Golden also offered up the related rule that, "People are stupid." However, he was quick to point out that, despite the connotation of the word "stupid," it is not meant in a negative or derogatory way. Instead, storytellers should always assume they are the only ones who know what their story is; everyone else is completely ignorant of the story you are telling and the characters you are working with. Not only does this go for your own creations, but also if you're working with well-known characters like Spider-Man, Superman or Batman. While it is incredibly easy to fall into the trap of thinking "Everyone knows Spider-Man..." you always have to work from the perspective that no one else knows who these characters are. For every piece of dialogue you write, or image you use, you have to offer information.
When asked about common mistakes he's seen in new storytellers, Golden said they usually don't cover all of the bases. As an example, Golden said many new writers and artists are taught to write stories using the "Marvel Method." In short, the method was devised in the 60's as a way for the editor and chief writer Stan Lee to write several titles. In order to keep up, he would simply give his artists a basic synopsis of the plot (usually a beginning, middle, and end) and let them plot and pace the story visually. After turning in the penciled pages, Lee would then write dialogue to round out the story. Though successful, the approach only offers a bare bones story structure and can easily work against writers if they aren't actively aware of how to tell a story. Again, Golden pointed to always keeping the 6 story questions in mind.
Additionally, storytellers need to know basic story structure. Everything needs to be a part of the story and relate in some way. Otherwise, it can cripple a story either by becoming too simple or overly complicated. Another trap Golden pointed out was the idea of creating never-ending, epic stories. Although writers, especially comic book writers, want to tell long form stories, they need to always make sure every story they tell is its own self-contained entity. Otherwise, you run the risk of losing your way through the story and ruining your structure. Although you want to keep an audience coming back, they won't if the individual stories aren't interesting unto themselves. In Golden's view, it is unfair to constantly expect people to come back for the next part of the story. If you want to keep an audience hooked, they have to stay interested and feel like they're not being strung along. In other words, questions are great, but an audience doesn't want to feel like their enjoyment hinges on getting answers.
