1. Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.

2. Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for.

3. Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.

4. Every sentence must do one of two things -- reveal character or advance the action.

5. Start as close to the end as possible.

6. Be a sadist. Now matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them -- in order that the reader may see what they are made of.

7. Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.

8. Give your readers as much information as possible as soon as possible. To heck with suspense. Readers should have such complete understanding of what is going on, where and why, that they could finish the story themselves, should cockroaches eat the last few pages.

-- Vonnegut, Kurt Vonnegut, Bagombo Snuff Box: Uncollected Short Fiction (New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons 1999), 9-10.


FOUND HERE

Sometimes Mondays, but only if I eat Mexican.

Take a trip back to the lighter days at IUsedtoBelieve.com. This website has warmed even my cruel dictator-like heart that there may be hope for the future. Hope...how I missed you.

Here are two things I used to believe: 1) That animals thought that they'd grow up to be human but would slowly realize as they grew older that they were wrong. 2) I thought that when I went to sleep I would travel through the world and live everyone's lives. If I caused harm to someone I would soon experience the harm through their eyes.

I was a real strange kid.

Part one above but I'd recommend watching the whole series. For those of you who'd like the Cliff Notes check HERE for a good summary of Ira's excellent (and obvious) advice. Like all brilliant advice it is so clear that we've forgotten we ever had it in the first place.

Like gangsta rap in the mid-nineties, geek-on-geek violence is on the rise. As so deftly stated by Joystiq:

Since the 1980s, weekly British comic 2000AD -- makers of the famous Judge Dredd -- has seen its sales drop from 100,000 issues to just 20,000 issues today. The reason for the decline, according to artist Ian Gibson, is video games. Murder, violence, civil disobedience and now the demise of comics all grace gaming's lengthy rap sheet. "The comics market, sadly, is dying because the PlayStation has taken over and comics can't compete," said Gibson in speaking with the BBC. "Most comics I have come across haven't realized that they have lost the battle."

Hmm...damn. I'd be mad at you Xbox 360, but you are just so friggin good to me. And Crackdown is kind of fun...well kind of fun-ish. Seriously though, I'd be creating the greatest comic book rebuttal ever in response to these dastardly video games but I'm swamped working on my new graphic novel "Welcome to Pixelton". Oh crap - I'm fueling the machine that will destroy me. WHERE THE HELL IS THE SHEER TERROR EMOTICON?!!?!

In other news, Geek-on-Dork and Nerd-on-Dork violence is suspiciously at a standstill. (Intro comic stolen from the transcendent Perry Bible Fellowship. Go give the creator lots of money. Seriously)

Stories run the world. They are the engine of human action.

Compelling tales frame our lives in perfect context, wrap our hopes in purpose, and cut the crap with forced brevity. They teach and entertain with every step. I really believe there isn't a single action we take each day which doesn't prosper the story which we tell ourselves. We're engrossed in tales from the minute we're born until the moment we die. Their rhythms and flow make up the very substance of our lives.

For many of us the concept of writing a full story is sheer terror, or maybe we simply don't have the time to put into a new project. If this is you then check out Story Squared. It is an attempt to allow multiple authors create stories that could grow beyond their wildest fantasies.

Oh, and sincere thanks to everyone who has written in the past few weeks. Your thoughts, ideas, and massive comic book purchases mean a ton so keep the requests and ideas coming!

So tales of my stupendous feats, read petty theft, to acquire the hard cover edition of Steve Purcell's rare "Sam & Max: Freelance Police" aside (seen disappointingly HERE), I've learned more from Sam & Max then from any graphic novel in years.

There is a magic that happens in these pages that is unique to comics. Bone has it, Peanuts has it, and Sam & Max both have it in spades. To tell the truth, I can't think of a series that has such rabid devotion for having one book behind it's name. The short-lived comic series spawned a cartoon television show, merchandise, and even a few hit video games. And over ten years later, the thought of this odd duo making a return still makes our collective geek hearts jump.

