"If I had to really put a fine point on it, I believe that world building is where many of my story arcs are born."
Warning: I do not recommend getting so caught up in world building that it becomes a project unto itself. This is only part of the process and should be treated as such. Speaking from experience, it is possible to become so obsessed with backstory that you never begin writing a story.
I’ve been asked where my story ideas come from, and there isn’t just one concrete answer to that. If I had to really put a fine point on it, I believe that world building is where many of my story arcs are born. In fact, knowing the world in which your characters exist is just as important as defining the people themselves.
When I started writing The Sunstroms, I knew up front that I wanted to tell a story about a superhero family, and I wanted that family to have a definite science fiction flavor that reminded me of some of the cartoons and comics I grew up with. But after the characters were named, drawn, and fleshed out, they needed an interesting narrative.
Author Gene E Willoughby II's Sunstrom's Work
Most of the ideas for that particular novel came from my notebooks. Now, before I go any further, I must admit that I have something of an addiction to composition books, and I own quite a few of them. All of these books contain pieces of what I call my “secret worlds”. If I remember it correctly, this started when I was in college working various retail jobs. I would always have a notebook with me, and when customer traffic was slow or I was on break, I’d be jotting down my ideas about new characters, locations, and super powers. Even now, I continue this practice at home while I’m watching the Lakers or replaying a favorite movie of mine.
As you are thinking about the world you plan to write about, ask yourself a series of questions. Is this world like ours? Are there any differences? For example, if you watch a show such as Power, the hyper-charged crime world is depicted as nearly identical to ours with few deviations. Conversely, the movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have some important similarities, but the fact that super beings are possible in that world changes everything.
"I must admit that I have something of an addiction to composition books, and I own quite a few of them. All of these books contain pieces of what I call my 'secret worlds'."
If your universe is vastly different, then there are other aspects you should consider. What does religion look like? What about governments? Who or what group is in charge? How does the economy work? Is there special technology or magic present in your world? If so, how do those things work? What are the rules or laws? Are there any super abilities in your world and what are their strengths and weaknesses? How do everyday people earn a living? What is the state of their environment? When I am constructing an outline I end up pulling material concerning backstories, locations, and organizations from these notes, and my stories tend to evolve from these ideas.
This is part 2 in a series of articles on the topic of comic book development. Find all articles in the series linked below:
"For me, creating characters is all about the heart."
So, you’re ready to turn that awesome idea you’ve been developing into a comic book or graphic novel. Speaking from experience, there is nothing quite like getting a shiny new copy of your book and flipping through the finished pages. The good news is that today’s technology has made publishing your own work easier than ever. One thing that has not changed is the process of creating a story with a beginning, middle, and end that also carries emotional weight with overarching themes. Over the course of the next few installments of Workstation 101, I will be sharing my workflow for making comics as well as process and sketchbook pages.
Character Creation
For me, creating characters is all about heart. What makes a person tick? What kinds of baggage do people carry around with them on a daily basis? Those are the wrinkles that make characters so interesting to read about. The books and movies we love are all about people. Yes, we enjoy large- scale battles, duels, and hyperkinetic chases, but when all is said and done, we are drawn to those stories because we fall in love with and care about the characters.
Sometimes, it begins with some art. Maybe I’ve got an interesting looking character in my sketchbook that I think would be perfect for one of my stories. Perhaps, there’s a name or ability that I can’t stop thinking about. Regardless, I keep an extensive list of questions that must be answered for each of my creations, which normally results in four to five notebook pages per character. It doesn’t matter if she’s a hero, villain, supervisor, comedic sidekick, or sniveling henchman. I have to know this fictional person intimately even if there are bits and pieces of this information that never explicitly show up in a story.
What is the character’s favorite food? How does she like to dress? What’s her best childhood memory? Her worst? What are her religious beliefs, aspirations, and fears? Who are her parents and what is the nature of her relationship with them? You need to dig into every aspect of your character’s existence, including things such as her occupation, education level and skills. The goal here is to make this person as real as possible so that when you place them in situations and conversations with other characters, you’re able to write believable dialogue and logical reactions.
Keep in mind that if you are writing comics, you will be collaborating with an artist unless you are drawing your own books. Part of your job as a comic book writer is to make sure that your artist has adequate descriptions in order to execute your vision. Of course, there should be enough of a partnership that the artist is able to flex creatively on the page. After I’ve figured out who the character is, I start working out their physical description. This includes features such as height, weight, skin tone, hairstyle, scars, tattoos, and style of dress. If you’re working in the superhero genre, make sure you are clear in your description of the character’s costume or uniform. It will definitely make your artist’s job easier.
Since I am an artist and I design my own characters, let’s talk about visuals for a moment. I prefer to create what are known as turnarounds for each character that will appear in my books, so I am able to draw them from any angle the story requires. I also do some headshots and busts just to study a character’s emotions and expressions.
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Character headshots by Gene E. Willoughby, II
Creating characters has always been my favorite part of the story process. I spent most of my free time as a kid doing this and probably frustrated more than a couple of teachers as I was discovering my love of creating comics. Even now when I’m daydreaming, I’m most likely thinking up new ideas for a hero or villain. There’s a unique rush that comes from taking the reigns off the imagination and letting it flood the page until it coalesces into the bits and pieces that will fit best into the story you want to tell. So, go ahead, grab that notebook and start building your world along with the wonderfully interesting people who live in it.
This is part 2 in a series of articles on the topic of comic book development. Find all articles in the series linked below:
