Robert Kirkman, The Iconic Storyteller
Robert Kirkman | Photo Credit Cosmic
Thanks to AMC, Robert Kirkman has become somewhat of an icon. After making it big as a comic book writer, his post-apocalyptic zombie thriller The Walking Dead has turned into an entertainment franchise.
In addition to working as an executive producer of AMC’s The Walking Dead and while continuing his own comic series, Kirkman also writes the comic Invincible as well as an exorcism-type story known as Outcast.
How does someone work in such a prolific manner?
Extensive Notes For Multiple Stories
The Walking Dead | Photo Credit AMC
According to Business Insider, Robert Kirkman avoids multitasking so his various ideas do not escape. With so many characters and plot lines in mind, it’s difficult to keep them all separate, so Kirkman makes sure to focus on one title at a time.
In addition to his mental focus, he also takes extensive notes. “I have a notepad in my phone and I’m always pulling it out when I’m pretty much anywhere,” he said, in regards to the storyline, characters, and even dialogue. This is particularly important given that The Walking Dead’s comic and series have different storylines.
Besides which character does what, Kirkman also has to focus on where the character is within a story arc. “The Rick Grimes that’s in the show, he hasn’t quite developed to the point that the Rick in the comic book has,” said the writer.
This means that not only does he have to keep up with individual plot points, but he has to keep up with how and why a character will make future decisions. Meaning, Rick Grimes is obviously much different before Glenn died and after Glenn died.
Planning And Creating Unrealistic Goals
This means planning years into the future. It also means setting unrealistic guidelines for himself. “I kind of thrive in chaos,” he confirmed. The sense of urgency means that he needs to set “utterly unrealistic goals.”
Kirkman’s example is that he may need to write four or five pages, so he sets a goal to write twelve pages. That means if he writes six, he’s actually ahead of the game. If he actually hits twelve, then he’s way ahead.
Finally, Kirkman focuses on his work and not his success. If he actually considered how many people were “scrutinizing The Walking Dead at this point, [he] would probably get nervous [or] stage fright…” He works for the sake of the work.
Thankfully for viewers, Kirkman makes it all work for the best possible stories.
Do you prefer Kirkman’s Comic Book or the AMC series?
