Home: Writing for Comic Books: Chapter Five - Writing the Script: Plot First, or "Marvel Style"

Chapter Five
Writing the Script
(cont'd)

Plot first, or "marvel Style"

In the previous section, I talked about writing panel descriptions and the basics of pacing. From here, it's easy to talk about the plot-first method of writing a comic book story.

When we refer to plot first or "Marvel Style", it is shorthand for a manuscript that does not include all of the final dialog. Traditionally, it is broken down page by page, panel by panel, but that isn't a necessity. Depending on your relationships with the editor and/or penciler, the breakdown can be even looser. For the exposition-heavy pages or for complicated action, you may provide panel by panel descriptions. In other cases, you might say something as simple as...

PAGES TWELVE THROUGH NINETEEN

Extended fight scene. HERO WOMAN and SUPER GUY in battle against the EVIL KNIGHT and his FIRE-BREATHING DRAGON. The setting is an abandoned castle in a remote forest. Because of Super Guy's vulnerability to fire, it would appear that the Dragon may slay our hero, but once Hero Woman destroys the control gauntlet on EK's right wrist, EK can no longer control the Dragon and the tide turns. The Dragon flies away, free once more of EK's control. HW and SG take EK into custody. By the end of the battle, nothing is left of the castle but rubble.

Make this scene as visually exciting as possible and have fun with it!

The would be plenty for some artists from which to work, and they would enjoy the freedom it allows. other artists are intimidated by this much freedom and really want each moment spelled out for them. In my opinion, the more comofrtable you make the artist, the more successful the collaboration will be. Develop a manuscript style that serves the needs you you as writer, your editor, your artist, and most importantly, the readers. You have to make sure you convey everything the artist will need to communicate the story on behalf of the people who have paid good money to read your story. As important as it is to maintain a good working relationship with your artist, you both (all) serve the audience.

PLOT-FIRST DOES NOT MEAN "NO DIALOG ALLOWED"

Even if you are not providing all the dialog for the story in your manuscript, that does not mean you should not provide the artist and the editor with the gist of any dialog that will be included later. Often it is imperative for the main dialog points to be included so that the artist knows how to convey the appropriate body language for the characters.

For example, two characters saying "Hi, how are you? It's great to see you." "I'm fine. That's a lovely frock you are wearing." are likely to have very different body language compared to two characters having the following exchange: "What the blazes are you doing here? I never wanted to lay eyes on you again." "The feeling's mutual, punk. I wish your cape would get caught in the axle of a truck and rip your head off."

For particularly important conversations, it is useful to include all of the dialog, even if it's in rough form. This helps the editor determine if the story is hanging together and the artist to know how much room needs to be available for copy.

Here is a page from the plot to Quicksilver #13. You can read the entire plot in the sample scripts section. This is exactly how the information was conveyed to Chris Renaud, penciler of the issue.

PAGE THREE

PANEL ONE

NESTOR tells QUICKSILVER that his name is Nestor--but does that really tell QS anything? You have to get beyond the names to know who a person really is. He asserts that he is QS's friend--or else he wouldn't have helped him escape from Exodus.

PANEL TWO

Close up of QUICKSILVER as he responds to Nestor's next question, "So, who are you?" Keep Nestor off panel. Focus on Quicksilver's reaction--he really doesn't know how to answer this question. Leave room in the lower right hand corner of the panel for a letter caption as Quicksilver reveals to Crystal that this is a question he'd never given any thought to.

PANEL THREE

Pull back to show NESTOR and QUICKSILVER in front of the cottage. Nestor asks why Quicksilver has come to this place.

PANEL FOUR

QUICKSILVER opens the door to the cottage, NESTOR standing right behind him. QS looks pensive, as if trying to understand that this was once his home. Compose this shot from inside the cabin, with QS and Nestor framed by the door. QS tells Nestor that this is where he and his sister were born. He wonders what it must have been like for his mother on the night sure first arrived here. The cottage should look like it has not been inhabited in quite a while.

PANEL FIVE (flashback)

This panel is how Quicksilver imagines his mother's arrival at the cottage. It is a cold, wind-swept night with snow in the air. The cottage door has opened. MAGDA stands outside shivering, illuminated by the moon. She is pregnant and asks for help. BOVA is in the foreground looking surprised by the stranger's presence. The cottage has a homey feel to it. Leave room for captions as QS tells Nestor the story.

This panel echoes the previous panel visually in terms of composition with Magda taking the place off QS & Nestor.

As you can see, artist Chris Renaud followed by descriptions very closely, although he did not show the cabin in panel five as I'd described. and, to be completely honest, I think the choice he made is much stronger give the echo he's created to panel four. By providing him with the sample dialog, he was able to convey the body language the conversation required.

As the writer, you have to be prepared for the fact the artist will change things. Sometimes it's because you have asked for something that simply can't be drawn as you described it. Sometimes it's because he or she has a different vision of the panel than you described. It doesn't matter what the reason is--you have to be prepared to roll with it. This is something that I will discuss in greater detail in the next chapter: Writing the Dialog and Placing Copy.

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