How To Write A Comic Book Start To Finish
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ส.ค. 2024
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I'm a comic book artist and writer. This is my writing process.
Here's the video of me DRAWING a comic page from start to finish.
• A comic book page St...
Writing Resources…
I can't believe I forgot to mention
DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics by Denny O'Neil
www.amazon.com/...
The Story Grid by Shawn Coyne
www.storygrid.com/
The Comic Book Script Archive
www.comicbooksc...
The Creative Penn
www.thecreative...
This is truly the best tutorial on WRITING for graphic novels, even though itʻs 4 years old. You speak clearly and honestly. Good luck to you!
Thank you so much. I’m glad I was able to provide useful information. Good luck to you as well.
This is the best "writing a comic book tutorial" on TH-cam that I have found thus far! Thank you for sharing this!
Jero Jero thanks so much. Glad it's useful info. Good luck with your comics.
@@coryransom that’s great to hear. For me, I find I get myself in trouble if I skimp on the writing, even when I know I’m drawing the story.
@@coryransom sounds like you’re doing a good job of planning everything out 👍 Making comics is like eating an elephant. How do you eat an elephant? …One bite at a time.
I love to put these videos on while I do comic work, specifically this one. Specifically this one because it's about an hour of straight comic work, and it always helps to hear other people's processes while working and taking their methods into consideration, especially while writing and problem solving. For some odd reason, I never get tired of watching your videos over and over again. Perhaps I am just strange, but I truly believe there is something quite magical about how you speak about your work and break it down to the viewer.
Matthew Stevens Wow! You just made my day with that comment. Happy to keep you company while you're hard at work on your comic.
When I put together these commentaries, I try to imagine you and all the other viewers are like the voices we have inner dialogues with, so hopefully it feels more intimate.
Good luck with your comic and keep at it :)
This is exactly what I've been looking for in a tutorial. What does each level of planning look? How does it all feed into the next step? How much detail is enough detail? You've encapsulated all the thoughts going through my head into a simple process. Thank you. I've been trying not to get bogged down by detail but sometimes the details are the most motivating and inspiring. Having a system that works on a high level without the detail is what I've been missing.
Hi Sundji. Thanks for watching! How much detail to put into each step is a personal choice. I prefer to keep it as minimal as possible for exactly the reasons you state. Too much detail can clutter and slow down the process.
But then there are writers like Alan Moore who write mini-essays for each page of comic art and describe it beautifully. It is a matter of both personal taste and what actually works for you.
I recommend taking a look at the Comic Script Archive and read some scripts from a variety of writers. See what speaks to you, in terms of detail and format, then try re-writing your script in a few different styles to see what feels right.
www.comicsexperience.com/scripts/
Remember, it's an art, not a science. But it still requires a hell of a lot of experimentation.
Please let me know if that answers your question, or if you have follow up questions. Good luck.
@@gerimi Thanks, I was saying that this video already has all the answers for those questions. Sorry if I worded it wierd. I'll check out that link and take your advice. Thanks again!
@@SundjiNo worries, I jumped to conclusions. But that's even better to hear that the video answered all those questions! You're very welcome.
Man you are such a good person, sharing all your knowledge is just wonderful to find a channel like this!!!
That's very kind of you to say. Thanks! I hope you get a lot out of it.
This has got to be the most underrated video on how to create good comics. The process is great and I love how well it works. Thank you so much for this amazing tutorial!
Wow! That is incredibly kind. Thank you. I greatly appreciate it and I'm glad you've found it so useful. Good luck with creating your comic!
This video has helped me soooo much, I have a finished manuscript for a comic. Just making a few edits
CrazyBunny 77 Quick question, do you have an editor, or do u edit everything yourself?
Ransom 05 what's your comics name ?
This has been one of the clearest Comic Book script videos I have seen on TH-cam. I thank you immensely for this as I had been trying to get into comic book making myself. I have the idea down, kinda have my story put together, but never knew how to tackle writing the script in a way that was easy and made sense.
I’m incredibly happy to hear that. I’m honored that I made something that’s genuinely helpful to my fellow creatives. Good luck with your comic and don’t forget to have fun.
19:21 I imagine this could be cool for use with a psychic. Imagine a battle where a future-seer type character can see the villain’s true form unleashed before the rest of the team, and put that in the top left corner of the reveal, with the villain’s true form as the big “to be continued” page on the right.
That’s the spirit, Ray! Very creative use of page turns and spreads.
Have been smashing my head trying to finish breaking the last four books of a graphic novel series and then Found This. It is so illuminating, and even though my process for the four previous books (which are working enough to move on from) is pretty much exactly this, it's so validating and motivating to hear you go through it again AND you give new good tidbits to re-inspire. Your analogies of writing to drawing and outlining to sculpting are FANTASTIC. Cannot thank you enough for this and (once I finish a rewatch) will definitely check out the rest of your channel. Wishing you all the best in your work!
