Reasons Why These Concepts Won't Work

Rasun · Sep 3, 2008

*Listening to Indestructible by Disturbed and "Hau Ruck"(Spezial K Remix) and Der Mussolini by KMFDM*)

Monday night as I tending to some "personal dealings" when I came up with some concepts for story ideas for comic books and manga that I figured wouldn't work because the many holes they had, and how they wouldn't fit into any tie-ins. So I am hanging them up for now I suppose or I may try to fix them later.
But here are the story ideas I thought up... The first was going to be submitted to Marvel, and the second to DC but since they're seeking submissions from experienced Comic artists and Writers... Well these'll have to wait.

Concept #1: A Batman miniseries featuring some of my characters from Princess Of The Damned as well as Etrigan.

The Joker has sought to steal a clown faced amulet because it's said to command the will of laughter, but what he doesn't know is that amulet is cursed with demonic properties, as a demon is sealed within. So upon stealing this amulet, and developing an alliance with Morrigan La fey who knows the amulet's potential far better than the he does, the Joker sets out to Conquer the world, and once again become it's king. Aware of this plot Batman teams up with etrigan who's hot on Morrigan La Fey's trail, and is being accompanied by Luciami who's a big fan of his, and has long since wanted too aid him.

(The problems I have with this idea is that my humor is rather dry, and thus I'd ruin the joker's reputation of having a hilarious demented sense of humor, as well as quoting old jokes. Also this was inspired by a Batman/SuperMan crossover where the joker becomes this God-Like king of the world.)

Concept # 2: Returning War to his throne....( My submission to Marvel)

Mephisto goes to the realm of Oblivion, and steals War's mantel as well as his "Great Sword," thus robbing him of his throne. So in order to get it back War enlist the aid of the late Captain America who descends from Heaven into the realm of Oblivion to aid War in his quest to regain his throne.

(My problems with this were Putting Captain America in another adventure since he was assassinated, and won't be resurrected. But after I solved the problem of having be an adventure in the after life I didn't think it would be wise to use My concept of War on account Marvel artists have already created some concepts and depictions for The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse. Also what would Mephisto want with War's throne anyway... So I opted to use the Nazi general of "The Avengers" series that killed and eaten by the Hulk. :tongue

: Also another problem I had was how I thought it was similar to the concept of DrakSiders: Wrath Of War)

Concept 3: The Son Of War( My manga miniseries)

War Of The Apocalypse has a son of the same name, but he's been raised as human on earth, and has set out on a journey to find answers for his chaotic war like nature. He then learns from a monk that he is the son of The Apocalyptic Horsemen War, and so he sets out on a journey to find his father.

(The problem with this concept being that this story much like my miniseries "Red Apocalypse" will tie in to Princess Of The Damned: Journey To Zion. Basically what's War jr. going to do when he sees his father squares off against Luciami, and how's he going to deal with War being killed by her?)

8thSamurai · Sep 3, 2008

With Number one, the copyrighted characters are your biggest issue.

Rasun · Sep 4, 2008

8thSamurai said:
With Number one, the copyrighted characters are your biggest issue.

That's true... and you neglected to mention that that would be my problem with the second comic book concept... Which creates another problem because DC and Marvel, as well as TopCow Productions require an experienced artists/writer who also has a huge fan base which I don't see happening with some of the opinions I've gotten on my stories.

wordmonkey · Sep 4, 2008

Well, you did say that your second one was a "pitch" which is different.

I'm assuming that both would be.

My recommendation, FWIW, is that you think smaller and have some kinda body of work to add to your pitch.

If you can show you have done this, that and the other, and have a pitch that they can do on a smaller level, you'd have a better chance.

Of course, you just thumb your nose at the big two and do your own thing with your own characters. While your goal might be to get in with Marvel or DC, there are other ways.

Rasun · Sep 4, 2008

wordmonkey said:
Well, you did say that your second one was a "pitch" which is different.

I'm assuming that both would be.

My recommendation, FWIW, is that you think smaller and have some kinda body of work to add to your pitch.

