Comedy V. Drama: Dawn of Justice
Hot tips on writing, I guess!!!!
Okay! The last newsletter was “jokey” and “unhelpful,” so with this one I’m going to answer a couple of questions posed by readers in previous comments! Why? Because I CARE.
Hey Chip, this was very informative and made me think about things that I had never given thought to about the cosmetics of comics when selling them. Thanks! Something else I was wondering because I feel like this is something you have that think about a lot is how do you usually balance comedy with drama in your books so that it doesn’t feel off or like you’re grasping onto two separate things? —Patrick Bramble
Patrick is of course referring to my award-winning post about designing the Public Domain trade! Go read it if you want! Or don’t!
As for comedy vs. drama, it’s all about time and place, just like in real life. I wouldn’t crack a joke at a funeral (unless it was really funny and I was guaranteed a solid laugh from the mourners), so I wouldn’t have a character do it either. To make your work feel more “real,” you just have to ask yourself what the tone is for each setting and from each character. The number one rule of writing, I feel, is to make it feel TRUE, whether it’s a story about a talking (Howard the) duck or a talking bat (-Man).
I will say, writing drama is easier. It’s less subjective for one. I can probably guarantee making 90% of readers sad with a sad scene, but I probably only stand a 10% chance of landing a joke. But that doesn’t mean I won’t stop trying! I’ll never stop trying to make you laugh, Mrs. Talford, and I’m sorry for your loss!!
As a fan of your process work, I have a question, which I hope to articulate correctly and stuff: Let’s say one evening you are told that you need to produce a short script for the next morning, do you have any go to’s and tips to produce something entertaining with no time to iterate? Or TLDR: what are “Chip Z’s script tricks that always work”? Grazie! —MatteoC
Honestly, the trick is pretty straight-forward: just do the work. Like, shut off email, internet, put your phone away, and just write. That’s most of it. But besides that, here are some tricks.
Just get down the first draft! It’s easier to have something written and then go through it and make it better than to just sit there, staring at a blank screen waiting for the perfect opening line. Nobody sees your first draft! It’s your hidden shame and yours alone! Your naughty little secret!! There’s freedom in that idea! Though some un-named writers actually publish their first drafts. Maybe that’s their kink?
Talk to a friend about your ideas! This is a great way to put your story to the test and make it stronger! I don’t have any friends but I’ve heard this is a great method.
Go for a walk! When I’m starting a project, I leave my phone at home, grab that notebook and just stroll around the city. Sometimes the outside stimulus helps spark ideas. Like the time I needed ideas for Batman so I walked by a local Dominos and saw that they had a medium pizza with three toppings for $9.99 so I had the idea to get that and eat it in a park until I was sick.
I used to love working on large sheets of paper. Like, the big pads that you use for life drawing. I'd put those down on my art table and just start sketching and throwing down notes, like a mind map. It would help crystalize characters and I could see their journeys on the literal page. I stopped doing this on a large scale because of time (and I got rid of my art table) and now keep it to a small notebook!
Speaking of notebooks, last weekend I shot a video FOR THIS VERY SUBSTACK, and my trustworthy editor / production manager Allison was in it and needed a notebook as a prop. I gave her my very serious ideas notebook and, not only did she laugh at my good and serious ideas, she added her own at the bottom and—honestly, reader? It’s a great idea. Thanks, Allison!
Obviously I edited out all of my actual ideas. Except for my very spoiler-y idea “keep Batman busy,” which is the job of all bat-writers it turns out.
So, yeah! Those are my ChipTips™!!
WOW THANKS
You’re welcome!
Okay, now onto today’s ChipPromo™!
Next week, ALLNIGHTER issue 7 is out! And there’s a preview over at Monkeys Fighting Robots!
I really love Jason and Paris’s cover!
And that’s it for this week! As a special treat, we have a guest KAPTARA strip from our very own Kagan McLeod (proving once again that he doesn’t need me as a writer), and the amazing Helen Robinson on art! They’re so damn good, that I’m making the first page available to everyone and you’ll have no choice but to scramble for loose change around your mansion to subscribe and read the other two pages!!
Bye!
