Interrupted Podcast with Marshall Dillon

Hello Internet!

I'm a little late on this one, but I wanted to share the new episode of the Interrupted Podcast again. Marshall Dillon asked me to come on and talk about some of my writing history and process, and of course we went off topic in the best ways possible.

Check out Episode 9: "That's a bad idea, Kenny."

I had a great time talking with Marshall about writing comics and how I put a script together. I was also jazzed to talk about Barnstormers!, which I'm collaborating on with Renata Castellani.

Subscribe to the podcast through iTunes and give Marshall Dillon, Ben Hunzeker, and Chris Kirby a listen on your phone or mp3 player.

Talk to you soon!

- Kenny

Rewriting While Writing

Hello Comic Book Fans!

I wrote a new page of a script I'm working on called Hit 'em High this morning. I only had five to six panels to tell a complete scene and the shift from the character being in a hopeful state to going to a disappointed that he got what he wanted state.

Does that make sense? It's early and the coffee hasn't kicked in yet.

Coffee approved by the Comics Code.

I only got the one page done this morning, but I took extra time to make sure the scene worked (at least for this draft). I used to rush through drafts just to finish things, but I feel like my writing has improved by slowing down and making sure I do rewrites as I work.

Stephen King's On Writing had a few sections that talked about writing and rewriting. I haven't read the book in several years, but I remember him saying that you shouldn't do rewrites until you've walked away from the project for a little while.

Here's a related quote from On Writing from Business Insider:

Part of "22 lessons from Stephen King on how to be a great writer" businessinsider.com

This is the most direct quote I can find that talks about "identifying the trees" when it comes to character, but it applies to all aspects of the story.

My only problem with waiting so long to work on a draft is that your intentions and idea of the story can change after waiting. I might want to completely change what the story is about and undo the original intention of the piece because I waited to long to go back to the project. Rewriting while writing allows me to think about what's happening while I write instead of after I write the story.

Do you feel the same way?

Would you rather wait to rewrite a story until after you've completed the entire project?

Post a comment and let me know!

Thanks for listening to today's rambling on writing and comics and a bigger thanks for reading this blog post.

Talk to you soon!

- Kenny

Writing a Comic Book Memoir: Part 5 (Character Sketches)

Hello Comic Book and Writing Fans!

This update is all about the artwork. Gale Galligan was kind enough to give me the okay to share some of her concept art and character sketches for the memoir. Right now I'm just going to post the character sketches for my brother and me during the opening of the book.

Clearly I have some action figure skills I should put on my resume.

Gale is incredibly talented and I'm thrilled to be working with her. I'll be sharing layouts and more character sketches as they arrive.

The ultimate goal is to complete the first 10-page chapter, which can stand on its own as a short story about how spousal abuse affects the lives of everyone involved. From there we'll be pitching the story as a complete work and then going on to finish it ourselves regardless.

I'll make sure to keep everyone posted on Crowbar as we continue with the book.

Thanks for reading! And make sure to look for me on an upcoming episode of Interrupted, a podcast hosted by Marshall Dillon.

Talk to you soon!

- Kenny

Writing a Comic Book Memior: Part 3

Hello Comic Fans!

I've been having a bit of a crazy week dealing with some family stuff, but I'm back on track with writing now. I actually recorded an episode of a podcast on writing, which I'll share when it gets posted.

The memoir is coming along on schedule. I was sent some updates by Gale and she asked me if it she was good to start working on the layouts. I told her to go for it, so now I'm waiting for those sweet pages to roll in! She's a delight to collaborate with and I couldn't be happier with the process.

I still don't have anything that I can share just yet, so please enjoy this little snippet of writing advice from Brian Clark that I completely agree with.

Makes sense to me.

I'm revising the outline for the rest of the story and coming up with the pitch for the book. I plan on submitting to both comic book and regular book publishers. I might even send it to some literary agents, since comic book memoirs tend to be a bit more popular in the literary world. At least when it comes to academia.

