out their software.
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Be warned, it’s addictive! 😀 … and a whole lot of fun 🙂
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I make book covers myself, so it has some ‘professional’ interest for me as well. I have quite a few pre-made sci-fi covers already, but nothing with this ‘oldie’ feeling. It’s not easy to create in a style that is not your own, but I’d like to learn.
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If you ever figure it out let me know. I’d love to have all my covers in this ‘style’ 😀
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Wow, well done and how creative. I am way too lazy to do something like that. Lol. Happy Writing!
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I’ve been ignoring it for the last two years!
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Cool project and amazing artwork! Love it! I didn’t know about this second blog, so thanks for sharing! 😎
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You’re welcome. 🙂
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You’ve got waaaaaay more patience than me, good on you! Admirable 😃
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It’s the reward of seeing it finished at the end that keeps me going. 😀
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If Bob Vila, Martha Stewart and MacGyver could have witnessed the process and the outcome, I think they’d all be VERY proud….! 🙂
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Heh, thanks. 😀 … (had to look up who Bob Vila was)
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Lol. I know. I actually only knew about him because we used to caption his show all the time. Otherwise…I would have no idea. 🙂
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Fine work!
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I’m rather pleased at how it turned out. 😀
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Very nifty, Widders. I almost want to go find a notebook that needs a cover.
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Heh, heh, heh. 😀
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Nice! Doubt if I would have the patience for that kind of upgrade, though. 🙂
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I’m a bit twisty like that. 🙂
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I’ve weirdly been obsessing about this post for days. I have a bunch of journals on the go too, and one where the pages have separated from the spine. I wish I could bring it over for your TLC!
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Damn shame we live on opposite sides of the country. 🙂
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Ingenious renovation, indeed!
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Thanks. 😀 … it’s still a bit stiff, but working wonderfully! 🙂
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What a fabulous idea and way to keep a journal thread going, instead of binning it. Impressive! 🙂
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Thanks … there’s lots of life in the old gal yet! 😀
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