House of Gas
On pushing the path of least resistance in your writing, Superior Four #2 and Sara Gran's The Infinite Blacktop.
Good morning from the chilly shores of Prince Edward Island. This weekend we had a full spat of sunshine and spring weather. Even though walking was been a problem (with my slowly recovering toe) and even though I’ve got three pressing projects breathing down my neck, I got out most of the weekend.
In times like these, I have to turn my phone off to curb my anxiety. Normally, I feel pressure to work weekends so this is no different. But I’ve stopped working myself to exhaustion. When things are this busy I need that hard out. I need to force myself just to exist away from my computer and do everything I can to not go into my office. Sounds insane but it works!
Most of the time I’m able to manage my work/life balance with relative ease but I’m in this weird space where I’ve got three projects sunsetting as two more are starting pre-production. I tend to get really eager around beginnings and ends. The fast pace of comics almost ensures that you’re always stuck in this weird balancing act. Which, honestly, is the hardest part about being a comics writer. You’ve got to live with four or five projects (all in different stages of production) in your head at the same time.
This week we’re talking:
Writing Craft: Follow the path of least resistance
Comics Work Update!
SUPERIOR FOUR #2
Sara Gran’s The Infinite Blacktop
Writing Craft
Following the path of least resistance
I think there’s this idea that writing should be punishing, or that to do it right you need to suffer for it. Not only is that bullshit, it’s a really unhealthy way to look at your craft. Writing isn’t easy, but if you apply yourself to it every day with a regular concerted effort - you can make tons of progress.
Last week I jokingly posted this screenshot of a note I left for myself in a script.
The note may seem harsh, or even unnecessary, but something I’ve learnt with years of doing this: dwelling on stuff doesn’t necessarily make it better. If you’re beating your head against a wall working and reworking a single line of dialogue before you move onto the next scene - you’ll go insane. Just leave a note for yourself and move on.
If you want to get better at writing, and make real progress, sit down every day and write for a set amount of time. Take an hour (or whatever) and focus solely on making forward progress, don’t let yourself be too precious about anything, just get the story out as best you can. Or in other words, follow the path of least resistance.
When writing a first draft focus on where your gut is leading you and push to get the work out of your head and onto the page. Once that draft is done, you’ll have plenty of time later to go back and fine tune the details. I know some writers who work out dialogue first and go back an add visuals later. I know writers who do the opposite. Focus on what works for you. Just get out what’s inside, then take time later to rearrange and reorganize your ideas into that sweet sweet poetic harmony that can only be achieved in comics.
Comics Work Talk
PROJECT BLOOD is moving full steam ahead. There is an attached artist who’s honestly a dream collaborator and after some back and forth - we’ve got the logistics of the project worked out, along with the entire team of characters I asked for. I can’t say much about this just yet - but it’s the first thing at the Big Two I’ve built from the ground up. Which is both terrifying and exhilarating. There’s really nothing better than being asked “what do you want to do?”. The hard part is narrowing things down when your real answer is: everything.
I had a really fantastic call with the director and producers attached to PROJECT WITHERING. The journey here has been long but this week’s set of revisions is the final pass before we send off for the final round of financing. The call was super positive, everyone is thrilled with the new draft and we’re just polishing small details now. More when I can share it…
Apart from that, last week ended with a new book approved. We’re adding PROJECT WINDMILL to the board. This one is historical horror/action that has a very specific genre lens I’ve always wanted to tackle but never had the right idea for it. Luckily things finally clicked into place.
This week I’m writing the final issue of PROJECT XII. A historical horror-noir that will be announced in April. We settled on a release date last week. I couldn’t be more excited about this one. It’s an effort to do something more akin to The Dregs with an undercurrent of horror but without delving into the surreal like a lot of my other solo work. Let’s call it an exercise in restraint. Yeah, that works…
SUPERIOR FOUR #2
Four Otto’s dive deeper into the multiverse and make a big mess.
Tomorrow marks the release of DEVIL’S REIGN: SUPERIOR FOUR #2. This series was a blast to write and this issue things really kick into overdrive. Like I said last month, this book isn’t meant to be a gritty companion piece to the street-level Devil’s Reign but instead embrace the absurd premise that’s only possible thanks to things set up in the main book. It’s a Fantastic Four book with four Doc Ocks. - that’s it. It’s really that simple.
The issue begins with a little more insight into Otto’s multiversal status and the motivation behind the book’s villain - THE SUPREME OCTOPUS. Last issue, Otto made a big paradoxical mistake and this issue is all about the price you pay for messing with the multiverse. If you dug what we did in issue #1, there’s more high-action fun awaiting you here. Can’t wait for people to dig in!
As you can see, the team isn’t exactly cooperating anymore. It all breaks down when SUPERIOR FOUR #2 hits comic shops tomorrow.
The Infinite Blacktop
I’m currently halfway through Sara Gran’s THE INFINITE BLACKTOP. It’s the third in her Claire DeWitt mystery series. Like the other two, the book is existentially weary and filled with strange dreamy detours. It’s a Lynchian private eye book if I’ve ever read one.
Gran does an impeccable job echoing the classics of the detective genre like Hammett or Chandler but puts a self-aware spin on things that I can’t resist. Though the book threads together multiple timelines and multiple cases - everything reads seamlessly. It’s probably more of a classic LA noir than the others in the series but still has the same surreal ambitions.
There’s a meta-textual musing at the heart of the Claire DeWitt series that seeks to deconstruct typical noir archetypes while pushing the genre into new forms of storytelling. I’ve never read anything quite like this series and I’m already wishing there were more DeWitt mysteries out there. If you like your noir deconstructed with a light dusting of dream logic - look no further.
Trying to take my time with this one as I don’t want it to end…
Peace
Another week’s gone. Winter is almost over. Hold tight, the days are getting longer and the sun’s starting to burn brighter - the warmth of Spring will be here sooner than you think.
Until next time,
Z 02/15/22