It all depends on which side of the desk you're sitting on.
Len Wein

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.
Len Wein

Lord of the Rings, I think, is far and away the most brilliantly done stuff.
Len Wein

People who were more concerned with themselves and looking good to their readers then they were with the characters sacrificed a series for the sake of a story.
Len Wein

Sometimes you're not even sure which of your stories were failures. There are things I've written that I thought were complete catastrophes when I finished with them that have gone on to generate some of my most positive feedback.
Len Wein

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

The most unrealistic thing I've ever read in comics is when some group of characters calls themselves the Brotherhood of Evil or the Masters of Evil. I don't believe any character believes their goals to be truly evil.
Len Wein

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

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

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

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.
Len Wein

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

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

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.
Len Wein

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.
Len Wein

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.
Len Wein