How do you write your comics' scripts?

[Mallory]

I had to learn to write ~industry ready~ scripts, but I VERY QUICKLY found it overkill if I'm working by myself.

Normally I'll start out with a very rough scene-by-scene breakdown - something like a few bullet points (major thing that happens in the scene, things I need to show, jokes, etc). Then I do digital thumbnails alongside a text box that contains the dialogue and maybe some panel descriptions/details. If I'm having issues forming the scene in my head, I will "write into" the scene, where I would write it out as if it's in novel format. It allows me to write extra dialogue/write several different versions of the scene relatively quickly and have the characters do/say/emote extra things so that I can then streamline them into a final product.

[draweththeraven]

I write a plot outline in Word (just dot points), print that out and highlight/annotate/make any changes I forgot to, and then turn that into thumbnails. I keep it all printed because I use 4-panel notepads for thumbnails and sometimes do concept sketches on paper and like to keep it all together!

[DualDragons]

I write a script for my new comic project. I don't introduce the term panels and pages during the script though. I want to do that during the thumbnailing.

[Bree_Mana]

Its weird actually, seems most people thumbnail, I completely skip this step unless it was needed as a proof on concept for class back in highschool

I just don't feel the need to do this step????

[phoenixrenaissance]

I do it for myself because it reduces my stress and my workload.
I can get a bunch of my pages panelled out at the beginning of the month and not have to worry about it later. Also I don't have to stare at a blank page without knowing what it's going to be already.
I also know that I tend to reuse panel layouts a lot (I keep them really simple) so being able to look at the whole chapter and check for that is good. I pick out my word bubble placement at the thumbnail stage too.

Blah, blah, blah. Basically, for myself, I find it be a vital step in my process.

[Eskhar]

I don't see the point of doing both a detail script AND thumbnails, unless you work with someone. But I think it can help a lot in the long time,

Without working the plot at first, it inevitably ends up unfinished as nothing makes sense anymore and the drawing process become difficult...

Still my writing is very rough (usually I can't get the dialogues alright so I know I WILL have to rework like 5 times)
I like to use adhesive notes so that I may work the timeline of the story like some jigsaw puzzle and place each scene and not forgetting one in the proces (and adding one is always easier that way xD
So there are "action" notes, "plot information" notes, and I put them on the different settings of the story.

Then, I draw thumbnails of each panel until pages are composed to my liking.
Then, I cheer up because I was so productive !
Aaaaand when 6 months later I'm actually on that part of the story and reopened my thumbnails, I hate my past self because I can't distinguish whatever it was I draw that f**** day xD

[snailienz]

Usually I have a basic outline in mind for what I want to happen. Less like a "here is what is in every panel" and more of a "here are the main story points and a few beats from each part so I stay on track". Then I do thumbnails, with vague ideas of what the dialogue is going to be (bc w a comics medium i find it best to be flexible with that for the sake of visuals). Then once I get the art done I'll set up what is actually being said. Nothing too fancy really.

[Kiweevil]

I mean I sorta do, through doodles and sketches. I compile crude sketches and rearrange them until I can figure out where I'm really going with a scene. I don't write things down in script for with the exception of funny little dialogue exchanges I'd like to remember. Because if I sit down to write a script it turns into a novel. And I don't mean that figuratively, because it writes and reads as a novel

[lauragarcia511]

My writing process for my comic is to 1.) write summaries of the panels on paper then 2.) create dialouge in Microsoft Word and finally 3.) sketch out the character movement and BG's in Photoshop.

[andrew17]

Back when I used to write cartoon strips for someone else to draw, I used to write scripts in the format that Rokodoku demonstrates at the top of the thread. Now I'm both writing and drawing, I no longer need to bother with formal scripts and tend to rough out a layout in a notebook and show how the dialogue falls in each panel. usually I know who is going to be in each panel so I leave it there. A big cast, or an interesting visual idea can be shown inthe same way by just writing who is there or sketching the important pose. Example below, complete with failed punchline crossed out and replacement lower tier on the previous page.

The finished version of the strip can be found here:

Smith :: Supply problems | Tapas

[boniae]

I think it's definitely a good idea to write a script down with a comic with a plot, although everyone has a certain process that they're the most comfortable with, so hopefully you'll figure out what way you want to do it. I've been working on my webcomic for a few years now and it just helps to have those scripts and outlines, because I still find myself changing things around or coming up with new ideas, and it's good to have the scripts as a reference of the timeline of the story as well. With the webcomic I've been working on, in the beginning I planned out a basic outline of what I want to happen in the story, and originally I didn't have an ending planned. Now that the story is coming together more solidly, I usually get ideas for different chapters and start writing out the script. My scripts are very loose and I write them immediately as I get the idea for them, so they're sort of like a steam of consciousness and not really formatted in a pretty way. I usually write the actions in parenthesis, and then the dialogues. I don't differentiate which character is speaking because it takes up too much time, and I try my best to get that raw idea of what I'd imagined in my head onto the document. After the rough script, I organize how many panels I want each page (adding panel numbers into the script) and then figure out where I feel is the best place to end that page. Afterwards, I work on the thumbnail, and then the final page.

[Bree_Mana]

ah I see. personally my story's concept has been rolling around in my head since middle school and I started producing it halfway through highschool so changing the way I plan it now wouldn't make much sense but when I start A new comic I might try a couple of those things!

[Eskhar]

Oh, I'm the same, I've been thinking about it for 15 years or something.
But, don't you ever have some new ideas that pops into your story ? (in worst case, something like neverending expanding xD). How do you manage to keep track of everything ?
After so many years my story has become more of a patchwork than a script, so it asks for special measures I guess xD.

[Bree_Mana]

Like I said before when alot of ideas come to me I tend to sketch them, then they get taped into the back of my script notebook, in an out of order collage of concepts that i look through every so often. That said the entirety of chapter 7 of my comic was definitely a more recent idea compared to many other parts of my comic.

I can definitely related to a story being a patchwork. one day I wanna make a video covering my scripting and concept process but at the moment theres too many spoilers to show lol

[PorcheJ]

Just like a movie script. It helps me to get an idea of where I want my story to go. It also helps me on how the characters would interact, act, and think. Here's a good link on how to write a script. Very helpful.

Comic Script Basics

[idrawstuffx]

Oh, wow! I never thought of that! I actually like writing, so this will be something I might consider! Thanks!

[idrawstuffx]

Oh, damn. This looks a lot simpler! I might just combine thumbnailing and scripting, cause I'm a visual person, mostly.

[Freemints30]

I recently script out my entire comic from chapter 1-42 in the format of
Page
panel
[description]
dialog

and I repeat for 1000+ pages
Then I thumb nail it traditionally (im not sure I would keep this step but I have already thumb nailed 3 full chapters so far)

Finally I draw it digitally and I make any changes along the way from removing to adding panels to pages it all depends. So yeah I have the whole script ready and done with so if anything happens I can always just post the script. Pretty helpful for me personally.

[doitforyourself01]

I found it helpful when I am starting to work on the end of the story first: the moral of the story, the idea of the story, whatever you'll call it. The template of ending/moral/idea is: do X, you will get Y, and don't do Z. It most difficult part of writing, but it allows me to stick/organize myself at one idea through all writing processes.

[kwestlake99]

I like to show page and panel numbers, what kind of shot each panel is, how much of the panel will take up the page in %, and FX, for sound effects.