Interview with Krystina Atkins

Posted by Robin Childs on November 10, 2016 News | Services | Tags: , , , | No comments

KrystinaAtkinsAfter losing her drive for an old story, Krystina wanted a fresh start to create a new comic she’d love making. However, she could never get the vital feedback on her work to feel confident about moving forward. When my editing services were recommended to her, she decided to reach out for help. Now she’s launched her new comic Soul Bound!

Today Krystina shares her experience working with me and how we took all her ideas and formed them into a cohesive structure.

Tell us about your work, Krystina!

My basic idea for my new webcomic was I wanted a fantasy story, a female main character who starts off small and afraid and grows into an incredible woman without losing her kind personality. I also liked the idea that books can take you anywhere (inspired by the L-space theory of the late Sir Terry Pratchett) and wanted to do something more mature than my previous story. I wanted something that reminded me of the Dungeons & Dragons campaigns I used to play – adventure, fun, romance, character growth, but a manageable script so as not to bore potential readers by making them wait years for important plot.

How long have you been creating stories?

About 20 years. I do a lot of art, crafts, story writing and role-playing.

What are your current goals as a writer and illustrator?

To make a comic that I enjoy making and others enjoy reading, improves my art and writing skills, and that one day could lead to potential publishing.
SoulBound

When did you decide you needed help?

After losing the drive to continue my last webcomic Shackles, I knew I wanted to make something more fitting my current interests and passion. I over-complicate ideas, word-vomit, and tend not to think about the meanings behind situations that might be troublesome or confusing to others. I write for myself, because I’ve never really had anyone to share my work with who’d give me support, advice, or even a well-meaning comment.

I tried to get several friends to read the script I’d written so far, and like with my previous comic, it either got “forgotten”, or they just wouldn’t read it because they had “no time”. I also tried looking up a lot of writing blogs on quests, various issues and character devices that come up in the script, but just ended up confusing and frustrating myself further.

Someone on SpiderForest highly recommended you when Shackles didn’t make the cut in the January round. I’ve also never seen anyone else offer the services you do for this specific industry. When I saw your free offer of an initial consult, I thought I’d give it a go. I was amazed at how you were able to take my bumbling ideas and mold them into something that made sense in just that one talk!
SoulBound

What was important to you when deciding to reach out?

Affordability – being unemployed sucks, so when you told me you could adjust to my budget and do partial payments, that was such a winner for me. The other testimonials were also very good, and I could see you were working on your own project, so I wasn’t talking to someone who had no idea what a webcomic even was.

What was the process of working with me like?

Excellent. Your reports were always concise, easily understandable and made excellent suggestions for when changes or edits were required. I live in an awkward timezone where we had about 2 hours where we could Skype before one or the other has to go to bed, but you were flexible in finding space in those few short hours where we could sort out some problems that needed to be specifically talked about, not just written in a report. You also have the amazing ability to take large chunks of information and re-word it as a few sentences, and you found all the plot holes I’d missed and helped me fill them in. You were patient, encouraging and friendly, even when you were sick or stressed. It’s so wonderful to have another artist to talk to and get advice from, and something I’ve sorely needed all these years of floundering on my own. It far exceeded my expectations. I honestly don’t know what I was expecting, but you more than made your money with your efforts.

Is there a particular aspect of the service I provided that you liked most?

SoulBoundI loved your character ‘creator’ – fleshing out the characters to make sure they maintain their personalities throughout the story.

How has the consultation helped you achieve your goals?

You’ve helped me create a story that is manageable, and yet still full of all the aspects I originally envisioned. My characters are all rounded people with consistent personalities, and best of all I know I have a helping hand for when I get started on the next part of this story. You were professional, but not stand-off-ish; I never felt like I was being demeaned or talked down to, you were always walking with me down this path. And I have written something I’m genuinely happy with because you supported me, not “helicopter parented” me. Thank you.

DISCOVER MORE OF KRYSTINA’S WORK

Read her new comic Soul Bound, or connect with her on Twitter and DeviantArt.

Need help starting a project? Schedule your 1st free call or chat!

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