#31: An Artist Ready Script
Last time in Creating Comics! I responded to a reader looking for tips on how to get started with the actual scripting part of making comics. I gave a number of tips and suggestions, but the biggest part of the scripting process is just putting your butt into a chair and getting words on a page. (Afraid I can't help you there...that part is all you.)
This week, I'm going to assume you put in the work, and knocked out a script. I'm also going to assume you then put in the REAL work of re-writing that script, ';cause let's face it, that first draft was a turd. (Go back and read my columns on Re-Writing if you're sitting with a first draft you're sure is gold.) You have a draft in your hand and you think you're ready to hand it to an artist (or draw it yourself) and make the magic happen. But before you, do, I want to give you a few things to think about.
Until 2008, I never really worried all that much about my scripts. I had always done all of my own drawing and lettering, so I never had much need to share my comic scripts with other people. But after making the decision to start working with a few outstanding artists to bring some great new comics to life, this had to change. Now I wasn't only writing for myself, I was writing for an artist. Because of this, it was important to take my scripts to another level of quality and polish. What follows are some suggestions of things you should do prior to sending your scripts off to an artist.
Proofread. Should go without saying, right? Unfortunately, it needs to be said. You're the writer. Proofreading is YOUR job. It's not your artist's job and it's not your letterer's job. It's not even your editor's job, if you have one. I'm shocked at how many people post scripts online on sites like Pencil Jack or Digital Webbing looking for feedback that contain loads of God awful errors in spelling, punctuation, sentence structure and syntax. We're talking scripts that aren't even fit for a remedial high school English class. I'm not even addressing the content here; I'm simply talking about easily corrected errors. I can't count how many times I've looked at scripts online and haven't made it past the first line of the script without coming across a typo. And punctuation? From the looks of many of the scripts online, you'd assume there's a gene common to aspiring comic writers that makes them allergic to commas and periods. I even read one script that was posted online looking for feedback, where the writer said at the top, "Hey, I'm looking for feedback on this script. Don't worry about the spelling or English mistakes. I've got people who will take care of that for me later." Trust me, I didn't worry about it. Because after coming across 15+ easily correctable errors on page 1, I stopped reading.
It's your job to do the best you possibly can at proofreading your script BEFORE you put it in the hands of your artists. Look at it from the artist's perspective for a moment. If you're an aspiring writer, you're likely partnering up with an aspiring comic artist. (I'd suggest partnering up with someone a little more seasoned than yourself...they'll make you look good.) Realize that when it's all said and done, they're probably going to put more time into the comic than you are, simply because it takes longer to draw than it does to write. Also remember, most of the time you're going to care about the script a lot more than your artist partner will. It's your baby. It's going to take the artist a while to get invested. So, if the artist gets a script that has typos and easily corrected errors, what's he going to think? Well, either:
A.) You're not a great writer. (This is not good. If I'm an artist trying to make a name for myself, I want to partner with the next undiscovered superstar. I'm looking for the next Matt Fraction or Jason Aaron. I'm NOT looking for some guy who doesn't know the difference between "there" and "their.")
B.) You just don't care that much about this script. (Also not good. If the writer doesn't care enough to run his script through spell-check, why should the artist care? Your script sets the tone for the project. A lazy script can lead to lazy art, where the artist, instead of doing his or her absolute best work, will cut corners here and there, leave out little details, fake perspective, etc.)
You want the alternative. You want to send the artist a pristine, engaging, dynamic script that inspires him to do his or her best possible work. Be professional. Proofread.
Be clear. When you turn your script over to an artist, you are entrusting your vision of the story to another. The only way to ensure that your story is told the way you want to tell it is to be as clear as possible. When you're writing descriptions, you need to describe as best as you can, the precise picture of the panel you have in your head. Who is in the panel? What's the setting? What's the action? Where is the camera positioned? What is the focal point? The more of these details you include, the more likely it is that your artist will deliver.
Remember, with rich and detailed descriptions, a strong artist can deliver the picture you have in your head. The more details you leave out, the more you'll get the picture in the artist's head.
Provide reference. Drawing comics is time consuming work. Think about it. Brian Michael Bendis can write five different comic books a month. How many can Bryan Hitch draw? Ten a year, maybe? Because penciling and inking is so time consuming, as a writer, you want to make things as easy as possible for the talent you're working with. You want them spending most of their time drawing. But, if you write in your script something like, "The sky is filled with a squadron of World War II-era planes," and leave it at that, what's the artist going to do? Most likely, he's going to spend time Googling old warplanes. Think about it? Do you want your artist Googling, or do you want him drawing?
