Has anyone wrote a book, or been involved in writing one? Submitted one?

[Green]

Charlie AKA Grails is also a writer. Super nice guy, im surprised he hasnt commented yet.

[SolitaireOne]

Interesting thread.. I had no idea there was so much writting talent here on the Boards!

[Mister_Comics]

Originally Posted By: r1970d

Originally Posted By: rednalsram

 

 

Originally Posted By: r1970d

Originally Posted By: rednalsram

You are incorrect about how you titled your header. You need to check your spelling also.

 

These are essential basic elements if you want to write, and submit stories.

Better you hear it from forumites, than a editor. And I wish you good luck on your

submission.

 

Originally Posted By: LordBurke81

I believe that can go either way, but I believe 'wrote' is correct here. A better way would have been "Has anyone ever written a book?" English grammar... eek.

 

 

 

Irony folks. In circles forever.

 

 

 

 

 

...and on so many levels. You said "a editor"...should be "an editor"...not that I really care...just chock full of goodness this thread is.

 

 

Poster: short_box

Don't forget this gem! "I wrote a Iron Man story that seen print in TOS #65."

 

In my defence it was purposely written that way because of the title. Just trying to add a little humor.

[oakman29]

Originally Posted By: r1970d

Originally Posted By: rednalsram

 

 

Originally Posted By: r1970d

Originally Posted By: rednalsram

You are incorrect about how you titled your header. You need to check your spelling also.

 

These are essential basic elements if you want to write, and submit stories.

Better you hear it from forumites, than a editor. And I wish you good luck on your

submission.

 

Originally Posted By: LordBurke81

I believe that can go either way, but I believe 'wrote' is correct here. A better way would have been "Has anyone ever written a book?" English grammar... eek.

 

 

 

Irony folks. In circles forever.

 

 

 

 

 

...and on so many levels. You said "a editor"...should be "an editor"...not that I really care...just chock full of goodness this thread is.

 

 

Poster: short_box

Don't forget this gem! "I wrote a Iron Man story that seen print in TOS #65."

 

In my defence it was purposely written that way because of the title. Just trying to add a little humor.

 

Defense

[icefires]

Originally Posted By: r1970d

Originally Posted By: rednalsram

 

 

Originally Posted By: r1970d

Originally Posted By: rednalsram

You are incorrect about how you titled your header. You need to check your spelling also.

 

These are essential basic elements if you want to write, and submit stories.

Better you hear it from forumites, than a editor. And I wish you good luck on your

submission.

 

Originally Posted By: LordBurke81

I believe that can go either way, but I believe 'wrote' is correct here. A better way would have been "Has anyone ever written a book?" English grammar... eek.

 

 

 

Irony folks. In circles forever.

 

 

 

 

 

...and on so many levels. You said "a editor"...should be "an editor"...not that I really care...just chock full of goodness this thread is.

 

 

Poster: short_box

Don't forget this gem! "I wrote a Iron Man story that seen print in TOS #65."

 

In my defence it was purposely written that way because of the title. Just trying to add a little humor.

 

Defense

 

 

Actually, defence is perfectly acceptable.

 

The world really is larger than the the United States.

[Speedy-D]

Mentors in the industry could help if you know someone working in comics. Read as many comics as you can get your hands on. See what works and what doesn't. Read Eisner's book. Read Scott McCloud's books. Rinse. Repeat. If you can't draw find someone who can and just work through all the you will produce until you get to the good stuff that follows. Don't stop for anyone or anything.

 

I found Alan Moore's little bit on writing (Alan Moore's Writing For Comics Volume 1) to be pretty interesting, and not nearly as pretentious as I'd feared it might be. Amazon linky

[Bosco685]

Mentors in the industry could help if you know someone working in comics. Read as many comics as you can get your hands on. See what works and what doesn't. Read Eisner's book. Read Scott McCloud's books. Rinse. Repeat. If you can't draw find someone who can and just work through all the you will produce until you get to the good stuff that follows. Don't stop for anyone or anything.

 

I found Alan Moore's little bit on writing (Alan Moore's Writing For Comics Volume 1) to be pretty interesting, and not nearly as pretentious as I'd feared it might be. Amazon linky

I never even knew about this book. And it was published by Avatar Press.

 

I'll have to see if my library has this in the system.