Here are twenty pieces of mind candy I pried from the yellowing pages:

THE ART

1) The art is hyper-detailed and visually arresting. You could read these pages endlessly and find new reasons to live.

2) CLEAR storytelling. On average only 4 panels are used on each page, allowing the reader to follow the story not a convoluted page design.

3) FRESH art. Freelance Police is a book that focuses on two characters for a few hundred pages but by the end you feel you are just learning about their adventures. Purcell frames Sam and Max from viewpoints, crops, and gimmicks to get a fresh perspective until the end.


THE STORY

4) In comics, TELL DON'T SHOW. You never really see Max go nuts but you believe he will because he constantly talks tough.

5) All dialogue is used to define Sam, Max, or their world. There is no generic dialogue used even once.

6) The humor is created from CONTRAST. A gap in expectation between sweet image and jarring text or vice-versa.

7) Have HEART. While the freelance police are willing to gun down the innocent they have a soft side too. This mix of love for classic americana versus insanity makes them oddly believable characters.

8) Simply BRUTAL. Needless creative violence is strangely alluring.

9) Keep it FAST and SHORT. Attention spans are so last year. Keep your story running and even if the audience is lost a steady stream of jokes will carry them to the next scene.

10) When in doubt, RANDOMIZE. Throwing in a curveball every few pages keeps life worth reading.

11) Your story SUCKS. It took me a few reads to understand what was happening in these stories because I was enjoying the ride and not even participating in the plot. I didn't even care that I had no clue what was occurring. It felt like being on a road trip with old friends. We should all spend less time polishing our 50 issue story arcs and try building a universe that we are sad to leave.


THE MEDIUM

13) Never take ANYTHING seriously. Not your story, characters or art. Just have fun and that fun will be contagious.

14) Multiple text jokes per panel. And then a visual gag for good measure.

15) Self-referential. Sam and Max mix each other names up. They know the artist isn't using reference. They don't want to be called cartoons. The fourth wall is broken and at just the right times.

16) Sequential art's strength lies in embracing the varied ability of a page. By squeezing different styles and story formats together in rapid succession Mr. Purcell created a classic graphic novel that deserves to be enjoyed by anyone looking for a vacation from adult life.

I love Pixar.

They're the little phoenix that grew from the ashes of Disney and became the hottest place for animators. Add in a few plush characters, and a chase scene or two for the kids, and you have a classic Disney-style story in the making. And even though they're in 3D I don't hold it against them. But most best-est (you can quote me on this): They know good stories.

Ever wonder what tips they'd have for other storytellers? Well, you're in luck! Kevin Koch's blog for the animation guild (Local 839) has posted notes from a recent Pixar storytelling seminar. There is some exceptional information here so don't try and absorb it all at once. It is also very refreshing to hear that the head honchos there find creating engaging stories as hard as you or me. Kevin did an exceptional job summarizing and corraling the best bits. Enjoy!

PIXAR: Storytelling Seminar Notes Part 1

PIXAR: Storytelling Seminar Notes Part 2


-Josh

I don't think Mickey Mouse ever died. Like many a world leader he simply faded away with time. His influence stands, but he is too busy trying to exist to really care.

But Mickey and Bugs Bunny, and anyone of the many "classic" animated greats are in place where death would be a relief. Board rooms and execs control the fate of these characters now. And we all know how efficient machines businesses are, most can barely restock supplies let alone take a chance on a creative or entertaining story. So it is with a heavy heart that I see Mickey and fellow Disney pals being re-branded to be "hipper". The re-branding is under the name of VAULT 28, an excuse for Disney to unleash designer clothes under the pretense of nostalgia.

I need to start off by saying that I'm not against change in the slightest. I want these characters to live again, and they would need some clear format and content adjustments to work better. Change is essential here.

What I object to are changes of a character's values. When you change a character's dreams, desires, and motivations, you don't have an "improved" character - you have a new character.