Hi Saraguire! You are exactly the reason why I made this video. I’m humbled and grateful that I can provide something useful to aid my fellow creatives. Sometimes all we need is someone reaffirming things we already know, but might not be doing at the moment. Thanks for watching and good luck with those last four books.
I love this video. Thank you for sharing trade secrets 😂 sadly I need to still find an artist but at least I can start writing the actual story now
You are very welcome Epic_Savant! And thanks for taking the time to watch. I'm just trying to pass on everything I've learned about storytelling in the hope it helps others. Good luck.
This video is very helpful. It's also funny that your process for writing comics is almost exactly the same as mine. lol if I found this video earlier it might have saved me some time.
I'm glad to hear it. Great minds think alike, right? ;-) Hopefully there's stuff in here that will still save you some time in the future.
I really needed this, thank you. I’m a inexperienced writer that wants to make a comic series and this really helped and I wanna read your comic badly
You're very welcome, Sean! Writing can be tough. I've been doing it a few years and I still hit walls and rough patches.
Persistence and being kind to yourself (The work will never be as good as you want it to be) are the most valuable tools you can have.
Good luck with your comic, and if you want to check out my book, it's available at Gerimi dot net. Links on my channel home page.
Dude. Your advice is very awesome. Going to set aside some alone time and really get into this vid. Going to print writing toolbox. I started out as wannabe artist and now I'm getting into writing. I'm not going to blah blah in your ear. Lets see if this starts something good for myself. Knowledge is power! PS I found the book on Amazon: Story Grid. Its on my shop list now. Seeya dude.
nichols4520 That’s awesome to hear. Thanks so much for letting me know the video, Writing toolbox, & book recommendations are helpful. Hope you kick some ass with your writing. Good luck!
Thank you Gerimi for making this video. I too look for advice on writing my comic, but not many give advice from the perspective of a creator who is a writer/artist/self publishing. I however, try to do planning (outlines, non-drawing words that describe what needs to happen), but I end up loosing momentum to create the comic. I found drawing first then putting my art together like a puzzle works best for my ADHD mind. Thank you.
Hey Marcus! Thanks for the thoughtful comment. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. I agree that the writing process can be trickier for artists. It's all storytelling but where does the writing end and the drawing begin? It's different for everyone and I can see why you move the process around like a puzzle. Good luck with comic creating and have fun.
I like how he spells his name.
Thanks Angel!
This video has greatly help me being a artist/writer for my self projects. And has broken my writers block. I'm glad you let us receive this for free.
#Gerimi , @Gerimi , Gerimi
RPG experience you're more thank welcome. I'm just glad I can contribute something useful to my fellow creatives.
awesome video and helps me layout my storyline and get a general idea of what I need to work out. this video not only gives me the confidence to make my comic but eagerness to get started and finished
phinx6236 I'm really happy to hear that you're enthusiastic to dig into your comic. Glad I could help.
Thank you this helped me out a lot. When I finish my Graphic Novel you get a free copy. Peace!
That makes me incredibly happy to hear. Good luck on the book. Look forward to seeing it.
Thank you! Will do
Great video and great suggestions, I’ve watched it twice already (and may go for a third watch lol). That “write a sentence summary per page” idea is my personal favorite and I’m gonna give it a shot. I think it will really help in establishing just how many pages the chapter/book should have, which is something that I struggled a lot with in the past.
I would also suggest something that could help people get started on their own projects, and I think this would help with everything- from summary, to outline, to script: asking yourself questions about your story and writing down the answer to better organize your thoughts. You can start with simple questions like:
-What is the setting for (your story)?
-Who are the characters for (your story)?
-What do your characters do/ what are your characters problem(s)?
And build upon those answers by asking EVEN MORE questions to flesh out your ideas that seem a lot less decisive than just writing down something like, “(my story) is about x, y, z.” I feel like this gives you more room to breath and brainstorm without putting too much pressure on yourself to know EVERYTHING from the get-go. I’ve personally been doing this “question n answer” method for a couple months now and was able to actually conceptualize ideas much faster than any other way that I’ve done in the past. E.g:
Q: what is the setting for Color Blind?
A: A supernatural alternate universe of Prohibition, passed 1933.
Q: What is Prohibition in Color Blind?
A: similar to Prohibition irl, the banning of the distribution of alcohol, but the repeal never happened.
Q: Why does Prohibition exist in Color Blind? Why was it never repealed?
A: The government claims its to prevent rapid alcoholism, but there seems to be a more sinister reason why they don’t want the American people to get their hands on alcohol…
Q: What is supernatural about Color Blind?
