@BlueMistletoe's post on Artfol
How do people even write a story?
I'm still working on my potential webtoon and taking notes about the story... BUT I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START
HEeeeeeelp...
Mar 26, 2023
I'm still working on my potential webtoon and taking notes about the story... BUT I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START
HEeeeeeelp...
Mar 26, 2023#question
#webtoon
#story
#writing
Comments
A timeline for plot
Map of relationships between your characters
The timeline will help organize your events in chronological order.
Start with big events first, then work your way down to the smaller stuff.
Starting with the beginning and ending is wise so at least you know what points A and B are; it’s the how you’re getting there that you’ll figure out.
The map can help you understand how your characters play off each other. Do these two have a sibling dynamic? Maybe this trio has Han-Luke-Leia energy?
A friend also gave me advice to have a “mental interview with your characters” so you can flesh out relevant information and better tie them into your story.
Later a script can be made to help with your dialogue for each chapter and plan out details you’d want to put in each panel.
I know not many webcomic creators may want to work with a script, but it works best if you’re not into improvising as you write.
Last point that should probably be your most important: know what your story’s themes and main morals are.
This will streamline your ideation and keeps your story anchored to a specific structure you can modify to your liking.
Good stories are those that know what message they’re telling people or ideas their exploring.
Good vs Evil, Friendship, Love etc.
Once that’s figured out, you should be able to start something! It also helps to take inspiration from films, shows or books you like and study what makes them work.
Map of relationships between your characters
The timeline will help organize your events in chronological order.
Start with big events first, then work your way down to the smaller stuff.
Starting with the beginning and ending is wise so at least you know what points A and B are; it’s the how you’re getting there that you’ll figure out.
The map can help you understand how your characters play off each other. Do these two have a sibling dynamic? Maybe this trio has Han-Luke-Leia energy?
A friend also gave me advice to have a “mental interview with your characters” so you can flesh out relevant information and better tie them into your story.
Later a script can be made to help with your dialogue for each chapter and plan out details you’d want to put in each panel.
I know not many webcomic creators may want to work with a script, but it works best if you’re not into improvising as you write.
Last point that should probably be your most important: know what your story’s themes and main morals are.
This will streamline your ideation and keeps your story anchored to a specific structure you can modify to your liking.
Good stories are those that know what message they’re telling people or ideas their exploring.
Good vs Evil, Friendship, Love etc.
Once that’s figured out, you should be able to start something! It also helps to take inspiration from films, shows or books you like and study what makes them work.
•
•I usually write what's in my mind and take inspiration from games and shows (for my case it was Miitopia, Kirby, Hitsugi No Chaika and Brothers Grimm)
•
•Do you mean about the plot structure or the writing process? I suggest you research the existing schemes of plot structures and find the one you are more confortable with. For the writing process there are several possibilities as well, and you can choose the one you prefer. For me, the best pieces of knowledge were that a story starts when there is a problem because things are changibg, and the story is how the characters react to change (they change too and win, or the refuse to change and lose). For the workflow I like startibg with an idea in a few sentences, then make an essential list of events that must happen in the story so that it is complete, then write a list of scenes and what happens in them in order to narrate the events, the last step is actually writing/drawing the scenes. Also very important for me: keep it short and simple, because one completed short simple story is better than one incomplete epic long saga.
•
•Same, I've been developing this stuff since middle school and I still have no idea how what I'm doing-
•
Drawing out a timeline may help. When I begin to write, I usually have major events and little scenes here and there in mind, but not how they get from event to event besides a vague idea, so putting it all out on a timeline helps me see what needs to happen and catch holes.
Saying your story out loud to someone you trust can also help because they can point put things you may not have noticed or they may have ideas to help on areas you might be stuck. :)
For visual development, you can use prompts like:
What does their world's architecture look like? Are there themes in it or in their clothing? What are the animals/creatures/vegetation like? Is there a color palette or theme for your story or certain people or places in it?
Anyway, hopefully that wasn't overwhelming
questions like these bring my info dumping out
Saying your story out loud to someone you trust can also help because they can point put things you may not have noticed or they may have ideas to help on areas you might be stuck. :)
For visual development, you can use prompts like:
What does their world's architecture look like? Are there themes in it or in their clothing? What are the animals/creatures/vegetation like? Is there a color palette or theme for your story or certain people or places in it?
Anyway, hopefully that wasn't overwhelming
questions like these bring my info dumping out•
•
