Exposition: This is the set up for the graphic novel, including the setting, the main character, and the conflict. For example, you may have exposition like: a young alien living in a small town falls in love with a human girl. The inciting incident: This is the event that changes the course of the main character’s life. For example, you may have an inciting incident like: the human girl breaks up with her human boyfriend and is looking for a date to the school dance. The rising action: This is where you develop the characters and explore their relationships. For example, you may have rising action like: the alien starts spending time with the girl after school to study for a big exam. The climax: This is the high point of the story, where the main character has to make a major choice or decision. For example, you may have a climax like: the alien decides to ask the girl to the dance during one of their study dates. She says yes and the alien now has to figure out what to do at a dance, on a date. The falling action: This is the point where the main character deals with the results of their decision and is usually packed with action and suspense. For example, you may have falling action like: the alien and the girl go to the dance but everyone else there is hostile towards them. The alien then has to deal with an angry mob of people chasing him and the girl around at the dance. The resolution: This is the point where there reader learns where the main character ends up and whether they succeed or fail in their goal or desire. For example, you may have a resolution like: the girl stands up for the alien and they fly off together on a UFO.
For example, you may create a main character who is born with a secret superpower and struggles to keep it from others around them. Or perhaps your main character is an alien who is trying to win the heart of a human. You can also focus on a cast of characters to give the graphic novel more scope, such as a family or a group of friends. This is a great time to define, what drives or motivates your character? what is the character’s desire, and what is standing in between the character’s desire and achieving that desire?
For example, you may set the graphic novel on a planet that resembles Earth, but is populated by aliens instead of humans. Or you may add surreal elements to your hometown and make that the setting.
You should also select a drawing style that is easy for you to do and not too time consuming. Once you draft the novel, you can always go back and tweak the drawing style.
You can make the panels all the same size or experiment with panels that are different sizes.
Fun Home by Alison Bechdel. [3] X Research source The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui. [4] X Research source This One Summer by Jillian Tamaki. [5] X Research source Watchmen by Alan Moore. Summer Babe by Adrian Tomine.
For example, you may open with a scene where the main character gets ready for school. You could then show the alien habits of the main character and introduce the school as the main setting for the novel.
For example, you may create a conflict between the main character and their boss. You can then show the main character butting heads with their boss, or even beating up their boss with their superpowers.
Use pencil to draw the initial panels for the novel so you can adjust them, if needed, to keep them consistent. For example, you may give your main character a distinct hairstyle. You will then need to ensure you draw their hairstyle the same way, or as similar as you can, whenever the character appears in the novel.
For example, if your novel is set in a high school for aliens, you may include details like parking spaces for UFOs, textbooks on “How to Pretend to be Human,” and clocks set to different time zones across the universe.
For example, you may give your main character a catchphrase that they tend to say when they are startled or surprised, such as “Yikes!” or “Holy Alien!” Some graphic novels have little to no dialogue. As the creator, you can decide if you’d like to include dialogue for your characters or if you’d prefer to let the visuals do the talking.
You may include images that provide a resolution of the conflict. Or you may include a conversation between the main character and another character to help them both realize their mistakes or resolve their misunderstanding.
Reading the novel aloud can also help you check for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors.
You should also check that the plot develops clearly in the novel. It should follow your plot outline, with a clear central conflict and a climax.
You can also use a computer program like Adobe Photoshop to help speed up the inking and coloring process.