And so on and so forth.
I also suggest Color-cording your questions (mine are red/orange) and answers (mine are black) and ideas you’re not sure of (mine are blue) so you can quickly refer to them back and forth.
Again, really great video (I found it via discord) 👍👍
Thanks so much for the kind word, BriNA. I'm glad you're getting so much out of this video. I completely agree with your idea of asking more questions about your story. I tend to have that in a separate document from what I consider the "outline", but you're right. It really helps with world building and developing a deeper understanding of your characters. Good luck with Color Blind. Sounds like a very cool concept.
Btw, what discord server did you happen to find the video on? I'm happy that it's being shared around. I just don't always know where people are discovering it.
@@gerimiSomeone posted it on ArtAttackX’s discord. You can find his TH-cam page here: th-cam.com/users/Artattackx
@@bri.n.a Awesome! Thanks for sharing.
This is great, thanks. Wish I had come across it 7 years ago. Better late than never lol.
You’re very welcome and thanks for watching. Good luck with your comic and feel free to ask if you have any more questions.
this is the best way of layout that i've come accross cause i write and do everything myself and it always seemed like the otheres i've seen but too much information
Thank so much, Craig! As a writer/artist, I’ve definitely had to streamline the process for both to make them more manageable. Glad the video has been helpful. Good luck with your comics. 👍
Thanks for sharing your method, bro.
You’re very welcome! Good luck with your comic.
Thanks for this man. I'm an old washed out comic book fan who can't draw and has never tried to make a comic book because it seems beyond me. However this was really inspiring.
Glad to hear that. My goal with this video was to take a big task and chop it down to manageable, understandable chunks.
Ya did a great job, well done.
Thanks for making these videos - you rock!
Thanks for watching J! Glad you're enjoying them.
Very insightful and more thorough than most of what I've found. Thank you very much.
You're very welcome and good luck with your comic creating! Thanks for watching.
Great video, hard to find videos with some bit deeper technical information. Thanks!
Happy to hear the video is helpful @GooseWasArt. Good luck with your storytelling.
hi gerimi.artist here as well. I do it all tho. so I have always had this comic book name and base of storyline in my head and certain characters as well. however I freehand when I draw so some proportions are horrible when I'm trying to make up characters. so when I saw this one video on yt about the George Bridgman books and Andrew loomis. I was excited. but I'm trying to execute this book now. I cannot wait to get them books and practice then it'll be a lot easier creating the characters. a lot if them are inspired from my friends and other inspirations. I got the main character storyline and background but not all of the characters. I'm excited about this!
Thanks for the comment. I'm happy to hear you're making progress on developing both your characters and your artwork/proportions. Good luck on your book.
Thank u very much.😄
This is gonna be my go-to guide to writing my game comic book man. Thnx for this!
You’re very welcome, Shan! Happy to share this and good luck writing your comic.
Thank you for this!!!
You're so welcome!
I learned from my daily job that I should always see the product from the view of the customer and the fact that I'm skipping pages in comics/mangas is kind of sad. I mean the artist is putting his passion and his creativity into it, working for hours or even days for a slide and I just skip as if it's nothing. I wonder how I can make an impact and create real emotions and get the reader hooked into the story.
On the other hand, I'm still doodling around without any real result. I try to find my style and I really struggle with backgrounds. It helped to see that you don't focus much on the background and more on the action. It makes me a bit more confident. Drawing characters and items is not one of my worst traits. Putting them into motion still needs a bit of effort. I hope I get to this point. I subscribed :-)
Thank you for subscribing! I hope the video was helpful.
Everything you’re struggling with are problems I’ve struggled with in the past. Sometimes I still do.
One of the frustrating things about making comics is that you have to learn by making comics that aren’t as good as you would like them to be.
That’s true for both the writing and the art. But completing a project, whether it’s an 8 page story or a full issue, helps you see the process in a way that you can’t in just script , thumbnails, or pencils.
Thanks for sharing this. Very helpful.
You’re very welcome, Velzhaed! Thanks for watching. Good luck with your writing.
I'm new to your channel and I learned a lot from this video. I spent most of my life as an artist know I need to transition into an artist.
Hi Nelson! Thanks for watching. I’m glad this video was helpful. I’m still learning about writing everyday, but explaining my process to others helped me as well.
@@gerimi I want this, to be a comic book writer and artist is what I wanted all my life. I know this is what I was meant to do, I taught myself how to draw. Im not the best artist, but I have a vision. Nelson Comics ,I have my own unique style of art. I need to get these ideas out my head on to paper. Comics is waiting for the next big thing. Comics and Movies are being written by people who don't know nothing about comics.
@@cdnelson7291 Draftsmanship can be taught. Writing craft can be taught. The one thing that can't be taught is the thing you already have… the passion to tell stories. Go Get It!!!
