by Terrio Jenkins
I know, the headline is harsh. If you are a comic book artist making your own book. You need to think about investing in a writer. A writer can act as your second pair of eyes. As a graduate with a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. I’m here to tell you that you are making a mistake. Yes, there are stories of other artists who made it big without writers, but not as many as you may think. Even the projects that make it get a writer or a team of writers. Look at the credits of any Anime, cartoon, or show based on a comic. You will see that the original creator needed a writer. If you’re a writer, trying to learn to draw. Stop it. Hire a freelancer. Let’s go over why it’s a stupid idea to try to do everything on your own.
The big comic book companies created separate roles for the comic book process. The main reason for this is that each creator had a specific skill. A skill that they mastered. Today, plenty of artists have great skills in drawing, coloring, and even lettering. There are some who are great visual storytellers. The writing can make a great book suffer. To be great at these skills will take considerable time. Now, of course, there are always exceptions to this rule. If you’re looking to do everything yourself, including the writing, this could delay your book. For one, you might try to make everything perfect. Finding specialists will make the process faster. This allows you, to focus on what you’re good at.
Having a writer is having another pair of eyes. A writer will find faults in your story. They can offer suggestions for improvements. Another good reason to hire a writer is they will format your story. Comic book companies will want to see a professional script. Most writers, like myself, have scriptwriting software. Instead of wasting your own time, you could hire a writer. They understand character arcs, building upon a theme, and story structure. Now, of course, you have to make sure you find a good writer. You can find them on Fiverr and Upwork.
The single, most important reason why it’s stupid. You miss out on the community. This means networking. When you’re working on a project solo, you become a hermit. Networking is hard but can be easy. Believe it or not, it can start out by hiring a freelancer. I now have a personal connection to an artist I admired for years. It only happened because I reach out to the writer to be my coach. Although it is AMAZING when you can do everything. Building a connection with others is paramount. This will help with finding your audience and establishing credibility.
I hope this helps you with your comic book journey. I challenge you to let go of your ego. Find a freelancer within your budget. Be willing to delay time and find the right help. You will be happy with the results.
