I work full-time, go to school (finishing up that M.F.A. in Animation), have a wife, freelance as an illustrator and videographer, and manage a webcomic. There are days where I feel incredibly burned out - actually yesterday was one of those days, as a matter of fact. While I normally update 3-times a week, there are times where I've scaled back down to 2 a week, just to preserve my sanity. Regular readers will understand, and have, in the past, been very supportive.

The best way to handle work, webcomics, and family is to get yourself organized. It sounds cliche, but I write down everything I want to realistically accomplish each day and set about completing it. I keep a small spiral-bound notebook that has my list. When I finish something on that list, I cross it off and move on to the next item.

Unfortunately, most people can't schedule their creativity (me definitely included). This is why, in my little spiral bound notebook, in addition to the To-Do lists, I jot down ideas as I happen to think them up throughout the day. That way, when time frees up in the evening, I can look over my ideas and start drawing. Once I've come up with a 'toon that fits the idea I cross it off and move on to the next one. The best way to manage regular updates is to work several toons in advance, by keeping a buffer (ideally, I like to have at least 4 strips in the buffer at the very least). Having a deep toon buffer helped me tremendously while I had to divert a majority of time to my freelance videography gig.

What I've described works best for me. That said, I'm dropping down to a two-a-week toon schedule starting next week, to replenish my toon buffer (which is now '0').

I work 50+ hours a week and update two comics, one 5 days a week and the other 3 days a week. It basically means that I don't get to bed before 1AM everynight and it'll probably kill me sooner or later. Oh well....

I've always worked 40-50 hours, and would just cut back on the sleep. I read somewhere on the internets that you only need 4 hours. I tried to stop drawing altogether for a couple years, and the depression drove my wife made. She'd rather deal with an over-tired cantankerous asshole than a depressed jerk. So now I wait til after the kid goes to sleep, and I draw like a mad man. I also gave up on perfect art (or trying to make it so) and just do the best I can in the time I've got. That's key. At the moment I do three updates a week. Each being a half comic page. (Although, I just issued a challenge in my blog to folks reading the comic, that if they can help me break that next milestone in traffic, I'll post 5 days a week.)

You might want to check out this thread for some time management tips. It's for writers who want to become professional authors, but it's got some tips that you can take with you to writing. The bottom line is, you make the time and you force yourself to find two hours in each day to work on the comic. It doesn't matter what you do, as long as for that two hours every day, your not doing anything else. You have to make hard decisions (what's more important. Watching Law & Order or doing your two hours?), probably have to cut back on how much sleep you get (waking up two hours earlier before work), but you'll get it done. There'll be days where you don't want to draw/write/color. You'll very likely get sick a lot. But you have a choice. Do you want to become a professional webcomic creator? Or do you want your comic to go on permanent hiatus?

I'm not in a situation where that's necessary for me. But I thought it might help a bit. As for me, if I can't make an update, it's a bit of tough luck. My university is much more important. But that isn't anything like your situation.

[quote:53c534c6bc="LineItemVito"]The comments that suggest you manage your time and work fast are correct. But, whatever you do, keep quality over quantity. If you have to drop back to publishing only once a month so you can still produce a comic you're proud of, then do it.