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StArt Faire is Signing Off

Hello everyone!  We just want to give you one last huge thank you for all your support!  We have been immensely lucky to get to know every single person we’ve come in contact with. Though we’re sad to see the magazine go, we’ve definitely loved every minute of it.  Whether you’ve contributed to the magazine or just read it, know that we greatly appreciate you and wish everyone success for the future!

For the next several months you will be able to check out all 28 issues of StArt Faire on the website: http://startfaire.com/

 However, as of this post this Tumblr will no longer be maintained.  Alas, this is indeed farewell.  If for some reason you need to get in touch with any of StArt Faire’s admins, please try us via Twitter:

@KhyatiX

@RebelVampire

@CalimonGraal

Alternatively, the StArt Faire Discord server isn’t going anywhere, so you can hit us up there as well: https://discordapp.com/invite/2mjbwTG

 Otherwise, good luck everyone, and thanks for the experience~!

Sincerely,

Draco Plato

RebelVampire

CalimonGraal

#start faire

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Our Final Issue, Issue 28, is out!

Hello hello everyone~!  Today we’re happy and sad to announce that our final issue, Issue 28, is officially out~!  These years have been a wild ride, and we’re definitely going to miss the magazine.  The project has allowed us to have contact with so many wonderful contributors and readers, and we hope you all take a few moments to check out this last issue.  We want to go out with a bang, as it were!  That being said, this issue has 314 pages of content to offer~!  Just hit the link at the bottom to read the issue and please remember to take the survey as well~!

EXCLUSIVE COMICS:

Champs by Mharz

Fell Swoop by Alakotila

Chronicles of Fenaur by CalimonGraal

The Hunter of Fenaur by CalimonGraal

My Dad is a Magical Girl by Tenor/Shinavar

Soul Hymn by Draco Plato

Magical Girl Something Something by Kabocha and Chad Bonin

LIGHT NOVELS:

Idol Paradise World by snuffysam

MIRRORED COMICS:

Psychteria by CalimonGraal

Zenchav by Draco Plato

Galebound by Respheal

Centralia 2050 by Michelle Stanford

Friends or Lovers? by Emma Itoh

Voidchild by David Lindholm

Rainy Day Dreams by Mariah Currey

Final Light by BraveHeartTatsumaki

I, Necromancer by Donathin Frye, Snowdon, and Mharz

My Friends in Distantland by Jen Linman

Sacrimony by Indira

Paladins by James Kniseley and House of Imagi

The J-Man by Jonny Aleksey

Furry Experience by Ellen Natalie

Whispers in the Wind by Moonsun

ARTICLES:

Teal Deer: Writing Action Scenes by Jazeki

RV Reviews by RebelVampire

Stuck in His Shadow by snuffysam

FEATURED COMICS:

Underworld Engine

Super Galaxy Knights Deluxe R

Homeroom 1-L

MK’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde

Pike’s Reach

Celestial Chronicle Shion

>>>READ ISSUE 28<<<

Thank you everyone as always for your support~!

WEBSITE  |  DISCORD

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Our Final Issue, Issue 28, is out!

Hello hello everyone~!  Today we’re happy and sad to announce that our final issue, Issue 28, is officially out~!  These years have been a wild ride, and we’re definitely going to miss the magazine.  The project has allowed us to have contact with so many wonderful contributors and readers, and we hope you all take a few moments to check out this last issue.  We want to go out with a bang, as it were!  That being said, this issue has 314 pages of content to offer~!  Just hit the link at the bottom to read the issue and please remember to take the survey as well~!

EXCLUSIVE COMICS:

Champs by Mharz

Fell Swoop by Alakotila

Chronicles of Fenaur by CalimonGraal

The Hunter of Fenaur by CalimonGraal

My Dad is a Magical Girl by Tenor/Shinavar

Soul Hymn by Draco Plato

Magical Girl Something Something by Kabocha and Chad Bonin

LIGHT NOVELS:

Idol Paradise World by snuffysam

MIRRORED COMICS:

