Comic Book Writing 101 with Mark Pellegrini

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How To Write A Comic Book Script and Other More Important Things
https://chrisoatley.com/how-to-write-a-comic-book-script/

A plethora of resources both online and offline will teach you exactly how to write a screenplay but good luck trying to learn how to write a comic book script.

Though comic writers who work for the big publishers typically format their comic book scripts similarly to screenplays, there is still no official industry standard.

And if you write your own independent comics—either webcomics or print—you have even more freedom with your script’s format. After all, you are the only one who ever has to use it.

Outlining Your Comic Script:
Do not start writing a script for your comic without a rock-solid outline.

A rock-solid outline includes a clear plan for the beginning, middle and end of your story. The most important parts of your outline are the arcs for your main and secondary characters. Those should be clearly mapped out.

Be sure to include the timing of vital set-ups and pay-offs for both plot and character.

Regardless of whether you’re writing an individual issue of an ongoing, serialized comic like Spider-Man, a stand-alone graphic novel, or a five-volume series, we recommend that you use a traditional three-act structure.

Expect Change:
You will deviate from the outline during the writing process.

Every long road-trip needs a map so the driver doesn’t get lost along the way. And the crafting of any script, any well told story is a long, long road-trip.

Sure, you might find some interesting stops and detours while you’re out there. You might even change your mind about your ultimate destination.

But if you are just wandering aimlessly without a plan, your passengers (readers) will eventually get tired, smelly, hungry and grumpy. They’ll think twice before going on a road trip with you again.

When You’re Ready To Write The Script:
You have to decide which format you’re going to use.

Are you going to format your comic script in the pseudo-standard “big publisher” format we mentioned at the beginning of this article?

…or are you going to try something different?

Whatever you do, write more than one draft. Write as many drafts as you can before the writing deadline.

Story First, Layout Second:
Because I (Chris) come from a film background, I’m more comfortable writing in screenplay format with the Final Draft screenplay software I’ve grown accustomed to over the years.

I (Lora) work similarly—one long script independent of pages or panels at first—using Scrivener instead of Final Draft.

Like a movie-style pipeline, we recommend you focus entirely on the script until it’s done. One thing that Hollywood has proven thousands of times over is that the final work almost always suffers if you begin “filming” the story before you have a solid, finished script.

Our Processes:
Edit heavily as you go.

If you compare my Greg The Megabeaver’s Prehistoric Sideshow comic script to my comic pages, you’ll notice things that I changed in the drawing phase.

I liken this process to that of editing a film that I’ve already shot: I’ll change dialogue, pacing or even cut entire scenes while drawing. The scenes that were cut are then removed from the working version of the script for continuity purposes.

#comicbooks #comicwriting #writing

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