The Webcomic Dojo

[GCC]

(I wasn't sure whether to post this here or in the Webcomics forum...)

I've recently started a new site, The Webcomic Dojo. While it began as a simple art blog of mine, it has evolved into an educational resource for artists/writers, but especially comic creators. This is NOT a website that reviews webcomics; rather, the goal is to help shape your ability and grow as a creator.

Resources that I post include: tutorials, free application resources (Photoshop and Illustrator brushes, patterns, styles, actions, etc), references, software reviews, hardware reviews (relevant to comic creators), book reviews, articles, color schemes, backgrounds, and the occasional art/writing exercises.

Here are some things that I've posted so far:

• Free Resources of the Day - Every weekday, five new free resources are posted from around the web that I have found (usually tutorials, reference backgrounds, and application resources)
• My Top Ten Tips Before Starting a Webcomic - aka "I wish someone had told me this"
• My proofreading articles so far
• My monthly color schemes - for inspiration
• My recommended suggestions for art instructional books (I own all of them)

I've spent several years collecting these resources and now want to give back. Everything is free and made for the love of the webcomic community. I am looking for suggestions about needed topics. Note that JUST because it is comic-oriented does not mean artists or writers of other mediums can't benefit!

[Domochevsky]

I can't help but notice that all your blog links lead to adfly.

[leakingpen]

{Scrubbed}

[GCC]

Wow, that really hurt. :( Instead of having picture ads all over the site, I decided to place two link ads at the top of each post. The money that I make from it is a pitance--really. They are easily ignorable, unlike picture ads, if you come for the article. I don't think there is any maliciousness being there.

In addition, a large chunk of the articles are copy paste jobs from tumblr and other sources.

My site IS a Tumblr. Those are re-blogs. They are NOT copy and paste. That's how Tumblr works. All re-blogs have the original-owner's URL. My site is still new, but I've got a ton of my own content planned. I don't see why I shouldn't re-blog something just because you're expecting all original content. I'm there to showcase whatever educational material is available.

I guess this wasn't the feedback I was expecting. Ouch.

[Domochevsky]

I am willing to assume the best of you, but why is every link on this page a adfly link?

(My main problem with those is that i cannot use adfly and that i can't tell where the link leads, since it's one of those shortlinks. You trying to make cash with people clicking those links does not yet factor into it, but is considered.)

[GCC]

Sure. The answer is simple. That part of the site (which is sectioned off from the rest) contains various resources I've spent over two years now collecting that I've found around the web. Over time, that has translated into hours upon hours of meticulous searching, collecting, tagging/organizing, etc. I simply can't justify continuing to put all that work into it without at least a little return. I understand the uncertainty of not seeing clearly where it will take you, but it's my hope that once people click one link and see that I'm being honest about where it will take you, they will understand.

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It's either that or going to a subscription-model, which I don't wish to see happening. So that was my choice. View an interstitial ad to be taken to a free resource you can find helpful, which in the end, covers less than 0.01% of the cost of the time I put in. I hope that's fair.

But I am determined to follow my own advice (#8 on my list for starting a webcomic), so I will take another look at my process of doing this. If you think it, someone else will as I prepare to tell others. In that way, this is helpful, and I thank you for the feedback.

Lastly (sorry if this is too long), I would like to make it more clear about what I am actually receiving...there are so many things that need to happen for a click to count, including: 1. A person can't be counted for more than five clicks per day, 2. A person must have javascript enabled, 3. A person must have flash enabled (which then discounts most mobile users...). So ask yourself, am I doing this to take cash, or is this a labor of love? Imagine a very small number I am making off of the site, and then imagine an even smaller number. I have a full-time job and would still be doing this even if I won 100 million dollars.

Anyway, I would like to extend an olive-branch, if possible, and post a yet-to-be-released article I wrote. This one is about writing tension (I realize proofreading, while important, does not make for good discussion, hahaha):

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Have you ever written a mystery or thriller story? If so, chances are high that you created an outline, sprinkled cliffhangers throughout, and weaved a twist or two as the story progressed.

But wait a minute. How do you know if your story will catch the audience by surprise? After all, you know what is going to happen. You understand who the murderer, spy, etc, is the entire time. It is impossible for the author to feel the tension that the audience feels because you know what will happen next. How do you make certain you are maintaining that level of suspense/guesswork throughout?

Worry not. With a few simple writing tricks, it is completely possible to create plot tension without actually experiencing it yourself.

• Enlist a friend who can regularly read your drafts. Ask, among other things, if they were able to guess what would happen next. Given enough time, your friend should understand your writing style and the direction you meant to take the story. If you cannot keep this person on your toes, the same will probably hold true to any long-time readers you might have.
  
  
• Know when your audience will start calling your bluff. For example, if all of the people who "die" in your story eventually come back, readers won't fall for the ol' switch again. Or if something really serious constantly happens to the hero, such as receiving wounds large enough to be fatal, but then the hero is fine in the next chapter, your audience will begin to not treat these fatal wounds with the gravity they should normally receive. The readers will know the person is going to be fine, dispelling any tension this would have created.
  
  
• Use cliffhangers sparingly. Actually, many successful authors give a cliffhanger at the end of every chapter. Just realize that they are going for a certain kind of story and are smart about how they write this. On the other hand, many of my fellow webcomic creators will insert a cliffhanger at the end of every week's worth of comics. They do this because they hope a Friday cliffhanger will get the readers coming back for the next week. But once you read the archive in aggregate, the story will feel disjointed because these cliffhangers are inserted based on temporal factors, not where the plot situation is. In other words, it is better to have the plot flow better long-term than to receive a temporary weekend boost.
  
