I was very clear that I wanted to keep 'Thor' out of the rest of the Marvel universe for no less than the first six issues. And the success of the book, I think, speaks well to that decision. J. Michael Straczynski More Quotes by J. Michael Straczynski More Quotes From J. Michael Straczynski When you're writing a story in bits and pieces, month in and month out, there really isn't time or space for reflection, no room to learn what those scripts had to teach you. J. Michael Straczynski space reflection writing When writers don't know what to do with a character, they build up the supporting cast and universe to kind of hide that fact. After a while, you can no longer see the character for the underbrush. When that happens, you need to bring out the weed-whacker to clear some of that away so you can focus on the main character. J. Michael Straczynski weed focus character It is not for the gods to decide whether or not Man exists - it is for Man to decide whether or not the gods exist. J. Michael Straczynski god-exists men When it comes down to it, the reason that science fiction endures is that it is, at its core, an optimistic genre. What it says at the end of the day is that there is a tomorrow, we do go on, we don't extinguish ourselves and leave the planet to the cockroaches. J. Michael Straczynski optimistic cockroaches the-end-of-the-day If there’s any other message in this to readers, it’s in these two characters as icons of hope, that it doesn’t make any difference where you come from, or where you went to school, or who you are, there’s hope. That a kid from Jersey with Superman as the icon that kept him alive for years would one day end up writing the character is as absoutely unlikely as it is utterly inevitable. And if that’s true for me, it’s true for you, if you follow your dreams and your passions in full flight. Don’t give up. No Limits. It’s never too late to learn to fly. J. Michael Straczynski passion giving-up dream At its heartmeat core, writing is about exploring the questions of your heart on the assumption that what intrigues you, what inflames or amuses or ennobles you, will have the same effect on someone else. It's about taking chances, and taking risks, and pushing yourself to be honest in the issues that present themselves. J. Michael Straczynski issues heart writing I always knew that I was going to be a writer. There was no question in my mind about that. J. Michael Straczynski mind Whenever you write for someone else, you're always aware - sometimes overtly, other times at an almost cellular, subliminal level - of the rules about what you can and can't do. J. Michael Straczynski levels writing sometimes I wake up every morning knowing how ridiculously lucky I am to be able to do what I love for a living, and that sense of wonder never, ever wears off. J. Michael Straczynski lucky knowing morning Stun settings are for people who can't commit. J. Michael Straczynski settings commit people To understand this whole area, you have to stop thinking like a viewer and start thinking like a network programming exec. J. Michael Straczynski programming television thinking The hardest thing in the world is to stand alone. Your friends will not understand, will resent you, will want you to just stop it and let life go back to where it was. But you have to follow the quiet turning of your own considered conscience. It's a hard road. J. Michael Straczynski resent-you want world The universe considers me its personal cat toy. J. Michael Straczynski toys universe cat When the Seinfeld show said it was going to be a show about nothing, everybody said it couldn't - wouldn't work. It did. Thor is about something, about that character finding his destiny, but it's not doing what was expected... and yet it's doing very well. J. Michael Straczynski destiny said character A good story should provoke discussion, debate, argument...and the occasional bar fight. J. Michael Straczynski bars fighting stories Greatness is never appreciated in youth, called pride in midlife, dismissed in old age, and reconsidered in death. Because we cannot tolerate greatness in our midst, we do all we can do destroy it. J. Michael Straczynski greatness pride appreciation Never follow somebody else's path; it doesn't work the same way twice for anyone. J. Michael Straczynski path way If sacred places are spared the ravages of war... then make all places sacred. And if the holy people are to be kept harmless from war... then make all people holy. J. Michael Straczynski sacred war people I like writing. It's partly control freak, and partly I really like what I do for a living. I have the luckiest job in the world. I can get up every day and do what I love for a living. J. Michael Straczynski writing jobs world When the mob and the press and the whole world tell you to move, your job is to plant yourself like a tree by the river of truth, and tell the whole world - No, you move. J. Michael Straczynski rivers jobs moving
