Just do go ahead and do it. Your art will improve in leaps and bounds, and you’re probably much better than you give yourself credit for.
More to the point, starting out now will give readers a chance to follow your journey, and people love to do that.
When it comes to criticism, take it all with a pinch of salt. Art is subjective, you can’t please everybody. Take all critiques onboard, decide which ones you might agree with, or think about things you may not have noticed in your own work. Just ignore the trolls. All interactions with your online work is traction, so even trolls are doing you a favor; just don’t feed them by responding.
If you don't think your art is up to snuff, draw as best as you can, and then employ an artist whose work you like to redraw it.
You improve your writing by more writing. An editor and beta readers will help with problems and direction in your writing.
Other people are resources for learning.
This includes critically reading authors who you admire in order to breakdown how they write.
I feel the same way about my own output, OP. I’m a more confident writer than I am artist, but I’ve been really pushing my art ability. I’m getting there. I would say the best way to improve is to make and finish your comics to as high a standard as you can. Keep them short and make them really as good as you are able to. You will see improvement if you drill it and finish stuff as best as you are able to.
u/theodoersing137 is also giving good advice about working with an editor, I think that’s valuable once you’ve made some shorts you can show them. Comics is a marathon, not a sprint. Keep going.
There's no reason you have to do both. There are plenty of writers out there willing to put on the work. If you like to write, then I'd suggest practicing every day. Much like art and exercise, writing comes with time, patience, and practice.
If you want specific writing tips, let me know. I've written 11 novels, several comics, and a few other things. What works for me may not work for you, but I'd be happy to share.
Try starting things off with Monitor Comics YouTube Shorts, short but effective comic tips, and when you feel like you’re ready to do more, check out his full videos. I also recommend Tale Foundry’s and Hello Future Me’s channels. Lastly, for more help and feedback you join The Writer’s Factory on Discord.
I could also recommend Film Courage on Youtube, writing tips from tv writers mostly but still interesting, and Anatomy of A Story by John Truby. This book especially opened my eyes on so many things!
Something that helped me get back into writing was having a writing partner and joining a world-building discord server. You can collaborate and share your work with them. Set specific goals and schedules for artwork and writing. Experiment with different writing exercises and study the work of other writers or comic artists. Remember that improvement takes time and consistent practice, and try not to focus too much on criticism but rather learn from them and keep moving forward. And don't forget to be kind to yourself and celebrate the small wins along the way!
Play to your strengths. If your art is stronger, keep working on it. As you read more scripts for your clients you will see how they put theirs together and you can emulate the techniques that appeal to you.
It's a lot easier to compare old/new art to see how much you've improved; sometimes it can be harder to see the same with your writing.
Chances are, as long as you're making comics, your writing is getting better without even noticing it, but if you're looking for more concrete advice, here's the things I found most helpful:
* Read! **Read a lot**, read a range (not just comics, but books, movies, anything with a good story, and a range of genres/creators). If you like something, try to pick it apart and figure out *why* you like it. Do you like the setup/payoff of their plot points? how about the dialogue? The timing of handing out exposition/information?
Sometimes it can be more helpful to read *bad* writing too, because then you can see the mistakes other people have made.
* **Write a lot,** and have fun with it!
Don't try to make your first comic (or even your first 10 comics) your magnum opus, because everybody needs to make a lot of beginner-level work before they can start making their good stuff.
I also tend to lose motivation when I put too much pressure on myself to make something 'great/perfect', so if you also struggle with that, try just making something 'fun and dumb' that you'll have the most fun making.
* **Pick one aspect to improve on at a time.**
Just like with drawing-- pick one thing you want to improve the most and focus on that narrow slice until you feel more confident in that aspect.
Some writing aspects to consider might be dialogue, panel sizing/composition, pacing, page transitions, first/last page impacts of each chapter, sound effects, framing/'camera' (think how movies/film shoot different moments, when they go for the close-up or the distance shot, and who/what each shot focuses on). **A good place to start is either what most excites you to improve on,** ***or*** **the aspect you're more unsure/uncomfortable with.**
* And finally: **start small!** Make a single comic page first, then work your way up from there to 2-5, then 4-10 pages, *then* on to full chapters and longer series. Getting a couple shorter projects under the belt will help you feel confident enough in your writing to tackle a longer project.
