The End of My Pitches

[drfuzz123]

Another Story

Two samurai friends are cursed into fighting each other forever.
At first one of the samurai decides that the only way to escape their fate is to allow the other to kill them. Upon being impaled by his opponents blade, that samurai realizes they cannot die.
So the only way to seek meaning in their infinite existence in this trap is for one of them to fight until their opponent is sliced into pieces and cannot reanimate. An intense battle ensues.
Their battle is so intense, it rips a hole in space and time, causing everything to chaotically happen at once and the universe destroys itself. The only survivors of the aftermath are the samurai who are still fighting each other in white emptiness. It is revealed to the two samurai are actually characters in someone else's dream. They find out that their "curse" was in fact part of the dream sequence.
Having found out that they are imaginary, the two samurai easily break their curse and become friends again.

[drfuzz123]

Enemy of The Sun
(Scene: store)
Girl (narrated voice over): We have no idea how much emphasis we place on appearance. It can be the ultimate reason why someone does not get a job, or it could be used to justify whether or not someone is trustworthy. It seems that many of us misplace our trust into someone who seems trustworthy, including myself. As a teenager, I was constantly attempting to neglect all the obscurity and confusion in the world. I used to believe there was a fine line between who to trust and who to avoid. Little did I know that my mentality was about to change entirely, whether I liked it or not.
Girl (walks in, looks at items on sale, and gazes out store window)
Boy (stands outside the store and stares at her)
Girl (stares back at the boy, suspicious, but goes back to examining items)
(Scene: the girl’s house, bedroom)
Girl (makes her bed and opens up her blindfolds, peers outside window)
Boy (stands outside house and stares at her window)
Girl (worried look on her face, shuts the blindfolds, goes to her front door and locks it, mutters to herself, “What the-)
Girl (in her thoughts, “He is just crazy, he’ll go away.”)
(Scene: school, kids leave for buses)
Girl (walks away from school building, looks to right)
Boy (appears leaning against a tree)
Girl (nervous look on her face, keeps walking)
(Scene: the sidewalk by the street)
Girl (walking then turns around after thirty seconds)
Boy (seen walking a distance behind her)
Girl: What the-Okay, why the heck are you following me?! What is your problem?!! Who are you?!!
Boy: You already know…who I am
Girl: No I don’t. We’ve never met before. Just freaking leave me alone. (Takes a deep breath) Have a nice day. (Continues walking)
Boy (following her)
Girl (turns around, irritated): Stop. Stalking. Me. You are delusional. I don’t even know you. Either you leave me alone or you’re going to jail you son of a-
Boy: You already know who I am. Anyways, even if you do call the police, then what? The worst they can do to me is give me a restraining order. Other than that I’m not bothering you in any way. I am trying to get you to remember me.
Girl (rolls her eyes): I haven’t the faintest clue who you are. Here is what you need to remember; drugs aren’t you’re friends. Goodbye. (Walks off leaving the boy)
(Scene: Girl’s house, evening)
Girl (in her room, with a nervous, uneasy, worried look on her face)
Girl (paces the room back and forth, sits down on her bed, then chews her nails)
Girl (reaches for a phone near the bed, dials a number, Catherine picks up)
Catherine: Sup
Girl: Hey, Catherine. Do you mind if I stay at your place for a couple of days.
Catherine: Sure. What’s the reason?
Girl: I’ll tell you when I get there
(Girl goes to her front door and checks her digital clock, which reads 12:00)
Girl: Mom I am going over to Catherine’s for a couple of days
Mom (voice): This late?
Girl: We’re..um..watching a movie.
Mom: Kay. Drive safely.
(Dad enters)
Dad: Where is my little girl running off to?
Mom: Don’t worry, James. She’s going to a friend’s house.
Dad: Hmm….Okay, but no drinking alcohol.
(Scene: Catherine’s house, the girl knocks on the door, door opens, and Catherine enters scene)
Catherine: Hey, come in quietly, my folks are sleeping. You can sleep in my room.
Girl (walks in): Let’s talk about this in the morning.
Catherine: Sure
(Scene: Dawn. Catherine’s room; Catherine and the girl are both on the bed)
Catherine (playing with a toy): So he just randomly follows you
Girl: Yeah, pretty much… and claims he knows me
Catherine: Maybe he mistook you for someone else.
Girl: But why would you continuously follow them (looks outside window). That’s not norma-(gasp)
Boy (watches girl from a tree outside of Catherine’s window)
Girl (screams and points to the boy)
Boy (jumps from tree branch)
Catherine (turning to the window): What?
