STORY ARCHITECTURE
Introduction
- Story Potential – Genesis of All to Come <--- Everyone start here!
Discovery and Structure
Advice on beginning your journey.
- Worldbuild AFTER Storybuilding
- Story Shine
- Comic Book Titles and Dangerous Misnomers
- High Concept or Gimmick Writing
- Moving Past the Conceptual Stage
- The Importance of Concept
- Understand this piece of Art to be a better Writer
- Comic Book Writing Fundamentals – UPDATED
- Most Important Parts of Writing
- Plot Points
- Preparation – TIP
- Where do you Start – TIP
- Know Your Story
- How many pages of script is my outline?
- Loglines: is my story any good?
- Character Flaws
- Does Your Story Have a Pulse?
- Choosing Your Best Comic Concepts
- Are you working on a Phantom Story?
- 3 Act Structure-Friend or Foe?
- Master Theme
- Discovering Your Story
- Outline Basics
- The Best Way to Name
- Stories That Matter
- Character Profiles
- Streamline your Outline
- More on Master Theme
- Gravity of the Story
- Goals NOT Problems
- Pitch your Climax
Story Fundamentals
The cornerstones of story.
- Promises Conventions Obligatory Scenes and Genre
- How Many Acts – TIP
- Story Checklist
- A Cornerstone of Good Story – TIP
- Genre Masquerading As Theme – TIP
- Tone, Mood, Style and Genre
- Character Trifecta
- Ensemble Casts
- Creating Characters That Stand the Test of Time
- Writing Solid Villains
- Master Theme, Secondary Themes and Character Arcs
- Surprise and Foreshadowing
- Fix your Flashbacks
- Point of View and Captions
- The Super Trifecta
- Effective Subplots
- Hooks and Cliffhangers
- Scene Sizes
Story Mechanics
Building off story fundamentals.
- The Subtext of Action
- Maximize Your Turns
- Sunk Without Escalation – TIP
- Loglines are the Real Deal – TIP
- Character Arc Payoff – TIP
- Scene Selection Part 2: Only Your Best
- Scene Selection and Narrative Drive
- Threat of Violence
- Story Arcs
- Combat Micro-Scenes
- Dramatic Narrative Emphasis
- Delayed Inciting Incident
- Pacing Primary Escalation of Violence and Action
Script Execution Technique
Specific methods on building out scripts.
- Avoid Flat Scenes Don’t Forget the Wrestlers
- Attention to Tension Writing Hack
- Location Detail Dumps
- Character Arc Old Belief
- Highlight Reel NOT a Complete Narrative
- Silent Panels
- Anger is NOT Conflict
- Better Characterization
- Effective Full Page Art
- RIP We See
- Forced Character Goals Kill Narratives
- Stop Storyboarding Your Scripts
- Standard Format Documents
- Barren Dialogue
- Panel Descriptions
- New Writers IGNORE Comictography
- Beware the False Subtext of Profanity
- The Secret Turn Equation – TIP
- Unnatural Exposition – TIP
- Camera Direction a Dangerous Weapon – TIP
- When in Doubt Add Conflict – TIP
- Highlighting Minor Characters – TIP
- Practical Editing – TIP
- Stop Relying on Dialogue – TIP
- Don’t Center Stage Symbolism – TIP
- Comicbook Script Format – TIP
- Always Drive Forward – TIP
- Show it Don’t Tell it – TIP
- Don’t Focus on Plot – TIP
- Kill your Passive – TIP
- Numbers in Dialogue – TIP
- Introducing New Characters-the Details
- Fight Scenes that Resonate
- Kill Phone Calls and Texts – TIP
- Don’t Skim Details – TIP
- Comic Writing Crimes (*updated* 1/20)
- Make SFX Matter (*Updated 8/19*)
- Screenplay Sloppy Sound Effects
- Contradictions indicative of Poor Visualization – TIP
- Emotional Context and Visual Writing Wins Every Time – TIP
- Avoid Subtle Action Sand Traps – TIP
- Cut your Character Motivations – TIP
- Accents in Comics
- Loose Vs. Thin
- Cut Your Entrances (and exits) – TIP
- Does Format Really Matter?
- Off Panel Bubble Direction – TIP
- STOP Zooming – TIP
- Kill Your Continuity Panels – TIP
- Always Use Courier! – TIP
- Beware of Panel Dopplegangers – TIP
- One Face, One Emotion – TIP
- Pacing Dialogue to Reveals
- Breaking Bubbles – TIP
- Repetition, Enemy and Ally
- Comic Writing Trends
- Long Shots, Short Detail – TIP
- Moral Message vs. Saying Something – TIP
- Name your Red Shirts – TIP
- Opening Scenes
- Strikethrough – TIP
- Full Page Art – TIP
- Cuts and Transitions
- Pass the Passive Writing
- High and Lows – TIP
- In Media Res (*Updated 12/19*)
- Anchoring Sound Effects
- On the Nose
- Showing Not Telling
- A Screenplay is not a Comic Script – UPDATED
- Don’t Use Captions as a Crutch
- 10 Core Rules to Writing Comics
- Dual Name Characters
- Sample Scene Breakdown
- Visualizing Panels
- Talking Slick, Hip and Breaking the 4th Wall in Panel Descriptions
- Double Page Spreads
- A Lesson in Visual Writing
- Comic Book Script Template – [Download]
- Writing Natural Dialogue
- Engaging the Reader in 22 Pages
Process
Broader discussion of technique.
