Bootlegs Part 7
For me, the urge to write and draw is such a strong force that I become extremely unhappy when I go too long without doing those things. Sometimes I wish I could be happy just getting home from work and relaxing. I of course do plenty of that (especially once the TV is on), but there’s always the inescapable feeling that I need to be doing something creative. The problem is that I’ve always lacked enough discipline to commit to writing a novel for anything more than patches of time, since that’s like, you know, real work. This comic serves as a satisfying if imperfect fix. It allows me to tell stories both visually and through writing, and in a reasonable amount of time. The down side is that it takes up enough hours to prevent me from spending too much time on any other projects (even when I’m feeling more disciplined and determined to work on prose), and it has its limits in terms of how far it can go. I don’t completely own it.
Getting back to my first point, I feel like my innate urge to create is similar to Valkyrie’s destructive urge to steal and otherwise cause chaos. She doesn’t do it because she needs the money or because she’s expected to act that way in her career as a member of organized crime. She does it because she loves it, because it’s thrilling and core to her being. When it’s taken away – such as her self-preservation-dictated hiatus from her usual brazen antics after they pissed off the wrong people – she goes stir-crazy and listless. The result is her committing somewhat minor acts of crime such as stealing restaurant silverware and shoplifting to get that fix. It’s small-time enough that her crime lord superior won’t notice, especially since she’s out of uniform (another reckless thrill in itself). It may not be the current career path of her dreams, but it’s satisfying in its own ways.
– This is not an official LEGO comic. This is a tribute.
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Hilarious comic. Deep and moving commentary, and one that I absolutely relate to. David Gerrold (the Hugo award-winning writer of “The Trouble with Tribbles” episode of Star Trek and numerous science fiction novels) once wrote that the reason we write “is because the only other option is not to write, and that is unacceptable.” Only someone who is passionate about writing fully understands that statement and feels its full impact. It doesn’t take me very long without my creative outlets (whether its due to real life encroaching, illness, or writer’s block) to not only become very unhappy, but start making everyone around me very unhappy too. When you have the urge and the inspiration to create, there can be entire worlds locked in your mind whose only chance to exist is through you. Characters who are as lifelike and real as childhood friends or co-workers (probably more lifelike than most of my co-workers) have their only opportunity to ever live in the tales you set down on paper (or website as the case may be). When I fall behind, get stuck, or lose my steam I feel like I’m not just failing myself, I’m failing them. Writing is my biggest passion (even more so than drawing, and if I knew someone who could draw even 75% as well as me and had the time, I would let them draw “The Radicals” so I could spend more time writing).
I have to wonder if the difficulty you perceive as lack of discipline isn’t at least partially trouble organizing your thoughts on paper. If you’ve never read it, I would highly recommend you read Worlds of Wonder: How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy by David Gerrold. I picked up a used copy for the best $6 I ever spent. Most of the advice in the book applies to all writing not just science fiction and fantasy. Not only did it give me the inspiration to break out of a nearly 4-year uncreative funk, it gave me a lot of tips on the actual writing process, organizing my thoughts, and being as productive as possible with what time I do have to write. When my friend Ian recommended it to me, I was in the longest and worst depression of my life and I’m not entirely unsure reading it didn’t save my life. Hyperbole? Perhaps, but it definitely helped me to find a purpose beyond stocking shelves at a local (unnamed box retail store) after the industry my degree is in pretty much collapsed.
I thank you for both the comic and the commentary. It’s nice to know someone else who’s passionate about the craft and is feeling equally frustrated by “real life”. I hope when you do become a big-shot novelist guy, that won’t be the end of Space: the Comic, though.
Jason, you speak my language, man. lol Our fictional worlds truly can seem as real to us as reality. And if we don’t do them justice to the best of our abilities, no one else will. Maybe that responsibility is part of the restlessness we feel when not writing.
I might take your advice on getting a copy of Gerrold’s book. I certainly know his name from Star Trek, but that book sounds very useful, especially if it helped you so much. I know what you mean about writing lifting you out of a funk. Coincidentally, the “Last Face You See” comic you also commented on recently did the same thing for me. It’s cathartic.
Also, I didn’t mean to suggest SPACE: The Comic was just a way to pass the time until I can ever get a book together. It’s a passion of its own. I greatly enjoy making it and want to finish its story (which will take awhile).
Thanks again for your comments. It does help to hear from someone else coming from the same place.
“I’m gonna hit some balls with this.” INSTANT CLASSIC!
Great comic! And I found that speech there very inspiring- so much so that I’ve shown it to an artist friend of mine suffering from a similar problem. It’s things like this that remind me of why I’m such a fan of your work- you’re great at humor, but behind the writing and the art is genuine sentiment that’s a reflection of the author behind it, one that gives what you write this true-to-life quality. You get some serious respect from me, dude. : D
I’m honored you felt it struck a chord that your friend would appreciate. Thanks, man! I purposely try to write this as a real story, not just a funny comic made with toys. 🙂
This might sound harsh (though it is in no way meant to be) but I am glad you have the drive to do this strip more than ignoring it and slaving away at a novel. While this might not be in a bookstore or just the printed word it has a quality that can transcend anything a novel could do. The webcomic, especially if it suddenly catches on in this modern interwebs age, can be more wildly shared and enjoyed more so than any written word. Space allows you a certain luxury though, you get to “write” this all encompassing story that you have always wanted to tell in some way, you get to buy and build a crap load of toys, and you get to make people laugh at least once a week. The last part seems to be the most important; while people can read novels over and over it is what it is, but this webcomic is an evolving thing, it is always new and fresh with each new strip. It doesn’t “end” after a marathon of a one nights read, but if it does the next week it is continued. In its essence it might even be greater than the greatest novel you could ever hope to write simply because it is slightly a living thing. Your webcomic is still goning to fail though 😉