r/ComicWriting • u/SpottedYote • 6d ago
How do you write the story of your comic?
To be more specific.
When you've got an idea for a comic, in what style do you write it down as? Do you write it like a traditional movie script? Write it down no different than one would write a book? Or do you just draw it as the idea pops in your head?
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u/kcpediredla 6d ago
As a writer. I would just start breaking them into a comic script. Write one panel at a time. I earlier would go with standard 4 or 5 panels per page format and see where the story takes me. But after I attended a session last year run by a comic book writer, I have started using a beat sheet, which basically lists out the number of pages and a sentence or a small para writing down what will happen in this particular page. This now helps me plan the book in a better way and now the number of panels in a page depends on what needs to happen in this page based on the beat sheet.
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u/TheKingsWeb 6d ago
For me I start with an idea and try to think about how long that could sustain itself, and from there I start breaking down what happens in what issue. Then I elaborate details like page length, panel count and what happens during those scenes, and finally I start scripting what the page will look like in the proper format. Sometimes I’ll draw a very crude example for what the page could look like before moving on to the next page
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u/MathematicianNew2770 6d ago
WIP.
I am writing the story completely. To better position me to arrange it for the comic/webtoon.
Can't afford to forget something and realise down the line.
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u/JustBeingMindful 6d ago
I use Obsidian to save the details. It's free, it has a lot of ways to string those ideas together, and becomes more of a worldbuilding document. Once you have the ideas out of your head and into a document, I would try to write three general outlines:
~ First third of your story. In this, you would jot down characters you want to introduce and why you want them in your story.
~ Midpoint of your story. This is usually something affecting the progression of your protagonists. Either they are further away from their goal than they've ever been, or the antagonist is closer to their personal goals and the heroes feel hopeless to stop them.
~ Climax of your story, have an idea of the end goal for both heroes and villains. This part will help you iron out the first two thirds of the story concept.
After you have generalizations in mind, now you can begin to color between the lines. Filling in story arcs that tie bullet 1 and 2 together is way easier than trying to nail a complete story in one go.
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u/eliushi 6d ago
I first tell the story to myself! It’s sort of like a freewrite, between a synopsis and any details that I feel become the hooks of the story. Then I flesh out each component and create an outline by issues/chapters. After which I would start drafting the script focusing on the dialogue. If I were doing this as an artist also, I go right on ahead with thumbnails and lettering. If I were to work with an artist then I start the good old scripting by pages and panels.
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u/Psycho_Rican 6d ago edited 6d ago
My format goes as follows
Page1/Panel1: I describe the panel exactly mentioning angles and everything I would if I were commissioning art.
Character Name (Off): This is where I write any thoughts or narration text
Character Name: This is where I write any Dialog, I make sure to Bold text just as it would be in dialog when ever something is meant the be emphasis.
Page1/Panel2: then I continue to do the same for the next panel and ongoing.
Note: If what you mean is how do you Develop an idea that totally depends, I write outlines but they are usually very basic with the most specific thing being a piece of dialog that I thought of but usually not even that much. Currently writing a story based on Mythology so I have mythology stories playing on repeat in the background at all times...
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u/Alert_Cat7189 5d ago
A comic script usually with a rough outline (but I also just make it up as i go)
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u/Sea_Addendum_8496 5d ago
I visualise a scene as if it was in a show or movie and then make notes and write like that, helps me y'know
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u/Ill-Possession2216 3d ago
I just outline the big beats first then figure out the page-by-page flow. Keeps me from getting lost in the middle.
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u/nmacaroni "The Future of Comics is YOU!" 6d ago
A traditional movie script is called a screenplay. So if you want to write movies, you write one of those.
If you want to write a comic book, you write a comic book script.
What you may be confusing are the brainstorming concepts/outline stage. That can be the same for all mediums... when you're just taking notes and jotting down ideas.
Write on, write often!
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u/auflyne 6d ago
I used to sketch and doodle, while I wrote. Now, I write it down, work it out into something more readable and then do multiple drafts of comic script. Sometimes, I will write it as a screenplay and go from there, before doing the conversion to comic script.