Date:         Tue, 16 Nov 1993 15:50:01 CDT
Sender: COMIC Writers Workshop <[COMICW L] at [UNLVM.UNL.EDU]>
Subject:      MISC: John Ostrander comments about comics writing

Here's what JAO says about writing. Take note of his offer to forward
columns about writing to the Internet.
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Interesting debate here going on between Tom Galloway and Len Strazewski
regarding the necessity of "training" to write comics. I agree, in part, with
both. I myself have had no formal training in writing; on the other hand, I am
co-teaching a clas in writing for comics with Denny O'Neil at the School for
Visual Arts in NYC. In lieu of formal training, I did have experience, however:
I was a playwrite with several plays performed and certainly I had a "crash
course" in writing for comics from my first editor, Mike Gold.
   I would agree that college-writing classes, even creative writing classes,
would not be especially useful. However, a screewriting class or a playwriting
class would be EXTREMELY useful. The forms are related and would give the
would-be writer an excelelnt background in plot structure and character.
   Where I agree with Len is the notion that just anyone can pick up a pen (or
fire up their computers) and be able to write a comic as well as the next guy.
there is little enough respect in the field for writers as it is. Nor do I
think that technical writing is a good foundation for creative writing; it
seems to me the two are antithetical in approach.
   I've been asked by one magazine to put togther a column or two on writing.
I'm thinking of putting together a certain amount of what I'm teaching and
posting it here as well if anyone would be interested. Would that be of any
use/interest to anyone?
-- John Ostrander