If you can show you have done this, that and the other, and have a pitch that they can do on a smaller level, you'd have a better chance.

Of course, you just thumb your nose at the big two and do your own thing with your own characters. While your goal might be to get in with Marvel or DC, there are other ways.

Okay I have a couple of questions now... Whadda ya mean by "You need to have a body to add to your pitch." My guess is that I have to have some kind of origin, or some kind of back story. But I could be wrong... The Second question is "What are some of these other methods?"

And I was planning on submitting a story to Marvel titled NBK,(No Boundary Kids.) It's an idea I developed when I was 13 inspired by "The Ghost Works"
Comic Book series:
Champion Of Children. In a nut-shell NBK was the tale of three junior heroes who go to a school that teaches them how to utilize their talents to where they can be super heroes... And three students Cool-Aid(Inspired by Cool Breeze from Champion Of Children), Tiger Boy(Inspired by Wolverine from X-men) and Sakuran(Inspired by Sakura from the Street Fighter Alpha series) create a three man team known as NBK as they set out to show that they're "hero material." My only regret is not submitting this to Marvel before they decided to not accept submissions from "fresh meat."

wordmonkey · Sep 4, 2008

A body of work. By that I mean stuff you have done for other people. Same thing here as anywhere else. Everyone wants to find the next hot talent that someone has risked something on before.

So you want to show what you can do and that you were good enough that other people were willing to pay you or invest their time and money on building off your writing.

So books you have done for someone else.

As for other ways. Work in indies. Self-publish. Like I said, they wanna get new hot-stuff, so they look at that stuff too. You get a reputation for doing cool work, they might just come to you.

And you do know that if you pitch them your own characters, they become the property of Marvel or DC, right? Granted, you might get the kudos of creating a character in that universe, but you don't get the same cash-in as if you self-publish or strike a better deal with an indie.

You can ignore my advice. I'm not gonna be offended. And someone might well tell you different. Your call, dude.

But you wanna pitch something tight, that you can sum-up in 55-60 words and something that the editor you choose hasn't seen before. Or is different enough.

Rasun · Sep 4, 2008

wordmonkey said:
A body of work. By that I mean stuff you have done for other people. Same thing here as anywhere else. Everyone wants to find the next hot talent that someone has risked something on before.

So you want to show what you can do and that you were good enough that other people were willing to pay you or invest their time and money on building off your writing.

So books you have done for someone else.

As for other ways. Work in indies. Self-publish. Like I said, they wanna get new hot-stuff, so they look at that stuff too. You get a reputation for doing cool work, they might just come to you.

And you do know that if you pitch them your own characters, they become the property of Marvel or DC, right? Granted, you might get the kudos of creating a character in that universe, but you don't get the same cash-in as if you self-publish or strike a better deal with an indie.

You can ignore my advice. I'm not gonna be offended. And someone might well tell you different. Your call, dude.

But you wanna pitch something tight, that you can sum-up in 55-60 words and something that the editor you choose hasn't seen before. Or is different enough.

Well why would I want to ignore your advice? 1, you answered my questions . Although finding a publisher has been very grueling for me, and I don't have the materials needed for self-publishing.(Specifically a State I.D. and Credit or Debit Card.) And I was thinking of pitching the Son Of War concept to Marvel because it was inspired by the Ares: God Of War miniseries Marvel produced... As well as the upcoming video game Darksiders: Wrath Of War But before I do that I know I have to see if Princess Of The Damned, Nether Tales and High School Guardian get a good fan base... Which mind you may be impossible because I'm well aware of what many people look for now, and material doesn't quite cut or so I've been told... I've also been told that my stuff is good it just needs editing and refinement so as you can see I'm torn...

wordmonkey · Sep 4, 2008

You can ignore my advice, because it comes with no guarantees. It's as useful or useless as it plays out for you. There's no hidden meaning there. If anything I was leaving the way open for others who might want to chime in with their two cents.

Since no one did, you can assume that my advice is solid gold and you should follow it to the letter.

One thing I've seen through your various posts in this thread is along the lines of "I have THIS idea, but I don't think they would go for it because..."

