Are you interested in writing comics? Perhaps you are a passionate artist, or you just like to write, and feel that you are ready to write a comic book. Keep in mind, though, that comic book writing is very tricky. When you write a comic book, you need to think visually and then you need to communicate those visuals in such a way as to spark the artist’s imagination to present them the way you see them. We give you some useful comic book writing tips, which may help you with this seemingly impossible task.
1. Storyline
Firstly, you need to brainstorm. Think of a storyline that can be conveyed well within the constraints of a comic book. Come up with an idea that you think will be fun and exciting to explore for about 20-22 pages (average length of a comic). You can start by writing down every thought you have for writing comics. It could be inspired by a book, a combination of many books, or even other comics! Get every thought you have down on paper. You do not need to worry about organizing them just yet. Once you have your thoughts on a paper in front of you, get to organizing them to build a well-structured storyline.
2. Sketch Your Ideas
If drawing is your strong point, you might want to illustrate first when you write a comic book. Start drawing and see where your pictures lead you. You can add the text later. Very few people can draw and add the words as they go along when they write a comic book, so don’t be disheartened if everything does not come to you at once. Take your time, and sketch your ideas. If you can’t sketch well, maybe hire a professional illustrator. Try to put as much thought as you can in your illustrations, which will make the writing job that much easier. A well-illustrated comic book is a well written comic book!
3. Stay Away From Clichés
You might want to avoid the often overused clichés in the comic book genre. You don’t want your comic to be just another comic in a pile. Make sure your story is novel, unique and well thought out. Stay away from people who dress up in costume to save the world, the chosen kid who is hardly aware of it, or any other overused story. Even if you do tread that path, make sure you have something interesting in store, to set your story apart from the clichéd ones.
4. Overwriting: A Strict No, No!
The last thing you want in a comic book is too much dialogue on the pages. That is a complete deal-breaker! You need to understand that your illustrations have to help you out here, and they need to do half the talking for your characters! Remember never to provide too much detail in the panel descriptions. Trust the story telling ability of your illustrations, or your illustrator if you have hired one. Once the balance between illustrations and text is established, stick to it. Never put more emphasis on text.
5. Target Audience
Finally, the thing that you must keep in mind before you even start brainstorming for your story is the audience you want to target. Remember, comic books are not just for kids anymore. Young adults, or even adults for that matter, read comics. Don’t just focus on the kids if you want a wider target audience. But, there is also a flip side. In making a comic book fit for adults, make sure you don’t cross the line and make it unsuitable for children as well! You need to find the right balance if you want the widest audience.
Image credit: Sam Howzit on flickr and reproduced under Creative Commons 2.0
Pranay Kanagat is a freelance writer who has a love for writing on various subjects. In particular, he enjoys creative writing. He is also studying for an Engineering degree.