Writing Comic Scripts

[Modesty]

It's not as easy as it may seem to write a script for your comic but it is sooo helpful. It is also necessary to have a comic script for a pitch. But even if you're not planning on publishing professionally it's a good habit because it is so much easier to edit script than it is to edit pages of art work.

So where to begin...

When you get more practice with drawing comics and writing you can almost picture the whole page in your head and write it down. But it takes practice to get there. I can almost do it. ;D

Step 1: Write a premise of what the pages should accomplish or make a story outline. This gives your pages a GOAL.
EG: Boy meets Girl -- Boy gets kidnapped -- Girl defeats monster -- Girl Saves boy -- Elf babies. ( )

Step 2: Goal established! Now picture how you want to communicate that story using pictures. I find it easiest to imagine the story panel by panel like a movie storyboard. So that's how I write. Write descriptively for yourself.
EG: Panel : Boy is walking down a forest path. He looks angry and stiff.
Boy: My life sucks

Panel : Girl is walking down the same path from the other direction. She is happy and boyant.
Girl: My life rocks
etc.

Step 3: Go through the panels and find the natural page breaks in your panels. This would be in places like mini-cliffhangers where you want your reader to turn the page to find out their reaction.

EG: Panel : blah blah

Panel : Blah blah

Panel : More stuff

Panel : even more stuff.

Panel : Boy and girl collide.

Panel : Boy and girl look at each other in shock
>>Here would be a good spot for a page break.
Panel : Boy accuses the girl of not looking where she is going.
Etc…

Step 4: Count your pages and count how many panels are in your page. Generally the rule of thumb for manga is a max of 8 panels per page. Then write the panels more descriptively so they fit on the page.
EG: In my crappy example first page has 6 panels. A good number. This helps me get a feel for how the layout could go.

Panel 1: Medium panel, full body shot. Boy walking down forest path looking angsty.
Boy: Dialogue

Panel 2: Medium panel, full body shot. Girl walking from opposite direction. Looks happy. Birds chirp around her.
Girl: Dialogue

Panel 3: Small panel, close up. Boy’s foot kicking a baby puppy.

Panel 4: Long panel, long shot. Boy and girl both not looking ahead on the same forest trail. Girl happy. Boy angry.

Panel 5: Odd panel, bust shot. Boy and girl collide

Panel 6: small/medium panel, close up. Boy and girl look each other in the eyes.
//end page 1

Step 5: Edit your stuff. Change up the dialogue, maybe change the poses or camera shots. Maybe cut out panels that are unnecesarry.
In my example, I would probably cut out panel 3 since it adds nothing to the story OR I would change the content. I can’t think now so I’m cutting it which leaves me with 5 panels on this page. Or maybe even add panels or pages to help clarify the story.

Step 6: Start drawing thumbnail sketches to get the layout of your pages right. Or if you are a writer, ship it to the artist for feedback.

[Modesty]

More Tips

• The more comics you read the better at layout you will get. You can tell what layouts are bad or too busy by looking at them. You will also learn panel tricks that artists use.
  
• Look at movie storyboards. Lots of animations put the "animatics" (storyboard to sound) on DVDs. Storyboards of course are much more detailed since they are to be mimiced with camera moves instead of panels on a page. But it helps with various angles used.
  
• Read other comic scripts. There are a few examples online.
  
• Practice of course.
  
• Reading books on writing for comics or creative writing or story writing will help. Learn how to be descriptive, write dialogue and write stories. Comics are a storytelling medium. Usually.
  
• Keep character descriptions, maps, and so forth apart from the main script. You don't have to keep writing that your character has blue eyes in your script if you have a character description.