A Short Guide for How to Write a Comic Script
Do you want to make your own comic book? Here's a brief step-by-step guide!
Hi Lifeline Comics Readers!
We put out a lot of open-submission anthologies here at Lifeline Comics. One of our biggest goals with each anthology project is to give first-time creators a chance to get published work on their resume. But one issue we’ve found with some of our submissions is that not everybody knows the ins-and-outs of writing a comic script.
So for the main topic of this post, we’ll be creating a Short Guide for How to Write a Comic Script to help out folks looking to break into the biz with their first comic!
We’ll also announce our Emerald City Comic Con 2025-exclusive Variant Cover (and how folks not attending the con to grab it for a limited time), and discuss our thoughts on Captain America: Brave New World and Harley Quinn Season 5.
Let’s dive in!
Witches of Oz - Emerald City Comic Con '25 EXCLUSIVE Variant
Kat: Before diving into our main topic, we’re excited to announce a new pair of Event-Exclusive Variant Covers!
Lifeline Comics is heading to Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle this March with an EXCLUSIVE pair of covers featuring the Witches of Oz in Emerald City AND in Emerald City Comic Con’s Artist Alley — with art by X-Factor’s Bob Quinn.
Phil: If you’re attending ECCC, you can stop by Artist Alley Table O-28 to buy a copy of these Exclusive Covers in person!
Kat: But if you aren’t going to the event, we still want to give you a chance to grab the covers. So we’ll be running a short Kickstarter launching February 24th where you can grab the exclusive cover for a very limited time (Phil: But a little longer than One Short Day 😉)!
A Short Guide for How to Make a Comic Script
Kat: Breaking into comics, just like anything, can be hard. It’s a mix of learning on the job, other creators’ generosity, and research.
But something we’ve noticed is that there are very few “beginner guides” for how to really put pen to paper when it comes to writing comics. So we wanted to put together a short lesson plan for those of you who want to jump into this crazy world of comics.
Comic Script Structure
Phil: If you only take one thing from this guide, let it be this: The goal of a Comic Script is to clearly describe your vision to your artist/editor/team.
It may seem simple, but a lot of first-time creators get caught in the weeds of the process so much that they fail to clearly describe their intention to the reader.
PAGE X - # Panels
Page X, Panel One
Panel Description.
Character 1: Dialogue.
Page X, Panel Two
Panel Description
Character 1: Dialogue.
Character 2: Dialogue.
Your script should communicate the composition of each comic page to the reader. Most often, this means describing the action and dialogue contained within each Panel, as well as the number of panels to be included on the Comic Page (unless you’re writing a “Marvel Style” script, which we don’t recommend for beginners; but more on that later).
For better or worse, there’s no strict industry standard format for comic scripts (unlike, say, screenplays). Two different writers — with equally amazing scripts — might use very different formats to communicate their vision. To use ourselves as examples, here are two differently-formatted scripts we’ve written for different projects.
Slice of Life - Chapter 1
Like Father, Like Daughter #9
So feel free to experiment with different formats to find the one you’re most comfortable with. At the end of the day, as long as your script clearly spells out the action and dialogue on the page — broken up into the specific panels in which they occur — you’re doing your job right.
You’re The Director
Kat: Think of every panel as a movie shot. You are the director, and your artists are the actors. It’s a collaborative art where you’ll be finding the balance for exactly how much you want to describe for each panel. I tend to see newer creators over explain panels. But just try to put yourself in the artists’ shoes. Give enough information so they have a clear look at your vision, but not too much to crowd it.
You’re not just the director when writing your script, but for the whole comic process. Once the script is done there is going to be a ton of back and forth between you and your artist so both of your visions can come to life. Don’t be scared to give notes but also try to find a delicate balance. Treat people the way you’d like to be treated. You’re the captain of this team and the rest of your collaborators are going to be looking towards you!
Once your artist wraps on pages, if they didn’t color, then you’ll be working with a colorist that will bring the tone of your book to life. Then you’ll have a letterer putting words to paper.
Great, you have the comic in your hands! Now, you’ll have to decide how you’ll want to publish it. And what’s great about modern comics is that there are plenty of ways to get your work out there: traditional publishing, crowdfunding, WEBTOON - hell you may even have a chance to do all three.
Some Dos and Don’ts
Phil: While there aren’t a lot of “hard-and-fast rules” for comic scripting, here are a few suggestions from folks who read a lot of comic scripts.