Girl (still looking at the window): That was him. Didn’t you see him?
Catherine: No. Are you sure you did not have a bad dream one night?
Girl: Yes I am legit sure. Why would I be making it up? What do I have to gain?
Catherine: I’m just saying that could be the reason-
Girl (starts walking away): Forget it! Believe what you want. Guess I’m not safe here either.
Catherine: If you want, we could discuss this later at school!
Girl (voice): No!
(Scene: School, lunch)
(Girl talking with a group of friends at a lunch table)
Friend 1: So when should we go to North Bay?
Friend 2: Maybe over the weekend. (To Girl). You wanna come?
Girl: N-no thank you. (Looks away)
(Girl notices another girl at a far off table staring at her)
Girl (infuriated, approaches the other girl, and pushes her down): Listen you, and listen darn well! I don’t know who you are or what you people want from me, but you better stop now! You and your creepy friend have been stalking me for the last three days now and it’s driving me up the wall. Leave me alone! Who are you?!
Other girl: Girl, chill! I don’t know what you are talking about. I just happened to like your hairstyle, that’s why I was staring. What is wrong with you?
Girl (exasperated, slightly shocked look on her face)
(Scene: restaurant, with Girl sitting at a table looking through the menu)
Boy (stares at her from outside the window)
Girl (looks at the window, notices, and is fired up)
Girl (walks out of restaurant and drags boy to a private corner)
Girl (with hand gestures): WHO ARE YOU!!!!
Boy: You already know.
Girl: No I don’t. You keep saying that but I truly don’t. I’m going ask you one last time: why are you following me? What did I do? It is so confusing. Why am I so important to you?
Boy: Look back on the past. Do I look familiar in any way?
Girl (pauses, thinking): No
Boy: Do you think you resemble your parents?
Girl: Why are you asking me that question? That’s none of your business.
Boy: Just answer me.
Girl: No, but that’s only because I was adopted.
Boy: Do we look like each other?
Girl: Uhh. Sorta. Yeah, we kinda do. But what does that have to do with-
Boy: Did you ever ask your parents if you could see the form they signed when they adopted you?
Girl: This doesn’t add up. I still do not get how-
Boy: Everything I am asking you has value! Answer the question!
Girl: Yes, I did ask them if I could see the adoption form, but they said they lost it many years ago.
Boy: …Well, that’s weird. How could a couple lose a form that important? Especially a form that legally allows them to keep you as their child. It doesn’t make sense.
Girl (pause)
Boy: Are you oka-
Girl (sensitively): No, no I’m not okay. You don’t know me, understand?! If this is some kind of sick, cruel joke, it’s not funny! You think you can just barge into my life and tell me that there is something wrong with my own parents? Just leave me alone. I don’t want to think about this anymore. It’s scary, it-it’s disturbing, and it’s hard to believe.
Boy: Sometimes the truth is hard to believe…
Girl (looks away into the distance, has a series of distant flashbacks of a child abduction, then looks back horrified): Yes..I-I remember now. I was kidnapped… as a little girl… by these strangers.
Boy: Yes. Go on.
Girl (shocked): And so my…my adopted parents did not really adopt me. They stole me, and then fed me lies to make me believe that I was their daughter. All this time. All these years.
Boy: Now do you know who I am.
Girl (pauses, realization): Now I know why you look like me. You’re my older brother.
Boy (smiling): I told you you already knew who I was. I’ve been searching for you for a long time, and now I have found you.
Girl: What the-
Boy: Let me explain. There was a jealous couple who desired a child, but could not have one, so they stole one from another couple. You were only five when they took you. We searched everywhere for you. We put up missing fliers, organized search parties, but with no luck. Today almost twelve years later, everybody has given up, except for me. I kept searching for you, traveling the east coast, until I finally got to you.
Girl: But why did you have to stalk me and put me through all of this.
Boy: Look, I am sorry for what I put you through, but I had to do whatever I could to drive your memory back. You might not have believed me if I simply told you directly. What matters now is that we’re together. (Smiles)
(Girl and Boy hug)

[Ambat]

Dude I'm sorry to be blunt with you but I don't know what you were expecting? Being an artist for a comic is an extremely time draining task, especially if the artist is solely responsible for the layout, lines, color, lettering, etc. I don't know what made you think that anyone would be willing to do that for free--it seems like you've realized that based on what you're saying in your post now, but the part where you're saying you "condemn people who were apathetic"--come on dude.

