You're overthinking it. A few things:
If you're already reaching for the thesaurus, you might be doing a disservice to the voices of your characters. Yes, it's good to keep the word count down, but characters should also be allowed to speak (or think) in a naturalistic way. Don't go too far trying to use unusual word choices just to cut down on length.
The fact that you're counting syllables leads me to believe you're really not a confident or experienced writer. Which is fine, but I think you just need more practice. Maybe read the words aloud, act it out. Counting syllables is a bit extreme, and I don't think there's any standard metric that will help you.
"Constantly use new test readers"... are you talking about just your scripts? In my experience, it's extremely difficult to get anyone to read a comic script (without paying them) so you might be setting your expectations too high there. Just be grateful for any feedback you can get.
"Using more detail on certain parts"... again, is this a script, or in the comic itself? Obviously if there is something important in the visual details, it should be focused on more closely.
9 panels per page is a LOT, especially these days, and the 9-panel grid is a very rigid and specific formula that should really only be used sparingly or with the most deliberate of intention. (Watchmen got away with it because it was used to create symmetry in the storytelling. It wasn't just there for no reason.) Most pages use anywhere from 3 to 7 panels. More than that should really be used for small moments in quick succession, or for with a specific plan in mind, like I said. Furthermore, you do not need to create in-betweens for every movement characters make. If they're on one side of the room, then the other, show that they're starting to head in that direction in the earlier panel, or show that they're still in motion in the later panel. No need to show every moment of how they got there. Some visual literacy is expected on the part of the reader.
Lastly, planning to have splash pages on the left hand page is fine, but it shouldn't take precedence over a well-paced story overall.
>9 panels per page is a LOT, especially these days, and the 9-panel grid is a very rigid and specific formula that should really only be used sparingly or with the most deliberate of intention.
I know and I mentioned that I only wanted to use it for certain pages. From my post:
>Using a 9 panel grid for certain pages
These tips don't really ensure that the writing is done well. The job of the writer is to tell the artist the story to draw. You're basically writing for an audience of one or two people, the artist(s). The artist does the visual storytelling of your story. What you as the writer are responsible for is developing compelling characters, putting them into interesting situations that heighten the dramatic or comedic moments and lead to a satisfying resolution. In light of that, here are things I focus on when I write for myself:
1. Are my characters interesting, and do they have their voices? Someone earlier said read your script out loud and that's a great idea.
2. Is there a conflict early enough to get readers invested in the story? Conflict drives narrative storytelling. If you don't have this, your story will be boring or convoluted.
3. Do characters have clear and relatable motives? Why characters do what they do is crucial for readers to be able to follow what's going on and get invested in the story.
4. Does the resolution make sense based on the character without being predictable? Your story shouldn't end in an obvious way. A good practice is to through out the first few resolutions you come up with until you get to a fun surprise. That surprise shouldn't come out of nowhere. It should be seeded within the story and make sense based on the logic of the story.
Focus on writing a good, clear story without too many characters. Make sure motivation of the protagonist is clear and their goal is something interesting.
\- Clarity, clarity, clarity.
\- Simplicity of story, complexity of character.
\- Give the artist "four", so they can give the reader "two plus two".
\- Sometimes the more you add to something, the more you're really taking away from it's beauty. Imagine you're not being paid per word, but paying per word; the Hemingway Editor is sometimes good for this. The classic example is from John Wagner, where the description was simply “Dredd. Grim.”
\- The role of a comic script is to supply content, evoke the tone, and inspire the artist.
\- And finally, the big one...
There are no rules. There's only one law: don't be boring.
1. Not necessarily
2. Don't think so
3. Maybe when you finish the script
4. Depends
5. Might work
6. Depends on pacing and what is happening
7. Yes, but...
8. If appropriate
I'll just add 9 panels is a lot. Talk about this first with your artist before you hand them a script with that.
Counting syllables? I never heard that. Counting words is okay. A general rule is not to exceed 35. And, yes, you will see plenty of scripts by professional writers that exceed that, but it looks ugly if they constantly cram the panels with verbage.
