Okay, so here’s what I seem to be doing: I am no longer trying to get the graphic novel completed before the end of April. I started working on my ‘sin eater’ novel again the other night, though, and am makng progress. I got to the end of the first two scenes last night (I’ll probably put one of them online later), and with perseverence I should be able to finish this novel by the end of the month. And the diet book.
I still fully intend to complete it in at least one format, at the very least number of drawings, a novel with a dozen or so full-page illustrations, and possibly a graphic novel comprised of around 14 comic-book-length chapter, and maybe also a mini-comic featuring stick figures, depending on how satisfied I am with whatever the main portion of it works out to be. I’ve been having trouble nailing it down; I have the basic story in mind, the characters and dramatic structure and all that, but I haven’t worked out the format that best suits it. I’ve got it started in at least four different major styles so far, one in poetry with no illustrations yet, one in third person omniscient with reasonable quality illustrations, one in first person with stick figures, and some notes on how to do it as a novel with illustration. Maybe I’ll tell this story four or five ways. Two of the styles listed require me to tell the story twice each.
Anyway, what I was wondering is what you’d call this sort of thing. Is it just re-scheduling? That’s what it feels like; I wasn’t able to wrap my head fully around the drawn comic in the first half of the month, so I’ve pushed it back and moved up some projects I can get work done on immediately. Or does it look like I’m covering up over-reaching? I mean, in some respects it could be seen that way; I said I’d do more than I’m going to be able to do in the time period I specified, and I’ve taken a major project off the list of projects with ‘deadlines’ altogether. Though I am thinking of trying to do a 48hr comic on the weekend of 24hr comic day (next weekend), which, at my 4hr comic rates could be graphic-novel-length, to make up the difference. Or does this all look like something else I’m not seeing?
Maybe it just looks like me. I have big deams, ideals, and goals. I intend to do a lot, and I announce it. Some of it I get done the way I said I would, some of it I get done a little slower than I expected, and some of it ends up on the endless “to do later” list, and more stuff gets added to the top of the queue all the time so I never run out of big projects. Heck, after I came home from writing last night I started painting with gouache on illustration board in my old geometric style. Who knows what I’ll be working on a month from now?