So, hopefully, I'll do this comicbook writing script, correctly...

[ealperin]

So.... I just thought up of a great scene, featuring my OC’s, of course, involving a rooftop restaurant, and the main character, in her spandex duds, who confronts an anti-GLBTQ bigot, on her partner’s birthday.

Believe me, my spandex-clad Superheroine has A LOT to say to that douchenozzle, calmly. Awesomeness abounds.

Some sort of script will be up soon.

If there’s anyone who can help with links, or, more specifically, with formats on writing comic book scripts, PM me.

[HeatherJeanne]

Sounds like it'll be really good!

[J9Naimoli]

I look forward to reading this! If you are looking for formatting tips, the best one I could give you is to start each 'art page' description on a new 'manuscript page' and to number your dialogue -- it makes the artist's and letterer's lives a lot easier.

[ealperin]

Originally Posted by J9Naimoli

I look forward to reading this! If you are looking for formatting tips, the best one I could give you is to start each 'art page' description on a new 'manuscript page' and to number your dialogue -- it makes the artist's and letterer's lives a lot easier.

Planning on doing that numbering thing, actually! ^_^ It keeps my dialogue organized. It's just that I've never done a comic book script before, so, this is totally new to me, as a concept! I've read comic books, of course, but, never really figured out the writers write out the pages with the shots needed to complete the task at hand.

[J9Naimoli]

I understand! One of the strategies you will also want to get familiar with is pacing. I struggled quite a bit with pacing when I first started turning my stories into scripts -- I never knew how much was too much. Think of it like writing a movie where a 20/22-page issue is akin to a 30-minute movie. So, if you were to take The Godfather and turn it into a comic series, it would likely fill up 5 issues. Think about where those issue breaks would be. For The Godfather, issue #1 might end where Vito Corleone gets shot. Also, some of the "set-up"-based plot would be removed from the beginning, like the Fontane/horse's head story arc. So, issue #1 would include the wedding, the meeting where Vito says 'no' to drugs, the Luca Brasi spy/death scene, and the hit on Vito. Your best bet, to get familiar with pacing and where to place page-turns is to download and read other scripts and pay close attention to their structure. They all basically follow the same formula and you will start to see the pattern as you read many of them. A good site for published scripts is http://comicbookscriptarchive.com/

Good luck and have FUN!

[ealperin]

Originally Posted by J9Naimoli

I understand! One of the strategies you will also want to get familiar with is pacing. I struggled quite a bit with pacing when I first started turning my stories into scripts -- I never knew how much was too much. Think of it like writing a movie where a 20/22-page issue is akin to a 30-minute movie. So, if you were to take The Godfather and turn it into a comic series, it would likely fill up 5 issues. Think about where those issue breaks would be. For The Godfather, issue #1 might end where Vito Corleone gets shot. Also, some of the "set-up"-based plot would be removed from the beginning, like the Fontane/horse's head story arc. So, issue #1 would include the wedding, the meeting where Vito says 'no' to drugs, the Luca Brasi spy/death scene, and the hit on Vito. Your best bet, to get familiar with pacing and where to place page-turns is to download and read other scripts and pay close attention to their structure. They all basically follow the same formula and you will start to see the pattern as you read many of them. A good site for published scripts is http://comicbookscriptarchive.com/

Good luck and have FUN!

Thanks!!!! I found the script section, too!!! : http://www.comicbookscriptarchive.co...e/the-scripts/

[ealperin]

Originally Posted by J9Naimoli

I understand! One of the strategies you will also want to get familiar with is pacing. I struggled quite a bit with pacing when I first started turning my stories into scripts -- I never knew how much was too much. Think of it like writing a movie where a 20/22-page issue is akin to a 30-minute movie. So, if you were to take The Godfather and turn it into a comic series, it would likely fill up 5 issues. Think about where those issue breaks would be. For The Godfather, issue #1 might end where Vito Corleone gets shot. Also, some of the "set-up"-based plot would be removed from the beginning, like the Fontane/horse's head story arc. So, issue #1 would include the wedding, the meeting where Vito says 'no' to drugs, the Luca Brasi spy/death scene, and the hit on Vito. Your best bet, to get familiar with pacing and where to place page-turns is to download and read other scripts and pay close attention to their structure. They all basically follow the same formula and you will start to see the pattern as you read many of them. A good site for published scripts is http://comicbookscriptarchive.com/

Good luck and have FUN!

Just realized that I don't even know how I should start off on the first page! O.O;

[J9Naimoli]

Oops! i missed your last post!

This is what i usually do... everybody is different and you will discover what works best for you over time, but i offer you this method as a starting point:

As far as getting started, try to think about what the story points are and make an outline or list out of them.
Example:
1. boy meets girl
2. boy accidentally spills coffee on girl
3. girl gets mad and boy apologizes
4. girl says "it's OK, really -- I've just been uber-stressed about a problem"
5. girl fills boy in on her problem
6. boy realizes he has a solution to her problem
7. boy opens time portal
...

Then, look at your outline and try to split it up by page. So, on page 1, items 1 and 2 might happen with almost all panels devoted to 1 so that 2 is a little shocking, thus encouraging a page turn. Items 3 - 6 might happen on page 2 and item 7 would happen on page 3, since it's visible while you are looking at page 2, would start with item 7)

After you have the story broken down into pages and story beats, then you can start taking it panel by panel.

Good luck!!!

[ealperin]

Originally Posted by J9Naimoli

Oops! i missed your last post!

