writing/illustration collaborations

[neomeruru]

Hi writers! I've noticed that a lot of stories in the recent issues have been going up without illustrations, when there are always quite a few people willing to illustrate! I just think it's such a shame, because it's such a win-win when authors and artists can team up together! Illustrated stories get more readers, and who wouldn't want to see

Comments

[ladysisyphus]

Thank you for making this plea here, sweetheart! I'll say something in the next signup post, of course, though I'll probably end up linking back here, if that's all right with you, since you say it far better than I could. (Ironic, right?)

I think the bit about not having to have a final draft is key! A lot of stories do get crunched in under (or a little past) the deadline, and I have heard more than one slowpoking writer express sadness that there would be no time left to tap an artist.

So I will second the cheer of more collaborations! Hooray!

[velithya]

If you're concerned that you won't get your story done in time for an illustration, don't forget that out in the Real World (tm), illustrators often don't work with final drafts either.

I think this is a good point!

[newtypeshadow]

Thanks for this post! I've wondered about this myself, but from the perspective of a writer who doesn't generally ask for illustrators anymore

[neomeruru]

That's a really good point, about the Sadie Hawkins thing -- I think it might be a number of factors

[ladysisyphus]

I agree: I've tried to write someone else's ideas before, and while I'm usually pleased with the end product, the journey to get there is often harder and longer than I really want it to be. I mean, I can (and just did) sneeze out 22K words of story in a couple days, but only when it's something I really want to be doing.

As for the point about flaking, though, it's not just a writer dropout problem. I actually have that problem with artists flaking on me a lot: with three (I just counted) exceptions, every unillustrated ssbb story of mine is the result of a collaboration with an artist that fell through, sometimes with the artist's sincere apologies, sometimes with the artist's just up and disappearing. (Which is kind of a blow to the ego, no lie.) So yes! Sometimes they fall through, but that's no reason to stop trying!

[jibrailis]

As one of the slowpoking writers mentioned above (I always finish my stories very, very late, brushing right up against the deadline and usually the extension as well), I am definitely hesitant to approach artists because I know I won't have a draft in time. And I know that it's all right to send them preliminary work, but sometimes I feel like if it's not the final draft, or close to it, then the artist can't properly draw what I have in mind. There's so much room for conflicting visions -- I said x in my descriptions but the actual story ended up having x + y, and yet going by my descriptions the artist only knew to draw x.

and I think there's a double bind there. I am hesitant to ever be in a situation where I would tell an artist that something they drew didn't fit the story that well, because I know it would be my fault for not providing a concrete draft in time.

and I would feel, after the artist provided an illustration based on my descriptions, bound to that particular scene, that particular moment. I can't possibly get rid

[neomeruru]

I used to be the kid who would scrutinize the illustrations in my novels and point out the places where it looked like the artist obviously didn't read the story before they started drawing. It was small things, like a different colour shirt, or missing pieces of clothing, or the pose/positioning wrong... yeah. I'm a lot more understanding now, after doing a few illustrations.

[jibrailis]

I personally don't care if something about the art doesn't match up with my story. It doesn't bother me. My worry is more for how the artist might feel -- do artists get embarrassed when that happens? Does it look like it reflects badly on the artist for not getting a detail right? I mean, probably no one actually cares or even notices these things, but that's what goes through my head. I'm trying to work past it though. Def. going to try to find an illustrator for my next SSBB story! :D

[ladysisyphus]

The thing I like about ssbb, though, is that it's a place where you can embrace the philosophy of so fucking what? I mean, here's where I let myself get away with authorial bullshit I wouldn't dare indulge in other contexts -- cliche? stock action scenes? obligatory happy ending? ONE WITH EVERYTHING COMING RIGHT UP