Psychteria by CalimonGraal

Zenchav by Draco Plato

Galebound by Respheal

Centralia 2050 by Michelle Stanford

Friends or Lovers? by Emma Itoh

Voidchild by David Lindholm

Rainy Day Dreams by Mariah Currey

Final Light by BraveHeartTatsumaki

I, Necromancer by Donathin Frye, Snowdon, and Mharz

My Friends in Distantland by Jen Linman

Sacrimony by Indira

Paladins by James Kniseley and House of Imagi

The J-Man by Jonny Aleksey

Furry Experience by Ellen Natalie

Whispers in the Wind by Moonsun

ARTICLES:

Teal Deer: Writing Action Scenes by Jazeki

RV Reviews by RebelVampire

Stuck in His Shadow by snuffysam

FEATURED COMICS:

Underworld Engine

Super Galaxy Knights Deluxe R

Homeroom 1-L

MK’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde

Pike’s Reach

Celestial Chronicle Shion

>>>READ ISSUE 28<<<

Thank you everyone as always for your support~!

WEBSITE  |  DISCORD

#comics #webcomics #indie comics #free comics #zine #comic zine #comic magazine #webcomic zine #webcomic magazine #indie comic zine #indie comic magazine #start faire #issue 28

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July 31st, 2018 News

Issue 28′s deadline has officially passed, and we will be releasing our final Issue tomorrow.  However, in the meantime, we do want to encourage everyone to check out Comic Tea Party.  Comic Tea Party is a weekly, webcomic bookclub hosted every Thursday from 5pm to 7pm PST/PDT.  While we may be closing down, Comic Tea Party will be going strong.  Further, many of our activities and events will be absorbed into Comic Tea Party, so it’s going to be an ever more awesome project than it was before.

If this has peaked your curiosity, please check out Comic Tea Party’s website linked below:

>>COMIC TEA PARTY WEBSITE<<

Otherwise, we hope you all have a fantastic day, and we’ll see you tomorrow!

#comics #webcomics #indie comics #comic tea party #ctp #comic chat #comic discussion #webcomic chat #webcomic discussion #bookclub #comic bookclub #webcomic bookclub

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With StArt Faire shutting down, we hope you all make sure to continue to follow, support, and cheer for the amazing comics that we’ve been privileged to host!  They are truly amazing works, and even with us leaving we believe they deserve to flourish~!

PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR COMICS PAGE SO YOU CAN MAKE SURE YOU CAN FIND THE COMICS!

#comics #webcomics #indie comics #comic creators #artists #writers #free comics

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50 Character Archetypes!!

Ever not know how to give your characters depth without going too far or not far enough? I’ve made a list of fifty character tropes, some you hopefully haven’t seen before, to try and help. Adding them to any character would immediately spice up how the reader sees them and is sure to make your characters more interesting. So here we go!

“The Whole Plot Happens to Them by Accident so they Learn on the Way”

“The Predestined Hero”

“The Unwilling but Wanting to Do Good”

“Retired Hero Back in Action”

“The Volunteer for the Big Journey”

“The Average Kid Turned Protagonist”

“The Sarcastic Best Friend”

“The Willful ‘Little Sibling’” (Note: does not actually have to be a little sibling)

“The So-Selfless-They’re-Reckless Type”

“The Wants-Recovery-But-Doesn’t-Know-How-to-Get-It”

“The Learned-From-Bad-Experiences Mentor”

“Stays-Strong-for-Others-Not-Self Type”

“Takes Out Conflicts on Others Type”

“Takes Out Conflicts on Others Type, but they feel guilty later”

“Unsuccessful Artist”

“The Unnatural Leader”

“The ‘It’s Never Enough’ Perfectionist”

“The Calculator”

“Expresses Emotions with Actions Type”

“The Trying-To-Keep-Up Type” (Note: Usually used when a character has self-doubts about abilities while in a talented group of people)

“The (usually not listened to) Voice of Reason”

“The Expositionist”

“The More-Than-Meets-the-Eye Type” (Note: Usually used with a character thought to be superficial)

“The New-to-the-World Type”

“The Philosophical Thinker”

“The Worried Caregiver”

“The Overbearing Guardian Figure”

“The Tyrannical Zealot”

“Connects More with Nature/Machines Type”

“The Connections Maker” (Note: Usually used in large city settings with black market/illegal dealings)

“The Storyteller”

“The Calming Presense”

“The Influencer”

“21st Century Tech-Savvy Mogul”

“The Narcissistic Anti-Villain”

“The Arms Dealer”

“The Traveler” (Note: Usually used with characters who make big impacts in peoples’ lives but only for a brief time before leaving) 36!!!

