Following on from the previous post, here’s a bit more on developing your ideas for a graphic novel/illustrated book based on the workshop I ran a week or two ago…
“I can’t tell you how to write your story or where to begin. BUT you might start with.... .
A person- who are they? what is their life like? What is the one major moment that you would focus on if you were telling their story?
Or a place- what happened here?
Or a feeling- How do I explain what THIS feels like?
Wherever you start it’s important not to rush. Let your story come to you, with work, over as much time as you need. Here we pause, for maybe many, many months, whilst you have a think about the story you want to tell.
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After you establish what your story might be about, I find that there are some key questions we need to ask ourselves before we start....
-Why would I draw this? What is it about this idea that lends itself to a visual medium?
-Why would I draw this? Why me? Why now?
-When will I draw this? Is this a sensible thing for me to do?
There are no correct answers to these questions but in asking them we begin to engage with the motivations behind how and why we make our work.
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I always write my scripts first. This isn’t a standard rule, other artists draw first. For me I want my story to feel secure before I start drawing. Partially because the drawing is tiring and I don’t want to go miles down a road and then realise the it doesn’t lead anywhere good. But also because the drawing is fun, and for me, addictive. So I need to temper my urge to get lost in the drawing process. That said, I do start doing character drawings whilst I’m writing as this allows me to use another part of my brain. I like that if the writing has gotten stuck I can take a break whilst still progressing my thoughts and ideas about the story. The switch often means I relax and in that relaxation comes solutions to problems I might be having in the writing.