This strip was odd. When you create something, you very often have no intention of changing it, re-writing it, or otherwise mangling it in any way at all (there Will, I said it). This time around however, I ended up re-writing the strip four times, then went back to the original idea and rearranged the dialogue. It worked out for the best, and some of the other ideas I had have been shelved for later use.

In a sense, this strip is how I cope with a lot of pent up artistic frustration. I don't feel any urge whatsoever to make the strip shiny, and it's a release I'm thankful for. With previous attempts at webcomics, I've always wanted to do the best darned job possible. Now I have some real advice for those of you getting into this field: Let the shit flow. As disgusting as that may sound, it's really sound advice. Jerry Cleaver, author of "Immidiate Fiction" has been a guide for me when it comes to writing. Like Hemingway said: "The first draft is always shit".

Stop and think about that, honestly. If an accomplished writer like Hemingway said his first draft is always shit, yours will be too. Don't let that get you down, and in fact, don't try to make it shiny the first time around. If your art isn't perfect, don't worry about it. Post it anyway, see how people react, and try to get some coaching out of it. I say coaching, because criticism has become an ugly word in my dictionary. People want to call it constructive criticism, but it's really just nitpicking. Coaching is when the other party has helpful advice instead of a critic's knife. It's fine if they don't like your stuff, but are they willing to help you make it better? That's where coaching and criticism veer away from each other.

Kristofer Straub, author of Checkerboard Nightmare, whom I've mentioned before, whines. But his whining is essentially "take it or leave it" coaching. Read Punchline Prima Facie and see what I mean. Let the shit flow, and you might get something good out of it over time.

 

Tuesday, September 16, 2003 # posted by <$BlogCommentAuthor$> : <$BlogCommentDateTime$> <$BlogCommentDeleteIcon$> | Archived Commentaries