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The State of Stuff, January 2019
🕑 Added 2019-02-01 02:12:45 +0000 UTCNow that I’ve contacted everyone who needed to be contacted about everything I’m about to tell you, I can share this State of Stuff with you. There’s some secret info in here, so kindly keep this on both the down and the low!
You know I love an organized list, so here’s an organized list of what’s up over here:
The Book
As you may have noticed from the lack of sneak peeks, I have *barely touched* the graphic novel this month, aside from some very helpful research (thank you, Jon!!) that sent Berto’s story in an unexpected direction, and a few notes and sketches here and there as I’ve worked out those details.
Mostly I’ve been busy with other smaller projects - a guest strip for Oh Joy Sex Toy (!!), a house painting I thoughtlessly agreed to do, an invitation that I thoughtfully agreed to do - which I’ll be sharing with you soon.
BOO! It's Sex
More than all of that, though, I've been working on BOO! It's Sex. Somehow I thought writing a sex ed comic wouldn't take much time out of my week, but it takes up A LOT OF TIME, mainly because I let it, and I let it because I care about it. The comments from our (mostly teenage) readers are proof that this is a necessary service Monica and I have adopted.
There is a LOT of fact-checking and re-checking and cross-referencing the stats I find online, because some of it contradicts each other and most of it is vague and I want to get it right WITHOUT being vague. Vague sex ed doesn't help anybody, it just creates more questions.
But to be honest... it's too much work, for both of us.
Monica has her own stuff keeping her busy, plus a big move, and I have this big book I'm not writing. So we've decided to end the strip in May. It wasn't an easy decision to make, but I think it's the right one.
While that's still several months' worth of working on this strip, it makes it a little easier for me, because I'm not trying to space out important milestones in the story (I felt the same way when I decided to end GWS - suddenly, Clarice could fall in love, Mimi and Thea could get hitched, and Hazel could face her father, all in the same year!).
The "Freedom" of Having No Deadlines
Having no deadlines is great!! If you never want to accomplish anything.
The reason I put GWS online 14 years ago (GASP WHEEZE 14 years) was so that I'd have a public deadline to meet. The reason I so much as mentioned that I was writing a book here, to you guys, was to force myself to write it faster. But y'all are kind and understanding and supportive (I LOVE YOU SO MUCH); I need a scary editor to breathe down my neck to meet some deadlines.
I'm going to start pitching this book to Actual Real Publishers in March. I've started the process of looking for an agent to help me with this, and to start in on the neck-breathing. I want my neck to be so warm and clammy.
I'm intimidated; I've never done this before, not with a creator-owned story. My fear of working with a publisher has always been that I won't be given the time I need to make the story perfect. The reality of the situation, of course, is that I spend too much time trying to make things perfect, when they're just fine the way they began. I'm not a perfect writer anyway.
I'm hoping the threat of "finish this by this date" will be balanced out by the relief of "an editor is here to help guide you so the story will still be good."
If you're interested, I can make a few posts here about what it's like to find and work with an agent and an editor and a publisher along the way... assuming I successfully find any one of those to work with. ;)
So, TL;DR: BOO! It's Sex ends in May and I'm looking for an agent and a publisher so I can get this graphic novel rolling.
Also, tomorrow is Hourly Comics Day and I LOVE talking about how I have too much work and then turning around and deciding to add MORE WORK, so I'll be doing that tomorrow!
And in case there was any question, no, that wasn't sarcasm. I genuinely love doing work that I love, even when it's too much. :)
Comments
Danielle Corsetto
Hahaha!! Yeah that makes for a different reply!!
Jessica Bernard
Hmmm, for some reason on the mobile app I couldn't see the rest of your comment. Must be the hearts that messed it up! Lol!!! I just saw my name, that's it. I was so thrown off by that response, just "Jessica!!" Hahaha! So, sorry for my month late response. I like it here too.
Maura W
Oof, I've seen some other Webtoons creators say that it would be a LOT of work to reformat their comics for print, so it's definitely a common issue! Hope you manage to make it work without sacrificing yourselves, haha.
Danielle Corsetto
Aw Lucyyyyyy you always make me feel all warm and grounded. <3 <3 <3 I'm about to go look for your hourly comics so I can catch up on (at least one day of) your life! I miss you!!
