Posted in: Comics | Tagged: scott snyder, substack

Scott Snyder Launches Substack Writing Classes For $7 A Month

Published Mon, 09 Aug 2021 11:09:09 -0500

Last updated Mon, 09 Aug 2021 11:11:18 -0500

Scott Snyder, who has just launched a new line of creator-owned comic books from ~~Amazon Prime~~ ComiXology Originals and Dark Horse is launching his new Substack writing classes – just as one of his former student James Tynion IV launches his own Substack comics publishing line. Snyder mentions Tynion IV in his alumni, as well as Joëlle Jones, Michael Moreci, Philip Kennedy Johnson, Vita Ayala, Matt Rosenberg, Marguerite Bennett, and Mags Visaggio, among others. And now he is taking it all online, for a fee. How much? Well… if has a familiar price point.

For $7 a month, you get access to everything teaching related. The MONTHLY LIVE CLASS, the ARCHIVED CLASSES, plus TEACHING TIPS I'm going to put up once a week or so. Folks who sign up in the first 48 hours will also get access to the 4 LIVESTREAMS with me–more on these below!
For $75 for the year ($9 less than the monthly) you get everything in the monthly plan AND access to 4 EXCLUSIVE LIVESTREAMS with me, where we'll connect more directly, and I'll answer YOUR questions about all things comics-related.

And Scott Snyder lays out what you get for that.

When you subscribe to Comic Writing 101, you'll get a monthly LIVE, INTERACTIVE CLASS with me, done through video, filmed at my awesome local comic shop, 4th WORLD COMICS (after hours). Each session will run about 90 minutes and be like a masterclass on a particular subject. During the session, we'll look at several classic and current comics together to illustrate applicable techniques. Some sessions will feature guests for discussions and Q&A, from super star artists to major editors. Then, after the class is done, I'll archive the full audio along with all the reading materials for subscribers who missed the live session and make it available in this newsletter.
I'll also provide weekly WRITING TIPS for subscribers, tips about everything from fighting writer's block to crafting good cliffhangers.
So, to be clear, if you currently subscribe to this, my free newsletter, you'll still get updates on books I have coming out, my social media basically, but starting NOW, if you sign up for our paid subscription, you'll get EVERYTHING TEACHING RELATED. To be clear, from here forward, this is the only place I'll be teaching, and it's where I'll be putting all my thoughts about craft, teaching tips, etc. The goal is to create a space for aspiring writers — a space filled with lessons, advice, stories… a space they can find a community of writers, too, and visit over and over.
Also, I'll often use the books I'm making right now as teaching tools in the class, so by signing up, you'll get EXCUSIVE LOOKS at all the books I'm working on, from the upcoming We Have Demons (with Greg Capullo) to the smash hit Nocterra (with Tony S. Daniel)!
Here's the syllabus for the class! We'll do a welcome session in a few weeks, and the class will start in earnest on SEPTEMBER 22nd! As I said, I'll bring in examples to look at together, both classic series and brand-new ones as well.

Scott Snyder's classes

SYLLABUS:
WELCOME! (8/25):
An informal welcome class and primer on how to turn your ideas into comics! I'll walk you through the process of creating my 1st big Batman arc, "The Court of Owls."
OPENINGS (9/22):
How to make your book sound like…you! In this session, we'll talk about choosing techniques that fit your story and look at successful openings that announce your book impactfully.
CHARACTERIZATION Pt. 1 (10/20):
We'll discuss how to build compelling characters and introduce them to your reader through showing and/or telling.
CHARACTERIZATION Pt. 2 (11/17):
Character arcs—you hear a lot about them, but what are they and how do they work? What's the difference between a character arc and plot?
3 ACT STRUCTURE (12/15):
Breaking down your full story. We'll look at how to structure your whole arc by using classic architectural techniques.
VILLAINS (1/19):
Making good bad guys…
SCENE BUILDING (2/16):
Writing a good scene is about more than character or plot or dialogue… We drill down and look at how great scenes work on multiple layers.
COLLABORATION (3/16):
Working with artists. A discussion with some amazing special guests about getting the best out of your partner (and yourself).
PITCHING (4/20):
Writing a pitch that sells your series. What's a pitch and how does it work? We'll talk to major editors about what all the best pitches have in common.
LESSONS (5/18):
Things I've learned the hard way…
*BONUS! STUDENTS CHOICE (6/15):
An extra class, the topic of which will be chosen by you guys!

And yes, Substack is clearly quite a thing right now… will Scott Snyder publish comic books through it as well, in addition to Image, ComiXology, and Dark Horse?

Substack is literally making the biggest investment in creator owned comics in the history of the medium, all so that creators like me can take control of our own careers and make fans the best content yet. More creators are coming, too–wait until you see… This is going to be a seismic thing, with a whole legion of good folks working individually and collectively to make a better industry where we have a greater control of our work, and a more direct and comprehensive relationship with each other, with retailers, and above all, with our fans. Now I've already got a whole slate of creator owned-books brewing at Comixology and Dark Horse and Image–books I cannot wait to show you with amazing co-creators–but I knew I had to be a part of this amazing initiative, and I quickly realized it was the best home for something I've been dying to do for a long time–teach. So for me, this platform is a place to invest in the next generation of creators. First by teaching, and second by helping new voices bring their comics to life.

More on that to come it seems from Scott Snyder and others…

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