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  1. - Top - End - #1
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    PhantomFox's Avatar

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    Default How does one plot a webcomic?

    I, like so many other probably starry eyed author wannabes, am considering making a webcomic. However, I am mortally afraid of being "that guy" who thinks he's the next Tolkien and then creates something vomit-inducing. Thus, I'm gathering help as best I can rather than trip over self-confidence. I'm slightly tempted to name it "I have no clue what I'm doing", but will probably stick with "Deep Forest".

    Sorry, I digress.

    Anyhow, I have a setting I'm interested in, lots of character ideas, and a few story ideas, but I'm not sure where to go from here. This isn't like writing a story where you have a beginning, middle, and end. A comic is supposed to be open ended, or at least not reach its conclusion two months after it starts.

    So how do you do it? What I have in mind is something of a dramady, so I can't really go with stand alone arcs. Do you just stick arcs together like Legos? Or do I just make it up as I go along? I'm not sure. In another side question, is there any rough (and I mean rough) way to estimate how many strips you can get out of X pages of text?

    Thanks for any help you can give!
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    Troll in the Playground
     
    Lord Seth's Avatar

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    Default Re: How does one plot a webcomic?

    Not sure if this would work for you, but one option is to write and draw a lot of comics about the characters/universe without publishing them (maybe show them to a few friends). In other words, act like you're writing and making the webcomic, but without actually putting it online yet.

    The advantage of this is that you can slowly get a handle on the characters and where you want to go with the series, and if you find something isn't working out (a part of the plot, some aspect of a character) and want to go back and change something you can do it (which you hardly could if you were actively making it!). Once you've got the characters and story down, then bring it out. At the worst, you'd have quite a strip buffer!

    Or at least, that's what worked for me with an idea for a bunch of stories I thought up. No idea if it'll work for a webcomic or not. But it's a possible way to refine the idea and characters before you ever put it up online.
    Last edited by Lord Seth; 2008-05-29 at 10:35 AM.

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    Pixie in the Playground
     
    Lizardfolk

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    Default Re: How does one plot a webcomic?

    I go with an overall planned out storyline but write the more intricate episodes on the fly. I found starting off the hardest part but after a few episodes you kind of get the feel of the characters and they seem to grow their own personalities through you. Other advice I'd give you is to not get stuck in one place for too long and avoid plot holes and unexplained things unless they get explained later on in the comic. Good luck to ye'.

  4. - Top - End - #4
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    PhantomFox's Avatar

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    Default Re: How does one plot a webcomic?

    The characters are no problem. I've worked a lot with them in the past with some RP writing I did with friends. I just have them in a setting that suits them better.

    The other thing I'm most worried about is my art. I doubt I can attract a good artist who wants to work with someone else's story. Though on the other hand, judging from some comics I see online and in papers, you can get by with minimal artistic ability if the comic is funny enough.
    Avatar by Glasswhistle

  5. - Top - End - #5
    Pixie in the Playground
     
    Lizardfolk

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    Default Re: How does one plot a webcomic?

    If all else fails, do an oots style webcomic, people here love that.

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    Barbarian in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: How does one plot a webcomic?

    Who says you shouldn't have a beginning, middle and end? A lot of very popular webcomics have a set storyline - OotS, 8-bit Theatre, and so on all have planned endings, as does my own comic. If you're going to have stories, there should be some small feeling of time passing throughout the sequence - if not for the events, then for the characters. Even stories where each arc is supposed to stand alone build on each other; in Buck Godot, for example, each new story involves characters and relationships that were the focus of the previous one, and you should plan it out just a little. Readers tend not to like characters who don't seem to grow at all. Remember; pleasant thought or no, your comic will come to an end some day, one way or another. Plan to have a good ending.

    I'd recommend trying to draw your characters a few times, even if you don't have much artistic ability. Draw them in different costumes, draw them with different expressions. You'd be surprised how much personality and development, little mannerisms and habits, you'll see in a character that you never thought you'd put there.

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    Firbolg in the Playground
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    Default Re: How does one plot a webcomic?