@@gerimi Thanks, I look forward to the challenge of writing my first comic. I was told in College in a writing class by the professor I had a gift for writing and it would be a shame if I didn't do anything with it. He said,( You have a way of pulling the reader into your mind and keeping them there, because it's not often a writer is so bold to share his naked soul on paper.)
This video hit a home run with me. I have a story that I’m hashing out the details for. Love this. Subscribed!!
Kerry King thanks so much for joining me! Hope you find other videos useful too.
Thank you for sharing your writing process and experience🌹
You're very welcome, Tchakhtchoukha. Good luck with your writing.
Thank you for posting this. I'm in the process of creating my own comic as well.
You're very welcome. Good luck with your comic.
Thanks for this informative video, Gerimi. This was very helpful to me.
JosephDR you're more than welcome. Happy to help.
this is an amazing video. Thank-You very much.
I'm glad to hear that. I hope there are other videos in my channel that will be helpful too. Thanks for watching.
Shared! This is going to help me SO MUCH in making my animation, "The Biography of Milarepa". Thank you Gerimi!
You're very welcome Martin and thank YOU for sharing! Good luck with your animation.
Thank you kind sir. My eldest brother tells me look you wanna make manga? Yeah, then start writing cause you're gonna have to describe what ya want the artiest to draw. Told me, summarize the first book with very few words. Quit brilliant really, key points, what are the key points of the story no dialogue just describe. Young boy walking home hears footsteps from behind he freezes in place. Now not that's not very good but hopefully you get the idea, Thank you.
That’s a great place to start. Once you have the main story beats in place, you can add descriptions, dialogue, and more detailed action. Good luck with your comic!
Thank you very much for this! Very helpful and detailed without getting boring or complex! :)))
You are very welcome! I'm happy to share and glad it was both interesting and straightforward
Lots of great common sense tips here - thanks!
Thanks for watching, Dave. Hope it’s helpful with whatever project you’re working on.
Thank you so much for this video! It's by far the best that I've found on learning how to write comics on youtube. I'm an Illustrator first and foremost and I've decided to write and draw my own comic. I'm new to writing and I find the infinite possibility pretty intimidating. I had no idea where to start but this helped me out soooo much! Your method is very structured and most videos discussing this stuff skip over the important details. I can't wait to sit down and get started now and I'll be sure to check out your work too :)
I'm really happy to hear that Dylan. Writing can seem like a big task, and it is hard, but like most difficult things, breaking it down into manageable chunks goes a long way toward simplifying it. Good luck on your comic.
Man this video was so good. he gives you some very clear guidelines to help you bring a comic/story to life. in my opinion this easy to understand information is worth money.
Thanks so much. That was exactly my goal… to give something away for free that is genuinely valuable to creative storytellers.
Thank you I learnt a lot from viewing this video it was both educational and enjoyable 😃
You're more than welcome. I'm glad it was helpful. Thanks for taking the time to watch.
Very cool to see your process Gerimi, Some of your process mirrors my own, but a lot of your technique is quite different. I find it interesting to see how so many people make their comics in so many ways.
Thanks, Scott. I think all of us take a little bit from here and there, but those idiosyncratic tricks and processes we invent for ourselves… those are the really interesting things. I love it when my mind is blown by a creative technique I would never have thought of.
Very informative. Thanks for posting!
You’re very welcome. Glad to hear it was interesting.
Awesome stuff!
Thanks for watching, GoodDays! Hope it was useful.
This was very usefull thanks a lot for sharing :D
You're very welcome, Traumwelt! Thanks for watching and good luck with your comic.
Great video.
Thanks for sharing your creative process so openly.
Legacy Brand Comics you're very welcome. Happy to share it.
Such a great video, thanks for sharing your ideas about writers block. It’s has helped me tremendously 😃
Thanks for watching, Jay! I’m really glad to hear the video is helpful. Writer’s block can be a bear… but even bears can be tamed.
I'v been writing comics for swedish publishers since 1991 and I have one tip: read Joseph Campbells book "The Hero with a Thousand Faces" to learn what components a story should contain. "Campbell explores the theory that important myths from around the world which have survived for thousands of years all share a fundamental structure, which Campbell called the monomyth. In a well-known quote from the introduction to The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Campbell summarized the monomyth:
A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man."
patricvgn agreed! It's a fantastic book
So it's the hero's journey?
great process and ill keep coming back lol
Thanks, Kodibop! I hope it's helpful.
Your video really helped me out. Thank you.
Jackson Taylor you're more than welcome. Glad to be of help. Good luck in your comic.
