good news and not so good news ~

[lookingland]

yippee!

another fab review for Eleison at Silver Bullet Comics ~ yay!

In a Word: Boundary-breaking.

: D

that said, this post by seraphimsigrist has had my brain turning all morning.

i agree: lot of graphic novel work is pretentious and insipid.

part of me says: let's improve the medium!

part of me says: yeah, it's a waste of time.

i think most of what i work on is toad-bloated, pretentious and insipid. i'm not refering to Eleison because, strictly speaking, Eleison is an intentionally "commercial" venture. i write it for fun and don't take it too seriously.

and maybe that's what's wrong with everything i do. maybe i challenge myself too much to do something "different". maybe i'm not writing for fun, but to try to make a mark. maybe i'm trying too hard to break boundaries.

if there's any truth to the opinion that Eleison is "boundary-breaking", then it happened in spite of an earnest attempt to just do what everyone else is doing. that says a lot, don't it?

maybe i gotta learn to start trusting my instincts again.

: o p

Comments

[ladyazure.livejournal.com]

I think, sometimes, it is too easy to get caught up in the "what is expected" and not see the part that is supposed to be self-expression and joyful.

I know in writing, I often find myself catering to the potential audience, and not so much on what I want to write. I enjoy what I write, but I find it lacks alot of the "I can't believe I wrote that!" feel to it, making me bored with it immediately after it leaves the brain.

I think a lot of talented people could do with trusting their instincts again...

[lookingland.livejournal.com]

i wonder what's more intrusive though: trying to write directly for market or defying market at every turn.

surely there's a happy medium in there somewhere.

i know what you mean about experiencing the boredoms when revisiting your own work. definitely a sign that something isn't working.

[lastremnant.livejournal.com]

I dont think there is anything wrong with challenging yourself. But I also think you should have fun with everything you write. You know one of the prime rules of good writing is that if you don't like it, your audience likely won't like it either. If you feel disinterested and aren't having fun with a work it will definitely show in the finished product. I wouldn't get wrapped up in all the terms like "boundary-breaking" when you continue to write in the future...just write for you. Consider your audience perhaps, but remember that you have the front row box seat in your audience. :)

[lookingland.livejournal.com]

thanks ~ !

reading everyone's comments here, i'm convinced i've failed to articulate what i actually intended, but encouragement, like prayer, is never wasted.

: D

[sparowe]

Challenging yourself is good, but sometimes it becomes too easy to become driven by the perceived audience and/or market. When I catch myself wondering what X or Y would think, it's time to put on the breaks a minute and go back to the feeling. Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with your instincts. Do what you do best, love it, and chances are good that someone out there is going to love it too.

[lookingland.livejournal.com]

patently good advice ~ !

Do what you do best

ay, there's the rub.

; )

[geckobird.livejournal.com]

Challenge is always good. Hey, as long as you enjoy writing, then that's the important part, right? Seems to me that your unique style pervades all your work - so how could Eleison not be boundary-breaking even if all you're doing is writing it for fun and not taking it seriously? You're an awesome writer. ^_^ I know you are, since I've read some of your works (especially the ones you posted on Lookingland). Keep doing what you do best - how could you go wrong?

You know, something Mom and Dad always told me reminds me of this - there is a bunch of stories out there that only I can write. No one else can. Only I can breathe life into these particular characters and let their story be known to the world. Thus, there's stories only you can write... Morse wouldn't be Morse if someone else tried to write him. Only you can breathe life into him and Lewis and all your other characters and only you can unleash their stories into this world.

^_^ maybe you already know that. Maybe not. Either way, take care!

[lookingland.livejournal.com]

it's very true and isn't it odd to sort of feel an obligation to them somehow? they're not real people, but somehow i feel like i owe them a book, like they will haunt me forever if i don't write them down.

that's prolly dipsticky, but i can't help feeling like God puts character in your head to tell you things that are important and it's your job to share those things with others.

: o p

[geckobird.livejournal.com]

like they will haunt me forever if i don't write them down.

Yes! I feel that way a lot. And sometimes I think they do haunt you practically every day until you at least write down an outline for their story. Then it's only a sporadic haunting. ^_^

God puts character in your head to tell you things that are important and it's your job to share those things with others.

Sometimes I think God does, especially if the character hauntings are frequent to the point of "I can't stop thinking about this!", then I know I should stop procrastinating and get writing! Haha... ^_^

[java-fiend.livejournal.com]

maybe i gotta learn to start trusting my instincts again.

That would be a good place to start. At least from what I've experienced in my life, most folks who set out to make a mark or attain greatness rarely succeed. You're enormously talented. You truly are. You'll make a mark if you trust yourself and let it come to you. Just do what you can do and be who you are. That's great enough.

[lookingland.livejournal.com]

all good and sound advice ~ and something we all need to be reminded of as often as it takes ~ thank you!

: D

[java-fiend.livejournal.com]

Yeah, we do need to be reminded of it once in a while. ;-)