Stick to Action → Dialogue Formatting for Each Panel
Format your script to communicate all of the action/visuals in the Panel Description followed by the dialogue in that panel. Don’t alternate from Action → Dialogue → Action within a single panel. It breaks the flow for the reader and is just confusing.
PLEASE don’t do this.
Page One, Panel One
The door opens to reveal Phil
Phil: Hello!
He enters the room waving to Kat who is sitting on the couch.
Page One, Panel Two
Kat stands up.
Kat: Did you finish writing the newsletter?
She has her hands on her hips. Phil’s expression is nervous.
Phil: Ummm…
It’s incredibly hard to visualize the panel when the dialogue and descriptions are comingled within the same panel.
Mind Your Panel Counts and Splash Pages
Assuming you’re not writing a “Marvel Style” comic script, you’ll be spelling out how many panels will appear on each given Comic Page and spelling out the action for each panel. In doing so, make sure that you mind your panel counts and tailor them to the type of page you’re currently writing.
Comics are art. So you want to make sure that the art has room to breathe in the key moments of your comic.
Is this page a big reveal? It probably deserves a Splash Page — or at least a page with a lower panel count to let the art breathe.
Conversely, if you’re writing a “Talking Heads” page — a page that is just back-and-forth dialogue between characters without much action/movement — then you can probably skirt up to a higher panel count.
Really try to visualize the final page when you’re paneling in your script. And look at comics that you do enjoy through this lens, noting where panel counts are higher or lower so that you can develop a skill for making those selections in your own writing.
Avoid Overlong Panel Descriptions
Phil: Mileage will vary between different creators on just how heavily they want to describe their vision for a given panel in the Panel Descriptions.
You’re very welcome to spell out your vision in intense detail. But bear in mind that the reader of the final product is not reading these descriptions. The Panel Descriptions are for your artist/editor. So we recommend making them as clear and concise as possible to communicate key information.
Save the flowery language and beautiful metaphors for the dialogue since that’s what the comic reader will eventually get to enjoy. The goal of your panel descriptions is efficiency and clear dissemination of information.
Also, don’t be afraid to use real world comparisons or hyperlinks/reference photos that will help your artist (i.e. “Think ‘Olivia Rodrigo’ for this side character”; “See linked reference for the pose I had in mind”).
Breaking the Rules
Kat: Art is a creative endeavor. There aren’t actual rules, but I always recommend learning the basics before you try breaking the “rules”. This is why I always recommend writing a full script instead of starting with a “Marvel Style” script. First, what is “Marvel Style”? This is where you give a loose guideline to your artist and you collaborate to tell the rest of the story.
Unless you know your artist on a personal level, this gets to be a very gray area: A) you’re not learning the basics for how to write a comic script that most comic companies accept B) ownership gets a bit murky. And if I’m being honest, I rarely see this styled script in a modern professional setting. I recommend learning the full script method before diving into this more complicated Marvel template.
How To Practice
Kat: If you want to write a comic then you’ve probably read a comic before. Go back to that comic that made you fall in love with the medium…but read it in a different way.
Study each page and write what you think the comic script looked like. Let’s take the Watchmen page above as an example.
PAGE ONE - NINE PANELS
Page One, Panel One
From a side profile let’s see Doctor Manhattan looking at a photo of his former self with his wife. That photo isn’t clear from this perspective.
Doctor Manhattan: The photograph is in my hand.
Go back to that comic you loved and really digest why you love it in the first place. Did it do something different from what you’ve read before? Is there a big twist ending? Was there a line that you just can’t get out of your head? Once you analyze what you love, you’ll learn what you want to write.
Think Small for Big Successes
Kat: You know how to write a script! Your impassioned to tell the story that’s just been gnawing at you to write. How do you pick your first project?
Think small! There are plenty of comic book anthologies out there (Lifeline Comics has open submissions at least once a year) that will allow you to get some published work and get short stories out there. If you have enough capital to jump into a full comic, I don’t recommend your Lord of the Rings epic to be your first project. Do a one-shot or mini-series with a story that isn’t as involved. What’s a hook that will grab people? This is a great way to build an audience without overwhelming yourself and your potential readers.
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with “Rainbow Canvas”!
Phil: Our Girl Love & Boy Love Webtoon Anthology, “Rainbow Canvas”, is live right now with a Valentine’s Day-themed new issue!