Gerimi how can pitch you story in public post without risk being copied by anyone who reads it
This isn't a pitch. I published the first issue of this series a few years ago. In fact, I just released a trade of issues 1-4. amazon.gerimi.net
Gerimi I meant how can I pitch my story in public without risking the theft of my ideas
Oh sorry. Missunderstood. Well… Why do you want to pitch it in public? Why not share it privately with the people you want to pitch to?
Needed this❤
Thanks! Very happy to share. Good luck with your comic!
You're a great teacher Gerimi! Very inspiring ;)
That's very kind of you to say. Thank you!
Google AI search brought me here and I am ELATED! Thanks
Welcome Normalguy! Glad Google AI brought you to my channel. Hope the videos are helpful and feel free to ask if you have any questions.
This is great! I'll be watching this at work in a bit.
Thanks. I wish I could have gotten it out over the weekend, but it took all we keen to put the video together.
Excellent video
xl5zero7 thank you :)
Thank you, for this video!
tiaelise74 you’re very welcome. Have fun making your comic.
really enjoyed this video thanks for inspiring,im writing a comic book but struggle to draw lol
Stewart Jones thanks for taking the time to watch. Hope it's helpful. Both writing and drawing comics are a lot of work, but if it were easy, everyone would do it.
Gerimi the way you went through the phases was really informative and I'll aim to follow that structure for the process,it's frustrating and unfortunate that i can't draw very well so I'll need to figure that part out later on
Stewart Jones the best advice I can give on drawing is google figure drawing workshops in your zip code. Anywhere there are artists, there will be a few who get together to study from live models. You will be super frustrated at the start because everybody sucks at it in the beginning. Stick with it and try to enjoy the learning process.
I like writing comics book for fun I may pay people to design and do the art for my comics and maybe I will start selling I 😊
That's great to hear. I hope you get a chance to share your comics with the world. Good luck!
Great video thank you for making this!
You're very welcome. Glad this is helpful.
My biggest issue is trying to find a publisher who accepts unsolicited scripts, will pair me up with a team, and doesn't need to already have pages made.
I wish I could help you with that one, but unfortunately it's kinda like trying to get an agent in hollywood. The best way to get a publisher's attention is to self publish.
I have a video on how to find an artist:
th-cam.com/video/RDR8z3W8eb8/w-d-xo.html
but if you don't have the budget to hire an artist, maybe you can do a trade. Find an artist that has an idea but hates writing. You offer to write a short story (8-12 comic pages) for their character if they will draw one of your short stories.
Beyond that, the best thing I can recommend is to start writing prose and share it as an audiobook podcast. If the stories are captivating enough, you might get people to send you fan art and maybe you'll find someone interested in collaborating with you.
You can also try to break into comics is as an editorial assistant. You work your way up to editor and you'll be the one deciding who's paired with who.
And there's always Midjourney and Dall-E
@@gerimi Thanks. The reason I'm looking for a traditional publisher is because it'll be easier to get paired up and advertise. But I might try audiobooks. Cause I am awful at drawing people.
@@zionleach3001 You might really want to look into Midjourney. I just came across this today. th-cam.com/video/tjj6KsPSHZc/w-d-xo.html
Very interesting video, thanks for making it. One contradiction I noticed is that if you change scenes with every page turn then you cannot set up a surprise on the right side page to be revealed after the page turn. But otherwise great advice.
Craig Cochrane good point. The one spread per scene idea is more of a guideline to keep the story moving, rather than a hard fast rule.
I frequently do three page scenes when I want a surprise on the page turn. I also do four page scenes, so you get the surprise, then the fallout from the surprise.
Sometimes, I'll build up to something that very obviously will be some sort of surprise, then cut away to another scene… like a tv show dropping an OH snap moment, then cutting to commercial.
And I always encourage people to try different things/pacing to see what works best for them. Personal taste and the type of story you're telling can and should dramatically effect the pacing.
Hi Gerimi, I'm working on a book at the moment and I am using the style of overlapping plots and one of the tricky things is running out of 'real estate' in terms of pages. It takes a lot more preparation but I think its more rewarding (IMO). So like you, I vary up the scenes from 1-4 pages
I also like you idea of the occasional bait and switch non-surprise to keep the reader guessing.
One other thing I try to do is rank the key story moments by importance, then I attribute larger panel size to the most important moments. So the biggest moment of a given story is a DPS (only one per story - I keep stories between 1-3 issues), next biggest is a Full Page (one of these per issue), biggest moment of an issue's 'ACT' would be a half page spread. etc.
Craig Cochrane I completely agree with your thoughts about allotting panel size according to the importance of the shot to the overall story.
In terms of running out of real estate, I lean heavily on the nine panel grid when I have to grind through a lot of story. But that really depends on what your artist feels comfortable with. Many artist feel very restricted by that layout.
