Graphic Novels .....

[GavinPreacher]

I love reading these and i started to wonder: is there a resource or place that i can look at that tells you how to write one, if there are any particular formats or rules you need to follow when writing one? Also, do you have to be able to do your own art for one or is the art something different than the writing? I ask this because i posted a story idea in the sandbox and somebody mentioned that it sounded like something that might be good for a graphic novel and i was wondering about how it would work to write one.

[Axler]

You might want to seek out this book--

http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/23550000/23559670.JPG


http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Everything-Guide-to-Writing-Graphic-Novels/Mark-Ellis/e/9781598694512/?itm=1

[sunandshadow]

Although the writer and artist are sometimes the same person, they often are not. If you create a complete graphic novel script you can either pitch it to a graphic novel publisher who can have their staff artists illustrate it, hire an artist yourself to illustrate it, or you can attempt to find an artist who will illustrate it on spec for half of the profits, but this third method is more difficult to pull off.

[wordmonkey]

Lots of free info here (http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53425).

[GavinPreacher]

Thanks for the info guys. I have to check out that Dark Horse site that you mentioned, but is writing a script for a graphic novel the same as writing one for a comic? If they are the same then i can use the templates i find on Dark Horse or anywhere else. If not, i need to do further research .....

[sunandshadow]

A graphic novel might have a different plot structure than a comic (IMHO a graphic novel plot is like a novella or a movie, while a comic book is like a TV episode), but there's no reason the script formatting would be different. There isn't a real standard comic script format anyway, different artists and writers use different formats to suit their preferences, and at base they are all variants of a screenplay format. For example some writers don't put any paneling 'stage directions' at all, while others number every panel and describe its shape and positioning on the page. There are also manga vs. western comic variants and hybrid styles...

Here are some more books:
http://www.amazon.com/Writers-Comics-Scriptwriting-Vol-1/dp/184023069X/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230588211&sr=1-4
http://www.amazon.com/Alan-Moores-Writing-Comics-1/dp/1592910122/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230588211&sr=1-3
http://www.amazon.com/Panel-One-Comic-Scripts-Writers/dp/0971633800/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230588211&sr=1-1 (and there's a sequel to this one, Panel Two)

[wordmonkey]

Pacing will be different, since a comic is basically serialized and needs a hook at the end of each issue. However, if you are talking just the script format and structure, then yup, same thing.

What you'll get on the Dark Horse site is basic and a good start, but if you look at Axler's book or the thread here, you will see there is a LOT more to it.

Good luck.

[jmascia]

Damn, I've never even seen that "Everything Guide to Graphic Novels". Gotta take a look at that now.