    Me and popdart are trying to get a comic going, we're building the world first, try that.
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    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    GnomeWizardGuy

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    Default Re: How does one plot a webcomic?

    I'm also planning on starting a webcomic later this year (when I've got a bit more time to plan everything). I too am a bit uncertain about the best way to go about the writing stage.

    From what I've read from established story-based webcomic creators, while there is no one right way there tend to be a few common approaches that I'll be using.
    • Flesh out the core cast of the characters before you begin. You don't need to plan every little thing about them, but you do need to make sure you've got a group that lead themselves towards interesting situations.
    • Have a rough idea of where you want to start, where you want to end (if applicable), how you will get there and how you want the characters to change. This might change as you go but it helps to have at least a vague idea of where you want to head so your story doesn't go around in circles.
    • Most webcomics seem to be based on arcs, which follow the above rules on a smaller scale. I doubt many webcomics plan all these in advance; you'll have some that might be critical to your story as a whole but many arcs can be put in or out of the story as you go.
    • Work on the script in advance. Work through drafts of arcs and ideas months or even years before they are posted on the internet. That way you can figure out what works and what doesn't before you put in the effort to drawing them.

  9. - Top - End - #9
    Pixie in the Playground
     
    GnomeWizardGuy

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    Default Re: How does one plot a webcomic?

    Hello I am new to this forum, this is my first post, my name is Alex.

    I have lots to talk about. So plot I think all the above is v.true and also do not forget that a plot will arrive on your lap like a cat wanting its food. This is food for thought, and that the fact that a comic will best come from a feeling of security in an idea. Maybe its just something you like very much, when comics don't work well don't give up just be patient for your mind to start clicking away with ideas and emotions again. : ) preferably good thoughts ! :)

    Anyone want to hear my idea for a webcomic?

    iComics?

  10. - Top - End - #10
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    Lord Seth's Avatar

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    Default Re: How does one plot a webcomic?

    Not related to plotting a webcomic, but what's the best program for making one? Preferably not extremely expensive.

  11. - Top - End - #11
    Dwarf in the Playground
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    Default Re: How does one plot a webcomic?

    I always liked the idea of just diving in headfirst and hope there aren't any sunken logs.

    Not to say I'm completely against planning, but too much of it especially on a first project is a waste of time as once you start making comics you'll start thinking about them differently. My thought process in making a joke/story arch now is completely different than it was 4 and a half years ago.

    Have a flexible grasp on your cast. If you're anything like me you'll probably cut and replace a lot of them before you ever get to the part in the storyline they were intended to show up.

    Have a general idea of what story you want to tell, but don't have an ending planned from the start. Give yourself some room to grow instead of railroading yourself into a story that you might not like a year down the road.

    And one thing to watch out for and is definitely my biggest pet peeve, don't start out with a funny fun comic and turn it into DRAMA!

  12. - Top - End - #12
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    GnomeWizardGuy

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    Default Re: How does one plot a webcomic?

    Quote Originally Posted by Lord Seth View Post
    Not related to plotting a webcomic, but what's the best program for making one? Preferably not extremely expensive.
    Do you mean the best program for writing for a comic, or creating the webcomic itself?

    For writing, you can just use any old text editor or a paper notebook. I'm using a personal wiki for brainstorming ideas, in particular VoodooPad which is Mac only, but there's others out there for other OSes like WikidPad.

    Then I'm planning on using an editor suitable for scriptwriting for writing the comics themselves. I've got a copy of Scrivener I'm planning on using, but again that's Mac only. There are other editors out there, and for webcomics just a notepad-like program should be fine.

    For the art, there's loads of programs out there. You can just draw and ink on paper, scan it in and call it done. For digital work Adobe's range of products (Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, Fireworks) are the most commonly used and the most powerful, but they're pricey. There's cheaper software out there like Paint Shop Pro. And there's a lot of good free tools too like The GIMP, Inkscape (also see my sig for my tutorial), and Paint.NET, amongst others. If you're really masochistic you could just use MS Paint, although I'd recommend at least trying out Paint.NET first .

