Customer Reviews

Writing for Comics with Peter David

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm not sure what I was expecting with this book, but I had a great time reading it. Although its short sections and chapters made it easy to find a stopping place, its lively presentation and accompanying graphics made it hard for me to put down.

If you want to start writing for comics, this book gives you the basics of theme, conflict, and characterization, as well as the limits of presenting them in a comic book format. Then it continues with practical advice about how to present your work to the industry professionals who would buy it. Finally, if you're just a Peter David fan, you get a bit of insight into his thought processes.

I wouldn't recommend this as your only book to understand comics. Scott McCloud and Will Eisner have books that dissect and explain the mechanisms of quality comics. But for its narrower focus of how to create a comic book story, Peter David's work is as good as anything I've seen.

Writing for Comics with Peter David is one of those books that appealed to me on a number of levels: I like to write, I like reading comics and I like the writing of Peter David. So I got the book and found it to be quite good: well-written, educational and entertaining.

Despite the title, for the most part this book is not limited to merely comic book writing, but instead uses comic books (in particular superhero comics) to illustrate the essentials of any sort of storytelling: plotting, conflict, characterization, theme, etc. Only in the last part of the book do we get material that is strictly limited to comic books: topics such as the placement of speech balloons or the use of sound effects.

This is not an extremely detailed book, but David does cover all the basics of storytelling. As such, it is a good introductory text for anyone interested in writing genre fiction. I've read a lot of books about writing, and while this one doesn't offer much that is new (outside of the comics-only topics), it does present its subject matter in a different and interesting fashion.

If you want to learn how to write, you need to read a lot. Not just books on writing, but books in general. Even if you read this book, you will not be a good comic book writer unless you are familiar with the field. But even if you don't intend to ever write, this book still does have its advantages: it gives you new ways to look into the things you read. And with David's adept humor, this is also a fun book. In short: this is a good book for more than just aspiring comic book writers.

One of my favorite comic book writers is Peter David. His work on comics such as Incredible Hulk: the end and the revival of X Factor are existential and hard boiled. His comics show situations with difficult questions and ambiguous answers. His sense of humor is grounded in heroes living difficult lives. His incredible hulk was the last man alive; his X Factor were living in a rat-hole apartment. If the heightened, philosophical features of some of the Vertigo writers don't suit you, I would definitely check him out.

His book on the writing of comics is a must have for people interested in story structure and in the concepts that are involved in the kind of Hero/Villain dichotomy in comics. His comparison of Dr. Doom and Mister Fantastic really blindsided me. And his take of Raiders of the Lost Ark is very amusing. I really knew he was on to something when he took some concepts from Aristotle's Poetics and applied them to comics.

It is pretty well established by theatre academics that the genesis of dramatic structure is Aristotle's Poetics. I have read the book on and off for several years and the book have yet to puncture my man-brain. My understanding of its concepts has always been second handed to me from a theatre professor. David's examples taken from comic books give a good running start in comprehending how a story is composed.

Kevin Smith is writing Batman comics. Frank Miller's new movie is due out this Christmas. Neil Gaiman's new novel was one of the largest pre-orders of the fall. With the cross pollination between comics, movies, and other genres, this book is a healthy companion to anyone with a desire for professional storytelling.

Peter David has written a book for use by people who want to write comic books, but it also contains many lessons to help people who want to write narrative fiction. For the would-be comic creator, David includes how-to lessons like different scriptwriting formats, how to fashion plots for sequential storytelling, how to break into the business, etc. For any other author, David's lessons also include universal lessons such as characterization, plot, pacing, structure. A helpful book for anyone from an excellent writer of comicbooks and novels.

The year was 1991. A younger Geek in the City (technically, Geek in the Sticks) was ditching school at the one place where he felt safe in his Geekiness... The local (and only) bookstore, which, I know sounds like such a very sad place for a teenager to play hooky. What can you do? Bookstores are my people's hangout of choice when drama club isn't in session. My (mis)adventures at said bookstore are well documented and remembered every time I return to the dusty, sagebrush-infested steppes of Susanville. Anyway, it was the spring of 1991, and while waiting for 3 o'clock to arrive, I decided to snag some new Star Trek books. Few were catching my eye. I have never been one of those Trekkies that will buy anything with a Warp Nacelle on the cover. However, one book did garner my attention... A Star Trek: The Next Generation giant novel titled Vendetta... By a one Peter David. I bought the book and sat in the corner waiting for school to let out. Little did I know that I was taking my first step into fandom that exists to this day... Peter David instantly hooked me. His knowledge of the Trek universe and the characters within was (and is) perfection. His ability to use dialogue to drive his stories is fantastic. In addition, I say without a bit of hesitation, his writing style has inspired me to become a better writer. Some people follow Aaron Sorkin. Some follow David Mamet. Some follow Tom Stoppard... I follow Peter David.

As such, when he publishes a book on writing for comics... I devour it without hesitation!