If you think that, scrap it.

If YOU aren't 100 percent convinced that something is completely bullet-proof and worth investing in, why should anyone else?

Additionally, that you have ideas that are like something else can be viewed as good (you potentially have your finger on the same pulse as them) or could indicate you need to look elsewhere for idea potential. In the same way you might get a response, "Hey, that rocks because it's kinda like..." you are just as likely to get a response, "Yeah, blah blah blah, we did that already."

If you want to break in, you have to be better than what they have now. If you're as good, that might be a fantastic benchmark, but that isn't enough. You need to be BETTER.

And who has told you you're good? While it's good to have someone behind you, or a group of someones there to boost your ego and keep you on the path, if they don't have the experience, it's kinda moot in the real world. However, if they DO have experience, listen to them and if you follow their lead, they could well the the contact you need. 'Cos it's all about networking in the grand scheme of things. You can be the best thing EVER, but if you don't have the contacts, don't mean a whole lot.

This feels like I'm being a bit of a Debby Downer here (which might be why I said you could ignore the advice). I'm just trying to share a little of my experiences trying to break in. It can be pretty soul-destroying at times. So if you know where you're going it can help.

My advice. Try and do a few short script. Can you write a back-up story? Can you do a tight little story in 5 pages. Or 10 pages. Take an existing character and do that. Hone it. Run through the SYW section here if you want. And then look out for artists who want sample scripts to draw. Give them your script on the condition that they put your name on it and you get a copy. THEY will be wanting to showcase, so YOUR writing gets to editors without you doing a thing. (One of those other ways!)

Try and get some credits. They will help you a lot. Because the more you do, the more chances you will get to do more.

Hit the conventions. Talk to indie publishers and just make a connection. Network.

If you're in school, look at ways that you might get to use that set-up to get a comic rolling (a school newspaper or website) and ba-da-bing, you have a weekly/biweekly/monthly/whatever commitment. OK, so not many people see the thing you do, but you can then amass some work and show a publisher that you hit a deadline consistently.

Advertise on places like Digital Webbing for an artist/partner. You won't get many great artists replying, but you never know.

Forget about hitting Marvel or DC now. Make them the ultimate goal if you like, but plan your route there. And that means steps along the way and each step gets you more work done and out and further along the road.

Don't ignore this advice. Copy it down and then have it carved in marble and then placed above your bed (securely fasten of course, I'd hate to think my advice crushed you to death) so you see it first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

Or... y' know... do your own thing.

If I come off like a cranky old man, it's 'cos I have a headache. That I am a cranky old man is purely coincidental.

Idahobo · Sep 4, 2008

Another good thing to do while building up your body of work is to start a web comic. Nothing on earth will teach you more about making comics than making one.

Plus you'll be able to meet other like minded people, build a fan base and do some networking. It's not a sure route to the big leagues, but it's a good way to start.

Rasun · Sep 5, 2008

wordmonkey said:
You can ignore my advice, because it comes with no guarantees. It's as useful or useless as it plays out for you. There's no hidden meaning there. If anything I was leaving the way open for others who might want to chime in with their two cents.

Since no one did, you can assume that my advice is solid gold and you should follow it to the letter.

One thing I've seen through your various posts in this thread is along the lines of "I have THIS idea, but I don't think they would go for it because..."

If you think that, scrap it.

If YOU aren't 100 percent convinced that something is completely bullet-proof and worth investing in, why should anyone else?

Additionally, that you have ideas that are like something else can be viewed as good (you potentially have your finger on the same pulse as them) or could indicate you need to look elsewhere for idea potential. In the same way you might get a response, "Hey, that rocks because it's kinda like..." you are just as likely to get a response, "Yeah, blah blah blah, we did that already."

If you want to break in, you have to be better than what they have now. If you're as good, that might be a fantastic benchmark, but that isn't enough. You need to be BETTER.

And who has told you you're good? While it's good to have someone behind you, or a group of someones there to boost your ego and keep you on the path, if they don't have the experience, it's kinda moot in the real world. However, if they DO have experience, listen to them and if you follow their lead, they could well the the contact you need. 'Cos it's all about networking in the grand scheme of things. You can be the best thing EVER, but if you don't have the contacts, don't mean a whole lot.

