The Wall.
June 22, 2023
I’ve hit the point in the project where the creative payoff isn’t matching the costs of time and effort. My sense of “taste” versus my skill (see: Comic #009) teams up with the ol’ imposter syndrome (a.k.a. everyone’s gonna laugh at you) and it creates this crippling wall built out of fear and doubt. It’s awful.
I doubt this will ever actually make money, and I think it should take years before I would even be able to hope for “devoted fans”, assuming I keep consistently posting quality material. I’m afraid the reality is that the art style takes a bit too long to execute when compared to the quality of the narrative and humour. Not that the art style is particularly insanely unique and special, but it does have a consistent look that is a little different than most webcomics.
Would success even help? Money and/or fame? People tattooing Roy on their butts? I mean, all of that would be awesome, but that’s not why I’m doing it. It’s a good motivator for short-term, but you need more than that to make something special.
How am I getting over this wall? By reminding myself I only have 56 comics to go, and I’m not doing this for any reason other than personal. So I can take all the time I need as long as I keep slowly moving forward. I can chip away at the wall like Andy Dufresne behind that poster.
I hesitate to use the word “art”….but yes I am trying to art.
First and foremost, I am trying to tell a story with a set of four characters. I still haven’t even introduced the fourth character! I do want something of a narrative to appear and tie everything together at the end of the first 100 comics. I have several working ideas floating around but as I approach Comic #050 I still haven’t had time to flesh out the final concept. I don’t want to get it wrong, but you have no idea what “right” looks like until you see it. (Ahhh, the creative process...)
I have loosely mapped out the next 20 comics, but I still need to introduce Laurel, who is for some reason a forest nymph. I also need a mid-point climax, a few twists and turns, a final conflict, resolution, and some kind of ridiculous after-credits “To be continued?” …thing.
I’m right on track for 52 comics in 52 weeks, but I knew that was a ridiculous and unrealistic pace. I’m not on anyone’s clock but my own. The realistic goal was to get to finish at the end of 2024. So to meet that goal I have to get to comic #060-ish by the end of the year, and I’m only 16 comics away from that with 27 weeks to go. I think the safest thing to do is take 3-4 weeks off for writing, and finish the major plot outline and writing the next 2 or 3 arcs.
Honestly, it’s not like anyone’s going to be heartbroken. If you are, please join my Patreon….
(I don’t have a Patreon…yet!)