How to Write & Draw Comics
Most of us struggle with finding time to work on our comics. In this episode I go over some productivity tips and mind hacks to help you get more stuff done. Let’s go to work!
Here are 5 ways to write better dialogue:
Why is your character speaking? What is his motivation, the will behind his words. Maybe he wants to show off how much he knows, maybe he wants to insult the other, impress, convince or distract. Maybe he just wants to be left alone. Whatever the will may be, it will affect how the character speaks.
Long, elobarate speeches is for Shakespeare and Bond villains.
When conversations go “question – answer – question – answer” it feels like treading water. Especially mundane questions like “How was your day?” or “Wonder WHO the killer is?” deserve no answer. Try letting the other character answer with a question – their OWN project, their own will. Like “Did you feed the cat?” or “Where’s my coffee cup?”. Skip the banalities, create conflict instead.
The professor and the boxer should NOT sound the same! But for effect, you might twist the klichés once in a while and have the barbarian warrior speak like a philosopher.
Remember to vary the length, the tone and the purpose of the word ballons. Just like the panels should have variations in them, the dialogue should keep the readers on their toes, be changing organically. Not the same three-sentence structure in every ballon.
Hope these tips where helpful! If you haven’t already, be sure to join our newsletter and get more free content and tips on how to write and draw comics.
Writer/artist Palle Schmidt talks about his methods for coming up with story ideas, writing in his underwear, talking to himself and how to solve story problems with the use of balloons! What are YOUR story generation tips? Please share!