Since you've done research anyway, (and if you haven't, here is why you should) providing links in your script or creating a shared online photo album on Photobucket or Flickr with potentially helpful reference images should be easy. Cut your artist some slack and do some of this work for him. You may find that a lot of the same reference material that inspires your writing on a particular project will help inspire the artist as well.
On ICE: Interrogation Control Element, for example, I wrote this in the script I sent to the artist, Damian Couceiro:
Panel 1- Full black panel, save a stream of water pouring down the center of the panel.
CAP (TRIP)- There are sixteen authorized interrogation methods consistent with the Geneva Conventions.
Panel 2- Close in on the face of Iraqi prisoner Number 240, HESHAM FARUK. He is strapped down on a table, with a blindfold over his eyes. There is a strap around his forehead, which is attached to the board he's lying on. The stream of water is filling up in his mouth and he is clearly in panic and pain. He's being water boarded.
CAP (TRIP)- This is not one of them.
REFERENCE NOTE: This opening approach was first inspired by this short clip. Watch for great reference.http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/apr/22/advertising.humanrights
I was clear about what I wanted and provided reference. And as you can see here, Damian delivered.
Sketch a layout. Sometimes when writing comics, you're going to ask a lot of an artist. Maybe there's a particularly tricky action sequence that just has to be done right. Maybe there's a page with a heavy amount of dialogue, and every word truly matters. Rather than fire that page off to your artist and hope for the best, it's a good idea to try to layout the page yourself first.
Sure, easy for me to say. I've drawn hundreds of pages of comics in my lifetime. Of course, it's no problem for me to layout a page, but what if you are "just a writer." Relax. When I'm suggesting you layout a page, I'm not asking for a beautifully rendered piece of art. Anyone can draw rectangular panels and stick figures. Below is a page from one of Jeph Loeb's scripts for Batman: The Long Halloween. You'll see Jeph did a quick and dirty layout for his artist, Tim Sale. Don't tell me you can't do at least as good a job as Jeph here. (For more on Jeph's writing process, check out Writers on Comics Scriptwriting by Mark Salisbury.)
By taking a stab at laying out a page, you will better be able to answer questions like: Will it all fit on the page? Will these panels have impact? What's the most important panel on the page? Where are my word balloons going to go? You want to have confidence that the script you send your artist will work as written. Doing some quick layouts is one way to get that confidence.
Do these things, and you're script is ready. Once you've proofread your work and are sure it would pass muster in Mrs. McCaughey's English class, once you've been as clear as you need to be, once you've provided reference where helpful, and once you are confident the pages will work as written by sketching or laying out pages quickly yourself, you're ready to turn your work over to an artist.
Congrats!
NEXT: The Dip
Tyler James is a comics creator residing in Newburyport, Massachusetts. He writes and draws Over, a romantic comedy online graphic novel updating every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. He also writes Tears of the Dragon, an epic fantasy webcomic. His work has been featured at Zuda Comics, and includes Interrogation Control Element, a political action thriller, and Super Seed, the story of the world's first super powered fertility clinic. When not making comics, Tyler works as a game designer and content producer for a software company.
Contact Tyler directly at tylerjamescomics@gmail.com, keep up with him at his blog, or follow him on Twitter.
Attention Readers: If you enjoy this column, you might be interested in checking out The ComixStreet Recap. It's a new series I've begun where I share and comment on interesting topics, resources, and events relevant to comic creators. The column is bi-weekly, and posts on Thursdays.
Previous Columns
1: Big Goals
2: Resolutions
3: The Great Idea
4: Research Part I
5: Research Part II
6: The Killer Pitch Part I - The High Concept
7: The Killer Pitch Part II - The Synopsis
8: Pay Your Artists
9: Zuda Comics- A Tale of Five Submissions
10: Creating Great Characters Part I (Or Why Wolverine is Everywhere)
11: Creating Great Characters Part II (Or Why Wolverine is Everywhere)
12: Structurally Sound- The Beginning
13: Your Reputation
14: Structurally Sound- The Middle
15: Structurally Sound - The End
16: Your First Con
17: Beat It
18: Memorable Scenes
19: Mailbag
20: Comics Dialogue - Part I
21: Comics Dialogue - Part II
22: Baltimore Comic Con - Part I
23: Baltimore Comic Con - Part II
24: Is It Worth It?
25: The Re-Write Part I
26: The Re-Write Part II
27: The Re-Write Part III
28: Taking Initiative
29: Setting the Table for a New Year of Creating Comics
30: Ready to Script
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