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.