Here Be Dragons
Editing some scripts, thinking about what to pitch next in the hopes my brain mashes up the next sweet genre crossover.
♫ I applied for a rescue dog,
But if I get you dog,
You're rescuing me ♫
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This fortnightly drop goes through what I’ve been up to in my writing - I have to account for myself and what I have to show for my efforts recently. Have I been productive, or not…? A map of my brain, so to speak, and here be dragons.
2023 -- better.
Script Editor.
This past fortnight saw me continue to work on new edits and notes for Deer Editor. These three scripts have polished up right nicely. I always enjoyed them back in the day, and they hum like a German engine now.
My main aim was to get these wrapped up and fully edited before I returned back to the classroom. I busted myself to jump straight onto notes as they came in and really prioritise this and thankfully I go back to work tomorrow, and classes start next Monday, and here I sit with three completed edited scripts. A solid start to the year if I could make this January plan come through. Who knows what else awaits, right?
[This reminds me of the story Robert Kirkman tells about how a deadline loomed up on him and he just kept waiting and then he wrote a script in like 2 days (or something) and so then he wondered if he could do that then couldn’t he, really, write 180 scripts a year at that rate? But then he just waited 3 weeks before writing the next script in 3 days - the point: creativity isn’t always a uniform level line, it’s a wild ride that can be hard to map out]
The next steps on this project will be other management issues with the book, and I am certain I can continue to push those parts while in the thick of a new year of new classes. I cannot wait to get this book closer to print and into hands.
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Pitching plans.
With last year’s book put on ice, and my work on Deer Editor pretty well solid in regards to the creative aspect, I now continue to hunt for ‘the next thing.’
The Next Thing™ is always an interesting thing in my head as I’m a man/brain that cooks up a fair amount of stuff. But the past half a decade has seen me realise I have my limitations. Those limitations are time - I have a very full day time job, and a very awesome family - and actual quality creative energy - I don’t believe I could write 4 different projects at the same time, even if I had the time.
As such, I don’t often overload my dance card by locking in too much. Writing this book last year, I wanted to do an amazing job, so I took my time, and I didn’t split my brain up by pitching a dozen other things, hoping one would land, but then I’d have to start building and mapping that world while also laying quality infrastructure on this book I was already contracted to do [even if the publisher didn’t feel contracted to not go bankrupt - too soon?].
I won’t say I have the best business model in the world, but I’ve ironed out the smoothest path possible for me with the tools I have at hand.
Couple that alongside the fact of these variations of play in the industry, and that I do get rejected [quite a lot, as most creatives do/should] then this means I don’t have The Next Thing™ all locked in yet. I have ideas, and possible homes, and the coming months will see me try to work out what’s up.
In the meantime, I think I might be in a phase of needing to either cook up some new ideas, or try to reassess some old ideas and see if I have that extra special sauce to mix in to make it pop.
I have a few strange ideas to tinker with - one involves size changing technology, another a young woman cursed but she doesn’t believe it - eventually I’ll add in a talking dog sidekick and can watch the dollarydoos roll in.
I can remember I had the “a hitwoman is hired to kill a small child” angle for like 5 years, often dusting it off, never quite landing it so shelving it for another year - and then, finally, I realised “Oh, and then she finds out her girlfriend’s pregnant” and that mash up took off into the wild and strange worlds of BEAUTIFUL CANVAS quite quickly.
Often my old ideas have something about them, but they are missing something else. It takes time and quiet creativity to unlock those balanced pairs - I should do some more of that in the coming weeks.
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You gotta be careful out there.
There was an announcement by a new CEO at Heavy Metal detailing that they were getting their company back on track. I’ll admit, I was out of the loop as to how bad it had gotten over there.
I created BLACK BEACON at Heavy Metal with Sebastian Piriz a few years ago. We were serialised in the Heavy Metal Magazine, but the collected trade is yet to come out. Last I heard, it was planned for early this year. But I’ve heard nothing more, and now I hear all HM staff are on furlough until further notice, so I don’t quite know who to ask.
This news comes on top of Aftershock Comics filing for bankruptcy, hitting pause on another unannounced book of mine, and it’s really got me thinking about how to navigate this comic making game with independent publishers.
When you work for the Big Two [Marvel and DC], you know it’s a ‘work for hire’ gig. You don’t really own anything, and it’s all on their dime and interest. Whereas, the independent publishers are all a variation of ‘we bring our ideas, we make them, and the publisher helps us get them out into the world.’ Within that framework, there are many ways that can play out.
The usual rule is - it’s all about ownership and payment. And, usually, the more they pay you, the more they want to own. If the publisher is going to open the coffers, it’s a risk, and they want something to compensate for that risk.
Most people will tell you, you don’t need to give away any slice of your IP, and you absolutely should not. Those people are oftentimes already highly successful and have quality avenues mapped out for them, or they’re okay with just making a comic on their own because in between those two spots there are quite a few publishers that want some kind of slice of the pie, and a lot of creators willing to sign away a few segments of their souls to get there.
For my money, I don’t ever want to sign away complete IP rights to a publisher. But, in saying that, if a story has languished, and it’s about to get thrown in the trunk because it did not click with a home, and then someone offers a big wet bite into your IP, but they’ll pay you decently per page, I’ll admit to looking deeply into that deal and considering it.
If it gets my story told, I’m open to it. I definitely prefer to retain my IP ownership - having sold a multi-repeated tv option on a book I own with my artist, I know the benefits deeply. But I also believe an idea sitting unpublished on my floppy disc cannot help me and will be buried within the next decade to no avail.
I have been lucky to find some publishers who are a good mix. And there are some ideas that are so good and could have legs in other fields that I purposefully haven’t looked to sign them away into predatory deals.
As a burgeoning creator, it’s hard to know who to talk to, and what deals to honestly consider and which to push back on and which to avoid, but a little open dialogue with someone can go a long way.
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Be one of the good guys, because there's way too many of the bad.
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Who is Ryan K Lindsay?
I’m an award-winning Australian comic writer. I’ve been published by Black Mask, Dark Horse, ComixTribe, Mad Cave, IDW, Heavy Metal, Vertigo, and a few more. Kickstarter has been a home for many short comics. I often get to collaborate with great mates, and this brings me joy.
I write about balancing this creative game alongside a full teaching load [currently College English] and a lovely family load and the forever melting brain that is modern man. I think about a lot of stuff, I still don’t know if it’s the right stuff. ymmv.
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POST CREDITS SEQUENCE
Apparently the printing for A FISTFUL OF PAIN has happened, and now we look at getting the books from the printer and organising fulfilment for backers soon, and I'm so damn excited to have this book in my hands.
2023 is going to shine bright when I can start sharing this story and Louie’s art :]