Author Interview
I was tagged by the amazing @novamm66, one the the first friends I’ve made on this platform, and someone I cherish dearly, not only as a friend, but as inspiration of perseverance and improvement!
I haven’t been working on text-only fanfic for some time now. 100% of my creative energy is here, in the on-going Anathema graphic novel. As it is part text, I shall answer the call of the tag!
I’ll tag @amarmeme, @saltlordofold, @ladydracarysao3 and @buttsonthebeach
Name: John Shepard, aka @john-cousland.
Fandoms: Dragon Age and Mass Effect. I mean, I’ve drawn a lot of things for Mass Effect before, including a one-shot comic about Ashley Williams. But my main passion is Dragon Age, and has been for several years. My muse is my dwarf Inquisitor, Junia Cadash, and she’s my main source of inspiration, passion and motivation.
Where You Post: I post here on Tumblr, and on the Apocrypha Comic’s website. Tumblr doesn’t allow many pages in a post, and may have a pickle with the NSFW images that pop-up in my work. Therefore, I do post here with a link to the website. I intend on posting Anathema on AO3 as well. Into the Mouth of Hell, the Ashley one-shot, is both at AO3 and the Apocrypha Comic’s website.
That being said, I do have a few text one-shots on AO3.
Most Popular One-Shot: Admiration, a one-shot I wrote early in my friendship with @cdhurricane for her Frey Mahariel. We both loved it so much it evolved into some nice collaborations, and a full graphic novel she made of the one-shot!
Most Popular Multi-Chapter Story: Blood and Dust was a text multi-chapter project. I was about to finish it, but I have rebooted it in the form of the Anathema Graphic Novel. It tells the same story, but with a few different developments, and told from Junia’s perspective. As @saltlordofold once put it, a “post-orgy pillow talk” telling the story of a tragic romance that could have happened. It is a prelude for both my Warden and my Inquisitor, but focuses, of course, on my muse, Junia.
Favourite Story You Wrote: By far, Anathema. Well, I *haven’t* written it in the sense that I am still writing it. And with an anticipated production pace of one issue every 6 months, I will still do it for years to come. Considering text-only, though, I just love and am very proud of Admiration.
Story You Were Nervous to Post: More than anything, Blood and Dust / Anathema. I know Warden x Inquisitor is a rare, straight, OC x OC ship. Add to that that Junia is a big woman, and it doesn’t make for the more traditional, attracting work. Still, I’m so fucking proud of it! It also allowed me to solve a lot of feedback-induced anxiety.
How You Choose Your Titles: Some times they present themselves, others I have to work a lot for it. I was never very happy with Blood and Dust as a title, and I debated a lot with myself and others until I reached Anathema. Usually, I try to go for a word or short expression that summarizes well what the characters and intended story are about.
Complete: Only one shots, including a comic. No multi-chapter complete.
Incomplete: Anathema, the only one I’ve been working on, and the one I’ll be working on for a long, long, long time.
Do You Outline? Yes, but not so much. Basically, the biggest challenge of making a graphic novel, for me, is not the drawing per se - I mean, that can be a challenge too. But the outline of panels in a page is everything, specially when dialogues are considered. It is what dictates rhythm, and it can make or brake the telling. It also has to line up with the progression of dialogue and narration. So I will usually do very rough outlines, while at the same time doing stick-figure sketching to visualize if it makes sense.
Coming Soon/Not Yet Started: Anathema #2! It’s in the works, 6 pages sketched another... 8 to 12 to go? I don’t keep a definite page count per chapter, so I go until it is a good hook point to cut to the next one. And, if somehow I get really fast at this, maybe, I’ll make a second series to tell John’s story after he and Junia break up. But making series without Junia would be tough because, as I said, she’s my main motivator.
Do You Accept Prompts? I would, if I’d ever get them! ^^ I think it should be something funny to do, either for short paragraphs or sketches.
Upcoming Story You Are Most Excited to Write: Anathema. Definitely Anathema.