The Book - The book itself is jumping with primary colors and practically screams its comic book subject matter, with nary a page passing without some form of balloon or inserts adding an insight. At a 175 perfect bound full color pages, the retail price of $19.95 feels like a fair price. I have paid more for lesser books. For those who may be concerned about the bright colors taking away from the book's readability, fear not, the book designers took care in maintaining a balance between looks and function.

Readability - As I have stated many times in the past, Peter David has a very fun and engaging style of writing. One might even call his style of writing as conversational. Well, perhaps not realistically conversational, which is stilted and stuttering (a fact David points out within this book). Rather, David's writing is how we wish we conversed. It doesn't matter if you are familiar with David's writing or not. His style pulls the reader in; you quickly forget that you are reading, essentially, a "How-To" guide. Reading Writing for Comics feels more akin to a comfortable conversation with a friend over drinks in your favorite watering hole... a friend who just so happens to be a highly successful writer. Doing more than simply telling you what does and does not work within comics, Writing for Comics gives you crystal clear examples ripped from the comic page. In addition to Peter David's own insightful viewpoints, snippets of wisdom from other highly successful comic book writers fill the book. While some of the reproduced comic panels feel a tad like filler, the highly readable nature of Writing for Comics is in no way lessened.

Usability - While by no means an "Idiots Guide" stylebook, Writing for Comics does cover many of the basics within comics. Indeed, it covers many of the basics of drafting fiction as a whole. This is not necessarily a bad thing. It is very easy, especially the longer you write, to forget about the basics of story telling. Forgetting these basics, particularly within the realm of comics can be a dangerous thing. When you charge a reader $2.50 (or more) for 23 pages, you had better hold that reader and hold them well. Again, David doesn't treat his book like a textbook, however, he does delve deeply into what makes a hero and why he or she does what they do, (and, more importantly, how to make their actions believable to the reader). There are many moments within Writing for Comics that I found myself thankfully nodding over simple issues that I had long neglected, an example being the use of well-known myths into modern takes. It is so tempting to create something completely original, you forget that there really isn't anything original. Only the ability to create interesting takes on well-known cultural myths and legends. One small portion of Writing for Comics that I found to be extremely useful was the "Exercises"... Throughout the book are small sections where Peter David challenges you to create (among other things) a believable villain or create heroes based on your friends (without offending said friends). Tasks that I used to do as a wee Geek, but for some reason stopped as I "matured" as a writer.

Filled with excellent insights into the nature of comic book writing and the industry as a whole, Writing for Comics is a must. Anyone who wishes to make a career out of funny books, be it as one who wishes to place their stamp on established characters or go the independent route, Writing for Comics is essential. Filled with personal and humorous stories, Writing for Comics is a fun and informative book that earns a place on my "books I'll keep using' shelf, right next to Stephen King's On Writing, Struck and White's Elements of Style, and Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud.

I give Writing for Comics with Peter David 4 out of 5 Critical Hits!

To be fair, this is what it's advertised as being: a guide for writing comics. Because it was Peter David, though, I was expecting more.

David is the William Goldman of comics. He is flat out one of the best there is, so I was expecting something akin to Adventures in Screenwriting. What you get is a fairly generic how to book. It's all there, but it's all there in several other books. I wanted wit (there was some), insider stories (there was, I think, one). I wanted some inside dirt on working with artists and editors. Maybe a little on handling bad press and vindictive rivals. In short, I wanted something that only Peter David could give, and I didn't get that. If his But I Digress collection is available, buy that (and to be fair again, David could say that all I wanted was in that collection and it wasn't the purpose of this book to do that. Okay, true, but when I buy a Peter David book, I want a Peter David book. It's about expectations.) If you find any other writing for comics books that are cheaper, go that route. This book reads like it was knocked out in his sleep.

It gets a 3 simply because it does what it sets out to do.

Peter David is one of the best comic book writers ever. Any advice that he can give is worth a read or two.

This is a masterful lesson on writing stories, period. I'm reading and rereading David's book and taking away something new each time.

There are many books on storytelling, but none can match Peter David's book "Writing for Comics" with regards to writing for the sequential arts medium. Whether you are interested in writing a super-hero comic or a webcomic, there is excellent information to be had by reading this book.

Peter David, the prolific writer behind a plethora of fiction books (both literary novel and comic books) writes a clear, concise, and occasionally humor-weaved primer on writing for comics. I found this book to be well written, interesting, and informative to read. Many examples from both past and present day comics are used to illustrate critical storytelling elements (climax, plot, theme, etc).

In summary, this book does what it says in the title, and does it well. Highly recommended for writers and aspiring-writers alike.

Comic fans, science fiction buffs and graphic novel writers alike will find a fine how-to book by a leading comic book writer in WRITING FOR COMICS WITH PETER DAVID. His writing prompts, stories, and humor is something different, outlining the basics of character and plot development, pacing, and sound effects in a manner beginners will find most accessible. Add memoirs and anecdotes of his life as a comic/graphic novel writer and you'll find plenty to appreciate, even if you don't pick up a pen to try your own hand.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch