my coauthor and i finally reached the halfway point for our wip's first draft! it took crazy long (nearly a year of on and off writing!) to get to where we are now, but i don’t regret any of the revisions or silly distractions we got caught up in along the way. i definitely feel like i understand the purpose of a first draft better now — just to make the story exist in writing. it’s the furthest thing from perfect, but i’m okay with that as long as the story gets told. even after hitting halfway, though, it’s daunting to think about having to do all that work again to actually finish. the only difference is that now we have proof we can do it :)

on the topic of wips, i finally have a name for the webcomic i’m working on and hoping to publish: ambrose, cyril, & the andromeda complex! it’s one of my favorite personal stories and i’ve been working on it for over a year. over the last month or so, i’ve been writing the script, drafting the first few pages, and generally getting a feel for the webcomic process (i’ve never committed to a project like it before).

what i’m worried about is if no one sees or enjoys the webcomic (and more generally, the things i make). after i started posting my art online, i’ve been highly dependent on other people’s interactions with the things i make for validation. this is a terrible place to be mentally, of course, but i can’t extricate “wanting people to see my work” from “if people don’t engage with my work, the things i make are ultimately useless”. it’s kind of a big problem. i did start out making stories and art for no one but myself, though, so there must be a way to find satisfaction in it once again.

in other news, classes are starting in a week, and i’m experiencing both dread and impatience as i wait. i’ve long since tired myself out with having nothing to do all summer, and college will give much-needed structure to my days — but at the same time i hate the awkwardness of being there physically and getting from place to place and being perceived. i’m throwing my hat into the ring for a couple clubs and programs i haven’t tried before (ASL club, radio, and even possibly the fall musical) which will definitely liven things up, at the least. also, i’m making it my project to try and single-handedly bring zine culture to my (notoriously boring) university. i’m still new to zines, but i imagine there’s plenty of others out there who would enjoy making and sharing these neat little pieces of art. lots to look forward to, but plenty of things to work on in the meantime. —7