u/Mental-Statement2941

I thought it was hard for writers but it's hard for artists too. An artist will post "artist for hire" and I literally see zero engagement and it's a really skilled artist too.

An artist would post little snippets of their comics or art looking for feedback and it's a ghost town still.

Even worse for writers, writers post looking for feedback and it's zero.

An artist says they want to work for free to build their portfolio, no more than 8 or so writers engage ON A GOOD DAY (I am one of them).

A writer says they want to write for free, it's especially a ghost town.

The only posts here that get an engagement is if someone is looking to hire an artist, then you get 20 + comments. Nothing wrong with that ofc especially with money involved but at this point it's hard for artists and writers here if they don't have the "looking for artist paid" flair.

Heck I've answered the call of artists when they post the "looking for a writer unpaid" to build their portfolio. I've met some great guys, but with others, we chat, they seem excited to work with me then they ghost me. It's happened a good 7 times already and really only 2 artists haven't done that to me.

Maybe it's a bit of frustration here because people shit on writers a lot and have genuine criticisms but no one really brings up this issue when it comes to artists. I am thankful to the artists that have responded.

Is this what this sub has become? or maybe people drop dm's and just choose not to comment.

Artists, writers tell me man, is it rough in this sub for you?

I failed and discontinued from BIUST because I wasn't in the right mental space. I was really depressed, having not showered or attended lessons, in bed all day contemplating ending it. I failed, I was doing mining engineering for 3 yrs until I failed. I let go of a great course with good money.

Came back to Mochudi, parent's said I can rest for the year and they'll pay for my school next year. Well my mom since she's the breadwinner and my dad is struggling with employment.

Iran War starts shortly after, things get expensive but we're good. I decide to follow my dreams, because I never wanted to do mining engineering but I needed a good paying job. I always wanted to be a screenwriter for Hollywood, I do my research and that's so far fetched for a Motswana, fine then I'll be an animator and weave my way into writing animated films, oh sorry you can't work for studios from Botswana because legally they have to hire their own. Can't crowdfund jack because all the crowdfunding platforms are unavailable in Botswana. Fine a youtuber, OH sorry it's not monetized in Botswana.

I try being a tutor, but in Mochudi it's monopolized by crackit, so i apply to crackit....they tell me sorry I need a degree.

I wanted to be a fantasy writer, a Motswana has made it, there's a path to becoming a writer being internationally recognized but what's the point. It's a stupid dream.

Iran War continues, things get more expensive, my mom suggests she might not be able to put me through University....we have to cut off eggs, mayonnaise, rice, tinned beef, spaghetti because we can't afford it. Water cuts all the time in our neighbourhood and water utilities always says they'll fix it. It's been 6 fucking months, we have whole 5 day periods with no water, we haven't had consistent water in 6 months. My dad is old, he has back pains, he once had bad back pains and he needed pills, there was no water to take the pills, no liquids in the house to use. Try watching a 65 year old man rive in pain, coming back drunk because he's trying to start a business to pay for my school and it fails badly.

My dog dies too, my friends move out of the country. I'm lonely, I'm tired, I'm sick of this place and I'm now being told the Pula is devaluating in 2 months making things more expensive.

The only thing left is my mom dying and we'll be destitute. I got 46 points in my IGCSE, made it 3 yrs into engineering, I showed so much promise but in the span of 8 months, it's all gone downhill. Maybe I ruined it, maybe it's luck but I don't care anymore.

I'm tired and I ask myself why. I'm 21 and I'm already tired. I have no place to vent to, one day I'll just end it all.

I used to want kids yknow, but atp ive concluded why I'd bring a child to such a shitty world. I'm not even going through the worst of it, I can only imagine people in war torn countries. Life is just suffering unless you're a white rich man in a first world country. I won't curse a child with the horror that is life.

My laptop's battery went from 100% to 90% in the five minutes my laptop has been on. My battery is worn out probably but it's only been 3 years since I've had this laptop, is it being worn out in the span of 3 years normal?

Comics are expensive. I remember seeing a video from a comic book writer and said that to make his 32 page comic, it cost 4000 dollars. That's a lot of money and if you can't draw then it's a price that has to be paid.

For those that have made full on comics, having to pay an artist how much was it for you?

Do you have a good job that leaves you some income to pay the artist?

Did you have to save up and how long did it take you?

Did you use kick starter or did you use alternative routes?

For those making multiple issues, how you able to continue funding it?

What advice would you give to newbie writers in terms of funding?

Hey everyone. I've written three short stories over the course of the month. If any artist here would want to draw any of them, do so if you'd like. For the most part, i'd love any feedback on them. For artists wanting to draw them, I only ask for you credit me as the writer if any way shape or form you want to share it with anyone else. You're free though to change whatever you like to these stories.

