The Next Step

Though I haven't been here as often as I'd like, I've actually had quite a bit of success finding time to write lately. I've tried to stay up a few hours a night at least once a week, plus taking the time to do what I can while I'm at work. Admittedly, there's not much I can do at work. Emailing my progress so I can work from the newest material at both places is a drag, but things are still working out okay.

I know the last time I was here, I talked about sharing some submission links. In retrospect, I may have been getting ahead of myself. I've got the plotting done on what could easily be about 50 issues of just one comic, but only the actual scripting done on two issues.

I'm very satisfied with how the second issue turned out, but my first issue feels like a big encyclopedia entry. I've got to find a way to disperse my information and origin at a slower pace, without short-changing my characters and their motivations.

Going from plotting to scripting is a big challenge. The only scripting I have any real practice with is playwriting. However, playwriting is not a functional fit for this medium. Since comic books rely so much on the art and what is seen, the scripting needs to be done in a way that put emphasis on the visual elements.

A few years back, Marvel dreamed up some strange marketing stunt called "'Nuff Said." Basically, all of the books were done with a little narration and dialogue as possible. Tons of these books were total garbage, totally impossible to tell what was happening, etc. But, all of them featured the writer's script at the back of the book. So, for the issues that really worked on a visual and storytelling level, you could see what the artist got. It's a great benefit to have a perfect example (or 50) of how a working writer lays out a script for the artist. I've heard people say it's similar to movie scripts, and that may be, but nothing can beat a perfect example in the same vein.

Maybe I'll go back and read a few of my favorites, story and script, to see if I can apply some finesse to my work going forward. With comics, it's got to be visual; words alone don't cut it.