Wow, been a while since I posted here. I meant to do this last week, but forgot about it. Sorry. Also, I’ve moved from only naming my blogs after prose novels to graphic ones as well. I write comics, I should probably show them some love.
So, as some of you may have noticed from the latest arc, things are developing around here. I put it off for a little while, but I’ve finally thrown in some drama and character development into the mix. These are the marks of good writing, but as many webcomic fans know, they can quickly kill a comedy.
As I said in my little notes below each strip, the ‘Epiphany’ arc was directed at me as much as it was to other people. Before writing this story, I was suffering from severe writer’s block while coming up for an ending to the ‘Nell’ arc. Around this time, Brad Guigar came out and claimed Writer’s Block didn’t exist, it was just something from laziness. Now, the type of block he was describing is sort of fake, but he completely mis-interpretted the definition of Writer’s Block. It’s when you come to a point where you cannot see what happens next. I got a little angry at him, dismissing a problem I was having as me being an amateur, but it did make me realise something. I was running low on insane, amusing antics. He wasn’t right about his argument, but he did get me thinking.
I finished of the Nell arc and as Paul started sending the strips, I started to get nervous. I had nothing to send him and it looked like I never would. I asked myself why I couldn’t come up with anything, and got no answer. Then, one night as insomnia gripped me, I tried thinking to the ending I had planned out for LWI, and then working backwards. I realised how much character development there would need to be, and as I lay there for three hours, I had a conversation with myself similar to the one David had in his dream.
It brings me to recall the Order of the Stick reference I mentioned in part three. Belkar was ill, due to a curse, and saw in a dream that he needed to become more. But it’s the passcode that is most relevant. “Evolve or Die.” That was pretty much what seemed to be the future of me writing the strip. If I wanted it to continue, it had to rise another level, gain some interesting characters and be more.
Now, some of you might be worried, understandably, that this means the entire strip will change and suck. Hopefully, that won’t be the case. I’m making sure I take this slowly. It will still be the LWI you know and love, just with more depth. Everyone’s still crazy, weird shit will still be happening, but hopefully it’ll be something everyone will enjoy very much.
I said that this is either going to be the end or the beginning, but I hope this will be so seamless you won’t even know the difference.
~ David