The Following Is...

What you are about to read is a consolidated version of an actual interview that actually happened in December with actual real people, actually...

ME: Thanks for sitting down with me today, me.

ME2: No problem, me.

ME: So tell me, how did your writing challenge in November go?

ME2: Oh, it was great! I got all sorts of ideas down and basically had a brain dump on paper. I was so utterly pleased with myself...

ME: That's interesting, because if I look at my records, that really didn't happen. And since I am you (goo goo ga joob), why not give me the REAL story?

ME2: Damn ME!

ME: Go on...

ME2: Well, it turns out that the challenge was indeed more...challenging than I truly realized from the outset.

ME: In what way?

ME2: For starters, my initial apathy and lack of self-discipline pushed me into pushing back how much I would do in one day. That, when coupled with other distractions, such as work, chores, various planning events, and others too many to mention, meant I put each issue off and put it off and put it off and put it off...

ME: Ok, ok I get it. So what did you manage to accomplish in that month?

ME2: I did manage to stay true to basis of the challenge, so I did not work on any other projects at all during the month of November.

ME: That's...good?

ME2: Actually, this was harder than you might imagine. My mind tends to wander and begins to dream up ideas and potential projects at the drop of a hat. It took a bit of self-control to NOT do even a preliminary write up of the handful of ideas that sprung up in my mind.

ME: Ok, so far you've managed to do nothing in November, by both design and by lack of discipline or whatever. I want to know what you ACTUALLY did during NaNoWriMo.

ME2: I did get one issue done.

ME: So, Denim Avenger #3?

ME2: Not really.

ME: CosMick #3?

ME2: Not so much.

ME: Um...Centropolis #1 featuring Grey Harkin, Vampire Detective?

ME2: That would have been awesome.

ME:...

ME2: What? It would have.

ME: So...

ME2: The Sparrow #1

ME: What I am hearing is that your effort to catch up on some of your current comic ideas, instead you chose to write a single issue on a character who hasn't even been concept drawn yet?

ME2: Yep, that sound about right.

ME: Awesome.

ME2: That origin story had been rattling around in my mind for months and it was nice to finally drop it down to paper.

ME: The words escape me.

ME2: To be honest, the whole experience (if you want to call it that) was a bit of an eye opener, like when me and Jon finally realized we can't churn out an issue a month, even on something as simple as Denim Avenger. We are too busy and the process takes longer than we truly gave it credit for. While I am not proud of only completing one issue, I do appreciate what I gleaned from that month.

ME: Which was?

ME2: That I need to knuckle down to do what I want. That I can't let idea of the dream be dragged down by harsh reality. That I have to look at what I can do honestly and plan accordingly. That I shouldn't get down on myself for failing to do a task beyond what may not even humanly possible.

ME: That...that was actually kind of beautiful.

ME2: Yeah, I'm a little proud of it.