How to Write a Graphic Novel - The Reading List

Want to make a Graphic Novel?
When I started writing my graphic novel it was for my dissertation at University. This meant that instead of started from scratch and doing whatever the hell I wanted I had to actually research the process of making a graphic novel. I wrote a concise essay on the history, development and conventions of the graphic novel (which I may post when I manage to retrieve it from my back up hard drive!). The great thing about this was that it gave me confidence in what I was writing because I understood how others developed their scripts. I had notes on what made a graphic novel successful; what worked and what didn’t and how to do simple things like format my writing for the artist or describe techniques. For example, when pictures aren’t in the boxy thing anymore and it’s like they’re jumping out at you!
These are the books that really helped. If you’re not sure where to start, I highly recommend reading them!

Understanding Comics- Scott McCloud

This would be the starter book for creating a graphic novel or comic. Everyone knows you need to first understand a medium to create a true masterpiece within it. What’s brilliant about this book is that Scott McCloud really delves into the history and psychology behind comics and sequential art to explain its fundamental appeal throughout different cultures. It also covers the basics like what speech bubbles are and in what order to read them.
The great thing about McCloud’s books is that they are in sequential art themselves, creating a ‘how to write comics’ comic book which makes him illustrating his points all the more obvious.

Making Comics – Scott McCloud

This book is the real holy grail of making a graphic novel or comic book. It covers everything you can imagine - perception, visual sequencing, character development, style, transitions – the chapters are endless! This book made my critical evaluation.

Graphic Storytelling and Visual Narrative – Will Eisner
This novel is mostly about how to effectively use sequential art. It really makes you think about every page set up and every panel.

Writing and Illustrating the Graphic Novel: Everything You Need to Know to Create Great Graphic Works – Mike Chinn

This book in particular gives some great examples for how graphic novel scripts are written and how character descriptions should be pitched.

Writing for Comics Vol 1 – Alan Moore

This book isn’t as useful as the others but does gives Alan Moore’s key points to writing a successful story, which can only be a good thing.