Writing for comics by Joe Edkin

Comic books are a medium with rules and expectations unique unto themselves, but at the heart of every good comic is a good story.

The goal of this site is to lead you, the aspiring comic book writer, through the entire creative process of writing for comics. This means I will be starting at the very beginning with a discussion of what makes a good story. Without those basics, then you will never write a good comic book story. From there, I will go into the nuts and bolts of crafting a comic book script, as well as advice on writing query letters, springboards, and proposals.
Let me say a few things up front:

1. As with any art form, there is no ultimate right or wrong way to approach the creation of art. The methods I discuss in the course of this site work for me. I use them every day in my career as a storyteller. This does not mean every other writer works the way I do or shares my philosophy, nor do you have to. You have to find your own style, voice, and path. What I am providing here are guideposts--things that may help you find your way. Take what you can use from this book and discard that which doesn't help you.
   
   
2. Do not learn to write comic books from reading comic books only. Read novels. Read newspapers. Read non-fiction. Watch foreign films. Go to the theater. Expose yourself to more than what you find on comic book shelves. The more you know about the world around you, the more material you will have with which to build stories. The more storytelling styles you have encountered, the larger your own bag of tricks will be.
   
   
3. Learn to write, and in this case, I'm not just talking about writing stories. I'm talking about basic grammar. Learn how to use language. Learn how to spell and punctuate. Learn how to form a sentence. Learn about literary devices like parallel structure, metaphor, personification, etc.
   
   
4. There is more to the comic book medium than superheroes, and each genre has its own rules and rhythms.
   
   
5. Breaking into the comic book industry is hard work, especially for writers. Let's face it: comics are a visual medium. An editor can glance through an artist's portfolio and be able to tell quickly whether the artist understands anatomy, perspective, layout, composition, and storytelling. The same can not be said of a script. 

rest of the story: [link]