So I'm thinking of taking a hiatus from my webcomic for a month or so to regroup and build up a buffer of sorts.

It's not as though I have writers block. I know where the story is going. I've just been in a funk for the past few weeks and whenever I finish a page, it feels forced, and not what I think is my best effort.

I know it will hurt readership. But I don't just wanna crank out junk just to make an update.

Has anyone else taken an extended hiatus? And how have your readers reacted to it?

As long as you're clear in communicating with your readers, it'll be fine.

You want to take a break too make comics for the comic you're putting on hold?

Honestly i think slowing your update schedule would work just as well(if you do 3x per week do 2 instead). Hiatuses are usually for people who have work/school cutting into their time, lack of interest in the comic, possible end of chapter break to write the new story arc, other projects, etc etc.

Maybe you should just play the rocky theme really loud and tough it out?
Just a thought....

A song that uplifts your spirits, what is wrong with you?

Actually sometimes the number of readers goes up because they are waiting really intensely for the next comic.

I took an extended hiatus for school that eventually turned into an ended comic because of my lack of time and a few other circumstances. Most of my readers were way more loyal than I ever expected, and I think some of them might even be holding out to this day in the hopes that I'll get back to making more updates.

lba
I took an extended hiatus for school that eventually turned into an ended comic because of my lack of time and a few other circumstances. Most of my readers were way more loyal than I ever expected, and I think some of them might even be holding out to this day in the hopes that I'll get back to making more updates.

hahah same here.

If you want to take a break, take a break it's your comic at the end of the day ^^ - I'm sure the readers will understand. I know I'll still be reading when it next updates

ERasER
If you want to take a break, take a break it's your comic at the end of the day ^^ - I'm sure the readers will understand. I know I'll still be reading when it next updates

exactly. See people still will read it.

I'll miss you!

You were one of the first to visit my comics. Remember you told me about the comics rating change?

Anyways, come back soon, I'll be here waiting for you!

I don't know why I'm still commenting here cus I haven't read his comics in the 5 hours I've been on the site today.
But I guess people will miss you and since I will EVENTUALLY read them because judging by your avatar they are really interesting, have a happy hiatus.

i take the hiatus all the time. i do it whenever i feel like i am becoming too popular. then i relax and play video games and hang out in forums till the numbers drop. hell i deleted my home page for a full month just to keep it real !!!

After reading this thread I feel like I've been stricken with a horrible disease and only have months to live.
:)

I've been thinking about it and if I do take a hiatus, I"ll probably wait until I finish up the current chapter. I don't wanna just leave people hanging mid chapter. At least there"ll be a bit of closure before I take a break.

I took a bit of hiatus, and it does feel like I was stricken with a disease.
But life has a away becoming important when you are expecting your second child and your father passes away. But I hope to be back with more updates but can't pin point when.
But taking a break, its cool.

We don't go on hiatuses, but while I'm at school, Cody (writer) gives me the scripts for the next several comics and I just put out one when I can. Usually once a week.

I really don't like hiatuses... It's annoying to the reader and it makes me feel like I've abandoned the readers. Put out something, even if it's not a comic comic. It could be like an archive of random pictures on a separate DD page. Especially if you're still drawing pages on hiatus, you should do something for the readers.

Judging from what I've seen, taking a hiatus is the surest path to abandoning your comic altogether. It has happened countless times. However, if you do feel burnt out, I'd suggest reducing the amount of weekly updates to the minimum you can sustain. Many comics here go from three times a week to twice a week or even once a week and a couple months later they're back on all cylinders because the author has effectively taken some rest but has kept his/her mind in the comic so it doesn't feel like starting all over again when they do update something new.

Time thief, I tend to agree. Comics that take a hiatus all too often dont come back at all.

The Planet Closest to Heaven took a long hiatus from April til July this year.

The numbers have slowly returned when I came back, but Demon Eater by not taking a hiatus and reducing the updates to once a week has grown considerably in hits.

Also even though TPCTH is back in hits, the comments have been reduced in half.

Timethief and Harkovast might be right, I'm afraid. It happened to me. I went on an indefinite hiatus about a year ago - after 4,5 years of writing and drawing pretty much all the time: all evening on weekdays, dawn till dusk in the weekend. As fulfilling as that was, it took over my life - so I decided it won't be back till I figure out a way to get things done in a more leisurely way. And I still haven't! I'm experimenting with various techniques and working on some small projects in the meantime, but I still don't have anything worthy of posting. Not yet... :\

So a beer/soda to anyone who still remembers me :)

sometimes i feel like im permamnent hiatus and once in a while comeout of hiatus to post some pages

I go on a Hiatus all the time due to just plain laziness. Usually they last little over a month and my viewership is better than ever. Most people say that comics that take frequent Hiatuses usually don't come back but I guess I'm an exception to that rule.

I'm just coming off a 1.5 month haitus, and let me tell you, I feel great about it!

I think sometimes you *need* to take a break from your creative endevours. I too know exactly where my story is going, and I wasn't suffering from writer's block, I just needed a break with school finals coming, and I knew that I wouldn't have the time to make each page look the way I'd want it to. Now that I'm back, I feel refreshed and it's nice to draw again.

This past haitus was my second one this year; I took one earlier this year around March. Sure, I can tell that I've lost quite a bit of readers (I didn't really have many before though XD), but I'm personally not too concerned with that. Those who enjoy my story will always come back, and those are the people I care about. :D

And, I think I get the strength to come back because I really love my story, and it's something I'd really like to share with people and someday finish.

lothar
sometimes i feel like im permamnent hiatus and once in a while comeout of hiatus to post some pages

This is pretty much my feeling :]