“The On-Top-of-Everything Assistant”

“The ‘At the Top but is Miserable’ Type”

“The Moralistic Murderer/Assassin/Warrior”

“The Angry Parent” (Note: Usually used in a positive way with parents who would fight to the death for their kids)

“The All-Bark-No-Bite Type”

“The Sassy ‘You need me, I don’t need you’ Type” (Note: Usually used with a character the protagonist comes to for help)

“The Bullied Genius”

“The Questionable Scientist”

“The Doomed-from-the-Start Type”

“The Survivalist”

“The Conspiracy Theorist”

“The International Person-of-Interest”

“The Pop Culture Know-it-All”

“The Smiles-in-the-Face-of-Death Type”

Aaaaand, we’re done! Those were fifty character archetypes you might not have thought of before to liven up your characters! Be sure to mix and match or use some traditionally protagonist types for your villain, as well. Good luck, and happy writing!

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Artist Spotlight - Finale

In case you haven’t heard, StArt Faire will be shutting down after Issue 28 which comes out August 1st.  As such, we’re afraid our Artist Spotlights end here.

We just want to say thank you to all our amazing contributors, whether you’re still with us or whether you’ve had to move onto other things.  It’s been a wild ride, and we’ve been proud of each and every one of you who have helped make the magazine the amazing thing that it is.

To our non-contributors, thank you for helping to support both StArt Faire and the wonderful creators who have been apart of our team.  We hope that you take this opportunity to check each of our past Artist Spotlights (linked below) so that you can continue to support the creators in our absence.  Until next project, thank you and have a fantastic future!

Artist Spotlights:

CalimonGraal

Draco Plato

Tenor

Mharz

Alakotila

Kabocha

Chad Bonin

RebelVampire and Jazeki

Respheal, Michelle Stanford, Emma Itoh, Voidchild Project, and Mariah Currey

BraveHeartTatsumaki, Jen Linman, Donathin Frye, Snowdon, and Indira J

James, House of Imagi, Jonny Aleksey, Ellen Natalie, and Moonsun

You can also check out everyone via our Contributors page.

WEBSITE  |  TWITTER  |  DISCORD

#comics #webcomics #indie comics #collective #magazine #zine #comic collective #comic magazine #comic zine #webcomic zine #start faire #artist spotlight #artists #writers

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Hi! This is a peak into my illustration process, based on my last post. I have divided the whole step x step into 6 parts : I - CONCEPT II - COMPOSITION III - COLOR SCHEME IV - DIGITAL PAINTING V - ADDING DETAILS VI - TEXTURE & ADJUSTMENT LAYERS

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Fantasy Guide to Medicine: Cold and Flu

Nature is our pharmacy. Here are some herbs to clear colds and flus.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. Research must be done on these before use.

Garlic – This is an antiseptic and can be used as an antibiotic.

Onion – Onions can be used treat coughing. Chemicals in onion can treat respiratory issues.

Thyme – Thyme can be used to cure respiratory infections and coughing. It also relieves stomach issues.

Sage – Another antiseptic. This can be used for to treat the sinuses. (Cannot be used by pregnant/breastfeeding women)

Cayenne powder – Cayenne is used preventative measure for a cold or flu. It can lessen the duration of these illnesses.

Peppermint – Used for lowering fevers and treating upset digestion.

Chamomile – It calms the nerves, improves sleeping patterns, curing pink eye and reduces fever.

Lemon – Can be used to fight flus and colds as well as reducing phlegm.

Nettle Leaf – contains vitamins and minerals to hydrate the body and destroy certain toxins. It can be used as an immune booster and to prevent illnesses.

Elderberry – Elderberry supports the body’s immune system even during illness.

Yarrow- Used for colds and flus. It can shorten illness if used correctly. It can combat fevers by sweating the patient. This is suitable for sick children.

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July 24th, 2018 News

Welcome and thank you for being here for our last news update!  We won’t keep you long, so please check out the information we have for you!

Last Issue Deadline Reminder

This is the last reminder for Issue 28′s deadline!  Everything must be in by July 29th!  Please, please take advantage of our magazine and submit Ads.  Whether they be for your webcomics, your Patreons, your Etsy, your Kickstarters, or whatever, now is the time to submit!  It is free and it is silly to turn down such an amazing opportunity!  All our information is laid out via the link below, so please be sure to check it out!

