I seemed to have lost it to writer's AND artist's block. Sure I might be able to draw something now and again or maybe write half a page of something. But never does any of it ever go beyond before I lose motivation or inspiration and abandon all I do.
My comics suffer because of it. My last comic kind of went on hiatus around the fourth or fifth chapter and I couldn't even make a page for it. It's been months since I've actually sat down and completed an actual page. I was actually thinking of seeking out an artist who may be able to help me work on something for a while until I got back into drawing but i don't think i can even do that as I lack the motivation to actually write much of anything and don't want to waste the artist's time.
Which leads me to another thing. How the heck does one go about writing a script or something for an artist?
But yes, back on topic…I can haz motivashun? or inspirashun?
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Comic Talk and General Discussion *
I can has motivation?
On writing:
1. Use the internet. You have a huge hulking beast of inspiration and ideas floating right beneath you at all times.
http://www.seventhsanctum.com/generate.php?Genname=storygen
^Holy sanctum of all plot generators, use them to pick up the details in your story or just spark on a plot point.
http://www.projectfanboy.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=79
^great column on comic writing
http://www.katfeete.net/writing/index.html
^nice little site with some helpful ideas
http://google.com
B0
2. Read. Stop thinking about your own story and read someone else's, i'm mainly talking real books here not choppy marvel writing or other webcomics. Search for e-books and short fiction online, you can absorb some very interesting things from books without even trying to, it'll make you a better writer.
3. Write. Keep a crappy notebook at your desk and write out a short story everyday (or an idea) doesn't matter if it's crap and you detest it the next day, eventually the practice will add up and you'll become a way better writer.
I find when I want to get some writing done, the best thing I can do is have an important deadline to do it by…and when it comes up, I'll panic and crank out as many as eight pages of work in the three hours before its due. Seriously. Should've seen the extention I did on Jonathan Swift's 'A Modest Proposal' for my English 1 class. An A+ on a rough draft.
In short…sometimes you have to force it. If you wait for the creative juices to start flowing you could be in for a rough drought. On the flip-side, pumping by hand usually gets the gears in motion and the lubrication can follow once things are coming around.
Just try it, and if it doesn't work…at least you've given it the effort.
Take a break and "digest media"… as varied as possible.
fiction books, non-fiction books, interesting articles, comics, mangas, tv series, movies, cartoons, music, artbooks, photobooks, sketchbooks…
and then sit down with the already written/drawn part, reread it and think where you could go on with the story. And then write it.
You can also brainstorm for a little… "what if I introduce this? what if I introduce that? what would this character do in this particular situation? What would that other character do instead?" and just note stuff.
I tend to write from plot outlines these days. sometimes it's point by point, sometimes it's just a condensed chunk of text. Try writing out the whole plot that way perhaps so that you're heading towards a specific ending?
Since my plot is loose, I can get stuck between scenes or in the middle of them. I usually leave couple of lines empty and below the script I start thinking what I want to achieve, what my goals are, how the characters could behave in a situation like this or that, how do I get from this point to that other point?" Basically brainstorm/improvise to bridge major plot points on the fly.
I usually find that free writing and just random doodling helps me a lot. Sometimes it doesn't help me enough, though. I went on about a three month period where I drew nothing but heads and faces. Nothing else. At all.
Movies help me a lot, too. I'm a movie junkie, though. Sometimes what I find helps a lot is to just leave and do something else. Take a break. Take a nap. Go learn how to cook a new food. Talk to somebody you don't know, play a prank on somebody you've never met. Walk up to a random stranger and ask for a hug. Jump on a pillar and screech like a howler monkey and kick your manager in the chest, then run away screaming and laughing. That last one actually happened, and it gave me a lot of inspiration.
If you can't get anything done on writing or drawing, doing just about anything else will help so much.
And I second the journal. I find that once you have the idea of keeping an idea journal in mind, your mind starts working behind the scenes to come up with new ideas. But if I stop using the journal and ignore writing down my ideas, they start to go away and don't pop up nearly as often as when I do use the journal.
Hope this helped.
I seemed to have lost it to writer's AND artist's block. Sure I might be able to draw something now and again or maybe write half a page of something. But never does any of it ever go beyond before I lose motivation or inspiration and abandon all I do.
My comics suffer because of it. My last comic kind of went on hiatus around the fourth or fifth chapter and I couldn't even make a page for it. It's been months since I've actually sat down and completed an actual page. I was actually thinking of seeking out an artist who may be able to help me work on something for a while until I got back into drawing but i don't think i can even do that as I lack the motivation to actually write much of anything and don't want to waste the artist's time.
Which leads me to another thing. How the heck does one go about writing a script or something for an artist?
But yes, back on topic…I can haz motivashun? or inspirashun?
In terms of comic scripts, look at how movie scripts are formated. An artist will find a way to block and panel it accordingly. Specifically, look at the script to Watchmen, it's a very good example of how a writer communicates to his artist, assuming it's a collaboration. There is a PDF of a couple of pages online, and I'm sure plenty of scans floating around. Of course it may not be the formal way, but a artist with half a brain can pick up on the hints in a script.
In terms of inspiration, there is no method to madness. You are different than every person here, and they are different than you. What mehtods might motivate them might stunt your growth. Personally watching a movie or TV show unmotivates me, I get lazy. If I pick up a new games I may come up with some great ideas, but like hell if I can pry myself away. The trick is to identify what has motivated you in the past and try to recreate that. Likewise, try everything suggested in this thread. Apply as much as you can.
