RIGHT FOR WRITING! JUNE B:DC CHALLENGE

by: Kyle Latino

All right, race fans, this week is about writing, specifically writing full scripts. When I’m is making a comic by myself, it would be easier to just write as I go, keeping the general direction in mind. I have found that writing full scripts yields numerous benefits, though it does add more to the process of comic making. Now, I have no particular expertise in writing, or talent for it, and really I’m technically pretty bad at it; but I do it. I’m in the midst of some more hardcore writing now, so it’s on my mind. This isn’t going to give any tips or lessons on the mechanics of writing (for which I would check HERE), just some observations from an amateur’s perspective. Primarily, if you write scri pts, you will learn story problem solving skills you wouldn’t have picked up just by drawing or working from an outline. Say you write 6 issues worth from beginning to end. Now, before you commit any lines to paper, you know where characters need to end up in their dynamic journey and where they need to be in any given panel. Instead of sprinkling in character moments whenever it occurs to you, you can really take control and intentionally drive the story. Secondly, writing is SO much faster! Yes, it slows down my one-man-show, but writing is much faster than drawing. This is why writers can do multiple books artist only do one. Imagine just taking an hour and a half to write two pages a day and build onto an outline, you are creating so much more material than a page a day of drawing (if you can even draw that often). I’m not saying that writing WELL is EASIER than drawing; just that writing can produce more material in the long run. I’ve been trying to write way out ahead of myself, so I can have confidence that the ending with be worth it when I get there (when I’m an old man…). Lastly, and this is more a fringe benefit, writing teaches you respect for writers. It is a discipline, and one that takes more time than I’ve put into it to truly develop. You may not always agree with people who manage to get a writing gig on a comic or show you wish you could do, but that isn’t a valid critical response. Sit down and do what they do, and you may find yourself reaching for the same cliché’s and plot devices just because, folks, creativity is hard sometimes! Okay, I couldn’t resist giving one tip, here it is: Write with joy. You can have form, theme, dialogue, and whatever else in your script, but have not any joy; you limit your abilities to communicate the energy you have for your project through to the reader. Art ALWAYS has a loss in communication, no one will ever be able to experience your thoughts as purely as a first-person encounter. It is therefore the DUTY of an artist to put as much into the art as possible so that the audience can get the most out of the diminished signal. I’ve been sent sample scripts before, some were even about stuff I would ordinarily want to draw, but the writing was dry and joyless. I’m not working with those people now, nor will too many other people be likely to. Maybe I’ll do an article about contacting an artist next week… OH and don’t forget about the B:DC June Challenge Agree, disagree? Questions, comments? Love poems, hate lymerics? Want me to change the logo t o something with 99% more ME? Email: latino.kyle (at) gmail (dot) com. -Kyle Latino

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