Len Wein Quotes
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I'm still a fanboy geek. I always will be. In many ways, if my work still resonates with the audience, it's because I'm still writing from the point of view of the fan, so I'm geeked out constantly.
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I've had editors over the years who couldn't find a clue if it was stapled to their butt.
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I've never had to work out of the arts. I've always either been a writer or an editor, or something where I've made my living from doing what I love. You can't get any better than that.
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When I submitted samples, I had only written stories to give myself something to draw. I was told, "The art is good, but not quite professional yet. But, I like the writing." I've been a writer for almost a half a century. It's very cool.
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Were there stories I wrote along the way that were terrible clinkers? God, yes. But they were all a product of their time, and I did the best I could.
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The most unrealistic thing I've ever read in comics is when some group of characters calls themselves the Brotherhood of Evil or the Masters of Evil. I don't believe any character believes their goals to be truly evil.
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In these litigious times, if you're a beginner, it's becoming harder and harder to get your work to the people who might actually be able to hire you.
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I was a very sickly kid. While I was in the hospital at age 7, my Dad brought me a stack of comic books to keep me occupied. I was hooked.
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When someone writes to tell me something I've written made them laugh or cry, I've done my job and done it well. The rest is all semantics.
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The bottom line always remains the same: What is the basic humanity of the character? How do I make them resonate with the reader?
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I try not to violate what came before me and to leave lots of wiggle room for those who will follow.
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A true friend is someone who is there for you when he'd rather be anywhere else.
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When I'm my own editor, there's very little difference between the first draft and the final. I write what feels right to begin with. I rarely make any major changes.
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I try to find what makes even the worst, most despicable character sympathetic at his or her core.
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These days, it seems that if you're not already in place, you can't get there from here.
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People who were more concerned with themselves and looking good to their readers then they were with the characters sacrificed a series for the sake of a story.
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In general, shorter is better. If you can encapsulate your idea into a single captivating sentence, you're halfway home.
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Never be embarrassed by the things you cannot do. Be embarrassed by the things you can do and don't do well.
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I've always been the audience that I wanted to reach, so I write for myself.
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I consider myself the luckiest man in the world. I have spent a lifetime doing what I love.
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Sometimes you're not even sure which of your stories were failures. There are things I've written that I thought were complete catastrophes when I finished with them that have gone on to generate some of my most positive feedback.
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Lord of the Rings, I think, is far and away the most brilliantly done stuff.
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I think jazz and comic books are probably the two uniquely American art forms.
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A writer writes. Period. No matter if someone is buying your work or not.