6 Week online Course | Instructor: Paul Allor

Comics Writing: Discovering Genre

$695.00

The comics industry is founded on genre work. In this six-week course, comics writer Paul Allor will guide you through the genres of science fiction, crime, horror, comedy, romance and more! You will discover what makes these genres tick, and learn how to craft a winning story in each.

For more than a decade Paul Allor has been crafting comic book stories across a wide variety of genres. That, paired with his approachable teaching style, makes him the ideal instructor for writers at every level.

In this class, Paul will help you examine how each of these genres works, how they are similar and how they differ from the rest. You will learn:

  • What makes a genre a genre, and how to know if your story truly fits within the genre you’ve chosen
  • How to write stories that are powered by genre without being beholden to it
  • How genre shapes reader expectations, and the pros and cons of that
  • How to combine, subvert and expand genres, creating something wholly unique to you
  • What makes comedy so different from every other genre discussed
  • How you can maintain your unique authorial voice across a wide variety of genres
  • And much, much more

Each week, students will write a three to six page comic in that week’s genre, and will receive feedback from the instructor and from your fellow students, in a fun, intense course that’s designed to ramp up your skills and make you a stronger, more versatile comics writer!

  • You will learn from professional comic book writer Paul Allor (Monstro Mechanica, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, G.I. Joe, Tet, Past the Last Mountain).
  • You’ll get Paul’s lessons and lectures and discussions!
  • You’ll write FIVE short comic scripts, covering each of the genres discussed in class, and receive instructor and peer feedback on each!
  • You also get exclusive access to a dedicated class member-only online forum.
  • You’ll have access to recordings of any class in the series for the duration of the class and a few weeks after its conclusion—so you never have to miss a class!
  • Class size is limited to keep it awesome!

Paul Allor is a critically-acclaimed writer, editor and letterer who began as a Comics Experience student and workshop member, eight years ago. Since then, they have written for Marvel Comics, AfterShock Comics, IDW Publishing, BOOM! Studios, Dynamite Entertainment, Vault Comics and others.

Paul’s comics writing is known for balancing intensely character-driven stories with bombastic ideas and dynamic plotting. Their creator-owned books include Hollow Heart, from Vault Comics; Monstro Mechanica, from AfterShock Comics; Tet, from IDW Publishing and Comics Experience; Past the Last Mountain, from Gov’t Comics and Comics Experience; Strange Nation, from Monkeybrain Comics; and the self-published comics Orc Girl and Clockwork, the latter of which included Paul’s five-page story from their Comics Experience Introduction to Writing class!

On the work-for-hire side, Paul is perhaps best known for their extensive work in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise for IDW Publishing, as well as the critically acclaimed 2019 relaunch of GI Joe.

Other properties Paul has worked on include Captain America, Iron Man, Guardians of the Galaxy and other Marvel characters; Star Trek; Mighty Morphin Power Rangers; King Kong; Godzilla; Clue; Samurai Jack; My Little Pony and others.

 Since 2017, they have served in various capacities with Comics Experience. Paul is currently the Editorial Director of CEX Publishing, and teaches a number of introductory and advanced writing classes. You can follow them on Twitter at @PaulAllor.

Do I need to already be a comics writer to take this course?

Every story falls into a genre or a cross-over of genre, to study genre is to study story intensely. To pick it apart and learn how to build it up from scratch. And this one is devoted to doing just that, but in comics.

Not at all, but taking our Introduction to Writing Comics course is a prerequisite to this one. If you’ve completed Introduction to Comic Book Writing, you’re good to go for this one!

Wanting to work in comics is great, but what if I just want to tell my own stories?

Our courses are geared for this exact purpose. No matter where you are on the spectrum, beginner as well as experienced writer, learning from someone who has achieved these same goals and can personally guide you is invaluable!

Besides the weekly live lessons, what does the course entail?

You write! A lot. This is a work-intensive course that guides you through a short comic a week, and stretches your writing muscles in new and hopefully unexpected ways. We’ll also be meeting in live sessions weekly, for lectures and in-depth discussions.

You’ll also have exclusive access to a dedicated class member-only online forum where your class can meet online 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the duration of the course. The forum is where you’ll be able to post your work for your peers to review, comment on, and make suggestions. And likewise, you’ll be asked to comment on your fellow students’ stories as well. You’ll problem-solve together.

What if I’m not interested in writing one or two of the genres listed?

Good! A big part of genre writing is pushing yourself out of your own comfort zone.

Do I need to know a whole lot about comics?

Having at least an interest in comics and a basic knowledge as a reader is helpful, but not mandatory. This is about the craft and the form, so we’ll be going over all of the things you’d need to know.

What if I miss a class?

All of our classes are recorded and available to view via streaming link for the duration of the course. And on top of that, you’ll have exclusive access to the Comics Experience forum set up just for the class. You’ll be able to interact with the rest of your class all week long at any time!

If I don’t live in the United States, can I still take the course?

You bet. We’ve had students jump in from Europe, Asia, Australia, and South America and Africa. Not Antarctica yet, but give us time! Some of these students have not been able to attend live, but they’ve viewed the recordings and interacted with their classmates online!

Do we get any practical industry advice?

You’ll get a LOT of practical industry advice. Networking is one of our main topics in all of our introductory courses. It’s, simply put, essential for anyone who wants a career in comics. We discuss relationship building and ways to get your foot in the door and where to go to meet the right people and so on.

How do I sign up?

Simply add the course to your shopping cart and check out. We will send you a confirmation email typically within 48 hours! If you’ve got any questions or haven’t heard from us within 48 hours, you can contact us at info@ComicsExperience.com to follow up. Our email confirmation contains information and instructions, giving you everything you need to get started with the course.

If you want to make comics for fun or become a pro, your comics career starts here. Go ahead and reserve your spot today! Space is limited.

Prerequisite: You must have completed the Introduction to Writing Comics course to enroll in this class.

In order to complete the work, the following system requirements are recommended:

  • Microsoft Word or some other writing software.

To participate in our live online sessions you will need:

What if I need to cancel my enrollment?

Unfortunately, Comics Experience cannot provide a full refund for course enrollment once the course is purchased.

  • From the time of purchase until twenty-one (21) days before the class start date, 50% of the course fee can be refunded.
  • Between twenty (20) and seven (7) days prior to the class start date, 25% of the course fee can be refunded.
  • Six (6) days or fewer before the course start date, no refund will be issued.
  • We appreciate your understanding and compliance to help us keep costs down and to continue offering high quality courses.