Do you ever lose the will to draw your comic?

[FlutterbyBubbles]

I have a comic- The Magic of Doodles (shameless advertising ) and I like to draw episodes in advance, just to have on the backlog, and a for the past few days I have been forcing myself to draw them. It's not that I don't want to draw, it's just I'd open up the comic file, and want to draw anything but this comic. I was wondering if anyone else has this problem, and if so, how do you combat it?

[joannekwan]

Oh for sure! Sometimes I really don't want to work on one of my comics or the other, but then I think of the people I'd be letting down if the update isn't on time. I also think about my end goals with the comic(s) and if I don't work on it, I'm just delaying what I think is a great finale.

[Vanesalisa]

there are times I have that but I always think drawing helps me think in life

[Nika]

I'm actually stalling the process of creating next update right now, so I understand you completely. I am about to draw some expositional environment panel and I suck so much on drawing environment...
What I propose to solve your problem is:

• Get hyped

Nothing helps to create another page like getting hyped for your story development. Think about some awesome situations that you have planned. You probably would love the world to see them, wouldn't you?

• Draw something for yourself

Sometimes it just gets boring to draw for one project all the time. So it is a perfect time to make some personal work.

• Draw your characters

It will help you to develop your characters further and hopefully make you more excited to push the story forward.

• A page from the future

Remember those awesome moments planned for future updates? Try to draw some, some quick sketches, something to make you happy that you can finally draw those moments.

[rmdooley]

There are certainly times working on the comic appears as more chore than choice.
Finding good creative input when that occurs helps stoke the fires for creative output.

Reading an inspiring book, watching a movie, or even just finding a song that can be put on repeat aids in whipping any slacking Muses back into shape

[Chopythes]

Oh gosh yes, I feel like that all the time!

But as others have already stated, AND giving some great tips that I myself use; drawing for myself has been the key for continuing working on my comic.
I always go like: Ok, if I finish THIS page, then I can work on that thing instead.

Ofc, it doesn't always help, sometimes you just gotta give yourself some rest from the comic, take a day off and watch a movie, do anything else than drawing.

[MaggieW]

I completely agree with that list it's what I do as well.
I usually get really demotivated to draw when I have to draw something I find difficult, or challenging to get right. That's the reason I never draw my pages in order xD I start on the panels I enjoy drawing most and that helps to motivate myself as well when I get to the panels that I don't enjoy as much.

Sometimes I even get sick of drawing my comic altogether, so I'd just go out for a walk, watch a movie or play a game

[FlutterbyBubbles]

Yeah, I don't really find it difficult to draw the comic, it's just I'll draw the frames then die a little inside, but thanks for the advice!

[insomniascrawl]

Yes, that's pretty common, I think sometimes doing a comic and sharing it takes doing something you love and turns it into what feels like a chore sometimes, it makes it feel like work and less fun. For me, I just tough it out because the satisfaction I feel looking back is waaay bigger than the stress of getting a page done.

[Ironscarf]

You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn't feel like that at some point on every single page. How good people are at sidestepping those feelings is the only real difference. For me, just forcing myself to sit down and do it is the hardest part when I'm in that frame of mind. Once the pen is in my hand that's most of the battle and I can get back into the flow again.

[cleo_san]

These are the most purrfect tips and tricks I've ever read! =) Plus they absolutely work, I try them every time I get in a pickle! °_°

What helps me, too, is: Having two projects. So I can switch if I have an absolute blackout for one story For eyample: I've drawn myself a buffer for my manga Remember.

Remember | Tapas

And a few weeks ago I had an idea how to pimp a very old story of mine and now I'm in a writing/plotting and drawing fever for the new one =)

I know this fever will cool down after a while and in my experience this is the time when I can focus on Remember again

[FlutterbyBubbles]

Thanks to everyone telling me that everyone has these problems, and it's not just me! I really appreciate it!

Also I must be the only person who never plans anything for a story, I just wing it!

[YangKoete]

It's too hard with the summer fatigue. It's rough this year for me x3x

[spadesart]

yeah during the huntec scene in mine my art quality took a dive because i was in a heavy art depression, it usually happens to me when scenes run longer than expected.

Also I must be the only person who never plans anything for a story, I just wing it!

from someone who did this for multiple stories and failed every time: DONT DO THIS IF YOUR COMIC IS STORY RELIANT. every comic that i've 'winged it' with was dropped after 15 or so pages. you need to at least keep a bullet list outline of the important story events so you dont write yourself into a corner. i finally decided to use a script and outline for my comic and made it to 126 pages and counting. you also dont have to worry about being stuck or not being allowed to improvise because i constantly edited my script as i drew the chapters. it might also be part of the lack of motivation problem.

[Migue]

I just wing it and my comic is story reliant and has being going strong for more than ninty pages

I know where I'm going and I know what is going to happen but I kind of improvise between all of that. When I start a chapter I decide were I want my characters to be at the end of it, but I wiggle a little and make last minute changes if it occurs to me something cooler or fun.

But I think you are right to not suggest this as an optimal work method, it can lead you to some weird places, mostly I have found that I have to leave characters behind and not being able to reintroduce them in a natural way as the story moves forward.

[Kura]

Most of the times I lose the will to work on a comic, it's because of the fans responding to the story/message I'm sending in the completely opposite way.

Examples.

Me: I'm going to write a story about races of anthro animals at war, about how stupid and mindless it is to fight one another based on looks, how instead of a side being inherently evil, there's good and bad people on both sides, and you can't let the bad people represent a whole group of people.

Fans: "YES I CAN'T WAIT FOR THEM TO KILL EACH OTHER!!"
"WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON????"
"OMFG EVERYONE ON ____ IS EVIL THEY DESERVE TO FUCKING DIE! I CAN'T WAIT FOR THEM TO DIE"
"I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL THEY KILL OFF THOSE FKING HORRIBLE ___"
"I"M SO HYPE FOR THE INEVITABLE WAR AND VICTORY OF _____"

Me: Ok... I'm going to work on another story, it'll be about two guys that recently got married and are raising their kids (from one of their first marriages) It'll have all the struggles a family goes through of just growing up together, and kids learning to get used to a new parent. I want it to show how normal same sex marriages are instead of the perception people get that they are all about sex or highly sexual.

Fans: "WHEN ARE THEY GOING TO BANG????"
"URRRGGG SO HOT!!"
"I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE SEX!!!"
"OMG HE'S JAPANESE SO KAWAIIIIIIIIII!!!"
"AHDALJDLSAJDAJDLKSAJDLKASJD GAY BOIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"THIS IS HOT I CAN'T WAIT FOR THEM TO FUCK!"

[Rhombik]

I don't lose the will but I certainly get distracted.

And this will be the death of me, I'm sure.

[KoreanTacos]

It only happens when I compare my work to someone else's. I'm not perfect so it's going to happen from time to time.

[Shanny8]

Yup- as a matter of fact, I'm dealing with that now. I've been pacing myself so that this wont transform into burn out. My whole thing is that I realized I gravitate more towards the action scenes than the quiet storytelling scenes, so being that the majority of this chapter is quiet storytelling is killing me- but I have to push myself to get it done, to tell the whole story the way it needs to be.

[Sieza]

I'm going through that now actually. I haven't been on good terms with some people I know for quite some time. In order to get back at me, they take aim at my comic and do their best to make me lose the inspiration to keep working on it. On top of that I'm taking 5 classes and about to start working 2 jobs. It's so hard to find the motivation to work when your bed keeps calling your name or you want to just chill and enjoy things other than drawing. But, it's seeing the love for my comic by others and even myself that keeps me going. I know deep down the only one that can keep telling my story...is me.