This is what i usually do... everybody is different and you will discover what works best for you over time, but i offer you this method as a starting point:

As far as getting started, try to think about what the story points are and make an outline or list out of them.
Example:
1. boy meets girl
2. boy accidentally spills coffee on girl
3. girl gets mad and boy apologizes
4. girl says "it's OK, really -- I've just been uber-stressed about a problem"
5. girl fills boy in on her problem
6. boy realizes he has a solution to her problem
7. boy opens time portal
...

Then, look at your outline and try to split it up by page. So, on page 1, items 1 and 2 might happen with almost all panels devoted to 1 so that 2 is a little shocking, thus encouraging a page turn. Items 3 - 6 might happen on page 2 and item 7 would happen on page 3, since it's visible while you are looking at page 2, would start with item 7)

After you have the story broken down into pages and story beats, then you can start taking it panel by panel.

Good luck!!!

Sorry about the late reply, folks!


Thanks for the advice!

Here's the issue, though, what I meant by "intro" is how the hell am I setting up my first scene?

Here's some brief points about my story, that I DO know:

-The only thing I'm concerned about is to show how to start it. In my first scene, I want to do sort of a spin on a scene in "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures Of Superman" where our Superheroine, after a whole night of crimefighting has ended, comes through, the love interests balcony window, silhouette visible, and asks our love interest if she's ready to go, (which she is, by strapping a detective's badge to her leg holster, in a slinky red or green evening dress.) Smarmy flirting ensues then, off they go!

And this is where the interesting things start:

- My two main characters via the next scene are celebrating my superheroine's partner's birthday on a rooftop restaurant, when her partner notices a guy and his wife gawking at them showing affection, so, our Superheroine overhears this anti-homosexual bigot basically saying that when they show that they care for each other, he thinks it's disgusting & immoral. (I've had experience with douchebaggery such as this, so, I'm trying to have a positive GLBTQA couple, that doesnt give a crap about what bigots think, and if they do, they don't end up slamming the guy/gal's head against the wall, no matter how urgent the feelings to do so, are.)

-So, the Superheroine notices this via her superhearing, and then takes a look at them with a frown on her face, or something (maybe a concerned look at her partner, Katy, possibly?), tells her partner that everything's okay & that she'll "take care of it" with a tender kiss, zooms off, asks "Is there a problem, sir?" to the douche and he says something... about love I guess. She sits down and asks him point blank, "You love your wife?" he, of course, says yes, and then she says, "So do I. Love is love no matter who you're with."

-And then, she goes on this big speech about respect, love, peace, and somesuch. And while the Superheroine's partner, Katy, is watching all of this she admires her, even more, gets up from where she was sitting, calls our Superheroine by her name (superheroic one, not secret I.D., Duh.), hand caressing her cheek, and gives her a passionate kiss, right in front of the bigoted couple. The end.

So... Any help?

[ealperin]

Any chance I cam get some help to start off my first page, correctly? I be got the ideas written up in the previous post, but, I'm having an issue trying to format it into a script, with actions, gestures, & dialogue. :-/

[ealperin]

Hey there, folks! Just wondering if I can get some sort of advice for the third to last post, up here. Having trouble on how to start the script off. much help would be very appreciated.

[Neila]

You could open the first scene up like a movie, start wide and zoom in.

So Panel 1 would be establishing shot of the area, maybe with dialog from the scene.
Panel 2 would be a tighter shot with the characters and some of the action
Panel 3 would be in the midst of whatever is going on.

Visually and plot wise pull the reader in?

I hope this helps!

[ealperin]

Originally Posted by Neila

You could open the first scene up like a movie, start wide and zoom in.

So Panel 1 would be establishing shot of the area, maybe with dialog from the scene.
Panel 2 would be a tighter shot with the characters and some of the action
Panel 3 would be in the midst of whatever is going on.

Visually and plot wise pull the reader in?

I hope this helps!

I'll try that out. Thanks!

[Steven Forbes]

Hi!

I don't wander in here often, but being an editor, the title struck me as something of interest.

I write about comic creation every week at Comixtribe.com, in the Bolts & Nuts section. 95 weeks, and still going strong! The first few would probably be worth your while, though. Up through week 12 or so.

I also run The Proving Grounds there, as well. TPG is where writers can submit their scripts for editing by two pro's (myself and Steve Colle, who is creativesynergy here), knowing that two sets of eyes will be looking at it and making comments on it. This is unlike many forums (such as this one) where you can post a script, you'll see that people have looked, but there aren't many comments--and if there are, they may not be that helpful.

If you decide that you'd like to submit to TPG, I suggest looking around first, see what it's all about. I don't pull punches, and I'm known for calling a spade a spade. If you're still interested after looking around, just follow the rules and you should be good to go.

No matter what, good luck!

-Steven

[ealperin]

Originally Posted by Steven Forbes

Hi!

I don't wander in here often, but being an editor, the title struck me as something of interest.

I write about comic creation every week at Comixtribe.com, in the Bolts & Nuts section. 95 weeks, and still going strong! The first few would probably be worth your while, though. Up through week 12 or so.

I also run The Proving Grounds there, as well. TPG is where writers can submit their scripts for editing by two pro's (myself and Steve Colle, who is creativesynergy here), knowing that two sets of eyes will be looking at it and making comments on it. This is unlike many forums (such as this one) where you can post a script, you'll see that people have looked, but there aren't many comments--and if there are, they may not be that helpful.

If you decide that you'd like to submit to TPG, I suggest looking around first, see what it's all about. I don't pull punches, and I'm known for calling a spade a spade. If you're still interested after looking around, just follow the rules and you should be good to go.

No matter what, good luck!

-Steven

Nice! I'll check it out, when I have a free moment!