Photo Credit: lucidtech via Compfight cc

A Creator’s Journey: Year 3, Month 3, Day 10

Let me be honest and straightforward in saying that this journey has never been easy. Not one bit.

But that isn’t to say that it won’t be worth it.

In fact, the only way it will be worth it, is if we accomplish what we set out to do: make a living writing and illustrating stories. But every journey has its pitfalls. You run into a pothole on the road. You take a wrong turn and end up on a bumpy street. You run a flat and find yourself immobile for an hour or two.

But because your goal is the Golden Fleece, or the Holy Grail, you know that stopping short of reaching the finish is not an option. You have to keep going, otherwise you’ll feel as though you’ll never amount to anything.

So here’s us, arriving at a milestone: the first page of The Star-Gazers Inn was completed last week, and the 2nd page is on its way to completion as well!

Title Changes

I’ve realized that naming each entry to this journal as a kind of time stamp isn’t exactly a wise decision.

It doesn’t encourage people to read.

It doesn’t tell readers what the post is all about.

It just isn’t good copywriting.

So instead, I’ll make the title about the post. That way, readers get a glimpse of what to expect when they dive into the blog. They know what to look for. They know how we’re doing as a team, and they know how to respond.

Shifting Gears

It’s officially #NaNoWriMo in cased you didn’t notice. That’s National Novel Writing Month for those that aren’t familiar with it. I tried joining the movement a couple of years back, but never really made it to the finish line. This year, I’m thinking of trying yet again.

So what will I write about?

I’ll be writing the prequel to our The Star-Gazers Inn graphic novel series.

In other words, I’ll be writing the backstory in novel form.

This way, I can solidify the backstories of every character in the book, and use it as a kind of reference to who they are, what they’re like, and who they become as adults.

I think it’s a great opportunity for me to really get down and dirty with the characters, especially since I plan on writing a lot of stories about them. I want to have time to get to know these characters both inside and outside, and I want my time with them to count. Hence, I’m not just leaving their childhoods inside my notes, but am turning those notes into a story.

Once done, I’m planning on entering the prequel into a couple of local contests (in the hopes of winning), and after which self-publish them either on Amazon or on our website (I’m not quite sure yet).

The thing is, Amazon is the go-to spot for discoverability and exposure. If I want to start marketing our brand and our platform, it has to be somewhere where a lot of people will be able to discover it. On the other hand, I was kinda hoping to release this first novel through a “Pay What You Want” model, which, to my knowledge, Amazon doesn’t offer.

First thing’s first, though: finish writing the novel.

After that, I’ll go straight to writing the following episodes for the graphic novel series.

Progress Report

The Star-Gazers Inn Episode 1 (1st Draft)
Currently Working on: Pages

• Backstory: 100%
• Episode Outline: 100%
• Pages Written: 73/73
• Pages Thumbnailed: 4/73
• Pages Sketched: 2/73
• Pages Inked: 1/73

The Star-Gazers Inn Episodes 2 and beyond
Currently Working on: Outlines

• Episode 2 Outline: 1st draft
• Episode 3 Outline: –
• Episode 4 Outline: –
• Episode 5 Outline: –
• Episode 6 Outline: –
• Episode 7 Outline: –
• Episode 8 Outline: –
• Episode 9 Outline: –

The Star-Gazers Inn Prequel Novelization
Currently Working on: Outline

• Outline: 15%
• Pages Written: 0/200

180 (1st Draft)
Currently Working on: Character Development

• Outline: 100%
• Pages Thumbnailed: 0/180
• Pages Sketched:: 0/180
• Pages Inked: 0/180
• Pages Colored: 0/180

The Hawkers Project (A.K.A. The Webcomic Creator’s Journey)
Currently Working on: N/A

• Outline: 1st Draft 100%
• Pages Written: 0