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Creative block? More like a creative clog
2 years ago
So, guys, I've been thinking. I do that a lot.
Especially now that with CBM I'm in the coloring and shading phase. And with the end of this update coming, I'm anxious.
Because I've said that I would have gone on with Skyhorn, the comic set on a magic island, which has been stalled for almost two years now.
The problem is that Skyhorn has a plot. A big friggin' quest fantasy plot with multiple PoVs and a multi-choice gimmick. Every time I try to start mapping out the story, I just start panicking.
And I'm sure it's because this story has been brewing in my mind for two years, and it looks more difficult than it would be if I started to work on that.
On the other hand, there's another comic I've dropped, for different reasons. It was XII, the sexy comedy spin on the Heracles myth. Another victim of my experimental phase, it ended up very confused in terms of tone and look. I had to drop it out of frustration but since I'm such a Greek mythology nerd, I've always regretted it.
Lately, I've been playing a game themed around Greek mythology, Apotheon, and that reignited my interest in rebooting XII, not with this title, with a more epic but still comedic tone and with… a sci-fi spin. More space fantasy than sci-fi, with stupid corky stuff like the Netherworld being on Pluto and Heracles wearing a harness that turns into a super-tight spacesuit with the press of a button.
Because… I don't know. Likely because I watched Saint Seiya as a child and I dig its dreamy space atmospheres and gay innuendos.
But it wouldn't be a comic, oh god no, it would be the many times mentioned visual novel. Since it's a medium much hotter than comics and lets you put a lot of written narrative per single image.
But yeah so many irons in the fire and this CBM update has quite lowered my confidence in making art quickly. And I know that it's not representative because I had the worst pipeline ever, switching from app to app over and over and losing already made work along the way.
I'm now completing it on the friggin' Steam Deck, plugged into the graphic tablet via some dark Linux magic, just because the work file has become such a titanic Frankenstein of different content sources that my desktop PC can't handle it anymore and I have to rely on an unexpectedly powerful mini-computer that Valve is apparently selling at a loss.
My emotional brain needs tangible proof that I can work more efficiently than this, and… I seriously don't know. I guess I will break my work into smaller chunks from now on, that's for sure. And do more standalone art concepts. Just to get the gist of the new art program.
And take an hour every day just for writing comic scripts and ideas and see what seems more solid.
Ugh, the anxiety.
Posted using PostyBirb
Especially now that with CBM I'm in the coloring and shading phase. And with the end of this update coming, I'm anxious.
Because I've said that I would have gone on with Skyhorn, the comic set on a magic island, which has been stalled for almost two years now.
The problem is that Skyhorn has a plot. A big friggin' quest fantasy plot with multiple PoVs and a multi-choice gimmick. Every time I try to start mapping out the story, I just start panicking.
And I'm sure it's because this story has been brewing in my mind for two years, and it looks more difficult than it would be if I started to work on that.
On the other hand, there's another comic I've dropped, for different reasons. It was XII, the sexy comedy spin on the Heracles myth. Another victim of my experimental phase, it ended up very confused in terms of tone and look. I had to drop it out of frustration but since I'm such a Greek mythology nerd, I've always regretted it.
Lately, I've been playing a game themed around Greek mythology, Apotheon, and that reignited my interest in rebooting XII, not with this title, with a more epic but still comedic tone and with… a sci-fi spin. More space fantasy than sci-fi, with stupid corky stuff like the Netherworld being on Pluto and Heracles wearing a harness that turns into a super-tight spacesuit with the press of a button.
Because… I don't know. Likely because I watched Saint Seiya as a child and I dig its dreamy space atmospheres and gay innuendos.
But it wouldn't be a comic, oh god no, it would be the many times mentioned visual novel. Since it's a medium much hotter than comics and lets you put a lot of written narrative per single image.
But yeah so many irons in the fire and this CBM update has quite lowered my confidence in making art quickly. And I know that it's not representative because I had the worst pipeline ever, switching from app to app over and over and losing already made work along the way.
I'm now completing it on the friggin' Steam Deck, plugged into the graphic tablet via some dark Linux magic, just because the work file has become such a titanic Frankenstein of different content sources that my desktop PC can't handle it anymore and I have to rely on an unexpectedly powerful mini-computer that Valve is apparently selling at a loss.
My emotional brain needs tangible proof that I can work more efficiently than this, and… I seriously don't know. I guess I will break my work into smaller chunks from now on, that's for sure. And do more standalone art concepts. Just to get the gist of the new art program.
And take an hour every day just for writing comic scripts and ideas and see what seems more solid.
Ugh, the anxiety.
Posted using PostyBirb
If you consider Saint Seiya, the artist was probably writing the plot on the seat of his pants, and when you look at the story as a whole, it's mostly a simple plotline filled with a lot of 1-vs-1 fights and cool visuals.
So since Skyhorn is a long-running story, your anxiety might be reduced by doing a little of the same: only plan the general storyline, perhaps a few character arcs to maintain consistency, then focus on the action and let the audience's reactions and choices decide where you are going.
If the story starts to deviate from its intended path, there is always a possibility for something to happen in the story to put it back on track.
I'm not saying that it is easy, but that it might be easier for you to manage.
Since it was published in the Shonen Jump, which is a weekly publication aimed at teenagers, he had to produce a chapter with very strict time constraints, mostly alone and with a couple of assistants, and the editorial department was certainly behind his shoulder giving him instructions, based on the audience's feedback and the series popularity in the polls.
Which is why I was saying that the artist was bound to have written a lot of the story as he was going on.
My guess is that he had no idea for the Capicorn Saint's attacks or theme, until it was time to do its house in the story. That, and/or that jumping attack he had looked kind of lame compared to the other gold saints. So either the artist went: "Fuck it, I'll give him a sword.", or his editor went: "That Capricorn kick thing looks stupid. How about you give him a sword attack? Swords are always cool with kids."
His current CYOA is much more focused because most of the choices his patrons make only affect minor stuff, like what species this character will turn into or how they beat this enemy. Basically, what you want to do is create a kind of Xanathos Gambit where the ultimate outcomes of various decisions are ultimately the same and only certain nuances are changed and the narrative remains focused. Which means you can't switch perspectives whenever the patrons ask, you need to do so after you have successfully developed the plot further.
You will want to keep the plot simple. You have your dragon gods who are currently sentient maguffins who will help each of your 6 or so characters get home. Likely while being stopped by some evil cult/organization/empire. Possible magic artifacts/maguffins to stop whatever problem is happening on Skyhorn. Enough of an outline with goals and developments to stick to with enough wiggle room for nuances and characterizations.