Who's Writing This Anyway?

[@FITZFACTOR]

man I can relate! The first comic I wrote and worked on, I did it on a page by page basis. 100% gardening. It was LOADS of fun, but ultimately it was directionless and I never ended up finishing it. I spent around 70 weeks doing 70 pages and then just stopped. I had no motivation to tell the story because it ultimately wasn't a story that I found worth telling. When I did my first full graphic novel, my approach was very architecture based. I wrote the full script, broke it into pages, did the layout, and then spent the rest of the time finishing what I had already done. No room for improvisation. No room for happy accidents. No room for surprises. It was SO tedious by the end!! And to a degree, soul crushing. On one hand I see the incredible potential of architecture. The planning helped me actually FINISH something for the first time in my life, but at the cost of large amusement. For my next project I'm trying to find the balance that lets me have direction but still allows for creative freedom throughout the process. Hilarious how finding your process is a process in itself.

[@MissMarck]

As Flannery O'Connor said "I write to discover what I know." I think the "rules" apply to technique and plot, but our messages and motives are generally pretty universal. The feelings we want to evoke already exist, and we're unearthing ways to share them. Honestly it's like archeology in a way! We don't make the bones, but we have to do the work to reveal them.

[@TheArtistJ777]

I set up key plot points with in my story and then kinda just leave to my characters to make it to each plot point. Now its ended up with about 600 pages and im now on the final plot point. Its made it a awesome journey though

[@DennerBob]

I like the perspective of seeing the different story structures people use as diagnostic tools to pull out when you see something broken in your story. You check if you have the right pieces for a three act structure when your ending feels unsatisfying, you don't have to bludgeon characters into a structure when the story is working their way.

[@liesinred1]

Empathy plays a lot into characters. Knowing how characters will react to situations because you are putting yourself in their shoes.

[@dojoworks7704]

Plan out a garden you would love to see, something that you know you can achieve then have fun making it and watching it grow and see what else pops up.

[@proofofevidence]

I've always wanted to be a gardener but I think I'm actually an architect, so far. Though I have some good ideas that appear from I don't know where

[@karakuri100p]

We’ve been working on our story on and off because of this paradox of being a gardener and a architect..and having two different personalities to boot.Sadly sometimes resulting in verbal disputes but lately its been going a lot better😁 Finding that balance can be quite hard

[@onsab123]

I am definitely a gardener. I had a 24 to 34 page story that I had in mind for thee100s challenge that took me on a 100 plus page journey. Now I have to get it together and make it a physical book! You have been a great driving force and insperation in making this happen, thank you! Oh, great video too!

[@EuropaPhoenix]

I'm an architect because I'm scared of failure. The 'blueprint" is reassuring. I'm a gardener because I want to have fun and keep an organic (flexible) quality to my writing style.

[@StudioHannah]

I tried to be a gardener when I was younger, because being an architect felt too BIG and intimidating, and I just wanted to get started! But I found that I would jump back and forth around the garden, neglecting certain plants and not knowing where to water, and ended up with half-complete messes. So I tried being an architect, and though it isn't as "natural" for me, having that plan of action has helped me create better structure to my stories and get farther along in the creation process. I just have a lot of window boxes in my castle. Your ending song cracked me up, BTW!

[@thesignhelper1713]

Love the thought process on this video. I do not know what I am. I'm putting my characters into situations and allowing them to react naturally. So I am allowing them to react to the situation but creating situations where there is only one door out to the next scene no matter how they react in the setting. Will have the ponder this farther!!!

[@IlBiggo]

I totally hear you re: composing songs. My songs are all finished, none perfect. A sensible songwriter, a gardener, would be like "hey, this works well enough"; and that's exactly when my inner architect shows up and starts measuring stuff and vetoing the project.

[@ShaunMcMillan]

I think we have the same issue with drawing. Most of us have learned to draw a composition before diving into anatomy so that we know our characters will end up in the right place at the end. It's also like the difference between straight ahead animation and pose to pose.

[@PiersonMason]

I gotta say, I'm a gardener, but I do love learning about structure to help shape story in ways that make more sense.

[@PiersonMason]

ALSO AWESOME SHIRT AND END SONG!!!!

[@brandttm]

Love this, Jason. I keep trying to be an Architect, but time and time again, I come back to being a Gardener. Structure tends to bog me down and inhibit my writing. As for life, I've always viewed it as my personal Hero's Journey. I'd like to believe I'm writing it, but time and time again, it seems that God has a better narrative than I have for myself.