This feels like I'm being a bit of a Debby Downer here (which might be why I said you could ignore the advice). I'm just trying to share a little of my experiences trying to break in. It can be pretty soul-destroying at times. So if you know where you're going it can help.

My advice. Try and do a few short script. Can you write a back-up story? Can you do a tight little story in 5 pages. Or 10 pages. Take an existing character and do that. Hone it. Run through the SYW section here if you want. And then look out for artists who want sample scripts to draw. Give them your script on the condition that they put your name on it and you get a copy. THEY will be wanting to showcase, so YOUR writing gets to editors without you doing a thing. (One of those other ways!)

Try and get some credits. They will help you a lot. Because the more you do, the more chances you will get to do more.

Hit the conventions. Talk to indie publishers and just make a connection. Network.

If you're in school, look at ways that you might get to use that set-up to get a comic rolling (a school newspaper or website) and ba-da-bing, you have a weekly/biweekly/monthly/whatever commitment. OK, so not many people see the thing you do, but you can then amass some work and show a publisher that you hit a deadline consistently.

Advertise on places like Digital Webbing for an artist/partner. You won't get many great artists replying, but you never know.

Forget about hitting Marvel or DC now. Make them the ultimate goal if you like, but plan your route there. And that means steps along the way and each step gets you more work done and out and further along the road.

Don't ignore this advice. Copy it down and then have it carved in marble and then placed above your bed (securely fasten of course, I'd hate to think my advice crushed you to death) so you see it first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

Or... y' know... do your own thing.

If I come off like a cranky old man, it's 'cos I have a headache. That I am a cranky old man is purely coincidental.

*Listening to Stupify and Indestructible by Disturbed*

Jeez you must be in my age group if you're worried about sounding like a "Cranky Old Man."(I'm 19 by the way.) But I really don't scrap ideas that I feel can be improved upon... Basically what I do with story and character concepts if they don't feel original enough is take them apart and rebuild them using other influencial elements. That what I did with my concept of War shortly after I learned of the development of DarkSiders: Wrath Of War. In listening to KillSwitch Engage's cover of Dio's "Holy Diver" he started out as something similar to this Which I wasn't satisfied with because I wanted my own design for War.(I really wasn't going to bother with the "cool" factor. Y'know that thing where a character's considered to be threatening or opposing by how cool he looks.) Then upon listening to "Indestructible" by Disturbed, I managed to develop the concept I showed earlier in the thread. And of course I can write I ten page back up story... May not be a tight story but I can still do one.

And I've been told by some messageboarders on sites like tokyopop.com, Mangaworkshop.net, Mangapunk.com I've been told that my stories were good, but I've also gotten some helpful tips on how I could make it better or at least do away with some errors I've made...(That's only if I showed the manuscript and comics.) Where as on the messageboards of tokyopop, I've been battered and beaten over how my stories are similar to other works, or how they're rip-offs of other works. And how much they suck. Which mind you is as helpful to me as a pile of $%&# on my doorstep... And the sad fact is those who gave me some helpful critiques had some experience of sharing their works, and keeping an eye on what publishers look for, but they're still unpublished like me. So it feels like I was being hit by mere opinions from those said that my work sucked... I was even told on the forums of "Top Cow" to never say that my work sucks...And this was after I had just been told on Tokyopop.com that Princess Of The Damned was a DBZ rip-off just because of how Luciami has to learn how to control the power Lucifer gave her, and become stronger to where she doesn't rely on it as often as she does at the start of her adventure.(Which is pretty much until chapter ten. And for the record the influences for Princess Of The Damned were HellBoy, and Teen Titans...) Where as on Sweatdrop.com while I sought in developing a title for a pirate story, I stated I wanted to avoid giving my characters super-powers because I didn't want to create another DBZ rip-off, but one of the users was so gracious to mention that the pirate story I'm developing was in the shonen genre of manga, so there was nothing wrong with super-powered pirates unless I do it poorly of which I don't intend to. But in my humble opinion when you've had people who figure they're doing you a favor by telling you how much they don't like your work, whadda ya think's gonna happen? Well in my case I've grown rather spiteful, and will only take advice if I figure I can use it. And I know that I have to be better than I am now if I want to have a Snowball's chance in Hell of getting published.

