what is the hardest, yet honest, bit of criticism that you have been given that made you change something about the way you work or write? (if any)

My very first story idea I pitched to a pro editor was to the editor of the animated Superman book. I had a good idea, it was an early version of Mary Zero, who ended up in Agent X, later.

I had the big conflict take place at the United Nations building. Seemed a sensible place, lots of conflict, easily recognized.

His notes back were positive, but they started with this…”Sigh. Do you have any idea how many rejected scripts I have that take place at the U.N. building?”

That hit me like a thunderbolt. It changed my writing forever. I am not sure he even meant it like this, but I took it to mean, “You sent me a cliché that EVERYONE ELSE has already sent me.”

That stung, I mean, I wanted to punch myself in the face. How dare I, in my very first pitch, send this editor a hacky, clichéd location that he’d seen a thousand times?

It drove me nuts. It made me realize I was still an amateur with a lot to learn.

So from then on, I have always tried to put a twist or a spin, something I haven’t seen before, on virtually everything. When I did use the U.N. building in a Wonder Woman story, it had EVERYTHING in it to make it unique, two-headed lions and flying elephants and who knows what else.

So that was the best writing advice I ever got, and he may not even have intended it as advice.

That same editor also gave me the WORST single piece of writing advice I ever got, when I was pitching that same story…”Don’t do anything too interesting.”