Breaking Stories and Breaking Chains
I spent a good amount of this past weekend trying to break a story. I have had this idea for a young adult book with werewolves that I’ve been noodling around with for a bit. I wrote out some of the beginning and outlined who the characters were. I have an idea of where it needs to go, but the middle is hazy. I got a point where I think I have enough of the pieces to start to script something. It will be a “puke draft” of trying to get everything out on the page, but it would be something. I shared the rough outline with a few friends to get feedback.
This is the part of writing that I love and hate. I love the exploration of a new story. It really is like digging for treasure. You have a blank canvas and anything is possible. What if this happened? What if they did that? How would they react? Where would this go next? That’s exciting.
On the other hand, it can be terrifying. It’s like going out into the wilderness without a map. You have a notion as to where you have to go, but no clear path to get there. It can be paralyzing and frustrating. I reached some points where I just don’t know what to do. I had to put the story down because it wasn’t clicking. I found myself walking around my house talking it through to myself, partly to reassure my mind that there’s something here, but also to make sure it all made sense.
I’m going to table this for a little while and let it cook a bit more while I wait for more feedback. I really want to make a comic that’s more fitting to a younger audience. This is one idea, but I’ve got a couple others. I’ll play around with those to see if anything else moves faster. I need to keep my mind moving on stories during the waiting period of production on other series. You never know what’s going to take off.
Speaking of taking off, preparation continues for Clean Up Crew #1 on Kickstarter. Initial feedback on the book has been positive. I spent time pulling out images to use in the Kickstarter video. I also wrote up a press release to send out to comic sites and podcasts. I will do that once I have a firmer idea as to when I’ll actually launch the campaign. Right now I’m aiming for a late July / early August, but that might be rushing things. I want to make sure I’m ready, but more importantly, I want to make sure I’ve done everything I possibly can to make this a successful launch.
If you want to be part of that success, be sure to follow the campaign so you’re notified when it goes live. You can do so through the button below.
I will continue to sing the praises of Hoopla and my local library as it has allowed me to explore a ton of comics I've missed over the past few years. It also gives me the chance to try out books before picking them up. That’s how I feel with The Sacrificers from Rick Remender, Max Fiumara, and Dave McCaig. I read the first volume last month and I had to wait impatiently for July to start so I could get more Hoopla borrows and read the next volume. I plowed through that in a single day.
The Sacrificers is set in a fantasy world where gods have ruled over the land for ages. They have created a perceived everlasting peace and it’s kept by accepting sacrifices from their people every few years. This is seen as a duty to the people, framed by the gods as something noble. The folks chosen as sacrificers will live in a utopia with every whim catered to and no more worries. In reality, they’re drained of their life essence and the gods drink it.
Despite the fantasy setting, this book has stunning parallels to a lot of things going on in our world around the billionaire class and how “normal people” are treated. When one of the sacrificers escapes, you can’t help but cheer him on as he goes after the gods for some much needed revenge. Conversely, a daughter of the gods is thrown out of paradise and she finds herself leaving among the poor and downtrodden.
The build of the characters is amazing to see. There are flaws in each of them as they struggle to figure out what to do. Imagine if everything you thought you knew was proven to be a complete fabrication. You’d have a hard time believing that, let alone coming to grips with it. This is absolutely riveting. I’m two volumes into The Sacrificers. I’m not sure how much longer the series is planned, but I can’t wait to read the next volume. This is some great comics.