Catching a Vision 02
Learning the Craft: Writing
Catching a Vision, the weekly column on Comic Related from C. Edward Sellner, Founder and Creative Director of Visionary Comics Studio, provides practical guidance on how to break into the comics industry, as well as insights into this medium we all love. With resources you can order online, interviews and debates with comic professionals, and online workshops, this is your best introduction into the wonders of creating comics!
Last week we launched with the topic of Learning the Craft and talked about it in the broadest strokes. Let's narrow our focus a bit now and start bringing it to bear on specific roles in the comic book industry. Since most comics start with an actual plot and script, writing would seem to be the first logical stop. Of course, I have seen comics that were drawn based on plot, then the writer added dialogue. I also know someone who once suggested a comic should be inked first. He was pretty drunk at the time. So, we'll chalk these up to exceptions and move forward.
Challenges...
The first thing that should be said to all you aspiring comic book writers out there is that you have chosen the single hardest way of breaking into the comic book industry, congratulations! What? Why? I hear you all innocently asking, at least I hope those voices are you all. Well, let's list the ways...
First, there is a ton of internal competition. There are already a lot of very talented writers in the comic industry. To make it harder, while many artists struggle to do a monthly book with a new issue every four months, a seasoned professional writer can often produce three to four scripts a month. Then there's Brian Michael Bendis, who it seems if you pull his finger a script comes out and his finger gets pulled a lot. Not to mention that, in a unique reversal of trends, a lot of high profile authors and movie screenwriters are coming to comics. So much so that at times it seems the best advice to give an aspiring comics writer is to go off and warm up by writing a summer blockbuster or best selling novel.
Second, there is also a ton of peer competition for new writers. Writing is one of the 'cool' jobs in comics that a lot of hopefuls strive for and look for avenues to pursue. As a result, publishers or studios that open their doors to writing submissions looking for a few good writers may find it's a bit like opening the hatch on a submarine looking for a glass of water.
Third, writing is the most challenging type of submission to review. A good editor can glance at a penciler's portfolio and in five seconds know if they've got someone with talent. The same can be said for inkers, colorists and even to an extent with letterers. To know if someone is truly a good writer, ultimately, that editor has to invest the time to carefully review the portfolio, actually sit down and READ. Again, crazy I know but there it is.
Fourth, there are far fewer opportunities to submit. Most established larger publishers have their cadres of writers they know, have worked with and wish to continue with. They also often have the resources to tap bigger names that they can market in addition to getting stories out of them. Mid-sized publishers generally also have a pool of writers who have an abundance of ideas that more then likely outstrip the publisher's resources to produce. Many smaller publishers were started by writers wanting to get their own material out so they only publish their own stuff. As a result, most publishers won't even look at writers period. At conventions publishers hold numerous reviews of portfolios for many positions, but not writers. Again, this is that whole screwed up need to actually read the blamed thing which takes a bit more time then conventions lend themselves to. Imagine being in a line to get your writing portfolio reviewed with all the other writers wanting to break in. Forget bringing your lunch with you in the line; drag a stocked fridge.
But this article is not about the challenges of writing, instead it's on the importance behind learning the craft of writing; so why bring this up now? Simple. To reiterate from my previous column, the single most oft-repeated mistake aspiring pros make is to assume they can break into comics without really knowing their craft. Take an arena in comics with a great deal of competition, limited opportunities and difficult means of submitting and this becomes all the more true; you have to know what you're doing in order to get attention.
So, what are the main things every writer should learn to master?
The Basic Mechanics: Grammar / Spelling / Punctuation
Language is the tool of the writer, the notes of their symphony, the strokes of their portrait, it should be treated thus by a true writer. The use of language, its flow, from word choice to correct spelling to sentence structure should be something a good writer is exact and careful with.
From a practical perspective, those rare times when an editor is willing to open the submarine hatch they are going to filter the onrushing wave very quickly. The best means to quickly toss submissions? Spelling and grammatical errors. A glance through a writing submission that picks up misspelled words, run-on or bad sentences or sloppy punctuation is never even going to be considered on the basis of its story. If an editor is looking for a prize stallion and they find a pile of horse manure, they aren't going to dig in hoping one is hiding underneath.
If you struggle with the basics of English grammar, the best suggestion, again, are classes at your local community college or a tutor. Speaking English all your life is not necessarily a good gauge of how well you actually know it. Trust me, we abuse the language so much that if it were a dog, it would have bitten most of us by now. If English is a second language to you or you have been diagnosed with dyslexia or other writing / speech impairments this may be an additionally hard arena to master but it nevertheless needs to be if you're serious about breaking into comics. If you are in the above categories you may want to consider partnering with someone who can edit and improve your chances.
A simple 'Spell Check' on the computer will correct a lot of the more blatant mistakes and that in itself is a start. Going through and reading what you've written out loud is also a good, simple practice. If you think you sound like an idiot reading it, well, an editor is going to think you sound like an idiot as the one who wrote it.
I've included below several solid books that provide reference and lessons on grammar, spelling, punctuation etc. Whether you are well versed in English and especially if not, if you're a writer, one or more of these is a must for your library.
