Should I start a easier comic?

[JoFro]

Hello everyone!

I have been working on a comic for a few months, and I have only made a few pages so far. I am proud of what I have accomplished so far, but I am afraid that it will never be finished because it is taking to long. I have another comic that would he simpler to create (because it doesn't require coloring), and it is sorta like the Scott Pilgrim style of art (bold line art with simple shading). However, I am afraid that if I start a new project then I will never finish the original. I have a bad habit of not finishing projects and I really want to see this to completion. But I think that starting a comic with simple shading and nothing else would be a easier first comic project. Should I try to finish my original, or start a simpler comic? Please leave your thoughts and comments below. I really appreciate it!

[joannekwan]

Do you have a clear cut idea of where your original comic is going and what its ending is? I think that's the biggest hurdle for a lot of creators who have long stories, they write by the seat of their pants and don't know where to take the story.
If you do have a solid plan, just take it week by week and work on it piecemeal.

[punkarsenic]

I have a bad habit of not finishing projects and I really want to see this to completion.

this is like, the bad habit of 99% of new writers. its my bad habit too :u

its also the priority to fix, and fixing it means making something that has a forseeable and nearby finish.

what makes you think your original idea will take too long? is it a long story, or simply a long process? you can change the style slightly to simplify the process if you need to, lots of comics reserve their very fancily coloured pages for special occasions like openings and finales.

if its a long story... id suggest considering putting it on hold to do a shorter story. significantly shorter. like 30 pages and yer done. short stories are way easier to plan bc the end is in sight - often, esp when starting out, long stories can feel like youre drowning in them. theyre so big. a short story is something you can get done, and then have the entire writing process under your belt to evaluate and improve upon on your next project. starting short means youre more likely to finish it, and finishing is the first hurdle - from there you can ease your way up to your epic.

it could be that in that time you grow out of the long story you want to do right now - but thats not a bad thing. ppl age out of their ideas, and find ones better suited to who they are at the moment. since youve started a few pages of this thing though, you could always wrap it up into a pilot - satisfying on its own, open to extension when youre ready. that could even be your short story practice lol.

[Fierce_Chai]

I think its better to finish one thing and then start the next one! If the original is fullfilling and fun for you to work on, you can definately continue it. But if you feel drained and uninspired by it, you can switch to the simpler comic.

What you can do is trying to find ways to minimize the effort on the original one (for example recycling backgrounds, find easier strategies for coloring and shading etc) There is a great youtube video which explains this process very well https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BzCDVR-tr8

[JoFro]

Thanks for responding! I do have the story already written down, it's just taking me a long time to actually draw it. My thought is to write a different story and construct a simpler art style so that I can actually finish it.

[JoFro]

The story does lean on the longer side (it's around 250 pages), I am just having trouble drawing the pages because of the time I spend inking, coloring, shading, etc. Do you think that this would be a easier first comic to make if I just "trimmed the fat" and didn't color or other time consuming things? Or should I stick with the original (which includes inking, coloring, shading, etc.)?

[joannekwan]

Oh! 250 pages is very doable! I'm currently at 359 pages with my first real webcomic.
So long as you're passionate about your comic, I think you can complete it! It might take 3 or so years (depending on your work pacing), but over time you'll find yourself getting faster at drawing/coloring etc, and you may naturally develop shortcuts when producing pages.

[punkarsenic]

oh ok, if youve got a definite page budget like that id say go for this project!

re: production time, there are lots of shortcuts you can implement, and youll get faster naturally over time. colour is a really nice thing to have, so before you cut that (a viable time saving option) here are some other suggestions:

• firstly, you can always simplify the colouring method. i like working in 1-3 colour palettes when i wanna be fast, with a simple overlay layer over the top for a little depth and glowiness when needed. then you can break out your super special colouring for the super special panels to make them really pop
• generally, consider shortcutting on the less important panels of a page - not every panel needs to be the height of your artistic skill, having simpler and then more stunning panels can be a good tool for creating emphasis and controlling tone
• do you work in batches at all? you may find that its faster to draw 5 pages, then ink all five, then colour all five, than it is making one in its entirety and then moving on to the next. can also lead to more consistent pages, bc youre making them all at once.

id say experiment with all sorts of methods of 'trimming the fat' to see whats most important to you, and what you can do without when you need to. good luck man, i have all faith youre gonna finish this project and that its gonna be awesome

[Wumbl]

250 pages is a fine length for your comic and it shouldn't take too long if you work on it consistently! I managed to complete 120 pages in 1.5 years, and that's with frequent hiatuses and setbacks. (as the past year has been hectic for me)
I say go for it.