Writing Prose vs. Writing for Comics

Hi, Folks!

This is a short presentation Benita and I brainstormed to be delivered at a recent Writer’s Retreat. This might be of some assistance to those prose writers who are looking to break into the graphic novel or webcomic scene.

Writing for Comics:

By Scott Story and Benita Story, © 2009

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PROSE AND COMICS WRITING

Whereas prose is very descriptive, establishing the narrative through words and the theater of the mind, comics are primarily a visually based.

When we say comics are visual, this doesn’t mean the writer is unimportant—in fact, he is just as necessary as ever.  But, the comic writers’ role is different than that of the prose writer.

Consider this: With prose, you establish a mental picture or emotion in the reader’s imagination; in comics, you present a mix of images and words that instantly elicits a response from the reader.  A non-fictional variant of this would be the word “Stop,” and then seeing a red stop sign.  The word intellectually tells you to stop, but the stop sign downloads directly and creates an instant mental response (hopefully followed up by a physical stop!)

Indiana Horror Writers

Hi, Folks!

Benita and I have the distinct honor of being special guests at the Indiana Horror Writers’ Winter Writers’ Retreat, held in Converse Indiana at the historical (and haunted) Woodcarver’s Building. We’ll be there February 20 through 22, and we’ll be leading a workshop on writing for comics. This is going to be great fun, because this group is made up of experienced wordsmiths, and helping them take their existing skills into the world of sequential art should be a breeze! Benita and I expect to learn as much from these writers as they learn from us!