These are the comic script writing tips that John Ostrander (writer of the Star Wars Jedi comic scripts). The bold text is my questions to him. The regular type is his answers. Everything I know about comic script writing can be found in these tips.
Introduction
I'm working up a class to teach locally on how to write "graphic narrative" (comics) so this might be a good place to help set some of my ideas down.
One of the basics -- there are techniques that can be taught but one of the most essential things to learn is what makes one writer different from any other. Essentially, it is what makes that person an individual, that makes them unique. What interests you, what drives you, and how much of that do you bring to the work that you do? What are your interests and how do you explore them? What is your "voice" and what makes it distinctive from anyone else's?
I balance that against "what do you have to say". I think people don't care about what the WRITER has to say; they are more interested in how the writer expresses what THEY have to say. How the writer seems to know and able to express those things for which the reader themselves doesn't have the words.
I don't usually write ANSWERS; I write QUESTIONS. I express thoughts, feelings, hopes, and opinions but I have no answers. I find that if I pose the question, the reader will answer them. Different readers will have different answers but both will believe they found them in my story. What they have found is the question.
I like FLAWS. Writing perfect characters who have no inner struggle is very difficult, if not impossible, for me. I'm most at home with the flawed characters. Since we're all flawed, I think we can all identify with characters like that. We're more likely to see ourselves in someone like that. And it creates more tension because there is a struggle within the character.
There's a lot to be explored on this topic. I'll need to pick one aspect at a time, I think, and look at it that way. If you folks are interested. Also, if there are any specific questions about writing or how I work, I'd be glad to address those as well.
What is different about writing for a comic as opposed to writing say a screenplay or a novel? How do you tell in your script what you want to see drawn etc.?
Writing for comics has more in common with writing a screenplay than writing a novel. Length is one example. (We'll assume that we're discussing full script instead of plot first.)
There are certain physical realties to consider. In an average comic, you have 22 pages. The first page is often called the "splash" page and is one big panel. You try not to average more than five panels a page. Fewer panels in big action pages (as a general rule) and more where there is talk and discussion going on. Averaging out, that gives you about 100 panels per 22-page issue in which to tell your story. Not a lot.
In addition, there are limits to how many words you can put in a given panel. As a rule, no more than two type written lines (three max) per balloon or caption box and the combined limit per panel is two captions or balloons.
When you describe what you want drawn in the panel (description), I've seen it run the gamut. One very well known and famous comic book writer can write a page and a half description for a single panel. That included the names on the books that were on the shelf in the background. Also what the writer had for lunch that day. Rather more information than is needed, I think. <g>
Here's my rules of thumb: each panel should have ONE clearly defined action that is expressed as an active, transitive verb. He runs. She cries. They jump. A hits B. Nothing in passive voice. "A FEELS bad." That tells the artist nothing really. How do you draw "feels bad"? They frown, they grimace, they snarl -- that can be drawn.
Also, no one just TALKS. All talk is action. Always define what you want in terms of action. They confirm. They deny. They wheedle. They cajole. They demand. This gives the artist something to do.
Remember that the primary story-telling is going to be visual. Trust to the visual and don't overcrowd it.
All fights should reveal character. CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON is an excellent example of this.
You can make suggestions about camera angles, about long shots, about close ups. The artist may disregard them. I don't mind so long as what needs to be told to propel the story forward is there.
Ostrander's law: "When in doubt, cut it out." If you can cut dialogue or narrative captions, cut them.
Gotta run. Hope this helps a little. More soon.
I noticed that in Mace Windu pretty much every page had one panel if you will that took up the entire page. All the other panels on the page were placed so as not to block the important part of that background image. For instance one page has Mace and Quin sparring. Mace is jumping in the air to block Quin. This takes up practically the whole page. The three other panels are at the very top and very bottom to make room for this big image. Is this something you denote in your script? What is this style called?
