Day 137: Libbie Hawker's "Take Off Your Pants!: Outline Your Books for Faster, Better Writing"

Quick Overview

Level:	Intermediate
Pages:	108
Published:	2015
Arbitrary Rating:	4/5
Plan to Reread:	Yes

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It's been a crazy long time since I could sit down and read through a book.  I snagged the kindle version of Libbie Hawker's "Take Off Your Pants!: Outline Your Books for Faster, Better Writing" while it was on sale earlier and it's just the right length to get through in a single setting.

One thing I've noticed going through all these how-to guides is that the books that focus on writing have been much easier to read.  I'm not just talking about better formatting and layout.  These books have been genuinely more enjoyable to flip through even when I'm not taking notes.  I guess that says a lot about what learning to write can do for your writing style.

Libbie's book has a bit of the "Anyone can do it, trust me" jazz that you find in most how-to books.  It's blended in with some legitimate good advice though, so I don't really consider it a negative this time around.  I may come back and do a follow up post for this book after I've had the chance to apply the outline scheme to one of my own stories.

If you're interested in writing, don't know where to start, or find yourself getting lost in tangled character developments then this book would probably be a good read for you.  Some people hate on applying any kind of formula to the creative process.  Even if you decide that planning ahead doesn't work for your writing method it's still a worthwhile read just to see where other writer's are likely coming from.

Day 69: Tutorials by Neil Fontaine (Learn2draw)

So this is one of those channels that I threw into my watch later bin and never really got around to before now.  On the plus side the host posts regularly, has decent content, and there is a structured course on Udemy.  On the downside, this is one of those one take styles where you get advice direct from the artists mouth.  So there are some tangents involved which don't really have anything to do with drawing.

On to the links.

How to draw the female figure from your mind -- no references

This is the video that caught my attention because he's using Manga Studio EX.  The tutorial on laying out the human skeleton is more of a refresher for me at this point, so I mainly focused on which preferences he was playing with and how to use rulers in the program.

If you're still working on drawing a skeleton and getting the proportions right, this is a pretty decent approach.

Lesson Story Structure and Plot 1-12

I segued into this video from the female figure just to see if it would shed any light on my current script writing process.  I picked up on a new concept of breaking the plot down by turning points, which seems rougher version of using a beat sheet.  I plan to watch through the rest of his lessons on story structure just to make sure I understand the process he's using.  From the first lesson it seems like a pretty solid approach.

Day 67: James Scott Bell's "How to Write Dazzling Dialogue"

Quick Overview

Level:	Intermediate
Pages:	136
Published:	2014
Arbitrary Rating:	5/5
Plan to Reread:	Yes

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When I first started reading this book I was convinced I was going to hate it.  James Scott Bell has a ton of short how to ___ books under his belt and that's usually a dead give away that someone is trying to milk a market.  I must have gotten used to all the mediocre how to books that I just lost hope.  Turns out, this guy is the real deal.

Added bonus, the text for this books run all the way to the very end without the extra page fillers like an index and pie charts that some people sneak in.  If you've ever been reading a e-book and hit the end around 80% you know what I'm talking about.

James Scott Bell's "How to Write Dazzling Dialogue: The Fastest Way to Improve Any Manuscript" came across my radar when I started looking for some kind of guidance on how to make conversations more interesting.  The first comic I decided to roll with is more in the vein of suspense / drama so I can't rely on pretty pictures and flashy action to carry it.

James gives examples of awful writing, followed by several iterations that offer improvements.  He also offers some exercises to loosen up your writing style and break through writer's block.

Some of the suggestions in this book seem a little silly though.  For example, he uses a random number generator (or dice) to pick a random page in a random book and then drops the first line of dialogue from the book into the piece he's working on.  The odds are just astronomically against anything making sense, but maybe it's good for a chuckle.  This is what I came up with using an random number generator I found on-line and "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo":

"Sorry.  No hope," he said.  Less outlandish than I was expecting but a little on the dark side.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and plan to revisit it after I've gotten a few rough drafts completed so I can experiment with some of the techniques to see if it jazzes up my dialogue.

Day 60: Francis Glebas' "Iggy's Incredibly Easy Way to Write a Story"

Quick Overview

Level:	Beginner
Pages:	64
Published:	2012
Arbitrary Rating:	4/5
Plan to Reread:	Yes

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You may already know Francis Glebas from his other books "The Animator's Eye" and "Directing the Story".  That's not what you should expect from "Iggy's Incredibly Easy Way to Write a Story: The visual way to see your story structure".  In this brief introduction to plot structure, Glebas lays out some of the most popular story devices in a short illustrated story.

When I say short, I mean short.  Thanks to the Kindle format and the illustrations you can roll through this book in less than an hour.  Still, it's one of my early favorites because it made the idea of plotting out a story easy to understand.  While you could use the dragon template provided in this book for all of your stories, it would probably be a good idea to research other methods or simply experiment on your own.

