§25. McCloud on Method

What it comes down to, really, is four basic principles: learn from everyone, follow no one, watch for patterns, and work like hell. I think these are the four principles that go into this. And it's that third one, especially, where visions of the future begin to manifest themselves. What's interesting is that this particular way of looking at the world, is, I think, only one of four different ways that manifest themselves in different fields of endeavor. In comics, I know that it results in sort of a formalist attitude towards trying to understand how it works. Then there's another, more classical, attitude which embraces beauty and craft. Another one which believes in the pure transparency of content. And then another which emphasizes the authenticity of human experience -- and honesty, and rawness.
[Scott Mc Cloud]