It’s Not Fan Art, It’s Practice! Practice I Tell You!

Although I am a fan of Ted Naifeh’s and I would recommend Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things (as well as the three graphic novels that come after) to readers of any age who enjoy creepy stories about fairies. Oops! I mean faeries. And seriously, man! I need him to come out with Polly and the Pirates Vol. 2. Like now.

I got comics on the brain. Even when I don’t, I stumble upon this article. So some folks out there are really pissed off that there’s a (fictional) Muslim Batman out there in the (fictional) world and because Idris Elba plays an Asgardian in the coming Thor movie (also fictional). Like really pissed off. Like you haven’t seen a bunch of racists and white supremacists this mad since Nov. 4, 2008 (…ahem, when Obama won the presidential election). How can something be funny and scary at the same time? Read some of the remarks of outrage quoted in the article.

Sometimes I manage to forget that there are people out there like that. But at least it provides the Daily Show with material.

But in less depressing comic news, I recently learned of an awesome web comic created by Canadian cartoonist Faith Erin Hicks: The Adventures of Superhero Girl!

I’m going to the comic book store today. Her graphic novels Zombies Calling and The War at Ellsmere are so on my list. I’m also going to check out her other web comics. It may be too soon to call it, but suspect I may be a fan.

Also, I stumbled across this really cool podcast 3 Chicks Review Comics. The episodes get kinda long, but I usually do something that needs getting done while I’m listening. Yea, for multitasking!

I gots me two new books (just arrived in the mail this weekend.) Who likes reading about making comics? I likes reading about making comics.

And now I want a third.

Oh, how I covet thee.

But maybe I should finish reading that one book I was super excited to get but have yet to finish because it doesn’t matter if it’s explained using comic book format, books about drawing perspective are confusing!

I should mention South, since I'm here. Technically, this is a picture book and not a comic book or graphic novel, but it was created by cartoonist Patrick McDonnell (Mutts) and I absolutely loved it.

A month or so ago, I picked it up for $3 at my neighborhood discount store with a mind to give it to my niece and nephews. But then I read it. Now I don’t want them anywhere near it with their grubby, sticky little fingers.

And I just realized I can’t find a certain graphic novel which I know for sure I own.

Or this one.

And now that I think about it, I haven’t seen them in a while…

This is very upsetting. Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns is the graphic novel that got me all hot for comics in the first place.

Look at that foxy page. That sexy panel layout.

And Marvels is just excellent, showing writer Kurt Busiek doing what he does best and Alex Ross isn’t really my favorite comics artist (though I have great respect and reverence for what he is able to do) but he really rocks the pages in this one!

See!

Hmm…

Yes, I’m very concerned.

The End Has No End, or When It Doesn’t Come Easy

So this was where I was last week:

Le sigh.

I hate not knowing the ending to a story I’m actively working on! It’s like jumping from a plane without a parachute. Alas and alack, I’m freefalling right this very minute!

I’m in the midst of writing for a web comic my friend and I will be launching. There will be three series on the coming website: a set of more experimental or artistic comic stories; an action-oriented, supernatural venture; and a fun, fun good times end of the world romp.

The action-oriented series is my problem child. I’ve sketched out half the chapters, but the ending is still being either stubborn or shy and won’t come out of hiding. All I’m working with are vague shadows of what I’m maybe kinda of possibly halfway sure the ending should probably look something like. Arg! I can’t work under these conditions. If I could wring this story by its scrawny neck, I would have choked the hell out of it by now!

I’ve heard rumors and murmurings that there are writers out there who never know their ending until they get there. Purportedly, they “write to find out” how their story is going to end. That, my friends, sounds like a vital ingredient of insanity soup. It has to be! Because I am going crazy here!

And my brain hurts a little.

What is especially frustrating is that things have been going much more smoothly for the fun, fun good times end of the world romp. Ridiculously smooth…

Inspiration* (In Three Easy Steps!):

· Day One: Think of interesting phrase, realize interesting phrase would make as even more interesting title, come up with main character within minutes.

· Week One: Come up with supporting characters. Start settling on names. Steal time while at work to jot down the dialogue that keeps popping into your head. REALIZE THE ENDING TO EVERYTHING!! OMG!! IT’S PERFECT! IT’S BEAUTIFUL! I LOVE IT! OMG! I FEEL SO SAD FOR ALL THE PEOPLE WHO DON’T KNOW YET HOW AWESOME THE ENDING IS GOING TO BE AND HAVE TO WAIT MONTHS TO FIND OUT!!!!

