As we trudge deeper into the next chapter of WTB Dignity, the next obstacle for our gang seems relatively clear: re-acquaint a certain goblin with a certain engine. How this goes about, and who has his engine and why, might surprise you. As usual, I am attempting to have wheels within wheels, and plots withing plots. every body’s gotta have a motive: what’s yours?
That brings me to another important point in comic and story writing: motivation. For any good story, all of your characters, and I do mean all of them, need sound motivation to move forward in the story. Your story and your character’s motivation is paramount. If you have a scene, or sequence, or dialogue that does not expressly move the story or your characters forward, or closer to their goals, then all you are doing is wasting time. Trim the fat, and keep moving!
For instance, at this moment in time, all of the characters in WTBD have their own personal motivations, and none of them have been met. Kylianna wants to travel with Harold and Raz for both protection and the opportunity to earn/steal what she needs to pay off her debts (that story about having to prove er worth to her people was a blatant, and dubious lie). Raz wants to redeem himself with the Orc clans, the only people who really accept him (as he is somewhat of an anomaly). Nytoa seeks adventure and excitement, a break away from her prim-and-proper upbringing; not to mention she still wants to see if she can’t break Raz’s will so he’ll be her boyfriend. Regerar wants to get paid, and even the goblin needs something: his engine back, so he can get back into business once more.
You see, the moment you fail to have a reason, a solid reason for your characters to be doing what they are doing, your readers immediately stop to ask “why?” and it breaks them out of the world that you have created. It destroys the illusion. You want it to all fit together, to make sense, and for your reader to never stop to think about why, but to simply know why. And if you have a scene, action, panel, dialogue, whatever… that doesn’t progress you ever closer to each of your characters goals; then ll you have done is wasted time with pointless filler. That may be a harsh reality, but it comes from my background and experience as a screen writer. And, what’s true for stories on the silver screen is true for stories on the page… er, monitor.
I hope this little tidbit has enlightened you in some manner and degree, and by all means, if you’ve got a story in your head, let it out! Start writing today, make that comic, start that novella. Hell, if you want, throw some ideas at me for feedback if you’d like, and I’d be more than happy to give you my two cents. But, the most important thing is to tell the story that you want to tell, and to start today. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t.
Mr. Sinn
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