"Ten years from now, no one is going to care how quickly the books came out. The only thing that will matter, the only thing anyone will remember, is how good they were. That's my main concern, and always will be."
-George R.R. Martin
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Saturday, February 05, 2011
Self Publishing
It occurs to me that the only way that I can have complete control over my finished novel is to publish it myself. After a long hard think about the difficulties involved with self publishing, I've decided that it's the only avenue available to me.
The notion that will be able to have my well designed, and hopefully, well illustrated/written and designed novel be immediately snapped up by a publisher is a long shot at best and a fantasy at worst.
No, self publishing it is. Understand that this is not a decision I take lightly, as one need only type "self publishing" into their search engine to read about the difficulties involved in such an enterprise. But it has as many benefits as it has hardships.
Christ in heaven i really do enjoy making life difficult for myself don't I?
On another note, I've decided to return to university. What that you heard to cry? Wasn't i sworn off the whole UK art education experience after the debacle that was Southampton Solent university?
Well, just hold your horses for a second and I'll explain.
I'm planning to study for an MA (Master of Arts) degree in illustration. My reasons are both two fold
First, I've had always planned to teach illustration at some point in the future. I've always wanted to pass on my skills and experience to the next generation of British illustrators. To be one of the good guys who shepherd young student illustrator in the direction they want to go and help educated then about the history of their profession. Also I want to remind or rather educate students that working for free or being preyed upon my unscrupulous clients who believe they can with a wink and a smile trick students into believing that in an age of tlumbr, print on demand, blogs and facebook, that producing work for free equals publicity is bullshit of the highest order.
Yeeees sir, people will look at them images you've generated off your own back and have not been paid for and think "Hmm. What a nice image. I wonder what else he/shes has done?"
And how is that going to help you pay your rent? How is that going to help you put food on your table? The people who perpetuate that lie can afford to pay you and wouldn't do their job for free for even one second. Indeed, they would bitch about how much they get paid and want more.
You, a poor student, should a freebie for a major publisher/client who can afford to pay you?! FUCK NO!!
Jesus H fucking Christ, it makes me murderously angry that people still believe and perpetuate that crock of shit. Fuckers.
I'm ranting, aren't I? Moving on.....
ANYWAY!!!
Secondly, having a job will help feed me and keep a roof over my head whiles i work on my novel/graphic novels and self publish them. I believe Jeff Smith, Craig Thompson, Alison Bechdel amongst many others took this route. Not that teaching route, but doing freelance illustration to pay for their graphic novel projects.
Unfortunately, at least in the United Kingdom, in order to teach at university level, you have to hold a MA in your chose profession. So, in the next two years i have to save £4,500 in order to pay for my tuition fees. And i need to actively start building a portfolio of work. Something that should have slowly building over the second i set foot in Norwich. Le sigh.
As i said, I really enjoy creating work for myself.
More later.
The notion that will be able to have my well designed, and hopefully, well illustrated/written and designed novel be immediately snapped up by a publisher is a long shot at best and a fantasy at worst.
No, self publishing it is. Understand that this is not a decision I take lightly, as one need only type "self publishing" into their search engine to read about the difficulties involved in such an enterprise. But it has as many benefits as it has hardships.
Christ in heaven i really do enjoy making life difficult for myself don't I?
On another note, I've decided to return to university. What that you heard to cry? Wasn't i sworn off the whole UK art education experience after the debacle that was Southampton Solent university?
Well, just hold your horses for a second and I'll explain.
I'm planning to study for an MA (Master of Arts) degree in illustration. My reasons are both two fold
First, I've had always planned to teach illustration at some point in the future. I've always wanted to pass on my skills and experience to the next generation of British illustrators. To be one of the good guys who shepherd young student illustrator in the direction they want to go and help educated then about the history of their profession. Also I want to remind or rather educate students that working for free or being preyed upon my unscrupulous clients who believe they can with a wink and a smile trick students into believing that in an age of tlumbr, print on demand, blogs and facebook, that producing work for free equals publicity is bullshit of the highest order.
