THE TEN COMMANDMENTS of COMIC BOOK SCRIPTING

 

These are the rules I follow. They won’t win you an Eisner Award or get you an interview in Comics Journal but they will help you write quality, mainstream comics that keep readers coming back for more.

1. OPEN STRONG. Get your story off and running. 2. ONLY ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE. Just the talking you need to put the point across. 3. AT LEAST THREE PIECES OF ACTION PER STORY. They can be mixed major or minor action but there has to be something visual and in motion in your story. 4. REMEMBER THAT SOMEONE HAS TO DRAW WHAT YOU WRITE. Take pity on the penciller. Don’t make him draw something difficult over and over again. 5. FIND SOMETHING TO LIKE ABOUT EACH CHARACTER. Even Dr. Doom has his good points. 6. FIND SOMETHING TO HATE ABOUT EACH CHARACTER. Even Batman can be aggravating or Robin self-centered. 7. AVOID REDUNDANCY, DON’T DESCRIBE WHAT THE READER CAN SEE. If your character’s on a motorcycle crossing a bridge there’s no reason to state this in writing. 8. EVERY COMIC BOOK IS SOMEONE’S FIRST COMIC BOOK. Keep your storytelling simple, basic, and easy to follow. 9. THE LAST PANEL OF EACH PAGE SHOULD MAKE THE READER TURN TO THE NEXT PAGE. Something exciting or mysterious in that final panel. “It’s YOU!” 10. DON’T BE A SMARTASS. Folks don’t pay good money for you to show off your college degrees. They want a good, fast paced story. Tell that story and get out of the way!