Advice from Comic Book Writers and Artists
April 30, 2019
We recently asked our customers while leaving a review one simple question…
“Do you have any tips or advice for other comic book writers or those who may be looking to write their first book?”
We received a plethora of great advice ranging across many different aspects including general advice, creative/writing advice, printing advice and many others. We have handpicked a few of our favorites and categorized them below. We hope you enjoy the tips and their advice helps push you to finish your current book, get inspired to write another, and anything in between.
General Advice:
Rebel by Ken Lowery
“Study the work of authors who captivate you. Use their techniques, along with your own, to tell an original story.” - Stephen Hines
“Work your way through an outline first. Take a single sheet of lined paper and write the number of pages down the left hand column, then write a brief sentence about what happens on each page, one after the other. This helps wrap your head around the whole idea (so it's less intimidating to approach by becoming a series of hurdles instead of one huge leap) and makes sure you're not cramming each page too full for an artist to handle.” - Ken Lowery
“No matter how nervous or inexperienced you feel, everyone starts somewhere. Get the ball rolling and put your doubts and fears aside. Once you get started, don't look back. Keep moving forward. Get your work out there and share it with the world. Those jitters will pass and you will be happy you got out there and gave it a shot.” - Marsol Delvalle
Creating/Writing Advice:
Threader by Elizabeth Kramer
“Creating a comic book is a long process. Make sure to start with a strong script, then rewrite it one more time than you're comfortable with. When laying out panels, try to find ways to 'show' instead of 'tell' by using eye-catching imagery instead of dialogue or thought bubbles for exposition. It turns out that making the book is easier than connecting with an audience. Remember that this is a marathon, not a sprint!” - Jason Beckwith
“As someone who is an artist first and a writer second, if that, ideas come harder for me, it's like arranging pieces of a puzzle into one straight line to make a story. One of the best pieces of advice I received was that you're not allowed to rewrite your first chapter until you've written more than that because then you'll never progress then. Don't get stuck in the world building, let your readers in on some of the juicy details early on so you captivate them by your world. Write for you first!” - Elizabeth Kramer
Printing Advice:
It Gets Worse by Harley Fisher
“Go for it dive in and stumble forward Anthony and his crew will only make the experience better!” - Marcus Collar
“Make sure you have consistent dimensions as you draw so that you don't have to go back and reformat everything slightly to the left when it comes time to print! I would go with the classic 8"x10.5" and get a proof for your first order, well in advance of your comic convention/ opening date!” - Harley Fisher
We also loved this shoutout from Antoine for printing advice!
“Use Greko/Comic Well Spring!!!” - Antoine M.
Have your own review to leave? Click the link below to leave your review and some advice for other comic book writers! Thank you to all the above who contributed.
https://webapp.rivet.works/collector/grekoprintingandimaging/grekoprintingandimaging-share-story