Approach to writing.
As I start penciling issue two I have to really think about how I want to approach writing it out.
I have a film background and screenwriting in particular is really a matter of formatting and getting to the point as quickly as possible. There’s not a whole lot of room on a page for Tolkien-like descriptions; I guess that’s what the treatment is for.
Comic book writing is different in the sense that you don’t really have a strict format to stick to. You don’t have to worry about making “one page of a screenplay equal one minute of film time” or anything like that. Usually, at least on an indie level, you specify the page/panel that you’re describing, add any necessary dialogue and sound effects, then ship your script to the artist(s) and have them interpret your direction. Once that’s complete, the letterer will have their go; taking cues from the writer’s direction and the artist’s expression.
When you’re wearing multiple hats, you’re kind of free to do whatever you want, and that can be a nightmare for people who feel comfortable in systems and formats. Personally, I’ve found myself briefly detailing a page by page breakdown in a “notes” entry and then jumping directly into page thumbnails. Up until this point, the workflow was working out great. Not only was I able to pace my story however I wanted, I was also able to tell a story visually through illustration—which prior to focusing on comics I had only done behind a camera or with words on paper.
The issue was that I didn’t fully leave myself room for dialogue, which included my first foray into lettering, so I really had no concept of space. Luckily, Terry Moore had a great video on his YouTube channel that went over “proper” comic book lettering, using a lettering guide and proper technique—so that gave me a ballpark idea of how much space I would have to work with. Still, I found myself taking way too much time writing dialogue in the moment based on the story I had planned and the illustrations on paper.
It’s been a long journey to get to this lowbrow place I’m at now, and I’ve learned a lot of skills on the way. Workflows are important, but in a lot of ways it’s important to keep yourself loose to doing what feels good in the moment—especially if you’re a solo creator. It’s also important to recognize where you’re being lazy. I feel like I’m avoiding writing out dialogue during the planning stage because that reminds me too much of the screenwriting process and I’d rather not associate the two. But that’s the wrong mindset, and it shouldn’t be hard to approach that behavior differently.
It’s important to remember where you come from, and to use what you’ve learned where you can.