[Joanna]

I'm a little late to this topic. I fit in the "get to know the people you'd like to work with" group, with a generous side of "solid professional credits in other media" (in my case, TV writing). Basically, I wrote a letter to the editor of my favorite comic every single month for a couple of years. One night the editor just called me out of the blue, simply to chat. One thing led to another and I got a chance to rewrite the character's origin. This did not lead to a career in comics, however, as the editor moved on to different things and I lost contact with most of my friends. I also switched my focus to writing books.

 

Creating a career writing comic books takes a great deal of perseverance and you absolutely MUST know how to write -- that sounds like it should go without saying, but all kidding aside, your thread title coupled with a subsequent defense of it says you appear shaky on the basics. Saying "that's what editors are for" is the quickest way to make sure you'll never work. Knowing how to write -- the tools of grammar as well as the basics of good storytelling -- are both the writer's job. The editor is there to help, but s/he's not there to do your job for you. I've worked as an editor and nothing would make me reject a prospective writer faster than a lack of skills in these very basic areas.

 

So take some classes and get up to speed on grammar. Take some more classes and get up to speed on storytelling. Still more classes can get you writing for a graphic format. Meanwhile, do the networking, attend the cons, write to the editors of your favorite books giving thoughtful feedback, and if you're lucky, you might get something of yours read. Put in the time and the hard work and you have a good shot. Skip those and you might as well stick to fan fiction. Nothing wrong with it, but it won't carve you a career. That's up to you to do.

 

-- Joanna

 

p.s. Howdy, boys! Miss me?

[Forbush-Man]

Hi Joanna.

[binarysunrise]

Saying "that's what editors are for" is the quickest way to make sure you'll never work. Knowing how to write -- the tools of grammar as well as the basics of good storytelling -- are both the writer's job. The editor is there to help, but s/he's not there to do your job for you. I've worked as an editor and nothing would make me reject a prospective writer faster than a lack of skills in these very basic areas.

 

I agree completely with this. It's one of my pet peeves when it comes to people starting out in the field. As for myself, I just had my first work published a few months back - a chapter in a Civil War book. It's great walking into Barnes and Noble and seeing it. But I've been working the past two years on a middle grade adventure novel. Writing is easy. Its the editing that takes so much work. I'm slowly, slowly, putting my book through a final draft. Only when its perfect will I even consider sending it out to agents...

[Marvelfangirl]

I thought about writing a book,but I'm too lazy

[cloudofwit]

I wrote a book entitled "Restless Pilgrim: The Spiritual Journey of Bob Dylan" (Relevant Books, 2002). I intended to travel the self-publish route (maybe 500 copies) since it was a labor of love and very much a niche book. I never considered submitting it to a publisher because I figured both mainstream and religious publishers would have biases against it. But I backed into a publishing deal. Someone suggested I send in some sample chapters...and my eventual co-author gave the green light to the publisher. She was a known veteran of the book, magazine, and newspaper industries; I was unknown and had never been published.

 

I was hesitant at first, though, to sign the contract because I had this mammoth manuscript that would have to be greatly reduced to basically a 180-page paperback ( I didn't want to compromise and sell out, but truth be told, there was a lot of detailed that needed a match put to it).

 

One of the more humorous memories I have originated at a book signing in a Books-A-Million in Anderson, South Carolina (my co-author warned me that these events weren't as glamorous as they might seem). A white kid and a black kid, both about 11 or 12 years old, came up to me with skateboards in hand. They wanted me to sign their skateboards. I am pretty confident they had no idea who Bob Dylan was. And they certainly didn't know me nor did they ask about the book. Then, after obtaining their sigs, off they went into the sunset with their boards. :: At another book signing (a Barnes & Noble in Athens, Georgia) only one person wandered up to my table in the two hours I was there--and it was my cousin showing up for moral support. :laugh:

 

For the record, my publisher is now defunct though the parent company (Relevant Media Group) is still alive and well. I learned quite a bit during the whole process and greatly respect those who can do it for a living (I haven't had the discipline to attempt a follow-up yet and the roughly 25 cents per copy I got--retail price was 13.99--made me realize I best not quit the ol' day job).

[Flaming_Telepath]

-- Joanna

 

p.s. Howdy, boys! Miss me?

 

A rare, but extremely welcome, sighting!

[Joanna]

Happy to see you, Flaming and Fuel!

[greggy]