The projects I'm spending more time on while I work through these next steps are a manga inspired title that I talk about on the podcast, as well as the edits of the chapters of the novel I wrote this past summer.

Writing a Comic Book Memoir: Part 2

Hey Readers!

Despite a very surprising and stressful day I was actually able to get a few script pages of Crowbar done today.

This was me today.

One thing about writing a true story and focusing on the key scenes of my life that relate to the narrative is that I'm having to do a lot more skips in time than I originally thought I would. I knew going into the story that there would be major events at different stages of my life, but I wanted to try and convey the same feelings or problems over the course of years on a single page.

I think I covered it in this first draft, but luckily I can always go back and rewrite it if it doesn't work. Knowing that I'm going to have to rewrite a story eventually is a blessing when it comes to moving on with the project. One of the things I clashed over with some of my professors in college was that most writing students aren't taught to finish anything.

What was their excuse?

"It's all about the process," they said.

Well no amount of process matters if you don't finish writing the damn thing. Not every comic I write ends up being drawn or published, but I at least make sure to finish the script. I'll even finish scripts or stories for things that I know I'm not going to send out.

That's a thing I've heard about from some other writers lately, that it's good to just finish things no matter how good or bad they are. I've found that it helps me target areas where my writing could be stronger and I make a point of improving on it the next time around.

I do have some character sketches that I can share, but I'm going to ask for permission before I do that.

Until then enjoy a piece of comic book storytelling craft talk from master Scott McCloud as he talks about clarity in making comics.

Scott McCloud lays down the science of simplicity in storytelling.

Thanks for keeping up with this blog as I continue to work on my comic book memoir. Or is it just called a true story because of the collaboration thing? I still haven't looked that up, so I promise I'll do that for the next post!

- Kenny

Writing a Comic Book Memoir: Part 1

Hello Internet!

I've recently decided to tell the story about my mother's attempted murder and how it affected me as a person and eventually led me to writing and creating comics. I'm collaborating on a pitch for the book now with the superb Gale Galligan, and I decided to document the process on my blog.

Why you ask?

For a few reasons. The first is that I don't update my blog enough, so this is a chance for me to explore and talk about my own writing while taking on a type of project that I've never done before. The second reason is that I want to be held accountable for finishing the project, no matter how long it takes!

Right now I've written Chapter 1 (of 6) and Gale is working on character sketches. Once I get her permission I'll share them with you, but for now I'll show you a picture of the document I'm working on right now.

Riveting picture right there--document porn!

I'm currently envisioning the finished story at about 60 pages minimum, but for now Gale and I are only worrying about the first 10-page chapter.

More images and information to come!

Right now the only challenge I have is what to label the comic. Is it memoir? Or is it just a true story because it's a collaboration?

I'm interested in any and all thoughts on the subject!

If you have any questions please comment below and I'll address them in the next post. Until then keep reading and keep writing!

- Kenny

Super Saiyan Workout - Getting back in shape

The Prince of Saiyan Workouts

I've been trying to get back in shape now that school is done and I'm much more stress free. Exercising has always helped sharpen my mind when it comes to writing, so I thought I'd share the nerdy workout that's helping me get up and move my @$$ during writing breaks.

I've only done Level 1 twice, and the first time nearly killed me, but it was much easier today.

By the way, missed the boat on calling it SSJ 1, SSJ2, SSJ 3, and SSJ4 (not cannon).

Whether it's a direct result or not I was able to write more pages today than I have on average over the last couple of months, and I feel way better afterwards.

Studying Comic Book Craft

Studying Comic Book Craft

Writing every single day is only half the battle for someone looking to create their own story. It doesn't matter if it's a comic, a novel, or a screenplay, the only way to get better at something is to constantly expose yourself to elements of your craft.

Despite being in school for the past umpteen years, I've found ways to learn a little more about creating comic books and the comic book industry nearly every day of the week. They might not be big leaps or bounds, but even the littlest bit of information or exposure keeps me excited about writing and making comics with other creators.

