Hello! I was wondering if you had any advice for someone who is more of an artist than a writer, but is trying to do both. I sometimes feel like I want to work backwards and start drawing what's in my head before I start writing, but it seems like that might be a huge waste of time. Meanwhile, as a visual thinker, sometimes it's difficult to write without the picture first. What should I do? Thanks!
It’s all storytelling. you’re talking to someone who started writing to give myself something to draw then found out that my strengths were actually in writing.
many of our greatest comics and graphic novels were created by writer/artist a.k.a. cartoonists. the singular vision of writing and art is an art unto itself. and one of the most pure.
like anything in life you need to focus on your weaknesses. if you are a good artist focus on your writing, if you’re a good writer focus on your art. do it all at the same time. help yourself. be honest with yourself.
and don’t worry about which part is writing and which part is drawing. it’s all storytelling. it’s all art. worry about telling that story honestly. if you need the visuals to get there than do that. I do it all the time and I don’t even show them to the artist anymore. I just sit down and lay out the page to figure out if what I’m trying to get on the page will work for the artist with the space that we have.
there are no rules to graphic novel making there are just things, as Robert McKee says, that work. so whatever works for you is the right answer.
just make sure that you’re storytelling is clear and honest. no one will know how you got there but you.
nothing is a waste of time if at the end of it you have what you are looking for