And I'm not school, but I don't want to waste my time with a school newspaper... I'd figure I'd have better chances at a convention.(I'm being delusioned by hope for a brief moment...) But I figure I'd fall down there too. And even though Marvel and DC is my ultimate goal... I partially don't see that happening, because Heaven forbid when one as constantly ridiculed as I would succeed when many thought I'd fail... And you're probably wondering "why the heck is saying all of this?" Well I just remembered some occasions where I was ridiculed for being unoriginal just because of some elements I used in some of my stories, which has told me that I couldn't use those elements no matter much I applied my own spin on them because of how often they've been used. Quite frankly I'm tired of being hit with opinions I can't use which I'm taking your advice whether you like it or not... But first, I need a journey buddy for my trip to Wizard World...

Idahobo said:
Another good thing to do while building up your body of work is to start a web comic. Nothing on earth will teach you more about making comics than making one.

If only that were true, also I do have a few webcomics set up

Idahobo said:
Plus you'll be able to meet other like minded people, build a fan base and do some networking. It's not a sure route to the big leagues, but it's a good way to start.

I've been told that gaining a fan base of like minded people won't amount to much especially since the public probably won't like my creations...

Idahobo · Sep 5, 2008

Rasun said:
If only that were true, also I do have a few webcomics set up

You're practicing, that's what matters. Keep it up and you'll be amazed at how much it helps.

Rasun said:
I've been told that gaining a fan base of like minded people won't amount to much especially since the public probably won't like my creations...

Who told you that? First off, a fan base will almost always be like-minded people, that's why they're your fans. The people I'm a fan of are generally either people I am like or would like to be like. Secondly, any fan base is better than no fan base. Publishers don't care what kind of people they sell to, so long as they have money.

wordmonkey · Sep 5, 2008

Crits:

The more professional the crit'er, the more you should listen. Because they will usually add if something is technical or personal. If it's personal, you can ignore it, but you should consider it regardless.
Additionally, a good crit will tell you if something doesn't work and why. Don't expect them to solve the problem, but in tell you why, you should have a clue as to how to fix it.
Finally, if several people tell you something is bad. It's bad. If one person tells you and several people don't, chances are it's personal.

Like I said before, I would suggest you look at other sources for ideas if you are constantly getting hit with "this is unoriginal." Look at mythology. Look at classic literature. Look at the news. Look at history. There are story ideas all around.

Beyond that, do what feels right and have fun. 'Cos if you aren't having fun with it, that'll come through and it won't be fun to read.

You might also try writing some short stories. Telling a tight story in 3000 words is a skill that translates.

Try to find an artist to team with. Not because that specifically helps the comic, but because it helps you creatively. If you leave egos at the door and just work towards the best ideas, you will find that someone offers a new idea and they sets you off in a new direction and before you know it, between you, you've spun off something really new and cool.

Last thing. The vibe that comes through here is that you lack confidence in your stuff. In some respects I think the internet can hurt, because you get feedback before you're ready (I mean the all of us you, not YOU you). Maybe you showed it too soon. Maybe you should quit. Maybe you showed it in the wrong place. Hard to say. But if YOU don't believe this is as good as it can be, don't show it. Now that doesn't mean it can't get better, it is just the best you can do NOW. If you don't think that, keep it to yourself and keep working it.

But remember, I didn't say you had to be better than YOU are now. You have to be better than the best that's out there now. Comics are incredibly hard to break into, so don't be surprised that it's difficult. But it's a helluva lot better than digging a ditch.

And I'll leave you with this. EVERYONE starts doing crap. EVERYONE. What you do after is what defines you.

Axler · Sep 6, 2008

wordmonkey said:
But it's a helluva lot better than digging a ditch.

