I love to write my own comics and screenplays — nothing produced as yet — where silence and space do the work themselves, like what you’re teaching here. I also write prose but that’s so much harder; the moment I use the word “silence”, I’ve named the effect, and broken it.
The second you say “it’s quiet,” you’ve broken the spell. You’ve told the reader what to feel instead of letting them feel it.
You’re better off describing what’s happening, or not happening. Let the empty space show itself through behavior, pacing, and detail. If you do it right, the reader will feel the silence without you ever having to name it.
I'm building a super hero universe with public domain characters and would be happy to listen to any advice you care to give. I'm doing it in prose, but I have comic book and animated plans.
Though I don't actually have comic book and animated money...
The Art of Noise has a slow jam, "Moments in Love". Those are the only words in the lyrics. The rest of the composition is electronic music and sound FX juxtaposed to create a melody to calm any savage beast. Over time you will find yourself singing these words where they don't belong.
Cool song! It's funny how we rolled along similar paths. I was part of a rock band back in my little town. Played bass in my High School years. We even toured around local towns in our state one summer....probably 6 different towns. Quit, went to college. Started working but couldn't abandon my passion for art, so started a weekly comic strip for 20 years...never amounted to much but it's my low key story.
And twenty years on a weekly strip that “never amounted to much”? Come on. That’s not nothing. Most people don’t have the discipline to stick with anything for twenty days, let alone twenty years.
I get what you’re saying, though. It can feel like two different lives. But it’s all the same muscle, just used in different ways. Music, comics, storytelling, it’s all rhythm, timing, and knowing when to hold back.
It doesn’t really go away. It just changes instruments.
Valuable lesson - it's whats in the GAP. Sometimes it doesn't need to be filled... because your audience deserves the time to see themselves in the GAPS. Powerful lesson from music that can be used in so many places. Public speaking included. ;-)
"Joe, I have a few questions for a strong start: How do you properly kick off a comic script? What are the biggest mistakes to avoid in the opening pages? Also, what should a lead character establish the moment they first appear, and what makes a first panel truly impactful? Thanks for your insight!"
Clarity and intent. The reader should quickly understand where they are and what’s happening, and feel that the story is already in motion.
Biggest mistakes?
Confusion that isn’t intentional, over-explaining, nothing actually happening, or an opening that feels generic. If the reader is lost, you’ve broken trust.
What should a lead character establish?
Presence. A feeling. How they see the world, how the world reacts to them, and the energy they bring into the scene.
What makes a first panel work?
Authority. It’s clear, confident, and deliberate. It tells the reader they’re in good hands.
Get that right, and the reader leans in. Get it wrong, and they’re already drifting.
"Thank you for your response, Mr. Quesada. I have a few more questions: what should a character have to hook the audience? If we're talking about heroes, for example, should they be entirely good? Or can they be morally ambiguous? In my opinion, there must be a balance, but I would like to hear about your experience."
It doesn’t matter if they’re a hero, a villain, or anything in between. What matters is that they’re relatable. And relatable doesn’t mean “likable.” It means recognizable.
You have to see some part of yourself in them, their fear, their insecurity, their anger, their hope. Something that makes you understand why they’re doing what they’re doing, even if you don’t agree with it.
A perfectly good hero is boring. A morally messy character who wants something badly and might make the wrong choice to get it, now we're talking
If the audience understands the “why,” they’ll follow the character anywhere.
"I understand what you're saying, Mr. Quesada. Your advice is very helpful.
My questions are so I can learn more every day and avoid mistakes I might regret later.
A few questions: What errors should I avoid when writing a character? What happens if I stray too far from who they are? And what should I do if my character isn't moving forward?
I love to write my own comics and screenplays — nothing produced as yet — where silence and space do the work themselves, like what you’re teaching here. I also write prose but that’s so much harder; the moment I use the word “silence”, I’ve named the effect, and broken it.
Not wrong, James. Prose is a different beast.
The second you say “it’s quiet,” you’ve broken the spell. You’ve told the reader what to feel instead of letting them feel it.
You’re better off describing what’s happening, or not happening. Let the empty space show itself through behavior, pacing, and detail. If you do it right, the reader will feel the silence without you ever having to name it.
Working on a 8 page WW2 comic story, thanks for in the continued inspiration!
