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Last week, we looked into getting the concept of your story or art down on paper. This week, we tackle the ‘sit-down-and-finish’ aspect of the process. # STAGE TWO: DISCIPLINE You want to know the truth about my discipline? I get work done, but it’s not in the way teachers will be proud of. TL; DR - I suck. But while I’m not going to pull out that 99% perspiration phrase, but in all honesty, no amount of inspiration will save you if you take no action. That being said, I’ve discovered a more nuanced way of getting into things other than just, “Shut up, suck it up, and just work hard without any complaints.” On that front, I have found that discipline can be a huge challenge due to these four aspects. But here’s how I cope: How do you work? It’s simple enough. Yet, so many of us don’t really know our optimum working levels, or give statements like - “I’m always last-minute, I need the rush to finish everything well.” or “I’ll do things when I feel like it. My readers need to know that good things take time.” Knowing how we work as creators, administrators, managers, the lot, can help with scheduling and the discipline to tackle your projects as they come. Here are some questions you can ask yourself to determine your optimal work routine: Personal Assessment - How you create when you get to create.
Circumstantial Assessment - What do you have to work with.
From there, you can find and hopefully plug the gaps between your current situation and your most comfortable work environment. (Note: Realistically, you won’t have your ideal work environment all the time - but this can help alleviate matters, especially when you know where the biggest gaps are.) Overwhelm and Distraction I’m the kind of person who cannot relax until everything and everything is well and truly done. Also, Murphy’s Law is a good friend - imagine how many times you’ve found yourself in a situation where you face long periods of silence from your stakeholders, only to have all of them descend upon you with urgent matters on your busiest day. I recognize that this is a problem, but as I took steps to curb this issue, I’ve learnt that overcoming overwhelm can lead to distraction. Instead, here are some steps I took / am taking now to help with my discipline: Too Tired? Most importantly, please give yourself permission to rest. We are all humans, so there should not be this pressure to always appear as if you’re always working and never resting. Also, a little goes a long way. When I’m too tired but feel like working on a project, I find myself gravitating to tasks which are time-consuming, but not difficult (e.g. panelling and inking, in the case of comic artists). That way, work still gets done, but you’re not over-exerting yourself. Too Distracted? For me, the solution was simple - turn off your WiFi, or go analog. I’m a huge RPG gamer and love my Netflix and Geek & Sundry, so I’d know that internet is going to be my best friend and my worst enemy, depending on the time of the day. That being said, another way I do like to keep focussed is to allocate time for the tasks you want completed. A popular way is the Pomodoro Method -
I tend to pull a double Pomodoro and turn it into a Power Hour, with a 25-min session, 10-min break, and another 25-min session to finish it off. During these sessions, set some rules for yourself. Mine are usually - No WiFi, no music or anything from the earphones, and no answering messages (unless they’re urgent). And when you have your focus and rules in place - stick to them. The urgency and the time constraint can help you achieve more than if you were to just scold yourself into squeezing it into your schedule. Too Busy? Schedule time - regardless of how little you can. Most of us have day jobs, so dedicating huge amounts of time to your creative work may not be on the table. However, here are some pointers to what some of us do:
Bonus Point: When you’re working with others BONUS - After going through some tips on how to get yourself disciplined and productive, here are also some bonus points for times when you have to play the role of team mate to others:
# So there you have it! Some of my tips on maintaining discipline with your creative work. Here are (some of my favourite) other publications or blog posts that can help you with your motivation:
Thank you for your support and I hope you’ve managed to benefit from some of the information presented above. Stay tuned for the next stage of creation - we go into the Peaks and Troughs of Creation! 
