Comic Writer Group

[drowemos]

I am trying to start up a "support group" for Comic/Scifi/Fantasy writers.  I would like to have the first meeting this Thursday at the writer center from 7 to 8.  Anyone want to drop by and talk scripts?

[Chris]

If writers feel they aren't getting enough time at our meetings, I guess this is a good idea, but the forums and meetings are there to facilitate feedback for exactly this sort of thing.

[drowemos]

Well the idea here is to have a bit more of an academic approach to things.  Reading over scripts and brainstorming ideas.  More about getting started.  The meetings are good networking but the venues are a little noisy for reading over text and talking over ideas where we are stuck.

If you have a finished idea that you want to get others excited about or show finished artwork the conspiracy meeting are very good.  But if you are just looking at a blank page then it is not the right place.

[Chris]

Ah, that makes sense. Good luck.

[Patrick Lewis]

I think that's a great idea.  I've no idea if I can actually make it tomorrow, but the idea is great.  Is there a place in the writers center that they would let us crash for a while?

Later

Patrick.

[Chris]

Definitely. It's sort of like a library.

Eric, you're in today's EXPRESS. The article on Jason and me doing Writing for Comics has you quoted extensively and plugs one of your webcomics.

[shawnpadraicmurphy]

I would be interested in attending it, but I live in Baltimore, so going to DC through the rush hour traffic is a big turn off.  Perhaps another time, though I have scripts and ideas ready, and what I'm trying to do is see if I can find collaborations with artists, as I was just at a Panel on comics and most of the people said you usually have to pay people to get them to finish an issue.  I think a meeting about presenting your ideas effectively to people and how to ask without being too forcefull might be a good topic to have, too, and how to get a collabartion going that doesn't burn a hole in your wallet, as writing is not the most rich of professions.

[Chris]

Bethesda is north of D.C.

[Patrick Lewis]

I think a meeting about presenting your ideas effectively to people and how to ask without being too forcefull might be a good topic to have, too, and how to get a collabartion going that doesn't burn a hole in your wallet, as writing is not the most rich of professions.

I could swear we've been over the ground of finding collaborators a number of times.  Dirk Manning had a thing in one of his "Write or Wrong" articles on Newsarama that put it like this:  You have these things called Chrono-bucks.  It's a mixture of time and money.  If you don't want to spend the money, you will be investing a lot of time in finding a collaborator. 

Thankfully, a lot of artists are enjoyable people and monthly meetings are pretty fun.  So it's time or money.  Personally, though I value artist's work, I'd rather pay for reproduction and split income, or something like that. I'd also like to be writing something that the artist actually wants to draw, like their own characters or ideas.  Yeah, I'm spending a lot of time.  meh.

I believe that what's on the table is more about technical aspects of writing, like scripts, layouts, pacing etc, and we can probably work on pitches.  I like the idea of a quiet meeting that's about the stories and improving the quality of the scripts.  I'll try to get out there for 7 if people are going to show up.

Later

Patrick.

[Patrick Lewis]

Hey Erik (or drowemos if you like), can you give me an email at hithereeveryone@yahoo.com if you still plan on doing this tomorrow at the writers center?  Thanks.

Patrick.

PS: I post my email on the web.  I fear no spam.

[drowemos]

Well I am going to hang out infront of the writers center today around 7.  Nothing official this time.  Next week will be the first official meeting. 

[drowemos]

Just a reminder we will be meeting today.

[oletheros]

Is anyone in the writer's group interested or able to read the current draft of my graphic novel? The art is about 80% complete, but there's enough for the story.

Let me know by email (oletheros at yahoo dot com) if you want a copy. It's a 17 mb pdf at this point, so I would prefer not to post a link to it in a public space.

Thanks in advance.

[Kevin_Huff]

Oletheros - is it script? how long? i'm guessing pretty long.

i'm a technical writer/editor for a defense contracting firm and would love to have a side project!

[oletheros]

Kevin -

It's a not-quite-finished graphic novel. The art is about 80% complete (only a few pages with no art) and all of the dialogue balloons have been dropped in. The original goal was to get this done in time for SPX, but family emergencies pushed the schedule back. So it goes.

Give me your email address and I'll send you a copy.

[drowemos]

I can give it a skim.  I am pretty busy but I can make some time to give it a light read.

Drowemos@yahoo.com

[oletheros]

Gentlemen, a copy has been sent to both of you. Thank you for the extra pair of eyes. Let me know if there's ever something you need me to take a look at.