If you’re a fan of comic books, you may want to write your own one day. You could write your own comic book simply for fun, or you might want to sell your comic book to online comic books store. A personalized comic book can also make a great gift.
That said, writing a comic book can be an intimidating task if you lack experience. This is understandable. Luckily, writing a comic book doesn’t need to be as difficult as you may assume. The following tips will make the process much easier:
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Create Visually Distinct Characters
In film and TV, many qualities can distinguish one character from another. Some of those qualities don’t apply to comic books. For example, you can’t choose how a character sounds in the mind of a reader. You can suggest certain tones of voice to an extent, but your ability to give your character a voice that can be literally heard is limited.
That’s why it’s important to create characters who stand out from one another in clear, visual ways. Even if your comic book isn’t about superheroes or other such characters, you may even want to give your characters outfits that they wear in almost all scenes, like costumes. This will help you define them more clearly.
Make a Basic Storyboard First
This is an important tip to keep in mind regardless of whether you plan on drawing your comic book yourself or hiring someone else to draw it based on your text descriptions. In either case, you need to know which scenes and images your comic should include in order to effectively tell a story.
Thus, it’s a good idea to draw out a basic storyboard from the start. This doesn’t need to be a visually dynamic document. Storyboards can feature stick figures and still serve their purpose. Your main goal is simply to plot out the visual narrative. Keep in mind, you can also use storyboarding software to make this process easier.
Keep the Dialogue Short
You need to strike a delicate balance when writing comic book dialogue. You want your dialogue to be memorable, but you must also account for the fact that dialogue needs to fit into speech bubbles. Knowing this, strive to write dialogue that’s short but powerful.
Know the Ending
This is a tip that many successful comic book artists and writers emphasize: when you start writing a comic book, it’s essential that you know your ending. Ideally, you’ll have the full narrative plotted out, but even if you don’t, you must at least have a clear understanding of where the story is headed. If you don’t, you’ll meander in search of an ending, resulting in a comic book that loses a reader’s interest.
Choose the Right Printing Service
Choosing the right Comic book printing is a particularly essential tip to remember if you plan on selling your comics or giving them as gifts. You put a lot of work into writing a comic. You want to ensure the comic book printing service you choose will deliver a high-quality finished product.
Most importantly, have fun! Writing a comic book should be an enjoyable process, not a chore. These tips will simply help you write a comic you can be truly proud of.