Anybody with a daytime job here who also does comics on the side?

[Puck]

Not at the moment

[honeyandcreambutter]

Oh! That's a really interesting comment! I actually found myself having a lot more free time when I was studying, mainly because I procrastinate on my assignments a lot?? But obviously that's not possible when it comes to working since deadlines are a lot more strict I hope that it'll be easier the longer I work though!

That's amazing! You must have a really strong mental fortitude (and also stamina to keep working on other things). I still think that even being physically tired is too much for me to continue working XD

Ah! That makes a lot more sense haha! I think I can create a schedule around those steps too so I'll probably do the same.

Ooh! A 3 month buffer is a longgggg time! But that's honestly a good foresight on your end. I was supposed to work on 5-6 episodes in advance before my release but I ended up procrastinating and I'm still working on my 2nd episode

[Rhonder]

Ah yeah, you'll have a better groundwork than I did then I had a 4 year break between drawing consistently and deciding to start comics while working full time so... getting back into the habit was essential for me haha. In that case I would still recommend giving yourself at least a couple weeks or a month to adjust to your new schedule (maybe not a full out art break, but not working towards any deadlines or anything. Just draw when you feel like it and don't when you don't) before trying to figure out how to work comics in there. Adjusting to a new job is hard in-and-of itself so no need to add extra stuff in from the outset imo!

And yeah! Comments like that can and will exist but... 2 things:

1.) If someone is being an entitled asshole about the frequency at which they receive their free content like... screw them lol.

2.) Thankfully they will always be the vocal minority! 99% of readers are understanding and realize that life happens and also aren't just going to walk away from a story they like because it took a few more days to come out... again, for free xD

The only time it's worth stressing over deadlines for a project that only you are working on is if you're being paid to meet them. If you're not then... meeting them is preferred but missing them sometimes is okay too. You, the artist, and your well being should always come first

[honeyandcreambutter]

My condolences... I'm sorry for your loss

That's good advice! I'm going to need to learn how to quicken my pace without sacrificing the quality :') I worry a lot about complains since I check every single comment and I think about it a lot. I know some readers complain (on other webtoons) when updates are slow. And good idea!

[honeyandcreambutter]

Yea I'm thankful that I started webtoons a while back cause I would probably be incredibly overwhelmed if this was my first one :')

Ah good idea! I'm lucky that my work is only for a month this year (mid-Nov to mid-December) and it's a work from home situation. But that will change next year because I need to be physically present. That'll probably mean that I have to adjust myself twice

True! XD I do feel like that comment was unfair to the author. At least they were still updating! I know plenty of authors who dropped their comics due to being busy with IRL stuff. Imo, I'd rather have a late update than none at all Your happiness and mental health > Obligations to meet someone else's expectations :')

[Linski]

I can't speak with authority on the subject since my comic is still in the conceptual stage, but as a full-time worker, I've had to make peace with the fact that progress in any creative endeavors will be... slow and steady.

All I can say for sure, is allocate your time carefully so there's not too much waste. Once you enter the work force, that free time is precious.

[honeyandcreambutter]

That honestly scares me The longest job I've ever had was 6 months and every day felt like it was passing SO slowly. Entering my first full time job should be an exciting event but instead I'm just a nervous wreck :')

[WolfUnderTheMoon89]

I can't talk about comics, but I can about my novels. I hope that's also okay.
I wrote my novel in 5 months (110k words) with a full time job and having twin toddlers. planning and routine seemed to help me.

what I do know is that a buffer is the best start. A buffer of 2 months is decent imo

[pilot-obvious]

First of all, congratulations on the new job! That's such an exciting feeling and I'm so proud of you!

I have a full time job from 9am - 5pm M-F. Finding a life balance that works for me has been challenging but it's slowly falling into place. My goal as far as webcomics is to do something with it for at least 30 minutes after work. Whether it's sketching, making outlines, writing scripts, or working on marketing it online, I find that 30 minutes leaves me feeling that I achieved something and it keeps me motivated to work on it. That being said, if I really don't feel like working on it, I try not to fault myself because rest is a necessary part of work too!

I try to keep a pretty strict routine with everything else such as cleaning, exercise, side gigs, etc. That allows me a certain slot of time that I can dedicate to working on my webcomic (or a leisurely activity of my choice). Weekends are usually the time I work on my webcomic the most and I try to pump out as much as I can.