>>>SUBMISSIONS INFO<<<

COMIC TEA PARTY

On Thursday, July 26th we’ll be having another session of our weekly webcomic bookclub, Comic Tea Party, from 5PM-7PM PDT.  This week we’ll be discussing Stomp by Brodnork.  We hope you’ll join us for this amazing chat on our Discord server!

>>>READ STOMP<<<

>>>JOIN OUR DISCORD FOR THE CHAT<<<

>>>COMIC TEA PARTY’S WEBSITE<<<

This concludes our news updates for this week!  We hope you have a great one, and we’ll see you next week!

WEBSITE  |  TWITTER  |  DISCORD

#comics #webcomics #indie comics #collective #magazine #zine #comic collective #comic magazine #webcomic magazine #webcomic zine #comic zine #comic tea party #zine submissions #open for submissions #call for submissions #comic submissions #webcomic submissions #free advertising #free ads

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Again this is my personal take on color! It really depends on the situation and what you personally value, and in the end practice is your best friend.

links:

genice’s color practices

color palette challenge (one iteration of it; there’s lot of people who made them)

(not mentioned, but helpful)

Patrick (H) Willems’s video essays on color in film; specifically his ones on

Wonder Woman and Marvel

I thought he had one on John Wick too but I can’t find it. If you like saturated colors though, check that movie out!!

those are only a couple of exterior references, there’s lots out there!! so good luck & I hope this helped!!

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Dawn of the Final Week

Today we want to have a special reminder that you have one week left to submit Ads and Featured Comics to the last Issue of StArt Faire.  We highly encourage all webcomic creators to at least submit ads!  It is 100% free, and can you really say no to free advertising?

For ads, you simply need to make a 960px width by 1440px height JPEG with the title and link of whatever it is you want to promote.  Just e-mail this to [email protected] and you’re set!  You have until July 29th!

Please please take advantage of this opportunity, since as our last issue this is your last chance!  If you need more information, you can always check out our SUBMISSIONS page.

#comics #webcomics #indie comics #collective #magazine #zine #comic collective #webcomic collective #comic magazine #webcomic magazine #comic zine #webcomic zine #zine submissions #webcomic submissions #free advertising #free adspace

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Q&A: A Hunter's Tools

In fantasy stories, the bow and arrow is an overused choice of weapon. What other weapons are there that I can give my huntress heroine for effective use in the woods? She’s skilled in a variety of weapon use, such as swords and daggers and other things, but I want to give her one weapon that she excels at.

I’m not sure if it’s really overused. The bow is a very versatile hunting tool. Slings were used to deal with predators, and could be lethal, but aren’t usually associated with hunting in the same way, at least in fiction. Slingshots can be used to deal with small game, though those date to the 19th century.

Slings date to the neolithic period, and are formed with multiple lengths of cord connected to a pouch which holds a (usually stone) projectile, called a “bullet.” The user spins the weapon, releasing one of the straps to release the projectile into flight. With practice, these can be surprisingly accurate. Historically they were used as military weapons during the bronze and iron age. Though, as I said, I’m not sure on their use in hunting.

The bolo is somewhat similar to the sling. This is a thrown weapon with multiple weights, joined together by a flexible line. The weapon is thrown by spinning one of the weights and releasing, so that it will tangle the target’s legs dropping it.

The atlatl is a paleolithic weapon, dating back approximately 30k years. These consist of a simple shaft with a cup designed to hold a spear (or dart.) The butt of the spear is loaded into the cup, with the atlatl’s shaft under the spear. The user then launches the spear by “swinging” the atlatl. Because of the length of the shaft, this effectively magnifies the initial launching force from the projectile. I’m unsure of the exact timeline for use in Europe. There are surviving examples dating back 17k years, but I don’t know exactly when they fell out of use. In the Americas, they were still used, sometimes in preference over, bows up to the time of European colonization. (In fact the name, atlatl is of Aztec origin.)