- Engaging the Reader through Consequences
- The Dark Side of Writing Violence
- Continuity of Action Eats Real Estate
- Creating Covers
- Situational Narratives and One Beat Concepts
- Edit or Rewrite
- Story Potential Assessment
- What Drives Your Story
- Verifying Your Concept
- Finishing a script
- Structure from Story Notes
- Beware of Beta Readers
- Mary Sues and Marty Stus
- Cowriting vs Hiring A Writer
- Plot Kills. Story first.
- How to Work With an Editor
- Talking Head Dopplegangers – TIP
- Talking Heads Kill Comics
- Recognize Split Narratives – TIP
- Editors Improve your Work – TIP
- Try to Break Your Story – TIP
- Actions Over Words – TIP
- The Strength of Weak Points – TIP
- Effectiveness In Expression – TIP
- Meet Your Deadlines – TIP
- Effective From Page 1 – TIP
- Works in Star Wars But NOT for You – TIP
- Environment Matters – TIP
- Every Gap is Not a Plot Hole – TIP
- Character Design is Trivial – TIP
- Damn the Prologue, Full Speed Ahead – TIP
- Every Story is Two Stories – TIP
- Wrong or Right in Comic Writing – TIP
- Steps to Create – TIP
- Ideas are Cheaper than Dirt – TIP
- Editors Make it Better
- Sacrifice your Ego for Story
- Homeless Guys Have an Opinion Too – TIP
- Real world premises – TIP
- Mini-series Outline – TIP
- Start With Your Second Act
- Works in the Movies, Not in Comics
- Editing Page Weights
- Aim Small – TIP
- Criticism – TIP
- Bad Aliases First – TIP
- Writing Workload – TIP
- Shower with your Theme
- Send Your Characters Out For Coffee
- Dialogue During Action
- Effective Prologues
- 5 Tips for Writing Female Protagonists
- Works in the Movies NOT in Comics Part Two
- First and Last
- DON’T Kill Your Darlings
- Writing to Strengths and Weaknesses
- Fictitious Terms and Exotic Proper Names
Economics of Comics
The business and financial side of comics (and writing).
- Maxiseries and Graphic Novels with Less Money
- Artificial Intelligence in Indie Comics – NSFW adult content
- Economic Breakdown The Man Who Died Twice
- Kickstarter for Comics Part 3 – Almighty Algorithms
- Kickstarter for Comics Part 2
- Work For Hire
- Comic Page Rates and Creator Budgets – UPDATED
- It’s hard to FIND a professional but easy to BE ONE
- Business Structure For Comic Professionals
- How to Hire an Editor
- Not Getting Screwed By Publishers
- Getting Ahead as a Comic Writer – TIP
- A Simple Contract Truth – TIP
- Business or Passion – TIP
- Bad Business Strategy – TIP
- Stick to your Strategy – TIP
- More Tips on Hiring Talent
- Size Matters. Stay Small. – TIP
- Not Getting Screwed by Contractors
- Know Your Audience – TIP
- Pitching to Publishers – TIP
- Hire the Best Editor You Can Afford – TIP
- Portfolio Tips – TIP
- Long Term Success
- Working for Free and Being a Shmoo
- Hiring Good Comic Artists with Less Money
- The Thousand Dollar Page Rate
- Kickstarter for Comics
- How to Find an Artist for your Comic Script
- How to Find Comic Writing Work
Miscellaneous
Everything else.
- Writing Comics is Fast and Easy
- You Have One Year To Finish
- Movie Reviews that Don’t Suck
- Follow the Right Advice
- Visual Direction and Dialogue Punches
- What kind of Brick Layer are you?
- UPDATE – October 1
- UPDATE – Mid September 23
- How to Build Writing Confidence
- Surviving in the Age of AI
- Removing Social Media
- Kickstarter for Comics Part 3 – Almighty Algorithms
- Are we running out of stories?
- Kickstarter for Comics Part 2
- It’s hard to FIND a professional but easy to BE ONE
- Writing Contest Results
- Famous Writer Scripts Teach Nothing
- Successful Cowriting
- Copyright and Wrong
- Comic Storyboards – [Download]
- A Better Way to Pitch
- The Privilege of Writing – TIP
- You Can Do Better – TIP
- The Necessity of Enjoying the Work – TIP
- How to Get Started in Comics
- You are a Mirror – TIP
- Overcoming Writer’s Block
- Other Books on Writing
- Character Designs
- Proper Pitching
- Timing – TIP
- Death of the Super Hero Genre
- Time Management and More
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- Scripting Unforgettable Panels
- Stories without Character Arcs
- Scripting an Outside Outline
- Symbolism
- Throughlines: Threads of the Story Tapestry
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