Danielle Corsetto
I believe it will be! This is on the DL also, but Monica and I would REALLY like to get this thing put into a book. I told her we need to find some martyr who wants to be in charge of turning a vertical-scroll comic into something that would fit into a book, because neither of us should commit to that grueling work!! ;)
Would definitely be behind hearing updates regarding the publishing search. Have attempted it a few times. Good luck of course ...
Maura W
Though I'm sad to hear Boo! is coming to a close, it's already provided so much valuable information to younger readers! Will it stay up on Webtoons permanently? It needs to be hosted somewhere! Forever and ever ( or until abstinence-only sex ed is banned from schools)!
Lucy Bellwood
DANIELLE. There is so much in this update. Holy cow. I relate to many, many parts of it, and I am very proud of you for determining where you need to be putting your energy in order to get the important stuff done. THAT STUFF IS SO HARD. The shift from controlling EVERY ASPECT of your own destiny to involving other people is just...hurgghhh. I’m still wrestling with so much of it. This is inspirational and excellent and you’re great. Keep going.
Sean O'Neill
Aw man, I am really loving Boo! It's Sex :/
Danielle Corsetto
Thank you, Sam!!!! <3
Sam W
I really love Boo! It's an amazing public service! I feel like it should be required reading as part of sex ed. I'll miss it, but it sounds like the right decision for you guys. I'm definitely looking forward to the new book and wish you all the best in finding a good publisher!
Danielle Corsetto
I have learned SO MUCH SEX STUFF while writing it, and I thought I knew everything already!!
Andy Ihnatko
But you're absolutely right about deadlines and working with someone who's a stickler for deadlines.
Sheri Spangenberg
I'm sad to see boo! it's sex ending, i've been really enjoying it! And honestly wish it'd existed when I was in college. There's stuff I still learned! Sex ed is awful and full of holes. I'm excited that it means your book will get done (presumably) sooner though! I'd love it if you post info about finding agents/editors/publishers. I have a bunch of ideas and projects in my head in various states of completion, (novel, comics, maybe a children's book) and have NO idea what steps to take to do anything with them.
Danielle Corsetto
HAHAHA all I can think of is the captain character in So I Married An Axe Murderer trying to go over-the-top as a "mean boss" to the cop character. :)
Danielle Corsetto
Neil!! :.) Do you have any idea how much your compliments warm my heart? Thank you!!
Andy Ihnatko
God DAMMIT, Danielle! Do you have ANY idea how FRUSTRATING it is to see you here on Patreon chatting away with your little Internet friends when you're just SEVEN WEEKS AWAY from having to deliver four more chapters?! (Just testing you...I mean, I want you to be ready for when your book gets picked up and this is your Inbox (and voice mail, and IMs, and...) (But seriously: yay, Danielle!)
Was not at all surprised to discover Satan is an editor...
Even though BOO was created to be a sex-information strip as opposed to a character driven storyline (not that I was ever the target audience!), I'm sorry to hear about its termination. I so wanted to help promote the series that I set up its mirror page on Comic Rocket [<a href="https://www.comic-rocket.com]." rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.comic-rocket.com].</a> You can't help but write characters that engage me immensely - I'm personally hoping to see Kim get some kind of happy ending before the series ends. Thank you so much for your involvement in it, and I will continue to watch and support your future projects as always!
Danielle Corsetto
I'll keep that in mind, thanks! (I can't tell you how tickled I am every time I see the words "Satan replied to your comment" pop up in my inbox.)
Satan
welp, i'm an editor. ask me anything? (no, i don't work for any big publisher house or anything, but i may be able to answer a few questions, should you have any!)
Danielle Corsetto
Jessica!! <3 <3 <3 Thank you so much. I was thinking earlier that the comments section under Patreon posts feels kind of like Twitter when it first started. It's a nice place to find like-minded people who are speaking generally about a specific thing (the post that the comments are below) that you're most likely interested in, because you've chosen to support it. I like this place a lot. :)
Jessica Bernard
I will miss Boo! because it gave me more of your humor that I loved so much from GWS. I'm so glad I'm connected with you here so I will always be able to find whatever it is you're up to next.