Yeeees sir, people will look at them images you've generated off your own back and have not been paid for and think "Hmm. What a nice image. I wonder what else he/shes has done?"
And how is that going to help you pay your rent? How is that going to help you put food on your table? The people who perpetuate that lie can afford to pay you and wouldn't do their job for free for even one second. Indeed, they would bitch about how much they get paid and want more.
You, a poor student, should a freebie for a major publisher/client who can afford to pay you?! FUCK NO!!
Jesus H fucking Christ, it makes me murderously angry that people still believe and perpetuate that crock of shit. Fuckers.
I'm ranting, aren't I? Moving on.....
ANYWAY!!!
Secondly, having a job will help feed me and keep a roof over my head whiles i work on my novel/graphic novels and self publish them. I believe Jeff Smith, Craig Thompson, Alison Bechdel amongst many others took this route. Not that teaching route, but doing freelance illustration to pay for their graphic novel projects.
Unfortunately, at least in the United Kingdom, in order to teach at university level, you have to hold a MA in your chose profession. So, in the next two years i have to save £4,500 in order to pay for my tuition fees. And i need to actively start building a portfolio of work. Something that should have slowly building over the second i set foot in Norwich. Le sigh.
As i said, I really enjoy creating work for myself.
More later.
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
You will be tested ....
If you want to become something. If you want to do something with your life other than just exist. If you want to be creative. If you want to be successful. You will be tested.
G-d/the universe/fate/life will test you to see how determined you are to be want you want to be. Life will throw you curve balls to test you resolve. Obsticals will be put in your path to block your progress. Shit will happen.
All of these designed to test you. To make you into the person you want to become.
It has always been thus.
And it always will be.
And you have two simple choices:
Either suck it up, accept it and deal with it.
Or abandon your dreams.
The balls in your darling.
Everyone you admire and respect whose life and or work inspires you to better yourself, EVERY SINGLE ONE has been through what your going through.
The question is and always has been thus: How badly do you want it?
Good night my brothers and sisters. And spare a thought/prayer for our brothers and sisters in Egypt and everywhere in the middle east.
G-d/the universe/fate/life will test you to see how determined you are to be want you want to be. Life will throw you curve balls to test you resolve. Obsticals will be put in your path to block your progress. Shit will happen.
All of these designed to test you. To make you into the person you want to become.
It has always been thus.
And it always will be.
And you have two simple choices:
Either suck it up, accept it and deal with it.
Or abandon your dreams.
The balls in your darling.
Everyone you admire and respect whose life and or work inspires you to better yourself, EVERY SINGLE ONE has been through what your going through.
The question is and always has been thus: How badly do you want it?
Good night my brothers and sisters. And spare a thought/prayer for our brothers and sisters in Egypt and everywhere in the middle east.
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
RAW and learning on the job
Warren Ellis made a point yesterday about webcomics and the need to produce the work, if only to get the idea out of your head. Here an excerpt:
"Look at the webcomics week thread on Whitechapel. Some of that stuff is raw as all hell, and some of the websites they sit on are frankly horrifying. But they’re doing it for the idea. So long as the idea gets out of their head and into the world, they’re winning. Not everything has to be smooth and shiny and run through user-experience wisdom. Sometimes, it just has to be done. "
He touches on something which I've be struggling with for years. The fear of being wrong. Of looking stupid. It's stopped me from making hard but necessary decisions that could and would have gotten me where I am now in my mid 20's in stead of my early 30's but hey, experience isn't waste if you don't give up right.
I've recently been forced to accept a painful and liberating fact. That my life is the way it is because i refused to be an active participant in my own life. Now that may seem damning, but actually its not. The flip side is that I have the ability to do anything I want.
