Ask the Author: Tim Fish
Answered Questions (3)
Tim Fish
For comic book and graphic novel writer/artists, I always start with:
1) Don't let your art hold you back (especially for writer/artists who say "I draw, but not good well enough." There are some amazing books out there with simpler art styles!
2) Produce a mini comic, soup to nuts, even if 8 pages or so. Planning, writing, drawing, lettering, pre-press. Submit it to a printer who does small run jobs. Experiencing this process and seeing your mistakes in page and file set up is very helpful. Do this before you draw a full OGN.
3) If you've not written comics before, check out Scott McCloud's UNDERSTANDING COMICS. Knowing how readers read them will help you write them! For structuring narratives, from short stories to long works, I love INTO THE WOODS by John Yorke (it's a book about writing, not a work of fiction).
1) Don't let your art hold you back (especially for writer/artists who say "I draw, but not good well enough." There are some amazing books out there with simpler art styles!
2) Produce a mini comic, soup to nuts, even if 8 pages or so. Planning, writing, drawing, lettering, pre-press. Submit it to a printer who does small run jobs. Experiencing this process and seeing your mistakes in page and file set up is very helpful. Do this before you draw a full OGN.
3) If you've not written comics before, check out Scott McCloud's UNDERSTANDING COMICS. Knowing how readers read them will help you write them! For structuring narratives, from short stories to long works, I love INTO THE WOODS by John Yorke (it's a book about writing, not a work of fiction).
Tim Fish
I have two projects underway, connected to my work as a Fulbright Scholar. A comedy-of-manners graphic novel about imperfect progress (set in the CAVALCADE universe) and a parlor play about determination in choosing difficult paths. Both should be in a good draft state by 30 June.
In the meantime, I am drawing PLEASE SAY IT! Volume III Act III (the last bit of the story).
In the meantime, I am drawing PLEASE SAY IT! Volume III Act III (the last bit of the story).
Tim Fish
My webcomic PLEASE SAY IT! was motivated by the attacks on LGBTQ+ youth in the summer of 2022. I wanted to add positivity to the universe and use the 1980s as an example of a time not to go back to. Volume I is about self-awareness, Volume II is about self-acceptance, and Volume III which launched 5 February 2024 is about activism. Read for free at Webtoon or Tapas! https://linktr.ee/timfishworks
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