Moore uses his own experience as a guide. Although he had not yet written (or completed) some of his greatest comics, by 1985 he had been working in British comics for years. He was also working on Swamp Thing and Miracle Man at the time. He uses Swamp Thing examples more than any other, which is good. That was the first great period of Moore's work, when he turned comic book writers into superstars along with illustrators. He describes one of his more daring stories of the 1980s --- a Swamp Thing issue in which menstruation is tied to a werewolf story --- from the ground up. First he had the social idea, then he came up with a framework for it, then he wrote the pages and panels.

Reading this short volume is a real inspiration for anyone who wants to tell stories. The advice here can liberate a writer from distractions and lead him (or her) toward the creative decisions that matter most. The final chapter adds a wonderful twist. Moore recommends that you avoid a personal style and focus instead of personal growth as an artist. Success should lead to experimenting, not a rut in which you tell the same lucrative story over and over. Alan Moore lives his life this way, so his advice has some well-earned authority behind it.


How to Write Like Yourself   August 16, 2003
 22 out of 25 found this review helpful

Alan Moore provides some wonderful insight into the creative process. He recommends several outside texts such as The Act of Creation which is a great read in of itself. While no one can tell you exactly how to be creative, Moore does offer insights into what makes him tick as a writer. He gives you suggestions and insights as to how to express yourself and where to look for inspiration in your own life. Moore does not want people to be Alan Moore clones, he wants to encourage a new generation of writers to write what they know and dream about. To write for themselves first, that way a person avoids being a poseur or a wannabe. Moore is truly one of the top writers in the history of comic books. Others that walk the pantheons of greatness are Will Eisner, Steve Ditko, Mark Millar, Warren Ellis, Stan Lee and Neil Gaiman. Read this book, then look inside yourself where the stories and creativity lay. Write from the heart and the subconcious first, and the readers will recognize the sincerity and hopefully come back for more.


This is going to be a schizophrenic review   February 9, 2004
 14 out of 22 found this review helpful

I have to split how I am going to review Alan Moore's Writing for Comics.

First, we'll focus on the content. Then we'll focus on style. This is nothing new. For comics, there are some I've bought for art, some for the content and a few (very few) for the mixture. I loved Gaiman's Sandman for it thoughts but the art was merely passable. Likewise for Invisibles and even Morrison admits that by the last volume, the art and editting had rendered his work nearly unreadably incoherant. On the other hand, there are the art books like anything by Alex Ross, Linzer and Monk's Angel series and almost anything by Perez or Zulli. There are more, I've left out lots but my list isn't why I'm posting this review.

As usual, Alan Moore has a lot on his mind and is electric in the way he tells it. In this case, its a post-Stephen-King-On-Writing done Moore-style with lots of cross references to his own work. That is both legitimate (Moore is a true innovator) and appreciated (I've like his stuff forever). There's a lot to tell and Alan does it well and succinctly.

As to the style, this book is awful. The type is set as block-justified which means that some paragraphs are s t r e t c h e d which is difficult to read. The pictures seem to have little relation to the material and the book itself was poorly constructed.

I have a primary complaint in that sometimes the publishers don't take their comic material seriously. I found a series of Moore's Swamp Thing series that was published in England that was, inexplicably, completed in black and white. Similarly, I found Neil Gaiman's Alice Cooper graphic novel (which is one of those rare style AND content providers) but it was published in BROWN...completely in brown. The picture, the words, everything. Hmm, are misprintings in comics worth anything? I know in coins they are...

Combine the two and you have here a 4, which tells you how much I like Moore's ideas on how to write for comics. What's more, the same advice applies, I believe, to any writing is invaluable.

So, if you're thinking of buying because you have an interest in writing...do so, but focus on the material and not how it is presented which is just fair.


A primer on content and style for all writers   September 24, 2004
 11 out of 11 found this review helpful

Alan Moore's booklet on writing comics is just as relevant for novelists, screenwriters and prose writers as it is for comic book writers. He clearly and economically doles out his chapters on style, characters, plot, rhythm and theme. These things are of paramount importance to all writers. He also brands his lessons with warnings of becoming enamoured with your own writing gimmicks, or following the flock too closely. He's got a lot of great advice regarding content that rings true for writers of all media.

This book is particularly relevant to screenwriters (like me) who seem to lose sight of the fact that the target is not to produce a 120 page manuscript, but to make a movie. Likewise, Moore makes it very clear that writing for a comic book is a visual endeavour, and the writing should reflect that. What is the nature of the panel and the information it's trying to convey? Will it flow in a fashion that will lead the audience to the next surprise around the corner, or will it bog them down with details and meandering that will flatten the text? Moore even addresses movies in certain sections, validating the kinship between movies and comic books. One is the distillation of the moment into a single picture, while the other adds the dimension of time- but either way, both are focused on what needs to be seen.

Granted, writers of other media should try to read this knowing it was developed for comic book writers. Though it isn't loaded with arcane comic lingo and concepts, there is a lot of reference to comic books, especially Moore's own work.

I'd had little to no exposure reading his comics, but his foray into teaching is excellent. An inspiring read.


A fantastic spiritual journey, beyond instruction:   January 18, 2006
 8 out of 8 found this review helpful

Gets the ball rolling without holding your hand. It gives some basic insight on ideas, plot, structure, audience, world-building and so on, but is not an instructional book (thank God). It's got good examples and various pit-falls to be aware of, with spiritual references like using an understanding human behavior as inspiration for your stories.

Ironically, Moore's 15-year later afterword basically tells you to forget everything the book said and not to fall into any rut or single method. This book is a spiritual essay in itself. I found myself convinced of some things, then finding myself not to be convinced of much at all, except to keep an open mind and be flexible about my writing. A sort of "Siddhartha" experience about comic writing. And for this price, it's more than worth it.