Hitting my word count for NaNoWriMo every day and the first draft of my novel have proved to me for the first time what happens when I shut the fuck up, sit my arse down and do the bloody work.
It's made me realise that you can't afford to be frightened, or scared. That's death. You remain stationary. You create a void. You do that often enough and nature/the universe/life will fill that void. Normally with something you don't like.
With comics and writing, you have to learn in public. You have to learn on the job. You have to expose your work to people. You can't sit your hobbit hole and beaver away until stupid o'clock the morning forever until you feel your ready, because how will you know your ready until you expose your work to people?
Warren's right. But his statement extends to writing as well. So long as the idea get out of your head and into the world, you're winning. Not everything has to be smooth and shiny and run through user-experience wisdom. Sometimes, it just has to be done.
Learn Work. Show. Learn. Work. Show. Learn. Rinse and repeat.
Back to work.
"Look at the webcomics week thread on Whitechapel. Some of that stuff is raw as all hell, and some of the websites they sit on are frankly horrifying. But they’re doing it for the idea. So long as the idea gets out of their head and into the world, they’re winning. Not everything has to be smooth and shiny and run through user-experience wisdom. Sometimes, it just has to be done. "
He touches on something which I've be struggling with for years. The fear of being wrong. Of looking stupid. It's stopped me from making hard but necessary decisions that could and would have gotten me where I am now in my mid 20's in stead of my early 30's but hey, experience isn't waste if you don't give up right.
I've recently been forced to accept a painful and liberating fact. That my life is the way it is because i refused to be an active participant in my own life. Now that may seem damning, but actually its not. The flip side is that I have the ability to do anything I want.
Hitting my word count for NaNoWriMo every day and the first draft of my novel have proved to me for the first time what happens when I shut the fuck up, sit my arse down and do the bloody work.
It's made me realise that you can't afford to be frightened, or scared. That's death. You remain stationary. You create a void. You do that often enough and nature/the universe/life will fill that void. Normally with something you don't like.
With comics and writing, you have to learn in public. You have to learn on the job. You have to expose your work to people. You can't sit your hobbit hole and beaver away until stupid o'clock the morning forever until you feel your ready, because how will you know your ready until you expose your work to people?
Warren's right. But his statement extends to writing as well. So long as the idea get out of your head and into the world, you're winning. Not everything has to be smooth and shiny and run through user-experience wisdom. Sometimes, it just has to be done.
Learn Work. Show. Learn. Work. Show. Learn. Rinse and repeat.
Back to work.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Friday, September 18, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
The difficulty of being original
This thing that I've working on. The project that's been floating round in the head in one shape or form since the mid nineties.
For the longest of times in was called Zaibatsu. But that really didn't click for me. Then it was Gods and Monsters. But there is a film with the same name. Recently I decided to call it The Shadow Of The Beast Chronicles. But after a looooong conversation last night with an wise artist friend of mine I decided it not worth my time incurring the wrath of Psygnosis/Reflections/Sonys legal department who could quite happily afford to buy my dead body 10 times whiles i'm still alive! So, I've actually had to sit back and think of something that speaks about the tale I'll be spinning. About the themes I'll playing with. It's almost as hard as writing the bloody story! It's so easy to lapse into cliché and avoid the pain of being original. Still. Originality has something going for it. A sense of danger and empowerment.
The search and the work, as always continues.
Edited to include: Sometimes its best to go with name of your protagonist. Which was the name I dismissed very early on as being "not iconic enough". Dumb.
For the longest of times in was called Zaibatsu. But that really didn't click for me. Then it was Gods and Monsters. But there is a film with the same name. Recently I decided to call it The Shadow Of The Beast Chronicles. But after a looooong conversation last night with an wise artist friend of mine I decided it not worth my time incurring the wrath of Psygnosis/Reflections/Sonys legal department who could quite happily afford to buy my dead body 10 times whiles i'm still alive! So, I've actually had to sit back and think of something that speaks about the tale I'll be spinning. About the themes I'll playing with. It's almost as hard as writing the bloody story! It's so easy to lapse into cliché and avoid the pain of being original. Still. Originality has something going for it. A sense of danger and empowerment.
