Barren Dialogue
I often call people out on writing “On the Nose” dialogue; dialogue without any subtext… dialogue that says exactly what it means. On the Nose dialogue rarely engages reader and […]
Technique
A Screenplay is not a Comic Script
I think you’d be hard pressed to find some work of fiction, some type of writing, that you could NOT turn into a comic. That is to say, you could […]
Panel Descriptions
Though I talk about Loose vs. Tight scripting on page 17 of the Working Writer’s Guide to Comics and Graphic Novels, I decided to make a fancy graph and continue […]
Don’t Use Captions as a Crutch
This also could have been titled, “Newer Comic Writers, Don’t use Captions.” While I’ve spoken to captions elsewhere and they are certainly a viable technique in comics, more often than […]
10 Core Rules to Writing Comics
Here are the first 12 pages of the Working Writer’s Guide to Comics and Graphic Novels. They cover the 10 core rules for scripting comics. Enjoy. 10 Rules to Writing […]
New Writers IGNORE Comictography
In the Working Writer’s Guide to Comics and Graphic novels, Comictography, is the second item, in the list of four essential elements to all comic panels. First and foremost, comictography […]
Scripting Unforgettable Panels
Take a moment and think back to your first love. Try to recall what you loved about her or him. No really, close your eyes and try to pull up […]
Beware the False Subtext of Profanity
If you’re gonna write, you must know the difference between conversation and dialogue. Something I’ve seen increase lately is the use of profanity to carry a panel. A panel with […]
Dual Name Characters
So you’ve got a character that has two identities… easy peasy. Let’s start with the basic example: Your character’s name is Fletch. FLETCH Do you think it’s a real gun? […]
Stories without Character Arcs
Genuine story delivers a thesis about how we writers see the world. Our underlying message is our Master Theme. At its most fundamental level, genuine story is new understanding revealed […]