Collecting BRAND NEW STORIES from 11 popular queer Webtoons, this is the perfect collection of Wholesome, Fluffy LGBTQ+ Romance to celebrate the holiday with!
We even have a new story from the world of “Slice of Life” that takes us back to the early days of the series shortly after Yuriko first came to life. How will our freshly-alive Yuriko deal with watching a movie for the first time while dealing with all sorts of existential crises about her formerly-fictional status? Find out in this new “missing chapter”!
ENDING SOON: The Little Mermaid & The Pirate Queen #1
Phil: The campaign for our newest EverAfterVerse series is ending next week. So don’t miss your chance to grab the first issue of this Sapphic Mermaid Adventure comic!
“Princess Aria returns to the sea in chase of Captain Mikayla, a mysterious Pirate who can shift between human to mermaid forms! Sweet & Spicy Editions of the comic available. RAFI DE SOUSA INTERIORS. TERRY MOORE COVER”
Based on backer feedback, we recently updated how we denote Safe vs. Spicy Edition on the comic covers for this book.
We always value backer feedback and were glad to get this nudge to cover as little of the beautiful cover art as possible!
What Have We Been Up To?
Let’s talk about how we’ve kept busy these last few weeks!
Pink Pier NYC
Phil: My fiancé, Julius, and I celebrated Valentine’s Day early with a trip to Pink Pier NYC at the Watermark.
Pink Pier is a multipart attraction where a pier is completely decked out in pink decor, making for plenty of cute ambience and photo ops. There’s a lot to see across their various installations — and a whole lot of PINK!
There are also dining options to get all-pink meals and drinks. Julius and I took advantage and had a very nice dinner — complete with pink guava tea, pita and pink dips, pink grilled cheese, and pink salmon.
Despite the cold of New York in February, Pink Pier did a pretty great job of keeping you warm. There were heated “igloos” spread throughout the event (in aesthetically non-obstructive ways) where you could retreat to warm up and enjoy dinner.
It was a lovely and unique experience. Perfect for couples or friends looking to get their pink on and celebrate Valentine’s Day.
Korean BBQ with Michele
Kat: One of our New Year’s resolutions was to make more of an effort to see our comic book creator friends outside of just con season. We had the pleasure of having some Korean BBQ with one of our favorite people, Michele Abounader.
(And we JUST might have some things cooking up…stay tuned).
Media
Let’s discuss some non-comics media!
Captain America: Brave New World
Kat: Unlike Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness or Thor: Love & Thunder, Captain America: Brave New World isn’t offensive. It’s just…kind of boring. The biggest scenes are already shown in the trailer with Red Hulk only really gracing the screen for 10 or so minutes. It’s hard to say this movie is formulaic when it’s trying to be two movies at once - an Incredible Hulk sequel without the Hulk and a follow up to the Captain America Disney plus TV show with the same smaller budget quality.
And when it’s a Captain America movie it’s almost kind of fun. Anthony Mackie truly shines as the iconic hero and has some solid chemistry between Danny Ramirez‘s Joaquin Torres and Carl Lumbly’s Isaiah Bradley. The first 20 minutes really hit that home, but once the Hulk elements came into play the movie really lost me.
Red Hulk is a good villain in comics because he’s a mirror image of the very thing he hates…Hulk. Without the Hulk, the Red Hulk loses a lot of meaning, which became very apparent as this movie played out. Everyone keeps saying Thunderbolt Ross is a bad guy, but there aren’t many beats that show him to be this morally gray character.
The trailers showcase this big showdown between Cap and Ross that just never truly comes to fruition - selling us a much more interesting movie than what’s actually delivered. Captain America: Brave New World’s cast shows passion for what’s otherwise another forgettable Marvel installment.
Phil: Sam Wilson has all the makings to be one of the best superheroes in the MCU. He has strength, humanity, humor, heroism, hotness, charm, etc. And Anthony Mackie plays the role incredibly well, often managing to give a lot more personality and pathos than is actually on the script page. And while there are things to enjoy about Captain America: Brave New World, the final film unfortunately doesn’t come together as a cohesive product.
I very much share the opinion of Kat that the first 20-30 minutes of this movie had a lot of promise. The dynamic between Sam and Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumby) felt fresh, fun, and lived-in. But unfortunately, as the film progressed it strayed away from the “heart” that I had latched on to in the opening act and never really managed to recapture it.
