SebastianPiccione
Wednesday, December 17, 2008, 07:37 PM
Another Wednesday, another column!
Ok, for whatever reason, this little column of mine gets more hits when I talk about writing comics. Apparently, my views and opinions on the comic world in general draw less attention than my misadventures as a wannabe comic writer. What you don't know, but I am about to tell you, is that I have a SECOND collaborative project of an entirely different nature. I answered one of those scary no-pay collaborative ads on Digital Webbing. This one was one of the rare ARTIST SEEKING WRITER ads, with the stipulation that the writer be in the Orlando area. I'm about an 45 minutes to an hour out of Orlando, depending on which part. So I answered. I've been talking to Brian for almost a week now, but we've got some things cookin'. Brian Wolf, here on PFB as brianwolf (go figure) had some ideas he came up with, but needed help turning into full scrpts. I liked the ideas, and now we're starting to expand on them. I'm handling these two projects, mine & Neil's and Brian & mine, in decidedly different ways.
Ok, so, as you know, I am collaborating with my pal, Neil (Spyhawk here on PFB) on a Revolutionary war, semi-superhero (hero, yes; super, not-so-much) title.
Like many writers, I have a 'real' job, in my case, teaching. I know most of the world erroneously thinks that means I have all weekend, all summer, and from 3:15 on each day to write; but let me assure you, such is not the case. I have lessons to plan, papers to grade, and more beaurocratic red-tape and paperwork to file than you could ever dream of. So, again, like many writers, finding the time to write isn't always easy. As it stands, I am on page 21 of my 24 page script for issue #1. The last few pages of a script always take me the longest. In fact, for those who write themselves, let me share my creative process, my journey to a script.
First, I hatch out my general idea. I don't do a formal plot, per say, so much as come with what I want to happen. From there i decide how many issues I want it to happen in, and weigh that out against how many issues it should actually take to tell it. Just because I want a story to be three issues long doesn't mean that's how long it will be. Some stories go shorter, others more. Once I start my mental plotting, it doesn't take too long to figure out how many issues should be required.
Then I start picturing the book. I've always said I don't so much write scripts as I do transcribe the comics in my head into script form. I'm what teachers like myself would call a "visual thinker". Quite literally. Did you ever read DC's IMPUSLE? You know how many of his thought balloons were illustrated instead of written? Yeah. I think like that. Anywa, I "see" my comic page, and then write that. It helps me plot and pace the story. This way I know what fits on the page, what belongs, and how it should generally be laid out. I don't do breakdowns or layouts, as I want my artists to be able to their thing. That said, if I want a certain effect, or feel to a page, I will suggest certain paneling. But in general, I leave it up to the artist.
Beginnings are easy as I find them flexible. (What? Are you kidding? Beginnings are too important to be flexible! What does that even mean?)
Ah, i'm glad you asked. The beginnings themselves are not flexible, so much as what becomes the actual beginning of the story is flexible.
Still confused?
Ok, the part I begin a script with does not necessarily end up the actual beginning of the comic. For example, my revolutionary war script. it went through several rewrites, three of which were total overhauls. The original beginning was dropped all together, the second beginning got bumped to around page four, and the final beginning stemmed out of a scene I had originally envisioned for almost the end. You see, for pacing and gripping puposes, I decided to start the issue off with the action already well underway, and then tell the origin in flashback. This often used plot device can be used to capture, and hopefully hold, your readers attention. I'm a novice, and I know it. Forby tells me every Tuesday. :D With that in mind, I realized it would be easier and more effective for me to get the readers to read an origin about a character they had already (albeit briefly) met, then to get them to read the origin cold, with out any frame of reference as to who my guy is.
With Brian's project, I'm going a different route all together. Brian sent me a handful of ideas, all very clever, really. He sent a brief -I can't even say outline, really -descrition, a few sentences, as to his thoughts. basically, he had some inspirations, and sent me exactly that. Inspirations. And, like a good inspiration should, they inspired. Expecially one of them, which started some ideas rattling around in my little skull. So, for his ideas, I'm fleshing out some concepts and geneal plot concepts. While I'm doing that, I'm also coming up with questions, questions about his intent, his ideas; does he like this way or that; which direction; etc. You see, these are Brian's ideas, I'm just scripting them. I don't want to shanghai his concepts, but flesh them out. Maybe we'll go in a different dierction than he originally planned, but only if he agrees with what i have in mind. Once we have ironed out some of the details and laid a foundation, then I'll start at a potential beginning. Most likely, I'll send him a copy every four or five pages or so; for his approval and comments. That may be a bit halting, but it allows both of us to add and subtract what we want.
So there you have it. A piece of my thought process as to my creative process. Is this article a how to? Not at all. I just figured that the various posts I see here, and especially on Forby's BOLTS & NUTS, tend to include a desire by new writers to compare techniques with other writers. So, here's mine. Make of it you will.
Now, unlike Forby, I don't assign column Home Work. I assign enough of that at my day job. But, what I would like to see is maybe a few of you could post some of your creative process. Don't spill all your ideas, just share what goes into your putting thought to page. This way we can all add a little something to our Writer's Bag o' Tricks!
