Hello everyone,
Today I've been feeling rather discouraged. It's been some time now that I have been going strong with everything that I am doing, but it seems as though a few things have caught some snags. More importantly I've come to the realization that writers in the comic industry are greatly unappreciated by artists and major companies, but more importantly rendered rather useless. I suppose I've been just trying to block it out as much as possible, but the skin is wearing thin.
It becomes difficult to compete in an industry where not many people are actually willing to work together to put something through, especially in an industry that requires you to work with many people to form a great creation.
I feel as though I am just another cog in this war machine, whether I do anything at all really doesn't matter in this industry because I am just a writer with some art background, or so they say. In the end it really just makes you question the motives of not only other people, but of yourself.
I just want to know if I am the only one who feels this way.
This is Sean signing out.
We all have feelings from time to time that we are fighting our battles alone. Someone told me this yesterday and it really helped lift my spirits. Here goes. "Doubt your doubts and believe your beliefs; don't mix it up by believing your doubts and doubting your beliefs." If you have actual talent, conviction, perseverance, and faith and will work like you mean it you have a chance to achieve your goals. If you skip any part of this you guaranty your failure in just about any endeavor. We all have setbacks. Try to remember that if you bat .300 you are a baseball Hall of Famer. That means seven out of 10 times you don't even get to 1st base!The old song lyric is "Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again". Just because these are platitudes does not mean that they are untrue or ineffective. Chin Up!
ReplyDeleteThings will fall into place, Sean. Sometimes it just takes time to form a team. My lady and I started a Press to basically publish her short stories, her novel, and a few of my non-horror things. Now we have a team of an Editor, Formatting Specialist, Art Director, beta readers, etc. I plan to add comics and graphic novels ASAP. I built my team on trust and friendship-fancy the concept. But it's working. You have time. Make good decisions and forge strong friendships.
ReplyDeleteBlaze
I'm not a writer and I probably don't really understand what you feel however, if I have good enough skill to collaborate with interesting stories, I'm more than happy to do work with writers. I was drawing for some authors previously (comics and children's picture books) and I enjoyed working with them. I guess however both side writers and drawers needed to have patients and exchange opinions which I have to work on but I'm sure you will be able to find good artists to collaborate with. Keep trying Sean.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the words of encouragement guys. I appreciate it. I read a quote posted by Nik Poliwko on facebook. The quote made perfect sense, it is :
ReplyDelete“Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.” -- Stephen King
It looks as though I have to continue to keep pushing in order to become more successful then table salt, ha-ha.
Writing comics is a hard dollar.
ReplyDeleteYears ago I wrote comics. I wasn't especially successful or good at it. I remember that when I told people I wrote comics for a living, there was usually (a beat) followed by, "Oh, do you draw them too?" The idea that comics even had writers was alien for most people.
For awhile I felt like a cog, too. Eventually I got discouraged and gave up.
I don't know you or your work, but I will offer an unsolicited bit of advice. The moment you let other people establish your worth for you is the moment you start to lose the struggle as a creator. Maybe the business treats you like a cog -- maybe you ARE a cog -- but you don't truly become a cog until you decide that is what you are.
Chin up! You're writing comics. That's a dream for a lot of people, it was probably a dream for you too. Make the most of every page and don't ever let anyone, anywhere decide for you the worth of your work or your worth as a writer. If your editors or readers think your work is disposable then "write 'em wrong." Even if every link in the chain fails for you -- if the editor changes your script, the artist draws big heads in small boxes instead of the action you've described, and the inker uses his di...gits instead of a brush, there's nothing stopping you from writing a great script for its own sake.
Practice good habits, don't give up, and in time you will be the writer you deserve to be.
Wish I'd known that when I was in the business. Maybe you can succeed where I failed. Good luck!