Schedule is slipping, but not falling through, so that’s still something.
Yes, granted, there was no Magic Beans this week, but if I’m going to let something slip between the cracks, it could be a lot worse. I never thought my social life would be well-developed enough to the point that I would actually be missing out on “work” in some form; the Showcase pages have been delayed in production, but were still uploaded day-of, and I’ve got a good feeling that I can still keep the schedule on track for the rest of the month. The inverters at the day job are more or less online at this point, so instead of two-hour set intervals of working on my laptop battery, I can now use my laptop while plugged in, albeit in short bursts whenever I get a free moment. I won’t say it’s just as efficient; I’ll make it function as I need to.
Given that there are times when I cannot work on artwork directly, I’ve also been looking at my writing a bit more. Most of my comic scripts are very free-flowing; I prefer using the Marvel Method when it comes to my own work. It’s a lot quicker to plot out a 12 page comic with simple descriptions and thumbnails, and then working out the exact details as the pages are completed. This can sometimes lead to being written into a corner, but that’s less of an issue with shorter stories, and because I’m not collaborating with anyone but myself, there’s no chance of mis-interpretations. That being said, for longer scripts, having a more comprehensive breakdown is a lot more helpful; yes, I am indeed working on a longer script.
So far, through the Fifth Ace Showcase, I’ve been introducing characters and hinting at a larger mythology in my superhero universe, though the short story format doesn’t leave a lot of room for character and/or plot development. That’s because the Showcase is exactly that: a showcase, displaying all the little pieces that are going to be used in a much grander design. Not all the pieces involved in that design are going to appear in the Showcase, and there’s a chance that not all of the ones displayed will last; such is the nature of the beast. The longer script that I’m developing is going to be the official “main” storyline of my universe, intended to be an ongoing series featuring my characters teaming up and taking on the world together. I had the basic outline for the first issue done almost a year ago, and now that the Showcase has had some development, it’s almost time to get the ongoing story started in earnest. Naturally, this is going to take a LOT of work…
I have NO idea when I’m going to find the time for my longer stories, while still maintaining the Showcase and Magic Beans, and also working a day job. The ongoing series might only manifest several months down the line, or more than a year from now, but it is most definitely coming. A large, ongoing, ever-evolving universe of stories has always been the goal of this project, and that’s not something that just happens overnight. These things take time, effort, energy; all things I have in limited supply, and I accept that fact. No matter how long it takes, or what form it eventually takes, this project will continue through stumbles, burnouts, hiatuses and whatever else comes. And I can only hope it will be entertaining.
Ciao for now.