There are at least 5 topics in this forum a week of people looking for an artist to draw their stories for free--people are apathetic because it happens so often and it's honestly so disrespectful to an artists' time to suggest that they should do YOUR work for free. You and nobody else are entitled for people to come flocking to your idea BEGGING to draw your stories, especially when you consider the grand majority of artists on this forum already have stories they're working on and drawing on their own.

You have no right to be contemptuous towards anyone. You say you're giving up on your dream because nobody else is going to draw it for you--put on your big boy pants dude. I've put 10+ years into learning how to draw and I'm still an amateur but I'm doing my best to grow and write my comic and tell my story the best I can. If your dream is to make a comic, either be willing to pay someone who HAS put in the effort of learning to draw, or learn to draw yourself. It's that simple.

Also I want to knock down this "befriend the artist to get free art" shit I'm seeing in this thread right now--if you do this, if you "befriend" artists only because you're trying to get free work, you are despicable. That is so manipulative and trashy I can't even believe it's being offered as a legitimate suggestion in this thread.

If you want advice on how to pursue telling your story in other methods, such as visual novel or novel format, or you want advice on how to begin learning to draw, I and the rest of the Tapastic community would be MORE THAN HAPPY to help you in that regard. But I have no idea what makes you think you can come here and "condemn" the members of this community for being "apathetic" to your request for free labor.

Bye. Take your horrible attitude with you.

[drfuzz123]

"Being an artist for a comic is an extremely time draining task, especially if the artist is solely responsible for the layout, lines, color, lettering, etc"
First off, I did not specifically ask for the artist to be responsible for all of those deeds.
I tried to meet them halfway for the payment problem. I tried offering my own services in return, but they still declined. No disrespect, but did you at all pay attention to this key phrase?: "To some Tapastic users that I encountered." I am specifically condemning those who shunned me when I approached them.
Thank you for undermining the "befriend the artist to get free art" shit. I was against that notion in the first place. The rest of your points were pretty solid and I cannot refute them. Thanks for the kind words.
Have a nice day.

[Ambat]

"Shunned" you!? You aren't entitled to anyone's time! It doesn't matter if you're talking about 1 person or the entire forum! You're being extremely passive aggressive and entitled. Nobody feels bad for you. You are not entitled to a response to your request, you are not entitled to a polite response to your request especially considering YOU YOURSELF have already admitted that it was inappropriate. You "offered your writing services"--again sorry to be blunt, but unless you have something already published that means jack squat considering again literally every artist making a comic on this forum has their own "writing service"--THEMSELF. I really, really encourage you to take a look at your own attitude before you continue forward trying to work with people because you are coming off as extremely egocentric.

[kambreapratt]

I have to agree with this. There is a reason a professional writer can do several books a month and an artist can barely finish one. The division of labor is ridiculous. Now if someone wants to work with you that's cool, but to condemn people as being "apathetic" and putting the responsibility of your quitting on people who turned you down, is not cool.

If you can't draw there are other methods. I am going to tell you straight up it is much easier to publish a prose book than it is to get a deal for a comic. There are tons of prose publishers but only a handful of comic ones, and of those they might each only take a few books a year. Prose is easier.

I get why you feel dejected, I do, but I know how much time goes into doing the art for a comic (I luckily married my artist) and people will want to either be paid for their time or have a personal interest in the project.

[Mocha]

After reading some of your replies to other users I hope you're not an adult....

[GoldenPlume]

As a publisher we would recommend that you start off writing an entire first draft. No prose publisher picks up fiction off only a proposal. They want to see the entire thing from start to finish. In the business a lot of new writers flake out and never finish, so publishers are highly suspect of new talent. If you can't commit to writing an entire 50,000 word light novel or a 80,000 word novel then you may want to reconsider if you are truly committed to doing this. Most authors spend years improving their craft and endure 10s to 100s of rejections before they finally get their first publishing deal.

Illustrations are not necessary. If your story really matters to you then all that should matter is the prose. We would recommend focusing on only the prose first until you are completely satisfied with it. If getting feedback on your story is very important to you then we recommend you go to Wattpad.com and post there. This is an illustration based platform. Wattpad is a prose based platform.

If your stories become very popular then the likelihood of your getting them illustrated goes up dramatically. Again, use Wattpad to build your readership and that may very well lead in the direction that you are wanting to go. Some writers on Wattpad have received publishing contracts to have their books in print. Like James Patterson, once your books are in print you could get them turned into graphic novels.