This has something to do with what we call PANEL PLACEMENT. In MACE WINDU, I was working with what we call PLOT FIRST. This means that I break the script down into page and panel but leave out the dialogue and captions. The artist (in this case, Jan) then draws the book and it comes back to me for scripting. I trust the artist to do panel placement although sometimes I'll indicate that I think a given panel should be the largest panel on the page. The largest panel generally is the one that has the greatest emphasis and carries the most important action on the page. Size, shape, placement, and number of panels can affect the flow of the story, can speed up or slow down the reader. Some writers will even do rough breakdowns of a page, giving an exact idea of how the panel should be placed and the figures within it. Most of my artists, if I attempted to do this would a) ignore me, b) laugh at me, and/or c) shoot me. Not necessarily in that order. <g>
In Republic 50 there was a point where Obi-Wan asks Anakin if he has anything to tell him. We then see a jumble of thoughts going through Anakin's head. His killing the Tusken's, His secret marraige etc. How do you describe something like this?
I ask for a MONTAGE and describe a cascading set of images drawn without panel borders. Specifically, I wanted them to be as his thoughts inside his head. The montage is good for carrying a lot of information and condensing it into one space. I often use it as a way of getting a lot of information out so we can move on with the rest of the story.
What about structure? Should there be something exciting every x number of pages to hold the readers interest?
It depends on how you define "exciting". Should there be an explosion every third page? A fight every fifth page? It depends on what type of story that you're telling. In an "action flic" type story then -- yeah, every so many pages, there should be.
Let's try to define it differently. A story is about conflict. The conflict can be external (A wants to do this, B want to do that, and both mutually exclusive; in other words, if A wins, B must lose) or internal (I want A but I also want B -- a guy is attracted to two girls for different reasons or I'm torn between good and bad or between bad and worse and so on). There is a struggle to resolve this and in comics and other things this is often externalized by action. A tries and fails, tries harder and almost succeeds, tries one last time and wins. That's the structure. What is desired, what is the force opposing the desire, how deeply is the thing desired, how hard is the protagonist willing to work to get it, until it builds up to a resolution. CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON does this brilliantly, erupting into fights that are very different several times throughout the movie, each fight also further advancing story, character revelation, a dn theme. The movie HARD TIMES with Charles Bronson is also classically structured this way.
What you DON'T do is decide -- "well, it's page three. Time I blew something up!" The conflict should always arise naturally from the story and propel the story forward. In an odd way, it's like a musical. A song in a musical shouldn't just stop the show -- it should advance the story, character, and themes in ways that a simply straight scene can't. Same with a fight scene or an explosion.
What about the length of the Jedi comics? Is it any harder to hold the readers interest in a longer comic?
What is strange about SW JEDI is the SPECIFIC length which is 40 pages. Normal books are 22 pages long, Annuals tend to be about 38 pages long, and prestige books are 48 pages long. So 40 pages becomes an ODD number and it does affect the pacing of the book. Also, each issue of JEDI is complete and self contained in and of itself although you may discover SUBPLOTTING threads running through Jan's and my stuff that will link one story to another. My focus is on the single issue aspect of it; what is this story ABOUT? As I work on it, the theme starts to emerge and then that will influence the plotting as well. Here's a tip: I'll sometimes write the last scene or two before most of the rest of the plot. That way, i know where I'm headed, what the emotional payoff for the story is supposed to be. I leave myself open, however, for the possibility that the story MAY take me elsewhere.
What advice would you give on breaking in to the comic writing biz?
Other than, "Go back! It's a trap!", you mean?<g>
People used to ask me what was the best way to break into comics. I used to say with a crowbar in the middle of the night.<g>
But seriously, ladies and germs. . .
It's harder these days than ever. Or maybe simpler. Marvel has a new EPIC imprint that is going to open the door to a lot of people (potentially). You need to look up what they're saying about it.
You need to know that there's a WORLD of difference between those who are TRYING to break in and those who have. Anywhere. If you publish with a small press, they may not pay you other than in copies but, if the book is at least competent, it gives an editor something to look at and let's them know SOMEONE believed in your work enough to publish it. Doesn't mean you'll get MORE work but it places you in a different category.
In the meantime, make sure you know everything about writing that you can. There are good books out there that can help and some are even specific to the comic book medium.
Other than that, it's a roll of the dice.