· Onward: Everything flows naturally and easily from there. The characters never stop talking to each other in your head and every time you sit down to your computer liquid gold springs forth from your fingertips.

See! That’s how it’s supposed to go! Like Jay-Z laying down a track! (I hear he does it all in one go.)

Usually if a story isn’t agreeing with me, I’d switch over from Project A to Project B. Until I hit a wall on Project B. At which point I return to Project A with a fresh pair of eyes. But when I have a deadline (even if it is self-imposed) and am accountable to a creative partner, jumping ship just won’t do.

Where I’ve landed this week:

I’ve been forced to remember that even when the ideas aren’t flowing trippingly from the brain, stories still manage to get themselves written. They still want to be born into the world.

Ew. I just sounded all touchy-feely new age-y in that last paragraph. So let me say it this way instead: Just because the ideas aren’t leaping from the cliffs of your imagination and onto your paper like a herd of lemmings, doesn’t mean they aren’t there. What it means is you might have to reach up there and coax them down (or knock them loose with a broomstick. Whatevs). It’s important not to get trapped into one way of doing things. We can use what works while it’s working, but when the modus operandi stops operandi-ing, then what? We wait patiently for the muses to be so kind as to reappear?

Sure, if you have the luxury. But if not, it might be worth your time to know how to break on through to the other side of that stone wall you’ve hit. For me that means talking it out. This works best when I force– I mean, ask someone to be my sounding board. A family member, a friend, an innocent, bystanding co-worker who was unfortunate– I mean, privileged to take their lunch break at the same time as me.

This person doesn’t have to be another writer. Despite my threats, I’m not really demanding that they come up with the solution to my story troubles, though their questions are welcomed and helpful. The act of trying to explain what I want to happen in a story helps me untangle jumbled elements, calls attention to holes that need filling so’s I stop falling into them, or just forces me to actively think about what I’m doing for a concentrated chunk of time.

I’m excited to report that after cornering a co-worker in the break room and trapping my sister on the phone, I’ve realized my ending and the middle parts are now falling into place.

I guess I can’t be too mad at my ending for being all coy and elusive. It’s good and necessary to be reminded that sometimes the “being inspired” part of writing is hard work. It can’t all come from that magical land of “it just came to me.”

(sniff. sniff.) The video I wanted to share with you isn't working because it's mean and it hates me, but if you want to see an educational and relevant piece about where jokes come from click the pic or here. Or even here if you want to be different.

*Material derived from process subject to rewrites and revisions.

Sweet!

Looky, looky! I gots me an Irresistibly Sweet Blogger Award from Girl Friday who runs an awesome blog over at Reading, Writing and Ribaldry. (Thanks, Girl!)

Works, how it does that:

1) Thank and link back to the person who gave you this award.
2) Share four guilty pleasures that you have.
3) Pass the award on to six other sweet blogs.

Guilty Pleasures:

"Rock Me Amadeus" by Falco: The only thing that can make this song any better is a totally awesome video…

Please excuse me whilst I attempt to rap in German.

McDonalds’s hamburgers: Not the Big Mac. Not the Double Double. Not the McRib. Not even a cheeseburger. I’m talking the single patty, one pickle, absolutely no lettuce, tomato or nutritional value whatsoever (as a matter of fact I’m pretty sure they’re made of recycled paper towels or something) $0.89 hamburger. I don’t get them very often, but every once and a while I crave one. I eat around the edge first and save the middle for last. Why? Because it’s all about that one pickle. The law of scarcity in action, folks!

Marvel’s Power Pack: So the big kids will probably say that this preteen superhero series is for babies, but I’ve probably read most - if not all - of the Marvel Adventures: Power Pack graphic novels. I especially like it when Franklin Richards (son of the Fantastic Four’s Reed and Sue Richards) joins in on the fun as the sometimes fifth member. (Though I do think sometimes the writers are trying too hard when it comes to supplying “cute” lines for Katie).

Mindless, repetitive tasks: Everyone else I know groans when it comes time to prepare hundreds of invitations for mailing (a process that involves stuffing, adhering labels, sealing, and stamping over and over and over and over again) or shelving a mountain of books. But I shout, “YEA!” Inwardly, of course, because if I actually vocalized my glee I’d get the look. Don’t know the one I mean? It’s same look you gave the classmate who in high school reminded your teacher about the essay she’d forgotten to collect.