[@finsoto]

I do both. Structure helps and allowing characters to grow organically is what feels good to me and is a fun challenge. Nice shirt btw lol.

[@PeterPalmiotti]

Always insightful Jason, keep them coming!

[@socrates0603]

When I was younger (teen-early 30s), I wanted clarity and structure in my life and relationship with God. In my later 30s, I realized all that I had known was incomplete and I began deconstructing what I had known to be the truth. In my 40s, I understood and accepted that I will be going back and forth between the two poles (clarity vs ambiguity, knowing vs not knowing). When I've reached one place, it's time to go back to the other side. I like the metaphor of the journey. It's not about getting to the destination (clarity, ambiguity) but about the movement between the two. By nature, I think I'm an architect type but I've learned to be a gardener and am very happy with that.

[@jegantdragoch.7088]

my personal problem is the idea of wanting to develop certain parts and thinking too much about it and thus dont really want to start or move on from a plot point or scene just to add more to the world and it my break the flow of the story. (siding on the style of the architect) . the fear of reaching a certain point and regretting for not adding things back in the beginning of a story and not being able to go back to add it (if its some web comic release on a weekly times) etc. certainly wish i could be a gardener to just be able to go with the flow.

[@dragoniraflameblade]

I started with just writing a general idea. Then I realized that I wasn't able to flourish without some kind of guide, so I began outlining. Now I don't feel like I'm floundering every day that I sit down to write. My book won't look the same as the outline, but it's a great guide. And AWESOME ENDING SONG!!!

[@MikePouch]

This was great! I'm definitely a complete architect to a fault, which is probably why I have such issue finishing a piece - I feel like I need the story all planned out before I start the real writing. The song at the end! Oh man! Hahahaha!

[@rymaru2138]

I think it's really fun as a writer to get to experience and understand God in this way. It's an aspect of him that people who don't write seem to have a difficulty really getting, but it's something I feel down deep inside. Thanks for bringing up the conversation.

[@rkneegordon6316]

It took me, until I watched this video to understand how I write. I’ve listened to everyone else on how to write, except on person. Me. The best experience I’ve enjoyed is developing characters, after that, it was pretty easy to tell their stories, an see how conflicts evolve when their paths cross. It was an organic process that usually started with “how about” or “what if”, an somewhere along the way I lost sight of that. I’ve have struggled mightily to plan out my ideas, to only see nothing getting completed, an move forward. Now, I see why, it was a chore I didn’t enjoy so i stopped. Again, thank you Jason. You have freed me to pursue my ideas, with the knowledge I wasn’t doing it wrong. I’m just a Gardner.

[@CoffeeTableComics]

Wow man! Glad to hear this helped. :)

[@kirstymca]

I noticed that both Sithrah & Space Boy were exploring freewill/predestination!

[@SuperUberDae]

I'm definitely a gardener. My characters are usually better at figuring out the story than I am by myself, lol.

[@chloelemaster9723]

Another great video man, thank you so much for being such an amazing and talented artist. Best of luck!

[@CoffeeTableComics]

Thanks Chloe! :)

[@timkretzer]

At this point I’d call myself an archigardenertect - with a thumb that’s turning greener… :)

[@bpic9717]

I guess I am a gardener because i write my story 3 pages at a time.

[@mattc8884]

I just heard someone else talk about this George RR Martin idea of gardening vs architecturing. I'm definitely an architect. I get the impression that this isn't a very popular approach to storytelling nowadays? On worldview grounds even. Maybe I like it because I'm a calvinist? lol The other guy I was listening to was saying that he's an architect until he gets to the individual scene level, and then goes gardening for the dialogue etc. I like this approach. Get the point of the scene down tight, and then let the characters go exploring to get there. Seems to be the way screenwriting happens, which also makes me favor it

[@trooperjoe73]

Now that's a shirt I can stand behind. Keep up the great work.

[@robertodeluca1786]

This guy is just as my granny: You see his smiley face and you're happy! XD

[@trevor_nielson]

dude your,shirt made me laugh out loud!

[@MalamikArt]

I could not sit with my back to the door, no way. And I'm a gardener who tries to be and architect. I know where I'm going, but I don't care how I get there. :) Such is life

[@CoffeeTableComics]

Malamik Art I’m pretty much alone in my office so I don’t mind my back to the door. But in a studio with. Lots of others I nacre sat with my back to the door. :)

[@MarshMakesComics]

Great episode! Thanks dude!

[@snakemont]

Great Vid!