Podcasts

I spend a lot of time in the car, so listening to podcasts that talk about comic book craft helps me feel like I'm less of a road zombie between errands and classes.

Right now one of my favorite podcasts about creating comics is Decompressed by Kieron Gillen (Young Avengers, Phonogram). Gillen talks to other creators about creating and crafting comics, and the guests always provide deep insight and methods for producing great material.

Decompressed Podcast Cover

Books

I try to read a book on comic book craft at least one every week or two weeks, even if it's just a chapter a day or every other day. There are a ton of books that you can get on the subject of making comics. So here are a few that stand out on my shelf:

• Make Comics Like the Pros - by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente
• The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics - by Dennis O'Neil
• The Insider's Guide to Creating Comics and Graphic Novels - by Andy Schmidt
• Making Comics - by Scott McCloud

I'd personally recommend starting with The DC Comics Guide, because O'Neil goes into detail about setting up a plot, character arc, and a resolution to a single-issue comic book script.

The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics - O'Neil

Reading Comics

This is a big one, and it's not always easy to do. I try to read at least a single comic book every day of the week. I'll often read it once for fun, then go back and analyze how panels were paced, where the cliffhangers and page turns were used, and how the story played out over 20-24 pages. Having apps like Marvel Unlimited and Scribd help a lot for this, since it saves me serious money on a daily basis.

You can't really write if you don't read.

Just make sure not to replace all writing with reading - I'm guilty of that sometimes. Haha

Finally

I try to remember that some days I'm not going to find anything new, and that's fine. Even if I do one of these things it feels like I'm making steps in the right direction. I'd suggest adopting any of these habits if you want to keep your motivation up and deepen your knowledge of comic book craft on a daily or even weekly basis.

Comic Book Script Archive and Formatting

Comic Book Script Archive

One of the great things about writing comics is that there's no set format for writing a script. Unlike screenwriting, where there are lots of set rules that have to be applied to formatting. I've been playing around with my own template for writing comic book scripts in word, and I've been getting inspiration from The Comic Book Script Archive, which is a part of Andy Schmidt's Comics Experience.

What I like about the archive is that has lots of scripts from some of comics' greatest writers, as well as a template from Comics Experience for newcomers to use for their own scripts. While picking the same scripting style as another writing won't make you a better writer yourself, sometimes it just helps to see how some writers tackle different panel descriptions and how they communicate to the artist.

Some of the writers that are featured are Warren Ellis, Jason Aaron, Matt Fraction, Neil Gaiman, Mark Waid, and Brian K. Vaughan.

I actually used the Comics Experience template as a jumping off point for my own script format, which is pictured below.

Kenny Porter's Current Script Template

If you want more information on how to format scripts or create your own template I'd suggest reading Make Comics Like the Pros by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente. They lay out how to create your own template in a very simple, concise way.

Grand Rapids Comic Con - Independent Comics Panel on Saturday!

Independent Comics and Such

This Saturday I'll be on a panel with Andy Budnick, Jim Towe, and Matt Maldonado talking about creating independent comics and publishing them. We'll also talk about how we got into comics, collaboration, and will be answering any questions you have about our process or projects.

Here's the information on the panel:

12:45 to 1:45 pm

Andy Budnick, Jim Towe, Kenny Porter and Matt Maldonado, “Helpful Tips for Independent Publishing”: Learn tips and tricks for publishing your own works independently. Panel will discuss Kickstarters and digital releases to shopping your material around to small publishers.

So if you're curious about making your own comics come on over to our panel and we'll do our best to answer your questions!

Hope to see you tomorrow!

- Kenny

The Importance of Writing Every Day

I've been off the radar for a little while. I haven't been slacking off... not completely. I've just been really bogged down with school. I'm in my senior year of college, and although I've been going long enough to be a doctor I'll only have a bachelor's degree in Writing.

