Inspiration from Unlikely Sources
Aug. 8th, 2012 01:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lydamorehouseAfter reading BAKUMAN, I've decide that I am going to try to come up with a story idea a day, just like one of the characters in the Manga. This has been a real challenge, actually, but first I want to talk about the inspiration behind this new project of mine.
I was telling my friend Eleanor about this Manga and why I like it. I usually hate meta-ficitonal stuff. Yet I came across BAKUMAN in Shonen Jump, when the storyline involved the two main characters (a writer and and artist of Manga) trying to get serialized in Shonen Jump. Normally, this sort of thing irritates the crap out of me. But, the art is phenomenonal (the artist who draws it is the same one who illustrated HIKARU NO GO,) and I find, like HIKARU NO GO, I'm enjoying the story line even though I feel like I really shouldn't, because it's ultimately just about a couple of guys sitting around writing and/or drawing. There's a romance and rivals and all that stuff, but really the story is about how difficult it is to make it as a writer/artist in the cut-throat business that is Manga in Japan (though there's a super-strong analog to New York publishing)
What I like about the manga is that it doesn't really assume an answer. The rival is a highly talented kid about the same age as our heroes who has made a success by talent and a weirdly disproportionate amount of dumb luck. Sort of like that guy who published his novel on his website and a NY publishing house contacted him to publish it commerically (I'm looking at you, Scazli.) The two heroes, however, clearly represent the model I followed: bang your head until the damn door opens. They have a very Japanese attitude of indominable spirit coupled with the fantasy that if you go after your dream with everything you've got, you will succeed.
The last bit is a fantasy, IMHO, but in BAKUMAN they address that head-on. There's a lot of talk about luck and how publishing is a gambler's game, and how, even after you break in, you can still fail. AND, more to the point, I'm at the moment in the story when it's clear that they're actually serious -- our artist hero decides to take an internship under their rival, because he's actually willing to learn anything he can ANY WAY HE CAN. That attitude served me well throughout my career.
So, I've been inspired by these very determined fictional characters to try to write down a story idea a day. I've been looking through anthology calls for submissions to help me find a focus-point. Otherwise the universe of ideas is awfully wide-open. But, so far, I've had some fun with it. I'm not sure any of the ideas will turn into stories, but it's a good excercise to keep me focused on origianl work.
Speaking of my fandom, OMG. BLEACH is ending this year, and it seems Kubo-sensei has decided that the best way to finish things off is with a humongerous bloodbath of epic proportions. All I can say is that THANK FATE he has the deus ex machina of Orihime to turn back time, if necessary. Fingers crossed that dead isn't dead for Manga any more than it is for Marvel.
I was telling my friend Eleanor about this Manga and why I like it. I usually hate meta-ficitonal stuff. Yet I came across BAKUMAN in Shonen Jump, when the storyline involved the two main characters (a writer and and artist of Manga) trying to get serialized in Shonen Jump. Normally, this sort of thing irritates the crap out of me. But, the art is phenomenonal (the artist who draws it is the same one who illustrated HIKARU NO GO,) and I find, like HIKARU NO GO, I'm enjoying the story line even though I feel like I really shouldn't, because it's ultimately just about a couple of guys sitting around writing and/or drawing. There's a romance and rivals and all that stuff, but really the story is about how difficult it is to make it as a writer/artist in the cut-throat business that is Manga in Japan (though there's a super-strong analog to New York publishing)
What I like about the manga is that it doesn't really assume an answer. The rival is a highly talented kid about the same age as our heroes who has made a success by talent and a weirdly disproportionate amount of dumb luck. Sort of like that guy who published his novel on his website and a NY publishing house contacted him to publish it commerically (I'm looking at you, Scazli.) The two heroes, however, clearly represent the model I followed: bang your head until the damn door opens. They have a very Japanese attitude of indominable spirit coupled with the fantasy that if you go after your dream with everything you've got, you will succeed.
The last bit is a fantasy, IMHO, but in BAKUMAN they address that head-on. There's a lot of talk about luck and how publishing is a gambler's game, and how, even after you break in, you can still fail. AND, more to the point, I'm at the moment in the story when it's clear that they're actually serious -- our artist hero decides to take an internship under their rival, because he's actually willing to learn anything he can ANY WAY HE CAN. That attitude served me well throughout my career.
So, I've been inspired by these very determined fictional characters to try to write down a story idea a day. I've been looking through anthology calls for submissions to help me find a focus-point. Otherwise the universe of ideas is awfully wide-open. But, so far, I've had some fun with it. I'm not sure any of the ideas will turn into stories, but it's a good excercise to keep me focused on origianl work.
Speaking of my fandom, OMG. BLEACH is ending this year, and it seems Kubo-sensei has decided that the best way to finish things off is with a humongerous bloodbath of epic proportions. All I can say is that THANK FATE he has the deus ex machina of Orihime to turn back time, if necessary. Fingers crossed that dead isn't dead for Manga any more than it is for Marvel.
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Date: 2012-08-10 01:36 am (UTC)Also, I started Blue Exorcist, but I was a tiny bit put off by the art so I never got further than the first couple of chapters. LOVE the set-up, of course. I'll go back to it if you recommend it, though.
If Kubo-sensei kills off Renji I WILL QUIT (okay, I probably won't, but I WILL CRY. Although perhaps I will begin to fantasize that they'll be reborn in the human world TOGETHER.) Are you reading fan translated issues? I'm reading at Shonen Jump's official pace, so I only just got to the big Byakuya moment. I hear I've got a three week hiatus to wait though to find out what will happen next (though my fandom will spoil for me. I heard about Byakuya for weeks before I read it for myself. Luckily, spoilers have never bothered me.)