As far as scheduling release dates, I'm still working on having a sturdy schedule that's somewhat frequent. I think biweekly updates are okay and that's what I'm trying to work towards! I've actually sacrificed some quality for quantity in order to get more done in a shorter time. I read somewhere that webcomic art is usually 70% of what the artist can actually accomplish and that was a great motivator for me. It made me realize that not every panel has to be perfect as long as it serves its purpose.

As far as other random tips, sometimes I make checklists with every little thing I have to do during the day. I just feel accomplished when I'm able to physically cross something off a list and it encourages me to keep working to see how many other tasks I can accomplish in one day!

(and yes I'm replying to this during my workday...!!!)

[Shanny8]

DEFINITELY figure out a schedule that allows you to get some comic work done. but also allows you to move at a pace that doesn't wreck you.

Unfortunately for me, a schedule doesnt work...sometimes the day job is overwhelming and I cant get it going like I want. Other times the day job workload is light enough that I can get some comic work done...I work 10-7, but there are times when I put in extra work and get out late(the extra money def helps). I mostly get a little done on a couple of weeknights- then put in the rest of the comic creating energy on the weekends.

You definitely have to find a balance.

[honeyandcreambutter]

That's fine! I know how taxing it is to work on writing as well :') It took me 6 hours to write up one chapter before.

Full time job, writing and having twin toddlers? That's definitely difficult I applaud you for being able to juggle all of that

[honeyandcreambutter]

Thank you so much! I'm both nervous and excited about my first ever full time job

That's a great routine! While 30 minutes doesn't seem much, it's still progress and any progress is better than none! I think setting it to 30 minutes instead of an hour also puts less pressure on yourself to fulfil that hour. And agreed! I think it's best not to force yourself into doing work when you don't want to. When i get into those tired moods, I end up working slower and the quality takes a complete nosedive into the ground.

Ah yes! I've seen that comment about the 70% thing! I used to pay attention to every little detail (even the shadows of blurred background characters) and although it's pretty much useless, it honestly makes me happier than I was able to put in 100% of my effort into each panels. But now that I'm going to have a full time job, I probably need to sacrifice my perfectionism instead :') You're completely right about the panel serving its purpose!

Checklist is a great idea! One of the most accomplished feeling ever is to mark things off I'll probably do that when I create my schedule! Thank you for all your wonderful tips!

[honeyandcreambutter]

Hopefully I can find a schedule as soon as possible since I don't want to continue fumbling around for a very long time

Your experience gives me some comfort that sometimes if you don't have the energy then there's really nothing to be done about it It makes me feel less pressured to be like other creators who can juggle their time really well.

[steffiemusings]

I do.

After several tries, I usually try and do extremely rough sketches during the weekend and slowly do some clean up during the following week.

Having a buffer helped a lot.

[WolfUnderTheMoon89]

haha, thank you. ^.^ I wish you good luck too

[mroverlord]

Yep I work at a local grocery store in my area and I do a webcomic here and I've been doing youtube videos, working on a game, making my portfolio for graphic design.

[BrambleberrySquirrel]

I work full time and have a side job in addition to making my comic. Best advice I can give is to take breaks. If you have time build up a buffer so that it will save you when you’re too burned out or too busy to create.

[jgreene2433]

My humble advice, get yourself a Samsung galaxy note phone and become real comfortable with drawing digitally. You can work on your comic anywhere and produce real quality work.

[MzBun]

I have a full time 9-5 job Mondays to Fridays, I only started uploading my comic 2 months ago, but I have a set schedule for myself and what needs to be done every week or every day depending. It's an art related job so it can be pretty draining on the creative side for me, so I have prepared a list of ideas on what I can draw and a backlog of several pages ahead of schedule, so I can properly prepare myself if I need to work overtime.

Remember to schedule in time to take breaks and take exercise for your body, esp your wrists if your work is art as well.
Also, you can try finding a workflow that is most efficient for you, don't worry if you are using assets like 3d that people seem to consider that as cheating. What people see is the result of your work, not the process.

[jcmraz]

I imagine most adults on here do lol Very few people actually end up making a living doing this. I work one full time job with a little OT at 45 hours a week and an hour commute and I have a part time job that I work 5 hours a week at. I also try to kep in shape and squeeze in two work out days a week. Plus I also now have a new baby so it's not easy lol I was doing biweekly but I may need to drop to monthly. We'll see though. I got an ipad pro gen 3 so I could work on sketches while in bed or during slow times at work. So I might be able to find new time in little crevices of the day lol