This is the extent of his tips on writing so far. Everything here was taken from this thread at theforce.net: boards.theforce.net/messa...mp;page=32
Introduction
I'm working up a class to teach locally on how to write "graphic narrative" (comics) so this might be a good place to help set some of my ideas down.
One of the basics -- there are techniques that can be taught but one of the most essential things to learn is what makes one writer different from any other. Essentially, it is what makes that person an individual, that makes them unique. What interests you, what drives you, and how much of that do you bring to the work that you do? What are your interests and how do you explore them? What is your "voice" and what makes it distinctive from anyone else's?
I balance that against "what do you have to say". I think people don't care about what the WRITER has to say; they are more interested in how the writer expresses what THEY have to say. How the writer seems to know and able to express those things for which the reader themselves doesn't have the words.
I don't usually write ANSWERS; I write QUESTIONS. I express thoughts, feelings, hopes, and opinions but I have no answers. I find that if I pose the question, the reader will answer them. Different readers will have different answers but both will believe they found them in my story. What they have found is the question.
I like FLAWS. Writing perfect characters who have no inner struggle is very difficult, if not impossible, for me. I'm most at home with the flawed characters. Since we're all flawed, I think we can all identify with characters like that. We're more likely to see ourselves in someone like that. And it creates more tension because there is a struggle within the character.
There's a lot to be explored on this topic. I'll need to pick one aspect at a time, I think, and look at it that way. If you folks are interested. Also, if there are any specific questions about writing or how I work, I'd be glad to address those as well.
What is different about writing for a comic as opposed to writing say a screenplay or a novel? How do you tell in your script what you want to see drawn etc.?
Writing for comics has more in common with writing a screenplay than writing a novel. Length is one example. (We'll assume that we're discussing full script instead of plot first.)
There are certain physical realties to consider. In an average comic, you have 22 pages. The first page is often called the "splash" page and is one big panel. You try not to average more than five panels a page. Fewer panels in big action pages (as a general rule) and more where there is talk and discussion going on. Averaging out, that gives you about 100 panels per 22-page issue in which to tell your story. Not a lot.
In addition, there are limits to how many words you can put in a given panel. As a rule, no more than two type written lines (three max) per balloon or caption box and the combined limit per panel is two captions or balloons.
When you describe what you want drawn in the panel (description), I've seen it run the gamut. One very well known and famous comic book writer can write a page and a half description for a single panel. That included the names on the books that were on the shelf in the background. Also what the writer had for lunch that day. Rather more information than is needed, I think. <g>
Here's my rules of thumb: each panel should have ONE clearly defined action that is expressed as an active, transitive verb. He runs. She cries. They jump. A hits B. Nothing in passive voice. "A FEELS bad." That tells the artist nothing really. How do you draw "feels bad"? They frown, they grimace, they snarl -- that can be drawn.
Also, no one just TALKS. All talk is action. Always define what you want in terms of action. They confirm. They deny. They wheedle. They cajole. They demand. This gives the artist something to do.
Remember that the primary story-telling is going to be visual. Trust to the visual and don't overcrowd it.
All fights should reveal character. CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON is an excellent example of this.
You can make suggestions about camera angles, about long shots, about close ups. The artist may disregard them. I don't mind so long as what needs to be told to propel the story forward is there.
Ostrander's law: "When in doubt, cut it out." If you can cut dialogue or narrative captions, cut them.
Gotta run. Hope this helps a little. More soon.
I noticed that in Mace Windu pretty much every page had one panel if you will that took up the entire page. All the other panels on the page were placed so as not to block the important part of that background image. For instance one page has Mace and Quin sparring. Mace is jumping in the air to block Quin. This takes up practically the whole page. The three other panels are at the very top and very bottom to make room for this big image. Is this something you denote in your script? What is this style called?
