The Writing Process

[PovertyRow]

OK - this was inspired by sometihng Joanna mentioned in the cooler about having written one of Wonder Woman's origins. (Can you imagine?!!!!)

 

So Joanna and any other writers/artists/editors/inkers/colorists etc who may be on the boards. Can you all explain what goes on in the "back room"? How are assignments assigned. What kind of instructions do you get? What is the editing process like? Etc etc.

[Joanna]

Pov,

 

I certainly don't know how all of it is done, but I can tell you what I know about it.

 

First, you get to know people. The best way to get your foot in the door is to get to know the people involved in creating comics. Obviously, you want to get to know the editors, but it helps to know the creators, too.

 

I started by writing letters to the editor (believe it or not, many a letter hack went on to work in the comics field). I wrote after every issue -- not trying to get published, but rather to let the editor know what I thought. This was before email and online communication were so available and the US mail was the best way to contact the publishers. Although one-sided, you end up having a strange sort of relationship with the editor. He reads your mail every month and gets to know you, your opinions, your knowledge of the character and book, your ability to communicate, etc.

 

At the time, I was writing primarily to Wonder Woman. When Paul Kupperberg took over as editor, he was the recipient of all my letters. Despite the fact that I disagreed with the direction the book was going in during some of his time there, he took a shine to me. He even called me on the phone one night, just to chat (imagine my shock!).

 

When John Byrne took over, Paul told him to talk to me, since I knew so much about the character and her history. By that time, we were all online and I was a regular on the DC Wonder Woman boards on AOL (all of DC was centered on AOL at the time -- it was the place to be. this was obviously before AOL became, well, AOL of today. It was small then, and a lot of fun).

 

John contacted me, and we got along like a house afire. We became good friends, and I helped him do all of his research for the book. He thanked me by giving me some original art (not that I asked for it, of course, but John is a generous guy to his friends).

 

A year or two later, I was awakened by a phone call from Paul Kupperberg asking me if I'd like to write Wonder Woman's origin for the new Secret Files series. Paul knew I was a writer, knew that I had expert knowledge of the character, and trusted me to do a decent job. He approved the proposal I sent. I happened to have a trip to NY planned, so we met at the DC offices to discuss things. He treated me to lunch, and I had a blast hanging out at DC all day. The offices there are the world's coolest!

 

He asked for the first 5 pages right away, to get the artist started. The art was by Giordano. I did that, then sent the rest of the 22 pages within a week or so. (you get about 2 weeks to write a -script). The story was pencilled and inked, then sent to Trish Mulvihill for coloring (Trish is a friend of mine and I stayed with her when I visited NY earlier).

 

I had a second assignment for that issue and that was to write a timeline. This was a massive amount of work, as I had to figure out when everything that had happened in her book after crisis fit into continuity. I was given a four year spread (i.e. all events had to be fit into 4 years of comic history) so I just arbritrarily decided, thru guessing and logic, how it all fit together.

 

That's my story. So how does it happen for people who don't just get phone calls?

 

You submit story ideas ( the equivalent of a pitch in TV writing) and if approved, you write a proposal. If that gets through, you write a -script. DC and Marvel tend not to accept unsolicited ideas, so you have to have some sort of relationship to submit those story ideas. And you have to have "a resume as long as my arm" as a writer (as one DC editor used to put it). You have to be established. DC and Marvel are the top -- it's not a place to start. I only got the opportunity because of my TV writing credits. (those work as credentials in the comic world).

 

So you start your career by writing for smaller publishers, independants, etc. You may not get paid in the very beginning. Or you'll be paid in copies, or ripped off. But eventually, you get some credits. Then you go to a LOT of cons and schmooze and get to know the editors, or align yourself with an artist and submit together. there are a lot of ways to do it. You have to be clever and lucky and love comics and be a good writer. Always remember that last one. Not everyone can write or draw. But if you can, then go for it! It's a blast.

 

-- Joanna

 

[bronzejunkie]

I'm a screenwriter by trade, but a buddy of mine Kaare Andrews, told me I have to write at least one comic book in my life and if I did he'd do the covers. So, I guess I gott'a do it. (I'm in the process right now in forming together somthing that I was going to write as a movie, but now want to do it as a four issue mini).

 

My advice then other than just writing your [!@#%^&^] off... Meet and greet industry types, it ain't that hard in fact you might even like a few of them.

 

'best

 

Bronzejunkie