I'd say that depends on the ditch and the comic company.

Rasun · Sep 7, 2008

Idahobo said:
You're practicing, that's what matters. Keep it up and you'll be amazed at how much it helps.

Thanks For the reminder...

Who told you that? First off, a fan base will almost always be like-minded people, that's why they're your fans. The people I'm a fan of are generally either people I am like or would like to be like. Secondly, any fan base is better than no fan base. Publishers don't care what kind of people they sell to, so long as they have money.

You'd be surprised at how many haughty individuals I've felt that I've come across... A user from tokyopop that opted to aid in writing told me that my stories sucked because any story that utilized biblical material wasn't very original and it really didn't count that nerds or anyone outside of the realm of writers/artists liked it because publishers were a little more strict.

QUOTE=wordmonkey] Crits:
The more professional the crit'er, the more you should listen. Because they will usually add if something is technical or personal. If it's personal, you can ignore it, but you should consider it regardless.
Additionally, a good crit will tell you if something doesn't work and why. Don't expect them to solve the problem, but in tell you why, you should have a clue as to how to fix it.
Finally, if several people tell you something is bad. It's bad. If one person tells you and several people don't, chances are it's personal.[/QUOTE]

Neigh because what they fail to realize is I don't use certain elements without having a clue as to what I'm doing... As I said I take my favorite elements from inspirational sources take them apart and rebuild them in my own fashion....(Here's The manuscript for Princess Of The Damned

Like I said before, I would suggest you look at other sources for ideas if you are constantly getting hit with "this is unoriginal." Look at mythology. Look at classic literature. Look at the news. Look at history. There are story ideas all around.

Actually I do look at mythology, and certain pieces of history which I use as
reference and accuracy for certain plots, but it's not acknowledged.

Beyond that, do what feels right and have fun. 'Cos if you aren't having fun with it, that'll come through and it won't be fun to read.

I do have fun, and do what feels right that how I came to work on Nether Tales But I've come to conclude that when you chose writing as a career you don't write because you enjoy it. It's basically like a typical 9 to 5 where you think the consumer is always right, and your work isn't suitable then... Then you seek what the people want and write about it.

You might also try writing some short stories. Telling a tight story in 3000 words is a skill that translates.

Oh I can do that, but I'll have to refrain from making it into a longer story.

Try to find an artist to team with. Not because that specifically helps the comic, but because it helps you creatively. If you leave egos at the door and just work towards the best ideas, you will find that someone offers a new idea and they sets you off in a new direction and before you know it, between you, you've spun off something really new and cool.

Trust me when I say I know what artists enjoy working with, and a writer of my caliber isn't it.

Last thing. The vibe that comes through here is that you lack confidence in your stuff. In some respects I think the internet can hurt, because you get feedback before you're ready (I mean the all of us you, not YOU you). Maybe you showed it too soon. Maybe you should quit. Maybe you showed it in the wrong place. Hard to say. But if YOU don't believe this is as good as it can be, don't show it. Now that doesn't mean it can't get better, it is just the best you can do NOW. If you don't think that, keep it to yourself and keep working it.

Oh I'm confident I'm just sick of seeing people fail to see the effort I put into my stories. It's really annoying how I keep perceiving people to rather blind instead of the the intelligent creatures they try to act like. I add certain some of my favorite elements, break them down, and rebuild them in my own fashion like a alot of video-game developers, and other writers do. I mean if you look at the video-games "Heavenly Sword," and "God Of War" you'll see some similarities in combat elements, but you'll see alot of differences as well.

But remember, I didn't say you had to be better than YOU are now. You have to be better than the best that's out there now. Comics are incredibly hard to break into, so don't be surprised that it's difficult. But it's a helluva lot better than digging a ditch.

And I'll leave you with this. EVERYONE starts doing crap. EVERYONE. What you do after is what defines you.

Well being better than what's out there now is gonna cause me to have to look into certain areas of my creativity that I haven't dug into yet... But it's necessary...

dreamsofnever · Sep 14, 2008

Rasun said:
Oh I'm confident I'm just sick of seeing people fail to see the effort I put into my stories. It's really annoying how I keep perceiving people to rather blind instead of the the intelligent creatures they try to act like.

