The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics by Dennis ONeil

The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics Reviews

• 
  Diz

  This is an introduction to writing for the comics industry. The content covers some of the basics of writing such as Chekhov's gun and Hitchcock's thoughts on suspense, so those with some understanding of story writing and structure won't find much new here. Perhaps it would be a good book for someone who is writing for the first time and hasn't read much about writing. For me, the best part of the book is that it includes a lot of inked DC comics without the colors. Those pages are beautiful to look at.
• 
  Wes Locher

  The DC Guide to Writing Comics by Dennis O'Neil is a quick little romp through the utter basics of story structure, scripting, and dialoging.
  
  Having been a huge fan of comic books for as long as I can remember, I've always had the desire to write and publish my own mainly just because I think it would be fun. For me, sequential art has always been a medium that ties together well-written prose with artwork that's exciting and and full of detail.
  
  If you don't know the first thing about writing comic books, then I'd recommend this as an excellent place to start. Sure, O'Neil spends a lot of time on the very basics of storytelling, informing the reader of what's necessary for Act's I-III. While you might be able to pick this up just from reading a single issue or complete story arc in a current title, it's great to have a small reference book for your shelf that doesn't require you to thumb through hundreds of pages to find the info you seek.
  
  My favorite section offered up was that on scripting. Comic book scripting is one of those things that's very much dependent on person preference or publisher. It helps the aspiring comic writer find the style best suited for him or her and provides interesting exercises in one's ability to adapt to whatever the project requires. For effect, O'Neil juxtaposes his scripts with the finished product so you can see how artist interprets the writer's ideas and direction.
  
  Even if you have no desire to write a comic, this quick read will give you an appreciation for how the books are constructed. If nothing else, it will remind you that even though it only took you ten minutes to read a single issue comic cover to cover... the creative team spent weeks channeling their creativity into the medium.
  
  It's important to note that regardless of the fact that Batman and Superman adorn the covers of this book, the suggestions, tips, and tactics within are applicable to all styles of graphic storytelling. The section on plot structure alone should earn this a spot on any writer's shelf.
• 
  Guilherme Smee

  Se você quer começar a escrever quadrinhos no estilo americano, bem, o Guia Oficial DC Comics: Roteiro é o livro que eu indicaria. Se você já começou a escrever roteiros, bem, talvez esse livro ensine boas dicas de como organizar as ideias e a deixar claro alguns termos e formatos que a indústria dos comics utiliza. Ele foi uma dos meus guias quando li em scan pela primeira vez - além de raro era caríssimo - e agora, que obtive o físico com um amigo, a releitura foi uma redescoberta e ajudou a acessar soluções para alguns momentos em minhas histórias. Ou seja: é bom ter esse livro sempre à mão. Ou a um "clique" no caso da "versão digital". Mas uma coisa que me incomodou bastante na leitura desse guia em português foi a tradução. Nota-se que o tradutor não é versado nem na linguagem de termos da escrita criativa e muito menos nos termos e personagens dos quadrinhos. Esse é um ponto fraco que prejudica a luxuosa edição em capa dura da Opera Graphica, mas nada que prejudique a leitura, só fica chato para o tradutor, mesmo. Se a sua intenção é escrever para os quadrinhos, o ponto inicial é bem esse aqui.
• 
  Zane

  There is a common idea that you have to know the formula to break it. This book gives the formula to DC comics. It is sort of sad and demystifying, but for the most part maybe we could already see through it. I am glad DC is not overrun by this formula, but I can definitely see its presence. The author says every super hero story should start with action, so someone picking up your book will buy it. Now I want to go to a comic store and look to see if that is the general rule. What if it is, and I never noticed? Am I a bad reader? Also, the author makes the claim that most people don't read caption boxes in comics. I find it hard to believe that people are so lazy reading comics that they just look at pictures, read sound words, and a few voice balloons. That would also be sad. Anyway, if you are interested in writing comics, this may give you some direction. Let's just hope you couple it with Alan Moore's condemnation of most of the things this book suggests in his 'Writing for Comics.'
• 
  Eugene booker

  Books great for any begging writer, get all the trade from Denny Oneil.
  It goes into things like story structre and writing graphic novels, short stories and the like. Reccomended for anyone who wants to know ho to write comics!
• 
  Kieran

  A basic guide to writing comics (note: emphasis on the writing - you won’t find anything about artwork in here). It’s a good introduction, providing a high level overview, but never goes beyond the basics.
• 
  Samson

  a very clear guide to writing comics. It was technical for sure, but it shied away from incredibly dreary material. but at points it was boring
• 
  Ietrio

  In the past days I had the luck, or the misfortune to read a few books on comics from the Marvel gang.
  