I wanted to write up a blog for a couple of reasons. First, it's been way too long. Second, I wanted to remind everyone how important it is to still write every single day, no matter how busy you get. My time has been severely cut lately. While I might be able to count academic writing as part of my actual "writing" I don't do that. Why? Because I don't get the same joy out of the process.

So if you're facing a serious lack of free time I suggest trying some of these methods to revamp your writing schedule:

1. Pick a new time of day to write

If you find your usual ritual of waking up early and hitting the keyboard isn't cutting it anymore then try finding a new ritual or method. My big change was afternoon writing. I was used to going to the coffee shop or library and sitting down with my scripts or pitches and not being interrupted for hours. That's not happening right now, so I've had to switch to writing between classes and in the evening. It sucks for consistency, but at least it gets done.

2. Don't be too hard on yourself

You should still be hard on yourself, but not at the jump off a bridge level. I used to set a word goal every day that I would try to hit. For a while it was 2,000 words minimum. I just don't have time to do that right now. So usually, especially with scripting, I set a minimum page requirement. With scripting that's pretty easy. I give myself a goal of three to five script pages a day. Not terribly huge work, but not that small either.

3. Just write -- even if you feel like you can't

I've never really had writer's block, but when I'm stuck on a story and can't figure out what to do I just start working on something else. That way I don't lose momentum and when I work my way out of the problem in the first story I can jump back in. Now this might not work for everybody out there. I know lots of writers who can't switch back and forth. I just know that it works for me, so it might work for someone else.

4. Do a warm-up

This has helped quite a bit. I tend to write something else first before diving into my bigger projects. I write the Alternative Comics Beat article for Cosmic Book News. That's a great warm-up because I get to talk about comics without actually writing scripts. I get my head in the mindset of what I think a good comic book can do and then jump off that springboard I've built for myself.

I hope this helps someone who is stuck in any kind of writing rut and has had their free time cut short. Feel free to drop me a line if you have any other good suggestions or any questions. I'm going to try to post daily or at least every other day from now on.

Thanks for reading!

"Rise and Fall" - Flash Creative Nonfiction Experiments

I've been experimenting with creative nonfiction lately between juggling comic book projects, my internship, and plugging away at the novel I'm working on (Chapter 13 currently). This is a little piece I wrote about this summer. I't kind of prose poetry, but most flash creative nonfiction tends to read that way.

I still want to work on this, but this is the current draft.

Enjoy!

Rise and Fall

Written by: Kenny Porter

From LifeHacker.com

Her chest rises and falls with each sleeping breath. Navy blue sheets bundle at our feet. Fan blades hiss in the window between wood molding and white walls. Recirculated air cuts over her body and drapes over mine. Monitor light bathes the room in a deep, rich yellow.

My hand slides up her back. I rub her shoulder, letting her know I’m awake. She stirs, but still sleeps. My hand glides down her arm, her side, and her leg. Her hair lifts from a burst of air. Goosebumps rise on her skin and her feet slide up and down the mattress.

Summer crickets lull me to sleep. My body sweaty from her embrace. My heart still booms in my chest, but my mind races faster -- walks we’ve shared, meals we’ve eaten, and the travels we’ll embark on together.

She rolls on her side, hands under her head. I slide my arm under her pillow, fitted against her back. The heat is unbearable. Two bodies wrapped in navy on a ninety degree night.

I can’t let go. My heart beats against her back, rhythmic, like an old locomotive. Louder in my ear than the chirps from crickets.

My hand runs up her leg, back to her face. She moans and nuzzles backward toward me. My hot breath wraps around her neck. Her chest rises and falls as she breathes.

I drift to sleep. Slowly, then like a hurricane.

Our first date is the stage, we the players. A coffee shop in a blistering Michigan winter. The date flashes like the bulbs of ancient cameras. Hot coffee, wood stove pizza, and a musical backdrop for the drinks on my couch. We probe with jokes and anecdotes. The conversation crests and drops between the two of us.

