How to Write Comic Books
Mitch Cook
Storyteller, Producer; Comic Book Writer; and Television Programming Manager at Root Sports.
Scripting Continued. Roles and drivers.
One of the fun things about writing a comic book is that the writer is also many other roles. You are all the actors, the sound designer (yes, sound), the stunt coordinator, director and producer. You may also be one (or all) of many other roles especially if you are also the artist of your book.
The writer has to create all the characters of the story from the main character to all of the background characters. To write for each character you have to know each one very well. It is the characters the drive all the action.
Did you hear that?
IT IS THE CHARACTERS THAT DRIVE ALL THE ACTION!
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If the characters are not driving the story, you are doing it wrong. The plot does not drive the story, the action does not drive the story. Your story idea has a setting, a plot, and characters. Once the plot (things happen to a character or place) happens, each character has to decide what to do about each thing that happens. These decisions, in turn, create ALL of the action moving forward. Inserting new plot points will challenge each character but if they do not act according to who they are or how they have acted so far, then truth is lost. The actions of the characters will feel false, and the reader will see that and give up.
Now the writer has to “play” all the parts, say all the dialog, and make all the decisions. As the director, you will shape those character arcs by asking each character to make decisions constantly. If you are doing it right, the characters will grow, or at least they will move the story forward appropriately. Some characters never change, while main characters usually do by the end of the story.
It is your book, your message. You get to decide.
It is a powerful thing to create.