I entered this here contest on an impulse, really. I wasn't too sure, especially since I didn't know who my faceclaim was. I guess faceclaims always matter to me, because I have to work with them staring at me for two hours, so if their stare freaks me out, I'm probably going to pass on the contest!
Well, my assigned faceclaim, Camila Mendes, certainly had a freaky stare, but that was okay, because I also had an idea for the cover.
So, the guidelines for the contest were pretty unique. I had to use my assigned faceclaim and come up with a story, then somehow convey the plot of that story with the cover. So let me first show you the graphic, then we'll get into the story!
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A Closer Look....
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I summon the link here! ---->
Well, I had never heard of Camila Mendes before, I'll be honest with you. Her face is very compelling, almost feline (?), which made me think of witchcraft.
But I didn't want to make it a Harry Potter ripoff or a fantasy book. So I thought....romance!
Here's the story.
Camila the witch is a powerful sorceress that's been living alone in her cottage for years upon end. She tends to stick to herself, but when the nearby kingdom is in trouble, she helps by summoning rainstorms during droughts and bringing the sun in when the ice-cold winter sets in.
She also has a mysterious rune on her arm, which a thousand years ago, her mentor told her would start glowing once she finds her true love. It's always just been a scar there, and that's really okay with her, because being alone is pretty cool.
But one day, she finds that someone is in her secluded cottage in the woods. Or was. This is quite a happening, as, for the past eon and before, nobody has dared stepped foot in her cottage. All the person has left behind are chaotic muddy bootprints.
But as Camila leans down to check them out, her magical love-detecting creepy rune starts to glow! She has finally found her life's companion, or at least a really good potential friend.
The problem? She doesn't know anything about him except what his boots look like.
end synopsis
I thought it was a cute idea, kind of like Cinderella, but reversed? I'd like to think the clumsy male lead was just looking for a place to stay after being caught in the rainstorm, and accidentally burst into her cottage, realized he was trespassing, tried to wipe his tracks as common courtesy before he mysteriously couldn't, then just gave up and left.
And now I have the impulse to write it, and then give it a sad ending.
So now for the Cover Symbolism and Character Representation.
You can see the broom, the skull, the raven, the scepter, all symbols of a witch. Her clothing, with the netting and the dark colours, is also stereotypically witchlike.
The cover centers around the color: orange.
Orange symbolizes enthusiasm, joy, warmth. This book will be a happy book, and the character isn't an evil witch. She just wants to find happiness.
You may have also noticed the glowing rune on her shoulder. Well, that is the Norse Rune Sowilo, which is the symbol of the sun, or warmth. Happiness. The love she will find promises joy and a new warmth inside of her.
end explanation
Anyway! That is my entry!
Thank you, and happy searching for the love of your life!