The Basic Elements...
Writing is also much more than the simple mechanical use of the language. It's got a lot to do with using the elements of storytelling that are universal no matter the medium.
Comics are often seen as a 'lowbrow' form of entertainment, especially when it comes to story. Fans of comics, aspiring creators and even some established pros add to that negative caricature when they think all they have to do to write comics is pound out a script. I remember one writer who actually bragged about finishing an entire script in a few hours. I read the published book. I was a bit surprised it took that long. You may not be writing a novel in a comic script, heck, you may not even be writing a feature length film in one, but inevitably if you want to write good comics, you have to be able to write good stories and that means investing the time and energy to craft it well.
If you aren't familiar with terms like linear storytelling, foreshadowing, climax, omniscient narrator versus first person or third person narrator, then you need to be. Learn the art of pacing and character development. Narrate and create the world in which the story is set, with convincing and flowing dialogue. You may not be writing prose, but you will be setting much of the scene in your art description. A far better synergy happens when an artist is drawn into the script like a regular reader is drawn into a good book. If they see the world of the script unfold for them, the characters come to life, their art will reflect that far better.
Not to mention those pesky editors reviewing it first. Have faith, if an editor can't stop reading a script because they are so into it, you're going to be hired!
Again, nothing is better than taking a local class in creative writing, but if you can't do that join an online writing community and post samples. Find fan fiction sites for your favorite materials and post stories there, trying to capture the feel and spirit of the original material. Trust me, you'll get feedback then. Most of it will be along the lines of "this is cool" or "you suck" but you will also get some thoughtful and even insightful comments as well. Consider the rest training in dealing with the many more people who will so brilliantly sum up your work when you are a top professional.
Below are some great book resources on basic elements of being a good writer. These are obviously written more with a 'prose' author in mind, but most of the contents and context applies to being a good teller of stories, the medium they are being told in being irrelevant.
Finally, Comic Book Scripts...
The production of a comic book is really starting in full force once a script is written. Before is pre-cursor; it's plotting, bouncing ideas, etc. The first real form of the comic is its script. That is also the tool that everyone else who comes along will work from to create the final product. The editor uses it to review and hone the story, the artist uses it for direction in drawing the story, the colorist for mood and guidance in coloring the story and the Letterer for actually inserting the dialogue.
Too many writers think about the script merely as a tool for them. It's not; it's a tool for the entire process. It should be prepared as such. Certain specifics will vary from one publisher to another, but in general comic scripts follow pretty standard formats. ALWAYS use those standards. Lay the story out neatly, in an organized fashion so people will not be struggling to find what they need in the midst of it later. Page and panel breaks should be obvious. Art description should be set off and clear. Dialogue should be labeled and laid out to easily see where one speaker ends and the next begins.
If you're submitting make sure you know any specific quirks that publisher wants in the format and layout of the script. If the publisher is generous and flexible and doesn't give specific guidelines DO NOT take that to in ANY WAY mean, just ramble it out, paste it in an email and send it! When I go into a restaurant and order a steak, I may not have a ton of picky concerns about how it's served. That doesn't mean I want it still frozen, or freshly regurgitated onto my plate by the waiter. I've had story submissions however that felt like each of the above.
Beyond the mechanics of a script there are other concerns. For example, are you being conscious of where two page spreads work and don't? What about pacing the story in general? What makes too much for a comics page, what makes too little? How and what makes a good issue cliffhanger and should you use one? Obviously there are many shades and textures to being the best writer you can be that is also VERY specific to the art of writing comics. That means at some point you should specifically study comic script writing. Now, there aren't too many classes on that, but, there are ways to learn this specific craft. I've listed a number of resources below, from books to web-sites where you can learn format, layout, and the quirks of writing comics.
ONLINE RESOURCES
I'm probably going to list this resource just about every time...
Creating Comics by Dave A. Law is a fairly comprehensive site that has sections on every aspect of creating comics. These include helpful how to articles and links to other resources and tips. If you cannot find it here, you're not looking. (This link goes directly to the writers section.)
Scryptic Studios is a resource online for writers. They run a number of columns and features on writing, but the best feature is they are building an online collection of comic scripts you can download to see how those scripts are done.
Next Week...
Look for a couple bonus columns with interviews with up and coming writers like Jeff Loew (eigoManga LLC) and Josh Williamson (Image) as they give you their thoughts on making it as a writer in this wild, wacky, wedium...uh, medium.
Join the discussion and add your thoughts on this edition, or the column in general. If you have any questions or suggestions for resources, post them or email them to Sellner so they can be included in future columns. Are you an aspiring or up and coming creator and would like to share your story? Email Sellner and let him know who you are and what you've done.
C. Edward Sellner is the co-founder and Creative Director of Visionary Comics Studio, a studio that within its first two years has drawn high praise from the media and attracted the attention of legendary creators in the comics industry. They have been digitally and print published in the mainstream market and their creators currently work with over a dozen different publishers. Their work has been featured on television news shows, radio programs and internet podcasts as well as featured in every major comics news site online.
Contact him directly at cedwardsellner@aol.com
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