How to Make Indie Comics: Writing and Formatting

Creating ‘The City’: My Journey and Tips for Making Comics Without Prior Knowledge

Independent comics have been a driving force in the industry for decades, giving voice to underrepresented creators and stories outside of the mainstream. From the alternative comics of the 1980s to the thriving indie scene of today, independent comics continue to push the boundaries of the medium and challenge readers’ expectations.

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re interested in creating your own independent comic. But where do you begin? How do I get my project funded? How do you navigate the complex world of self-publishing and distribution?

Over two years ago, I started my self-published comic book series, ‘The City.’ I sold over 1100 copies of it without any prior experience in the comic book industry. Although I am not an industry professional, I learned important lessons along the way as an artist trying to achieve success in the independent circuit. I believe that my journey can provide guidance and direction for others who are also on a similar path.

After a long time of anticipation, I am excited to share the first installment of my “how-to” series. In this article, I will provide guidance on the essential elements of writing a story for your comic book and developing a unique voice and style to convey your message. Whether you’re looking to create your own small press comic or launch a successful webcomic, this article will provide the knowledge and resources necessary to get your project off the ground. However, keep in mind that this is just a starting point and your individual experience may vary. Take it as a grain of salt.

Write Comics Your Way: Using a Format You’re Comfortable With

If you’re a writer looking to get your comic book published, it’s important to follow the industry standard format for comic book scripts. In contrast to screenplay format, comic book scripts allow writers to direct the artist on page visualizations such as page spreads, panels, speech bubbles, and sound effects. By following industry guidelines, you help comic book editors estimate logistics and manage projects more efficiently. Demonstrating an understanding of professional standards also increases the likelihood of other creators wanting to work with you.

My background in writing is in TV and feature length screenplays, so I use an industry standard screenplay script format when writing ‘The City’. It’s a format that I have the most experience with and one that I’m most comfortable with. While there is a generalized industry comic book script format that most professional comic book writers use, I find that screenplay format works just as well for me and my team with comic book creation because unlike comic book standards, it leaves a bit more leeway for interpretation.

Screenplays are written in a specific format that includes elements such as scene headings, action descriptions, character names, dialogue, and transitions. The format is designed to provide a clear and consistent way of presenting the story and visual elements to the reader and ultimately, to the viewer.

Software: I switched from using Final Draft to Fade In to write my stories. While both software programs do the same thing, I find that Fade In is cheaper and works just as well for my workflow.

Some formatting tips:

• When writing a screenplay, scene headings should include the following elements:
  • Example: INT. LE BEURRE LARD’S – DOWNTOWN – DAY
    • ‘EXT.’ or ‘INT.’ to indicate that it’s an exterior or interior scene.
    • Name of location (BUTTER BACON’S)
    • Time of day: DAY, NIGHT, GOLDEN HOUR
    • Written in all caps.
  • After the scene heading, write detailed action descriptions that capture everything the viewer will see. Only include physical descriptions that the reader can see, and be as descriptive as possible while avoiding unnecessary details that won’t translate onto the page, such as the ethereal history or meaning of an object.
    • Example:
      • A crummy old fast food snack house with fluorescent lights and yellow, blue paint on the walls. It is BUSY with MULTIPLE LINE UPS. Walls are covered with posters of melting butter on top of a ripe strip of red bacon with an ironic fat pig in a lumberjack outfit throwing his thumbs up in agreement. Absolute URBAN DIRTBAGS of all ages dressed in raggedy clothes dine or wait in line.
        • Certain words can be capitalized to emphasize its significance to the storyboard artist.
      • When introducing characters, start with their name in all caps, followed by their age in brackets. Then, describe their physical appearance, including facial features, clothing, and accessories.
        • Example:
          • MO DEV (28) and CAMUS (27) wait in line to order. Mo Dev is muscular and athletic but with soft, baby facial features. His cheekbones and jawline are thick, his hair is long, tied up in a man-bun. Camus is slightly shorter, slim, and full of smiles. He has a goatee, short top hair, 2 giant scars across his right eye then one directly under going perpendicular across the bridge of his nose. He has crazy eyes -animalistic and exotic. They are both dressed up in suits and ties.
            • Dialogues go directly under the character name and are centered aligned.
              • Example:

CAMUS

(French)

Zombie Omar would’ve loved this.

• Use parentheses to indicate a character’s mode of speech, such as language or whether it’s muffled due to radio transmission. Some writers choose to use parentheses as acting directions such as ‘in pain’ or ‘stuttering’.

• Transitions such as ‘FADE IN’ or ‘FADE TO BLACK’ can be ignored for comic book scripts.

Put it all together and it should look like this:

INT. LE BEURRE LARD’S – DOWNTOWN – DAY

A crummy old fast food snack house with fluorescent lights and yellow, blue paint on the walls. It is BUSY with MULTIPLE LINE UPS. Walls are covered with posters of melting butter on top of a ripe strip of red bacon with an ironic fat pig in a lumberjack outfit throwing his thumbs up in agreement. Absolute URBAN DIRTBAGS of all ages dressed in raggedy clothes dine or wait in line.

MO DEV (28) and CAMUS (27) wait in line to order. Mo Dev is muscular and athletic but with soft, baby facial features. His cheekbones and jawline are thick, his hair is long, tied up in a man-bun. Camus is slightly shorter, slim, and full of smiles. He has a goatee, short top hair, 2 giant scars across his right eye then one directly under going perpendicular across the bridge of his nose. He has crazy eyes -animalistic and exotic. They are both dressed up in suits and ties.

CAMUS

(French)

Zombie Omar would’ve loved this.

As mentioned earlier, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to starting writing, nor do you need a specialized screenplay writing software. Some writers use Google Docs and don’t adhere to a screenplay format. The most important thing is to ensure that your writing can effectively translate into a visual form.

For those looking to write in comic book industry standard, here are some tips:

1. Blambot, Industry standard comic book script format (https://blambot.com/en-ca/pages/comic-script-basics)
2. Follow standard page counts: 10, 25, 100, 100+
3. Be mindful of “recto-verse” reveal: page flip reveal
4. Use 5-7 panels per page
5. When writing descriptions to artists, think about “keyframe animation”: picking the best still for character movement/pose
6. Limit 15 words per balloon; ~3 balloons per panel

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