Graphic Novels: Turning Personal Experience into Story

Memoirs and stories inspired by real-life experiences are a perfect springboard into the graphic novel format. But how to get started?

Through a format that is part presentation, part hands-on class exercises, you'll hear about the instructor's background in publishing, her journey of creating her first graphic novel, and what specifically led her there. A slide presentation highlights a range of graphic novels, in particular middle grade and young adult, memoirs and narratives that are based on personal experiences.

This class explores:

• The comic format, page and panel layout, and where to find more resources
• Story dynamics of text vs. image and what comes first and touches on character design and setting
• The writing process, from loose notes to outline to script, alongside the drawing process from sketching to inking and the final stage of coloring
• How it all comes together, while also stressing that there is no "right" way to do it and every creator has their own method
• The essentials of what is needed to put together a pitch-ready package to submit to a literary agent or publisher

Details

Skill level: Writers and illustrators of any level. Although the content presented is focused on middle grade graphic novels, the class is appropriate for writers of any genre or age group who have an interest in exploring the graphic novel as a format for their narrative.

Class Policies

Instructors or Guides