She sits at the other end of the couch, legs curled up, and I mimic her on my end. We talk, laugh, and the moment comes when we lock eyes. Everything rises in our chests. I want to kiss her. She’s too far away. I feel the moment drop away. A perfect moment built like a metaphysical bridge. Now it’s a cinder block, dropped off the side and falling toward a cold river.

I ask if I can kiss her.

She laughs and says, “yes.”

I shudder awake. My sweat is frozen from the fan. I grasp for blankets at my feet. I’ve shifted to the other side. The dark side of the mattress. Romantic heat from my body has run dry to fuel my dreams. I wrap myself and press against her back again.

She’s warm. I wrap my arms around her, rest them below her chest. Cold night air has settled. I hold her tightly. I time my breaths with hers. My heart booms out of sync, but our lungs rise and fall together.

Comics Experience Make Comics Podcast Ep. 71 - Guest Appearance!

I was asked to talk on Ep. 71 of the Comics Experience Make Comics Podcast to talk about works inspire me to make my own comics. The other fantastic guests are Paul Allor, Amy Chu, Rich Douek, Bryan Richmond, and Joe Sergi!

Listen to the podcast

A big thanks to Joey Groah and Andy Schmidt, as well as the whole Comics Experience team!

Project Updates 6/11/2014 (Bluster, Western Comic, and More!)

Hey Everyone!

I know that I’ve been missing for a while, but I’ve got a few good excuses.

My first excuse is that I was attending conventions. I went to C2E2 in Chicago and Motor City ComicCon in Michigan. I had a fantastic time and got to meet some incredible creators. I was even asked to speak on a panel with writers Amy Chu, Christy Blanch, Shaun Manning, and artist Reilly Brown. We talked about making creator-owned comics and self-publishing, and we also answered questions from the audience. Let me tell you something, Amy Chu puts on a fun panel. If you’re ever at a convention and she has one of these lined up then you should definitely attend.

From left to right:
Kenny Porter, Amy Chu, Shaun Manning, Christy Blanch, and Reilly Brown

I was listed as a guest for Cherry Capital Con in Traverse City, Michigan, but unfortunately couldn’t attend. This leads me to my second excuse -- horrible food poisoning. It took a trip to the emergency room, my caring girlfriend, and a viewing of The Lego Movie to get me through the ordeal, but I came out alive.

Since then I’ve been working on Bluster with Andy Budnick and a top secret Western comic with artist Jim Towe, which we plan on putting on Kickstarter. I'm also writing as an intern this summer for Cosmic Book News, where I write the "Alternative Comics Beat" column. Keep your eyes peeled for those projects and Alt Beat articles!

Bluster is still on schedule and the first two issues should be done soon. Andy has almost finished the art for the first issue and is only a few pages away. We won’t release the first issue until we have the second issue locked as well. Then we’ll throw the first one up digitally and follow with the other three issues monthly.

I hope everyone out there is reading fantastic comics this summer. Preferably with a cool beverage, outdoors, and with friends. I know I’ve been doing it often.

Keep your eyes peeled, there’ll be more news to come!

(And more regular posts)

Bluster #1 - Project Update

Bluster Update

Andy Budnick and I are working hard to get the first issue of Bluster done and ready for digital release. While we do plan on doing some pitching with the story, the main goal is to put all four issues online for consumption on our own. After talking about the project we’ve decided we want complete creative control and would rather get the comic out there for people to read than wait for someone to pick it up.

Before we release the first issue we want to have a minimum of two issues in the can. That’s just because we don’t want any delays and want to make sure that, once the first issue comes out, we’ll be able to release one each month until it’s finished.

We’ve discussed a release schedule, and I’d expect a first issue somewhere in September or October based on my writing speed and Andy’s ability to crank out incredible pages. After the four issues are released we plan on doing a collected print version, which will more than likely be achieved through a Kickstarter.

Thank you to everyone for supporting the project so far! We’re excited to get it out there and into the world ASAP!

Writing Goals for the Summer

Things Are Happening...