Sweet Blogs:

And without further ado – except to interrupt myself with this parenthetical for dramatic effect – I hereby bequeath the Irresistibly Sweet Blogger Award to the following:

Neil (A Writer, He Muttered): Anyone who posts a Star Trek: The Next Generation clip like every other week is okay by me! (I don’t know how a guy would feel about his manly, manly blog being called sweet. But don’t think of it being said in the girly, “Aaaw, that’s sooo sweet” way. Think of how a surfer guy would be like, “Dude, I just caught a killer wave! Sweet!” Or “Dude, I just found this awesome writer blog! Sweet!”)

Misty (Nothing Cannot Happen Today): Writes good advice like: “Remember. You like to write.” and “Be patient. You’ll get your turn.”

Jen (Jen’s Bookshelf): Extra-points for excellent use of silent-film-era pics!

Claudie A (Claudie A.): Helps me remember the writerly questions I should be asking myself (rather than skipping through the tulips singing tra-la-la, which is what I do most days.)

Aldo (Maledictus): His blog’s in Spanish, and I don’t speak Spanish. But his imaginative drawings of robots, angels, and rabbit-headed P.I.s are pretty freakin’ sweet.

Jose (JAM): So this is my illustrator buddy who I’ve partnered with for a web comic. He doesn’t really post at this blog anymore (since we’ve created a blog specifically for posting updates about the web comic), but there is some really cool artwork archived from the last couple of years. I’ve always admired him as an artist and especially like the posts that offer insight into his process.

Anon, Good Thing-I’m-Supposed-To-Do, I Come!

My Five Favorite Ways to Procrastinate:

(In no particular order)

Cleaning up: Now, this is a tricky one because sometimes one procrastinates cleaning up, but cleaning up itself is an activity that lends itself well towards the goal of putting a time-consuming activity between you and the thing that needs to be done. In my last few years of college, you could always tell by my room’s level of organization when I was putting off writing a dreaded essay.

Looking for stuff on Craigslist: Jobs, art, furniture, apartments for rent, random free stuff… you can find anything on Craigslist! Even if you’re not currently looking for a job, art, furniture, a place to live, or random free stuff, it’s good to know what’s out there. And hey, sometimes you can even find things you actually need. For instance, that's where my former roommate, a sculptor who was working on an instillation piece, got the truckload of dirt she needed for her senior project. For free! (If you can believe it.)

Visiting Goodreads: I’m pretty neglectful of my own Goodreads account, but I like to read the negative reviews other people post. This will accomplish one of two things: A) Commiserate my own feelings toward a book I don’t like so I can be all, “Yeah, that’s exactly how that book sucked!” I may not absolutely love everything I come across but for the most part I'm pretty easy to please. I like or, at the very least, am entertained by most books I pick up. Even the generally-thought-of-as bad ones! So discovering a book I hate is an extremely frustrating event for me. A book has to be actively working especially hard to make me to hate it because as soon as I realize I'm hating a book I actively work especially hard not to hate it. Seriously, it takes me 100 pages to give up on a book I’m not enjoying! So when this happens it irrationally makes me a little mad that the book was working against me and my good intentions, and therefore I find myself in need of catharsis through someone else’s rant. Or, B) Give me some much-needed perspective. No matter how much you love your favorite book, someone out there hates it with a deep-seeded passion. Even the great writers couldn't please everyone. Something to keep in mind when your own work receives a negative response.

Walking around the house in circles: Sometimes intentional. Sometimes not. Sometimes I bounce from one room to another because I’ve forgotten why I was going into Room A until I’ve returned to Room B, then I go back into Room A where I get distracted by something shiny, then when the shiny thing and I are back in Room B, I remember what I needed from Room A, and round and round we go. Tis a vicious,vicious cycle, my friends.