Its not a hard rule but I like averaging around 100 panels per comic (if possible). So if I have a full page spread on one page I'll have a 9-panel grid on another etc. Just to try and keep an average of 5 per page.
A lot of modern comics have dropped down to averaging around 75 panels and you just don't get the same amount of story per comic as you used to (especially in this decompressed era where dialogue and narrative are lessened and thought bubbles for the most part are removed entirely). The individual comic unit (as a medium) gives less story today and you can sort of tell they are writing for the trade format rather than with the comic format in mind.
Wow man I really appreciate you breaking down your process of writing for us! This definitely is helpful. It's similar to how I think of writing using plot and action to kind of build my story and then dialogue is developed throughout. I also really like your writers block tip! I actually do a similar thing except I don't always get ten. Do you do anything to map out emotional themes? Do your stories have an overall lesson or point? If so how do you work with that within the story?
Thanks. Glad you find it useful. Theme is usually what I'm chipping away at. In the rewriting process, I'm constantly trying to refine the question "what is this story about?" If I can make it clear to the reader without having to say the exact words, I've hit my target.
The plot is the story idea I start with. It's simply what happens the themes are what the plot reveals about the characters, the reader, or the world at large.
Sometimes I think the theme is one thing and by the time I'm done writing, I've discovered it's something else.
I try not to force a lesson or point onto the story. I look for the one already there. If I can't find one, then I haven't done my job.
+Gerimi Burleigh awesome so it's kind of a more organic approach I guess very cool! Thank you
Extremely well presented and easy to follow. Maybe you can do one on finding and working with an artist?
I don't know if I'd be the most qualified person for that topic, as I'm a writer/artist and have worked on very few collaborations. I do have an idea though. I've got some writer friends that I can ask about their thoughts on collaboration and see if they'd be interested in a short conversation on the topic.
cemonkey1 Ask and ye shall receive… I asked my friend, writer Jamie Gambell to sit in on an episode and talk about finding and working with artists.
th-cam.com/video/RDR8z3W8eb8/w-d-xo.html
I'm an artist and writer and found this super helpful. Explaining it like a gesture drawing was brilliant and makes it far easier to think about! I have so much trouble finishing writings, but I think this will really change things. It's funny, because I'm the reverse, I'm a character and dialogue writer but poor with plots.Totally agree that the writing and art parts are separate. Do you think someone whose more of a dialogue person (it often helps me figure out scenes in writing "writing") should consider a strictly dialogue script, along with these plotting strategies? Thank you! I'm excited to check out your website :)
I'm really happy to hear how useful the video has been. Thanks for letting me know. I've spent (and continue to spend) so much time learning how to draw better that I started finding parallels between drawing and learning how do anything else difficult, like writing.
As far as being a dialogue person, I've of two opinions.
on one hand, I lean in to whatever I'm weakest at. I used to be bad at drawing women, so I started drawing women all the time. Now, they are mainly what I draw, out side of comics. So I would lean into writing a script with NO dialogue, because you know you can knock out that part in your sleep.
On the other hand, I have a very "whatever works for you" approach to creativity. Try it and see what happens. It might be good for you work. My process for both writing and drawing evolves with each comic I make. You could go back and forth trying each approach over a number of projects, comparing the strengths and weaknesses.
Gerimi ooh, thank you. I'm going to try out a script sans dialogue and see how that works. I have a couple ideas of which direction I want to take this story so I may do some summaries and try to decide which works best. Right now I'm just jotting down any scene that comes to mind and how many panels, roughly, it would take. The leaning in thing is something I've done in the past with art-- used to be a black and white person, but now I embrace color. If all of this works out, I'll give you a heads up! Thanks again.
Lawrence Smith good luck with the comic. You're more than welcome.
Yes
Awesome video, it helped allot!
That's exactly what I was hoping for. Thank you
Are you using Photoshop to do your lettering as in text ... or are you manually lettering in ink? Do you have a favorite font ?
Hi Steve, Thanks for asking. I letter digitally. I used to use Adobe Illustrator, but I recently switched to Affinty Designer. I have a few videos on my lettering process.
th-cam.com/users/GerimiBurleighsearch?query=lettering
My favorite font is Zap Raygun, which is from Nate Piekos (Blambot). He no longer has it on his site, but I highly recommend you look at Blambot.com. He has many excellent free (for indie comics) fonts, and his fonts for sale are extremely reasonably priced.
blambot.com/collections/all-fonts/products/digital-strip
Gerimi, it might be helpful if you put a link to your "Drawing a Comic" video on the description.
That's a GREAT suggestion, Martin. Thank you, I'll get on it.
May I use all the tips you mentioned here on how to write a comic book from start to finish for writing my novel or graphic novel ?
Yes, please do. Good luck with the novel.
