Shelf Life - Feb 25, 2016

[CBR News]

Ron Marz figured out a few things about writing comics over two-plus decades and compiled a list of things you always should and should not do.



Full article here.

[Jclark]

Great article! The number 7 do and number 6 aren't always that easy, but I'm working on it.

[Kuwagaton]

DO work with Evan Shaner, because he is great. Really, you always see the "tell me about your artists" thrown in at least on CBR, and it's nice even if the answers are basically all the same.

I always figured that with Bendis because a lot of those typos tend to make it through.

[Xofer]

"I want to be a writer, but I'm a horrible writer. Does writing count?" I explained that yes, writing absolutely counts. The guy countered with, "But I heard Bendis can't write." I told him, "You're not Bendis. Learn to write."

[ben c]

fantastic article, but i have to add to #3 (DO tailor your dialogue to the art that's on the page):

it definitely IS the writer's responsibility to think about how a string of words will be translated into a series of images, and give the artists a break. but it is ALSO the job of the penciller and the letterer to work out compositions and character blocking that work with the dialogue. a large part of pencilling isn't style and draftsmanship, it's making the entire reading process as clear smooth as possible, ideally the reader should forget that they're actually "reading" anything. also, the fact is that writers can't always the the page in their head -- even when the writer and artist are the same person! there is always flexibility to add/subtract/subdivide panels to break down and control the pacing in a story. if there are too many words in one panel and not enough in another, it certainly can be a writing issue. but it can also (sometimes) be addressed in the pencilling stage, that's part of the penciller's job.

i'd also add that some complications, especially in the relationship between writer and artists, are due to the incredibly trust-intensive process. but in many cases creative teams are assembled on the fly based on who is available, and in many cases writers are catching up to editorial plans, and writers are catching up to scripts, so that there isn't always the luxury of going back and forth.

(also, a general writing tip is write out all your dialogue, then cut about half of it. you're not writing an old-timer radio play! let the designs, composition, and "Acting" of characters do their part of the story telling.)

[Ms Lola]

llllllllll

[FabianNicieza]

Except for DON'T #5, I agree 100% with this article...

- fn

[KidGetNice]

Crap if you ask me. Writers never forget they're a part of a team, it's the team that forgets about the writer. Just ask Greg Capullo