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Friday, September 3, 2010
THE TWELFTH AND FINAL STEP
Say it ain't so, Dan.
This month's topic is time, or more specifically time management. For some reason making deadlines and having time to do things seems to be the biggest problem for creators. There are two basic scenarios that I hear about all the time. The first has to do with the "up-and-coming" creator; the guy who is working his ass off after his "day" job to get his comics done. The common complaint is that between work, family and other commitments they just don't have enough time to get their writing/art done. They know if they could get a good paying comic job then they'd have no problem making their deadlines. The second are the pros who do the job full-time, but just can't seem to find enough time to get everything done. The truth is, both of these scenarios actually stem from the exact same problem: time management. What people seem to forget is that the comic industry is a business first and foremost; which means being a comic creator is a job. Even if you are a full-time bank employee, if you create comics in your off hours, it's your part-time/moonlighting job. So the trick to managing your time wisely is to treat it like a job. If comics are your full-time gig, then take 8 of your most productive hours of the day and set them aside for working. If you work better at night, then set if from 5 pm till 1 am. Split it if you have to, but treat those hours as sacrosanct; you can go to the gym, grocery store or pick up the newest DVD at other times. If you are a part-time creator having to deal with many distractions, then you have to do almost the same thing and you have to make it a hard and fast rule. Tell your significant other that Sunday morning, Tuesday and Thursday nights are your comic time and stick to it. Now this doesn't need to be a religious fervor, just a dedication that you don't let something like watching Sponge Bob become more important. You have to have discipline in your life if you're going to make it in the industry. Having the talent is only part of it; being in the right place to get an opportunity and then being able to come through when you get that opportunity are just as important. I got one of my first writing gigs because I knew the editor from way back, but that only gave me the opportunity, I still had to make good on it. If you can't pull it together enough to work on a book at night and weekends, don't fool yourself into believing it will be different when you get a full-time gig. Working without a boss looking over your shoulder is more difficult than you would think. The best approach is to set yourself small, achievable goals and do everything you can to reach them. When I sit down to write and I know I only have 2 hours until I need to do something else, then I will focus on a specific scene or scenes that will take up 5 to 10 pages because I know I can do that many pages in 2 hours. If it's heavy dialogue pages then I'll shoot for a few less; where action, suspense or the occasional sex scene moves quicker and I can get more done. Artists should do the same thing; schedule your time and set a goal for that time. If you finish early, great, go find porn on the web. If you are running late, then you might miss the previews before the movie but you get it done. You need to carry that out to cover the whole project as well. If it takes you 8 hours to draw a page and you have a month to do 10 pages, then you need to block off 80 hours of time and not cut into it for anything short of an emergency. The bottom line is, the only way to succeed in this industry is dedication, discipline and hard work. Creating comics is fun but doing it for a living is a job and must be approached that way. It all starts the first time you seriously decide you want to be a creator. This column has always been about showing the reality of being a creator; the sacrifices you have to make to get anywhere in the industry and the almost zealot-like determination needed. My hope was that the people who had what it took were better prepared for the industry and those who didn't would realize it and better utilize their energies elsewhere. I really enjoy writing this column and love the feedback I've gotten over the last three years... but with that said, I must also tell you that this will be the last one. Doors are opening for me that require far more time than before, and I have also embarked on the great dream of writing a novel; but all of that has made me cut a few things back and this column had to go. This is also my last connection to Comic World News, a site I created 3-years ago but that has grown well past my involvement. I want to thank all the creators I got to interview in that time, a couple that really meant a lot to me were Steve Niles, Kieron Dwyer, Tone Rodriguez and Scott Allie. Kieron was my first interview ever as well as having been a friend prior to the site. Steve I met through the interview, my first phone interview, and not only have we become friends but he's helped open a lot of doors for me. Tone was a friend already, but the three hours of sitting together and joking on a tape recorder was a blast... almost as much fun as driving to Dallas with him. And Scott, for one of the busiest editor's in the industry, has always made time for any of my inane questions and really is just a really great guy. I hope someone out there was helped in some way by my monthly ramblings. I have my own website over at DanWickline.com, clever name eh? Please come by, check out the site and say "Hi" on the message board. Also, my first work with IDW Publishing and Ben Templesmith will be coming out next month, BLOOD-STAINED SWORD, watch for it. Best wish to all... I know return you to your lives already in progress.
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April 22, 2008:
February 4, 2008:
November 20, 2006:
A Comic-Con without the Captain
