The Comics How To… 12: FINALLY, WRITING THE SCRIPT – PART I

Lance Lucero

6 years ago

All right, everything is in place, from the idea to the technical specs of the script, we are ready to go. This #0, this intro to BOB: NON-UNION PSYCHIC, will follow the five basic structure elements and it will have a defined story arc and dimensional characters.

What we did first was streamline the page breakdown. Remember, we want the meat of the story, no fluff. Here’s the new page breakdown:

Intro/Teaser/Prologue:

Page 01 — This is a big tease. We want to pull the reader in with this page. Why the heck are a Professor and his assistant robbing a grave?

The antagonist, Professor Berthold Juhlowsky and his trusted assistant Carl break into the burial mausoleum of Margaret Stanburg in order to steal the Hux Medallion from her corpse.

First Act:

Page 02-04 — Introduce the main characters and the main through-line/main plot of the story. Introduce the world.

Start with introducing the barbershop. Let’s show the environment of the main character.

Introduce the Psychic Union.

Introduce Bob Holbreck and Gramps. Show Bob engaged in his profession, cutting hair, and at the same time we see Bob having visions of his clients.

Send Bob into action. He has an appointment set to help a couple with supposed “paranormal” problems.

Introduce Bob’s world. He sees spirits everywhere.

Page 05 — Get back to the Professor. He’s studying the Hux Medallion in his office at the City University. It seems to be afflicting him. He speaks with Carl, giving a bit of backstory about the medallion. Is the medallion cursed?

Page 06-09 — Bob has his appointment. He meets a couple, Mary and Sylvester, and evaluates their auras. Mary claims to be tormented by “night terrors.” Gramps deduces that it may be a psychic attack of some kind. Bob takes a reading from the couple and secrets are revealed. Most important of the visions is who is causing the night terrors, Frances, the ex-girlfriend of Sylvester. She happens to dabble in the dark arts and she unleashes the night terrors on Mary. Mary is angry and wants to take matters into her own hands. She leaves the apartment with Sylvester in tow to face Frances herself.

Meanwhile, Gramps encourages Bob to wait for the night terrors. He does and faces two zombie baby pygmies that are conjured by Frances. Bob unsheathes his scissors, ready to fight!

Page 10 — Back to the Professor, who has night terrors of his own. The medallion seems to be “calling” to him. He has a dream, an ancient race performs a ritual. A monk sacrifices himself to the Hux Medallion, playing host to the beast. The Professor wakes in a panic before The Hux is revealed. He’s in a near state of hysteria.

Page 11 — 12 – Back to Bob battling the zombie pygmies. The fight is not going well; they de-pants him. Gramps is coaching Bob, telling him to unleash his psychic shield, which he does, showing more of his psychic abilities. The pygmies are weakened by the blast of the shield. The fight appears to be shifting in Bob’s favor.

Page 13 — Mary breaks into Frances’ apartment, with a pleading Sylvester in tow, and stops the conjuring just as it appears that Bob defeats the zombie pygmies with his shield.

That“s a heavy first act! It’s thirteen pages, almost half of the book, but it’s full of necessary story elements. We have thoroughly introduced our main characters and the main through-line/main plot and sub-plot. We have given a tone, feel, and mood to the story. We have introduced the world that our psychic hairstyling hero lives in. We have presented plenty of intrigue and action to keep propelling the story forward.

Remember, I mentioned that I feel every act needs to be as long as it needs to be in order to present all of the necessary story elements. I believe we have achieved that. I kind of prefer a loaded first act; I think it helps define the rest of the story. If you feel you are having problems developing the rest of the story elements, simply look at your well-developed first act and it will help guide you through the rest of the story.

Next, the second act, the third act, and the resolution. Let’s wrap this script up!

For more information about the BOB: NON-UNION PSYCHIC world, visit the Warehouse 9 Productions site HERE