“In a 22-page comic, figuring an average of four to five panels a page and a couple of full-page shots, a writer has maybe a hundred panels at most to tell a story, so every panel he wastes conveying a.) something I already know, b.) something that's a cute gag but does nothing to reveal plot or character, or c.) something I don't need to know is a demonstration of lousy craft.” KnowsNeedsDoeBookCharacterStoriesFiveFourCoupleWastePagesHundredShotsAverageCraftsComicCutePlotComic BookDemonstrationGagsConveying Author:Mark Waid
“Twenty-two pages is not a lot of space. Believe me. Having written a bazillion comics, I still find myself more often than nine pages into a script and realizing to my horror that I'm only about a quarter of the way through the story I wanted to tell, and the next thing you know, I'm making fresh coffee and tearing up the floorboards to rewrite.” KnowsWayBelieveStillsTwoBookStoriesWantedNextRealizingSpaceWrittenHorrorPagesTwentiesScriptsCoffeeNineComicQuartersBelieve In MeComic BookTwenty Two Author:Mark Waid
“One of the greatest sins in any story is false suspense. The kind of 'suspense' that disintegrates the moment you give your reader one second to think about it. And it's an easy trap to fall into, so watch carefully for it. If your story hinges on the question, 'Will Superman be pushed so far in his battle against Lex Luthor that he'll have to kill him?', or if your big cliffhanger moment is, 'Wow, is Spider-Man really dead this time?', then I understand Food Lion is hiring.” IfsThinkingMenGivingKindBookMomentsStoriesBigsFallEasySinWatchesReaderBattleComicSuspenseLionsWowTrapsComic BookSpidersHiringHingesSpider ManCliffhanger Author:Mark Waid
“In the long run, the quality of your work is all that matters. That is your only resumé. Be professional. Make sure your editor or publisher can always reach you. Do what's asked of you if your conscience can bear it.” IfsLongBookMatterRunningQualityBearsConscienceComicEditorsLong RunsComic BookPublishers Author:Mark Waid
“I like the brighter, shinier, happier comic-book material on a personal level, but I also think the best stories are told where you just don't know from page to page or moment to moment when the sucker-punches are coming.” ThinkingKnowsBookMomentsStoriesLevelsMaterialsPagesComicComic BookBrighterSuckerSucker Punch Author:Mark Waid