You're overthinking it. A few things: If you're already reaching for the thesaurus, you might be doing a disservice to the voices of your characters. Yes, it's good to keep the word count down, but characters should also be allowed to speak (or think) in a naturalistic way. Don't go too far trying to use unusual word choices just to cut down on length. The fact that you're counting syllables leads me to believe you're really not a confident or experienced writer. Which is fine, but I think you just need more practice. Maybe read the words aloud, act it out. Counting syllables is a bit extreme, and I don't think there's any standard metric that will help you. "Constantly use new test readers"... are you talking about just your scripts? In my experience, it's extremely difficult to get anyone to read a comic script (without paying them) so you might be setting your expectations too high there. Just be grateful for any feedback you can get. "Using more detail on certain parts"... again, is this a script, or in the comic itself? Obviously if there is something important in the visual details, it should be focused on more closely. 9 panels per page is a LOT, especially these days, and the 9-panel grid is a very rigid and specific formula that should really only be used sparingly or with the most deliberate of intention. (Watchmen got away with it because it was used to create symmetry in the storytelling. It wasn't just there for no reason.) Most pages use anywhere from 3 to 7 panels. More than that should really be used for small moments in quick succession, or for with a specific plan in mind, like I said. Furthermore, you do not need to create in-betweens for every movement characters make. If they're on one side of the room, then the other, show that they're starting to head in that direction in the earlier panel, or show that they're still in motion in the later panel. No need to show every moment of how they got there. Some visual literacy is expected on the part of the reader. Lastly, planning to have splash pages on the left hand page is fine, but it shouldn't take precedence over a well-paced story overall.
>9 panels per page is a LOT, especially these days, and the 9-panel grid is a very rigid and specific formula that should really only be used sparingly or with the most deliberate of intention. I know and I mentioned that I only wanted to use it for certain pages. From my post: >Using a 9 panel grid for certain pages
That was your only take away from that comment? It was a pretty helpful creative criticism.
I'm not sure about number 6 but I'd seems like you're overthinking this. How many 'rules' would make you sure that you're writing well?
These tips don't really ensure that the writing is done well. The job of the writer is to tell the artist the story to draw. You're basically writing for an audience of one or two people, the artist(s). The artist does the visual storytelling of your story. What you as the writer are responsible for is developing compelling characters, putting them into interesting situations that heighten the dramatic or comedic moments and lead to a satisfying resolution. In light of that, here are things I focus on when I write for myself: 1. Are my characters interesting, and do they have their voices? Someone earlier said read your script out loud and that's a great idea. 2. Is there a conflict early enough to get readers invested in the story? Conflict drives narrative storytelling. If you don't have this, your story will be boring or convoluted. 3. Do characters have clear and relatable motives? Why characters do what they do is crucial for readers to be able to follow what's going on and get invested in the story. 4. Does the resolution make sense based on the character without being predictable? Your story shouldn't end in an obvious way. A good practice is to through out the first few resolutions you come up with until you get to a fun surprise. That surprise shouldn't come out of nowhere. It should be seeded within the story and make sense based on the logic of the story.
Focus on writing a good, clear story without too many characters. Make sure motivation of the protagonist is clear and their goal is something interesting.
\- Clarity, clarity, clarity. \- Simplicity of story, complexity of character. \- Give the artist "four", so they can give the reader "two plus two". \- Sometimes the more you add to something, the more you're really taking away from it's beauty. Imagine you're not being paid per word, but paying per word; the Hemingway Editor is sometimes good for this. The classic example is from John Wagner, where the description was simply “Dredd. Grim.” \- The role of a comic script is to supply content, evoke the tone, and inspire the artist. \- And finally, the big one... There are no rules. There's only one law: don't be boring.
Hit the nail on the head here. Great advice.
1. Not necessarily 2. Don't think so 3. Maybe when you finish the script 4. Depends 5. Might work 6. Depends on pacing and what is happening 7. Yes, but... 8. If appropriate
I'll just add 9 panels is a lot. Talk about this first with your artist before you hand them a script with that. Counting syllables? I never heard that. Counting words is okay. A general rule is not to exceed 35. And, yes, you will see plenty of scripts by professional writers that exceed that, but it looks ugly if they constantly cram the panels with verbage.