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Last year, I did a few posts under this section called “How-I-Dos”, which talked about getting organized and gave readers a glimpse into what is expected of us as creators, especially independent creators, in the industry, the community, and at events. The more I delved into this topic of Arts Management, however, the more I realized there’s a lot to cover. Therefore, I’ve decided to combine a few good pointers I’ve gathered over the past half a decade or so in the industry and interview a few fellow storytellers in a series I would call, “The Stages of Creation”. This series will cover tips and advice from the concept to the delivery of your story and its medium, taking us all one step at a time. I won’t be presumptuous to say that I know everything, but I’ll do my best to give all of you a different perspective when it comes to creating and managing what we create, as well as ourselves. # STAGE ONE: CONCEPT I decided to start with the concept instead of diving straight into “Getting Started” because this is, perhaps, one of the biggest stumbling blocks many storytellers face. “But I want to say so many things! The more I write, the more I tell, the more I realize I need this and this and this!” Sound familiar? So here are some pointers I gathered - tips I used to get myself moving: Your Intentions Firstly, have some idea of what you want to do. Are you:
Secondly, ask yourself why. It doesn’t have to be some lofty idea or some “save-the-world” mission. Why are you creating or telling this story?:
And thirdly, remember - the most important aspect of the story, is the story. Like a birthday cake, embellishments won’t save a badly-baked, dry sponge cake. So know the story you want to tell, or at least, be okay with going where your story wants to go, at least for now. *Quick Tip: If you continue to be plagued by ideas, with no opportunity to plant your feet and anchor, maybe you can ask yourself these three questions with regards to your story: 1) What does your character want? 2) Why can't they have it? and 3) Why should we care? Before I leave you to the next section, though, know that half the time, authorial intent doesn’t really matter. Unless people read your work with the intention of extracting a message or with a critical mind, set on dissecting and analyzing your work, it’s safe to say that most read, watch, or listen for a good story. Committing to Paper Now that you’re done with your plans, it’s time to commit your story to paper. Personally, I use events like the 24-Hour Comics Day, National Novel Writing Month (Nanowrimo), and Camp Nanowrimo to get myself started on my first draft, but here are other techniques some of us use to get started. Blank Paper Method True to its name, it’s just setting a timer and on a blank piece of paper, writing down every idea, character, and their relationships with each other. After which, you look at what you have and try to put the pieces together - pretty straightforward. Remember, a messy canvas is easier to edit than an empty one. Research One of the lessons I’ve learnt with researching for your story - it’s usually not what you think it is. As fun as research is, you run the risk of having confirmation bias when you’re not careful. While research allows you to read about or even experience the fun settings and adventures your characters go through, having it reach its full potential requires acute observation, deliberate listening, and then deduction after that. So do be careful if you like to do your “research” thoroughly first before starting on anything. Rewriting & Reading To paraphrase Stephen King, if you’re not reading, you’re not writing. I wouldn’t say “read more” is my one and only advice for writing better, but reading for fun is an important aspect of storytelling. And one of the advantages of “rewriting” or fan fiction, is that there’s no pressure to create something entirely new. You want a trigger or practice right? Why not try getting into an existing story and seeing how you can create your own take on it? All of that being said, the most important thing to do when you want to create, is to create. So instead of talking about writing, drawing, or storytelling, know that your work will only exist after you put your pen to paper and start creating. P/S - We’ll talk about creating the best work you can in the later posts. For now, just put pen to paper. # I don’t deny that I still stumble and find myself at a huge roadblock when it comes to creating something, especially a brand new project. However, I would say that the above steps have helped rather well. You can also check out how other storytellers get started on their projects with these other posts:
I look forward to seeing your creations.  Convention season is upon us! If you have a list of events you’re raring to go to, good for you. If you’re going to be behind a booth during one of the coming conventions, here’s something I’ve put together:  Some of us use iPads linked to Excel forms or sheets. However, for those who don’t want to lug tech around, this simple printable helps as an offline method to check stock (without having to go through extra formatting on top of all the other tasks you have to settle before heading to the convention hall). I hope this helps anyone who’s looking at a more streamlined way to track their products during events. To download this printable, click here.  I’ve mentioned this before – a common question we get while selling our work at fairs, conventions, or festivals is, “How did you get your work published?” In today’s market, there are options like the process of pitching endlessly to various publishers and agents, and self-publishing, among many others. And with that comes the many tools that are pushed to us every day. I’m not going to name any specific apps, guaranteeing that they will be tools that will turn your current situation into a success story overnight. Instead, I’m going to go through some of the tools you’ll need, attitude-wise, for when you decide to embark on a creative journey on your own: ORGANIZATION If there’s one thing I hear a lot of writers and artists wish to have, it’s organization. We have so many ideas in our heads, we don’t know where to start. Conversely, when there’s nothing going on in our creative minds, we don’t know what to clean up. Having a habit of listing unfinished work, administration, or project progress trackers can be useful in ensuring that we don’t end up in the midnight oil corner, rushing out side projects at the last minute because we forgot. At least not as often as we hope. Personally, list-making and scheduling works for me. Getting all your admin work done during your lunch break (at your day job) can make you feel lighter when you’re done for the day and need whatever limited time you can get to finish up your passion projects as well. At the very fundamental level, at least have a to-do list where you list your needed tasks (it can be as general or as specific as you need it to be) and cross off whatever’s done. Some people may get a runner’s high. I tend to get a to-do list completion high. GRIT Okay, I’m inspired by one of the books I’m reading now, “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance” by Angela Duckworth. We may be quick to scoff at how “self-help” it sounds, but the notes from this book were encouraging and, above all, relatable. Talent, passion, and skill will sell work at varying degrees. However, research has shown that time and (deliberate) practice continue to be major contributions to success. Deliberate practice has been an area I’ve been exploring for a while, and it does, from the start, help with self-understanding. The fact that you have to assign a specific duration, goal, and activity for each session gives you a sense of progress. So yes, be passionate, practice, and continue improving on your skills, but most importantly, keep at it. COMMUNICATION One of the most influential things said to me was by Man Asia winner Tan Twan Eng – “Go and get a job first.” That was also his advice to a student who was trying to convince her father to let her go into writing full-time. Major reasons for doing so are: 1) Stable income, 2) The professional / commercial skills that come with having a full-time job, especially if you’re office-based or use technology frequently. Gone are the days where all creators needed to worry about was just to create. We handle emails, forms, applications, grants, the lot. And if we lack the time or the energy to even answer a single email decently, we can fall behind. Wanting to be taken seriously takes a lot of professionalism and clear communication, so one-working-day turnaround times and concise emails will need to be your friends for a while. And there you have it! These tools have certainly helped many of my friends as they push through the independent market. What other qualities and tools have helped you so far? Let me know in the comments!  I mentioned at least one printable in my previous posts, and I shall deliver. In conjunction to my latest trilogy of posts for indie creators, I’ve got two printables – one for pre-print and logistical checks, and one for easy printer comparison.
