Comic Writing

Gau dog · Post by **Gau dog** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 9:33 am

How much time do you spend on writing? When doing a daily strip, I've heard that writing six gags a day is what we should shoot for. I don't think I can write quality ones that fast on a consistent basis.

Warren · Post by **Warren** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 9:35 am

Six a day? God. Sometimes I'm writing 10 minutes before I draw the thing.

Alschroeder · Post by **Alschroeder** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 10:11 am

I don't know, that sounds a little much...I think six a week might be something to shoot for---but I do a serious comic, so perhaps I'm not the best judge. (Although the writing is VERY important in my comic.)---Al

Cortland · Post by **Cortland** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 10:45 am

I write a comic generally right when the ideas come to me, which is usually when I'm at work and supposed to be doing something else.

TheSuburbanLetdown · Post by **TheSuburbanLetdown** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 10:52 am

cortland wrote:I write a comic generally right when the ideas come to me, which is usually when I'm at work and supposed to be doing something else.

I find I get my best ideas when I'm supposed to be doing something else too. That's why I always have paper and pens with me.

LibertyCabbage · Post by **LibertyCabbage** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 11:55 am

My ideas are like the Pac Man ghosts that are really scary and chase Pac Man around and try to eat him but then I get my pencil and paper which are like the power pills and then I start chasing the idea ghosts around and they're terrified and when I catch them I get points and then they zoom around the room and they go into a cage and then I eat the pills and then the ideas come out and they chase me around and try to eat me again so I get the pills and try to get to the magic pills so I can chase them and send them back to the cage again and get the points.

Phact0rri · Post by **Phact0rri** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 11:58 am

I do the batch writing. I normally store gags, in my head til I'm ready to sit down to write a the next batch which are usually 4-6 a time. depending on my concentration.

Christwriter · Post by **Christwriter** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 12:02 pm

I write each script about a month, give or take, before the old script runs out. It gives me enough time to get a break from the world and to fine-tune the next stages of the story.

And it also lets me do a lot of other writing. I have two novels I'm working on, one write and one re-write.

It's a fun job.

CW

Uncaringmachine · Post by **Uncaringmachine** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 12:19 pm

I too write them at work, when I'm supposed to be productive.

http://gothymcgee.comicgenesis.com

Kris X · Post by **Kris X** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 12:41 pm

I draw the comic...Then write in the words... Er.

The extent of my comic is side bullets for possible plots in short summary. If I like the idea, I jolt it down in a side bullet and once I finish a story I find a way to transition and move on the the next plot idea. Then I just run with it until I feel it is exhausted and move on to the next plot.

Cope · Post by **Cope** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 12:59 pm

I make up the specifics of my writing as I go. The amount of time it takes varies depending on whether I'm writing serious dialogue (longer) or fatuous gags (shorter).

Dutch! · Post by **Dutch!** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 1:25 pm

I start with an idea and flesh it out in my head for a while before drawing them up and expanding on the original little plot a bit further. I'm usually drawing the next story up at least about a month or two before they're to go online.

Specterz · Post by **Specterz** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 1:43 pm

It's simple.
I always have a notebook in my pocket.
If I think of anything funny (about gaming, that is), I write the joke immediately. Or at least some notes.
Yes, sometimes that'll be six a day. Which is good, because sometimes it's just nothing for two weeks!

McDuffies · Post by **McDuffies** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 3:01 pm

gau dog wrote:How much time do you spend on writing? When doing a daily strip, I've heard that writing six gags a day is what we should shoot for. I don't think I can write quality ones that fast on a consistent basis.

If you update daily, simple math gives that you should write one gag a day, isn't it? Some days you're more inspired, some less but it should all come down to that.
You can write 6 gags a day but there'll probably be only one worth putting on site. So it comes the same.

Starline · Post by **Starline** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 4:01 pm

cortland wrote:I write a comic generally right when the ideas come to me, which is usually when I'm at work and supposed to be doing something else.

Hee! Me too!

The Neko · Post by **The Neko** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 4:08 pm

I generally have the idea for a long time, and I spend hours in my mind trying to figure out how to convey the funny concept so that other people will understand why it's funny to me. This is always a difficult process.

Risky · Post by **Risky** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 7:07 pm

I have a big long story to tell, and sometimes I look at an upcoming arc and just decide to bash it out (like the last chapter), and sometimes I get inspired and completely change an arc to tell the same story a different way. Each chapter I usually have a handfull of "one shots" too so other loose threads don't get lost entirely. I don't have a daily comic, and I don't have nearly enough gags either. But I can see how writing six a day would help make sure you get quality to the page.

It reminds me of those comics (like sluggy freelance) that sometimes offer "alternate punchlines".

Gengar003 · Post by **Gengar003** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 7:25 pm

The Neko wrote:I generally have the idea for a long time, and I spend hours in my mind trying to figure out how to convey the funny concept so that other people will understand why it's funny to me. This is always a difficult process.

Indeed...

I have a vague fuzzy idea of something funny in the back of my head, then I think how to convey this; what *actions* are needed, then I draw, then I fine-tune the text and add it in...

I have lots of ideas floating around (in my head) , but I rarely write them down...

LibertyCabbage · Post by **LibertyCabbage** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 8:17 pm

Wow! The guys in my attic let me take a picture of them!

Yeahduff · Post by **Yeahduff** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 9:45 pm

Typically I have a general idea of what I want to do and then I put off writing it until the last minute and end up throwing something together at about four o'clock in the morning.

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