Thank you for responding and thank you for granting my request. More power to you and your channel
de javu this was uploaded may 2016 and the opening page above the date is 2017 ?
…oops? Either way, I hope the video is useful/interesting.
Thank you for this vid I learned alot. Do you have your work published? I would like to read it
Capt Gblade thanks for asking. Yes, my work is available at Amazon.gerimi.net and comiXology.gerimi.net - hope you enjoy.
Gerimi Sweet can do and thank you. I've been working on a horror comedy comic for 2 years now and I'm currently working on the script for volume 2. My only issue is getting an artist. I can draw but I didn't know how to draw in comic form.
Capt Gblade I’ve got a video on how to find a writer. th-cam.com/video/RDR8z3W8eb8/w-d-xo.html. -But don’t give up on drawing your own work. In order to draw comics well, you have to be willing to do it badly for quite a while.
Gerimi do you have any written PDF or a book based on your script writing? I really like the way you script and want to go that route with my own comics i am working on. I've been trying to type up a key sheet for notes, but taking awhile. Thanks for the info.
Yes actually, check out the "Writer's Toolbox" PDF on my resources page ( resources.gerimi.net )
…Specifically, the format section. Feel free to copy the outline structure I use there. I hope it's helpful to you.
That's music to my ears. Go on with your bad self!
How many pages of story are written for a comic book?
Hi Nicebhargave! Currently mainstream Marvel/DC comic books have 20-22 pages of story + extra pages of ads.
Image comics are usually 32 pages and it’s up to the creative team whether they want to use the entire book for stories or have additional back matter or ads.
An independent comic creator can have as few or many pages as they wish. If your printer will print an 8 page comic, then your story can be that short.
Once you get over 48-64 pages, it’s more of a graphic novel/novella, but that’s just putting a name on it. It’s still all comics.
Most people make a distinction by whether it has a book spine or not. Usually around 72 pages and up, but again, it depends on the printer.
Does that cover what you wanted to know?
I'm writing a comic book and let me tell you it's a struggle!
Snoman I'm right in the trenches with ya'. Keep at it.
Hi Gerimi quick question, at around 3:19 I noticed you have a very similar "beginning" i guess you would call it? (Im not sure lol) to the start of my comic as well, essentially my character is placed down by a hand of god or gods in an empty space to symbolize the lonely feeling of him being in the world i'm creating. My question is would it be okay if I continued using that beginning?? If not I totally understand! It's a HUGE coincidence lol. Also awesome tutorial, I can't wait to get this story out to people, It's going to be awesome.
Hi Miguel, thanks for watching! Yes, please stick with your original beginning. I can’t think of a specific comic, novel, or film that I pulled from, but I’m positive that I didn’t invent this opening for a story. It’s been done before and it will be done again. Good luck with your comic. Hopefully, it’s the best version 👍
@@gerimi Thank you so much!
This was very helpful, but my biggest question is whether or not a comic book editor is really necessary or not. They're pretty expensive for work that I personally think isn't exactly that difficult to do. Now I'm just wondering what would an editor do that no one else can? Fix words and grammar or are they gana make my story better? I just wanna know, is an editor needed or are they a luxury?
Walking Corpse I might not be the best person to answer this question because I haven't worked with an editor on my comics. Are they NECESSARY? Not for a small team or single creator. Can they be extremely useful and greatly improve the quality of the work? YES!
I haven't used an editor for the same reason as you, I can't afford the expense right now. But when I can, I will definitely try it. In fact, it's likely I may have to work with a few editors before I find one that I gel with.
Just like inkers, colorists, and letterers, editors can be integral creative collaborators. Some editors just catch typos and make sure deadlines are met. Others will point out ways for every member of the creative team to make the work better. On the writing side, they can point out pacing and story logic problems, suggest dialog improvements, details to add character depth, and a number of ways to make the book better.
So I'm pro-editors, even though I'm not using one. But there are plenty of indie creators producing great comics without an editor. So you only need one if you feel you need one.
Gerimi I would like one, if u know one that'll do it for cheap and for fun I suppose, go ahead and send me a link to their instagram or email account. But I mean this is a first time comic, I pretty much need a critic to help me with story logic and consistency, everything else is not really too important. :p
Walking Corpse I'm in the same boat as you are. If I had an editor I could recommend, I'd pass them on to you.
For your first few comics, you may have to go it alone, or get feedback from friends and family.
Gerimi Agreed! Thank you so much, this has helped me alot. Do you have an instagram I can follow you at? I know I can't do much, but maybe I can buy a comic issue from you and help support your comic! :)
Walking Corpse I just remembered two more things that may help.
www.storygrid.com/articles/
The blog of book editor Shawn Coyne. He basically teaches you how to edit yourself. I've learned a ton from him.
digitalwebbing.com/forums/
Comic book forum for creators looking to collaborate, but you can also get constructive criticism from fellow creators.
