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

Chapter One
The Basics
(cont'd)

THREE KEY ELEMENTS TO WRITING SERIAL FICTION

The writing of serial fiction has a long and distinguished history going all the way back to our ancestors gathering around the campfire to trade stories of the hunt. The first time one of our ancestors said, "I'll finish the story tomorrow night," we had our first cliffhanger. That cliffhanger drives all serial fiction as it creates a sense of wonder in our audience as they want to know what happens next. Ancient Greek playwrights created story cycles where audiences saw the growth of characters over a series of plays. Sophocles's Oedipus cycle is a perfect example of this as he develops the tragedy of King Oedipus and his descendents over three plays: Oedipus Rex, Antigone, and Oedipus at Colonus. You can look at William Shakespeare's Histories as another example. Later, the serialization of Charles Dickens's novels in London's newspapers is an excellent example of episodic fiction. Movie serials were a staple through the first half of the 20th century were a way to insure audiences coming to the theater every week. These are all links in the chain that have led us to modern soap opera and comic books.

There are three key devices that drive all serial fiction:

Family. One of the most entertaining elements of good fiction, particularly serial fiction, is how all the characters and events interrelate. Whether blood relations or chosen/situational family (friends, co-workers, etc.), this is something to which everyone can relate on some level. The characters should be interconnected in a way that if something happens to one character, the circumstances will have an impact on some level on almost every other character (if not all). This is what we call the ripple effect, and we become caught up in watching the drama play out because over time we have come to see the characters as real--they become like part of our own extended family.

Looking back at the classic Stan Lee/Steve Diko/John Romita Spider-Man stories, if Peter Parker had to buy Aunt May's medicine one month, this might mean that he couldn't pay the rent. Needing to raise cash, he would go to the Daily Bugle and try to get a photography job from J. Jonah Jameson. Jameson would go on a tirade against Spider-Man, blaming the wallcrawler for a recent rash of crimes. Peter would learn about the crimes and decide he should investigate as Spider-Man. This would accomplish two goals: hopefully catch the criminal (thereby possibly earning Spider-Man some respect from Jameson and the city) and get dynamic action photos of Spider-Man capturing the villain. The criminal might be revealed as the Green Goblin, who, unknown to Peter, is the father of Peter Parker's best friend. Spider-Man might get caught up in battle against the Goblin, missing his date with Gwen Stacy. Goblin might win the first battle, wounding Spider-Man. Now Peter would have to lie to Aunt May, Gwen Stacy, and all his friends about why he is covered with bruises. On and on it would go, and it would all interconnect. Actions had consequences, and those consequences moved across the canvas of characters like ripples from a stone thrown in a pond. We watch, fascinated, to see how the consequences play out.

The goal is to create a network of characters that are linked either physically (family, friends, co-workers) or thematically (two characters with similar histories winding up on opposite sides of the law. What choices led them to these circumstances?).

The second key device is The Secret. There should always be something unrevealed that makes the reader want to know what will happen next.

There are two kinds of secrets. One kind is hidden from the reader: hidden identities, hidden agendas, etc. These are mysteries which hopefully will intrigue the audience so they keep reading or watching until the solution is revealed. The other is a secret is shared by the audience. They have information that the characters don't, something that they know will have a serious impact on the characters. The fun is waiting for the moment will be revealed to see how characters they have come to know and care about will deal with the aftermath of the secret's revelation.

As new characters are introduced into serial fiction, it is important that they have a connection to characters already on the canvas and that they have a secret, something that will keep the reader invested in learning more about the Mysterious Stranger.

The third key device is Memory. The characters should have memories of their previous actions, and those memories guide their current actions. Characters who met and had a conflict five years ago should remember that conflict when they meet in the present. The memories may be good or bad, but they should shape how the characters currently interact.

Memory extends to the audience. If they witnessed those two characters' previous meeting and witnessed the ramifications, then the current meeting will have more depth. The audience and the characters share the recall, and it will add complexity and interest to the proceedings.

Memory is at the core of one of comics' biggest blessings and curses: continuity. Every writer, publisher, and editor must wrestle with the question of continuity when dealing with characters who have long, complicated histories. When do you sacrifice the continuity--the memories that the characters and audience share--for the sake of a current story or plot device? This is not an easy question to answer as there may be good reasons to follow or ignore continuity. Long time readers may feel cheated when what they were led to believe is ignored or proven false. Newer readers may not know about the history and there are some readers who simply don't care about continuity if the story at hand is entertaining. Personally, I try not to contradict history. In fact, a long, complex history may provide great storytelling possibilities, especially if the history appears contradictory. You can build interesting stories out of reconciling the contradictions. On the other hand, sometimes it's best to simply forget some parts of the past--don't explain it, don't contradict it, just ignore it. These are decisions that have to be made on a case by case basis.

With these basic elements in mind, let us now explore the technical aspects of plot and story construction...