Sunday, March 16, 2014

Advice For Science Fiction Comic Book Authors

By Jaclyn Hurley


If you are looking to write a science fiction comic book then it helps to know how to write both comic books and science fiction. You have to be aware of genre conventions while at the same time looking for a new and interesting angle for your potential readers. With the right approach it is possible to learn how to join the great science fiction comic book authors with your seminal work.

The simplest way to develop your skills is to read and watch plenty of science fiction. This is not just in terms of comic books but also television series, novels, short stories and movies. This will allow you to get an idea of how the genre works and give you an idea of structure.

Broadly speaking comic books tend to be around 22 to 24 pages long. If you intend to produce a graphic novel then you can make it a lot longer. Whether it is a comic book or a graphic novel you should keep the number of panels on each page reasonably consistent. In order to get the best level of detail it should be restricted to around four to six panels per page.

The other thing to think about is the structure of the story you are writing. You need to think about whether you want to produce an ongoing story or a graphic novel. People often get confused by these terms and think graphic novel is a politically correct term for a comic book. In fact a graphic novel is a closed narrative in graphic form whereas a comic book is an open narrative similar to a soap opera.

You also need to think about the artist. If you are drawing the story yourself you do not need to worry as much. However for an artist you need to take a balanced approach. If you do not provide enough description then you waste time by replying to inevitable emails asking for more information. However if the description is excessive then the artist can often feel like you are intruding on their role in the project.

This means reading stories, watching movies and TV shows. As you watch and read you should learn more about the conventions. You can then begin to think about ways you can subvert those conventions when it comes to writing your own stories. A great example was the Edgar Wright film Shaun of the Dead where a classic romantic comedy storyline was fused with the zombie subgenre.

With a comic book there is also the issue of space. Typically a single issue will be around 22 to 24 pages. On average each page tends to be around four to six panels. Therefore you need to be careful when it comes to the amount of information you put in a panel. If you are drawing the story yourself then you do not need to worry about the description. However if you are writing for someone else you need to include enough information to guide the artist without being excessively instructive.

In short if you want to write a science fiction comic book you need to be aware of the genre but also how stories are constructed. It is also worth looking online for scripts and sample templates as this will make it easier for you to write. With a sensible approach you will be able to develop your story and make it as interesting and engaging as possible.




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