And you are more than welcome. I'm happy to share what resources I have.
My Instagram is instagram.com/gerimib/
My comics are available at (amazon.gerimi.net), (gerimi.net), and (comixology.gerimi.net)
Ok
Thumbnail sketch?
I love thumbnail sketching.
15:37
Hi, can i use all this info if i have to give it to an artist to draw the comic? And should i write the details of what's going on on the scene for the Artist?
I want to write but I only have fragments of a story, I don't know what I want exactly. How to you get past this part of the process?
I'm just an artist and I'm really unintuitive when it comes to writing
Tocho I’m an artist who has been learning to write too. It may seem intimidating at first, but you get better with practice.
Write down one of your story fragments. Then make a numbered list. 1-10. Ask yourself what happened just before the scene in your fragment? Just a sentence or two. That’s #1. It probably won’t sound like a good idea to you. That’s ok. Write it down anyway. Then try a different idea. Wild, crazy, stupid, it doesn’t matter. That’s #2. Repeat until you have 10 of them.
Gerimi thank you! Sorry for making you repeat yourself
You're very welcome. I know sometimes, when I recieve advice it makes sense, but it helps when someone gives me a practical example of how to apply it to my specific problem.
Think of writing the same way as drawing. It can take a lot of doodles, sketches, and reference before we figure out how to make that finished piece. The story fragments are pieces of those doodles.
14:20
Can you make 1
Yes. But I'd like you to look at some of the other videos and see if they answer your questions first. That way I can focus on topics they don't answer. It will be more useful for you.
How many panels can you make per day ? I draw very slow :( Sorry for my english
I can average about 4-6 panels a day. The number changes because some days I only have one hour to draw. Some days I get 3-4 hours.
The number of panels will also change depending on how complex each panel is. A large crowd scene with lots of buildings, animals, and perspective work will take a lot longer than drawing two guys punching each other.
Hi Gerimi, quick question: do you employ an editor? If so, at which point in the process do you do this?
Love the channel by the way 😊
Thanks so much. No, I currently do not employ an editor. I do have plans to begin using one in the future, probably not on the current series, but on the one after that.
When you bring in an editor depends on what you're looking for. Line editors check for typos and other mistakes. Developmental editors help you mold the story. They point out story structure problems, poor character motivations, and garden-variety bad writing.
My understanding, not having worked with one, is that it is much harder to find a developmental editor because it's a lot more work on their part.
And you're letting someone into your personal creative process on a much deeper level. They're still just pointing out mistakes and leaving you to fix them, but it's a much more creatively intimate relationship.
I would say, bring in a line editor as close to the completed project as possible and bring developmental editors in as early as possible… say, once you've got your basic beginning, middle, end, and main characters outlined. The editorial feedback may dramatically change any of those elements.
Thanks a lot, I've been seriously considering the benefits of employing a developmental editor for a self-published series (due to the potential cost of hiring one) and I think I might just do very intensive script rewrites and feedback from peers instead, then get a line editor towards the end. Thanks again! You're doing awesome work here, and I'm so glad I found your channel :)
Molly Adams Well, I'm really glad you found it and you're enjoying the channel too.
Yes, the cost is the main thing slowing me from engaging a developmental editor too. But I also want to take my time to find the right person, as I hope they would become a long time collaborator.
Good luck on your series. I look forward to hearing about it when you're done.
How to self publish a comic book series
Is that a request for a video on the subject?
Anyone interested in this stuff i highly suggest the channel strip panel naked. He looks at many unique and top tier examples👌
Agreed. I love that channel 👍
Intro ends at 2:58
What do you mean you cant just have dialog upon dialogue and no action? Someone should tell dc and marvel this. Cause its a bunch of uninspired political agenda stories that are just blah
Lol! I haven't been reading any Marvel/DC books regularly in a while. I pick and choose based on the creative team. I just picked up Mister Miracle because I loved Tom King's run on The Vision.
@@gerimi i liked him on The Vision also, but I'm so ready for his 100 issue run on batman to be over. Batman is the only publication with batman in it that batman is not batman. Detective comics and the others that have him they write him correctly for the most part, but the batman comic is killing me right now
@@gerimi and love your vids btw very helpful to me. I only recently came across your channel and morningstar sounds really intriguing where can i get it?
@@theghastlygamer5326 Thanks for the kind words and I'm glad the videos are helpful. Morningstar vol. 1 (issues 1-4) is available on Amazon in print or Kindle ( amazon.gerimi.net ) and individual issues, 1-6 are on ComiXology ( comixology.gerimi.net ). Thanks for asking!
This is very helpful! Thanks!
You're very welcome. I'm glad it helps.