Here are four pages from a graphic novel project that, most likely, I will never finish. I wrote the entire draft, and drew two dozen pages but I don’t think it’s ever going to make it onto my ‘To Do’ list.
It can be difficult to pick and choose what you spend your time on. I’m like most creatives and I have no end to projects I’d love to tackle. But you only have so much time in a day, a week – a life. I’m happy with the story, but the amount of work it would take to finish it doesn’t make sense. It is a ‘hard sell’ for a publisher and I’d probably end up trying to self publish it. But a 130 page graphic novel isn’t something you do part time. And as I make a living doing this work every day I spend doing something that is greatly less marketable, means I am putting off that other project, which I probably love just as much, which is more marketable. As a writer/illustrator making choices about what you want to do vs. what not to do is, unfortunately, a big part of your life.
You make too much sense and it’s a hard reality: “As a writer/illustrator making choices about what you want to do vs. what not to do is, unfortunately, a big part of your life.”
It’s taken me a long time to not only realize this but act accordingly.
I realize it, but I don’t act accordingly. Ugh.
Your graphic novel there that you show, above? Thats’ my Zook project, which refuses to leave me alone.
I think it’s important to spend time on something just for you, not for the fickle marketplace. True there isn’t time for everything, but we risk burn-out and bad health if we aren’t making time for what brings us joy in the work we do.
Steppin’ off mah soapbox and going back to work on a project that is making me crazy.
I agree. But sometimes when that project is a 120 page GN…well, you gotta say, it was/is fun. But I need to concentrate on coming up with work that more people care about. You can’t let the market lead you, but I think it wise to pay attention to others reactions.
Well, my reaction as an art director was: “Holy Crap! Why is he stopping??? This looks incredible!” I agree with Robin. Maybe you can squeeze it in little by little (over the next decade?) and maybe the market will be ready when the book is.
That’s the debate isn’t it? I always have too many ideas in my head and it takes a certain mental energy to keep the around and active so to speak. So I think letting them go can help me move on. I had a book I really love rejected last year. I really thought it was a good picture book. I was petty bummed. But it was rejected by all the editors I show work to. I spent a few days thinking I should go back at it. Keep working on it. But I wasn’t sure what to do. Instead I wrote a new book and a few months later that picture book sold. Letting go sometimes lets you move on. Not to get too artsy-fartsy!
We should have to pay for your insight, Mark. Your timing is always pretty right on too. Too bad about this story. I HAVE to know what happens next!
It’s a strange one, I’ll say that much! But I can’t imagine drawing it all now. I actually started rewriting it in prose. Just to see what happened. I finished the first two chapters. But I definitely liked it better as a graphic novel. I can say this much. It was a mash of Noir detective stories and Lord of the Rings.
I agree…letting go sometimes lets you move on (to other things). But sometimes for me, letting go is just another form of “simmering on the back burner” until I’m really, really “ready” for it.
BTW, Noir detective smashed up in Lord of the Rings sounds awesome.
HA! Noir Lord of the Rings IS awesome. For all 30 of us that think it is.