THIS ONE'S FOR THE WRITERS: SCRYPTIC STUDIOS.COM LAUNCHES

[MattBrady]

by Aaron Weisbrod

While there are certain conflicts that polarize even the most civil comic fans, perhaps none is more personal in nature than the endless – and irreconcilable – “Writer versus Artist” debate.

Sure, while most people would agree that both camps need each other, any aspiring comic book professional who has attended a comic convention can tell you that artists can display their talents to the world in a much more efficient fashion.

Furthermore, many claim that artists also catch more breaks in regards to learning the of their trade, with countless tutorials in print and on the web…

Enter: www.ScrypticStudios.com

While the five co-creators of the site, all writers themselves, share an equal amount of love for their “visually-orientated” brothers and sisters, they decided to create an online resting place where writers can browse sample scripts from established professionals, glean information from countless resource links, and read columns about the “art” of writing comics five days a week.

Newsarama recently held a virtual conference with three of the five co-creators in which they discussed the origin of the site, how they aim to help “level the field” for other hopeful writers in terms on online resources, and where they see it going in the future…

While moderators Dan Taylor (creator of the underground d favorite comic Hero Happy Hour) and Jim “Kep” Keplinger (writer of the online comic series Ted Noodleman) were not available to participate in the conference (Dan wandered-in just as everyone else was , while Kep was, as always, was in the process of moving), Ryan Scott Ottney, Jeffery Stevenson, and Kevin Melrose took the ball and ran with it, dishing on how they plan to do everything they can to help aspiring writers make it to that oft-discussed “next level”…

Newsarama: How about some introductions? Who the heck are you guys, and what qualifies you to be giving advice about comic book writing?

Ryan Scott Ottney: I'm Ryan Scott Ottney, and I've been the Senior Comic News Editor for www.Zentertainment.com and www.Mediasharx.com news for three years. I've also written comics for Angel Gate Press, and some requested work for Marvel Comics - yet to see print (if ever).

Jeffery Stevenson: I’m Jeffery Stevenson. I write the weekly Brat-halla webcomic at www.MoviePoopShoot.com, the monthly satire tabloid “The Comicaze Report,” and had a number of stories published in Digital Webbing Presents (where I used to be one of the submission editors when Ed Dukeshire had a submissions team). What qualifies me? Nothing really. I’m just passing on some info on what I've learned the hard way over these past couple years.

Kevin Melrose: I'm Kevin Melrose, and I have absolutely no right to be giving anyone advice on anything.

RSO: Yeah… the thing is, we are NOT teachers. We are not here to teach anyone anything, but rather moderate the website where all writers can come together and learn from each other. We hope to learn as much from them as they might from us

KM: Yeah, I think we'll end up learning as much from this as anyone else.

NRAMA: So... this is all going to be like a free-love thing, then?

RSO: [laughs] Well, I’m not sure what you mean by that, but if you mean everyone comes in and shares what they have to help other people unconditionally, then yes: Free love and all that groovy stuff.

KM: Far out.

RSO: The site offers a vast message board where writers can share their work and discuss everything from screenwriting to research to comic writing and even book discussions. We'll also offer columns by each of the members on the topic of writing.

NRAMA: OK… so all ribbing aside, what's the format of the site? Is it going to operate as one big message board with a few regular columns, then?

RSO: It's really a three-part system: the message board, which houses the activities, discussions, and columns; the database, which holds valuable reference links and script samples; and the main front-page, which really just holds it all together and displays news and updates.

JS: And don't forget the lounge we put in with the 60" TV and espresso maker.

RSO: Shhh, that's staff only!

KM: I think the links and script samples will be a terrific resource for writers. On other message boards I'm always seeing aspiring writers wanting to see how pros tackle scripts. Now they can see how some of the “masters” do it.

JS: And the links we're gathering together are pretty vast as well... five working writers contributing their favorite links for getting their work done and the learning of the trade.

NRAMA: Let's delve into the "origin" of the site a little bit. Who's idea was it to create a site like this, and how did it all come together with all of you involved?

JS: It was Ryan's idea. He basically went insane with this whole "writer's studio" thing and posted out at the www.DigitalWebbing.com boards to recruit writers for it.

KM: Yeah, and I'm a latecomer to the whole thing.