Here's a short summary of the stories in order of the links posted:

1: ALL IN DUE TIME: a 5 page post apocalyptic fantasy story inspired by the Weekly Shonen Sunday Magazine's, Japanese manga Frieren by Kanehito Yamada.

2: WE CAN FLY: a 5 page sci fi wrestling story inspired by the Image Comic Series, Do a Powerbomb by Daniel Warren Johnson.

3: HEAT: a 2 page cowboy sci fi story inspired by Netflix's Arcane.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AEniLNpYqP_R7yMGf_omDWI7Dd4AH4EOdvQgx1ZfdpY/edit?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IU68oQYdx2yzUn5CqEEf0WhX4s5qvZ908euXm5W6qg4/edit?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1E46hunxc3Tzat_M6q5VQFJwJzZqQMb7MDuGuwdI-3P0/edit?usp=sharing

If any artist would love to collaborate on anything short, or would like me to create an original script for them for a smaller project, feel free to dm me on Reddit.

Thanks!

Im not an Islamaphobe by any means, I acknowledge that just like most religions there is really good stuff....but also really bad stuff. Islam has problematic elements, so does Christianity and you have both extremists ruining the world.

I do think though the only reason Christianity on the modern day at it's most extreme hasn't gotten as bad as Islam at it's most extreme is because of the lovey dovey Jesus bits.

If we got a version of Christianity that was solely based in the Old Testament we'd be having a way different story.

Heck Old Testament Christianity is just a form of Judaism and I'd argue Modern day Zionism is what we would just end up with.

With existing franchises being the most popular thing in Hollywood (more so film than TV). How often do screenwriters work on scripts that are completely their own original idea rather than being a remake, an adaption of a book, comic or stage play?

Can only the top screenwriters in the industry afford to work on their own original ideas and build a career of off that?

Does the answer to this question differ between being a screenwriter in tv as opposed to film?

Is the industry alot like the comics industry where alot of comic writers to make ends meet write for Marvel, DC, Darkhorse and BOOM writing already existing IP's and working on their original projects in their free time basically being work for hire's or does it work like the traditional publishing prose industry where prose writers build their careers working on their original stories?

I live in Pilane and for the past 2 to 3 months, water has cut SO MANY TIMES. We don't even have it on most days and whenever we go to water utilities it's "we'll fix it, the pipe is broken" it's always "we'll fix it" and they do it with the most lazy, backwards, "it is what it is" attitude. IM SICK OF IT, there are times of sick of this country and the laziness that just OOOZES from our government and some of our people. This place is so dripped in OLD, TRADITION and just slowness it sometimes DRIVES ME MAD.

I try to love home, bathong ba modimo but sometimes this country makes it very hard to love it.

I was posting because I'm curious if there are any comic writers here that have successfully learnt how to draw to an impressive degree, since there's only two options for writers, get money to pay an artist or learn how to draw. I've seen writers offer to pay artists on here, I'd love to see the writer's that actually learnt how to draw and ask how you were able to grow your writing skills whilst growing your drawing skills alongside working your day job. How were you able to balance and improve?

We have no animation studios or schools ofc. With that one has to look outside (like neighbouring South Africa) but are there any Batswana that have broken into the global industry AS PROFESSIONALS WITH SKILL, not hobbyists or is it harder for a Motswana to make it internationally.

I'm from Botswana and have been practicing animation for the longest of time since I was a teenager. Currently I'm in Botswana working a regular job, doing animation on the side as there is no industry here. I've recently learned of Triggerfish studios in Dreyersdal, Cape Town as it seems to be one of the biggest studios in SA. The world is going through a tough time right now in terms of the animation industry and i wanted to ask how it is particularly there and what are the chances of me getting hired there in terms of a studio job, (I'd be willing to move ofc), as I've not really gone to animation school and am completely self taught.

It's been expressed her, MANY MANY times but every time I ask my friends about their home lives, it's always a drama. From parent's saying horrendous things over the simplest of mistakes to us watching our parent's marriages fall apart, to realizing we can't even open up to our parents because they're just emotionally stunted.

I remember in college, there was a WHOLE dormitory of boy's in a huge building and we were hanging out and most of them told me that they didn't have a dad growing up, I was shocked and one of them told me "This is Botswana, who has father's in the home". I looked at the statistics here and it's bad. I see fellow Africans complain about "African parents", I know our parents and grandparents were alive when many of our countries were still colonies, heck I'm Shona on my dad's side and ive heard horror stories but damn.

Will these trauma's pass onto us and will we (African Gen Z) continue the cycle?

