Too many writers give up after their first big project--novel, play, or non-fiction book--is rejected. There's nothing harder than starting over from scratch.
But Wilson didn't quit, and became one of the most influential comic strip writers in the country--helming the iconic comic strip dramas, Rex Morgan, M.D. and Judge Parker.
Today he explains how he survived rejection in my deceptively simple feature, Five Easy Questions. In the spirit of Jack Nicholson's mad piano player, I run a weekly set of quality interviews with writing pioneers—delivering some practical, unexpected advice about web writing.
Jason Boog:
Early in your career, you worked on a strip called "The Little Company." What was it about, can you describe it? What did you learn from that experience? Generally, how does somebody going about pitching a comic strip idea?
Woody Wilson:
The Little Company (1978) was my first strip. It was about a career woman with a not-so-career-oriented husband. Continue reading...
Mel was the woman and she worked at an advertising agency called The Little Company.
Mel and Tom (the husband) has a Republican cockatoo that talked. In retrospect, it was waaaaay ahead of it's time, but I discovered I didn't enjoy writing gags as much as I did stories.
It was rejected by every syndicate, some twice. What I learned from that experience was a basic understanding of how syndication works as a business. I learned how to deal with editors and artists.
But the most important thing I learned was how to deal with rejection, which is what it's all about. Rejection makes you and the concept stronger. As for pitching the concept, it's generally all about content.
If the strip is good, editors will give you the benefit of the doubt. Having said that, the protocol of the pitch is also important. Syndicates have a set way of doing things, and if you don't know the protocol, you rarely stand a chance. There is a very long learning curve.
Click here to read the Woody Wilson archive. If the layout confuses you, check out the Five Easy Questions FAQ for more information.
» "Rejection Makes You and the Concept Stronger" : How To Survive Early Failures from ThePublishingSpot
Woody Wilson spent a whole year meticulously crafting abrand new comic strip for syndication--pushing hard to fulfill his dreams of being a comic strip writer. Every syndicate turned him down.Too many writers give up after their first big project... [Read More]
Tracked on: June 19, 2007 4:41 PM | Permalink to Trackback