Somethign to think about-a truly talented writer (of any form) makes storytelling appear to be effortless. If people look at it and all they see is efort, that takes away from the enjoyment of the story.

As for ways to break in, there are several publications that deal with events in the industry and interviewing writers and editors, etc. (Wizard Magazine springs to mind) That's a great way to make connections and learn more about the industry. If you go to Wizard World's website, they do have openings for freelance writers for the website. You do work for free, but you get the chance to talk wtih the industry names and a regular writing gig shows that you CAN meet deadlines and that you can write something that people want to read. I think you're taking a good approach in looking critically at your ideas and why certain plot points won't work. From there, you have the challenge of making them work and/or coming up with a story idea that's even bigger and better and WIL work.

My main concern, however, is that you say you are writing things that people won't want to read, and that you believe people are generally blind. There will never be an author that writes something that is universally beloved, but taking the attitude that people who don't appreciate your work are blind is not the way to go. The thing is, people enjoy a lot of written works (both comic books and otherwise) and when all is said and done, the goal of a professional writer is to create something that their target audience WILL enjoy. (so if someone outside of the target audience doesn't like, well, that's not a huge surprise. and if they're within the target audience, what doesn't appeal to the and is it a fundamental problem with the story construction and/or writing or is it simply that reader's personal preference? Remember that reading is a very subjective passtime) And that can happen with a lot of practice and a lot of time spent considering who your target audience is and what sorts of stories will excite and surprise them in a pleasing way. And if your ultimate goal is to work for one of the giants, more power to you. Having dreams makes us aim high and gives the chance for us to become better in doing so. keep writing, keep brainstorming and set smaller goals along the way (ie, getting a job with a local indie company or self-publishing one of your own original books, or whatever you decide is a stepping stone on the way to your ultimate goal)

Rasun · Sep 15, 2008

dreamsofnever said:
Somethign to think about-a truly talented writer (of any form) makes storytelling appear to be effortless. If people look at it and all they see is efort, that takes away from the enjoyment of the story.

As for ways to break in, there are several publications that deal with events in the industry and interviewing writers and editors, etc. (Wizard Magazine springs to mind) That's a great way to make connections and learn more about the industry. If you go to Wizard World's website, they do have openings for freelance writers for the website. You do work for free, but you get the chance to talk wtih the industry names and a regular writing gig shows that you CAN meet deadlines and that you can write something that people want to read. I think you're taking a good approach in looking critically at your ideas and why certain plot points won't work. From there, you have the challenge of making them work and/or coming up with a story idea that's even bigger and better and WIL work.

My main concern, however, is that you say you are writing things that people won't want to read, and that you believe people are generally blind. There will never be an author that writes something that is universally beloved, but taking the attitude that people who don't appreciate your work are blind is not the way to go. The thing is, people enjoy a lot of written works (both comic books and otherwise) and when all is said and done, the goal of a professional writer is to create something that their target audience WILL enjoy. (so if someone outside of the target audience doesn't like, well, that's not a huge surprise. and if they're within the target audience, what doesn't appeal to the and is it a fundamental problem with the story construction and/or writing or is it simply that reader's personal preference? Remember that reading is a very subjective passtime) And that can happen with a lot of practice and a lot of time spent considering who your target audience is and what sorts of stories will excite and surprise them in a pleasing way. And if your ultimate goal is to work for one of the giants, more power to you. Having dreams makes us aim high and gives the chance for us to become better in doing so. keep writing, keep brainstorming and set smaller goals along the way (ie, getting a job with a local indie company or self-publishing one of your own original books, or whatever you decide is a stepping stone on the way to your ultimate goal)

Well I don't have the materials needed to self-publish, and I kind of like the idea of having a publisher represent my story. Also I know that there will be readers who won't like my stories due to their taste in genres... Also I'm finding ways to make the story The Son Of War Work itself out...And where can I find a local Indie publishing company here in Dallas?

Reasons Why These Concepts Won't Work

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