Home: Writing for Comic Books: Chapter One - The Basics: The Five Ws

Chapter One
The Basics
(cont'd)

THE FIVE Ws (AND SOMETIMES H)

In journalism, writers are taught to write to answer the five Ws (and sometimes H). Writers of fiction should also be aware of them. They are:

• When?
  
• Where?
  
• Who?
  
• What?
  
• Why?
  
• How?

When and Where? When is your story taking place? Where is it taking place? When time or place is not specified, it is usually assumed to be here and now, especially when dealing with the script format. Unless you tell your artist (set designer, cinematographer, director, etc., depending on your medium) exactly when and where the story is happening, there's no telling what they might assume--or worse yet, draw.

Who? These are the characters in your story.

What? What is happening? This is the plot. What do your characters want? This is motivation and it is integral to good character development.

Why? Why are things happening? Why do your characters want what they want? One of the most important questions you have to ask yourself is "Why should the readers care about my story?"

How? How do your characters go about getting what they want? How do they react to adversity or success?

Every scene, every page, every panel in a comic book story absolutely must address at least one of the questions and help your reader understand the events that are unfolding. Any scene, page, or panel that doesn't accomplish this goal is a "darling" and, as Mark Twain said, we must kill our darlings. They waste time and space and they annoy the audience.

THE STORYTELLING TRIANGLE

To my mind, there are four basic elements in constructing a story as illustrated by the diagram below.

The Characters, as mentioned previously, are the who.

The Plot is the what. What do your characters want and what happens? It is the simple sequence of events. Jimmy wants to be on time for work. Unfortunately, he wakes up late. Jack makes him breakfast. Jimmy eats breakfast hurriedly, dripping egg yolk on his shirt. Now Jimmy has to change his clothes, making him even later for work. Jimmy leaves the house in a rush, not looking in both directions before he crosses the street. Jimmy is hit by a bus and dies. That is a plot. That's what happens. The plot is the series of conflicts and resolutions leading to the climax and denouement. These elements will be discussed in greater detail in the next chapter.

The Story is the where, when, how, and why. Where and when are surface details, but they are important as they determine how the character and society act and react. People in feudal England would not act in the same way that Aborigines in 1800 Australia. The plot described above would have to happen in fairly large, modern city. It could not be transplanted to France, circa 1100.

How expands on the question of "What do you characters want?" by exploring how they go about achieving their goals. We then ask the question of why should the events of the plot matter to the characters and the readers.

Ultimately, the story is the impact of Jimmy's death on Jack, the bus driver, other characters, and most importantly, on the reader. Why should the reader care about Jimmy's death and its ramifications? Therein lies the story.

The Theme or Premise. Every story sets out to prove its theme or premise. In the story outlined above, the premise might be "Remember to set your alarm clock so you don't wake up late." The consequences of not setting your alarm clock are then spelled out. The theme or premise does not have to be overly complex. It can be as simple as "Love conquers all" or "Crime doesn't pay" or "With great power comes great responsibility." It can be much more complex, perhaps trying to prove or disprove the existence of a higher power. It doesn't matter how simple or complex your premise, as long as everything in the context of the tale--the characters, the plot, and the story--all relate to the theme in some way, shape, or form to your theme. Ultimately, when someone asks what the story is about, they will usually zero in on the theme or premise.