I've been struggling mentally and my older brother convinced my mom to put me through therapy. I'm on a gap yr because of my mental health and I had my first session with my therapist, my brother told me in the meantime I should work on something for myself as my mom plans to put me through college next year.

I told him that I struggle to believe in myself because of my crippling mental health and he said "everyone goes through stuff, everyone fights their inner demons but you have to deal with it and no one is coming to save you", it's the truth ofc. You can't save someone who wants to be saved.

It made me wonder if the "you don't have to go through stuff alone" sentiment people give in regards to mental health is true. During my crippling depression, all my high school and childhood friends moved from home town and went to college and struggle to even text me back. They have their own lives but they know I have crippling depression yet when I text them, they're slow to respond or give me dry texts or don't respond. It feels like a sort of unintentional switch up and when I ask about it, they tell me they're just "busy".

So what does it mean then, I've been feeling overwhelmingly alone as it's just me and i can only talk to my therapist consistently but yknow SHE'S PAID to do this so.

Is the "you don't have to go through it alone" stuff just BS?

Everyone has their own lives and own problems to really deal with yours right?

What does it look like to you to have a healthy consistent support system?

Africans and black people love hating on ourselves man especially in regards to why we're struggling as a continent. I've heard things like "Africans love to party instead of work".

Brother, I've been to the US, white people party way harder and frequent than black folks. We have college kids in the US doing cocaine and it's seen as normal, in my country if you're caught with cocaine, the dean of the university would beat you in front of your peers, your parents will disown you and you'll be shamed by the community meanwhile in the US it's "they're young and they'll grow out of it".

"It's the ghetto culture, it's so violent and the music is promoting crime", this is more towards African Americans but still....WHITE PEOPLE have media like JOHN WICK, white people have call of duty, GTA, ALL SHOOTER/KILLER or CRIMINAL GAMES/MEDIA played pre dominantly by white kids yet you hear people keeping quiet about how these things might influence kids....they used to but now they've stopped because there is little correlation between Call of duty and kids becoming school shooters. Perhaps though these games are military propaganda to get white kids into thinking their countries military is a force for good, hence they can invade and interfere in the countries and politics of the global south....hmmmm but no one will point that out.

"Africans love spending on unnecessary things", White America and Europe are literally hyper capitalist, hyper consumerist economies, the US produces the most waste out of any country in the world.

"Africans love fighting each other, they carry so much hate", Europe had two whole world wars, with a death toll in the millions, and the allies nuked an entire country (Japan) twice. Before that European empires literally fought each other for hundred's of years.

There are genuine criticisms of Africans but we must stop with the unnecessary self hate.

For the first time in year's, I've found some direction in my life. I'm 22 and it's been a rough few years since I left high school and journeyed to university. I was lost and aimless, picked an engineering major because it paid the most money in my country (engineering as a job), was a people pleaser, never lived for myself, always did what was asked of me with no pushback, I had very troubled parents growing up. Was in a bad friend group, got cheated on by my girlfriend of 4 years, dabbled in alcohol, failed out of college and it's been a year at home figuring out what's next.

This year gave me something that I've never really given myself. Times to really introspect and ask myself what I want from life, time to unpack my struggles and insecurities having come from a struggling family from a struggling country. I started writing and it's been therapeutic for me, writing anything, short stories, scripts, articles and i've grown obsessed with it. I love writing and I think that this is something I want to be in life. I decided i want to be a novelist. I know being a full time writer is hard and even harder for people in my country but I at least want it to be a part of my life even as it is something on the side.

I'm planning on going back to college, and pushing my degree on the side of writing, not only for myself but to be one of the only people in my country to be a successful writer. To inspire other's in my country to try, even if it's not a full time endeavor. I want to be the one to show little kids here that certain things are possible, not all things but many more than you think.

Will this purpose stick, well I'm 22 and young and anything can happen but for the first time in my adult life I feel a sense of new found direction in my life.

This is simply my personal opinion so do not take this as gospel or absolute fact but I genuinely do believe the root of botswana's problems is simply the fact that we are a conservative traditional country. Now there's nothing wrong with culture and tradition, ALL COUNTRIES have tradition but what makes a country thrive and what makes a country stagnate is it's ability to morph and adapt it's traditions to the modern age without losing the cultural core of it if you know what I mean.

Botswana must modernize not westernize. You look at countries like Japan and China, that are modernized and you can argue in many ways they are westernized but you can see that they were somehow able to keep key elements of their culture and who they are. Their culture was able to evolve, they left the bad and kept the good. This is the same with many Northern European countries such as Finland, Norway etc. No society is perfect of course but they're ahead.

Japan was able to keep their customs i.e respect for elders, prioritizing the collective over the individual and they were able to make a beautiful country, adapt their traditions to the modern times.

Meanwhile here......well most of the country doesn't even believe in evolution and believes the Earth was literally made in 7 days. Most of the country upon talking about mental illness will refer you to A PASTOR not a licensed professional. No shade to any Christian here, but....come on....these are things Christians in the West don't even stand by anymore. You'll have Batswana argue all day long about LGBTQ plus people and whether they even exist but when it comes to Justice for Tshepi where were those so called "Christians" and i especially mean the elderly "Christians".

We literally just had the discussion of the age of consent BEING LOWERED from 18 to 16. This country is dripping with stagnation and tradition that refuses to adapt, from our music to DAMN BTV having the same intro it's had since my Mom was a teenager (My mom is 50 now). Our conservatism is killing us.

I for one am tired of it, so damn tired of it.

As an adult you realise the advice "follow your dreams" is very complicated and it's easier said than done but I've noticed people have no nuance when it comes to that advice.

It's either "you do anything you dream of" or "following your dreams is unrealistic". It's more nuanced than that.

Let's say you want to be a musician. You could try your best and fail, ofc try your best in the sense of make music on the side and hope it blows up, or you could fail. These are the two sides people bring to the table but no one again brings nuance...blowing up to people means you're the next Jay Z or failing means you have no audience whatsoever. There are many musicians who are in the middle, they aren't Jay Z but they either A have a big enough audience to make a decent living or B have a big enough audience where it brings some secondary income. That could be you, the same thing goes for art and writing etc.

But i always see people advocate for absolute success top 1% or absolute failure and then they push whatever they believe on everyone. There is no universal advice to follow your dreams, there will be people that'll absolutely fail, people that'll go big but there are people who have carved up an audience for themselves somewhere and built a genuine community.

They say for every beyonce, there's 10 more that never made it.

I say for every beyonce, there's people who sure not superstars have made something for themselves and sure people who haven't.

It's more nuanced, go out and TRY if you can.

I was reading do a Powerbomb being around 7 issues, great book but I sat down and thought...initially this short story was released over the course of 7 months...wouldn't it have been better as a trade.

Now ofc creators need to eat and so releasing it monthly means you can reap the rewards of the sales sooner rather than wait 7 whole months but let's put that aside for this discussion. Do you think alot of these mini series, or even stories that don't really last 30 issues would just be better as trades to begin with.

I get really long 70 plus stories but I remember Ed Brubaker in an interview even mentioned that one series he was doing was failing monthly but succeeding as a trade and now he does Original graphic novels.

It gives the audience a complete story in one go and a month is a LONG TIME to wait for just 22 pages. Trades can be put into wider book stores leading to more exposure. In my local book store you can find lord of the rings next to manga tankabons and they sell out quick.

Ofc LOGISTICS and payment for creators aside do you think trades would be a much better and superior format for modern comic series from Image, BOOM, Darkhorse, Marvel and DC etc...to try out.

First and foremost, I'm asking in regards to the professional comic book space. I mean experienced writers and artists in the space, done a couple of semi successful projects etc. Not new writers or artists, but people who have experience.

In that space, let's say a writer wants to make a new series, 30 issues plus. They have the audience that's not the biggest but it's big enough, they've worked with artist's before, they aren't a Jonathan Hickman but they aren't a newbie either. They're big enough that their comics sell enough to make back the money that was spent on it, but not by a large margin, it's JUUUST THERE. Finally the writer perhaps pitches to Image, having paid an artist to have the 5 sequential pages Image needs.

Image accepts, and the writer knows that their audience over they've built over the past few years will show up for them as they have previous projects. He talks to the artist and the artist suggests one of two things, a page rate for each issue OR a 50/50 split on royalties and ownership as the writer has proven to make a profit and generate support for their comics.

Which is the best option here? People (both writers and artists) ive seen are weary of the 50/50 split because they fear the legality of it, and what often ensues when it comes to potential rights like TV, film and toys. I wanted to pose this question to get a bigger scope.

When I'm with other people I feel so happy and bright and alive and vibrant, but whenever I'm alone for like let's say two hours onward I feel stationary or shut down, inactive and everything becomes grey, I find myself sleeping or doom scrolling. I've noticed I'm only woken up out of this state when I receive a text message from someone, I light up, so much so that I often check my social media a lot and wait on people's messages. I'm young and on a gap year so I'm at home often but even before this, I'd feel pretty empty spending any time alone with myself. I struggle to start hobbies or any of the sort to fill the time.

Is this just me being an extroverted person and natural or is there more to this?