Why Writing Comic Scripts is so Hard: Few Will Reach the Status of Alan Moore or Neil Gaiman

I get a headache thinking of breaking down a script, an idea, a cohesive thought, into a comic script. You can only understand if you try.

Writing comics has to be one of the more rewarding and painful professions known to man. So many chances for failure, so few publishers actually in need of writers, the list goes on.

As I write this, I'm starting to get addicted to thinking about writing comics. Instead of writing them I'm surfing the internet looking at copies of scripts, dissecting what sells, and trying to put together a story that is different.

I once talked to a writer - who had a friend who had a degree in comic publishing -and the friend said if you only have one comic story to your name, one masterpiece you've worked on forever, you have no chance in the comic business.

Actually, it came out differently than that, the words "You suck" were used in the story, a first person narration that all comes together to make the comic medium what it really is: Every fan thinks they can write them.

The thing about comics is, a script can and should be written in a short time. You could probably write first drafts of twenty comic books in the time it would take you to write the 80,000 word novel you've always wanted to write.

In the time you could get that one novel rejection, you could get absolutely no rejections from a publisher like Dark Horse or Marvel. They won't even respond to your inquiry, well, if it was Marvel they either find you or you have an agent.

It should be stated that, when mentioning Dark Horse, they just won't respond unless they aren't interested. No returns of your scripts, but if they like your writing you might get a response.

I don't mean to sound dispiriting. I love comic books, want to write them, heck for free if I can see them in print.