Tips for dialogue in comic

[Colours_dont_match]

So do you have any good tips, links, websites or examples for dialogue in comics?
I have several tutorials on how to position characters and angles in conversations, but I struggle to make it look different, especially if the conversations are longer.

Where we get to the next problem: conversation length.
I struggle so much to shorten my conversations or make them interesting to look at.
I try to draw whatever they are talking about, but most conversations in my webtoon are that char A explains complex stuff to char B, which would take like 30 minutes to 3 hours in a real talk.
It's mostly not: "Cool let's do this!" "Yeah ok."
But more like: "Before we do this, we gotta think about option A, B, C, the consequences and also this is my personal take on it and my history and we just realized we have have a different opinion about it, so we gotta discuss it now and then make a decision."

[magnavarra]

your sample line may be shortened for sure if its the real example and not made up for this post. It certainly misses a couple of another persons lines to make it into fluid dialogue. i guess you may start with blambot site and youtube . there are plenty of sources they are all different and all pretty much the same.

I personally don't like first person perspective in comics when a character tries to tell everything to the reader instead of showing it. You should think of their personality and way they talk. like their origin, age, education. One character in a comic may speak in longer phrases but others should be different.

I try to stay within 40-50 symbols for each speech bubble which gives me about 3 lines of text.

so to put your sample into dialogue i will go
A: lets do this!
B: But what about option A? B? Have you thought of C for God's sake?!
A: Don't worry I got this!
B: No you've always failed on such issues dumbass!

Please mind that English is not my first language but still, i think that instead of saying ' I have a different opinion about it" your char can just call another one 'Fool' or 'Naive' whatever is suitable for their relationship because it would show their relationship and also very clearly state that char B disagrees with char A. So think which of the information in the dialogue is really important for the reader to know.

It also help to say dialogues out loud - or ask your friend\relative to say it. Because comic dialogue tends to be more like everyday speech and not a book text. people irl don't speak like in books they use contractions all the time for instance which surely saves you a couple of symbols.

[skicoak]

Try these...

[Colours_dont_match]

English is not my mother language too, maybe one more reason why I struggle with it.
And yes what I wrote was just an example of how my dialogues often go. Of course it's not said from one person, but a discussion with several persons, pretty much the way you put it.
But then again I have trouble how many pictures I would draw for such a conversation. Like do I draw one pic, where I put several speech bubbles?
Do I draw two pics, with lesser speech bubbles?
Do I draw one pic in the beginning, blank space with speech bubbles, then maybe a pic in between, blank space speech bubble?
Especially if the characters conversation goes back and forth several times, I struggle a lot.

But the tip to just write something like "Fool" instead of "I don't think your idea is good, it doesn't make sense." Is a good start actually

[DokiDokiTsuna]

Well, here's a visual example of how I usually panel longer, explain-y conversations:

Key strategies:
-Vary dialogue weight-- don't just do tons of big bubbles; mix in shorter phrases to give rhythm to the speech and avoid a 'lecturing' effect
-If you have to do headshots, make 'em expressive (and pretty~)
-Have characters act while they speak
-Break away from reality occasionally; do panels with images relevant to the convo

Although, if this...

"Before we do this, we gotta think about option A, B, C, the consequences and also this is my personal take on it and my history and we just realized we have have a different opinion about it, so we gotta discuss it now and then make a decision."

...is happening to you a lot, you may just have an editing problem. =/ Like, at some point you have to remember that you're the writer, and all the things your characters 'need' to say are under your control.

Another thing you have to remember is that stories aren't real life. Even if, realistically, a conversation might go on for 30 minutes or 3 hours, if that's bad for your story's pacing (or for holding the interest of the reader...) then you need to cut it down. Get rid of things that aren't particularly interesting or informative in regards to the plot.

Although, that's assuming your goal with your comic is providing an entertaining experience...if you just want to play with the characters, editing does matter less...but don't be surprised if other people don't have as much fun just watching you make them talk. =/

[dewarcomics]

If you're explaining stuff, having a character interject or ask a question in between will help feel more organic and helps break the dialogue up into chunks so it's easier for the reader to digest. That would be my tip for having a character needing to drop a ton of exposition.

also don't be afraid to hold onto information and letting it slowly slip in here and there as the story progresses. Let the information be revealed when it's absolutely necessary. Having some pieces of the puzzle missing creates intrigue thus your reader might keep interest.

My rule of thumb is more so the "show don't tell" but sometimes a bit of a lengthy explanation is needed. As long as it doesn't end up being "talking head syndrome". Always have some interesting visual as much as you can, or have characters react to information given to them.

Best of luck!

[snowy]

Given how quickly the average reader zooms through a comic, I've given up on subtleties like individual speech patterns and other character-identifying verbal quirks. I simply don't think it even registers.
So I keep it short and snappy, which can lead to a lot of pruning in the script, which isn't always a bad thing. Still, it means the art is left doing most of the heavy lifting when it comes to characterisation, scene-setting and exposition.

That's not really a tip, I guess, as much as the way I'm doing it now. If it's not a good joke, great drama, or an essential bit of plot, just leave it out. You only get that much time to tell a story before they start playing video games again.

[Kaydreamer]

I actually deliberately go against the general advice of "Keep it snappy, and if it's not important, leave it out." My absolute favourite stories are not afraid to meander, and to take detours to explore a conversation between two characters, and I'm no different when I write.

My approach to dialogue is to make it sound natural. Most of my characters have a distinct way of speaking, which echoes their personality. This is enormously important to me, as it adds a layer of depth and believability to them which is often lacking in comics. I make sure their dialogue reflects this. Part of what makes my characters loveable are these little details. I don't think that's ever something to be sacrificed.

I also speak everything out loud as I script. With the correct voices/accents. This helps my dialogue flow, so it's not jarring or clunky. Speaking out loud as you write is one of the best pieces of advice I can give for scripting, it's absolutely invaluable.