Following a formulaic approach like this can make it easy to hit all the necessary points to have a complete story, but there is a serious drawback to being too routine.  My personal opinion is that cookie cutter stories can be too predictable and that causes me to lose interest even when other aspects are done well.

Side note:  This was my break glass in case of emergency book.  I was saving it for an especially busy week to make sure I would have something easy to read in my spare time.  Unfortunately I ran through several craptastic books so I may run into a rough spot finishing one of the longer books by next week.

Day 53: Tim Stout's Short Notes on Long Comics

Quick Overview

Level:	Intermediate / Advanced
Tone:	Beat Sheet Breakdown
Pages:	63
Published:	2010
Arbitrary Rating:	4/5
Plan to Reread:	Yes

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What's with these books having massive titles?  This week I finished up Tim Stout's "Short Notes on Long Comics: 10 Great Examples of Story Structure in Graphic Novels".  Fair warning, the intended audience for this book is pretty niche.  The author does an amazing job of breaking down popular comics into Blake Snyder's popular plot structure.  You can find a detailed explanation of the structure on Tim Stout's own blog at:

https://timstout.wordpress.com/story-structure/blake-snyders-beat-sheet/

The only reason I can't call this book perfect is because the ten titles he chose mostly fall outside my preference.  On the plus side, if you're interested in writing it's a safe bet that at least one of the comics he chose will be exactly what you're looking for in an example.

The best fits for my goals are Batman: Year One, Hellboy, and The Amulet Book One: The Stonekeeper.  Two out of three I already own and one is on my to-read list.  There's a spoiler warning in the front of the book, but just to be extra safe I'll repeat it here.  Short Notes on Long comics contains spoilers, since the author systematically brakes down the stories and explains where they fit in the plot structure.

With less than 100 pages you can easily crunch this book out in a single setting, but it has a great re-read value since you can revisit it whenever you're stuck on a story or having a hard time figuring out what to write next.

Day 32: John M. Byrne's "Cartooning: The Best One-Stop Guide to Drawing Cartoons, Caricatures, Comic Strips, and Manga"

Quick Overview

Level:	Beginner
Tone:	Introduction Guide
Pages:	191
Published:	2008
Arbitrary Rating:	4/5
Plan to Reread:	No

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My Opinion:

Phew, that's a mouthful right?  John M. Byrne's "Cartooning" is a crash course in a variety of artistic disciplines that you can find in that crazy title.  As an example, chapter 7 is on caricatures and is about twenty pages long with multiple illustrations on most pages.

I really like this approach for beginners because it's easy to follow along with the visuals and there's just enough instruction to get your feet wet.  That being said, if you're looking to improve on any of these styles you're going to need way more than the one or two examples provided in this book.

The chapter on humor, using puns, and generating interesting ideas was probably my favorite.  A lot of books take the approach of showing you a pretty picture and then breaking it up into a few easy to follow steps.  Byrne gives advice on tools to use, writing tips, and observation techniques to choose the best details when translating from real life to cartoon.

While the contents of this book may not carry you as far as a more academic text, it has plenty to offer in an enjoyable and colorful presentation.  That's one of my biggest gripes so far.  Most of the books I've been reading through are so heavily focused on the use of charcoals and pencils that they don't bother to include any colored illustrations.  Looking at 100+ pages of black and white can be a real drag, so I'm happy to find a guide that goes that extra step.

Day 25: Klaus Janson's "The DC Comics Guide to Pencilling Comics"

Quick Overview

Level:	Advanced
Tone:	Industry Guide, Reference
Pages:	128
Published:	2001
Arbitrary Rating:	4/5
Plan to Reread:	Yes

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My Opinion

This week I'm going to be working through my Kindle version of Klaus Janson's"The DC Comics Guide to Pencilling Comics." After drawing a bajillion shaded circles it's nice to finally be seeing something that resembles a finished comic.

The guide provides a lot of interesting insight into the comic creation process and the underlying principles needed to be successful.  Part one includes a handful of crash courses in fundamental art techniques like perspective, vanishing points, anatomy and so on.  Part two has some meaty explanation of writing techniques, panel layout, and story flow.  Part three covers penciling techniques and tips for breaking into the industry.

The only drawback is that this is primarily a theory crafting book.  Janson uses a number of comic pages to illustrate story telling techniques but there is a ton of reading for a book that is advertised as a guide to penciling.  That shouldn't be taken as a negative though.  If you've already mastered the basics of drawing you don't really need tons of step by step illustrations to follow along.

This was a fun read even for a beginner, but it is better suited for a more advanced audience.  I'll probably be reading through the whole DC series at least twice to get all of the useful nuggets of advice out. 

