Graphic Novel Idea. Would you read it?

[cleasterwood]

Hi all,

I'm extremely new to this type of media. I've been working on a prose novel for some time now and have recently been re-united with my cousin who is a graphic designer. I've always wanted to do my story as an animated movie and circumstance led us to begin collaborating on turning my story into a graphic novel. (How the conversation started I don't remember, but it's been very interesting since we've started this project.) I downloaded Comic Life and have been using it to compile the script. Since I'm a visual person by default, it's been failry easy for me & very quick to convert paragraphs/dialogue etc. into panels. I'd so appreciated any feedback on it or advice you guys can give a fledgling comic writer.

The story is set in modern day Cairo & Ancient Egypt. It's hard to peg it to one genre as it is a mix of many, primarily: Time travel, fantasy, & romance. There's also bloody battles & adult themes. This is NOT a young adult story by any means. If you would like to give me your thoughts, all 12 script pages or read the story's synopsis, please go to my wiki:
http://talismansoftime.wetpaint.com/page/Graphic+Novel+Script

Teaser: Enshrouded by the winds of time and the sands of mainstream Egyptology is the Ancients’ secret. Twins, Andrea and Elise Regal, are about to brush away the grains concealing their destinies. Summoned by primeval gods and the Talisman of Time, Andrea traverses time to the court of King Khufu where she not only finds love but also becomes skilled in the arts of magic and war. Tormented by visions and her sister’s voice breaking the threshold of time, Elise becomes a pawn in a god’s game of Senet. Unaware she is the catalyst to thwart Apep's evil scheme, Elise must find and master the remaining talisman before time proves fatal for all humanity.

Thanks sooooooooo much. And since I'm not very good with comic advice, if anyone who reads the script needs any writing help or links, I'd be glad to help you out.

Blessed be & many thanks,
Lynn

 

[Spac3Monkey]

Hi Lynn,

I'm going to give it a read throughout the course of this week and I will let you know.

I am a fan of Egyptology and I think you have a great idea as there are not many out there at the minute. I have just finished reading 'Cairo' by G Willow Wilson which was fantastic

Anyway, I'll give it a go and let you know what I think

SM

 

[Perpetual Man]

Hi Lynn,

I'm with SM, I'll have a look too - hopefully in the next few days. Life can get a little busy, if you know what I mean.

I've had an interest in comics for a long, long time now so hopefully should be able to help, if only slighty. Ironically many years agao I wrote a comic strip that was a time travel/sci-fi adventure set in ancient Eygpt - souds nothing like yours though!

 

[Spac3Monkey]

Hi Lynn

I have read chapters 1 - 4 but when I have proceed to read 5 it is infact a duplication of 4. I don't want to read chapter 6 without it so if you let me know where I can download a copy I will give it a read.

Just to let you know, I'm really enjoying it so far but will give you all of my thoughts when I have finished it

Thanks

SM

 

[Cayal]

Curiously, how do you use Comic Life for your script? I haven't checked out your story yet (too late but I will look) but I did look up comic life and it seems to be photos turned into comics, so I am wondering how you managed it with your story?

 

[MistingWolf]

I'll give it a read and come back ^^ Sounds really good, and I already like that the twins' names don't rhyme or have the same starting letter ;p

 

[cleasterwood]

Just in case you missed it & you're following this thread I'd just like to let you know that I posted a hype thread for Ra's Warrior here in SFFC Announcement

 

[Stephen Aryan]

I would highly recommend reading some of Scott McLeod's books about creating comics, specifically Understanding Comics if you are new to the medium as a writer. There are so many differences between novels, TV, movies and comics.

If this is going to be a big meaty graphic novel, then I would definitely pick up a bunch of others of a similar size, stories that are unique and standalone volume, so stay away from Marvel and DC, and look at Top Shelf Comics, or pick up something like Maus by Art Spiegelman, or Blankets by Craig Thompson, two radically different stories with unique styles, but both are fairly hefty reads.

With creating a graphic novel, as opposed to a standard 22 page comic, pacing isn't as important, as you're not packing as much in, there's no need to have a cliffhanger on page 22, but even so the structure is very important. A page of a novel, shouldn't be a page of a comic and so on. Another good recent example of where one doesn't relate directly to the other is the ongoing Buffy comic by Dark Horse. One episode is definitely not one issue, sometimes its four or five, occasionally there is a standalone story but it's never the same as a full episode of TV.

In short, structure for a graphic novel is very different to any other medium and should be considered carefully.

Also, do you read comics for fun yourself? Are you familiar with them as a fan?