RSO: Last, but not least, Kev…

KM: Ha. Yeah, so you say now. *Sniff* *Sniff*

NRAMA: All fingers seem to be pointing to you, Ryan, so spill the beans…

RSO: I wanted to bring together knowledgeable and helpful writers to help me gather the best resources and put this together. I got the best there was… and Kep too. [laughs]

JS: A bunch of us have actually known and worked with each other in the past, so that helps. I knew Ryan from the Outcast Studios site where we worked on a site called Comic Book Insider (he did a bunch of interviews and I did reviews for them).

NRAMA: You guys have been mentioning "resources" your site will offer... specifically what will www.ScrypticStudios.com offer writers that other sites haven't or don't?

KM: Well, for starters, the pro script library. Who do we have? Marv Wolfman, Devin Grayson, Andy Diggle, Larry Young ... who else?

JS: Gail Simone.

RSO: Paul Jenkins, Mark Waid, Brian Augustyn…

NRAMA: How did you go about getting all of these sample scripts?

JS: We asked writers if they'd like to contribute to the library. Some of them said, "Yes."

KM: While the script library is a valuable resource in itself, beyond that, we have tons of research links on everything from grammar to forensics to the paranormal.

JS: We're also organizing the links geared toward writers. There will be sections that point to specific articles on specific writing topics, and references for history, science, mythology, medicine, etc.

RSO: One thing that we offer that other sites don't is the very existence of such a database. There aren't many out there, and even fewer dedicated to comics. The idea behind the resource database is that we can offer writers an easy tool for researching topics for their stories. We know some of the best sites, and we have them here for you ... and the list keeps growing too. I'd imagine that once we go public the script library will fill-up even more once people see how cool it is. They'll want to help out, I think.

KM: The resource database is definitely growing. I'm a compulsive hoarder of information ...

NRAMA: Such as...? Give us an example of some far-out info you'll have on the site that will shock and dazzle people, Kev.

KM: Victorian England, criminology, 19th century spiritualism, it's all there.

JS: No! It's a trick question, Kevin! He's trying to get a hold of your super, secret information!

KM: Many have tried. I will not share my link-fu. I haven't even started dusting off my obscure folklore links, yet.

RSO: Well, let's say you're writing a story ... I dunno, say, a horror story for www.nightmareworld.com and you need references on monsters or urban legends. Well, we’ve got you covered!

NRAMA: Fair enough. Each of the five "creators" will also be writing a weekly column, correct? What’s the premise of each one?

KM: Hahahahaha! Good question.

RSO: Thanks Kevin! That was inspiring!

JS: Kevin just came on board very recently, so he's still ironing out the details of his column.

RSO: Every weekday we'll post a new column - each of the five of us are writing a weekly column, so that they come up one a day… and maybe even with a guest appearance from a very well known comic personality once in a while. Mine, for instance, is a comedic look at the life of a writer called “Plotting a Course.”

KM: Jim Keplinger's column focuses on building a creative team.

JS: My column's called "The Art of Words." It used to be writing tutorial column I wrote for the old www.ComicStack.com website, but they went on an indefinite hiatus. I'm refocusing it a bit to discuss the warrior's path to writing. Discipline, training, strategy... the fun stuff.

RSO: Dan Taylor's column, “Blurring the Gap,” is about the shrinking line between fan and creator.

KM: Mine's called "Research + Destroy," and as far as you know, it's about researching your stories and not getting tripped up by the little things.

RSO: Wow! Ladies and gentlemen, you just witnessed the birth of a column!

KM: Ta-daaaaaah.

JS: The muse strikes with reckless abandon.

KM: Yes, she has a fierce right hook.

JS: You can take her Kevin...she's really old.

RSO: Or "inspiration always hits when you're on the crapper," for the less eloquent. You know, we've mentioned all the writers, but I would be remiss to leave out L. Jamal Walton, as he's given us a great website to play on.

NRAMA: Not to spoil the whole point of the website, but what is the key to getting published in the world of comics?

RSO: Writing well is the basics, of course… but many people write well. I think the key is in how well you market yourself.

JS: The charisma of a used car salesman. Not the greasy kind... the suave, sexy kind.

KM: Rico Suave.

RSO: We'll be discussing that on the boards as much as possible. I mean, I personally don't find car salesmen sexy, but whatever gets Jeff's engine rolling ...