Just remember that it happens to everyone. There is no such thing as perfection, specially not in webcomics. Writer's/artist's block will come to pass, it just takes some time.
I clearly understand what you mean when you say that you’ve lost it to writers/artists block and that you’ve lost all inspiration, it happens to me all the time. In fact, I just recently picked up drawing comics again and this inspiration came from watching one of the coolest movies I’ve ever seen. In recommendation for gaining some energy or inspiration back, I’d have to agree with what the other members have prescribed. One thing I would avoid though is gaining to much inspiration from a cool new movie/cartoon you just saw because it could make you stop your current comic and possibly begin another. To overcome this, just use your newly gained inspiration and put it into your current work. In terms of gaining energy, listen to music ( I recommend Michael Jackson) because it fills you with energy and gets you going. Comics are a hard medium and they require many laboring elements but just stay strong and inspired.
John Jr.
I clearly understand what you mean when you say that you’ve lost it to writers/artists block and that you’ve lost all inspiration, it happens to me all the time. In fact, I just recently picked up drawing comics again and this inspiration came from watching one of the coolest movies I’ve ever seen. In recommendation for gaining some energy or inspiration back, I’d have to agree with what the other members have prescribed. One thing I would avoid though is gaining to much inspiration from a cool new movie/cartoon you just saw because it could make you stop your current comic and possibly begin another. To overcome this, just use your newly gained inspiration and put it into your current work. In terms of gaining energy, listen to music ( I recommend Michael Jackson) because it fills you with energy and gets you going. Comics are a hard medium and they require many laboring elements but just stay strong and inspired.
John Jr.
What movie was it? I must know.
It was actually the Avatar Sozin's Comet movie and it was amazing (if you've followed the whole series). If you want real action though, watch the second season ending or "the drill" episode. This show is so inspiring its not even funny. I also get inspiration from animes like Astro Boy, Metropolis, or even from movies like Transformers(too good of a movie)! Inspiration is all around!
John Jr.
I'm coming off of a three year writer's block myself. Of course, the source of mine was a bit easier to pin down.
Once I left World of Warcraft for good, I started writing again. :)
Seriously though, if you're doing anything video-game related to distract yourself from the fact that you're blocked artistically, stop doing it. WAY too easy to get sucked into that fact instead of working past it. :)
>Net
yeah i get sucked into video games too i finally got an idea for a story im working on its going to be a short story so i don't quit midway an i planned the story line out soi don't loose track of my story line like my other ones did *ehem *cough hack Patch's Revenge or any other one i wrote im really hoping i stay motivated ive drawn out the first 10 or 12 pages but i need to decide on a title
I woke up one day and realised comics were pathetic and you were all wasting your lives.
Um…what the heck are you doing on drunkduck, then?
1.) Because there are one or two interesting people here.
2.) Because there are forum sections that aren't about comics.
3.) I come along like once a month anyway.
4.) Who the hell are you and why should I care?
I'll tell you where to stick that gaping metal mouth of yours, buddy.
I'm sensing a sexual innuendo but I can't quite find it, it's much too small.
1.) Because there are one or two interesting people here.
*Gets hopeful*
2.) Because there are forum sections that aren't about comics.
Media and Games are like the only other sections worth checking out.
3.) I come along like once a month anyway.
You're drunkduck's little period :3
4.) Who the hell are you and why should I care?
I think she's cool :/ But I think you're cool too. Why cant we all just get along and be a big happy family (with benifits?)
I'm sensing a sexual innuendo but I can't quite find it, it's much too small.
I like that there is a really witty joke in here that only you and I are really going to get. :) It's like I'm in a sepcial club.
Media and Games are like the only other sections worth checking out.
Both are usually boring.
- - - - - -
On staying motivated. (to bring this thread on topic)
Finish something shorter first. Write couple of 1 issue long scripts, draw a short story. Then make something longer while thinking "hey, I did once, I can do it again, it's the same thing only longer".
I had biiig moments of doubt while working on Din Krakatau, even couple of longer breaks (so I was running out of buffer continuously on chapter 2). Then I finished all 128 pages of it… took a break to recharge batteries and…
…and then wrote a 300 page long script (for 6 color 50-pagers), 117 pages of ravensrook (sequel to din krakatau) which is about 95% of script and now almost 180 pages of a much longer script (which will run for another 350-400 pages). And then I'm going to draw all three in reversed order :D
And all that because I managed to finish a project which is considerably short (I'm working on a couple REALLY long ones but I'm not jumping into anything thousands of pages long just yet).
Swift kicks in the arse is a great motivation, but not for artists. The pain isn't worth it. Breaks are required from time to time to get your mind on track and to let yourself get at ease. Don't be afraid of hiatuses either, sooner or later you'll find motivation in them. "That's it! Enough Hiatus! I'm going to draw another page!" would be the thing that runs through your mind. Everyone pretty much as the right idea for inspiration and some time off. music, games, media, whatever you can think of that gives you inspiration. Hopefully you haven't lost your mojo, which is highly unlikely. Chin up, and don't disappoint yourself.
I know what you mean. I'd needed a little break from Due East, between real life chaos and working on Off Hours at the same time, things got a little crazy.
Now that things have settled down some, I've been coordinating with my wife on the story and we're about to start up again. Pages have been scripted and art will soon commence. B) Four months is a long time, though (sighs).
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