Unfinished

I started dreaming of stories from a very young age. For truth I can not tell you what the first story was that started to come together. I do know that i have story notebooks that look like some lost ancient Tomes now. And a memory of a detective that waits to be finished. A lot of the stories I go back to and rework even now. I find that these are the ones people seem to be drawn to. These are also the ones that have marinated and been worked on and reworked on. Out of all of them the one that has been done and redone and relooked at over and over is Heroes? A story where heroes start to appear in a modern world and what happens because of it.

Well modern world when I first started working on it. I’ve considered recently that it would work better if I set it in the world I created it in. So late 90s early 2ks only because I would probably have to rethink some things if I set it in the now.

To tell the truth this project has almost come into fruition a plethora of times. I can say that it’s completely my fault that it hasn’t happened. Yet maybe not having the money to make it so is an issue, but I feel like that kind of brings it back on me.

As initially thought up, it’s a Comicbook story, one that was already years in the making when I started to put it together for the first attempt. You see a lot of these characters were my attempts at creating my own comics. As time went on I created my own comic universe. Then I created multiple comic universes. So this story became my attempt to weave together a place where all my heroes lived together. Some worked well, others didn’t so they stayed off in their own worlds and places.

As time progressed I was able to craft together a story, on how these heroes emerged and how the world reacted to them. The emergence of the heroes was the mystery and the event. Heroes? Became the first story showing the emergence of these heroes. Its heroes with a question mark because I was leaving it up to the reader what these characters were. Also were these people truly heroes or were they something else. It’s also why the second book is called Villains?.

To tell you the truth it started off as this one book story I wanted to tell. Then I realized that it would have to be a graphic novel to allow myself the ability to tell the whole story. Then I was like, well one book can’t tell this story so it became two. Then three and if i remember right it hit a fourth book. Yet like I said they would have to be graphic novels in order to tell the story the way it was. Or I could do it as a series each issue moving the story forward. It was the 90s and this seemed impossible not that the graphic novel idea was possible either. But at that time it felt plausible and in all fairness I just didn’t think comic series. Or I did but I was thinking bigger cause a series of graphic novels was different.

So by this point in creation I was already many years in. Next I tried to get a colab going with some friends that were artist. Already this is difficult cause the artist dedication to drawing up a book is significant. I’m not saying that all the work I personally put in as a writer is less important. I just understand that an artist taking up my project would take a large part of their efforts and time. At first I was just trying to get a concept idea going.

Then I got my first chance to get the story made into print. A friend told me he could get my treatment to the hands of someone that could help it come to be. I just needed to get the first five pages into his hands. That and a synopsis of the story. So I went back to one of my friends that was helping me with the art. Told him about the opportunity and partnered up with him to make it. I think I got some concept pages from the artist at most. In all fairness I could of probably managed it better but I was still new and fresh to the whole process as well. Opportunity came and went as I kept writing and drafting and trying to tell my story. Later on i regretted not being able to take advantage of the chance. But if you’re not ready you’re not ready.

Second time I got an offer to get the book made I was more communicative with the artist. Yet it was still just a colab so I can’t blame them for taking their time. Yet by the time I got the completed pages the offer was no longer there. I already understood that I needed money to pay the artist to get better results. Yet at that time I didn’t have it all I had was chances. It was inspiring to see my story laid out before me though. It was only 5 pages but it showed me the beginning of my story.

In 2006 heroes came out on television and for a moment I was like woe I missed my opportunity. Yet when I finally saw what they were doing I realized my story was completely different than theirs. This reinforced to me that stories and premises could be similar but the execution would make them different. I had already learned this from Joseph Campbell but it was interesting to see it up close and personal to me.

"It is a single myth, told in a thousand different ways; a single hero, with a thousand different faces." Joseph Campbell

The Next opportunity I got to get a comic done I went with a different story. I figured I’d try something different and see if that got me to the finish line. Again it was a colab with an artist but I feel this time it was a more fair trade. I helped them with a story they were writing and they helped my story come to life. I even got my best friend to help out and she crafted an amazing epic tail for the artist. In the end the artist disappeared, again I got some great pages for Hidalgo but the partnership kind of fizzled out. It happens even when you are paying someone sometimes the partnership just doesn’t work out. Hidalgo is the story of a kid with a tough life, who studies hard and works hard. He creates his own tech to try and make the world a better place. Hidalgo is still on the back burner and if it would of worked i probably would have tried Heroes? As well.

I continued forward writing stories reworking Heroes? Making it better. At least I hope that’s what I’ve been doing, yet to me it has gotten better over the years. I kind of sympathize with George Lucas here because time changes the story. You can start off with one idea but stories are alive and evolving. That’s why you have to know when to walk away from something when to let it be finished. But is an unfinished piece finished I feel that because it’s unfinished it allows for change. Yet you have to know when it’s done and you’re just changing small things. As creators we are never done we always see where we can improve, where we can change it, make it better. At some point you have to say it is done and leave it be.

I think this was one of the reasons for me starting my writing show The Written Writ. I wanted partners in this journey to become a better writer. If allowed me to explain my process have a sound board for when I was creating. Or just to understand better the journey of creating. Be it comic, book, or what ever.

I have never stopped buying books to help me on my journey with writing especially with writing comics. I ended up acquiring Write of Wrong by Dirk Manning. In this book I came to a complete understanding to something I had already learned. That the relationship between writer and artist is an important one and that it can affect the project in so many ways. You have to understand when you are picking who you will work with if

A. They are they right person for the project

B. They are compatible to you and the partnership will work out.

C. Their vision works with your vision especially when working with an artist. Hence not every artist is right for every project.

For a long time I was like ok I need an artist but didn’t think about their art what they do well or what their style is. But I came to understand that these factors are extremely important.

If your doing a western you need an artist that does that well. Same thing with sci-fi, superhero, slice of life, and so on. Make sure to pick the right person for the project.

I’m not saying that artist can’t rise up to the challenge and be what you need because many definitely can. More that, it’s important to understand if they will work well with what you are creating and with you.

“I always consider who the artist will be when writing the story, and consider the story when I’m considering the artist.” - Dirk Manning

Years later I met Dirk Manning and have had many great conversations with him about writing comics. Also great to be able to bring him on the live show to geek out. It’s always great to be able to talk shop with our brothers and sisters in creativity.

Lately, I have started showing off other stories and other pieces. I have done a couple of contests I have joined a couple of anthologies. Most recently with Philbo Publishing for a horror comic. That I will keep you posted about when it releases. Also with It Sucks at comics a prose story Huracán my first published piece with Wayward Raven.

And of course the comic book I am more recently working on, about my Teddy Bear super hero. Which I am very close to completing and will probably be kickstarting soon.

Your probably wondering what all this has to do with unfinished works. Well sometimes what stops you is out of your control. Other times it’s just that your not ready or it’s just not where it needs to be. Of course money is always an issue especially in the comic book world. Heck even in the writing world cause a good editor will cost you. Then there are times when you decide maybe I should work on something else. Maybe I should step away reorganize and come back at it with a fresh outlook. It’s all part of the journey to create and the story has its own journey into being.

I can tell you this much Heroes? Is not done it is just waiting to be worked on and completed. It may have been delayed and it may be unfinished but it is still waiting on me. Who knows maybe the next anthology will hold a snippet of Heroes? And that will be a way to work on it but I will keep working on it. Only you can say when you should stop but I’ll keep moving forward as long as I can.