Slow start

Ok...I admit that I'm off to a very slow start getting this blog off the ground. This post is my first effort to address that particular situation.

This has been a very difficult couple of weeks for me. My unemployment benefits have been cut off due to the fact that I teach guitar lessons, which, in Pennsylvania, apparently qualifies me as "self-employed" and therefore no longer eligible for benefits. Nice, huh? So I'm entering an appeal process there. So, I have very much officially entered the struggling writer category as I now have no income other than the few guitar lessons I teach each week.

So, there's my most recent dose of trials and tribulations.

On the brighter side, I am just a few pages away from completing a script for a new graphic novel that I am very excited about. John Forcucci, a professional illustrator from the Boston area, is co-creator and will be drawing the book. His art is downright amazing. I cannot wait to showcase this new work.

My biggest shortcoming creatively is still putting in the hours. Pure and simple, I need to write more. A lot more. Especially if I ever want to have a shot at writing a book or a screenplay. I'd be interested in hearing from any other creators who find this to be an obstacle for them and how they overcome it.

Recommended reading: The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

What is visual writing?

First let me welcome you and thank you for stopping by this blog. Writing Visually is my effort to share my thoughts and feelings, triumphs and tragedies, insights and observations regarding my efforts to become a successful writer in the entertainment industries. Along the way, I'll occasionally digress into some gratuitous self promotion (it is my blog after all) and welcome you to do the same while sharing some of your own stories, tips, etc.

For the purpose of this blog, visual writing is the task of writing great stories with compelling characters that, first and foremost, have to successfully communicate WITH AN ARTIST. That artist might be an illustrator, an animator, a film or television director, a graphic designer or video game developer. That artist needs to be able to clearly understand the author's vision so they can execute it on the printed page, computer screen, silver screen, etc.

Visual writers have an acute awareness that they are a partner in the creative process and not the sole creator. They know that without successful collaboration with an artist their work will likely never see the light of day and never be enjoyed by a reader or viewer.

So with that, I am kicking off this blog and welcome posts from visual writers and artists alike. Come here to discuss your successes, your failures, your insights, your frustrations. Discuss the creative process, the industries, the internal and external struggles you overcome to complete your work. Network, debate, share information, etc. etc.