Glad you found it helpful, J.
Love the music comp. Spent the 90s singing for my supper and these days I'm building a universe.
It's still music, just a different instrument.
Thanks for the how to. Nice to get advice from someone who's actually done it already.
Careful, PDSH, you’re giving me more credit than I deserve.
I’ve done it, sure. But I’m still trying to get it right every single day. That part never goes away.
You carry more credit than most, sir.
I'm building a super hero universe with public domain characters and would be happy to listen to any advice you care to give. I'm doing it in prose, but I have comic book and animated plans.
Though I don't actually have comic book and animated money...
The Art of Noise has a slow jam, "Moments in Love". Those are the only words in the lyrics. The rest of the composition is electronic music and sound FX juxtaposed to create a melody to calm any savage beast. Over time you will find yourself singing these words where they don't belong.
Interesting, Victor.
Never heard it, but listening to it n.....................
Cool song! It's funny how we rolled along similar paths. I was part of a rock band back in my little town. Played bass in my High School years. We even toured around local towns in our state one summer....probably 6 different towns. Quit, went to college. Started working but couldn't abandon my passion for art, so started a weekly comic strip for 20 years...never amounted to much but it's my low key story.
Six towns? That’s a tour. Don’t undersell it.
And twenty years on a weekly strip that “never amounted to much”? Come on. That’s not nothing. Most people don’t have the discipline to stick with anything for twenty days, let alone twenty years.
I get what you’re saying, though. It can feel like two different lives. But it’s all the same muscle, just used in different ways. Music, comics, storytelling, it’s all rhythm, timing, and knowing when to hold back.
It doesn’t really go away. It just changes instruments.
Valuable lesson - it's whats in the GAP. Sometimes it doesn't need to be filled... because your audience deserves the time to see themselves in the GAPS. Powerful lesson from music that can be used in so many places. Public speaking included. ;-)
You have to trust the audience, but for creators, that usually boils down to trusting themselves.
Silent panels are often my favorites. Silent issues sometimes too
Joshua, did you know that in January of 2022 Marvel ran an event called 'Nuff Said, where all our books were silent!
Im gonna have to track some of those down for sure.
The panel right before Peter says "Hey, do you remember..." that's the magic one!
Another benefit of the comics medium, you can get away with more unspoken subtlety, bc the reader has total navigational control of the narrative.
Great stuff as always!
Thanks, Bobby!
"Joe, I have a few questions for a strong start: How do you properly kick off a comic script? What are the biggest mistakes to avoid in the opening pages? Also, what should a lead character establish the moment they first appear, and what makes a first panel truly impactful? Thanks for your insight!"
Spider,
How do you start a comic script?
Clarity and intent. The reader should quickly understand where they are and what’s happening, and feel that the story is already in motion.
Biggest mistakes?
Confusion that isn’t intentional, over-explaining, nothing actually happening, or an opening that feels generic. If the reader is lost, you’ve broken trust.
What should a lead character establish?
Presence. A feeling. How they see the world, how the world reacts to them, and the energy they bring into the scene.
What makes a first panel work?
Authority. It’s clear, confident, and deliberate. It tells the reader they’re in good hands.
Get that right, and the reader leans in. Get it wrong, and they’re already drifting.
"Thank you for your response, Mr. Quesada. I have a few more questions: what should a character have to hook the audience? If we're talking about heroes, for example, should they be entirely good? Or can they be morally ambiguous? In my opinion, there must be a balance, but I would like to hear about your experience."
It doesn’t matter if they’re a hero, a villain, or anything in between. What matters is that they’re relatable. And relatable doesn’t mean “likable.” It means recognizable.
You have to see some part of yourself in them, their fear, their insecurity, their anger, their hope. Something that makes you understand why they’re doing what they’re doing, even if you don’t agree with it.
A perfectly good hero is boring. A morally messy character who wants something badly and might make the wrong choice to get it, now we're talking
If the audience understands the “why,” they’ll follow the character anywhere.
"I understand what you're saying, Mr. Quesada. Your advice is very helpful.
My questions are so I can learn more every day and avoid mistakes I might regret later.
A few questions: What errors should I avoid when writing a character? What happens if I stray too far from who they are? And what should I do if my character isn't moving forward?