KatMiLo

⁷The unofficial, theoretical ways you can approach Story creation & Character creation for a personal project.

From someone who doesn't know what they are actually doing. Things that have helped me so far.

First off, I want to clearly state that I cannot storytell, or storywrite well enough (or at all in my personal opinion) to give advice there. This is story crafting, turning a concept into a plan.

For the story “telling” part, you will need to seek out much better advice elsewhere. X

It is also only ONE way of doing things that worked for me personally. We are not all the same!

To be edited and added to over time.

Story creation:

Ideas, short mental reels and character concepts swimming around your mind keeping you awake at night?

1.

The first most helpful thing I did was build a clear timeline.

You do NOT have to have the whole thing planned out to start this.

EG:

(Beginning) - (middle) - (end)

Start by filling it out with scenes/events, no matter how small or big, where they would appropriately fit into the story timeline.

Keep shuffling them around and adding more to connect the scenes in-between.

Keep this somewhere you can constantly edit it and build onto more. You may see plot holes later, so be ready to shuffle things, do not be afraid of shuffling things to make them flow better.

You will find as you place pieces of the puzzle together, the story will start writing itself, almost.

Please also note you do not have to tell your story in order of the tineline. It is purely for overall structure.

My main story, for me always felt like piecing together an old dream or lost memories. It starts off foggy but as you put it together you start to remember it more and more clearly.

2.

Clear theme and intention for the story. Don’t blast off into nowhere- have your train directed towards a specific station. How it gets there can be any way you like, it doesn't have to be straight. But always keep yourself moving towards the point of your story with intention and purpose.

Also- avoid spoilering as much as possible. It is hard. Keep some cards up your sleeve though.

3.

Personal touch.

Things in your own life that make you unique for being you. Hard experiences, unique experiences, rewarding experiences. Use these experiences to give a personal touch to your story. Your individual network of experiences and thoughts make you different, use them to make your story different.

I would also advise against altering your vision for the story to fit popular fan ideas/suggestions. I have seen some people do this and completely flop their stories for the click bait option. EG: changing the main love interest to the popular girl option and wondering why you only have male fans.

Character creation:

1.

Understand the character. I cannot stress this enough. If someone else made a character that looks exactly like your character tomorrow and published it first, how would your character be truly unique to them? They should have a soul, be able to look any way and still be themselves. Looks just help boost a personality, looks are NOT a personality. Why do they do the things they do, what motivates them to do those things, in what area of your life can you relate to their feelings?

2.

Looks should be secondary. In the majority of situations.

There are so many types of appearances for characters…so the best most generic advice I can give is; Make them fit into their world.

If your girl has massive breasts, 3 kids and runs around all day without a bra, you cannot expect her to be a perky 35 year old later. Her boobs will be on the floor and lopsided by the time she hits 30. No amount of exercise can fix this, don’t make me think you’re an idiot. She will need to be either a fantasy character, or have access to a brilliant surgeon and loads of cash. So put your girl in a fantasy world. Then she makes sense.

Do what you want, but keep it consistent to the world you have put them in.

3.

Don't be afraid of changing a character, I have always seen my characters as concepts, or a concentration of a concept. That is powerful. To give that concept the full respect it deserves, the character may need to grow with you and evolve a few times till they reach their true, final, perfect form.

Last but not least. Write down all ideas. It is too easy to lose them. Keep them in a hand book or external drive. At the very least they will give you a few laughs in 20 years.

https://youtu.be/GvhyfKwOJBk?feature=shared

If Neil Breen can make movies, you can totally write stories. Just be fearless, you will probably suck BAD- but its sadder to let that whole universe in your mind die with you.

& if you are doing it in your own time slowly and you ENJOY THAT! If anyone pesters you to just, rush and that quantity is better than quality- tell em to fuck off. You can do whatever the fuck you want in your own fucking time. Not all of us want to just produce like mindless shitting factories. Leave that to the AI.

Bless <3

So, I had this idea last night. (Maybe it will be a thing, maybe I will do it once or twice xD)

I want to try be more supportive of other people working on their own projects!

Especially people who have original content stories and put a lot of work into them.

This includes writers.

TheSuperiorPasta

Gave me this idea, a young person who is very promising with their work ethic!

I would like to draw full illustration alternate covers for peoples projects as a gift.

(you don't have to use them, I am not the best artist xD)

Just as like- support and appreciation!

Gives me practice at illustration work too since I am just paging these days.

However unsure how to implement this in a way that doesn't wear me out and give me more than I can handle.

I will be picky, one at a time. They will be slowly done.

-(We follow each other, or just regular faces on here)

-Only for, milestone completion success. Everyone's will be different based on their ability.

Say a finished chapter that took months, or a written project you have worked on in the background for years and is now completed.

Maybe I should just keep an eye on people who are working on such things and surprise them with random art gift covers? hmn. Or I just approach them.

Though I may miss some things this way :/

I like the concept, just a simple thing I could do on occasion to celebrate others achievements! I guess I will need to be more interactive with others posting to find people.

It's a nice idea. I would like to make it work out- maybe I will think on how to go about it later.

GOAL LIST- that I am working on right now!

So I was talking to some folk and this is something I already do, but it sounds like

defining goals a bit more, will be even more helpful for myself. SO goal list of what I am working on. Still simple but- here we go! I need to write it somewhere, where better than here.

6THOF6

C2 - (Mikey and Eros) Goal is to finish and accurately portray the characters as intended. Simple but reachable.