We strongly urge against seeking out free artists because they will grossly under perform. Even if they are your friends they will end up disappointing you. A single graphic novel page is 10+ hours of time for an artist. If they are working for free, odds are they are going to quickly lose interest and quit. No one is ever going to be committed to your project as much as you are. Even paid artists often miss deadlines and need to be encouraged to press on because doing a comic is A LOT of work.

For our projects we have gone through over 150 artist applications and interviews before deciding on our team. A lot of artists didn't have the right personality, even when offering them fair market rates for their services. The reality is you are going to go through a lot of artists, regardless of how much or how little you pay them.

Lastly, no author or artist is guaranteed anything. Success is a privilege that is hard wrought. Just because you write does not mean anyone has to read your prose or draw for you. Nor does it mean any publisher has to print your work. You should consider changing your attitude that you are owed something because no one really is owed anything.

To recap, our recommendation for you is to completely finish your first draft. Then find some beta readers on Wattpad and improve on it. In the meanwhile spend 100s of hours reading up on how the publishing and comics industry works. Also, take the time to improve your art so you can do your own illustrations or consider finding a way to earn money and save up to hire some extremely talented artists . Consider turning your novel into a light novel (some have as few as 6 illustrations) first. Then move onto the graphic novel once all the previous have happened.

[kristintipping7]

publishing is a long and arduous process, arguably even more so than webcomics.

Not relay. Not if you're self publishing, anyway. I've self published a couple comics through CreateSpace, and it was a pretty easy process. From what I understand publishing a text only book would be even easier. They have it set up so you can literally just upload a word document if you want. I'd recommend giving it a try, if you really want to get your stories out into the world.

[Monomania]

This whole thread is absurd.
Beautiful.

[Mocha]

You summed it up so beautifully it brought tears to eyes.

[Random]

here is a reason a professional writer can do several books a month and an artist can barely finish one.

Erm..I hate to go off topic, but most novelists write several books a YEAR as opposed to a month. And this varies a lot from author to author.

Brandon Sanderson, who is known as a prolific fantasy/sci-fi author, released four novels and two novellas last year.

Patrick Rothfuss, a critically acclaimed fantasy author, has written two books in ten years.

I do agree with you that the division of labor is harsher for the artists, at least when it comes to comics. (From what I've seen through my own limited experiences, anyways.)

Kind of brings new meaning to the phrase, "a picture's worth a thousand words."

[kambreapratt]

I'm talking like comic floppies not full books. Clearly an artist can't draw one book a month, unless it's the floppy. I should have clarified that better.

[Random]

Oh, okay. That makes more sense, lol.

[KoreanTacos]

Oh neat thank you, I'll have to check this out.

[Michelle]

Is this the same guy who harassed artists by flooding them with emails asking for free work, then freaked out on them when they didn't respond right away? Kind of sounds like it...

I don't even know how to begin deconstructing everything wrong with "I don't want to do the work to achieve my dreams and that's not my problem".

[SpavVy]

@Michelle I think I was the only one who got the nasty part of the email.

[AffectedMind]

"I don't want to do the work to achieve my dreams and that's not my problem".

This is pure gold, I love this.

[AffectedMind]

@drfuzz123 Sir or Ma'am, you literally flooded my wall with your script and then posted a message "I just sent you a script for a comic I never completed because I just could not afford the artists for draw it. If only you could draw it... " No Hi, no Fuck you, completely nothing. Did you really expect people to work with you with such an attitude? You didn't even ask if I'm interested in colaboration before posting your script, it was like "here's the script would be cool if you devoted your time to draw it for free" Absolutely no information if it's a short project, if it will drag for years, nothing. I'm really curious if my respond "Sorry but I don't have time to draw another project. I'm pretty busy with the one I have. Wish you luck in finding an artist though." was a complete lack of apathy and being rude to you.

People throw suggestions here and there to help you out, but perfect solution for you would be if someone would volunteer to become your artist. If you gonna debunk every suggestion people have for you, why did you make this topic in the first place?

You can't blame people being not interested in your work. Saying that you can't draw it yourself is pure bullshit too. There's plenty of free software you can use and don't even tell me you can't afford a simple pencil and a fineliner once a month.

Making this particular topic you just made sure no one on this website will want to work with you.

[Ambat]

LOL!!! Holy moly I didn't know this is what he meant by "approaching" artists--thanks for sharing your experience on it, further goes to show the infantile absurdity of all this.

I think this entire thread is a lesson in respect and entitlement, which seems to be a recurring problem in these forums/the online art community in general. If you want to make comics, pay an artist or become one yourself. That simple.