Friends
Well, holy crap, I actually finally got the storyline done.
Yes, that is the end of this storyline. Yes, it took entirely too long.
Why the sporadic updates? Well, it mostly started with just pure exhaustion. Even cutting down to three days a week, I always have a lot on my plate. That led to me not being able to pull all nighters the way I used to (plus, hey, I’m gettin’ old, I guess), and there were a LOT of other things that had been put on hold for the comic.
And the comic ain’t easy. I’ve said before, I would spend nearly every free moment working on it. I sacrificed other things to do it, especially at five days a week. So at some point I burned out. After I unintentionally had to take a break, posting once or twice a week, then once every couple of weeks, I found it hard to focus on finishing those last two strips. Writing the next storyline was a chore. I haven’t felt very funny for a couple of months which is kinda a problem for a comic like this. And while I still enjoy doing it, I found I wasn’t enthused to get back to such a grinding schedule. It was a needed break to recharge.
But hey, this storyline is done, which has been hanging over my head for a while. Next week I’m off work for the holiday, so my plan is to get back on track: get the next storyline written (which I’ve already trashed one version I started because I didn’t like it), get strips in the can, etc. Mostly try to get back into a schedule with consistent updates and find my motivation again. But yes, this means I’ll likely NOT be updating next week at all.
And the reality still is that I need to pay bills, which means working and getting things online to sell is priority. I have no Patreon supporters (which is fine, I’m not faulting anyone for not being able to donate), but the reality is the more I get there the less I have to do elsewhere to make ends meet. So until that changes, updates are dependent on my need to use the time making comics to make money instead.
See ya in a couple of weeks, hopefully!
I thought that maybe that was the issue this time around. Hey we both know I was in the same boat. Real life kicks really hard, and it’s super hard to get back into a regular schedule, and still enjoy doing it. Even more so, when one needs the funds to make ends meet. It’s a constant struggle. Which is why I never went back to BBF. That and I cringe at how bad it is now, and just want to rip it all down and start over, but then my other characters from my nano get angry and demand attention.
So.. the route for me is. Write, revise, polish refine. THEN draw, and draw / ink / color at least an entire books worth of buffer, to update once every 2 weeks, and while that’s going on balance everything else.
It’s… a Plan, at least.
Oh, I should point out I’m not financially in dire straights or anything. Money is tight, but I pay bills on time. But I have some debt I need to pay off (particularly this car that I still have another couple of years on) in order to move forward with my life. Right now I’m just kinda standing still, constantly paying bills.
The burn out hit me hard, though. Once I had no choice but to slow down, suddenly it was really hard to get back to that level I could maintain before. I’ll find it again, but getting some of these other non-comic related obligations done would help a lot so I could focus on it.
But y’know, when I can hit thrift stores and sell those items for money that helps pay for Christmas or takes care of a credit card payment, it’s hard not to get back to devoting time to that. The stagnation in audience growth hasn’t helped either. But it is what it is! I appreciate the people I DO have reading.