This has something to do with what we call PANEL PLACEMENT. In MACE WINDU, I was working with what we call PLOT FIRST. This means that I break the script down into page and panel but leave out the dialogue and captions. The artist (in this case, Jan) then draws the book and it comes back to me for scripting. I trust the artist to do panel placement although sometimes I'll indicate that I think a given panel should be the largest panel on the page. The largest panel generally is the one that has the greatest emphasis and carries the most important action on the page. Size, shape, placement, and number of panels can affect the flow of the story, can speed up or slow down the reader. Some writers will even do rough breakdowns of a page, giving an exact idea of how the panel should be placed and the figures within it. Most of my artists, if I attempted to do this would a) ignore me, b) laugh at me, and/or c) shoot me. Not necessarily in that order. <g>
In Republic 50 there was a point where Obi-Wan asks Anakin if he has anything to tell him. We then see a jumble of thoughts going through Anakin's head. His killing the Tusken's, His secret marraige etc. How do you describe something like this?
I ask for a MONTAGE and describe a cascading set of images drawn without panel borders. Specifically, I wanted them to be as his thoughts inside his head. The montage is good for carrying a lot of information and condensing it into one space. I often use it as a way of getting a lot of information out so we can move on with the rest of the story.
What about structure? Should there be something exciting every x number of pages to hold the readers interest?
It depends on how you define "exciting". Should there be an explosion every third page? A fight every fifth page? It depends on what type of story that you're telling. In an "action flic" type story then -- yeah, every so many pages, there should be.
Let's try to define it differently. A story is about conflict. The conflict can be external (A wants to do this, B want to do that, and both mutually exclusive; in other words, if A wins, B must lose) or internal (I want A but I also want B -- a guy is attracted to two girls for different reasons or I'm torn between good and bad or between bad and worse and so on). There is a struggle to resolve this and in comics and other things this is often externalized by action. A tries and fails, tries harder and almost succeeds, tries one last time and wins. That's the structure. What is desired, what is the force opposing the desire, how deeply is the thing desired, how hard is the protagonist willing to work to get it, until it builds up to a resolution. CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON does this brilliantly, erupting into fights that are very different several times throughout the movie, each fight also further advancing story, character revelation, a dn theme. The movie HARD TIMES with Charles Bronson is also classically structured this way.
What you DON'T do is decide -- "well, it's page three. Time I blew something up!" The conflict should always arise naturally from the story and propel the story forward. In an odd way, it's like a musical. A song in a musical shouldn't just stop the show -- it should advance the story, character, and themes in ways that a simply straight scene can't. Same with a fight scene or an explosion.
What about the length of the Jedi comics? Is it any harder to hold the readers interest in a longer comic?
What is strange about SW JEDI is the SPECIFIC length which is 40 pages. Normal books are 22 pages long, Annuals tend to be about 38 pages long, and prestige books are 48 pages long. So 40 pages becomes an ODD number and it does affect the pacing of the book. Also, each issue of JEDI is complete and self contained in and of itself although you may discover SUBPLOTTING threads running through Jan's and my stuff that will link one story to another. My focus is on the single issue aspect of it; what is this story ABOUT? As I work on it, the theme starts to emerge and then that will influence the plotting as well. Here's a tip: I'll sometimes write the last scene or two before most of the rest of the plot. That way, i know where I'm headed, what the emotional payoff for the story is supposed to be. I leave myself open, however, for the possibility that the story MAY take me elsewhere.
What advice would you give on breaking in to the comic writing biz?
Other than, "Go back! It's a trap!", you mean?<g>
People used to ask me what was the best way to break into comics. I used to say with a crowbar in the middle of the night.<g>
But seriously, ladies and germs. . .
It's harder these days than ever. Or maybe simpler. Marvel has a new EPIC imprint that is going to open the door to a lot of people (potentially). You need to look up what they're saying about it.
You need to know that there's a WORLD of difference between those who are TRYING to break in and those who have. Anywhere. If you publish with a small press, they may not pay you other than in copies but, if the book is at least competent, it gives an editor something to look at and let's them know SOMEONE believed in your work enough to publish it. Doesn't mean you'll get MORE work but it places you in a different category.
In the meantime, make sure you know everything about writing that you can. There are good books out there that can help and some are even specific to the comic book medium.
Other than that, it's a roll of the dice.
This is the extent of his tips on writing so far. Everything here was taken from this thread at theforce.net: boards.theforce.net/messa...mp;page=32