    Alternatively you can use something like Comic Life which allows you to create comics directly. It seems pretty good for simple photo comics, but I find it's a bit inflexible. But it will make things easier.

    Then you'll probably want to head over to BlamBot and check out their range of comic fonts. They've got some really good ones there and it seems the majority of webcomics use one or other of the BlamBot fonts.

    Finally, you'll need somewhere to host it. Drunk Duck and Keenspot have free hosting, or alternatively you can buy your own hosting and a web domain fairly cheaply for the price of a computer game or two per year and use something like ComicPress (a comics based theme on top of the blogging software WordPress) to help you.

    Hopefully that's enough to answer your question!
    Last edited by Trazoi; 2008-05-29 at 10:51 PM. Reason: Bracketing problem, spelling

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    Solo's Avatar

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    Default Re: How does one plot a webcomic?

    Anyhow, I have a setting I'm interested in, lots of character ideas, and a few story ideas, but I'm not sure where to go from here. This isn't like writing a story where you have a beginning, middle, and end. A comic is supposed to be open ended, or at least not reach its conclusion two months after it starts.
    There's yer problem right there - you're too stuck with doing things by the book. You gotta do your story the way you feel it should be done.

    How do you think that you would best write your story? What techniques best fit you?

    After all, some good webcomics are gag-a-day with no storyline, while others have the beginning and end plotted down on paper, while others have a semi-defined storyline, but also improvise as things go on.

    If you don't know, you should try a variety of different techniques to figure out, but don't fall back on how things are 'supposed' to work out of inexperience. You need to experiment around and see what your personal style is.
    Last edited by Solo; 2008-05-30 at 05:19 AM.

  14. - Top - End - #14
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: How does one plot a webcomic?

    I've only just recently started a webcomic in this forum, so I can sympathize with not knowing how to get started.

    What I did was to just jump right in. I've been working on it for a few weeks now and the ideas just sort of pour in once you've gotten started. I wouldn't worry too much about the art-style, either. Some of my favorite webcomics have very simplistic styles. XKCD is a prime example, as OoTS and its ilk here in the forum. Simpler art also makes it easier to update, as opposed to spending anywhere from 4-8 hours per page and updating once or twice a week(like me).

    @Lord Seth: I use Adobe Photoshop for mine, but that's mostly out of necessity, and really expensive. Still, it does have advantages.
    "Quiet tales of hamsters are foolish, but a man and his hamster that tear evil limb from limb? That's scary!" - Minsc

    My DeviantArt: http://jlechuga.deviantart.com/
    If you like my work, feel free to watch me, favorite, tell your friends, or make a request. It might take me some time, but I'll take a crack at just about anything thrown my way.

    If you'd like to use any of my pictures, just a link back to my DA page will work for credit. Thanks!

  15. - Top - End - #15
    Firbolg in the Playground
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    Default Re: How does one plot a webcomic?

    Keep in mind the medium's inherent qualities and limitations. Pacing is very important for a webcomic. Let say you've got a 300 page graphic novel with a 20-page fight scene inside. The fight scene is awesome -- 20 full-page panels, drawn with brio and maestria, completely 100% full of win.

    Well, in a webcomic, it sucks. It represents one month and a half. In one month and a half, readers expect more plot development than that.

    So, for comics which are planed like printed comics, it's usually better to release less often but give a bunch of pages at the same time. See how, for example, The Phoenix Requiem updates by bunch of two or three pages. Or, more locally, look at how OotS updates are of variable length.

    If you want to make a story webcomic, remember that each page should be perfect: it needs to make a new reader want to know what happened before, so he'll archive binge and get hooked; it needs to make an old reader want to know what will happen after so that he'll stay hooked; and it needs to stand on its own so that the reader, old or new, won't just type "Meh, a filler strip" on his favorite messageboard and move on.

    So, on each issue, you need to have a harmonious mix of drama (character development never stalls), plot (the story moves forward) and funny (even serious stories need humor).
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