Well…Life is always giving us opportunities: to learn, to live, to make new friends, join new adventures. But we have to make sure we’re receptive to these new adventures. So that when the right opportunity presents itself we’re ready and can say, “Yes, let’s go!”
So, my good friend D—, the Renaissance Man from the Upper Midwest—was talking to me last month. About getting more time, in his case, more time for his art. And art for him lately is tending toward the graphic: sketches, drawing, that sort of thing. This specific project is a comics/graphic novel. It’s a good fusion for him: he’s got experience writing too. So he can put that together with his latest, the graphic stuff, and tell stories in a new and exciting way. And the story line is all realist stuff too, so it’s not exactly normal comics fare.
Well, I offered to do some editing/proofing for him. It’s been lots of fun already, although he’s only a few pages in. I’ve already learned a few important things like: try to get your edits back to him as soon as possible before he “inks” the actual panels. That should have been obvious, but I hadn’t really thought about it.
And again, the bottom line is that it’s just plain fun. I’m getting to see someone create a story graphically, page by page. It’s a nice little mini-adventure and I’m glad I signed up for it. As a writer, you’ve got to look out for new opportunities, new chances to stretch yourself, have new experiences and just plain learn. And as they say, “Know what you write” or something like that???? So, I try to be open to new opportunities to learn and take them when I can. I hope you do too, even if you’re not writer.
Something to think about next time somebody talks about doing something crazy and different. See if you can worm your way into their project/adventure. Who knows? It might even give you something to write about a little further down the road…
Inside the Writer's Mind 