JS: Getting published is a bunch of different factors: learn your craft, learn how to pick a solid artist to work with, and get a story put together. Then it's a matter of knowing where you can take that story, such as who's accepting submissions for what.

NRAMA: How much interaction do you guys expect to participate in on the boards? Are you guys going to be putting in a lot of "face time" on the site?

RSO: Oh, I'll be there 24/7. I live online. [laughs]

JS: I'm gonna hide in the shadows and pounce on poor hapless message board posters like a digital ninja. It'll be “Mortal Kombat” for message boards...but better written. But seriously, I'll be at the boards a bit to answer questions and help out.

KM: We've all committed to being a presence on the site, so, I imagine we'll be lurking around a lot… but not lurking in a stalker sort of way.

RSO: The main role of the members are as constant figures of the site. We moderate the boards, write columns, host projects, etc, so we'll be around quite a bit… but I really want to stress that this is not a site about us. It's a site for everyone to come together and share ideas and stories. We just watch over the house. www.ScrypticStudios.com will be a place to go where writers don't have to fight for attention. This is all writers, all the time… but even though we will be focusing on writers, we welcome everyone to participate. For example, artists can find use of the scripts as something to draw for their portfolios.

JS: We're basically trying to build a good writing community for comic book writers. We want to give every writer out there – whether they be aspiring, mainstream, or artists that write their own stories – the resources to help them put together the strongest story they can.

[Rawle Austin]

Something like this has been a long time coming and I will definitely add a link to it on my site.

Good to see some consolidation in the industry, especially to protect the art of good writing.

Growler

[Tue Sorensen]

Great initiative! I'll surf right on over there right now!

[amazingdavidman]

Now that's a sweet sack of potatoes. I remember back before Wizard blew they had a website called Wizard-School. They had a section for writers, but it was pretty weak. This looks like the horse as well as the cart.

[AlexLothos]

Sounds pretty cool! I will definatly take a peek on a regular basis!

[Frank Castle]

Sounds like this is gonna have some great content. I look forward to reading some of the scripts by all the writers they mentioned, to see how the masters work...

On a more practical note, I hope these guys have some sort of disclaimer ready in case someone posts a story idea, it gets stolen, someone sues, etc. etc.... This site is better off just focusing on book discussions and on writing techniques, hope they can keep it that way.

[clerk976]

I saw the link for the site in Ryan's Digital Webbing post the other day, but it wasn't live yet... Now that I've heard more, can't wait to check it out.

[saiyanspider]

With all the sample script, this site sounds like it will be a great resource for artists as well. me being an aspiring writer I look forward to getting knee deep into this site. Thanks for making this site guys, and good luck and congrates.

[beetle]

This is a great idea guys. I know i'll be hanging around there as my online blogging buddy Kevin Melrose is involved. Congrats guys.

Shane Bailey
httP://www.nearmintheroes.org

[djcoffman]

I love all the guys working there on the site. Good bunch of dudes!

[joebrown]

Awesome! I am so there, dude.

[Xaraan]

Awesome news.

Thank you!

[Commander X]

This sounds like an amazing resource... as an aspiring writer and artist myself, I have often wondered exactly what goes into the scripting end of the whole thing. I look forward to spending some time at the site learning.

[cyclopsfan]

Cool interview! Hope this helps get some talented individual's noticed!

[jasonhenderson]

Color me impressed-- I'm so pleased that writers can work together to make everyone's work stronger. Wow!

I guess I should hand over some Sword of Dracula scripts...

[kdmelrose]

Originally posted by jasonhenderson
I guess I should hand over some Sword of Dracula scripts...

Funny you should mention that. You were one of my next targets.



- Kevin

[kdmelrose]

Thanks, Aaron, for the interview, and thanks to everyone here for the overwhelmingly positive response.



I hope anyone who's interested -- writers, artists, folks hunting for pro scripts, etc. -- will stop by and participate.

- Kevin

[DarkOra]

Originally posted by kdmelrose
Funny you should mention that. You were one of my next targets.

Already contacted him Kev...he's been busy though. Of course, it probably would have been quicker for me to drive on over to his haunting grounds and talk to him in person about it.

And thanks to everyone for the great show of support...makes all the work we put into the site worth it.

[Kep]

WOWZERS! Dazzling interview... wish I had been there. On the up side I'm on-line and alive after one hell of a move. I look forward to seeing you all over at SCRYPTIC soon!