Len Wein Quotes

“When I got my first glimpse of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, my breath caught. In that single instant, he was Wolverine.”

“When I'm my own editor, there's very little difference between the first draft and the final. I write what feels right to begin with. I rarely make any major changes.”

“There are very few of us, who reach my advanced age, who are still working in the business, as writers. As artists, people can hang out longer.”

“I think there's something inherently dishonest in trying to go back and mess with the past.”

“I became an art major, took every art class my school had to offer. In college, I majored in Advertising Art and Design.”

“I try not to violate what came before me and to leave lots of wiggle room for those who will follow.”

“I realized the only thing I owed my audience was my own judgment and my own best effort.”

“These days, it seems that if you're not already in place, you can't get there from here.”

“Were there stories I wrote along the way that were terrible clinkers? God, yes. But they were all a product of their time, and I did the best I could.”

“Never be embarrassed by the things you cannot do. Be embarrassed by the things you can do and don't do well.”

“What makes a story is how well it manages to connect with the reader, the visceral effect it has.”

“When I submitted samples, I had only written stories to give myself something to draw. I was told, "The art is good, but not quite professional yet. But, I like the writing." I've been a writer for almost a half a century. It's very cool.”

“I had never really thought of myself as a writer; any writing I had done was just to give myself something to draw.”

“I always wanted to fire rays out of my fingertips.”

“I've never had to work out of the arts. I've always either been a writer or an editor, or something where I've made my living from doing what I love. You can't get any better than that.”

“You can read a dozen different textbooks or how-to manuals that will tell you the basic rules of what makes a story - a beginning, a middle, and an end.”

“Unfortunately, there are writers whose only concern is how good they could make themselves look on a title.”

“I would like immortality.”

“In general, shorter is better. If you can encapsulate your idea into a single captivating sentence, you're halfway home.”

“It's all about who's where on the food chain. When I'm the story editor, I expect my writers to follow my vision. When I'm working for another editor, I'm obliged to follow their vision.”

“There is an ancient legend which warns that, should we ever learn our true origin, our universe will instantly be destroyed.”

“The bottom line always remains the same: What is the basic humanity of the character? How do I make them resonate with the reader?”

“I consider myself the luckiest man in the world. I have spent a lifetime doing what I love.”

“When someone writes to tell me something I've written made them laugh or cry, I've done my job and done it well. The rest is all semantics.”

“In these litigious times, if you're a beginner, it's becoming harder and harder to get your work to the people who might actually be able to hire you.”