In the past few decades, comic books have been making an impact on mass media. Well-known comic books have been adapted into films, and comic book characters have become household names.
This could tempt a lot of writers to write their own comic book. If you are going to write a comic book for the first time, you should know that it is easier said than done. You will need a set strategy if you are going to write a comic book of your very own. Here are some key tips to get you started.
1. Get the best inspiration for your comic book
Before you start writing your comic book, it is important that you get the best source of inspiration. Remember that the more influences that you have, the more chances that you will have of creating a great comic book.
There are so many comic books that you could take inspiration from. Just remember that you should only take inspiration from them, not copy their ideas. While you should take cues from successful comic books, the true path to success is originality. The more original your comic book concept, the more chances your comic book will succeed.
2. Gather a great team around you
When it comes to actually writing a comic book, it is not something that you could do alone. There are so many things to consider when you actually create a comic book. You will have to have artists, illustrators, letterers, and colorists to name but a few.
Even if you are a good writer or illustrator, you won’t really be able to fulfill all these roles. If you want to create a truly great comic book, then you should gather a team around you and strive to achieve this one goal.
3. Choose a genre
Yet another aspect of publishing a comic book is your genre. While comic books all have the same format of sequential illustrations that tell a story, there are many genres that a comic book can be written under. There are superhero, slice of life, science fiction, humor, and horror comics to name but a few. While you should not limit your future comic books to just one genre, you should at least focus on one genre when you are still building up your fan base.
4. Learn how to use all elements of comic book writing
When it comes to writing a comic book of your very own, you should learn and master all the aspects of comic book writing. The process of writing a comic book is a multi-faceted one. You will have to take elements such as the script, panels, spreads, narrative captions, and speech bubbles into account.
- Script
The script is the overall plot of your comic book. It will dictate the setting, the timeline and your character’s actions and motivations.
- Panel
The panel is one illustration on a page and surrounded by a border. It is meant to move the story forward.
- Narrative caption
This is separate box that used to provide context for what’s happening in the story. This usually used as the voice of the narrator in the comic book.
- Spread
This is an illustration that encompasses more than one page in the comic book.
- Speech bubbles
These bubbles should contain the dialogue of the characters. Please make sure that you use “tails” to indicate to which character the dialogue belongs to.
If you want your comic book to do well, you should combine all these elements and match them to fit your chosen comic book genre.
5. Dialogue is key
Apart from the artwork in your comic book, you should ensure that your dialogue is immersive. Remember that even if your artwork is of the best quality possible, you will still need to make sure that your dialogue will fit with your artwork. As a rule, your dialogue should be engaging enough to get your reader’s attention and yet not too long that it would end up as boring.
6. Choose a publishing format
If you are going to publish a comic book of your very own, you should remember that you will need to have your book published. However, if you think getting a publishing deal with a traditional publishing house is easy, you are in for a surprise. A majority of comic book companies such as DC and Marvel are notoriously difficult to get a publishing deal. This is understandable because they are hugely successful, and will only take comic books that will sell well.
As a newbie comic book publisher, you should self-publish your work. By self-publishing your work, you won’t really have to wait for a publishing deal anymore. Self-publishing a comic is no longer that difficult. You could hold off publishing physical copies of your comic book.
Instead, you could create digital comics and post them online. You could even create your own website that will contain all your content. By doing so, you will be able to make your work easier to discover. Your work may even gain recognition from the big-time comic book publishers.
7. Enjoy yourself
While you should take the process as seriously as possible, this does not mean that you should not enjoy yourself. Remember that any endeavor should be approached with as much enthusiasm as possible. If you are going to publish a comic book, and not really have fun with the process, then you are just going to waste your time in the long run.
Conclusion
If you have dreams of writing a comic book, or at least want to try out the process, you will need a set strategy. Writing a comic book might be fun, yet it is also a multi-faceted process and will take time and effort to gain any form of success. With these tips, you’ll be able to write and publish a comic book the right way.