Hey guys. I came up with an idea for a webcomic that is based on my ministry that is not getting off the ground, Boardin for the LORD. Basically it is bring skateboarders, snowboarders, wakeboarders, etc. to Christ then take them to locales where we could board, and more importantly help the people there. My question is how closely should I base any character on myself and how I came to Christ? I figure showing these people doing missions, skating, and bringing others to Christ would be the main focus of the comic.
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I struggled with this for a while myself, when God began asking me to start writing Memoria and you know, actually SHOW it to people. The story and world was intensely personal to me, and I didn't really see any reason for it to be broadcasted out to the world. But you know how God is. With a lot of prayer and thought, I eventually got to the conclusion He had been pushing me to.
My comic can only really work with myself as a main character; otherwise it's just an interesting story and not much personal connection (at least that's how I feel). Keep praying about it, and see what God says. He's going to know your potential audience a lot better. ;)
Yeah it wasn't going to be autobiographical at all. I just was unsure how limiting using only my experiences would be. I am leaning toward all out fictional with the exception of the ministry.
If your going to tell readers before hand that a certain character is 'you', then make sure they also understand that some stories ( not your personal testimony ) may be fictional. You certainly don't want to give the impression that all the stories in the comic 'really happened', which some readers might assume if they know a character ( especially the main character ) is based on youself.
Personally I would just draw from any real-life experiances and make sure I have the freedom to do something 'make believe' or 'off-the-wall' to keep the stories fresh and interesting.
I'm VERY new to this comic-creation thing (i'm only at the idea stage myself), but it seems like it would depend on your focus. Since the comic is based on your ministry, then your personal testimony will inevitably be a significant part of it. If the comic is focusing on one main character, then maybe the best way to go is to have that character heavily based on yourself. If you plan on having multiple main characters (i.e., an ensemble cast), which is the approach i'm taking, then you may want to mix it up such that one character is closely based on you, a couple of characters are loosely based on you, and other characters are not based on you at all.
I spoke to a writing coach regarding my comic and she advised me to have such a diverse group of characters that readers who know me cannot look at them and say "that's Justin." Hopefully this is helpful. If not, blame the mind and not the heart, lol. Stay blessed and good luck with the comic.
I would base it totally on your experience. If you need to deviate though, feel free to do so to simplify. Over the years, that's what I've done with Silly Daddy (minus the snowboards).
Replies
I struggled with this for a while myself, when God began asking me to start writing Memoria and you know, actually SHOW it to people. The story and world was intensely personal to me, and I didn't really see any reason for it to be broadcasted out to the world. But you know how God is. With a lot of prayer and thought, I eventually got to the conclusion He had been pushing me to.
My comic can only really work with myself as a main character; otherwise it's just an interesting story and not much personal connection (at least that's how I feel). Keep praying about it, and see what God says. He's going to know your potential audience a lot better. ;)
Personally I would just draw from any real-life experiances and make sure I have the freedom to do something 'make believe' or 'off-the-wall' to keep the stories fresh and interesting.
I'm VERY new to this comic-creation thing (i'm only at the idea stage myself), but it seems like it would depend on your focus. Since the comic is based on your ministry, then your personal testimony will inevitably be a significant part of it. If the comic is focusing on one main character, then maybe the best way to go is to have that character heavily based on yourself. If you plan on having multiple main characters (i.e., an ensemble cast), which is the approach i'm taking, then you may want to mix it up such that one character is closely based on you, a couple of characters are loosely based on you, and other characters are not based on you at all.
I spoke to a writing coach regarding my comic and she advised me to have such a diverse group of characters that readers who know me cannot look at them and say "that's Justin." Hopefully this is helpful. If not, blame the mind and not the heart, lol. Stay blessed and good luck with the comic.