It's Going Home's 6th anniversary today. I'll say, it feels so weird to think that it's been that long. It certainly doesn't feel like it. Thought to take this moment to share a little where I'm at with the hiatus, and next chapter plans.
I believe I've stated before, but chapter 5 will be the most technically challenging one yet for me to pull off. There's a lot I still need to do:
Ironing out the designs. Characters and areas are all things I've got a pretty solid idea of how they'll look and go in my head, but I do need to put them to paper properly.
Specifically, areas. I'd like to especially drive home that it's areas that make the task feel a bit daunting, because it's a rather large space that'd be rather detailed. Ideally, I was thinking of finding maybe some 3D models to use for refs and trace quickly over as I know is something done in comics, but uh… idk thats kinda effort, i might be fine just balling as is…
Fully scripting the chapter. I'd like this done before I start posting pages. This is because I'd like to go into this completely ready and not find myself needing to write more in the midst of it. Usually, I write in large chunks, the pages I make catch up, and I write more. This is typically fine because I think about these scenes frequently and know how things will go, but for this chapter I'd like it to all be done so that I can run it by people for proof reading.
Proofreading. That's right. We're getting proofread. Nothing fancy, just by my friends. I'd like things to be cohesive, be sure I'm sharing all the ideas I intend to with this chapter, and just generally have things be clear where I'd like it to.
Quality. This point feels… a bit tough to actually admit, but I'm not entirely happy with Going Home's artistic quality. I'm under no illusion that I'd be able to make the pages any degree like my proper illustrations, and that I must compromise the way I have to get the story out there at all. But something's got to give. I don't know if this would mean changing the brushes I use and changing the style, as I'm not sure if my issues would be solved by simply putting in more details as is onto pages. This is something for me to sort out on my own. Maybe something will change, maybe it won't. Who knows.
Actually making the pages. Which can only happen once I have everything above sorted out, and even then, I'd like to have a hefty buffer, meaning I'd need a number of pages completed before I can start posting.
I must add as well, the fact that I'm in my final year of university leaves me with… less than an ideal amount of time to even chip away at this prep list I have to tackle. When I'm not busy, I'm exhausted, and it's all left me with what feels like very little progress to show so far. I apologize, but I must be honest that it may take a while. Before returning, I'd like to have more pages of buffer than I typically do in attempt to counter the fact I have less time. We'll just have to see how that goes.
I do wish to continue posting 2 pages a week, as having the story actually progress is worth the most for me. It's a long story! It's taken us 6 years just to wrap up chapter 4 and its intermission! The speed is something I feel like is dearly needed if this tale is to conclude at all, lol. In a more "reasonable time", that is.
I love Going Home dearly, it is by far the most important story to me, and I intend fully to continue it until the very end. I feel insanely passionate about it, and by god am I going to finishing sharing it with everyone. I am extremely grateful for all of you who read my silly little comic, it truly means the world to me. I wish I could end this off with even a guess to when we'll be back, but I truly don't know. Regardless, thank you very much.
Here's to another year of Ink trying to get home.