comic book scriptwriting intensive

with xeric-award winning comics writer jason mcnamarA

This class is offered at three price points.
One of NWMOCA’s goals is to make the museum and its offerings affordable. For this class we’ve created multiple pricing options to open up participation to a broader audience.

  • $120—Sign up here!
    (Recommended if you make less than average wages for Portland—about $84K/year, based on recent census data.)
  • $160—Sign up here!
    (Recommended If you make about average wages.)
  • $200—Sign up here!
    (Recommended if you make more money than average, or have more wealth than average.)

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Turn that idea into the real thing! Do you want to write comics but haven’t yet? Or do you just want to improve your comics storytelling? This course will give you the tools you need to take that concept you’ve been chewing on and transform it into a finished script! And you can meet your peers while doing it! This in-person course uses instruction, peer review, and mentoring to help you master the three-act structure, learn the difference between plot and theme, and the importance of the Hero’s Journey. With an emphasis on visual language, students will learn every step of story development by taking an idea and evolving it into a finished script that’s ready to hand over to an artist.

COURSE OVERVIEW

This course introduces students to the basic terminology, tools, and media of scriptwriting, with specific emphasis and practice in telling stories destined for comics. Course time will be spent in a combination of lecture blended and peer critique in a workshop setting. Students will learn foundational elements of scriptwriting, conceive a workable idea, formulate a story outline based on that idea, and make significant work towards a complete script for a comics narrative.

MATERIALS/SUPPLIES: 

Please bring something to class you can make notes in; a notebook, a laptop, or a sketchbook.

SCHEDULE

Note: There will be homework—about two hours (or more, if you choose) of writing per week.

  • April 1st, Week 1: Three-act structure. Three levels of conflict. Three-sentence pitch. Title strategies. Plot vs. Theme. 
  • April 8th, Week 2: Vomit Draft. Outlines. The Hero’s Journey. Archetypes. Active vs. Passive characters. 
  • April 15th, Week 3: Opening Hooks. Beat sheets. Elements of sequential storytelling. Comic book scriptwriting.
  • April 22nd, Week 4: Script review. Dialogue. Exposition. Key character traits. 
  • April 29th, Week 5: Script review. Pitch docs. Freelance practices. Value Statement. 

MEET THE INSTRUCTOR

Jason McNamara is a Xeric Award-winning freelance writer with 20 years of experience working in comics. His work has been published by Image Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Stela Comics, AIT/Planet Lar, and Cognito Comics. He also has worked as a creative consultant to Lucasfilm and Maximum Games among others. In 2003, he founded Polite Strangers as a publishing imprint for himself and his collaborators. 

His original graphic novels include Past Tense, Ghost Band, Creepers, The Rattler, The Cicada, The SUCKER series, Nocturnal Commissions, Short-Hand, The Martian Confederacy series, Continuity, Less Than Hero, and First Moon (winner of the previously mentioned Xeric Award).

Jason is also a teacher of comic book illustration and writing courses at Pacific Northwest College of Art.