YouTube Plans
I think I've mentioned it in previous newsletters but I'm working on getting back to posting on YouTube. For 10 days I came up with 10 video ideas per day, and now I am whittling those down to 30 or so that I'll focus on first and get those scripts written and start filming! I'm super excited for the approach that I'm taking with it now.
Busy Week
This was a busy life week. A lot of good and fun stuff, and a couple of annoying life things (let's just say renting sucks), so I didn't read/watch as many things this week, did see a couple of movies still though. I also continue making some solid progress in graphic design stuff. I'm not like instantly amazing, but I'm working on stuff daily, getting more comfortable, and understanding different ways to get the results I want.
Story Progress
I've successfully figured out the scale. I was talking last week about the story I'm working on pulling me in different directions and trying to reconcile how to approach that and the scale that comes with each. I think I've figured out a solution that solves the scale issue AND remedies the fact that I've got a handful of story ideas on my hands with this one. It'll be cool, I think. I'm getting close to moving into the stage of my writing process where I tackle a full series outline, finish fully fleshing out my character sheets, and then move into an issue by issue outline based on the full series one.
I'll probably end up making a full video about my process at some point but the general habit I've developed when starting to write a story (specifically a comic) is a bit like this:
Initial Inspiration
Mull it over, try to develop a name
Find an Armature
Continue formulating narrative points, characters, lore ideas, etc. in my head. How much of this gets written down varies, I do a lot of writing in my head, but I'm getting a lot better about writing more down and organizing it in my Obsidian
Get enough raw, somewhat structured information to develop a series outline
Develop series outline
Finalize (they always evolve, but finalize to a starting point) character sheets
Develop issue by issue outline
Develop a page by page outline per issue. These are super simple, typically one-sentence descriptions of the one change that needs to happen on each page. It's the distillation of why that page exists in the comic, what it's doing for the story, and why it's needed. These are just to give me some basic ground to work on when I actually start scripting
And finally, SCRIPT!
Lol no of course that's not the last step.
Scripting takes a while. Barring shorter stories (6 pages or less) I've never written an entire comic script in one sitting. The amount of pages I get written per session of writing varies greatly. My consistency in writing pages is also admittedly probably one of my biggest weaknesses as a writer currently. It's something I'm trying to work on, and I think making some progress on.
Because my scripting takes a while, I'm also re-reading and editing as I write. Full disclosure, I hate doing full re-reads after I finish a script. It's a character flaw, but I can't stand it. I never did re-reads before submitting an essay for school, and I don't like doing them for my comics. I know what I wrote. Part of that I think comes from the fact that I also do a lot of rewriting in my head. I tend not to write something down unless I'm confident it's the already edited version if that makes sense. The edits I then make when I'm re-reading during the ongoing scripting process come from seeing the piece as a larger whole with more of its parts now filled in. So by the time I get to the end, I've already edited it in my head and edited it while re-reading and finishing writing, so I loathe the idea of going back for a full re-read.
That's where outside editors come in.
I send my scripts over to my editor (shoutout Brandon Bloxdorf) and he'll give feedback and we'll then go back and forth and evolve the project from there.
NOW I get to send the script to the artist! Arguably the scariest part of the entire ordeal!
In-between all of the above steps I'll also be doing research. Which can range from playing a video game that has a vibe or setting related to the story I'm working on to doing actual, reading articles type research. Research also means visual mood boards and references to provide the artist and also give me inspiration.
And that's the gist of it! After the script is sent to the artist it becomes an even more involved collaborative process that is a totally different beast. And of course, not every story goes exactly in this order or exactly like this, but this is the general structure I've found myself following.
I listen to music while writing almost all of the time. I can't do anything with lyrics though, which is a bit of a bummer. I've gotten in the habit of listening to music a lot of the time generally whenever I'm working even if it's not writing. The instrumental version of Distraction by Sleep Token is playing as I type this. I need them to release an instrumental album for Take Me Back To Eden, I listen to the Sundowning and This Place Will Become Your Tomb instrumental albums constantly.
Sleep Token instrumentals and film and video game scores have been my go-to lately. I've been on a bit of a fantasy kick so the God of War soundtracks and the Rings of Power soundtracks are in my recently listened. Bear McCreary is a master. The Batman soundtrack is also just always in there, I listen to it daily. I think the Oppenheimer and Tenet soundtracks will probably make their way back into my recently listened again soon, I can feel the itch to listen to them starting.
Watching, Reading, Etc.
Movies!
Blink Twice was fantastic. A ridiculously strong directorial debut from Kravitz. Stellar editing from Kathryn J. Schubert. The Front Room was a snore. The Crow was fine. It was somehow both overly complicated and too simple in some areas. The action was pretty raw and Bill Skarsgard is always fantastic.
Comics!
It's been a busy week so I'm behind on getting more into my comics backlog and also staying current. I enjoyed Absolute Power #3, but am also just so excited to see what's coming from DC after this event. The Ultimates #4 was unbelievably good. Camp, Noto, and the rest of the creative team put together a perfect comic issue and continue to make this one of the best books on the shelf.
I'm trying to still get caught up on all the From the Ashes X-Books, but I immediately fell behind. And there's a handful of other series I've got on my backlog to get through, but that's just how it always is.
Links
Linkin Park is back. They officially announced Emily Armstrong as their new singer - who will share vocals with Mike Shinoda - and Colin Brittain as their new drummer. I'm not the biggest Linkin Park fan ever, but I do love them quite a bit. Grew up listening to them, A Thousand Suns is one of my favorite albums in general. I think Emily sounds great and the new single they dropped has been stuck in my head since I heard it. I don't have a super passionate opinion on the "replacing Chester" discourse except that I think the people in the band should choose what happens with the band. For me, the music sounds like Linkin Park and I'm hyped about the idea of getting to see Linkin Park live.
I haven't finished watching this interview yet, but it's great so far.
That's all from me this week. Football is back and it's so nice. Bengals unfortunately just fumbled a touchdown, literally, so here's hoping the game turns around after I get this sent out.
Be nice. Be kind.