  I had the luck because under Disney, the Marvel brand produces constantly the some of the best movies each year. And DC, well, they are quite crap, despite the effort put by Warner.
  
  I had the luck because with Marvel characters there are glimpses of freedom. In the DC universe everything is about the fascist state and how the gods fight to keep the chains tight on the people's necks.
  
  I had the misfortune, because the Marvel gang is made up from people who can barely express themselves,
  Brian Michael Bendis,
  Andy Schmidt. And because they either don't want to share, or are incapable of going further than telling the world how great their ”award-winning” buddies are.
  
  Amazingly, Denny O'Neil can write. Compared with the moronic statements that say nothing Bendis style, O'Neil is quite clear.
  
  And the illustrations are supporting the text, and not like with Schmidt's books, always ready to sell you something else.
  
  > Your audience really doesn’t want to see the hero park his car, get out of it, go up some steps, check his mail, open a door, walk down a hallway, hang up his coat, get a drink of water, blow his nose, yawn, sneeze, write “get nose drops” on the to-do list magneted to his refrigerator and then saunter into the parlor where waits the killer robot. They want the confrontation with Mr. Clanky; that’s what the story is about. Unless any of that other stuff will be important later, omit it. The essence of drama, and especially melodrama, is compression. Show only what’s important. So start the scene as late as possible and once the dramatic point is made, end it.
  
  What a breath of fresh air, after
  Brian Michael Bendis' void reasoning!
  
  It is an interesting text. It does not go as philosophically as
  Scott McCloud, and probably this is why you might like its more practical take.
• 
  Stuart

  This is actually a pretty terrible book. Much of that is because I just finished Alan Moore's book on writing so maybe he ruined it for me. But O'Neil is so conservative in his ideas about writing that he never really suggests anything that would actually distinguish one as a better writer. It seems like a lot of what Moore considers in his book to be irrelevant. And Moore was writing in 1985.
  
  True, a lot of what O'Neil does say sounds like the lesson plan from your Middle School English teacher. And as far as it goes I suppose that is fine. Generic but reasonable. Yet he is so afraid of advocating anything definite that it all comes across as an exercise in vagueness and an unassertive +anything goes+ attitude, none of which is that helpful to anyone.
  
  I get the idea he doesn't like printed literature much and he comes across like that sneering kid who complains loudly about having to read anything in English class. What he does like is movies and he makes the analogy with them so often that when he finally admits that "comics are not movies" at the very, very end it sounds pretty hollow. The bibliography for example is almost all film books and that seems to send the wrong message.
  
  It is a DC Comics guide, but he never gives much credence to anything that isn't Batman, Superman and a few Marvel titles. If this were written by Art Spiegelman, Jaime Hernandez, Dan Clowes, Moebius, Herge, Jodorowsky or Hugo Pratt the conception would be very, very different. It is a DC book but this bias sort of seems symptomatic of how limited the book's vision is.
  
  Graphically, the illustrations are informative and useful and it is a better designed book than Alan Moore's in that sense but it could use something besides greyscale and the text should be broken up more and the print size should be larger. Watson Guptill should know better about good book design.
• 
  Daryl

  I spent some time reading through this cover to cover, as I'm currently working on some comic book scripts and thought it might be helpful. I didn't learn much from this I didn't already know. There were a couple of good bits, one on characterization (very similar to what an author or actor does in theatre) and one on script preparation -- going from plot to outline to prose (very similar to what I have been doing). Other than that, I found it very basic information on storytelling and some specifics on comic book writing, but nothing I hadn't already gleaned from years of comic book reading, and other sources on comics writing that I've read over the years. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised as this book is older than most of the others I've perused in the past. I was torn between giving this one two or three stars, but hey, it's about comics and has lots of pretty pictures. The script examples O'Neil includes (far too many of his own, I felt) are always interesting. I particularly liked seeing a Charles Moulton Wonder Woman script from the '40s (I'm guessing), and seeing how similar it was to one that could have been written today.
• 
  Kevin

