The 'correct' way to lay out a script for your comic book depends on what you're writing and who you're writing for. Find out what you need to bear in mind for the sake of you and your creative team.
I paid about £40 for a piece of formatting software called Superscript, which is specifically aimed at comic writers, but I wouldn't recommend it. I've bought it now, so I may as well use it, but it's very basic, even for a relatively cheap (compared to Final Draft etc) program.
Happy new year, Nick! Thanks for reading! At the end of the day, whatever format or software works for you works for you, right? Everyone seems to do it slightly differently. So long as the editor and your collaborators (if any) can read it then s'all good!
Thanks for this Alec. I wonder if you would be kind enough to offer some of your thoughts on the difference between thought bubbles and inner monologue captions, and why the former has largely fallen out of favour. Personally, I don't use thought bubbles, but I notice John Wagner still does occasionally.
I feel like thought bubbles - because they're so common in classic comics and pop art - are considered a bit cute or kitsch. Captions draw less attention - they're less graphic-y - and feel more like a voice-over in movies. But if kitsch or old-school is the tone of your book then go with it. I've used thought bubbles in comics for children as they tend to be more direct and easier to connect to a character. Thought captions tend to be limited to one viewpoint character in a panel, whereas thought bubbles can have several thinking at once in a single panel. Really, they're just different devices for different needs. It doesn't do to get fundamentalist about rules. Like in prose, you'll sometimes hear the dictate, 'Thou Must Always Write in Active Voice!' It's nonsense. If you need to convey passivity, then active voice will spoil that. ('To be or not to be, that is the question.') It's like telling an electrician they must always use a flat-head screwdriver, when sometimes you just need a philips... I guess what I'm saying here is that certain devices will create different effects, so be aware first and foremost of the effect you want to create then use the appropriate device. Hope that helps, Troy. And thanks - as always - for reading!
I think you pretty much reflected my own thoughts here. I think part of my reluctance to use thought bubbles myself is years of reading 'kids' comics where the thought bubble basically repeated what the imagery already showed you. German soldier throws grenade at British solder, British Soldier: 'Oh no, Jerry just threw a grenade!' They do like a though bubble in Commando though, so I might have to get over it.
I paid about £40 for a piece of formatting software called Superscript, which is specifically aimed at comic writers, but I wouldn't recommend it. I've bought it now, so I may as well use it, but it's very basic, even for a relatively cheap (compared to Final Draft etc) program.
Happy new year, Nick! Thanks for reading! At the end of the day, whatever format or software works for you works for you, right? Everyone seems to do it slightly differently. So long as the editor and your collaborators (if any) can read it then s'all good!
Thanks for this Alec. I wonder if you would be kind enough to offer some of your thoughts on the difference between thought bubbles and inner monologue captions, and why the former has largely fallen out of favour. Personally, I don't use thought bubbles, but I notice John Wagner still does occasionally.
I feel like thought bubbles - because they're so common in classic comics and pop art - are considered a bit cute or kitsch. Captions draw less attention - they're less graphic-y - and feel more like a voice-over in movies. But if kitsch or old-school is the tone of your book then go with it. I've used thought bubbles in comics for children as they tend to be more direct and easier to connect to a character. Thought captions tend to be limited to one viewpoint character in a panel, whereas thought bubbles can have several thinking at once in a single panel. Really, they're just different devices for different needs. It doesn't do to get fundamentalist about rules. Like in prose, you'll sometimes hear the dictate, 'Thou Must Always Write in Active Voice!' It's nonsense. If you need to convey passivity, then active voice will spoil that. ('To be or not to be, that is the question.') It's like telling an electrician they must always use a flat-head screwdriver, when sometimes you just need a philips... I guess what I'm saying here is that certain devices will create different effects, so be aware first and foremost of the effect you want to create then use the appropriate device. Hope that helps, Troy. And thanks - as always - for reading!
I think you pretty much reflected my own thoughts here. I think part of my reluctance to use thought bubbles myself is years of reading 'kids' comics where the thought bubble basically repeated what the imagery already showed you. German soldier throws grenade at British solder, British Soldier: 'Oh no, Jerry just threw a grenade!' They do like a though bubble in Commando though, so I might have to get over it.
Absolutely, John! Kinda wishing I'd included that point in the main piece now... :P