Failing that, it’s worth remembering that the spear. These things have been around longer than homo sapiens, and we’ve been using them to catch dinner and poke holes in people we don’t like for almost all of our existence. They’ve been used for hunting, in warfare. They’ve been thrown, used as melee weapons. If your character hunts, especially in a low-tech setting, it’s a virtual certainty that they’d use a spear, at least some of the time.

Also, the spear would be the preferred tool for killing a wounded animal, as it allows the hunter to remain at a safe distance; closing in with the knife would be borderline suicidal, especially against wounded herbivores.

Following closely behind the spear are traps. We’ve been getting creative and killing things by turning the environment to our advantage throughout history. These include pit traps, where you dig a small trench, and line it with sharpened sticks, cover it with leaves, and then startle an animal through it. Deadfall traps, where a rock or other heavy object is suspended over bait, when the targeted animal approaches it, the suspension is removed or cut. Finally, snares are another common trap, where a cable or rope latches onto and holds the animal that trips it. In some cases, these are combined with bending tree branches to tension, in order to suspend the target. We don’t usually think of traps as weapons, but they’ve been an important part of human hunting throughout our history.

I’m going to say this again for emphasis. If your character is a hunter in anything other than a modern setting, they should be using traps. Full stop. These were a vital tool for hunters historically, so it’s worth your time to look into those in a little more depth.

Another incredibly important hunting tool is a dog. They’re not as durable as a human, but they are far more mobile, especially in dense areas, and can be incredibly useful for driving prey into traps, or tracking wounded prey across difficult terrain. It’s easy to think of dogs as companions, but many breeds did have specific working roles, including hunting.

Also, worth remembering, the sword is for use on people. If your character is also hunting people, then that’s a natural fit. Otherwise, they probably wouldn’t own, or even know how to use a sword, unless there were other cultural factors at play. (For example, if your character is a game warden for some feudal lord, or a retired soldier they may have and use one.) The sword isn’t useful for hunting. So, unless your character is also a combatant, you can safely ditch this.

Depending on setting, it’s entirely possible your character would go hunting with a spear (or spears, if they intend to throw them), a sling, some snares, and a knife (for setting the traps.) They may also carry an axe, which might also double as a shovel for digging pits. Though that’s somewhat less likely. If they found themselves threatened by another person, the spear would function as an entirely effective weapon, so at that point the sword is somewhat unnecessary. Depending on context, it’s entirely likely they’d have a dog (or some other animal that acts as a hunting assistant.)

I’d also recommend you take some time to research hunting tactics, with things such as lures and blinds. If you’re wanting your character to be a hunter, it’s probably a good idea to have a fundamental grasp of their job skills, even if you can’t replicate them in the wild.

-Starke

This blog is supported through Patreon. If you enjoy our content, please consider becoming a Patron. Every contribution helps keep us online, and writing. If you already are a Patron, thank you.

Q&A: A Hunter’s Tools was originally published on How to Fight Write.

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Artist Spotlight - Finale

In case you haven’t heard, StArt Faire will be shutting down after Issue 28 which comes out August 1st.  As such, we’re afraid our Artist Spotlights end here.

We just want to say thank you to all our amazing contributors, whether you’re still with us or whether you’ve had to move onto other things.  It’s been a wild ride, and we’ve been proud of each and every one of you who have helped make the magazine the amazing thing that it is.

To our non-contributors, thank you for helping to support both StArt Faire and the wonderful creators who have been apart of our team.  We hope that you take this opportunity to check each of our past Artist Spotlights (linked below) so that you can continue to support the creators in our absence.  Until next project, thank you and have a fantastic future!

Artist Spotlights:

CalimonGraal

Draco Plato

Tenor

Mharz

Alakotila

Kabocha

Chad Bonin

RebelVampire and Jazeki

Respheal, Michelle Stanford, Emma Itoh, Voidchild Project, and Mariah Currey

BraveHeartTatsumaki, Jen Linman, Donathin Frye, Snowdon, and Indira J

James, House of Imagi, Jonny Aleksey, Ellen Natalie, and Moonsun

You can also check out everyone via our Contributors page.

