As a kid who constantly caught flak for reading comic books, it’s been heartening to watch the graphic novel mature and take its place alongside other forms of literature. If you are one of the many writers who wants to tackle a graphic novel, but is unfamiliar with writing for comics, you have a few things to learn. You still need a great sense of character and pacing, but comics have a different language than prose, existing in a space between novels and movies or theater. In an article on Writer’s Digest, Joe Lee offers his 10 tips for creating your own graphic novel.
“The graphic novel, or actually graphic storytelling, is the oldest form of preserved human narrative,” Lee writes. “It is a world of new possibilities and practitioners—a world waiting for you to step into.” Lee’s tips include:
- Tell a story that you love
- Research your topic
- Draft the story first
- If you draw the book yourself, pick a style you can sustain for many pages
- Consider storyboarding before you start to draw
- Set a deadline and pace yourself
- Remember that illustrations carry a large part of your story
- Don’t repeat in words what the image conveys
- Don’t quit
- Have fun!
