Limbo

Things were going so well. I was on the team, a part of the Bounty / Driver creative team, one of three writers put together to create something new and exciting in the realm of comics. A flurry of emails commenced. Ideas for characters was the starting point, but also discussion around time and place, and tone. A phone call was had with one of the minds behind Pencil Head. Excitement was high. Then…

 …then we writers had a thought. A business thought. We managed to seperate ourselves from the creative intensity for a moment to think about this assignment as a business opportunity. Had any of us had discussions with the publisher in regards to a contract? Under what business arrangements were we to do the work? We realized none of us had approached the subject. We decided to do so.

Silence was the answer.

I can’t fault the publisher. Not really. They had the great ideas, they worked hard to assemble the teams. They’ve got a lot on their plate undoubtedly. I had hoped though the business of creating comics was high on their agenda, and perhaps it is. I can’t speak for them. I don’t want to assume.

I’m not angry. It’s frustration I feel, but its the same frustration I felt when other prospective projects stumbled, spun their arms and ultimately fell into the void. I hope Pencil Head is now swallowed by the void. I hope it spins its arms long and hard enough to emerge not only as a spring of good ideas but also a good business. If it does and they still want me, I’m here. I can still see the potential.

Frustration is a part of this thing called creating comics. That’s something I’ve learned in the year or so since I got started. It’s no different from any other creative process, though in this case I am but a writer and must rely on others like artists, letterers and publishers to help bring a project into being. So, not only can I be frustrated with myself but I can also be frustrated with and by others.

Frustration won’t kill, however. The events that cause frustration are but another learning opportunity. And there’s a lot  to learn when you want to create comics. I’ve certainly come to realize that, too. It’s not enough to put together a script and say, “There. It’s done. I’m a writer, I wrote the script and now my part is done.” That’s not the way it works.

I’m on the team!

I got word a week or so ago that I’ve been selected to be a part of the Pencil Head team. They’ve been assembling creative teams for a number of books, one of which is Bounty / Driver, which I’ve mentioned in previous posts. That is the book to which I am attached. I’m one of three writers associated with Bounty / Driver, the logistics of which are still being worked out. For example, there is a possibility there would be two Bounty / Driver books: One for the kids, and one for the adults. Regardless, I was excited by the announcement and look forward to growing with Pencil Head.

Pencil Head: Bounty / Driver

I wrote my 8-page script for Bounty / Driver for Pencil Head and sent it off near the end of April. Most of the notes I took in preparing for this script were thrown out the window once I got started. My original idea was too slow to get moving. I started to bore myself when I started writing it so I put it aside and started again. This time I began with a real attention grabber, putting the reader right into the thick of the action. As soon as I got that on paper the rest of the script followed quickly, with some minor nips and tucks along the way to tighten it up. I am very pleased with the end result. A few days after sending it in, I heard from Pencil Head and they were very pleased too.

I’ve since gotten a second list of concepts from Pencil Head and have found another I like. I’m not going to tell more about it here on this blog because it occurs to me that I perhaps shouldn’t be revealing so much about Pencil Head’s concepts. Anyway, I’m going to take a stab at this additional concept. Once again, I’ve got it plotted in advance, but I think this time it will translate better to an actual script then my original Bounty / Driver idea.

Pencil Head: Joe Jobs

I submitted an 8-page script to Pencil Head last week. From their list of story ideas, I picked Joe Jobs. The information about the Joe Jobs concept was purposely vague so I created a premise, which gave me a foundation from which to tell my story. I’m pleased with the script. It is light on dialogue. I decided to focus on comedic timing, but I do realize the effectiveness of that will depend as well on the artist drawing the material– not that this script is getting illustrated. Anyway, I sent the script in Word format but had to re-send it as text within an email because the recipient was unable to open it. I will also submit an 8-page script for the Bounty / Driver concept. I’ll get around to that once I get back from an upcoming business trip. I have the characters defined and the script plotted.

Pencil Head

Earlier this week, I responded to an ad posted on DigitalWebbing.com from a new publisher called Pencil Head Press. They are looking for new “hungry” writers. The ad stated they would send a list of ideas to interested writers and were asking for sample scripts based on their ideas.

 Pencil Head got back to me the very same day with the list of ideas. There are a handful that appeal to me so I’m going to try my hand at a couple. They are asking for 8-page sample scripts so it shouldn’t be too much effort to actually write the scripts once I get characters and plot fleshed out. The list of ideas was purposely vague. Pencil Head wants the writers to run with the ideas, and that kind of freedom appeals to me in a tryout like this.

I started plotting my first tryout script. I want to quickly establish a character and the setting and then get right into the action. They’ll be a little humour in there too. My idea is to show the publisher I’m capable of creating a character within their world, adding my own color to the world, and then writing a script that is both fun and action-packed because I believe that is what they are looking for.