My desire as a storyteller is to always catch the readers off guard; to give them something they aren't expecting, and take them in a direction that is satisfying in the here and non.
Interpretation
Storytelling should surprise readers and lead them to an unexpectedly satisfying conclusion.
In this quote, Chris Claremont emphasizes the role of a storyteller in creating experiences that defy reader expectations. By guiding them towards an unforeseen yet fulfilling outcome, the storyteller enriches the narrative and engages the audience on a deeper level, making the journey through the story as important as the destination.
In practice
In a writing workshop, a teacher might quote this to inspire students to craft unexpected plot twists.
People try to pigeonhole comics by saying they're just for kids. So is The Odyssey. So is the Labors of Hercules, the story of Fa Mulan. The advantage of those stories over the contemporary ones is that they've had 2,000 years of editing. All the crap has been weeded out over time.
We figured the audience would want good stories, great art, wonderful characters, people you could fall in love with that we would immediately put through hell.
The key isn't winning -- or losing, it's making the attempt. I may never be what I ought to be, want to be -- but how will I know unless I try? Sure, it's scary, but what's the alternative? Stagnation - A safer, more terrible form of death. Not of the body, but of the spirit. An animal knows what it is, and accepts it. A man may know what he is -- but he questions. He dreams. He strives. Changes. Grows.
Creative life should be more than preaching to the converted, more than going for a core audience of 100,000 people. It should be taking risks, challenging the readership and having enough faith in one's own talent and craft to take readers on that ride.
X-Men has always been about finding your place in a society that doesn't want you.
Comics deal with fundamental archetypes. We've been called the myth-makers of the modern age.
I have no interest in ever coming out. I’m just trying to make the pictures look good; I’m not into trying to make myself look good. And besides, it’s a pretty safe bet that the reality of me would be a crushing disappointment to a couple of 15-year-old kids out there.
My music is evidence of my soul's will to live.
It feels like a game, this work I do. It is totally heartfelt, and I love the sticky terrain, the straight-up cartoons, how the irrepressible and icky rise to the surface. But I am not just trying to call forth bugaboos and demons for the sake of it, for fun.
Books are acts of composition: you compose them. You make music: the music is called fiction.
I equate composing with orchestrating. I think my music in terms of an orchestra.
That's the thing about musicians: The priority is to create something new that's never been before. And you put your life on the line every time that you play.
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