For example, let's say I'm trying a modern retelling of Huck Finn. In place of the mighty Mississippi I pull from Jack Kerouac. Huck loves the open road. Instead of meeting two swindlers trying to steal from a grieving family, he meets a police officer who thinks his word is law. The point here is that plot can change very drastically and not alter the direction. Huck is an adventurous free-spirit, those around him are mostly authoritarian types trying to settle the kid down.

These same changes could be made for format, pacing, length, or a million other factors that can adjust a property for an audience. But changing Huck to a hard-nosed 2nd grade teacher and watch the entire story collapse.

This character's motivation was freedom, but how can it be now? Huck is the giver of authority. He is law. New motivations need to be given, and when you have different motivations something unique is born. Not good or bad but foreign from the original. Haven't you ever looked back at your life and wondered "who is that person"? Strange what motivations can do to you, huh? With time, and a few new motivations, we all experience the world from many varied viewpoints.

Need proof? Loonatics Unleashed sounds like an exec's dream on paper. Add previously popular Looney Tunes characters, with an edgy Anime look, throw in a superhero theme that is all the rage, and a final dash of Gen-x attitude. (Gen-x attitude previously known as 80's Partyboy, previously known as 70's hippie, previously known as teenager.) The result is a bland action hero show that is creepy similar to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Good times for all, but new characters completely. It would've been better to drop them completely and run with a hero show that was willing to take a chance!

I don't know enough about the Looney Tunes changes yet, or the Disney re-brands, to judge. If history is any indication, it doesn't look good for the tired classic characters. Let's hope they give the characters a good part to live up to and not simply reanimate their husks to live trendier cartoon lives.


-Josh

Vault 28 info via Cartoon Brew. Thanks!

While older folks simply remember video games as strange objectives for tiny block creatures, anyone who has played a video game since the Nintendo Entertainment System can better understand their power to create compelling stories. The August 2006 issue of Game Developer has two excellent discussions about effective storytelling. The first article is "The Power of Pacing" by David Sirlin. It touches an important question for all writers: Is it better to open with your best material or sprinkle it throughout the story?

While we'd all love to create powerful stories that resonate with readers on every page, as people we have deadlines to meet. David's question is an important one but it is one that I see uniquely echoed throughout the gaming community. In "Game Creation and Careers", a book that features interviews from over 150 of the videogame creating aristocracy, this topic is mentioned over and over again. Sid Meier (creator of the Civilization games) says:

"A game has to have a great first 15 minutes."

And this just makes sense - when was the last time you picked up a book, read a few pages, and set it down only to never read it again? Your first 15 minutes must plaster your reader to their seat or you have failed.

In the same Game Developer issue there is an interview with Riley Cooper, creator of the new Tomb Raider game. He matches sids words above but in respect to the game as a whole:

"There are two factors which affect how much fun people have while playing your game [or reading your story!]: the frequency in which they can have exciting and memorable moments and the infrequency with which they are genuinely stuck and have to decide whether to keep trying."

Back again to the "Power of Pacing" article - it goes one step further and looks at the sales numbers as well. They give examples of Grand Theft Auto and God of War as games with interesting hooks that give the player reason to keep playing. In Grand Theft Auto's case it is the realization that the player is in absolute control of their actions. With God of War it is a mixture of unique setting, storytelling, and fun gameplay. An example David uses where a game failed the 15 minute rule, and went on to low sales was the acclaimed Xbox, PS2, and PC title Psychonauts. The first ten minutes are spent listening to dialogue. (Though Psychonauts later sections are among the finest that gaming storytelling and character design has ever seen.)

What is most interesting about this comparison is that Psychonauts went on to win many "Game of the Year" awards. It was regarded among the finest platformer games ever created - but even with all these medals and accolades it couldn't pull the average Joe in. While Psychonauts is one of my favorite games ever made it is clear that this 15 minutes rule caused it to go from a potential "classic" to a cult classic. And that is just a damn shame...

Note #1:
If you are even vaguely interested in compelling character design I recommend checking out THIS POST where I link to a speech by Psychonauts creator Time Schafer. It is packed with A+ info.

Note #2:
Would you like a free subscription to Game Developer Magazine? Click here!

-Josh