Guide on Writing a Successful Comic Story

Are you in love with comics and want to create your own, but need help and instructions? This creative art form consists of vivid pictures, a fascinating plot and dynamic replicas of the characters. There are many guides for writing comic stories, each of which has a place to be. Meanwhile, Tutoriage has compiled the most universal tips that will be useful for every beginner.

A Brief Outline of the Future Work

First of all, you need to imagine a short visual excerpt in your head, and then capture it on paper. Comic stories are a synthesis of literature and animation. Accompanying drawings help to travel to a fictional world and at times enhances the effect of reading the character dialogs. Do not forget about this important point throughout the creative process. The author needs to ensure a harmonious connection between amusing pictures and an abundance of conversations. Creating comics does not have any restrictions. However, there are a few points that you should pay attention to:

The importance of visual accompaniment. Remember the mentioned above harmony between the written and drawn parts of the comic story. For instance, images of the dialogue in a simple room will be a bad and boring scenario. However, if you reduce the number of heroes to one and add a pinch of thought, it will be very interesting and atmospheric.
Optimize the storyline. Of course, a large number of heroes, places and turning points will create a unique and exciting work. However, it will mean a lot of work for the illustrator. Remember that brevity is the soul of wit and try to quickly and dynamically tell your story using interesting dialogs and reinforcing them with visual details.
Briefly, indicate the main points. Do not worry about the end result and write down everything that comes to mind. Do not let any thought arise! Try to connect new ideas with characters and watch how they interact. According to the famous animator Dan Harmon, the first drafts are almost 100% bad, while each subsequent action reduces this percentage and improves the quality of work.

Before you start writing, ask yourself the following questions:

What characters do you want to see in your comic story?
Which plot twists will be the most interesting?
Do you have really good ideas, but don’t know how to weave them into the story? After thinking about this issue, you will definitely find an excellent way out.
Share your sketches with the loved ones and ask for tips that will help in the further creative process. You can also expand your ideas by discussing the interests and hobbies of your friends and colleagues.

Think about creating unique and memorable characters, each of which has various habits and character traits. Often the main antagonist of the comic story is a bad guy who is desperate to get what he wants. At the same time, the main hero tries to secure the world from these actions and fights with the villain throughout the whole story. The appearance of a girl, who significantly affects future events also is not a rare occurrence in the world of comics.

What to Write About the Heroes

Remember that characters have to be real. The story of a man who has no shortcomings and never faces setbacks is unlikely to be interesting for someone. The exciting hero of a comic story can be characterized by the following features:

The presence of both good and bad qualities. Difficult moments, mistakes and experiences will allow readers to sympathize with the characters and imbue the story of each of them.
In addition to the following clearly defined goals, he may be afraid of something or be very emotional. Thanks to such a variety of character traits, you can fill the story with unusual conflicts and storylines.
Does everything he wants. First of all, you need to avoid introducing your own qualities into the behavior of the hero. Another mistake is the description of those actions that the plot requires. Let the characters live their own lives and be reckless at times.

Using sketches and dividing the story into parts will help you to structure the plot and save from getting lost in the events. Make sure that each described moment is an important link in the overall chain. Keep it in mind at every step of the workflow. You should also maintain an intrigue that will make the reader read line by line.

All the scenes of your comic story should be interconnected and smoothly lead to a climax.
Any type of writing or creative work should have a conclusion, which is the exact opposite of the first paragraphs. If this aspect is not taken into account, both the author and the readers will simply get confused.

To make the dialogue as engaging as possible, talk to other people or add a description of the moments from your own life. Thanks to this, you can make the story even more realistic.

As it’s written earlier, each character should be animated and have weaknesses and virtues. There is an easy way that can help you with this part of the writing. Invite your friends and turn a comic story into a script by distributing the roles. You can listen to the written stories from the outside and immediately emphasize the lines that sound unrealistic or unconvincing.

Introducing Your Comic Story to the World

One of the initial options is a free presentation of your work. It will help to gain some fame and arouse people’s interest. In our modern world, there is an infinite number of opportunities that will allow you to quickly and easily publish your creation and provide the necessary advertising. The advent of the Internet has led to the writing of webcomics, which are an alternative to the paper versions. You can use various resources to familiarize people from all over the world with your characters.

Regular activity on social networks will help you gradually become famous and find your audience.
A large number of readers on the Internet will attract various publishers and bring your story even more popularity.

Check out other texts that are similar to your comic book. Separately, review the information about the author and publisher. Make a shortlist of such works. Remember that despite the confidence in the quality of the comic story and the interesting plot, you need to be patient. Beginners often face failures and difficulties. Nevertheless, if you continue to go towards your goal, sooner or later you will certainly succeed!

You can show excerpts of your story to the popular publishers. Read all the rules and follow the instructions. After that, you can send your comic story. If you are refused, do not despair and try other variants from the pre-formed list.

The text that you attach to the story should be concise and demonstrate your professionalism. Focus on your work, not your personality.
Reread your letter and make sure that you have not forgotten anything.

Another option to popularize your work is to sell and promote it by yourself. This process can be complex and have many difficulties. However, it is entirely possible!

First of all, you will need to spend considerable expenses on printing all the pages. However, this method guarantees complete control and eliminates the possibility of meeting with scammers.

Never Give Up!

You should take off your pink glasses and get acquainted with the real world of promotion in which at times there is no justice and simplicity. Every day, a huge number of publications fall into various publishers. Some of them are rejected even without a preview. This fact is not surprising. Moreover, even some of the most popular books have encountered this phenomenon. Think of difficulties as an incentive and continue to pursue your goal. Remember that quality and confidence in your work will make you bearable and ensure successful publishing.

Do not forget that almost all the most popular authors went through the fire, water, and copper pipes before they received fame and recognition. At first, it can be unpleasant and insulting to you, but a long job will make the process of getting a finished story even more enjoyable.

Some of the Main Points

Get inspired by your favorite comics and other works of art.
Do not forget about spelling. If you are tired and can’t cope with this task, contact the editors. Another option might be using special services.
Show your work to the loved ones. Other people may notice what you missed, help with fixing bugs, or give valuable advice.
Use a predefined pattern. Following a clear plan will greatly facilitate the writing process.
You can start with the small works. For instance, fanfiction does not require the creation of new heroes and inventing the background. However, you cannot escape the need to draw, format, and improve your writing skills.
Remember that comics do not have any rigid framework or restrictions. You can write about anything and use a variety of tricks. However, you should not go too far. Keep up the pace and don’t make the narrative too sketchy.