The birth of a new comic - part one

Hi squad,

We’re now just under four weeks until the launch date for my latest Kickstarter comic, DEATH DESERVED.

Firstly, some project updates

I recently announced the 48hr exclusive early bird reward on the prelaunch page. There’s a poll on what you think of the reward there too, so please check it out and let me know your thoughts!

I’ve also signed on an editor, Tom Williams, to help with story development and script editing. He’s worked on some amazing titles such as Dark Souls, Bloodeborne and Assassin’s Creed, so he’s a perfect fit for the role.

The most difficult question I’m often asked at an event is, ‘how do you come up with your ideas?’

It’s difficult because I’m genuinely always thinking of characters, scenarios, and dramatic situations.

When all I do is daydream about the fictitious and fantastical, how can I not come up with ideas?

Now, sitting here, and not on the spot at a book festival, I have time to think and type, so I have more of a real answer than just “I just come up with them…”

For me, an idea is formed through a blend of what I experience, what fiction I like, and what is interesting from real life.

For example, with EVERY LAST ONE - I love serial killer stories, I experience life in Glasgow, Scotland and took inspiration from people I knew to create the characters. That’s a very basic overview but it’s how the bones of my concepts begin.

And when you have a mind for writing, you see potential everywhere. A funny incident on the street. A quirk one of your work colleagues has. Or a dramatic situation a friend or family member find themselves caught up in.

Learning the craft of storytelling

I think I developed a mind for generating ideas through learning the skills of storytelling.

People do have natural talent for writing, for sure. But I always likened learning to write like learning to play the guitar.

You learn chords, you learn the pentatonic scale, you learn pace, you learn strumming, picking, how to work with amps - often by studying books, being taught, practicing and playing other people’s songs.

Then, before you know it, you have a base skill to jam, to experiment, to collaborate. You can pick up a guitar and riff.

My ideas seemingly come from nowhere, but it’s because I’ve trained myself in the art of storytelling, so they come from nowhere easier and faster because I know what I need to build out a narrative. I can riff in my head.

A final note on this, I used to revere writing as an almost godly gift and it made me so nervous to even try.

But the more I broke it down into a practical craft to learn, I felt better about it. After all, I can play the guitar.

Death Deserved wasn’t ever meant to be.

For the past year I have been working hard on a kid’s fantasy pitch with my agent Molly at United Agents.

That’s now out on submission with publishers, which is exciting and terrifying all the same!

It was my big focus on top of my day job. All of my work for hire gigs dried up, so alongside One Shot Studios development work - and promoting the launch of Nessie - I was laser focused on this big project and big opportunity.

In defence of George RR Martin

I’m going to kind of defend George RR Martin here.

When you have the big thing and you’re stressed about the big thing because you pile all your hopes and dreams onto the big thing… it makes the big thing all consuming.

Martin’s big thing is the mainline A Song of Ice and Fire books. And yet he kept writing other works on top of that. That might seem mad, and in fairness, it has caused big delays (at least from what I understand).

But I get it. I had to find a more relaxed outlet for my writing as a break from the big thing (my agent pitch). Eventually writers hit a difficult, sludgy, roadblock right in the middle of developing and writing. Usually that means taking a break and coming back with fresh eyes.

But during that break, the urge to create is still there. And I find focusing on something else with no stakes riding on it is actually quite freeing. And usually, when done right, you can come back in fresh to the big thing and make it even better.

Death Deserved was my break from the big thing. So I was surprised by how good it came out and what potential it has.

The idea mixing pot that would become Death Deserved

The idea of it came quite naturally and fast. Remember I said above what I bring together to create an idea? Here’s what was smooshed together to form Death Deserved.

• I was watching content about ancient Rome and Egypt and realised most fantasy is based on Medieval Europe (is there something cool and different to be done there?)

• I finished Elden Ring last year which really opened my eyes to dark fantasy. I loved the dramatic lore (could I use some of this to fuel a story of my own?)

• I loved the spider species in Children of Time, how they evolved was fascinating (could I make my own cool spider characters?)

• I also love Spider-Man and spider powers (okay, now we have two sources of spider inspiration)

• Assassins are cool (maybe there’s a cult of assassins….)

• The revenge story in Last of Us Part 2 was ace and disturbing (can I add a revenge theme?)

Now all of this type of idea generation usually swirls around in my head for a few weeks or months before I then commit it to paper.

This usually begins with a big WHAT IF info dump on email or a word document. I start just getting out random ideas, scenarios, lore, into a messy spread of text and reference pictures.

Then it’s all about giving it shape…

I’ll cover more about my process and how I brought together Death Deserved into a fully fleshed out concept in my next post!

I hope you enjoyed this style of update. Please let me know if it’s something you’d like see more of. And also, please ask any questions you may have!

Many thanks and have a great day!

Gary