*9-10 page (currently on page 4)

C3 - (Je and Wolf) Goal to complete and focus on back grounds.

*5-6 page

C4 - (Fates and Rane) Goal to complete and tell a slightly more complex concept in an understandable way.

*4-6 page

Together all completing the Grigori introduction set.

BBR

C1-PART TWO - Finish the sketch pages of the Chapter one intro. Improve art slightly.

*15-20 page

Book 1 - Rewrite the first short episode in comic script format and prepare for multiple drafts.

*20 page

Book one = preparing for official fully rendered and coloured short episode.

What is happening with 6THOF6 right now-

Running things through the drafting process again.

I literally write like I draw, constant layers and refining until I am happy. That is how I work.

Current area I am focusing on with the refining:

Incorrect or confusing wording/presentation of ideas. As with 6THOF6 there are so many underlying intentions and explanations not given upfront. Also a lot of misdirection.

I have to be careful to not mislead TOO much to the point it makes later revelations too confusing.

Many story concepts are actually very detailed, presented as simple, slowly exposing their true design later. (As do characters)

I realise I am not at the advanced level of storytelling needed to show that correctly. I am more a concept person than story-teller I have found.

At the same time I am not going to spoon feed people and explain every single minute detail as I go.

So, I have to be far more careful with how I present ideas. The goal is to fully restructure everything to be far more intentional and less vague or possibly confusing. Cut all unnecessary fillers. Compact for more of a comic styled story, than long drawn out manga.

Since it is designed for a one off story, not series. This will also be easier to manage for me.

I am roughly half way through this, its a long drawn out process but I am getting better at it as I go I am very happy with how I have edited the new writing so far. Less changes and more about cutting, rearranging and making things more understandable....like with film editing I guess xD got all the content needed, just got to turn that content into a movie now. There is no more "idea" writing, just editing. The story is 100% written in detail. Just..presenting it right is hard. So hard o_o; I wish I could say it will even be good when done xD who knows.

What is happening with BB+R

I am at the point the original chapter finished. However, I decided to add on a second part to chapter one so I could have all characters introduced. This is not a recent decision, this was made far before I even started drawing, as I said C1 is particularly long, this is why.

So final stretch.

The last stretch doesn't have the page layouts finalised like the first part did-(if you have seen a comic script you'll be able to figure out what I mean by that) So I want to do that before I sketch out the last of the chapter. Just to keep myself on track. Seems to help me stay focused.

I have learnt I need to maintain structured processes for everything in order to not lose control and wander off. I wish I could work a bit more free but my mind doesn't work like that, it's a bit too feral to let off the leash and needs good stable structure and control to make sense. sadly

But now I have realised that, I am now improving areas I was struggling with before.

So fun fun, on track, easy and light!

Anyway, that's what is happening.

Sometimes I think me writing these little updates out is more for myself and if anyone remotely cares they get a little status update xD <3 thankyou DA for being my little mental plan journal haha

Like man, I wish I could show you my 6THOF6 writing, I think it would explain a lot.

But show not tell is the main goal.

I know it sucks to hear about things and not get to see them yet, my old watchers know I am hell bent on doing this, even if it does take a long time because this is a side hobby for me.

But, I think I have proven I am not giving up and things are slowly getting there. This is ride or die folks. We WILL get there. AND you may absolutely hate it all when I am done and that's okay- because I still DID IT XD and for me, that's the dream. Just, doing it regardless of how much it may suck in the end haha.

Just to clear up what BBR is, it is a side project I have had for going on 15 years. I used it to just write fun stories to pass time when bored or unable to draw. I sorta just suddenly busted into it recently and had a few questions from long term watchers and online friends.

Avoiding all C1 spoilers, - even though imo it is a very simple plotline.

General overview of what the story is.

So +BBR+ is a typical monster of the week comic. (once it starts after C1)

Nothing epic, very simple. A supernatural horror on the lighter side.

Mr Black is fully capable of his job on his own and has a personal mission underlying his work.

Betsy decides she wants to be an investigator like him and ends up on the road for awhile aside him and tries to convince him she can do it! Having the realization it's purpose not peace she is after.

She isn't instantly great at anything. But she has a few small helpful abilities which, if only, are a temporary ease off his shoulders. He keeps saying he will drop her off at the next town, but suddenly that town isn't safe enough and it will be the next town.... She starts to prove she has one of the best skills to offer, she is 100% trust worthy and tries so super hard its adorable xD. She's the type of girl who would jump head first into hell for her new partner. She slowly learns how to handle things, he slowly learns to work with her. They are a slow burn.

and the story goes from there.

There is a small plotline underneath, but if only to fuel events and explain simple things.

Bree, Lola and Thea carry that side of things. Thea is definitely my main badass. Bree the free spirited wood witch and Lola my ticking time bomb.

Our wanted man is actually the 6th character but since I don't address him till far in the series, there is no point at this stage :/ just mystery boi for now.

Just me really wanting a reason to draw my favourite myths, monsters and legends with pretty girls. Nothing more. Mainly monsters I admit.

Mermaids and golems and harpies and werewolves and ghosts- all that fun stuff.

Just fun stuff.

There hope that has cleared up a few questions I have had regarding it :>

Really hope I can half decently tell C1 it will be really positive for me to be able to do some visual story telling that is not terrible. Will make me feel like I can put more time into pages knowing I can take it somewhere.

Because hell, drawing is like 30% of comics I swear....why does the learning never end D;

Maybe I'll be like Betsy and get it oneday xD Just slow...but I try!