I know that it has a positive influence on skills, I just hate that I sometimes have to rely on it when in the past I could just write at just as well whenever I wanted to. And I don't really cry
Not to sound macho or anything, but I haven't cried in years. (which actually worries me)
My story is original, though it borrows some characters and a setting from religious sources and myths (it's currently mostly christianity and demonology, but my intent is to draw as many different religions as I can in). The main cast is almost completely original though. The only ones that aren't are the first couple of villains: Satan and a person I refuse to name to anyone for plot-twist reasons.
The short version is that it's (initially) about rebellion in Hell. A new arrival there (who is actually innocent) turns out to be somewhat special (he's not actually dead and that gives him an advantage over the rest of the inhabitants) and gets roped in a plot to overthrow Lucifer.
I'm far from finished in it. I've wrote somewhere in the vicinity of 30 pages (that need revising) but in a sense the story has barely started and storywise it can be divided in three parts. I'm still unsure what format I'll finish it in, as I've thought about making it a comic. (I draw less than I used to and it would be a lot more work, but a visual format would definetely help in some of the later parts.
I've got most of the big events (including the ending) in the story already planned out though, I just need to find (and write) the right way to move from one to the other. :3 The reason for that is that I've wanted to do this story for slightly over 10 years now, so I was constantly thinking about it but I could never really find the drive to get started on it.
I'll probably give it a try in the weekend then. Not really in a reading mood after work