Day 11: Dirk Manning's "Write or Wrong"

Quick Overview

Level:	All Levels
Tone:	Casual, Blog-like
Pages:	216
Published:	2012
Arbitrary Rating:	5/5
Plan to Reread:	Yes

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My opinion:

Dirk Manning's "Write or Wrong" was the main influence that pushed me from just thinking about making comics to actually trying to make comics.  I picked up so much from this book that I originally planned to use it for my first review but I didn't want to start a blog about drawing by talking about writing.  That being said, learning how to write is an important part of writing comics so I've tried to collect good references for plot development and scripting.

The bulk of "Write or Wrong" is a collection of columns written by Dirk Manning for www.Newsarama.com.  The casual style used made it easy to read through each chapter without feeling like a research project.  A plus for me is that I didn't need a dictionary or industry lexicon to understand this book since each chapter was written to be easy to follow.  Instead of taking an instructional approach, the author provides some examples of the successes and failures he's experienced.

Two pieces of advice that Dirk gave really hit home for me.  The first was his suggestion that aspiring artists be patient and take the time to hone their skill in private.  Sure, taking the "learn by doing" approach can help you pick up a lot.  What would teach you to make a comic faster than making a comic?  The problem is that people will start to associate your name with that developmental phase and that image can be hard to shake when you finally reach a professional level.

The other major theme I picked up was that you don't have to be a one-man show.  Even if you can't draw, you can write.  If you're not talented with laying down lines you can still ink or color.  I have hundreds of comics with the contributors clearly printed on the cover page but for some reason that didn't click until I read this book.  Knowing that there are different paths to creating a comic makes it feel doable and believing that something is within reach can give a huge boost to motivation.

The 3 Year Plan

My current short term goals are spread out across three separate year long phases.

Phase 1 (1/1/2016 ~ 12/31/2016)

The first year will be the foundation phase for my artistic journey.  Drawing on and off in the past has made me painfully aware of the gaps in my technique and education.  I've always been a fan of the "learn by doing" approach and that hasn't worked out for me.  So this time around I'm going to follow some advice I picked up from Dirk Manning's Write or Wrong and focus on my skill set before becoming known for pumping out mediocre content.

Phase 2 (1/1/2017 - 12/31/2017)

With a full year under my belt, I'm going to move into a short form comic strip template.  The idea is that it will give me room to apply what I've learned while getting me closer to realizing a full-fledged comic.  I'm excited to reach this level because it will also give me a chance to better understand how to manage the economy of words so that I can say what I want in a tight word bubble.

Phase 3 (1/1/2018 - 12/31/2018)

By this point I will have finished several drafts and revisions of the plot lines that still click with me.  If I'm able to bring my drawing skills up to par it should be a relatively smooth transition from script to comic.

That's the elevator pitch for what I'm hoping to achieve here.  I plan to continue in some form past 2018.  I just can't see which direction I want to go this far out.

Read, Watch, what...?

If you're new to this blog, welcome!  If you're digging through the archives to see what you've stumbled onto, congratulations on reaching the beginning!

Read, Watch, Draw is a blog I'm writing to document my journey from artistic novice to comic creator.

Who am I?

I'm just an average Joe with below average artistic abilities that grew up dreaming of drawing comics.  When I was little my dad would draw characters on those huge sketchpad sheets and hang them around my room.  So I was surrounded by images of the X-men, Popeye, Link, and whatever else he thought I was into at the time.  I thought if my dad could do this, maybe it was in my blood too.  After years of unproductive practice, I was thoroughly convinced that artistic ability is not blood related.

Fast forward to my mid-thirties.  I've read over and over again that the ability to draw is a skill not a talent.  It's something that literally anyone can train to do if they give it enough time and effort.  A big reason why I've picked up writing a blog is to test that theory out.  Even if it's only read by a handful of people, it will serve as motivator to keep me focused on my goals.

Why would you want to read this blog?

Why would you want to follow someone who has zero experience and no portfolio? Well, who's closer to where you're at in your artistic journey?  The pro that's published, who has over a decade of paid work under their belt, and rakes in over six figures through their Patreon subscription or just a normal guy that doodled when he was younger?  I'm also a great worst case scenario since I've never had academic training in the arts, I'm over 30 and I have family obligations that limit the time I can put into practicing.  Not exactly an ideal learning environment right?  If you see improvement throughout my blog then you should have no doubt that this is something anyone can accomplish.

I've set aside three years worth of milestones, broken up over three phases.  I'll write more about those in the next few posts.  The big thing for me is that by the end I will have uploaded over 468 posts and put a minimum of 1092 hours into practicing with pencils and breaking in my Wacom tablet.  As an engineer, I have an interest in the metrics behind the improvement I'm able to achieve.  So I will be tracking things like books completed, total run time on YouTube tutorials, and hours spent drawing further broken down by medium. Feel free to skip the summaries and skim through the sketch work if charts aren't your cup o' tea.