Thinking about how to most effectively get stuff done via to-do lists, scheduling tables, and imaginings of various possible plans-of-attack: This one is probably my favorite because I feel a sense of accomplishment for having come up with a plan. In fact, coming up with a plan is such a big accomplishment that I deserve a break before really digging into the task at hand. Heck, I deserve the whole rest of the day off! It doesn’t matter that I will most likely throw the entire plan out the window by the next morning. Getting the thing done isn’t really what it’s about anyway…

What’s My Motivation? A Response to a Response to Pre-Writing Schme-Writing Pt. 2

Not as “mañana” as I had planned, but… in continuation from my last post:

The Money Thing

While there is writing advice that focuses on salability, I think that you can find plenty of writing advice out there that isn’t just about making bank but rather about how to hone the craft. This is especially true in an age in which a) you can find and order books – even those out of print – without ever leaving your computer, and b) anyone with access to the internet can put their writerly opinions out into the world for all to read (bloggers unite!). Another consideration is that for one writer, honing their craft may mean one thing, but for another writer it may mean something else.

That difference comes out of what a writer likes to read and/or what they want to write. An abstract painter and an illustrator are both looking to be great artists, even if their work is vastly different from one another—and despite one category being more commercial than the other. Both artists must still learn to prep surfaces, use paintbrushes, mix colors and all that, but after a certain point the abstract painter may focus more on experimenting with his medium while the illustrator may focus more on visual communication. Either way, they've both - in theory at least - worked hard to understand their chosen school of art.

Yet, I’m sure in either school you’ll find folks who are considered “sellouts” by their peers. I sometimes wonder how much of that is perception. Not that there isn't such a thing as selling out, but - to paraphrase the creators of South Park - can you call someone a sellout if "to make money" was a part of the plan from the beginning? It's a joke, but also speaks to a certain mentality. Why is it that there's this pervading belief that artists have to be broke and starving to prove that they're real artists?

“Money is the root of all evil” has to be one of the most often misquoted proverbs of all time. The scripture, plucked from the Bible, actually reads: “The love of money is the root of all evil” (1 Timothy 6:10). Meaning it's okay to have money, just don't get too carried away in the pursuit of it. If three little words can shift the entire understanding of that saying, can the sometimes negative connotation of “saleable fiction” be shifted too? After all, some of my favorite books continue to sale to this day, years and decades after their initial publication.

I’ll admit though, the last book I couldn’t get to end of (for me, that doesn’t happen very often because I seem to have a high tolerance for “bad” writing) was one whose creation seemed motivated, in large part, by a huge money-making strategy. I still hiss at that book when I see it at the bookstore, not because it was a part of a big – not to mention successful – money-making endeavor, but because it was a really cool idea and could have been an amazing book if more time, thought, and rewrites had been put into it. So I’m not going to lie and say I don’t think that less-than-awesome work gets put out there based on potential profitability . But I do have a counter-argument.

A writer can want to make money and still have integrity as a writer. I for one am pursuing writing as a career. I’d really like to make a living doing the thing I love to do more than anything in world, but I’m not looking for a magic formula to make that happen and I understand that the reality of the writer’s life is that it is hard to make a living off of it. Many (or should that be “most”?) published authors do not get to quit their day jobs, at least not until years further into their careers.

I am not primarily driven by a desire to make money, and people who think writing a novel is way to get rich quick probably need to re-evaluate their understanding of how publishing works. But it’s not wrong to want to make a living doing something you love. If I don’t have to have a day job, that’s all the more time I get to spend writing until 5 o’clock in the morning. I would love it if readers decide they want to buy my books – actually, what’s a stronger word than love? – but that’s not what motivates me to want to become as good as possible at something that has been my passion since I was nine.

Why, why, why. More, more, more. Deeper, deeper, deeper

I want to tell a good story to the best of my ability. I want to create something that readers will pick up and not want to put down even after they’ve read the last page. Something that can be read over and over. Something that may affect… (effect? I really never know which is which and avoid using either if I can help it– a-hem, anyway...) Something that will grab hold of someone the way my favorite books have grabbed a hold off me.

So I’m going to study my craft, learn as much as I can from the writers who have come before me, and from the writers who are in the trenches with me trying to polish their craft as well. I’m going to actively learn more about my craft because I think I have the potential to be a better writer than I am right now. I’m going to continue to actively learn about my craft for as long as I think I have the potential to be better. So in all likelihood – even if I’ve published a hundred award-wining, bestselling books and I can’t got outside for fear of being run down by a mob of screaming fans – I’ll always be looking to learn more about my craft. In five, ten, twenty years, I might not be concerned with the same things I’m concerned with now, but I’m sure there will still be ways for me to continue to grow as a writer. Because when we stop trying to improve upon what we’ve already done, isn’t that when our work becomes stale, boring and – ultimately – irrelevant?

