May 04 2009
Writers are dispensable; readers are not
If you’re looking to get a novel published, I think that understanding the Boston Globe’s difficulties will help you.
Archive for May 4th, 2009
May 04 2009
What I’m reading today
- Why Supervillains are Sexy– there’s actually a neurological explanation for this. [This explains so much-- Jacob].
- Why You Shouldn’t See the New Wolverine Movie– poor action, worse writing.
- Writing Prompts– Writer’s Digest provides a list of prompts to stimulate your writing processes.
- The Teen’s Guide to Getting Published. It’s well-written and professional, but poorly-aimed and unfocused. My book about how to write superhero stories has to be better.
May 04 2009
How to Design Your Blog’s Front Page
1. Make it clear what you offer and why readers should stick around. For example, if you wandered across Superhero Nation, you might stick around because you wanted superhero writing advice or because you want my observations about writing. The trick is to make this as blatant as possible: for example, I repeat myself in the title, in the header art, in the page headings, in the side-bar, etc. Everyone focuses on different elements of the page, so it pays to be redundant.
2. Stay away from adspeak and flowery language. For example, our title includes the phrase “how to write superhero novels and comic books.” That’s much more user-friendly than something like “superhero writing insights.” What’s an insight? Don’t make readers struggle to translate what you’ve written.
May 04 2009
How to Handle Politics & Messages Without Infuriating Readers
Jesse Walker of Reason Magazine did an article on the role of politics in superhero stories.
It describes an interesting phenomenon: how superhero stories can brazenly delve into political issues without turning off at least half of the audience. For example, The Dark Knight and Ironman and Team America all brought up political issues without infuriating either conservatives or liberals. In contrast, political polemicists like Michael Moore and Ann Coulter can’t even blink without angering the other side.
How is it that superhero stories can do what political writers can’t? Here are some explanations.