Again, I hope these will help, especially if you’re just starting out. To download both of these printables, click here.  Now that your work is nicely laid out, you’ve checked your bleed borders, and your specifications are checked and ready to go, your next logical step would be to source for a production house. In our current case (as indie writers and comic artists), it’ll be to look for a printer. If you haven’t got a clue or finished your pre-printing checks, however, I’d suggest you read my previous post in this series just to get a feel of what you’ll need to take note of before sending your work to print. When you source printers for your work, there are more aspects to think about besides price. Here are some areas to look out for: Printing Services & Their Clients What are you printing? Postcards? Prints? Comics? Zines? Different printers have different services or specializations – make sure that the printer provides services you require. At the same time, it’ll be a good idea to check out their clients. Better still, their address. For indie creators, a print shop in the middle of a mall or an accessible shopping area is good enough. When you find printers who are in the middle of an industrial estate, or have loads of clients who deal with journals or magazines, chances are, they’ll be way out of your budget. Quotations & Accessibility Some printers have the option to get a sample quote on their website – you just key in your project specifications and they give you an estimate price. For many others, you’ll either have to go to the print shop personally or send them an email to ask. When you get your quotes though, it’ll help if you can take note of the following:
Note: Be prudent with your budget and manage your expectations if it’s your first time with a printer. There will be some level of error or defects with at least a few copies during some point of your requested job – be prepared for that and don’t go into a fit when there’s an error with a few copies, nothing is perfect all the time. Delivery If you’re printing locally, this won’t be as huge a consideration for you. However, do keep this in mind – the faster you need your prints, the higher the costs may be. If you’re printing your goods overseas, however, there might be a few things to consider:
Again, if you’re not sure, ask. How We Usually Find Printers: A good number of us found our printers via word-of-mouth. If you have friends who have been making zines or indie books for a while, you may want to ask about their printer contacts (nicely, of course). In Singapore, Peace Centre and Sunshine Plaza have a hotbed of printers, so you may want to have a look there. P / S – I tend to go to Peace Centre’s Leadership Printers at Peace Centre and Dezain Print at Sunshine Plaza. Are there any good printers in Asia you’d like to recommend? We’d like to hear from you in the comments!  The post is me taking a break from my last 1.5 series regarding the logistics involved in indie creation. I collect gaming dice or items that fulfill the dice mechanic (a.k.a. dice rings). However, when I go for a gaming session with my friends, scrambling for a makeshift dice tray at the game site so that your dice won’t go all over the world is a problem on its own. So here’s my attempt to alleviate the situation:  My portable dice storage and tray. And this was how I made it – I made this over lunch break so it’s pretty quick and simple once you have everything together. All you need are:
 Step 1 (Optional): Fit Your Dice  You can skip this step of you don’t intend to have this tray to be multi-functional. I thought the movable partitions were a great bonus so I used them to store my usual play dice. Step 2: Fit the Tray Padding  I went by estimation and by eye, but you can measure the inside of your container and transfer the measurements on your choice of dice tray padding. I used sheet rubber for mine (the kind they use to make DIY rubber stamps) but you can also use foam sheets – as long as the dice doesn’t sink into or bounce off the material easily. Cut your material to size to fit your tray. Step 3: Adhesive  Time to glue! Apply a good amount on your tray. Step 4: Stick it in!  Before the glue dries, stick your tray pad in and let it sit for a few minutes. Step 5: Dice Tray Get!  And you’re done! Enjoy your dice storage + tray. This has served me well so far – the best thing about it is that it fits into my mobile game case, but that’s another assembly for another post. Thanks for reading and I hope you’ve found this helpful. What other containers do you use for your dice storage or dice trays? Leave your comments below.  