Ask the Author: Becca Hillburn
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Becca Hillburn
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Becca Hillburn
If I learned one thing at SCAD, it's that when you have a deadline, it doesn't matter whether you're in the mood to draw (or write), you just do it. It doesn't matter if it's the best thing you've ever done, what really counts is getting it done in the first place. So I don't really wait around for inspiration to happen.
If I'm feeling frustrated, I go for a walk around my neighborhood or I go outside and take care of my garden. When I lived in Savannah, GA, I would often visit the local botanical garden for inspiration.
I'm constantly consuming a wide variety of new media- I don't have time to play videogames, but I watch a lot of Let's Plays, I read a lot of fiction and a lot of comics, I watch a lot of animated TV in the evenings while I work. The influx of new ideas means I'm always inspired, and I have notebooks and notepads full of someday ideas. That way, when I need an idea for an anthology or for Kara, I have several to choose from.
If I'm feeling frustrated, I go for a walk around my neighborhood or I go outside and take care of my garden. When I lived in Savannah, GA, I would often visit the local botanical garden for inspiration.
I'm constantly consuming a wide variety of new media- I don't have time to play videogames, but I watch a lot of Let's Plays, I read a lot of fiction and a lot of comics, I watch a lot of animated TV in the evenings while I work. The influx of new ideas means I'm always inspired, and I have notebooks and notepads full of someday ideas. That way, when I need an idea for an anthology or for Kara, I have several to choose from.
Becca Hillburn
I'm currently working on the last batch of full illustrations for Gizmo Grandma: A Twisty Tale, a freelance children's book I've been hired to illustrate. I'm also working on Volume 2 of 7" Kara.
Becca Hillburn
Since I'm both an illustrator and a writer, when I get blocked on one project, I just switch to another. I'm always working on something- sketching, writing my blog, working on 7" Kara, creating new illustrations for the children's book I'm illustrating, Gizmo Grandma: A Twisty Tale. I think writing for comics, especially if you're also illustrating, makes it easier to avoid writers block than writing prose, because I'm less concerned with how something sounds mentally and more concerned with how I can make it come across visually.
When I write for comics, I have quite a few steps. I have a long form synopsis that includes ALL of 7" Kara. I break that synopsis into chapter chunks, and I flesh that out into individual chapter synopsis as I come to each chapter. I have my editing crew of friends and comic artists read over it, and when plotholes have been filled, I move on to scripting, which includes dialogue and page direction. I have my friends check that, then I start thumbnailing. This method lets me stay on course, allows me to be flexible if I want or need to make major story changes, and I'm not forced to think about the entire story at any time unless that's what I want to focus on. The long breaks from writing (spent drawing and attending shows, of course) give me plenty of time to mull over where I want to take the story, and what I want to happen in individual chapters. While I'm not focused on writing, I keep lots of notes, so I'm always ready for inspiration to strike!
When I write for comics, I have quite a few steps. I have a long form synopsis that includes ALL of 7" Kara. I break that synopsis into chapter chunks, and I flesh that out into individual chapter synopsis as I come to each chapter. I have my editing crew of friends and comic artists read over it, and when plotholes have been filled, I move on to scripting, which includes dialogue and page direction. I have my friends check that, then I start thumbnailing. This method lets me stay on course, allows me to be flexible if I want or need to make major story changes, and I'm not forced to think about the entire story at any time unless that's what I want to focus on. The long breaks from writing (spent drawing and attending shows, of course) give me plenty of time to mull over where I want to take the story, and what I want to happen in individual chapters. While I'm not focused on writing, I keep lots of notes, so I'm always ready for inspiration to strike!
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