Whoot, it's alive! I'm so grateful to everyone who wrote to me during the last week...thanks again! My flat is finally back to normal now, I'm healthy again and it's high time this blog gets another entry XD. These are fairly random tips:

1) Solo vs Studio
At some point in your life you might consider joining or starting up your own manga studio. But be warned that like businesses, you can either have a massive success or (in the majority of cases) a total failure. These are some common pitfalls:

You're not CLAMP - Fact is that in most western studios, each member works alone on their own pages. So starting a studio because you want to dump tedious parts of inking or toning to someone else is generally a bad idea. If you like the idea of drawing a comic with someone else, you need to find a real-life partner who you inherently trust and vice versa. No matter how promising the internet seems...be very careful when collaboration on a long-term project with someone you've never met. You don't know their life history, family or living circumstances...they could easily disappear one day and ignore all your mails, leaving the entire project in the toilet.

Geographical constraints - Because the manga community is so 'wired' nowadays, it can be very tempting to open your studio to anyone living anywhere in the world. But remember that this can cause huge logistical difficulties when organising print-runs (different paper/measurement systems), meetings (different time zones) or payments (different currencies)...not to mention that you can never have a collective physical presence at conventions if your members are scattered across the globe). One of the most sensible (and most contentious) rules of Sweatdrop Studios is that members have to live in the UK.  SD wouldn't have half the success or infrastructure it does today if this rule wasn't upheld.

Communication - It's absolutely vital that your members have a place to discuss projects such as an internet forum. Again, the problem with online friendships is that people tend to disappear for long periods of time...ignore deadlines and generally leave everyone else hanging. To minimise this happening try taking on people you've already known for a while, and keep the studio as compact as possible (ie don't take on any more members than is absolutely necessary, and make sure that each one is 100% dedicated to putting work in).

Bad Cop - Discipline is a key part of maintaining a good studio. If someone isn't pulling their weight, they're out. Whoever creates the studio is essentially the 'boss' so members need to respect the voice of authority. Freeloaders are a complete waste of resources...it damages the image of your studio as well since people see you're inefficient by keeping these people who clearly aren't contributing. The 'school system' works well...if someone is slacking off first check if they have any extenuating circumstances (personal issues etc). If not then don't be afraid to warn, suspend or expel members.

Getting work done - All the best organisation is useless if no-one does any work! Sadly, this is the most common downfall of aspiring manga circles. If you decide to found a studio, then you should also be prepared to take extra responsibility to make it work...this includes initiating projects, chasing up entries, researching print facilities, getting books printed, distribution and publicity and keeping financial records so members get paid (or to take in money they pay you). It's absolutely no use if you make a huge hoo-ha about your fantastic studio, then you meet a new boyfriend and decide to shove the whole venture under the bed...at the expense and disappointment of your members.

2) Inspiration Land
Instead of grabbing the nearest manga next time you need ideas, try looking for unorthodox sources. Even the smallest, bizarre fact can be the starting point of a wonderfully original story. Try the news, urban legend sites (www.snopes.com) or anecdotes you've heard. A few days ago there was a piece on Yahoo news about a house in Germany that was destroyed by a meteorite. What a fantastic opening for a manga...you can imagine a boy inside the house who narrowly escapes the flames, and finding something in the meteorite that changes his life. If you prefer a 'slice of life' story then think back to moments or trips in your own life that you felt had deep significance.

3) Beware the 'Yes Men'
We all know that giving someone a compliment feels good. So bearing that in mind, you're always likely to get 90% positive and 10% negative feedback online, no matter what your skill level is. The light-hearted nature of the internet means that people are reluctant to give criticism, simply because they don't want to spoil someone's day. But as a result, I've seen people who've been pumped with confidence far beyond where they actually are. Try not to rely on online praise only...send your work off to magazines or competitions whenever possible...those are much better at 'critical' approvals.

4) Humility and Modesty
First off, I really don't want this bit to put anyone off drawing. Humility isn't about losing the confidence in your own work...but more being able to acknowledge that there is still better work out there. This essentially keeps you hungry to learn more and you'll improve much faster as a result. It's very dangerous for an artist to get complacent and think a few achievements means they're at the top of the game. Plus there's nothing more annoying than talking to an arrogant artist...you will lose fans quicker than Michael Jackson. No matter where you are in your career, keep focussing 'upwards', find people you admire who have achieved more than you and use them as inspirations. As Dave Chappelle would say, just keep it real XD.

5) Be Brave
Manga drawing is a very private and docile hobby...which reflects on the temperaments of most artists. But ironically, the 'contact based' industry means that to enhance your chance of success you must do so through people. This might involve talking to virtual strangers, facing publicity, speaking on stage and generally doing things that make you want to crap yourself. If you want something hard enough, it's worth challenging yourself to overcome obstacles that you think you can't face. Not only will it bring you a step further in your career, the pride will also work out in other areas of your life. Even if it goes wrong (someone takes a really ugly picture of you which is published, you get a blackout on national TV...both which have happened to me!)  have a laugh and look for your next opportunity which is bound to be a success in comparison!