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This week I interview Jim Hardison, whose first comic THE HELM hits stands from Dark Horse tomorrow with art by Bart Sears. THE HELM may be Jim’s first foray into the comics medium, but he has a lot of experience in both story and characters and plenty of wisdom to share on the writing process.

It’s been said that to make writing a career you have to sell more than just a story: you have to sell yourself. Do you find this true, and do you have any insight to share on selling oneself?

I’ve found that selling a story is a lot easier if you’re passionate about it—maybe because people can get caught up in your passion and feel moved by the things that are moving you. In the event of a face to face pitch, it certainly helps to be excited about the characters, about the concept and about what the story means. Of course, it has to be a really good story and it has to be thought out from all the angles or that passion won’t take you very far.

What would you say is the #1 mistake you see aspiring writers making?

Writing about external conflicts rather than internal ones. External conflicts are interesting and engaging, but if that’s all you’ve got (people wrestling with other characters or the environment) it will be a lot more difficult to connect with the audience. It’s much easier for the audience to connect with a character that is flawed and vulnerable than with one that is perfect and aloof. If you’ve got a great internal conflict for your character, it will lead him into all kinds of external conflict, but if you’ve only got external conflict, your story isn’t likely to mean very much to people unless they’re experiencing that exact same situation.

Read the entire interview here >>

My new interview column is now up:

We’ve all faced them before and most of us will face them again. Some of us love them, some of us hate them, and some of us are eternally torn. But one thing’s for certain: anyone planning on being a writer (especially a comics writer) is going to face a career full of them.

They’re DEADLINES. As in, “Cross this line and you’re dead.”

Featuring a full 8-page comic from creator extraordinaire Felipe Smith as well as wisdom and horror stories from Christina Weir, Ande Parks, John Rogers, Richard Starkings, Andrew Cosby, Matt Fraction, Jason Aaron and more!

I know it’s been a long time, but my new Making Good column is up today. I interview Mark Sable and David Roth (co-writers of FEARLESS, tomorrow’s new release from Image) on collaboration, why comics, overcoming obstacles and more. Plus take a look at their original script and compare it to the final pages as they will appear in issue 1!

And if this interview piques your interest, be sure to come by Meltdown tomorrow night, when Mark and Dave will both be here signing!

Felipe Smith is as talented and skilled a manga writer/artist as you will find on any continent, and his work on the latest installment of MBQ is his best yet. This book is one of a very rare handful that can consistently make me laugh out loud, but it’s far more than a humor book. MBQ is funny, true, but it’s also realistic, smart, touching, thrilling, hip, violent, insightful and outrageous. Volume 3, which hit stands last week, is the series conclusion and does an excellant job of tying together the books’ broad cast and seemingly disperate elements into a single powerful theme you can take away with you.

Some of you may remember that I interviewed Felipe last December for my Making Good column. Well in honor of his Meltdown appearance tonight, I’m doing an exclusive follow-up interview with him right here on this blog. Look for it later today.

In the meantime, check out Felipe’s own behind-the-scenes look at MBQ: Deadline Ass-Beating Volume 1

And the details for tonight:

This week I interview Matt Silady, the writer/artist behind the interesting new Homeless Channel graphic novel from AiT/Planet Lar. The book will be in stores tomorrow, and we have it here at Meltdown.

Read the article here>>

A new edition of my column is now up. This week I interview Elk’s Run writer/creator Joshua Hale Fialkov.

And in case you’ve missed it, we’re having the official Elk’s Run release party/signing here at Meltdown Comics tonight:

After a three-week hiatus, my column is back, starting with an interview with Richard Starkings on the writer/letterer relationship.

Read it here>>

This week I interview John Rogers on the specifics of writing for comics, film and television, as well as the constants of being a writer no matter what media you choose.

Read the interview here >>

In this week’s column I interview Meltdown writer/creator David Scwartz about what it’s like to have his first major book out. Part 2 (of 2) hit stands today, and Part 1 is still in stores. Appropriately, we have both here at Meltdown.

Read the article here>>