Some time ago I started developing a graphic novel that I intend to produce myself, from the story itself to at least the sketches for the complete novel - I'll see later if I hire an illustrator/ inker. At the moment, I have the story's structure and, little by little, I've started to shape it, but the method I'm using is causing me to get constantly blocked. I explain the method I'm using in case you'd like to comment on it or if it's helpful, keeping its limitations in mind:
- World: I create sketches with notes about the world the characters will inhabit. It's an imagined world, but very much rooted in my personal experience.
- Characters: I have sketches with basic characteristics of them, although I still need to define aspects of their lives and the community they live in (what they do for a living, who's been involved with whom, things like that).
- Synopsis: on one page of the complete novel (8 chapters), with a brief description of the content of each chapter. Each chapter is an illustrated volume that will be produced and published sequentially.
- Chapters: Separately, I use A5-sized sheets (index cards) to create the script for each scene, notes for sketches, and dialogue. Each card corresponds to one page of the novel (for example, each chapter has 24 pages, though this isn't a fixed number).
- Scenes: Each chapter is composed of a number of scenes, which varies depending on the story's development. Before writing a scene, I note on each card the approximate number of pages (index cards) I have available to tell the story, so I can visualize the entire chapter without getting lost in the description of each scene (which could end up being very long).
- Pages - Side A: On one side of the cards, I describe the story, details, what the characters do, and what their environment is like. The descriptions are short, about 10 lines, so I don't get lost in the details.
- Pages - Side B: On the other side of each character sheet, I write the dialogues the characters are having, using the story description on Side A as a reference. Using this method allows me to plan the entire story, zooming in and out on parts that come to mind or that aren't yet ready, while also allowing me to change details and rewrite a character sheet without having to rewrite an entire chapter. However, it causes me blockage because I'm developing details and connections in a story where the complete narrative isn't defined (the story only exists in its "synopsis"), and which I have neither the intention nor the time to write as a preliminary step to writing the novel.
I would appreciate your opinions on the method, any important parts I've left out, and any other advice to avoid getting block due to the lack of having a complete story developed ... Thank you in advance!
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The big comic brands have menthods for development that help keep things predictable and manageable, but even then its more that a method was agreed on rather than it being some kind of scientific best. And even then individual creators will be all over yhe place with specific methods.
Sonmy point is, do what works for you. What ever gets you from start to finish.
For me, I start with a written blurb where the story stats, ends, and the path I want the characcters to take. Very loose, bo dialog or specific action unless there are critical moments that need a call out.
After that i break it down into a very loose page by page blurb. Ie: page 1, they approach the location and argue about the weather. Page 2: the location is not what it seems. Etc
Then i start drawing page sketches. I happen to do mine full size but thats just how i work, flash cards or postits could work too.
Once ive got basic and I mean BASIC shape layed in, i start hashing out dialog. This is my weakest skill and usually ends up requiring the alpage layout to change. So it helps that almost no effors has been sunk in the art yet.
After that its on to what most people think making a comic is, doing final art, color, finished dialog, etc.
This works FOR ME. And will absolutely not work for every one. Some people dve straight into a finshed page on page 1 and work in order from there. I cant do that.
Some people script the whole thing out like a movie, scene breakdowns, character direction, camera direction etc. thats too heavy for me, but perfectly fine for someone else.
Is have no idea if this helps just giving my experience.
If any part of your process is getting you stuck, try skipping it, or try a different approach. Dont stuck to a method because you think you have to. There's no right way to get it done.
Grande, ayuda mucho. Gracias por tu comentario. Concuerdo en que no todo funciona para todo el mundo. En mi caso, demasiado orden me genera rechazo, por eso cogí esta forma de trabajar que me permite saltar de una parte a otra. Saludos.
I’m currently working on a graphic novel series myself.
In fact, I’m doing the worldbuilding, character / lore development on a separate doc, as well as composing the music myself (music is a big theme) for the audiobook section / promotional material through media outlets. The only thing I cannot do is draw, so I’m getting that side of the work done through someone else.
I think your method is good - personally, I just have scenes illustrated on key points where I want my reader to see who looks like what, settings, etc. I’m still a long ways away from solidifying everything but the illustrations that have been done so far are guaranteed for sure to fit in the narrative. The vision is a solid mix between realistic 1st-person perspective and eye-capturing comic panels.
Could you give somewhat of an example of where you’re stuck at using these cards?
Hola gracias por compartir sobre tu proyecto. En mi caso, me bloqueo porque conforme desarrollo la historia aparecen detalles que no tengo definidos. Algunos detalles son poco relevantes pero, si son recurrentes en la historia, cambiarlos a futuro puede implicar tener que rehacer páginas de principio a fin de la historia. Otros detalles tienen más peso, y de momento esos son los que intento definir. De ahi que me pregunte si es necesario tener la historia escrita y con detalles para poder guionizarla, o si lanzarse a crear directamente el guíon y diálogos de la historia, con una descripción breve de las escenas, es suficiente. Entiendo que no a todos nos funciona lo mismo, pero me interesa oir opiniones.
How much do you know about strategies for writing long-form works?
Do you have opinions on "Save The Cat"? If you don't, then go read it, and ask yourself which parts of it are useful tools for managing a long-form story, and which parts are great advice if you want a formula for making a plausible script for a 90min mid-list Hollywood film in the nineties. Robin D. Laws' Beating The Story is a great book that expands on the former parts and explicitly throws out the latter.
Personally I mostly prefer to not worry about having the whole thing written before starting, as long as I've got enough to get started and an idea of where you're going then I can start putting rough dialogue and sketches onto pages, and refine both of them into final dialogue and art at the same time.
You might also want to have a look at Scrivener as a tool for managing all this info in one place without constantly re-writing index cards.
Gracias por compartir. No conozco estrategias para escribir en formato largo, ni los libros que mencionas, ni tampoco Scrivener. Pero les echo un ojo en cuanto pueda. Tampoco aspiro a tener la historia terminada antes de ponerme a bocetar, con llegar al final del primer capítulo y atar puntos clave de los siguientes capítluos creo que sería suficiente.
Mi principal obstáculo es la cantidad de dudas (detalles por definir) que van apareciendo conforme desarrollo la historia, y que no quiero "arrastrar" para solucionar en un futuro. De ahí que cuestione el método que estoy siguiendo - sin un guión donde esos detalles estén claros. No se, tal vez esa sea la parte dificil de escribir, al menos para mi lo está siendo.
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