Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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62 of 63 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Short but very good, February 1, 2004
This is a collection of essays Alan Moore wrote in 1985 about writing comic books (with a follow-up essay from 2003 at the end). Actually, it's more about being a creative storyteller, not so much about comics. As you read the text, you realize that the nuts and bolts of panels, pages, and word balloons mean very little in comparison to honesty, inventiveness, intent, and understanding of your own talent. Alan Moore makes this clear as he writes, advising the aspiring writer to consider what he's doing long before he gets to the point of wondering how he can stack ten panels into a page.Moore uses his own experience as a guide. Although he had not yet written (or completed) some of his greatest comics, by 1985 he had been working in British comics for years. He was also working on Swamp Thing and Miracle Man at the time. He uses Swamp Thing examples more than any other, which is good. That was the first great period of Moore's work, when he turned comic book writers into superstars along with illustrators. He describes one of his more daring stories of the 1980s --- a Swamp Thing issue in which menstruation is tied to a werewolf story --- from the ground up. First he had the social idea, then he came up with a framework for it, then he wrote the pages and panels. Reading this short volume is a real inspiration for anyone who wants to tell stories. The advice here can liberate a writer from distractions and lead him (or her) toward the creative decisions that matter most. The final chapter adds a wonderful twist. Moore recommends that you avoid a personal style and focus instead of personal growth as an artist. Success should lead to experimenting, not a rut in which you tell the same lucrative story over and over. Alan Moore lives his life this way, so his advice has some well-earned authority behind it.
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24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
How to Write Like Yourself, August 16, 2003
Alan Moore provides some wonderful insight into the creative process. He recommends several outside texts such as The Act of Creation which is a great read in of itself. While no one can tell you exactly how to be creative, Moore does offer insights into what makes him tick as a writer. He gives you suggestions and insights as to how to express yourself and where to look for inspiration in your own life. Moore does not want people to be Alan Moore clones, he wants to encourage a new generation of writers to write what they know and dream about. To write for themselves first, that way a person avoids being a poseur or a wannabe. Moore is truly one of the top writers in the history of comic books. Others that walk the pantheons of greatness are Will Eisner, Steve Ditko, Mark Millar, Warren Ellis, Stan Lee and Neil Gaiman. Read this book, then look inside yourself where the stories and creativity lay. Write from the heart and the subconcious first, and the readers will recognize the sincerity and hopefully come back for more.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A primer on content and style for all writers, September 24, 2004
Alan Moore's booklet on writing comics is just as relevant for novelists, screenwriters and prose writers as it is for comic book writers. He clearly and economically doles out his chapters on style, characters, plot, rhythm and theme. These things are of paramount importance to all writers. He also brands his lessons with warnings of becoming enamoured with your own writing gimmicks, or following the flock too closely. He's got a lot of great advice regarding content that rings true for writers of all media.
This book is particularly relevant to screenwriters (like me) who seem to lose sight of the fact that the target is not to produce a 120 page manuscript, but to make a movie. Likewise, Moore makes it very clear that writing for a comic book is a visual endeavour, and the writing should reflect that. What is the nature of the panel and the information it's trying to convey? Will it flow in a fashion that will lead the audience to the next surprise around the corner, or will it bog them down with details and meandering that will flatten the text? Moore even addresses movies in certain sections, validating the kinship between movies and comic books. One is the distillation of the moment into a single picture, while the other adds the dimension of time- but either way, both are focused on what needs to be seen.
Granted, writers of other media should try to read this knowing it was developed for comic book writers. Though it isn't loaded with arcane comic lingo and concepts, there is a lot of reference to comic books, especially Moore's own work.
I'd had little to no exposure reading his comics, but his foray into teaching is excellent. An inspiring read.
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