I'm writing a mystery/superhero comic, and I was wondering where the best place to draw the line between the character interactions and the actual story is. I want the focus to be on the redemptive element of the two main characters, rather than the suspense (though that's not to say there won't be any). Where do you draw the line. Also, any mystery comic recommendations? I need to get a feel for how the storytelling works in them.
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Hola, K.G.! Some good mystery comics I've read are Nightwing #24, (which is actually one of my top four comics of all-time,) and DC's Identity Crisis, which I actually got at my local library. The first can show you how to do a mystery in one issue, versus "Crisis", which is a multi-issue, multi-character mystery.
Thanks! At first, I want the focus to be on the mysteries and the legal assistant secretly using her powers to assist in criminal cases, but I eventually want the focus to shift to a redemptive story of the girl who's powers have caused her a lot of pain and suffering. The overall message I want is "God is always there, no matter how bad it is." What do you think? (Btw I thought your advice was great). :)
Brien Sparling said:
CSI-style; ok. On TV, there are a number of styles of CSI which could be categorized by the main driving tension of the series: Romantic tension(Bones), Political ploys and power(JAG), action(Miami CSI) or step-by-step puzzle solving (Las Vegas CSI, seasons 1-3). Most of the true Mystery style CSI's are aired on British channels, or PBS in the states. Each of these have other tensions and eye-catchers, and try to give enough depth to their characters to hold viewers, but what is especially evident on the British shows is that there's relatively little romance or violence. So if you're really going straight mystery-style, you're going to proportionally reduce the amount of action and romance. Is that what you intend?
That's not the direction chosen by most comics that I'm familiar with, but I know only a narrow swath (anthropomorphic) of the vast number of online and printed titles in comics, alas. One non-Christian title that I follow because of the quality story telling is Codename Hunter, http://www.codenamehunter.com/ which hinges on a fictional branch of the British Secret Service.
I'm afraid the best advice is the one you've heard the most often: "write the stuff you would most want to read." Pray, then find someone with similar tastes to yours and get them to read it. As you gain confidence you can stretch out to more and more diverse readers and ask, "Hey, could you take a look at my script?"
God bless your life and your efforts.
Brien
The fine line between characters and suspense
I'm writing a mystery/superhero comic, and I was wondering where the best place to draw the line between the character interactions and the actual st…
CSI-style; ok. On TV, there are a number of styles of CSI which could be categorized by the main driving tension of the series: Romantic tension(Bones), Political ploys and power(JAG), action(Miami CSI) or step-by-step puzzle solving (Las Vegas CSI, seasons 1-3). Most of the true Mystery style CSI's are aired on British channels, or PBS in the states. Each of these have other tensions and eye-catchers, and try to give enough depth to their characters to hold viewers, but what is especially evident on the British shows is that there's relatively little romance or violence. So if you're really going straight mystery-style, you're going to proportionally reduce the amount of action and romance. Is that what you intend?
That's not the direction chosen by most comics that I'm familiar with, but I know only a narrow swath (anthropomorphic) of the vast number of online and printed titles in comics, alas. One non-Christian title that I follow because of the quality story telling is Codename Hunter, http://www.codenamehunter.com/ which hinges on a fictional branch of the British Secret Service.
I'm afraid the best advice is the one you've heard the most often: "write the stuff you would most want to read." Pray, then find someone with similar tastes to yours and get them to read it. As you gain confidence you can stretch out to more and more diverse readers and ask, "Hey, could you take a look at my script?"
Thanks! It's a CSI-type story (though not as dark).
Brien Sparling said:
Ideally, there is no line between character interaction and the story theme. At the beginning or end of a story, or during pauses in the action a character can pause to reflect, interpret or summarize; but occasionally I've seen philosophy discussions conducted in the middle of pitched battle and it was a lovely thing. Some writers are very organized and map a story in advance, others allow the story to unfold as they write; either way the openings where you can speak to the deeper themes of your story will "appear."
By mystery, do you mean Crime or horror genres?
The fine line between characters and suspense
I'm writing a mystery/superhero comic, and I was wondering where the best place to draw the line between the character interactions and the actual st…
Ideally, there is no line between character interaction and the story theme. At the beginning or end of a story, or during pauses in the action a character can pause to reflect, interpret or summarize; but occasionally I've seen philosophy discussions conducted in the middle of pitched battle and it was a lovely thing. Some writers are very organized and map a story in advance, others allow the story to unfold as they write; either way the openings where you can speak to the deeper themes of your story will "appear."
Replies
Thanks!
Hola, K.G.! Some good mystery comics I've read are Nightwing #24, (which is actually one of my top four comics of all-time,) and DC's Identity Crisis, which I actually got at my local library. The first can show you how to do a mystery in one issue, versus "Crisis", which is a multi-issue, multi-character mystery.
Best of luck!
Brien Sparling said:
CSI-style; ok. On TV, there are a number of styles of CSI which could be categorized by the main driving tension of the series: Romantic tension(Bones), Political ploys and power(JAG), action(Miami CSI) or step-by-step puzzle solving (Las Vegas CSI, seasons 1-3). Most of the true Mystery style CSI's are aired on British channels, or PBS in the states. Each of these have other tensions and eye-catchers, and try to give enough depth to their characters to hold viewers, but what is especially evident on the British shows is that there's relatively little romance or violence. So if you're really going straight mystery-style, you're going to proportionally reduce the amount of action and romance. Is that what you intend?
That's not the direction chosen by most comics that I'm familiar with, but I know only a narrow swath (anthropomorphic) of the vast number of online and printed titles in comics, alas. One non-Christian title that I follow because of the quality story telling is Codename Hunter, http://www.codenamehunter.com/ which hinges on a fictional branch of the British Secret Service.
I'm afraid the best advice is the one you've heard the most often: "write the stuff you would most want to read." Pray, then find someone with similar tastes to yours and get them to read it. As you gain confidence you can stretch out to more and more diverse readers and ask, "Hey, could you take a look at my script?"
God bless your life and your efforts.
Brien
Brien Sparling said:
Ideally, there is no line between character interaction and the story theme. At the beginning or end of a story, or during pauses in the action a character can pause to reflect, interpret or summarize; but occasionally I've seen philosophy discussions conducted in the middle of pitched battle and it was a lovely thing. Some writers are very organized and map a story in advance, others allow the story to unfold as they write; either way the openings where you can speak to the deeper themes of your story will "appear."
By mystery, do you mean Crime or horror genres?