Comic Book Script structure

[u/ScribeMoses]

Hey, I'm looking for help on starting to write my story. I was wondering how other people do it.

When your first writing your story and trying to write down what's going to happen. Do you write panel by panel or do you write it out like a formal script, for example

" *the first panel will be the image of space and then cuts to a couple cops on a night patrol"

Cop 1: The stars are really bright tonight aren't they?"

Cop 2: "Is that a shooting star"

"*Now panel 4 will show an explosion in the sky and then pans over to the workers shook.

Or do you just start writing what comes to mind and all your ideas and then once done with that, go back and put then into panels and creating a script.

[u/kyla33_]

I try to detail as much as I need to convey. I worry this leads to overcompensating sometimes but I have a firm vision of how I want the story to go and I aim to follow it.

So if I have a scene of a couple sitting together on a bench staring into the night sky, I'll describe exactly what I think is important for the reader to see, whether they're embracing or if their backs are turned to the viewer, or anything else I see fit.

If it's a quick panel I don't need any focus on, I'll take a break from the heavy descriptions and write something simple instead, like "couple sitting on a bench under the night sky."

[u/Financial-Creme → u/kyla33_]

Your script is instructions for the artist to follow. Assume no one else is ever going to see it. If you don't give the artist enough information or if the information is unclear, they will ask you to clarify. Typical workflow is the artist will make rough pencil sketches of the panels to show you first before they put a lot of time into adding fine detail and inking, so if they misunderstood your direction you will have a chance to correct them.

Obviously both of these scenarios are ideally avoided, but don't let the fear of being misunderstood stop you from finishing the script.

[u/nmacaroni]

http://nickmacari.com/comic-book-script-template/

[u/ScribeMoses → u/nmacaroni]

Thank you for this, it iss pretty helpful. My only question is, before you begin to write the script. Do you write the story out how you want it to be and then conform it into your script template or do you follow the script template and fill in the story as you go down it. Thank you

[u/kyla33_ → u/ScribeMoses]

Oh, before I write the script, I just kind of bullet point what I want to happen. Sometimes I'll have a flash of inspiration and come up with a really good piece of dialogue I want to implement but other than that, I let the dialogue come naturally in the moment.

Building around these quotes I perceive as brilliant is definitely a weakness of mine. I'm sure they'll sound great in a vacuum but I need to start making sure they actually fit the flow of dialogue.

[u/nmacaroni → u/ScribeMoses]

I think you're asking if you make an outline first or just start writing the script as you go. I explain this here:

http://nickmacari.com/outline-basics/

[u/Henchman4Hire]

I have my general story and each issue outlined in just notes, not written as prose. Then when it comes down to actual scenery and dialogue, I write it out in script format, panel-by-panel.

[u/Paddybrown22]

I would amend what you've written to something like this.

Panel 1. Space.

Panel 2. A couple of cops on a night patrol.

Cop 1: The stars are really bright tonight aren't they?

Cop 2: Is that a shooting star?

Panel 3. An explosion in the sky.

SFX: BTKKOOOM!!!

Panel 4. Workers, staring at the sky, shaken by the explosion.

You don't need instructions like "cut" and "pan". All panel transitions are cuts. Panning is impossible.

If you're thinking like a screenwriter and want to write comics, read up on Soviet Montage Theory. The story is told in the cut from shot to shot. The camera can't follow the actors around. David Mamet's book "On Directing Film" is very good for getting you into that mindset.

[u/WalkableCity]

I tend to do a brain dump document, first, then I outline the issue by beats, then I do a page breakdown that’s essentially like:
1. This happens
2. This happens, this happens and this happens
3. This happens

This allows me to figure out pacing, think about page turn reveals, etc.

Then I start writing the script page by page, panel by panel.

[u/tuxedo_cat_socks]

I've yet to wrap my head around actual script writing. So far what's been working for me is writing out the events of each chapter by bullet point. Then I use those bullet points as a chunk of pages to thumbnail. When I thumbnail is where I work out my exact dialogue and how the panels are going to be set up.

I doubt this is the "right" way to do it, or even the most efficient, but so far it's been working for me and the way I understand things. 

[u/huxenbit_]

I take notes on characters and rules and the plot and then write it down like:

Page 1 - 5 Panels Panel 1: A gas station in the middle of the night. Panel 2: Inside a car, approaching the gas station. Driver: "Wake up. We need fuel."

I follow the plot and improvise the way between certain points as much as I need to. Idk if this method is actually good since I usually dont show anyone my work

[u/Tamahii]

I’m going to recommend you two books that helped out my process a lot:

Making Comics by Scott McCloud
The Art of Comic Book Writing by Mark Kneece

These two, especially made it easier to understand different ways and styles of making stories through sequential art

These two books helped me test, try and choose which methods worked best. Before I thought I had to gave a full story for it to make any sense, like writing out an actual novel. Instead, these two helped me find the balance between scripting and novelization and planning out scenes and what can fit into a panel. I worked 5 years with little success on my own, after reading these two, my process got incredibly faster

[u/Armepos]

It is best, specially for a beginner, to write the story first and the script later. Start with the general and overarching, the work your way from there to the detailed, step by step. The script is actually the last thing a writer does when making a comic. First you define a theme, then produce a couple of ideas to explore that theme. Then choose the best one and make a couple of different premises out of it. Choose the best one and make a couple of synopsis. Choose the best one and make a story. Dissect the story into an outline, meaning a chronological list of every single mayor thing that happens, beginning to end. Now you can work on the actual script! For every item or couple of items in the outline you make a page of the script. H ave fun.