  Great for beginners
  
  I won't get too deep into the book during this review. But as someone venturing into the world of writing comics for the first time, this was an excellent read. Plenty of helpful hints and important terminology. The thing that differentiates The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics is that they actually showed pages of actual scripts and then, how that particular script was translated into a finished comic book page.
• 
  Mira Domsky

  Definitely a useful handbook for amateurs, however, many of the examples of what a comic should look like or do are so old that they don't apply to modern comic writing. But what do I know? I'm an amateur, and O'Neil is a veteran.
• 
  Michael Scott

  
  The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics introduces the reader to writing for the comics medium. Overall, very good material and much to learn.
  
  Best bit: the in-depth discussion and examples about structure. (The detailed examples and discussions about them were also good, but at this level I find writing idiosyncratic.)
  
  Content: The book covers processes for writing (full script vs. the looser plot-first technique, preparing the complete script, writing for single issues, miniseries and maxiseries, graphic novels, adaptations, plus the Levitz Paradigm of always running multiple plotlines), the core elements of writing (story structure, character building, drama and tension management, pacing, continuity for single and especially for multiple stories and characters).
  
  Writing and teaching material: Overall, very good writing and excellent tips on writing, including an excellent if small set of references. Mentions of
  Fraçois Truffault's
  Hitchcock interview,
  Scott McCloud's
  Understanding Comics and
  Reinventing Comics (which I think should be completemented with his third,
  Making Comics, published in 2006),
  Will Eisner's
  Graphic Storytelling and
  Comics and Sequential Art, and, perhaps the most relevant for this book's focus,
  Christopher Vogler' s
  The Writer's Journey and, best last,
  Robert McKee's
  Story.
  
  
  Background: part of an ongoing personal project, I'm traversing the collection of DC Comics Guides, focusing on:
  + pencilling (
  The DC Comics Guide to Pencilling Comics or
  The DC Comics Guide to Digitally Drawing Comics, or this read),
  + inking (
  The DC Comics Guide to Inking Comics),
  + coloring and lettering (yup,
  The DC Comics Guide to Coloring and Lettering Comics), and
  + writing (
  The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics).
• 
  Karleen Elizabeth

  I was required to read this Guide by Dennis O’Neil for my Writing Workshop III: Comics college course. I knew nothing about comics and I don’t read very many so this book was very helpful to me with all the definitions it has. I read a few reviews where people felt that it had to many definitions, but I think for someone like me who knows zero about writing comics those definitions are important.
  
  Now I did have some issues with the way that it was written and some parts felt a bit tedious to read. There was also some things that were repeated in almost every section. Now, I know, repetition is the best way to remember things, but for a 128 page book, that is actually only 115 pages, because the actual lesson material starts on page 11 and ends on page 125, it was a bit excessive to me and I started to get annoyed with it. This is why I gave this book 4 stars rather than 5.
• 
  Aditya

  Author "Denny" O' Neil breaks down the different forms of comic Storytelling, from single issue to mega series. A lot of parallels are drawn from Screenplays as well as television programs. He also breaks down the different approaches to scriptwriting used by the pros. He stresses the fact that there is no one right way to do things; whatever works is the right way. If you are someone new to the craft of writing comics this book will give you plenty to build a foundation on, but whether or not you become good depends on you. As Denny says, "Writers learn to write by writing."
• 
  Andrew Mills

  Dennis O'Neil's book offers great advice for writers who want to learn more about plot structure, story arcs, subplots and more. I particularly liked when he compared and contrasted to devices in other media (such as television or movies), and pointed out limitations or unique benefits of the comics media.
• 
  David Sparvero

  This was a quick read but it did offer some great information on various storytelling elements. I am glad I read it and did find it somewhat helpful. At least half of it is general information that was not new to me but the authors commentary on the information was beneficial. And honestly, anything but Dennis O'Neil is grat.
• 
  James Hold