Many have talked about the…perplexing decision to make this Captain America movie a spiritual sequel to The Incredible Hulk (2008) that doesn’t actually feature the Hulk. And I echo this common critique since it really does contribute to the overall feeling of things not coming together in this movie. We start with a story about Sam which becomes more of a story about Thunderbolt Ross, but lacks cohesion and punch. And that’s not for lack of skill from Anthony Mackie and Harrison Ford, both of whom give strong performances (I’ve seen Harrison Ford sleep through roles before, and this wasn’t that). Unfortunately, it boils down to insurmountable plot and writing issues.
On the bright side, Captain America: Brave New World is not frustrating or infuriating in the way that Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder were for me. And there are plenty of nuggets in the film that shine. The fact that the pieces that do work don’t all come together and the fact that it lacks any major surprises or reveals (perfectly exemplified by maybe the most boring post-credits scene ever) lands this newest Captain America in the “mediocre” pile of MCU movies rather than the “bad” pile for me.
Harley Quinn: The Animated Series Season 5
Phil: Harley Quinn is a show I never have a bad time watching. While a comedy show at its core, I love the blend of humor and heart that it consistently manages to achieve. Five seasons into its run, Harley Quinn continues to find new ways to keep Harley and Ivy interesting and evolving as both individuals and as a couple.
The opening of HarlIvy settling into the “monotony” of a long-term relationship is such a fun evolution of their dynamic, with a ton of really fun gags sprinkled throughout. And the location change from Gotham to Metropolis for this season manages to inject some new life into both the dynamic of the show’s core relationship, but also into the show itself.
I also quite like the show diving into Ivy’s origin this season and seeing her take on a new position in the development of Metropolis. HQ has always done a pretty interesting job of oscillating Harley and Ivy from “villainous” to “antihero” alignment but managing to make it all make sense in the moment for the characters. That trend definitely continues in this newest season.
My only critique this season is that it is disappointing that we didn’t get the Gotham City Sirens seasons we were promised by the cliffhanger of last season. I’m not sure if we’ll return to that plotline as the season progresses. But even if we do, it’s frustrating to divert so heavily from a plotline that was promised and heavily-anticipated.
Kat: There are so few shows that are five seasons in that I love just as much as I did when it first premiered. Hell, I probably love Harley Quinn even more now! It has that edgy cartoon humor that you may enjoy from a Family Guy, Bob Burgers, or Rick & Morty with the foil of DC’s deep mythology.
I really love how this show continues to challenge itself. We were starting to get comfortable with the formula, but season 5 flips the script by sending the couple to Metropolis. It opens so many doors for storytelling, all while keeping the whimsy of Gotham by seeing familiar faces like Bane and Clayface.
Harley Quinn uses Metropolis just like it used Gotham. It doesn’t focus on the flashiness of Superman, but instead uses Superman as a vehicle to tell stories about the people around him - Lena Luthor, Brainiac - hell, even Perry White gets a moment to shine.
The series continues to be both a comfort show and a compelling superhero story! It uses all the lessons taught by classics like Batman: The Animated Series, Justice League, and Superman: The Animated Series, all while giving its own edgy, queer flare.
Comics
Let's discuss some comics we've enjoyed recently!
As always, we’ll spotlight an Indie Book, a DC/Marvel book, a Live Kickstarter book and a Webcomic!
Indie Comic: Grand Slam Romance (Abrams Books)
Kat: Grand Slam Romance was a gift from my friend, Thalya. As a fan of sports, comics, and queerness it was the most thoughtful Christmas gift!
Grand Slam Romance is exactly what the title implies - a softball story with a heavy focus on romance and even a splash of magical girls. It’s fantastical, all while being a grounded sports story. The couple, Ollie Hicks and Emma Oosterhous, team up to deliver a sexy series that uses softball as a backdrop to show the extravagant lives of queer people.
Marvel: Deadpool
Kat: I’ve been reading Marvel Comics…for most of my life, and there have been very few Deadpool comics that I’ve been able to jump into. I like the movies, I think he’s a fun character, but I rarely feel like I need to visit him on a monthly basis.
But this past decade, creative teams have been making a true effort to allow him to be more than just the merc with a mouth. Cody Ziglar has quickly made me a fan of his run by adding new elements to the character (like Taskmaster and sharing the lead role with his daughter), while still keeping his breaking the fourth wall whimsy. It’s hard to make a character that has been around for decades feel original…who knew a title like Deadpool would be the freshest Marvel title on shelves.
