(sorry if you've answered something similar before)
with all the positive encouragement you post about it, I'm really considering making a clangen blog. since you have a few, is there anything you recommend before starting? a certain aspect of planning or anything you wished you would've decided on sooner?
Don't apologize, I'm happy to answer! In fact, I'm surprised people are even asking me, I'm just some guy. This is my second comic to even have traction (my first was a Steven Universe one lol)
BUT I shall answer below, and even provide my own personal Clangen Template that I made to track things- for anyone to use!
Firstly: if you want to do it, just do it! You don't have to commit to it forever, or even long, unless you really want to practice your professional ability to push through art slumps/lack of motivation. Especially in the clangen space, it's not taboo to just close/abandon a run you're no longer into.
Now, for more specific answers I guess...
What I recommend:
Keep notes starting from moon 0 if you have any inkling you want to make a blog. This means you may have runs you write several moons of before deciding it's not interesting/connecting/etc that are now useless, but it's better to have those and delete them than to not and have to backtrack ideas.
Pick a main character, or a couple, and stick with them. Trying to focus on all the cats quickly becomes an impossible task, and people won't connect as well as with a rotating cast as they will with a few set characters.
If the main character(s) dies, pick another to take over that role and slowly introduce them into the spotlight well before the other's death. Helps people swap over lol
Actually set up a world for the clan. Where is it set? What're the seasons like? How do they live? How are they different from the other clans, if there are any? It helps you with setting up practices, what characters value, and people like learning about it!
Keep posts focused on the blog. You can post about other things now and then, like life and other projects, but people follow you for a clangen blog in the end and may drift away if you post other things too often. I'd also say avoid venting, personal issues, etc as it can make folks uncomfortable and the blog isn't a diary.
UNDERSTAND YOU MAY GET PUSHBACK/CRITICISM/HATE. This is especially true if you handle sensitive subject matter like abuse, sa, transphobia & gender related issues, etc. If you want to limit this, you will need to turn off anon asks. I also suggest not even replying to them, as attention just brings more messages. It can suck, but blocking and moving on is key <3
What I wish I had done:
Kept the main character design simpler. I love Root, and I can handle drawing her again and again, but if I could have gone back I would have made her design/markings more simple. Find other ways to make cats look different than complex pelts, like weight and fur styles. You'll see me take this into account with later designs.
Cared less about interaction. For a lot of my starting posts, I was watching the number of notes very often and really tied my enjoyment of my comic to that. Truth is, some stuff works and others don't, and now that I am less concerned about that I find it easier to work on it.
Interacted with other blogs more from the start. I didn't realize just how much getting a comment or ask or reblog made me feel seen and happy- and while it's not everything it's nice. So I started doing that for other blogs, and it has led to me making some lovely friends.
Set up a solid genre. I started my blog heavy on horror but did not carry that into later moons because, well, it didn't fit. However that still impacts expectations to new readers- and has left me finding ways to weave it into the story as things go. So if I could have, I would have kept to a genre for the story from the start, but I'm still happy with where I'm at.
AND THAT'S WHAT I HAVE!!! I'm not expert and I have no say on what you want to do, so these are just my personal tips.
Now for the thing some people might be interested in... my personal Clangen Template! Here are previews of it empty and filled!
(Yes those are early notes of Hymnclan)
If you want to use it for yourself, HERE YOU GO! Please please please credit me if you do just by @ ing this account in your pinned or smthn, I worked hard on it! Just go to file -> make a copy.