WEBSITE  |  TWITTER  |  DISCORD

#comics #webcomics #indie comics #collective #zine #magazine #comic collective #comic zine #comic magazine #webcomic zine #start faire #artist spotlight #artists #writers #comic creators

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For those of you that like everything neatly organised, here’s links to EVERY ONE of my first 150 how to THINK when you draw TUTORIALS, in ALPHABETICAL ORDER for #SkillUpSunday! Enjoy, link, pin, share! Cheers! Lorenzo! How to draw ANGRY EXPRESSIONS How to draw BIRD HEADS How to draw BOOKS How to draw BOXES How to draw BREAKING GLASS How to draw BRICKWORK How to draw CABLES and WIRES How to draw CAR CHASES How to draw CATERPILLAR TRACKS How to draw CAVES How to draw CHARACTERS (3-SHAPES) How to draw CHARACTERS (FLIPPED-SHAPES) How to draw CHARACTER SHAPES How to draw COMIC COVERS How to draw COMPOSITION How to draw CROSS-CONTOURS How to draw EARS How to draw FABRIC How to draw FEET & SHOES How to draw FEMALE HANDS PART ONE How to draw FEMALE HANDS PART TWO How to draw FOREGROUND MIDGROUND BACKGROUND How to draw GAME BUILDINGS How to draw GEMS and CRYSTALS How to draw GIRL’S HAIR How to draw GRASS How to draw HAIR (1940s styles) How to draw HAPPY EXPRESSIONS How to draw HORNS How to draw HORSE HEADS How to draw IMPACT DEBRIS How to draw IN 3D How to draw INTEGRATING LOGOS How to draw INTERIOR BASICS How to draw IN-WORLD TYPOGRAPHY How to draw JUNGLE PLANT CLUSTERS How to draw JUNK HOUSES How to draw LAMP POSTS How to draw LAVA How to draw LIGHTNING and ELECTRICITY How to draw MECHANICAL DETAILS How to draw MUSHROOMS and FUNGUS How to draw MONSTER HEADS How to draw MONSTER TENTACLES How to draw MOUNTAINS How to draw NEGATIVE SPACE How to draw NEWSPAPERS How to draw NOSES How to draw PERSPECTIVE BOXES How to draw PIGS How to draw POD HOUSES How to draw POURING LIQUID How to draw ROBOT ARMS How to draw ROCK FORMATIONS How to draw RUNNING FIGURES How to draw SAUSAGE DOGS How to draw SEA WEED   How to draw SHADOW COMPOSITION How to draw SHOULDER ARMOUR How to draw SIEGE WEAPONS How to draw SILHOUETTE THUMBNAILS How to draw SMOKE EFFECTS How to draw SNOW How to draw SPACE BIKES How to draw SQUIRRELS How to draw STICK FIGURES How to draw THE HORIZON How to draw TIKI STATUES How to draw TREASURE CHESTS How to draw TREE BARK How to draw TREE ROOTS How to draw VEHICLES How to draw VINTAGE PLANES How to draw WATER How to draw WOODEN HOUSES

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(A table of contents is available. This series will remain open for additional posts and the table of contents up-to-date as new posts are added.)

Part Six: Plotting a Multi-Book Series

Everybody has their own way of plotting out their stories. (Check out Part Twelve of the Let’s Talk About: Plot series for some more types of plotting.) If you’ve been with me long enough, you know that I tend to favor the 10-point plot model I’ve been using since I was handed it in school some 12 years ago. It looks like this:

Of course, if you’re used to looking at the “standard” plot structure, you’re used to seeing something a bit more like this:

It can be tough to figure out how certain plotting methods line up what we’re traditionally taught in school, so here’s what the 10-point plot model looks when mapped out to that traditional plot structure:

All the points in the model that are under the “Opening” and “Beginning” stuff line up with sections of the standard structure labeled “Beginning,” all the model’s “Middle” stuff line up with the standard structure’s “Middle” section, and all the model’s “Ending” stuff falls in the standard structure’s “End” section. Makes sense.

When writers are looking at their stories and seeing that perhaps they’re too long (word-count-wise) or simply too busy with stuff, they begin to look at ways to take what they have and split it into separate books, keeping this standard plotting structure the way it is (in this example, a trilogy):

It’s this very idea–that we can simply take the standard plot structure as-is and break it up into three pieces–that causes the common Second Book Syndrome. You can see it in all kinds of series–where readers feel as though the second book feels more like a bridge from the exciting events of the first book to the riveting conclusion of the third book. They’re often meandering and not able to deliver the emotional punch the readers are looking to re-experience after coming off the high of the first book.