A common question we’ve been getting during our events is this: “How did you get your book published?” The easy answer is this: You write / draw, you format and convert to PDF, then, you print. The more complicated answer happens in stages. This post talks about the first stage that comes to play right after you’ve laid your work out. If you have some basic knowledge on how to lay your work out and have it converted to PDF, that’s good. To make your printing process a little smoother, here are a few questions to answer: Are your pages even-working? Even-working means your content fits into a number of pages which can be divisible by 2 or 4. Most printers will come back to you if your pages are not divisible by 2 or 4 – check this specification with them. Printers tend to fold / print pages on larger pieces of paper, which results in 1 sheet of paper taking about 4 pages of content or more. Bleed – what is that? Not paper cuts. Bleed is a term used to describe the overflow of your page design over your page borders to make up for any minute, measurement-related errors in cutting. So if your page edges are white and you’re printing on white paper anyway, there’s no need to worry. For cases where your work is on a black background, make sure you give a bleed of black around your borders so you don’t get that line of white paper in case the cutting is off by half a millimetre. What size do you want your work to be presented in? A5? A4? B5? Most places take A5, A4, and A3 quite easily. Any odd sizes may result in more expensive printing because of any expenses going to creating a custom die cut. Grayscale or Colour? The most common we’ve seen are black and white interior / content, with colour covers. Remember to check the colour policies with different printers – most of them won’t entertain “discounts” even if you just have a single line in colour. Colour is colour. What kind of paper would you like to use? Very much like colour vs. black and white, different papers bring out different textures and prices. What’s important is to know how you’d like your work to be present in the best but most economical way. (E.g. I know Vellum is amazing, but a 50-page Vellum book of poetry probably needs to be priced high in order to make your cost back) Saddle-stitch or Perfect bind? Unless you have the time / energy to print everything on a large sheet of paper, cut, and sew your books together one-by-one, printers will ask you to choose from a variety of bindings. Do note, though, that in most places, perfect bind (glue) can only be done if you exceed 100 pages. How many copies? Be mindful about this – have a good gauge of how much you intend to give away and sell. Consider your storage solutions as well – storing 100 books in your room is no joke. We’ll talk about logistics in another post. That being said, we’ll talk about sourcing printers in our next post. I hope this post has given you some pointers with what to prepare before going for a print job. Do you have other factors you look out for before you send your work to print? Share it with us in the comments!  The second half of the year is coming – which means the bulk of fandom, pop culture, and indie booth events are coming as well. Following my trilogy of Event Prep posts, I thought it’ll be good to put out a checklist for all of you to use as a template for your own booth management. So here’s my first printable:  The list will cover three main areas: Administration, Booth Management, and Deco & Design. It’s not a definitive list, so feel free to use this as a beginner’s platform to manage your event booth. To download this printable, click here.  We’ve done a post on getting into events as a booth owner. We’ve done a post on getting through events as a booth owner. So the doors have closed, you’ve collected your booth deposit, and you’re left with the heavily-browsed copies of your remaining stock, your booth deco, and your earnings for the event. Time to celebrate and indulge in your spoils! But what’s with this need for a ‘post-mortem’? To put it plainly, a post-mortem is when you take a step back after you’re done with your boothing event, and then take stock of what you’ve done and what you’d like to do moving forward. Personally, I just do a bit of reflection with the Tiger while we calculate what we’ve earned, but here are a few tips on what we and some of our friends do post-events: REST This is possibly the most important step. Unless you shared your booth and need to get payments / profits split the moment you close your booth, the first thing you’ll need to do is to put your stock aside and sit down for a well-deserved dinner and rest. My friends, after their first time together behind the booth at STGCC, stopped talking to each other the moment they started taking their booth down. And only realized they've been silent all the way only halfway through their dinner - when they felt the fatigue set in. Boothing is exhausting, especially if you’re not used to it, so take as much rest as you need first. TABULATE This is what I tend to do the couple of days after. Simply put, this is when we keep track of stock and how much you’ve earned from the event. There are also other things you might want to keep tabs on after the event, like the amount of contacts you’ve received, thank you notes, and even your own loot from the event itself. It’s just putting aside some time shortly after your event to look at how well you’ve done for yourself. (Note: You’ve already done well by being a booth owner regardless, so yes, well done.) REFLECT And this is what I ask myself as I look back:
And this marks the end of my trilogy of Boothing posts. I hope this helped you to gain some insight into our boothing experiences. We’ll see you at our next event!  |
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