Comics V Novels

brusskel 2020-01-23 00:09:47 UTC #1

Hi! I'm still a bit new to the whole Tapas format but can someone help me differentiate between a comic and a novel?

I personally want to make comics but also something that tells a cohesive story. So would a novel be better? Even then, I don't feel my art style would fit how serious the word "novel" sounds to me. It's a little ridiculous I know but I've been debating about this for a while.

Penni 2020-01-23 00:13:50 UTC #2

I'm a little confused what you're looking for? Could you expand a bit?

Comics and novels are very different from each other.

You can tell a cohesive story with either a comic or a novel. It comes down to which medium you want to go with in telling that story.

Pan 2020-01-23 00:15:26 UTC #3

The word "novel" can sound serious, but if posted on Tapas it's more of a "webnovel" which, if you like, is a little more informal.

I don't know if anyone can tell you which medium to pick but yourself! Comics and novels are pretty different in terms of execution. Are you more confident in your way with words or images? A story can be cohesive either way, but I think it's important to consider which you might have more fun doing.

joannekwan 2020-01-23 00:16:35 UTC #4

Do you mean like: Choosing which format would work best for your particular story?

Personally once I've finished a general outline for the story I consider a few factors.

Length. If my story is going to be really long with a bunch of moving parts, I am more likely to novelize it. I simply cannot commit to a comic that will take me over 5 years to complete. I can surely finish a whole novel in a fraction of the time.
Visuals. Is the story very cinematic that needs strong visuals? Then a comic may be better.
How close do you want to get inside your character's minds? Sometimes words do explain more than pictures.
Do I want to draw this? If there are a bunch of nitty gritty historic details I have no patience for researching and referencing, it will probably be more economic to write.

brusskel 2020-01-23 00:27:19 UTC #5

Ah, it's difficult for me to put it into the right words but I'll do my best.

It's much easier for me to write things down, describe actions and emotions with greater detail than when I draw it. when I write things down for comics (like scripts) I always tend to overdo it because I'm writing down to much detail that can't really is expressed in a comic.

However, I prefer being able to picture everything happening, you know? like, looking at action scenes are always much for fun for me than reading an action scene. So I'm at this really annoying conflict with myself.

brusskel 2020-01-23 00:28:02 UTC #6

Thank you for this! This is really helpful for me making decisions with this!

Penni 2020-01-23 00:30:30 UTC #7

I don't think you need to only commit to one or the other. If you're more comfortable writing, why not write it and work on the comic aspect when you can? That way your practicing drawing with out the pressure of putting out a product and when you're ready you can work on making the transition to a comic.

So you're getting practice on both ends

brusskel 2020-01-23 00:31:52 UTC #8

Thank you, this was extremely reassuring!

UzukiCheverie 2020-02-03 20:07:57 UTC #9

There are absolutely no rules saying you can't do both My main series that I've been working on for the past 10+ years has been novelized since the start and then got a comic version in 2014 that's still running. I update the comic when I can and basically upload the entirety of the books as soon as they're available (ex. I just uploaded the novel version of Reaper, which is complete, but the comic is only about halfway through; I'm hoping to have the second book, The Child Chapters, ready for the summer). You don't have to read both, but reading both will get you the full narrative AND visual experience (as the comic version as a lot more visual stuff that can only be portrayed so much in novel form; and the novel version has the advantage of being able to delve further into the characters' inner monologues, and have extended footnotes without it having to be drawn).

You just have to ask yourself how much work you're willing to do and whether or not it's feasible to do. But you're not obligated to do it one specific way, you absolutely can do both (or one of the two if you decide one way would work better; I can vouch for the fact that DRAWING a series is a MUCH bigger commitment than writing it, especially if it's as long as the one I'm currently working on. Like the novel version is like, 300+ thousand words lmaoo there's a reason the comic version is barely even halfway through after almost 6 years; meanwhile I blasted through the first manuscript of Reaper in 2 months and we're currently halfway through writing the first draft of The Child Chapters).

If you're nervous about the commitment, that's 100% okay. You can always release a few chapters of the novel version of your story first and then decide from there if you want to offer it as a comic as well (i say that because it's obv gonna be way easier on you to do novel version first and then comic versus the other way around, I can safely say from experience that the novel will be easier to finish than the comic lol)