I have some ideas that I want to put down. I'm leaning away from an essay and wish to express them through a story, but I don't like writing prose much. I'm not a big fan of graphic novels, though I do enjoy a few, but I like exploring newer media, so I've decided to have a go at it.
A few tips: writing for a comic is not like writing a novel, movie, or play. Many seem to think of comics as frames of a movie with dialogue written out or as a novel with accompanying pictures and in my experience this almost never works. The principle of "show, don't tell" still applies, though, and a lot of writers seem most comfortable writing the story as a screenplay. I've heard one man (whose name escapes me) describe comics as poetry with pictures. The two of us never really agreed on much (nor did we get along) during our brief acquaintance, but this stuck in my mind and it's something to consider. At the most basic level I'd recommend trying to think not in moments but in images that portray what you wish to portray most effectively, like several moments at once if that makes any sense. My main point is that a comic consisting of the key points (keyframes) of a movement drawn in a sequence just doesn't work (though sometimes this technique can be used effectively I find it's almost always better to write to avoid that).
Problem is, I don't know how to start. I think I'm mostly going to tell it from one person's point of view, but I can't decide if I should write it in a script form first or something, since I have no talent at drawing comics and need someone else to fill in the pictures.
I do this with a long time friend who is breaking into the stand-up comedy world. I only do so because I respect him and consider his writing to be spot-on, and he respects me and my work. I make the comic in color and it's extraordinarily time consuming (though I haven't been able to make it for months as my scanner, tablet, and laptop are all broken). My point is, to convince a good artist to do this with you is not easy without cash. And that's an important point, any collaboration is going to require mutual respect, and I find the results are always best when the writer is willing to consider the views of the artist about the script and vice versa. I'm sure you're already aware of all this, but I think it's important enough to bring into focus.
Anyway, to make this more discussion-worthy, what do you like about the graphic novels you've read so far? I'm thinking more about formal elements, how the story is told, instead of thematic elements. But speak your mind regardless.
I read From Hell for the first time recently, and as is often the case with Alan Moore I didn't enjoy it. I read it at the behest of Steve Bissette (who I had the good fortune and honor to learn from), and while I enjoyed the visual style and rhythm furnished by Eddie Campbell (who if nothing else had a dramatic effect on how I handle
the composition of speech bubbles and text in general on a page), I found Alan Moore writing too much exposition for my taste. Moore is a good writer, though, I recognize that, and there are moments in his comics that stand out as virtuoso, but the overall experience I have reading something by Allen Moore is less than enjoyable. I also enjoyed the start of a new online comic called Strange Someone, but the sudden change in artist and the direction of the story were jarring and disappointing. How's that for an answer?