Ok, for whatever reason, this little column of mine gets more hits when I talk about writing comics. Apparently, my views and opinions on the comic world in general draw less attention than my misadventures as a wannabe comic writer. What you don't know, but I am about to tell you, is that I have a SECOND collaborative project of an entirely different nature. I answered one of those scary no-pay collaborative ads on Digital Webbing. This one was one of the rare ARTIST SEEKING WRITER ads, with the stipulation that the writer be in the Orlando area. I'm about an 45 minutes to an hour out of Orlando, depending on which part. So I answered. I've been talking to Brian for almost a week now, but we've got some things cookin'. Brian Wolf, here on PFB as brianwolf (go figure) had some ideas he came up with, but needed help turning into full scrpts. I liked the ideas, and now we're starting to expand on them. I'm handling these two projects, mine & Neil's and Brian & mine, in decidedly different ways.
Ok, so, as you know, I am collaborating with my pal, Neil (Spyhawk here on PFB) on a Revolutionary war, semi-superhero (hero, yes; super, not-so-much) title.
Like many writers, I have a 'real' job, in my case, teaching. I know most of the world erroneously thinks that means I have all weekend, all summer, and from 3:15 on each day to write; but let me assure you, such is not the case. I have lessons to plan, papers to grade, and more beaurocratic red-tape and paperwork to file than you could ever dream of. So, again, like many writers, finding the time to write isn't always easy. As it stands, I am on page 21 of my 24 page script for issue #1. The last few pages of a script always take me the longest. In fact, for those who write themselves, let me share my creative process, my journey to a script.
First, I hatch out my general idea. I don't do a formal plot, per say, so much as come with what I want to happen. From there i decide how many issues I want it to happen in, and weigh that out against how many issues it should actually take to tell it. Just because I want a story to be three issues long doesn't mean that's how long it will be. Some stories go shorter, others more. Once I start my mental plotting, it doesn't take too long to figure out how many issues should be required.
Then I start picturing the book. I've always said I don't so much write scripts as I do transcribe the comics in my head into script form. I'm what teachers like myself would call a "visual thinker". Quite literally. Did you ever read DC's IMPUSLE? You know how many of his thought balloons were illustrated instead of written? Yeah. I think like that. Anywa, I "see" my comic page, and then write that. It helps me plot and pace the story. This way I know what fits on the page, what belongs, and how it should generally be laid out. I don't do breakdowns or layouts, as I want my artists to be able to their thing. That said, if I want a certain effect, or feel to a page, I will suggest certain paneling. But in general, I leave it up to the artist.
Beginnings are easy as I find them flexible. (What? Are you kidding? Beginnings are too important to be flexible! What does that even mean?)
Ah, i'm glad you asked. The beginnings themselves are not flexible, so much as what becomes the actual beginning of the story is flexible.
Still confused?
Ok, the part I begin a script with does not necessarily end up the actual beginning of the comic. For example, my revolutionary war script. it went through several rewrites, three of which were total overhauls. The original beginning was dropped all together, the second beginning got bumped to around page four, and the final beginning stemmed out of a scene I had originally envisioned for almost the end. You see, for pacing and gripping puposes, I decided to start the issue off with the action already well underway, and then tell the origin in flashback. This often used plot device can be used to capture, and hopefully hold, your readers attention. I'm a novice, and I know it. Forby tells me every Tuesday. :D With that in mind, I realized it would be easier and more effective for me to get the readers to read an origin about a character they had already (albeit briefly) met, then to get them to read the origin cold, with out any frame of reference as to who my guy is.
With Brian's project, I'm going a different route all together. Brian sent me a handful of ideas, all very clever, really. He sent a brief -I can't even say outline, really -descrition, a few sentences, as to his thoughts. basically, he had some inspirations, and sent me exactly that. Inspirations. And, like a good inspiration should, they inspired. Expecially one of them, which started some ideas rattling around in my little skull. So, for his ideas, I'm fleshing out some concepts and geneal plot concepts. While I'm doing that, I'm also coming up with questions, questions about his intent, his ideas; does he like this way or that; which direction; etc. You see, these are Brian's ideas, I'm just scripting them. I don't want to shanghai his concepts, but flesh them out. Maybe we'll go in a different dierction than he originally planned, but only if he agrees with what i have in mind. Once we have ironed out some of the details and laid a foundation, then I'll start at a potential beginning. Most likely, I'll send him a copy every four or five pages or so; for his approval and comments. That may be a bit halting, but it allows both of us to add and subtract what we want.
So there you have it. A piece of my thought process as to my creative process. Is this article a how to? Not at all. I just figured that the various posts I see here, and especially on Forby's BOLTS & NUTS, tend to include a desire by new writers to compare techniques with other writers. So, here's mine. Make of it you will.
Now, unlike Forby, I don't assign column Home Work. I assign enough of that at my day job. But, what I would like to see is maybe a few of you could post some of your creative process. Don't spill all your ideas, just share what goes into your putting thought to page. This way we can all add a little something to our Writer's Bag o' Tricks!