Kickstarter: Dark Pink Comics
“A radical comic book set in 80s New Orleans, combining a noir detective story with supernatural elements and unique music integration never seen in a comic before.”
Phil: New Orleans, detective noir, monsters, and an integrated soundtrack? Dark Pink has SO MUCH going for it that made it an instant backing for me.
I love a good pulpy period piece, and this comic looks like it will deliver that in spades. It’s also not every day you get to see a noir detective story with a female lead — in this case, novice Private Eye Dara Pinkerton — so I’m particularly excited to see her stumble upon a world of monsters in 1980’s NoLa!
The book has amazing covers from DC and Marvel artists Keron Grant, Khari Evans, and Robyn Smith. And Interiors by Koi Turnbull also look super cool from what is shown on the page.
Very excited to read this one!
Back “Dark Pink” on Kickstarter!
Webcomic: Vampire x Hunter [GL]
“A comedy about a lesbian vampire hunter falling for her target.”
Phil: When Vampire Hunter Laura arrives at Dracula’s castle to kill the legendary vampire, she’s shocked to find that the vampire formerly known as Dracula is a Trans Lesbian going by Carmilla…who Laura finds very attractive.
This lighthearted comedy looks at the daily lives of Carmilla and Laura, who agrees to be Carmilla’s live-in maid/friend with benefits in exchange for a battle to death each day.
It’s an incredibly goofy premise, but one that the comic has a lot of fun with. The series is incredibly lighthearted in nature — as many Webcomics tend to be — but does have some drama and heart at its core as the series progresses.
Fans of lighthearted monster romance will surely get a kick out of this series!
Read “Vampire X Hunter [GL]” on Webtoon!
In Closing
Thanks, as always, for reading!
We hope you enjoyed our Short Guide for How to Write a Comic Script. It’s a post we’ve been meaning to do for a while, so we’re glad to we got the chance to put it out before our next open-submission anthology (which just *might* be coming sooner than you think).
If you haven’t already, be sure to follow the Pre-Launch Page for our Witches of Oz ECCC 2025 Exclusive Variant Covers! And to check out our live campaigns — The Little Mermaid & The Pirate Queen #1 and Rainbow Canvas: Valentine’s 2025 Annual!
Subscribe above for biweekly updates on our future projects!
Buy Lifeline Comics on our Website!
Current Kickstarters:
The Little Mermaid & The Pirate Queen #1 (Ending 2/20)
Rainbow Canvas: Valentine’s Annual 2025 (Ending 3/13)
Witches of Oz - Emerald City Comic Con ‘25 Excl. Variants (Launching 2/24)
Next Cons/Events: Emerald City Comic Con (Seattle, WA) (Table O-28)
Interesting, entertaining and informative, as always.
COMIC SCRIPTS: Like you say, everyone seems to have their own way of doing it, and their own "rules." Me, I work in a hybrid of Full Script/Marvel Style where a I write a quick paragraph for each panel, including possible (but certainly not final) dialogue. The artist then can push/pull that info, making a 5-panel page into 6 (or 7) (or 4).
One of my "Rules" is that when describing a panel, make sure you list the people in the panel IN THE OPRDER THEY SPEAK IN. So if Phil enters a room but Kat is the first to speak, my description will mention Kat first. ("KAT looks up as PHIL enters the room.") I also always capitalize the name of any character in a panel, so at a glance the artist knows how many characters they need to fit. And I'll often give my artist a choice. ("KAT looks up as Phil (off-panel?) enters the room.")
I will say CLOSE-UP, MEDIUM SHOT or LONG SHOT, but rarely give any other camera direction to my artists. And, quite frankly, I NEVER tell them how to arrange the panels on a page, except when there is a very specific, very special thing I'm going for. (In the next EVEN STEVEN story, the first page has about 20 panels on it, getting smaller as you read down the page. THAT was a case where I was very specific about the page's composition.)
I'm also a fan capturing the FEEL of an image rather than describe it in exact detail. "Emotionally devastated, KAT crumples to the floor like wet paper." "Yeah, it's just a comic-book, but PHIL stands there like Cerberus guarding the gates of Hell."
Anyway, that's my two cents.
KK
Thanks for so much great advice and media recs! Another excellent newsletter. ❤️