If you're looking to get into the comic book industry like I am, then one section of comic trades that I suggest you never skip is the original scripts. Recently a few trades I read included those in their directors cut sections. Both 'Batman, Volume 4: Zero Year- Secret City' and 'Marvel Universe Vs. The Punisher' include the script to the first issue in the back of said volumes. Along with aspiring comic writers, I would urge anyone whose looking to become a script writer or playwright to use those two books as resources)
Normally, I would skip these. But now as I'm submitting proposals and trying to develop story ideas, those inclusions have been great training tools for me. There are books about writing comics and I own a couple. But as I'm trying to develop my own writing style, I've decided to forgo reading them right now. I'm very cautious that I write with my own words and not start copying some author's techniques.
However, as I write up scripts and proposals, I've been a little hesitant to put too much information in them. Well, I'm here to tell you that's a mistake. (If you're writing a proposal, yes do keep it to less than 3 pages, but do not be afraid to describe your characters, sets, or story ideas. How else are you going to get your green light if you can't sell the story to your publisher or producer?) As a scriptwriter, you're crafting a story without a strict narrative form. So, the director, artist, or set designer reading your script is going to need to know how to frame and design your ideas. So, be as descriptive as possible but don't go off the rails and describe everything.
If a coffee mug is important to your story, I've learned from these scripts that you should that. But you don't have to say that the coffee mug is navy blue, has chips on it, and is filled with Diet Pepsi. That is unless it's important that the reader know that your character is a fan of the Duke Blue Devils, extremely clumsy, or on a diet. It's important to keep the information in your scripts relevant.
Another thing I've learned is that while the writer has a vision for their story, it's not always going to translate from script to art. Both scripts have had things that were omitted. Maybe the editor didn't like it, maybe the artist had a different vision, or maybe after completion, the writer contacted the artist with a different slant. So, be flexible but don't compromise the soul of your script either.
Though I've only read 2 scripts, that doesn't mean that they're aren't more out there. Why, I've probably overlooked scripts included in the back of a trade before and just never realized it. I'm a little embarrassed by that fact as well as a bit upset at myself for skipping out on countless training exercises. They say the worst thing for an aspiring writer to do is to put off writing if they don't have the next great novel in them yet. Even if you don't have a proposal accepted yet, you can do like I do and polish your craft by writing reviews, articles, or just silly short stories. You never know when inspiration might hit.
The same goes for scripts. If you're looking to write them one day but don't know what you want to create just yet, then do the next best thing: read scripts. Study them, break them apart, explore the option of 'what if they did this?" Even if you don't have the spark in you, you can get warmed up reading scripts such as these because where there's heat- eventually will come fire.
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