Young Writers Society

Well, I've had a few ideas for dark/horror-comedies, and one of them would be made into a webcomic. While I know how to write prose and screenplays, I have no idea how to write comics (heck, my first comic script was just a screenplay). Does anybody have any tips over what works and doesn't work in comics?

I've never actually written a webcomic, but I have read my share. Just a fair warning!

I find the webcomic is a lot like a screenplay in that it relies on its images and dialogue. You will want to find a reliable artist to help you out (whether that means yourself or someone else) to bring the story alive. That and the dialogue. In fact, I don't really find much difference between a screenplay and the webcomic except that your options in webcomic are as many as your imagination will allow!

Since it's an illustrated book, so to speak, the comic should have interesting images. I imagine the dialogue relies heavily on the character's tone, too. Over-exaggerate how the character's feelings are shown in the panel, and the dialogue should also reflect it with enough effectiveness. You also have the benefit of a narration. Some comics actually rely on the narration, but I get bored with that part. I end up skimming or even skipping it because I want to see more of the characters, lol. I don't know if that'll affect anything you do, but food for thought!

EDIT: I figure I'd explain briefly what I mean with the exaggeration. Animation isn't completely realistic. It actually over-exaggerates some of the motions they make for a more amusing or entertaining result. It's a trick of the illustrator though, and I'm not sure if you're the one illustrating or not.

The Script Frenzy website has a page on How to Format a Comic Book which may be of some help or inspiration!

I've been dabbling in it myself, and here are some things I have discovered about comic writing:

1- You have no limited PoV. When you are showing a room, you either show everything, or get very clever with "camera" angles to hide information (Just, please, don't overdo it. If you hide something in a mystery, and that something is never figured out separately, or only in a flashback and you suddenly reveal this information, readers are going to feel cheated).

For an example of this done well, check out Fullmetal Alchemist. There is a giant secret being hidden, but it isn't the only secret being hidden. So the push and pull of information the readers know vs information the characters know is balanced well.

This also means that, while writing out the script, you have to include a lot more detail for any illustrator you use or for your own notes. Because each little detail can mean something, and you can't just leave a room mostly blank because the characters won't notice (readers will!)

2- This PoV means you aren't stuck to one, or even two or three

You can near-seamlessly switch PoVs in graphic novel formats. All that's really required is to get a few characters in a room, then have the one we'd been following previously leave and the camera stay. And you have just switched PoVs.

This can fix a lot of problems when it comes to not having the character know everything, and giving us interesting story bits that we honestly would've never known had the PoV switch not happened. You can also use a connection, usually sound or the other character trying to make contact to the first group of characters, something.

So long as they tie together somehow, you can switch PoVs mid scene no problem at all.

But, you also have to keep track of what each character knows and what each character doesn't know, as with a traditional PoV switching story.

3- You can fit in thoughts, but don't sacrifice action if you rely on thoughts.

At the beginning of Gunnerkrigg Court, there are a lot of thought bubbles. But they are thoughts as the setting and a couple characters are introduced, so you're not just watching a character think. That is just as boring as you'd think it to be. Use the fact you're not relying on straight text to an advantage.

4- The pace of the story is completely reliant on the images.

What I mean is, you can have an action-based story that can crawl along at a snail's pace because it uses lots of spreads and one to three panels per page to show the fight. You can also have a long discussion go by really quickly if you put a lot of panels on one page. You can also use several small panels to show one activity, or do a general setting shot to show one activity (compare: one panel of a lady cooking, or three panels with one showing the timer, one the food being chopped, and one the pot boiling on the stove).

So, when you're writing, try to consider the pace you want and some of the panel breaks. It can be fun to mix it up, or you can go for a full slow pace.

5- On a related note, think visually. The reason a lot of prose guidelines are in place is because, well, it's prose. You're dealing with text that can take up a lot of space for stuff that's not really needed. But, in a comic format, that same amount of space is just a few lines of dialogue, if that. The images are everything, which means putting a lot more emphasis on the setting.

This can be hard for minimalist writers to wrap their head around, but if you think more like a set director, I've found it helps.

6- Have a general idea about perspectives and how different scenes can be viewed, if only for your planning of the scenes.

In comics, the effect you're going for is highly dependant on the perspective of a panel. If you know how to match the perspective to the feel, you can instruct the artist (or keep your own notes) and get what you picture a bit more.

7- Webcomics tend to have author comments. Just an FYI. You don't have to add them, but sometimes, if you have a good voice for writing snappy descriptions, it can add a bit more connection with readers. Even if it's just a "thanks for reading", there's more of a connection.

In addition to what Jabber (and Rosey) said, panel layouts are also very important. How many panels you have on the page and their sizes respective to one another act as visual cues to how fast/slow or significant the action or image in the panel is.

There are several different formats to consider as well. Some comics work best with a set number of same-sized panels (example). Others work better with more dynamic panel layouts (example). Yet others work better without panels at all (example).

The easiest way to figure out which format to use is to experiment. Thumbnail sketches are really useful, even when you've only got stick figures or amorphous shapes for characters.