My zine went from a 10-page mess to a 50-page beast in like 4 months

I started my first zine last February just doodling on printer paper about my cat, and by June I had a whole collection of neighborhood weirdo stories. What changed was I started carrying a little pocket notebook everywhere and jotting down overheard conversations at the bus stop. Anyone else have a zine that just exploded in size after you changed your method?

2 comments

2 Comments

skyler_craig18d ago

Honestly, that's not really a zine exploding in size, that's just you collecting raw material and then finding a way to funnel it in. I think what you're describing is more like you went from just doodling to actually reporting on stuff, which is a totally different creative muscle. I did the same thing with a pocket notebook but then realized half my zine was just transcribed random people's complaints, which felt a little too close to just stealing their words without putting much of myself in it. Ngl, you gotta watch out that you're not just printing a diary of eavesdropped bits unless you're giving them your own spin.

lily51118d ago

Wait, is it really "stealing" if you're just writing down stuff people say in public? I feel like that's pretty standard for any kind of reporting or documentary work, especially if you're not using names or specific identifying details. Like, half the fun of a zine is catching those weird overheard conversations and the raw texture of everyday life, right? The problem only comes in if you're copying someone's entire personal story word-for-word without adding any context or your own take on it. But just jotting down a funny complaint on the bus and then riffing on it in your own voice feels more like sampling than stealing. I think that's actually a pretty classic zine move, not something to feel weird about.