CBR: Where The Hell Am I - Sep 22, 2010

[CBR News]

This week, Jason Aaron gives aspiring writers some simple advice on how to break into comics, points readers in the direction of more industry tips and explains why his first pro work is also his most important.


Full article here (http://comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=28471).

[andybmcd]

Aaron sure likes to remember that "We'll keep using you until you start to suck" quote. It is a good one though.

[Lemurion]

Here's to not sucking.

And realizing that it's better to go to cons to figure out how to write better than publish better.

[Interzone]

jason aaron: the greatest guy in the history of everything.

please, never stop writing this column.

[PympMyQuinjet]

Jason Aaron is slowly becoming my idol...

[saidestroyer]

Jason Aaron is slowly becoming my idol...

what do you mean "slowly"?
shame, shame on you! :D

[Madmike]

It's not whether or not you suck that matters, it's whom.

[MikeCr]

Jason,

The Other Side most definately did not suck. In fact, I've called it the best first published work by a new writer I've ever seen. Even from the first few pages of the first issue it stood out. It speaks volumes about the state of the comics industry that more people haven't been exposed to it. You and Cam deserve so much more.

[EMTonner]

Thanks for the "Research The Hell Out Of" mention.
That's a point of frustration.... Getting facts straight when you'd rather be writing 10,000 words of wrong.

[maniacmatt]

I feel like I'm learning so so so much from these articles. Thank you so much Mr. Aaron. These are proving to be an invaluable tool and inspiration for someone who wants to be a writer. A few thoughts:

They seemed to believe they'd already written the next great American novel, and they just wanted to know how to get an agent, how to get in print. They didn't seem to even be entertaining the possibility that maybe their novel just wasn't any good.

While this is obviously an issue, wouldn't the opposite also be an issue? I know for me personally, I have an incredibly hard time ever believing that anything I write is good. Even though I have numerous friends and family members read my stuff and say it's good, I always find myself writing it off as them being nice, and I keep asking different people, searching for someone who will tell me it's a pile of shit. While you may think I have self-esteem issues (I do), I don't believe they're drastic enough that they can't be overcome. That said, when do you think is a good time to say, "I don't suck?"


It's always easy to play that game where you look at some professional writer whose work you don't particularly like and say, "That guy sucks. I can write better than that guy." But it's a lot harder to take a long hard look at your own work and really ask yourself: am I truly good enough?

Very true. But, I also find that it can be an invaluable exercise to compare yourself to a writer you're reading. Looking at a plot point or line of dialogue and objectively asking yourself whether you could write that well.


So if you wanna know how to break into comics, I guess my advice to you is just, "Write." Don't even worry about breaking in until you know you're ready. Focus on your writing. Find that story you were born to tell and work your ass off on it. Read outside your comfort zone. Judge your work harshly. Write and re-write. Always re-write.

That paragraph rocked my world. It seems so simple, but it really helps me to think about this. Sometimes, I really do need to not worry about getting discovered. Just about getting good.

Thanks again for the fantastic column.

[TheEscapist777]

C.B. Cebulski's twitter just talks about Korean sausage....yeah.

[christinereed]

"If I saw something the caliber of my own work on the shelf in a comic book store, would I seriously fork over my own money to read it?"

Yeah, that's the question you've got to ask yourself. And, when you're writing, write a story you would want to read. That's really the best you can do, because you can't please everybody.

To the person who wondered "when do you think is a good time to say, "I don't suck?"

Try submitting your work. That may get you ignored, but it also may get you some honest feedback.

[Certifiable1]

Great stuff, I for one loved the Other Side. It's why I follow his work to this day. Kind of not sure why people who want "something different" so often refuse to support books like that (or Lucifer which I liked quite a bit for the first half of its run)

[maniacmatt]

To the person who wondered "when do you think is a good time to say, "I don't suck?"

Try submitting your work. That may get you ignored, but it also may get you some honest feedback.

An artist friend of mine and I are actually prepping a submission for Image. It's really just a shot in the dark, though. Thanks for the advice. :)

[christinereed]

An artist friend of mine and I are actually prepping a submission for Image. It's really just a shot in the dark, though. Thanks for the advice. :)

I'm glad to hear that. I'm not a comic book writer, but I have written several articles. I didn't really think I was good enough to be published, either, but I'm glad I wrote those first few publishers, or else I wouldn't have gotten my first clip.

[chiefdog]

Scalped certainly does not suck as for me it is the best book on the shelves right now. If i could only get one monthly book it would be Scalped (I'll sneak in 2000ad as well) but I wondered if anyone knows when it is planning to end. Not that I want it to end but I'm going to bind the issues into some lovely hardcovers and want them to be fairly even in size.

[DarthCommenter]

I love your column. You give great advice. But you keep contradicting yourself. You keep saying, “I don’t know how I got here.” And then you tell us you practiced writing, you started many many plot lines, you researched and completed an entire script that you wrote and rewrote several times, you entered contests, you had the support of an amazing woman, and on and on.

Maybe it takes writing a column like this to appreciate all that you’ve accomplished and the people who helped you get there.

Talent comes in many forms, not just obvious ones like being able to throw a basketball or having a great voice. Your past has shown you have the talent to shut up and write and that’s what sets you apart from a large majority of would be writers.

I’m really happy things have worked out for you. Please keep writing this column.

[Jason Aaron]

While this is obviously an issue, wouldn't the opposite also be an issue? I know for me personally, I have an incredibly hard time ever believing that anything I write is good. Even though I have numerous friends and family members read my stuff and say it's good, I always find myself writing it off as them being nice, and I keep asking different people, searching for someone who will tell me it's a pile of shit. While you may think I have self-esteem issues (I do), I don't believe they're drastic enough that they can't be overcome. That said, when do you think is a good time to say, "I don't suck?"

It always good to get professional feedback. I took a lot of fiction writing classes in college, which were great, even when I didn't really like the professor. It's good to get feedback from all different perspectives. But you've also got to be able to see something in yourself if you're gonna have the persistence you'll need to get your foot in the door.

[Jason Aaron]

I love your column. You give great advice. But you keep contradicting yourself. You keep saying, “I don’t know how I got here.” And then you tell us you practiced writing, you started many many plot lines, you researched and completed an entire script that you wrote and rewrote several times, you entered contests, you had the support of an amazing woman, and on and on.

Maybe it takes writing a column like this to appreciate all that you’ve accomplished and the people who helped you get there.

Talent comes in many forms, not just obvious ones like being able to throw a basketball or having a great voice. Your past has shown you have the talent to shut up and write and that’s what sets you apart from a large majority of would be writers.

I’m really happy things have worked out for you. Please keep writing this column.

Momma always told me it's good to be a little self-deprecating now and then. Thanks.

[maniacmatt]

It always good to get professional feedback. I took a lot of fiction writing classes in college, which were great, even when I didn't really like the professor. It's good to get feedback from all different perspectives. But you've also got to be able to see something in yourself if you're gonna have the persistence you'll need to get your foot in the door.

Thanks for the reply!

[TheDanHale]

As someone who has worked for a whole slew of aspiring writers I am constantly amazed at the unbridled fanboy mentality of regurgitated characters and cliche plotlines. I think being a fan of comics as a medium is important, but if you only love Batman or Spiderman and their respective worlds, you are doomed to just rehash them. The key I think is to love GOOD comics, and to draw inspiration from other mediums (that "reading out of your comfort zone" great point). After all look at Kirkmans Invincible, the basic idea is Superman + Dragon Ball from the reference point of Peter Parker.