  
• Have something go wrong towards the end of "Act One." This will help pave the way for your character to receive growth, but in the meantime it will show your audience that the hero is capable of failure. This failure will make the character seem more human (and thus easier to identify with). Because of this early example of something not working out, your readers are left with no guarantees that the hero will always breeze through every challenge. This will leave the plot tension simmering because the main character is not perfect (and perfection is boring).
  
  
• Know when to take the occasional step back from tension (often known as inserting "breathers"). You can't have the story ONLY consist of plot twists and events that ratchet stakes up higher and higher. If you make everything a "high point" then nothing will be suspenseful at all--the story will "plateau." Imagine a rollercoaster that only lifts you up in the beginning and stays that way for the rest of the ride. The truth is that we need those low points to fall back onto. The same is true for tension. The most common "breather" example is dialogue. In most instances (but not ALL instances), if two characters are safely able to converse with each other, then chances are high that no immediate threat is present. The audience is then able to load up on knowledge about their thoughts, emotions, and clues about what will happen next. Another example is the "safe house." In a detective novel, for instance, the lead detective might have come back to his office after trailing a suspect that led to a chase. He is then able to examine all the evidence he collected safely.
  
  
• Provide multiple options the hero can choose. In mystery stories, these are typically red herrings or multiple suspects. In war books, this could involve a general having a few different tactical options--and only one tactic is the right tactic.When the options are laid out, your audience will wonder which path your character will take, creating tension. Sometimes you can even have the hero take an option you never listed AS an option.
• Along the same lines, reveal something to your audience that the character doesn't know. That way, tension will build as the character chooses an option everyone KNOWS is a trap. Or, tension will build as your audience hopes that your character will see whatever it is that they see. "Reverse" mystery novels in which the killer is revealed to the audience at the beginning chapter work in this manner.
  
  
• "Fake a fake." One of my favorite authors, Agatha Christie, is famous for this. Her detectives will first be certain that one person is the killer, then new evidence will contradict this, and as the detective spends chapters looking into everyone else, the original person will end up being the true killer anyway. This will leave your audience going around in circles as they try to do their own guesswork.
  
  
• Use time and distance to create tension. Maybe the comet will crash into the earth in three days. Maybe your character needs to make a long journey for reasons the audience doesn't know (but is gradually revealed throughout the story). The unknowing part will leave your audience wanting to know what will happen. Some sort of impending deadline or dangerous trek can add to this.
  
  
• Place your character in an unfamiliar situation to him/her. Maybe the hero has always relied on a special item or sidekick to help make it through all of their past sticky situations. Take that away and your audience will be left wondering if the hero can manage without these things. Alternatively, drop your character into a new setting. This can be as simple as putting your nerd character into a situation in which he/she must work together with the cheerleaders/jocks. Or placing your student in a new school. Whatever it might be, your audience will see that your character's problems cannot be solved overnight.

With these tricks, any author can write suspenseful stories. It's just a matter of knowing the most ideal formula. Master authors have their perfect combination down pat.

The most important advice about tension I can give is that your audience is smart. They will realize when they are being fed something that is supposed to feel suspenseful when none is there. Recognize that, and you will already have taken the first step to writing brilliant tension.

Thanks for reading and I hope I can still have a lively discussion about webcomic-making.

[leakingpen]

Wow, that really hurt. :( Instead of having picture ads all over the site, I decided to place two link ads at the top of each post. The money that I make from it is a pitance--really. They are easily ignorable, unlike picture ads, if you come for the article. I don't think there is any maliciousness being there.

My site IS a Tumblr. Those are re-blogs. They are NOT copy and paste. That's how Tumblr works. All re-blogs have the original-owner's URL. My site is still new, but I've got a ton of my own content planned. I don't see why I shouldn't re-blog something just because you're expecting all original content. I'm there to showcase whatever educational material is available.

I guess this wasn't the feedback I was expecting. Ouch.

Yeah, but it's not being presented as a tumblr, its being presented as a tutorial site. Simply put, the entire thing LOOKS like one of those seo search engine link generation farms, and not like a resource i'd actually use.It may not be the feedback you expect, but we all seem to agree, so it's the feedback you need.

[flyingchicken]

They are easily ignorable, unlike picture ads,

This can't be more wrong.

Using ad.fly is just in bad form IMO, makes you come off as desperate to monetize your site, especially so early on. Make content and develop an audience, and preferably sell something to them instead of selling them as much as possible.

[GCC]

Okay, thank you for the feedback, everyone. I honestly didn't expect so strong of a reaction, especially because I consider the links supplemental to the article (unlike most picture ads), but I also see where you are coming from. I see now I am too early to start diving in, and must change things while continuing to post the articles I have planned.

In fact, I am very glad that I am learning all this now, and seeing different points of view.

I was still hoping to post some articles here, sans-site, and have a discussion (maybe do some drawing practice), but I guess that's unlikely. I've started the tweaks and will probably continue through the week.

[leakingpen]

nope, nope, don't back off! You've seen where you came across the wrong way, and are looking to correct your image. You're good people! Please post articles, practice drawing, look for feedback, ect. keep the website up, just, tweak it!

I know that "reblogging" is the big thing on how tumblr works, but when presented as a proffessional blog like it is, you'd be better of just LINKING to their post.

and, personal suggestion, keep the amazon refferrers, dump adfly. they have a VERY bad reputation, and they've earned it.