Hey everyone; it's rough out there right now. Stay safe, and if it's within your means, consider donating to organizations helping the most vulnerable during this time. I wish I was sending this second issue of the newsletter under happier conditions, but it's been long overdue and the best we can do right now is fulfill our obligations to each other.

What was it like creating a new Avatar story?

In my last issue, I explained how I initially got noticed by Nickelodeon to write AVATAR, THE LAST AIRBENDER: THE RISE OF KYOSHI. But after the burst of elation, it was time to get down to the work itself, partnering with Michael Dante DiMartino, Nickelodeon, and my publisher. I'll try my best to explain what that experience was like while weaving in writing tips any aspiring creators that might be reading this.



The degree of control and preparation that an IP holder wants from a hired writer can vary a great degree, as I learned from fellow authors and Comic-Con co-panelists who've worked on franchises such as Marvel, DC, and Stranger Things. Oftentimes a writer will be given story and continuity bibles that must be followed, or lists of rules that any portrayal must adhere to. In terms of story approvals, a really extensive outline might be required. In an extreme case, a co-panelist mentioned having to submit a outline for approval that detailed the narrative progression of every single scene!



What it means is that writers who are "pantsers" (as in authors who fly by the seat of their pants, finding characterization and plot as it comes to them) would be at a disadvantage under these kinds of scenarios. I, again, got lucky. Mike and Nickelodeon certainly wanted to understand where Kyoshi's story was going in broad strokes, but gave me a great deal of trust to discover what I needed to along the way. I got to throw in story elements that felt right in the moment that I didn't necessarily outline in advance, and as long as they advanced the narrative and didn't grossly violate the workings of the Avatar universe, they were okay. The final check was really Mike's masterful sense of story service, and whether everything was filling the needs of the narrative. (If you think I'll ever stop singing Mike's praises, you've subscribed to the wrong newsletter)



Outlining vs. discovery are both valid methods of writing, as you'll discover quickly with just a cursory search about the writing process. No matter if you're a plotter or pantser, you still have to know your basic story structure, and be able to evaluate what it is you've just written. Plotting just gives the people you're working with some insight and confidence into your delivery schedule and final product, which is crucial for a multi-party project like writing for an existing IP.



For an upcoming non-Avatar project I'm trying to get off the ground (dun-dun-DUN) I'm going to be trying an extensive outline, partly because I've never done it before, and partly because I want to see if I can generate that level of foreknowledge and confidence with the folks I'll be working with.



The other thing I've learned from working on Avatar is the importance of taking feedback. When it's not your universe you're writing in, you pretty much have to take the notes that are given to you. However, the process is less about swapping out what you've written and shoehorning in every suggestion. When someone gives you a note on what you've written, I've found the best process is to ask yourself "Why did they give me that particular note? What was I trying to accomplish with that section? How could I do it better than I did?"



Being able to articulate the answers to those questions is an important component of the ability to self-edit, which is one of the best ways you can improve as a writer. The specifics of the revisions you make aren't as important as to what degree they address those questions. If you can learn to answer "Why did my reader react like that?" then you're on your way to possessing the Jedi mind trick of taking your reader along an emotional journey with you in the driver's seat. *waves fingers* It'll make for a great book.

