Ideas are easy Execution is hard

[puppetmaker]

This past weekend Peter did an online seminar about writing strong comic characters and other things you should know about writing comics. He talked for 7 hours on the topic. I was half listening to what he was saying while I worked on other things.

One thing that he talked about was the number of people who say that they have this original idea and if they tell it to him and he uses it, then they can split the money. He stops them there and says very politely no thank you. He then encourages them to write out their ideas on their own. I have seen a lot of faces fall at that point and a couple of people actually start thinking about writing.

I have a million ideas for puppets and the like. I have a couple of projects that I want to get around to sometime including a Scary Godmother puppet show which Jill has given me kind permission for. I also have a couple of Neil Gaiman stories that I still have permission to do as well. I have a couple of puppets I want to make and a couple that I should make.

I have costuming ideas as does Caroline. I think Caroline’s outfit is next in the shoot match with one I need for Dragon Con this year after that.

I have stories ideas for all kinds of things. I have mysteries I have worked out in my head along with a couple of fantasy and science fiction stories. Time needed is my issue.

I have more ideas that I can execute in my lifetime and they keep coming.

I am grateful for the ideas that I have executed.

Comments

[dagonell.livejournal.com]

"I have more ideas that I can execute in my lifetime and they keep coming."

I know this feeling well. About a year after my father retired, he told me "Never retire, retirement is boring." I can't conceive the possibility, there's so much more I could do if I didn't have to work eight hours a day.
-- Dagonell

[tigrkittn.livejournal.com]

I've heard this so many times, and it never fails to drive me batshit. Ideas are the hard part for me. I love to write, and I'm decent at it. I love rewriting, editing, expanding, paring down and perfecting - but I rarely get to, because I've got nothing to write about. I can't think of a story to tell, or an interesting character to send into random adventures. People say that "ideas come from everywhere, they're the easy part!" but that has never been true for me.

[delle.livejournal.com]

Diana Gabaldon has said the same thing: the initial idea is the easy part. the actual *writing* - that's the work.

[thecatinthehat.livejournal.com]

I was thinking about asking this on the Rabbit Hole post, but this seems more appropriate.

My husband is writing a comic with his friend - they actually just got onto comixology - if I sent a copy, would you or your husband read his book and give him any feedback you might have?

I'm sure that you get asked this sort of thing all the time, but I know that he would love some high quality feedback, so I thought I'd try.

Thank you. :)