It’s been a while, hasn’t it?
First off, sorry I missed last month’s blog post — but trust me, I’ve been putting in work behind the scenes. Most recently, I submitted a piece to the Global Comic Awards. The theme was first love, and I’ll be real with you — it wasn’t easy.
I originally had this story in mind about a girl climbing a mountain to make herself whole again. It was beautiful and poetic… but it felt a little too far removed from my own reality. So, I went back to the drawing board — literally and emotionally — and that’s when Go Home, Anthony was born.
This whole experience has been fun but also full of new challenges. Having an actual deadline? Yeah, that hits different. It forced me to grow in ways I didn’t expect. There were long days and even longer nights of sketching, editing, and redrafting. Especially early on, when things felt shaky and unfinished. But I kept showing up. Honestly, by a certain point, it wasn’t determination anymore — it was pride that kept me going.
I didn’t just want to submit something for the sake of a contest. I wanted to tell a real story — something slower, more grounded, more human. I wanted to write about normal people in somewhat normal situations. And in doing that, I ended up pouring a lot of myself into this one.
The contest theme was first love, but a standard “boy meets girl” story just didn’t feel right. So instead, I focused on the aftermath of love — that space between longing and letting go. I wanted readers to feel the ache the way the main character does. I wanted to explore my own past with dating and heartbreak — the same way I initially did with Gems and Journeys.
There’s something so deeply transformative about heartbreak. That weird blend of pain, growth, nostalgia… and eventually, peace. I didn’t know how I’d pull it off at first, but I dug deep. And with a lot of support from friends and family, I did it.
Even if I don’t win or place — I’m proud. Go Home, Anthony is out there. Another story in the Simple But Complex catalog. And I can now officially call myself a two-time published author.
Thanks for sticking with me.
If any of this resonated with you, you can read the full story here:
Buy “Go Home, Anthony” on Gumroad
By Steven Nesbitt on .