I find the whole idea of giving writing advice kind of inherently ridiculous, and yet I am from time to time asked for such things. Donβt get me wrong, there are very few things I love more than talking about writing, thinking about writing, reading the thoughts of other writers on how they go about their work. But the idea that I have anything to contribute myself - me! this idiot! - just always feels funny to me. And that is maybe why, when asked to contribute a series of short writing tips for readers of the Phoenix comic, they came out, well, like this:
...you know what, I take back whatever self-deprecating mush I was spouting earlier, those are GREAT TIPS and I stand by them 100%.
If nothing else, these tips - Robots, Farts, Explosions - stand as a pretty detailed and specific guide for How To Write Mega Robo Bros.
Occasionally I am reminded that I did in fact make a whole book about writing and drawing comics - How To Make Awesome Comics, about which there might be some exciting news soon? - and the whole thing was kind of an extended exercise in kind of parodying and having fun with the very idea that you can buy a book that will teach you such things, while also (I hope) actually being a good and useful resource that will in fact teach you such things.
For what itβs worth, I think the most useful books Iβve ever read on writing are Alan Mooreβs Writing For Comics, which is fantastic on practicalities and nuts-and-bolts stuff, and Russell T Davies and Benjamin Cookβs Doctor Who: The Writers Tale, which is the most brutally, terrifyingly honest description of writing youβll ever encounter, while also somehow the most inspiring. Huge recommendations for both!
Okay, while Iβm here: it is my birthday today and I am away from home for a couple of days for work, and itβs fine, and I planned it this way, and did I mention itβs TOTALLY FINE. But if you did want to be a dear and cheer me up a bit (although again, I stress, itβs FINE), one thing you could do would be to please go write some reviews on Amazon for MEGA ROBO BROS: NEXT LEVEL - it is new and at time of writing only has one so far, and while it is the loveliest review imaginable and totally made my day to read, for algorithmic and discoverability reasons it would be great to get some more up there. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! But honestly, itβs fine.