This is when a writer uses strong continuity in his or her comics, but only when it is in reference to something (a work or a creation) that THAT writer did in the past.

Chuck Dixon was big on this, having minor characters from one of his four Bat-books show up constantly in his other Bat-books.

The funniest point of Dixon’s nepotistic continuity history is when he had the clone of Guy Gardner show up in Birds of Prey.

Outside writing is what you call it when outside influences, like editors, influence the way a story is written, not the natural flow of the story.

For instance, in the Superman titles awhile back.

“Lois and Clark need to break up!”

Then, a few issues later, “No wait, they have to get married tomorrow!”

See?

Silly nonsense like that makes for bad comic books often….but not ALWAYS…

For instance, Morrison’s JLA was big-time outside writing, Morrison really did not have an “inside” story reason why the “Big Seven” should form a team together, but the comic was excellent anyways.

This is not just a comic term, it also applies to other serial medium, like television. “Character X loves Character Y sooo much. But Character X’s contract is up, and is leaving the show. So now Character X hates Character Y.”