The search and the work, as always continues.
Edited to include: Sometimes its best to go with name of your protagonist. Which was the name I dismissed very early on as being "not iconic enough". Dumb.
Friday, January 02, 2009
End of year review: 2008 was the year that....
2008 was the year that I finally got over my hang ups and committed myself mind, body and soul to creating that which has given so much joy and inspiration throughout my life: a comic. Though it was ropey and badly drawing in places, it was a firm start.
A thing that existed in my head now existed on paper. A physical thing that other people could see and hold in their hands and criticise. This was the single most empowering thing that I've ever done in my life.
Much more next year.
2008 was the year that I could actually see improvement in my work. I could see who far I had come from that day waaaaaay back in summer 2002 at Warren Ellis signing at Forbidden Planet when I decided to start drawing again. It been a long long road., there are still miles to go.
2008 was the year that I accepted that it okay to draw completely differently to everyone else. That you don't have to conform to a certain art style. That as long as you have a firm understanding of the foundations, your work can be as unique and iconoclastic as you wish.
2008 was the year the Ashley Wood, Sean Phillips, Jae Lee, D'israeli, Alison Bechdel and Nihei Tsutomu had their hands firmly in my pocket. I think I've got more manga by Nihei Tsutomu than anyone else in the UK!!
2008 was the year I discovered Milton Caniff, Sergio Toppi amongst many, many others.
2008 was the year that I read my first Stephen King book and cursed myself for not have read any of his work before.
2008 was the year I realised that good art takes time. That something the process of discarding a finished drawing that doesn't work, although it looks nice and you like it get you closer to something that does work.
2008 was the year that I took my writing as seriously as my art.
2008 was the year I finally came out of the closet as a trekkie:)
2008 was the year that I was more strapped for cash than any other year previously: I REALLY, REALLY didn't like that.
2008 was the year that I saw the would change and history happen before my very eyes.
2008 was the year that I stopped attending comic conventions. No more conventions until I've got shit to show.
And that's that.
Good luck to us all in 2009. We're all going to need it.
A thing that existed in my head now existed on paper. A physical thing that other people could see and hold in their hands and criticise. This was the single most empowering thing that I've ever done in my life.
Much more next year.
2008 was the year that I could actually see improvement in my work. I could see who far I had come from that day waaaaaay back in summer 2002 at Warren Ellis signing at Forbidden Planet when I decided to start drawing again. It been a long long road., there are still miles to go.
2008 was the year that I accepted that it okay to draw completely differently to everyone else. That you don't have to conform to a certain art style. That as long as you have a firm understanding of the foundations, your work can be as unique and iconoclastic as you wish.
2008 was the year the Ashley Wood, Sean Phillips, Jae Lee, D'israeli, Alison Bechdel and Nihei Tsutomu had their hands firmly in my pocket. I think I've got more manga by Nihei Tsutomu than anyone else in the UK!!
2008 was the year I discovered Milton Caniff, Sergio Toppi amongst many, many others.
2008 was the year that I read my first Stephen King book and cursed myself for not have read any of his work before.
2008 was the year I realised that good art takes time. That something the process of discarding a finished drawing that doesn't work, although it looks nice and you like it get you closer to something that does work.
2008 was the year that I took my writing as seriously as my art.
2008 was the year I finally came out of the closet as a trekkie:)
2008 was the year that I was more strapped for cash than any other year previously: I REALLY, REALLY didn't like that.
2008 was the year that I saw the would change and history happen before my very eyes.
2008 was the year that I stopped attending comic conventions. No more conventions until I've got shit to show.
And that's that.
Good luck to us all in 2009. We're all going to need it.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)