Sitting back on a Friday evening, remote control in hand, I decided to watch one of the latest Pixar Animated short films. To me a short film is the perfect length of time (six to nine minutes) to tell a story with an exposition, rising action, climax, and resolution. They …
The plot is the spine of your story, the scaffolding upon which everything will be placed in order to create a full experience for the audience to immerse themselves in- be it a movie or a comic or a novel.
Just like the spine, however, there is a limit to …
Last week, I went into the basics of building your fictional worlds. We’re continuing on with our second instalment where we’ll dive a bit deeper into the nitty gritty of world building. Without further ado…
What’s your world’s system of government? Politics plays a large role when it comes to …
I haven't had a chance to get into the Locke and Key comic series, although I've meant to for a long time - It's been recommended to me a few times, and shows up on lists of "top horror comics".
Like almost every other "genre comic" that has some success, …
We begin with Trigger Warning, a story about Nathan Wood, prisoner of the mysterious Institution. This mild mannered man seems prone to horrific acts of violence… But why, and who is keeping him imprisoned? Then we dive straight into our second tale, They were Wolves. In a small armed village …
What happens to characters after the big action scene or climactic moment? This could be anywhere in the story but it's usually close to the end. Do they process any of the …
What happens when an ex-child soldier wants to start a new life? A new comic book from Peace Direct called "The Challenges of War: Finding Freedom" tells Lembaka's story in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He joined an armed group at age 10, and after years of brutal violence escaped …
Given that it was Valentine's Day yesterday, and that is associated with a lot of special moments between couples, I thought we could talk about the Day After! What do you do on the Day After? Do you run to buy a pill or do you roll over and cuddle? …
A key aspect to creating a story, be it a modern day slice-of-life, an epic space opera or a high fantasy saga, is the world in which the characters inhabit. Now there are lots of aspects to consider when building your story and, this week, we’ll be going into the …
Coquin is an interesting collaboration comic that brings together an American writer (Finch) and a French artist (Floch). The story follows a French fashionista named Serena and a British genie in a comic that originally ran as the weekly comic of a feminist magazine. Serena has a very liberal mindset …
There are a couple of approaches when it comes to making a big creative project: planing it all out or working things out as you go ie,e flying by the seat of …
Peace Direct is launching a comic book online that tells the true story about a former child soldier in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He joined a militia to avenge his father's death, later escaped and is now starting a new life as a farmer.
Of course they are- if it's a one time thing. If it happens all the time, the stakes collapse, the story comes apart, and the experience is ruined. I'm talking about stories, of course…
For most of us, creating webcomics is a side hustle; a hobby or “second job” that we come home to after we’re done with our day jobs. In many ways you make your own rules and set your own hours, however, this can lead to an underlying sense that you’re …