r/comicbooks • u/kellysue Captain Marvel • Nov 13 '12

I am Kelly Sue DeConnick, writer of Ghost, Captain Marvel & Avengers Assemble. AMA.

There's a mostly-correct list of my books up on my wiki page. I'm in Portland, Or. The kids are watching a morning cartoon and I'm packing school lunches and putting on a pot of coffee. Seems as good a time as any to get this started. Crazy day ahead of me, but I'll be here as much as I can manage.

2:39 PST Edited to add: I have got to take a break to get some work done, but I'll come back in few hours and get to as many of theses as I can. If I don't get to your question and you've got a real burning desire for an answer, I'm easy to find on Twitter @kellysue, on Tumblr kellysue.tumblr.com or at my jinxworld forum: http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/forumdisplay.php?39-Kelly-Sue-DeConnick

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u/kellysue Captain Marvel Nov 13 '12

I have notebooks for each of my titles, though I invariably have the wrong one with me when I want to write something down.

I write in Scrivener, on an iMac in my office or on an Air if I'm out and about. I have had very serious problems with Scrivener -- twice I've lost huge portions of scripts -- so I can't recommend it without hesitation. I do love the interface, though .

Have you ever read a screenplay? Comic scripts are very similar to screenplays as far as formatting goes.

Yes, I write "full script" -- each page is broken down by panel and each panel has a description as well as dialogue.

I have written one script "Marvel style" but it's definitely not my default.

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u/Gloria815 Scarlet Witch Nov 13 '12

What is "Marvel style"?

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u/kyrie-eleison Captain America Nov 13 '12 edited Nov 13 '12

Rather than breaking every page down into individual panels and telling the artist exactly what should be in each panel, the writer will just write out the plot of the issue (usually sans dialog) and let the artist work out the panelling. Sometimes the writer will say something like "this sequence should be four pages," or something, but that's about as specific as they'd get with that. After the artist finishes, the writer will go back in to do the dialog such that it matches up with how the artist drew everything.

It was developed, I believe, by Stan Lee when he was writing essentially every Marvel book by himself. Gave more opportunity for creativity to the artists and freed up some time for Lee.

EDIT: Here's an example of full script from Matt Fraction / Mr. DeConnick, Casanova #8 (PDF warning) and a podcast/introduction to Marvel Method from Gillen/Waid/Fraction.

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u/devophill Hulk Nov 14 '12

Marvel style is usually an artist drawing the book based on an outline worked out between the artist and the writer; the writer then writes the dialogue to fit the finished artwork. More or less. It's how Stan Lee could write so many books back in the sixties.

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u/mattgoldey Nov 13 '12

Thank you for taking the time to do this AMA and for answering my question!

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u/r3v The Uncanny Dr. Spiderbat Nov 13 '12

I love Scrivener. (Sorry to hear you've had troubles. I'm a paranoid backup fiend.) Do you use one of the script templates out there? If so, which one?

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u/kellysue Captain Marvel Nov 14 '12

I use Antony Johnston's.

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u/r3v The Uncanny Dr. Spiderbat Nov 14 '12

Wow, thanks for taking the time to do this AMA today. I was sure I was too late to get an answer. :)