  I didn't get much from this. The advice is pretty general: start with the ending, etc. Otherwise it's mostly a lot of definitions. O'Neil wrote this in a annoying 'cute' style which did not help. It's an oky starter, but Stan Lee's book is far superior.
• 
  Hank

  This is one of the best, most accessible books on the craft of writing (not just comics writing) I have ever read. There is a great deal of application to other forms of writing that I am looking forward to working with, using the lessons here as inspiration.
• 
  Travis Webber

  Sometimes I read how-to books, for the enjoyment of listening to skilled professionals talk enthusiastically about their hard-earned abilities and finely-honed workflows. This was a good book, but is pitched at a more introductory level than I needed to scratch that itch.
• 
  Jim

  If you're thinking about writing comics, this is a great book to add to your arsenal. I don't think any book is the exhaustive compendium for writing comics, but this one is a great start! Written by the late Denny O'Neil (*sniff*), it has some great basic advice for getting started.
• 
  Gabrielle Prendergast

  The early chapters were very useful for my needs, the later chapters less so. That said, for someone with less writing experience, the later chapters offer a good grounding in storytelling techniques and conventions.
  
  I admit a skimmed a lot of this but will peruse it more later.
• 
  Shane

  Solid book on writing comics. Covering many facets of the field.
• 
  Dennis Jacob

  Good for beginners. If somewhat knowledgeable this might not provide any new insights. Somewhat disappointing considering some of the amazing writing O'Neil has done in his career.
• 
  A.E. Williams

  A great resource for beginner Comic book writers!
• 
  Connor Spearman

  A pretty helpful toolkit for helping to write comics but is very specific to DC and is fairly dated
• 
  HUCOSA

  I liked the book very much and it was very funny
• 
  Lostshark

  this comic makes me feel happy
• 
  Johnny

  Whether you really want to try your hand at writing comics or are just interested in how the product comes together, The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics is an enlightening little book, profusely illustrated with real-life experiences and actual comics panels and pages. Best of all, it is written by Dennis (usually known as Denny) O’Neill—both a classic comics writer and an influential editor of classic comics.
  The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics underscores some of the lessons learned in Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics and also fills some gaps. O’Neill talks about the “plot first” method of writing comics—preferred method of Stan Lee when he was responsible for so many of the Timely/Marvel Comics—where a writer plots out a story and the artist fills in a lot of the gaps. That works great if you have a Jack Kirby or Steve Ditko behind you, but it may not work in today’s environment. The book offers samples of full script pages and that is very helpful.
  O’Neill explains the significance of splash pages to opening stories with a hook and full-page shots (interior one page images—sometimes erroneously calls splash pages). He explains the classic three-act formula and points out where you need rising action and where you need a denouement (and how short the latter should be). There is a discussion on suspense vs. surprise as a way of keeping the reader engaged, and urges moving on with the pace in every section of the story—even when adding a sub-plot.
  
  Instead of merely capitulating the class hero’s journey approach to both characterization and plotting, O’Neill offers a checklist of questions to be answered about all characters—not just the major ones. This checklist includes: 1) What does the character want? 2) Who or what does the character love? 3) What is the character afraid of? and 4) What is the character’s motive for becoming involved in extreme situations?
  
  O’Neill objects to the tendency to use captions to narrate and expose the main character’s thoughts. He encourages dialogue as both the way to humanize characters, as well as engage the readers more fully. He quotes some great novelists to underscore the necessity of using dialogue early and often. He urges writers to listen not only to the meaning of the words but to “hear” the rhythm and dialect of the speeches. He warns that using humor in a story that isn’t deliberately humorous must grow out of the situation and be natural to the speech of whatever character is delivering the quip or punchline.
  
  The use of Scott Peterson’s methodology for moving from idea to finished script was most helpful. If I ever do try to write a comic story, I’ll be sure to use that method. It’s worth the price of the book (even if I did buy the book used). There is also a terrific way of handling story arcs by using the Levitz paradigm. Once you see the illustration, you’ll recognize it from a lot of television series with continuing plots, sub-plots, and story lines.
  
  This book portends becoming a reference to which I will return again and again. It’s helpful for any kind of writer—even a game creator or game master in a role-playing game. The DC Guide to Writing Comics has become a permanent part of my library. Don’t ask to borrow it.