Or am I wrong? Is there a point at which the writer has perfected the craft of writing?

What’s My Motivation? A Response to a Response to Pre-Writing Schme-Writing Pt. 1

I always appreciate it when folks comment on my posts – especially when they mention cool books and suggest awesome video lectures! – but one commenter in particular really got some thoughts moving through this ol' head of mine, which is no bad thing so thanks for sharing your thoughts with me! This post got to be kinda long, so I’ve decided to split this bad boy in two.

Why Bother?

The great thing about writing advice and writing in practice is that one thing doesn't work for everyone and one thing doesn't have to work for every one. Like any other art form, the artist has to learn what techniques bring the best of their potential to the surface.

No matter what artistic discipline you study, you'll always get the advice to reach deeper, further and to challenge yourself to do something you've never done before. Painters, dancers, musicians and actors aren’t born having already perfected their discipline. Even if the talent was there innately—and even more so if they make it look easy—they’ve had to learn, study, practice practice practice, and push. Why wouldn’t the same be expected of writers?

My former acting teacher – I went to an arts high school, studied theatre for four years – used to always say, “Why, why, why, more, more, more, deeper, deeper, deeper.” While I found it annoying at the time, it’s now one of my writing mantras. Asking ourselves to give more and dig deeper is how artists grow.

It’s funny. Just yesterday a co-worker saw me with Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell (which I picked up because I recently read a timely post about it). My co-worker gave me a strange look and asked, “Didn’t you write a novel already?” Two, actually. But I don’t see why that would stop me from reading a book about plots.

For the sake of learning and growing, I'm willing to try out different approaches. Also, I don’t think so much of myself that I think I’ve already reached the apex of my growth as a writer or that I know everything there is to know about writing. It’s not that I don’t trust my instincts or don’t value my talent, but there is such a wealth of knowledge out there, from all kinds of writers who’ve found many different approaches, why not see what’s out there and what may help me improve?

In Defense of Structure

This is kind of a tangent, but also kind of implied in a discussion of this sort, so let’s talk about structure. A reason why structure gets a bad rep probably comes out of out one little misunderstanding. Let’s clear that up. Structure does not equal formula. The best example of this is in screenwriting.

This movie...

has three acts, an inciting incident, a midpoint, a climax , an Act 1 plot point and an Act 2 plot point.

This movie...

also has three acts, an inciting incident, a midpoint, a climax, an Act 1 plot point and an Act 2 plot point.

With very few exceptions, all movies - at least in the corner of the world where I live - have the same structure when you strip them down to the bones, but obviously not all movies are created equal.

Whether consciously utilizing structure or not, it’s up to writer to fill in all the important stuff a story needs to become extraordinary. And that’s a pretty big undertaking whether you’re writing screenplays, for comics or novels, genre or literature. The trick is to not be a slave to the structure, but to know – or learn! – how to write so that the structure serves you. It takes a special type of ingenuity to take a structure that has been used a million times before and still produce something fresh and unique.

In novel writing, we get a lot more freedom than screenwriters. There are a lots of types of structures to choose from, and the option to not consider structure at all. What I’ve found is that thinking about structure is a great way to get ideas moving when I find that I’m stuck. It won’t solve all my problems. If I don’t know how to write dialogue, establish a voice, give characters believable personalities and all the rest, I’m pretty much screwed until I figure those things out. But the purpose of plot structure is to get characters active and moving (in a way that’s relevant to the story you want to tell). And I like it when my characters are active and moving (and relevant).

Even if I only use plot structure as a writing exercise to generate ideas then ditch structure to return to a more a meandering approach to writing, its usefulness has already been proven to me.

Beyond that, learning about any aspect of writing, whether plot, characters or whatever gives me the vocabulary to articulate why I like a certain book over another, and further the potential to understand why one aspect of my story got a certain reaction (good, bad or indifferent) as opposed to another. Since writing is re-writing, the ability to self-evaluate is a pretty useful trick.

Even if as a writer I choose not to write with structure in mind, understanding structure can’t hurt me. What I fear is that lack of knowledge could stunt my growth as a writer, and I wouldn’t even know it if it did.

Mañana: Money and Me

Shoo-be Doo-be Dooo....

I have a post I wrote elsewhere for you.

It's about thumbnails! (...and writing for comics)

Clicky on the picy. Clicky clicky!