This summer I've got a lot going on in terms of writing projects. I just started my internship at Cosmic Book News, where I'll be rebooting/restarting my "Alternative Comics Beat" column. If you missed it the first time around it's a place where I recommend comics you might not be reading if you only read the standard superhero fare. Even then, I still find some superhero gems that might have slipped out of your reach.

I've also got three comic book projects I'm currently working on. Bluster is the public project, the one I'm working on with Andy Budnick, but I've also got two secret projects going on right now. Once the scripts are done and there's artwork to show for it I'll gladly put it out there for the world to see.

On top of that I'm also slowly working on a novel. It's with a character that I've developed over the years, and admittedly is just a version of myself with black magic and a mean streak. But since the story is a personal one about the past and how people perceive you based on things that have happened to you, I think it's fitting to just openly admit that the character is heavily influenced on my life experiences.

What I've Been Pondering

I've been thinking a lot lately about self-publishing comics, especially with Bluster. Everyone who got a sneak preview of the comic at C2E2 this year really enjoyed what they saw, and it made me more excited than ever to produce creator-owned content. While I would love it if a bigger company picked up Bluster, I plan on releasing it first as a digital run and then collecting it in paperback or hardcover afterwards. There's something rewarding about doing everything yourself and being completely in control of the material, especially if you have a fan base. While we don't have one yet, the positive feedback we got tells me that Bluster is a story that people are going to be excited to read.

But For Now...

For now I just want to say that I hope anything I post on this blog inspires others to create. I don't care if it's comics, novels, music, web series, or even a blog or personal journal. Sharing and creating art, in any form, is best when someone connects with your message. So if you've got something to say, or an experience to share, don't hesitate. More than often someone else is looking to share that experience and can find it in your work.

Project Update: Bluster #1 - Cover

Our New Cover

This is our new cover for issue #1 of Bluster. I have to say that I'm very happy with the current version. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do!

Short Comic Book Stories - Back to Basics

I’ve made a promise to myself that I won’t start any more huge projects until Bluster, The Dominoes, and a new secret project are wrapped up. In that time I do want to work on my ability to write short comic book stories. It’s been a while since I wrote a short, but I remember how useful it was to learn to tell a full story in a quarter of the pages that standard comic books usually have.

The best part about writing is that you can choose your mentors. The even better part of choosing your mentors is that you never have to meet them. I’ve learned just as much from studying other people’s work as I have from talking to actual writers. In order to sharpen my short story skills (until I can take a Comics Experience course I’ve been dying to enroll in) I decided to pick up All-Star Future Shocks from 2000 AD.

All-Star Future Shocks from 2000 AD

Some of my favorite creators have shorts between these covers. Including Grant Morrison, Neil Gaiman, Peter Milligan, and Frazer Irving.

I wanted to share this because it’s important to go back to basics and sharpen your skills for projects down the road. Making a mini-series or original graphic novel is fun, but there’s still room to dabble in short comic book stories or strips in order to experiment with narrative and characters.

Project Update #2: Bluster

Andy Budnick sent me the fifth page of Bluster #1 today. Holy shit! I love the attitude that Olive Robinson has in that panel. Not to mention her incredible Ghostbusters t-shirt.

I get more excited about this project each time he sends me a page.

More updates soon!

Bluster - Page 5

Project Update: BLUSTER #1

Things are coming along nicely with Bluster, the mini-series I'm putting together with artist Andy Budnick. The inks are coming back with a gorgeous finish, and I'm trying my hand at lettering. Once I get some sample lettered pages I'll post them here for the world to see.

We plan on pitching after the first five pages and the cover are finished. But Andy and I have solid plans to finish the whole series, even if it doesn't get picked up.

Why?

Because, as a writer or an artist, it's important to finish the things you start. I've written horrible novels and then tossed them in the dumpster afterwards, but I was proud that I finished them.

I'm happy to say this won't be one of those projects.

And so, sleepy and fueled by coffee, I carry on. I just hope college doesn't get in the way of making comics too much.

Biggby and MMPR are not official Kenny Porter sponsors