You can see why! The end of the “first book” uses the exciting inciting incident of the overarching plot of the whole series as an artificial climax point; the “third book” then features the tension-filled end of the whole shebang to savor; but what’s waiting in the “second book”? Not hardly anything. There’s not enough there to build tension and any climaxes in that section feel small (because they are, in comparison to things like the inciting incident and the climax!).

The reason for this comes from one very simple thing: Writers are only looking at the overarching story line, without considering that each book must also have its own rise and fall.

Planning for a multi-book series takes a special kind of outlining that not only considers the action of the whole series–the big picture–but also the smaller pictures of each book, which should each look like another standard plot structure:

All of a sudden a series goes from 10 points to more like 30 (obviously, plus or minus a few depending on what you need), and it’s not just aimless meandering through the middle, but rather several more complications, plus an inciting incident relevant to whatever this book’s goal is.

The key is understanding that no matter how many books you have in a series, you must plan for enough material that each book has its own individual arc, even if that arc is that of the overall series.

Each book has its own goal, something the characters are actively working toward and other characters are subtly (or not so subtly) working in a perpendicular direction. Of course, you still need to keep the plot of the entire series in your mind so that you continue to drive the story toward the conclusion of that arc as much as the conclusion of the current book’s arc.

Planning gets even more complicated when you start taking subplots into account. Subplots do not have to start and end all in the same book. I’ve used this graphic before, too:

Character arcs and subplots have the same narrative structure as a general overall story plot. This means that the general idea of the 10-point plot model, or whatever planning structure you use for plots, can be applied to character arcs and subplots as well. They may have fewer “points” than a standard 10-point model if the time span is meant to be less than a book, or more points if it doesn’t resolve until a later book.

Make sure each plot has its own climax. Yes, even your character arcs and your subplots should each have a moment when they come to a head before resolving. These climaxes might coincide with other events going on in the book or series plot, or they might function simply as scenes between the “major” plot points.

Tip: Sit down and write out the goal and the three main plot points (inciting incident, climax, and resolution) for: the series as a whole, each book in the series, each character’s growth, and any subplots going on simultaneously that you might want to include. This will help give you a basis to start thinking about the kinds of complications and scenes you’ll need to bring them all together and get your arcs onto the page.

Plotting a multi-book series is never easy, and always remember to be flexible with your plan. Things change as you write. As you discover things about your characters and your world, you may find that there are other avenues you’d prefer to pursue that might require reconfiguring plot lines further on.

On pantsing a multi-book series: Pantsers are going to have a harder time with this kind of far-reaching story if they don’t want to plan even a little bit. They’ll be more likely to struggle with sagging middles (chapters and books) without a little bit of direction to remind them of the content at their disposal and the need for more rises and falls than they might initially think about. Because of that, a pantser is more likely to get their multi-book series into shape in the editing stages, rewriting or adding in large sections to round out a plot for a book.

And that’s okay! Multi-book series are hard, harder than we think when first conceiving a story, so don’t be discouraged if you have trouble getting every book to feel right the first time through. Editing in foreshadowing into previous books, moving scenes, reorienting an entire middle section, rewriting whole portions, and picking up sagging middles is entirely normal. It’s not at all uncommon not to know everything about a story when writing the first draft, so realizing you want to add a glimpse of This Character or That Thing earlier than you initially had it is very common. The same goes for replotting and rewriting whole sections. When we’re in the thick of things, it’s tough to see how a portion isn’t pulling its full weight. Don’t be discouraged.

Next up: More in-depth on stand alones!

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July 17th, 2018 News

Good day, everyone!  Let’s not waste any time and jump straight into this week’s news~!

Last Issue Deadline Reminder

The time is ticking until Issue 28!  We are indeed still accepting Ads and Featured Comics!  The requirements for them are immensely simple and open to all webcomic creators!  Please check them out and take advantage of them for our last issue!

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COMIC TEA PARTY

On Thursday, July 19th we’ll be having another session of our weekly webcomic bookclub, Comic Tea Party, from 5PM-7PM PDT.  This week we’ll be discussing Wednesday7 by Viki Kuli.  We hope you’ll join us for this amazing chat on our Discord server!

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This concludes our news updates for this week!  We hope you have a great one, and we’ll see you next week!

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