Screenwriting Lessons Learned From The Comic Book Industry: Writing Chops Book Club
Welcome back to another Writing Chops Book Club, where we deliver important screenwriting lessons from books you may not have read. And today, we will be diving into the world of comic books and taking some incredible, actionable career lessons from acclaimed and prolific writer Brian Michael Bendis, from his book Word For Pictures. Now let’s get to work, Rascals.
The Bendis Breakdown
Throughout the course of his career, Bendis has been given the reigns of some of the biggest characters in entertainment history. He is the writer of Ultimate Spider-man, Guardians Of The Galaxy, New Avengers, and the creator-owned Powers. He also created Miles Morales, who rose to mainstream fame in 2018’s Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse.
In his book, Words For Pictures, Bendis provides a thorough, sharp, and inspiring examination of what it takes to work in the comic book industry. And I think a lot of these points provide critical lessons for screenwriters as well. So here we go!
And if you dig this article, then we definitely recommend you check out Bendis’s full book - it's only 200 pages.
And this is not a paid endorsement. It’s just a hellova book.
Alright, let’s boogie: First off, kicking off our first screenwriting lesson, Bendis raises a great question:
Who Are You Writing For?
One of the fantastic things about this book is that Bendis conducts interviews with a variety of industry professionals. From artists to editors. From the creative side to the business side.
And one thing that is made clear is that you should have a clear understanding of who you are writing for.
For comic book writers, the main audience isn't the public 😲
It's your artist. A comic book writer’s job is to ensure that the artist is given all the information in the cleanest, clearest way possible.
You can have fun with as much pop and hyperbole in your writing as you want. But you must understand that the main objective is to provide the information to the artist to let them do their job.
For screenwriters, this lesson rings true as well. There is no right or wrong way to write a script. But understand that your audience for your work is not the ticket-buyers. It's the producers/distributors/decision-makers who will decide whether or not to fund the project.
It's the directors who will decide whether or not to work tirelessly to create a shared vision of your work. It's the actors who will decide whether or not to breathe life into the character and dialogue.
I learned this first-hand when writing my comic-inspired children’s book, Lil’ Lukie. Nobody was going to read my script except the illustrious illustrator, Ger Hankey. So I kept it concise and spoke to him in the script.
“Screenwriting lesson: Make sure that you understand that your script’s audience isn’t the same as the film’s audience.”
Approaching Decision-Makers
Another stand-out section of Words For Pictures is where Bendis interviews some of the biggest comic book editors in the business about what writers should do to get noticed and some common pitfalls that creators fall into when they are trying to make a splash in the industry.
I know that this is mainly addressing the comic book world, but again, these lessons absolutely apply to screenwriting and filmmaking.
Here is a snapshot of the insights they provided:
🔸 Nothing is more persuasive than the work itself. It does not always have to be the best in design. But what matters is the voice behind it. Honesty and originality are the golden tickets here! So, as John August and Craig Mazin hammer home in the ScriptNotes podcast. Script structure and layout may benefit a great story. But it has never turned a bad script good.
🔸 The killer of momentum is not being able to hit deadlines. If someone is going to try to work with you, be sure you keep up your end of the agreement and deliver when you say so. And without a doubt - DO NOT DROP OUT OF COMMUNICATION WITH THEM! I’ve had this happen to me, quite a few times. And I pretty much agreed to never work with that person again (and, more importantly, if asked, I cannot recommend that person to someone). Whatever is going on in your life... If you are emotionally drained or afraid to commit, I am telling you now and believe this: hiding is not the answer.
🔸 Do not wait for someone to find you. If you truly want to make it in this industry, then get out and start making it. Write your screenplay. Connect and collaborate. But do not stop working. It is the single best way to get noticed. Plus, if you are as passionate and dedicated to your work as you want others to believe, NOTHING should be holding you back from doing it.
Understanding The Business Side of Screenwriting
Another important screenwriting lesson comes from the last chapters of Words For Pictures: Take care of the business side of your work.
It may be boring, it may be convoluted, but it can really make or break a career.
It sucks to say it, but in this industry, you may know of someone who has lost the rights to their ideas or work. And that's simply because they did not take the time and care to ensure that they had the proper documentation of their ideas or projects. Or maybe they did not read the contract properly.
I know this horror story first-hand as well. I once entered a feature film competition. The winner would get 50,000 clams to make their film. I didn’t win. But the guys who did win the contest actually signed their film rights away, and the film was never made. So in the end, all they won was the opportunity to give away the rights to their film. And this isn’t a stand-alone incident. This can happen if you aren’t extra careful when it comes to contract negotiations.
There’s a great section in Words For Pictures where Bendis and his wife go through some of the main points to have confirmed in a contract. These points include:
Alternative Media Rights - Defining the rights of using your project in other media formats
Audit Rights- Defines the permission to review financial information to ensure appropriate payment regarding the material
Credit - Defines the exact wording and placement of the contractor’s credit on the project
Definition Of Property - This includes the working title of the project
Division of Royalties - Defines how the royalties will be split across all parties involved
Due Dates & Timelines - Defines the deadline as well as outlines the consequences of late delivery
Probably one of the biggest screenwriting lessons from this book is the importance of having a lawyer and an accountant. Simply put: If you want to be in the business… Then make sure you understand that it is a business!
If you dig what you just put into your mind, then I’d definitely recommend checking out the whole book. You can find it wherever books can be found.
Be sure to subscribe today. You never know, the next article may just be the one that shakes your whole screenwriting career into action.
Now let's get to work rascals!
The track I listened to while writing this article: Tina Guo - Star Wars Medley