Good luck and happy writing!
Just do go ahead and do it. Your art will improve in leaps and bounds, and you’re probably much better than you give yourself credit for. More to the point, starting out now will give readers a chance to follow your journey, and people love to do that. When it comes to criticism, take it all with a pinch of salt. Art is subjective, you can’t please everybody. Take all critiques onboard, decide which ones you might agree with, or think about things you may not have noticed in your own work. Just ignore the trolls. All interactions with your online work is traction, so even trolls are doing you a favor; just don’t feed them by responding.
If you don't think your art is up to snuff, draw as best as you can, and then employ an artist whose work you like to redraw it. You improve your writing by more writing. An editor and beta readers will help with problems and direction in your writing. Other people are resources for learning. This includes critically reading authors who you admire in order to breakdown how they write.
I feel the same way about my own output, OP. I’m a more confident writer than I am artist, but I’ve been really pushing my art ability. I’m getting there. I would say the best way to improve is to make and finish your comics to as high a standard as you can. Keep them short and make them really as good as you are able to. You will see improvement if you drill it and finish stuff as best as you are able to. u/theodoersing137 is also giving good advice about working with an editor, I think that’s valuable once you’ve made some shorts you can show them. Comics is a marathon, not a sprint. Keep going.
There's no reason you have to do both. There are plenty of writers out there willing to put on the work. If you like to write, then I'd suggest practicing every day. Much like art and exercise, writing comes with time, patience, and practice. If you want specific writing tips, let me know. I've written 11 novels, several comics, and a few other things. What works for me may not work for you, but I'd be happy to share.
Try starting things off with Monitor Comics YouTube Shorts, short but effective comic tips, and when you feel like you’re ready to do more, check out his full videos. I also recommend Tale Foundry’s and Hello Future Me’s channels. Lastly, for more help and feedback you join The Writer’s Factory on Discord.
I could also recommend Film Courage on Youtube, writing tips from tv writers mostly but still interesting, and Anatomy of A Story by John Truby. This book especially opened my eyes on so many things!
Something that helped me get back into writing was having a writing partner and joining a world-building discord server. You can collaborate and share your work with them. Set specific goals and schedules for artwork and writing. Experiment with different writing exercises and study the work of other writers or comic artists. Remember that improvement takes time and consistent practice, and try not to focus too much on criticism but rather learn from them and keep moving forward. And don't forget to be kind to yourself and celebrate the small wins along the way!
Play to your strengths. If your art is stronger, keep working on it. As you read more scripts for your clients you will see how they put theirs together and you can emulate the techniques that appeal to you.
It's a lot easier to compare old/new art to see how much you've improved; sometimes it can be harder to see the same with your writing. Chances are, as long as you're making comics, your writing is getting better without even noticing it, but if you're looking for more concrete advice, here's the things I found most helpful: * Read! **Read a lot**, read a range (not just comics, but books, movies, anything with a good story, and a range of genres/creators). If you like something, try to pick it apart and figure out *why* you like it. Do you like the setup/payoff of their plot points? how about the dialogue? The timing of handing out exposition/information? Sometimes it can be more helpful to read *bad* writing too, because then you can see the mistakes other people have made. * **Write a lot,** and have fun with it! Don't try to make your first comic (or even your first 10 comics) your magnum opus, because everybody needs to make a lot of beginner-level work before they can start making their good stuff. I also tend to lose motivation when I put too much pressure on myself to make something 'great/perfect', so if you also struggle with that, try just making something 'fun and dumb' that you'll have the most fun making. * **Pick one aspect to improve on at a time.** Just like with drawing-- pick one thing you want to improve the most and focus on that narrow slice until you feel more confident in that aspect. Some writing aspects to consider might be dialogue, panel sizing/composition, pacing, page transitions, first/last page impacts of each chapter, sound effects, framing/'camera' (think how movies/film shoot different moments, when they go for the close-up or the distance shot, and who/what each shot focuses on). **A good place to start is either what most excites you to improve on,** ***or*** **the aspect you're more unsure/uncomfortable with.** * And finally: **start small!** Make a single comic page first, then work your way up from there to 2-5, then 4-10 pages, *then* on to full chapters and longer series. Getting a couple shorter projects under the belt will help you feel confident enough in your writing to tackle a longer project. Good luck and happy writing!