I considered making it my large epic fantasy idea but now I feel like that’s above my skill level at the moment. What do i start with instead?
created
Nov '22last reply
Dec '22- 17
replies
- 892
views
- 9
users
- 12
likes
Personally I like writing one-shots/short stories before writing the main series as it helps me get a feel for the world. Plus it feels like I actually did something.
so just random stories within the continuity of whatever story i want to make, disconnected from the plot?
how did you go about that? because i have no idea how to make that work with the story i have.
I would do exactly the oposite of a large epic fantasy comic.
Try telling a story with one panel.
Show it to people and let them tell you what they see what´s going on
in the panel. Do the panel again after you learned what did wrong in
the first try. Then do the next one panel story until you it´s easy for
people to tell what you communicate. It sounds simple but it isn´t.
Then move on to more panels. Draw the first comics without speech
or explaination text. Do the same like you did with the one panel story.
Draw a page and show it to your friends, family or upload it online and
see if people understand your sequential art
That´s something you have to find out while doing the one panel story.
How much story can you put into that one panel and what can make the one story panel
exciting. Train your imagination.
An illustration of a cheeseburger doesn´t have much of a story right?
A standing knight in armor also doesn´t have much of a story right?
But what about the heart broken knight in armor and you tell the reason why he is heart
broken in that one panel story? That´s a story and that´s what you can train
Yeah, just try to make something that's disconnected, and don't go too far into world building. Focus on the flow of the events, creating a setting, and what your character is like within 50-70 panels or so. You can either use the world you created, or just create a whole new thing altogether, anything can happen in the world you create.
For me I'll write down my inspirations whenever they come. It can be something as simple as one snippet, some important dialogues between the characters. When I have enough of these short snippets it's easier to draw the connection between them. And of course, lots and lots of revision afterwards if you want to make the plot smooth.
Read up on some Sunday newspaper funnies. Plenty of them around since the 1910s in print. Plenty on Reddit and Twitter too.
I agree with most of the things laid out above me, though I'd argue the 'one panel story' idea is more of a general sequential art exercise than a good 'first project'.
Don't get me wrong, I think it's a good exercise and you should absolutely do it, but for me when I get an idea for a big epic long-form narrative, I have a powerful itch to do things relating to that narrative or else I just get annoyed/impatient/distracted with other projects.
in the particular case of epic fantasy because whooo boy do I have the same problem, I'd recommend picking a small element of the story at large and focusing on that for something self-contained, but in the same universe.
Like, say, is there any particular location the characters visit in your story that's interesting/appealing to you? What sort of fun side characters show up there? Maybe a 5-page slice-of-life story about that maid in the background of the palace trying to deal with a particularly stubborn stain on the princess's dress.
Maybe one of the regular footsoldiers in the army has a particularly rough day of training and has a conversation with his girlfriend about whether or not he's cut out for this job.
Maybe a hunter-in-training tracks down a rare creature on the outskirts of a city.
You're the one making this story, so you'll have to determine what parts of it are interesting enough to warrant a side story and what that story is about, but this lets you explore, flesh out, and work within the fantasy universe you've created without jumping into the deep end.
This way you aren't deprived of the really cool concept you're so excited about, but allows you to get in and out and have a finished product that you aren't in as much risk of getting bored of/burnt out on. Speaking from personal experience here: Epic fantasies are awesome, but they are a REALLY big commitment.
Problem is, if you don't start on it, it becomes a brainworm that will eat away at your concentration and make it hard to get invested in other projects because 'oh man I really wanna do that scene with X' or 'man, this fight against character Y is gonna be so cool' etc. etc.
Doing stuff that's in the same universe, but doesn't require that level of commitment may let you have your cake and eat it too, in a way.
the thing is i mostly want to focus on the characters proper, and their lives. but they’re so built into the world stuff and plot continuity that it’s hard to think of a self contained story about them with none of the story context involved. Unless i want to write about a character literally just going to starbucks or something.
Have you tried George R.R Martins name and drop method? I use that in my novels. I start off with the characters then name and drop something about the world without info dumping. As the story progresses the world opens up and you have a more understanding of the lore and world. It leaves the readers anticipating more and the way to do that with comics is...maybe take a look at Studio Ghibli. They basically add things to the animation little by little opening the world up, and giving you an understanding of what it's about.
At the beginning of howl's castle we see war planes, so we know there's a war. We also hear the people talking about the Wizard A.K.A howl without info dumping.
That's how I approach my stories, and how I'm adapting them into my comics and art.
Just try making one chapter then. Or a prologue. You don't necessarily need to make something new or explain all about your story for this story to start.
Maybe you have a particular scene you would really love to draw. Or even a small spin-off story that doesn't really suit the whole plot, but you enjoy it anyway. Write this stuff and draw it. Could be anything from one page to a full one-shot.
I'm not talking about your main characters, I'm talking pick a rando off the street or some minor side character: A bartender or innkeep they run into, a random soldier in the army, some farmer out in a field somewhere. Maybe the main characters cameo in the background somewhere along the way, but the idea is to do something in the same universe to help you get a feel for it, but not relating to your main story.
Im not like crazy into the world like that where i feel like writing about random new characters just living their casual lives in it.
Though i guess there is a single place in the world i consider novel enough to do that for. It would also give me a chance to flesh out one of my characters. i guess i have a one shot idea now.
Well, an Epic Fantasy comic is very very huge, so name dropping and exposition is very important. So, if you want to incorporate your characters into the world while fleshing them out. You can start each chapter different. Let's say chapter one. You focus on one character and their lives while giving them a bit of personality in the facial expressions and dialogue. You can also show a little lore by having portraits or anything decoration that could give a hint at who or what is going on.
If you're in a war then you can have one of the Generals looking up at a portrait of the war with it in full bloom while talking to his soldier.
General: "This damn war is killing me!"
Soldier: "Well...it's...it--"
General: "Shut up with your God damn stuttering it's giving me a headache!"
So not only do you have information about the war but you also fleshed out two characters personalities subtly. Look up different perspectives, and take a look at how animators create a story with exaggerated facial expressions and subtle world building.
Avatar the Last Air Bender is a great example!
1 month later
closed Dec 14, '22
Suggested Topics
| Topic | Category | Replies | Views | Activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In this website does your own clicks count as views? | Answered | 3 | 431 | Jun '24 |
| Need to find title | Answered | 1 | 206 | Jul '24 |
| I need help with something | Answered | 4 | 265 | Aug '24 |
| Tourney deadline and story | Answered | 3 | 295 | Aug '24 |
| Unlocking support | Answered | 4 | 242 | Aug '24 |