Advice: Editing Your Comic Book Script

The first full manuscript I wrote was pure gold (I thought). The plot was completely original, the writing was captivating, and yet I couldn’t find a soul to publish it. I read and re-read my masterpiece feeling absolutely certain I would sell it and become famous. I gave it to my family and they claimed that it was great; at least as good as the crap regularly doled out in the nearby mega-bookstore. Still no publisher would touch it. So I began to contemplate self publishing, it appeared to be the only way. My story was fantastic and deserved an audience, didn’t it? I came close to dumping a lot of money into publishing that book.

Recently I revisited my unpublished “work of art”. It’s not well written, it needs some major editing and it lacks true originality. Nobody wanted to publish it because I did a poor job of writing, editing and more importantly critiquing my own work. I fell into the trap with this one.

The point here is that you should never self-publish anything until you are positive your story is perfect. Your family may think you are a writing savant, you may believe that Shakespeare is channeling through you from the grave, but if you have sent that manuscript in and professionals are saying no thank you; there may be a problem.

It has become increasingly easy to create a full-on comic. You can take your graphic creation to websites like “Ka-Blam!” for instance and for a reasonably low price have a copy of your new book, in hand, within weeks. Though this is fantastic news for the artist trying to break into comics, this kind of freedom is riddled with holes.

Most independent comics on the market today are nearly unreadable. The artwork is often of poor quality and the writing rarely saves it. I know you think your comic is different. I know you feel like your idea is original. I know that in your heart, success is not an option, it’s a certainty. I don’t mean to burst your bubble, but your book probably sucks.

They say that most screen writers, who break into Hollywood, write around 100 scripts before they start to become good at it. There are a few who write one script and suddenly are blessed with a movie deal; most write a hundred.

Here are 3 general rules you should follow before you decide to submit that script to a publisher or make your way to the printing press.

#1. Step back.

Eager new writers forget that beside grammatical errors it’s also natural for your script to have plot holes, character flaws, over and underwriting, and inconsistencies in the narrative voice.

When you have finished your first draft step back and let your writing rest for awhile. Give that script at least a couple of weeks, if not a month to cure. Once you revisit it, you will be surprised by what you find. Don’t be afraid to rewrite. Don’t be afraid to cut. This is your script and it needs to be perfect.

#2. Hand it over.

You need to put your writing into the hands of someone that will honestly critique your work. If you have someone like this in your life, ask them to read it. If you don’t, then find someone. It always amazes me how someone else reads my writing. My first draft never reads right for anyone but me. You need a second set of eyes and thick skin.

#3. Edit, Edit, and Edit.

Here’s the best rule of thumb ever when it comes to editing: If the writing does nothing to move the story forward; cut it.

Stephen King puts it this way

When you revisit your text it’s time to kill your darlings and remove all the superfluous words and sentences. Removing will de-clutter your text and often get your message through with more clarity and a bigger emotional punch.