Gail Simone's Blog, page 61
June 21, 2017
What's one character you always wanted to work on but never could?
The Marvel family.
Captain Marvel, Mary Marvel, and Junior!
Gail, as a writer, how do you remember how to write each character and not feel like you're writing the same person with different powers/abilities each time? I find myself absolutely stuck and it feels like all my characters are the same versions with dif
I’ll be honest, this is a pretty essential skill to have if you want to be a writer.
It’s entirely possible that the voices sound more similar to YOU than they do to the reader, so I would have some people read your work cold and then ask them if they got the impression that the characters spoke too similarly.
But I do have some advice. First, make a conscious effort to give each character a significant trait. What is the character about, what defines them? Are they smart? Flirtatious? Sarcastic? Obtuse? Any of these traits and a thousand more will define them differently from the other characters. Not just in their speech, but their behavior.
Second, think of their background. People make fun of actors asking, “what’s my motivation?” for bit part roles, but that’s what a writer needs to ask constantly. And also, where is this character from? Are they poor, rich, straight, gay, from the East Coast, from the West Coast, all of how they live should be at play in their dialogue.
Third, LISTEN. Go out and listen to real people speak. You will hear instantly how differently people convey the exact same thought. I’m not saying you should repeat or emulate how real people talk, that is normally pretty dull soup. But develop an ear for dialogue that HOOKS the listener. My biggest pet peeve is dull dialogue, it’s just inexcusable.
Which leads me to my last bit of advice, which is, REWRITE. Seriously, this is easier than it sounds. Write your story, go through it and don’t worry about getting the dialogue perfect. Most writers use ‘place-holder’ dialogue at some point in their scripts, that’s dialogue that you are putting in until you think of a better line later. You can do that with your entire script. Go through another pass, focusing ONLY on the dialogue of one character at a time, and make their voice SPECIFIC. And fix all their dialogue so that they are individuals. Do that as many times as it takes.
I know this sounds like a lot, but it’s essential. And it gets easier, I promise. It’s a skill that can be honed, not all of writing can be trained, but this is something that definitely can be trained and learned and mastered.
GOOD LUCK!
Oooh alot of the characters in the lqbta± community in DC I didn't even know they were a part of it! That's so cool! Do you mind stating what their sexualities are? It's interesting
of course!
Lesbian: Batwoman, Poison Ivy, The Question, and Scandal Savage.
Bisexual: Harley Quinn, Catwoman, Riddler, Wonder Woman, Rainmaker, Catman, Knockout, Icemaiden, and Power Boy.
Gay: Penguin, Bunker, Apollo, Midnighter, Green Lantern, Starman, Obsidian, and Pied Piper.
Pansexual: Maxima!
Trans: Alysia Yeoh!
Since there are so many interpretations of comic book characters, some incarnations are only LGBTQA+ in certain forms of media, as Penguin is really only gay in the show Gotham. Also, because certain heroes die and get reincarnated/are recreated in new verses, there’s like 7 Green Lanterns and Alan Scott is the only gay one. It’s sorta confusing, but I hope it make sense! Thank you for taking interest!
June 20, 2017
With your step-dad as a lumberjack, how many Monty Python jokes get made?
Not many, no one messed with him, he’s huge. Also, he’s more of a Three Stooges guy.
Oooh alot of the characters in the lqbta± community in DC I didn't even know they were a part of it! That's so cool! Do you mind stating what their sexualities are? It's interesting
of course!
Lesbian: Batwoman, Poison Ivy, The Question, and Scandal Savage.
Bisexual: Harley Quinn, Catwoman, Riddler, Wonder Woman, Rainmaker, Catman, Knockout, Icemaiden, and Power Boy.
Gay: Penguin, Bunker, Apollo, Midnighter, Green Lantern, Starman, Obsidian, and Pied Piper.
Pansexual: Maxima!
Trans: Alysia Yeoh!
Since there are so many interpretations of comic book characters, some incarnations are only LGBTQA+ in certain forms of media, as Penguin is really only gay in the show Gotham. Also, because certain heroes die and get reincarnated/are recreated in new verses, thereâs like 7 Green Lanterns and Alan Scott is the only gay one. Itâs sorta confusing, but I hope it make sense! Thank you for taking interest!
Thanks a lot for Porcelain! As a black genderfluid person, I don't find a lot of representation in media, so seeing them in Secret Six was awesome! Do you think you'll write them again?
I hope to, but I havenât been writing mainstream superhero books for a while so I could do creator-owned stuff.
But if I come back, I will try to bring them for sure!
She was Catwoman for a while, during Catwoman's last title, while Selina took on the job of mob boss (they were a brief thing when Selina was announced to be officially bi)
After the New52, I took a break from superheroes for a while, so I am way behind on almost everything.
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