Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Advice For Science Fiction Comic Book Authors

By Jaclyn Hurley


The genre of science fiction is very diverse. It can provide stories that can be camp and imaginative but also dark and subversive. Whatever the type of story you want to do there are some basic story structure principles you ought to learn before you write. With the right tips for science fiction comic book authors you will find it easier to write your stories.

The simplest way to develop your skills is to read and watch plenty of science fiction. This is not just in terms of comic books but also television series, novels, short stories and movies. This will allow you to get an idea of how the genre works and give you an idea of structure.

Some people worry about this because they fear this will result in consciously or unconsciously copying ideas. This is why it is worth reading a wide variety of stories. This will then make it easier to get a story that is well constructed and borrows from a wide variety of influences.

The other thing to think about is the structure of the story you are writing. You need to think about whether you want to produce an ongoing story or a graphic novel. People often get confused by these terms and think graphic novel is a politically correct term for a comic book. In fact a graphic novel is a closed narrative in graphic form whereas a comic book is an open narrative similar to a soap opera.

There is also the issue of research. For example if you want to include a genetic mutation in your story then it helps to do a bit of research to see how genetic research works. However it is important to avoid going into excessive detail as this can often make it harder work for people to read.

This means reading stories, watching movies and TV shows. As you watch and read you should learn more about the conventions. You can then begin to think about ways you can subvert those conventions when it comes to writing your own stories. A great example was the Edgar Wright film Shaun of the Dead where a classic romantic comedy storyline was fused with the zombie subgenre.

This will mean people do not spend too long reading speech bubbles. Remember the comic book is a visual medium!

In short if you want to write a science fiction comic book you need to be aware of the genre but also how stories are constructed. It is also worth looking online for scripts and sample templates as this will make it easier for you to write. With a sensible approach you will be able to develop your story and make it as interesting and engaging as possible.




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