Q&A for How to Write a Comic Book

I think the more experienced a writer you become, the less likely you'll have writer's block, because it generally has to do with confidence—it's usually because you feel worried or underprepared, or there's something in your real life getting in the way. Sometimes mental health issues or depression play a part in that as well. So, the key to dealing with writer's block is to think about what is getting in your way and address that.

Do not start until you've written the end, or at least done a good outline of the end. If you don't know what the outcome is already going to be, you need to focus. The story carries the thread from the beginning to its established end you have created. All the other points in between can be plotted using those two vectors.

The publishers have the right to reject any submission, especially if you don't have a contract with them. It shouldn't matter that the comic book isn't colored. They have people who specialize in this if they want it colored, or it could be published (as many comics are) in black and white.

Most comics consist of a "main cast" which normally includes 2-3 characters and a "supporting cast" with background characters. The more characters you have, the more storylines you can create. You don't want to go overboard or it will be hard to remember all of them.

Plot: Look it up. There is actually a very limited amount of plots out there. Check online for "types of plots" and see what you get. Characters: If you don't know who they are, and what they mean to each other, how are you going to tell us? You have to have a great villain to have a good hero. Read some of the works of Joseph Campbell on storytelling and structure, these are going to be really helpful.

Yes. Most publishing companies only accept books that don't have any mistakes in them. But check it, leave it for a while, and check it again. The publishing companies have specialized people who check for spelling mistakes.

Yes. Some comic books are black and white. It's up to you.

No. Original art and written work is automatically copyrighted to the creator, meaning one's exact pictures/drawings aren't allowed to be claimed as someone else's, as well as some specific story elements and design.

Yes and no. The writing of a comic book is different than the actual final piece. You could avoid drawing characters and details by representing them with cubes and only focusing on the image composition and actual story, but after that you'd have to hire an artist or learn to draw yourself along the way. In short: To make a comic? Yes, you need to know how to draw. To write a comic? No, you only need to know how to tell a story.

Write the story! The art is important, but if it is a really great story, then it won't matter as much. As for what art to put in the story, you can just get images online, draw stick figures, or ask a friend to draw for you.

Yes, you do not need to go overboard on the pages if you are just starting out.

That depends upon the writer and the story. It takes as long as it takes to make a polished, finished comic.

You should watch the show and compare it to your book idea yourself. You could also ask other people about their thoughts on it. If you don't think it's that similar, go ahead with your idea.

Sure! A lot of independent comics are in black and white; you could also choose to use a bit of color only in especially significant or dramatic panels as was done in Frank Miller's "Sin City" series.

Try drawing some characters or scenes on a piece of paper and don't worry too much about getting them perfect. This will help to stimulate ideas and you can build on whatever you've created.

It's up to you because some comic books are printed and some don't. You make your decision because that is a part of the creativity in making comics.

As many pages as you have the capacity to draw good quality content for. Also think about your audience and don't make it too long; comics are meant to be short fun.

Take a break. You can get inspiration from everyday things, like music, how people act, etc. Also, don't rush it; developing your own ideas takes time and can be a slow process.