Khaled: Alisa Kwitney &​ Graphic Novel Writing

To hone his writing abilities as he generates content for his graphic novel, Khaled (known as "K.") has enlisted Kildonan's Literature teacher Alisa Kwitney (@akwitney) as his advisor.  Kwitney is no newcomer to the genre.  Author of more than six books, former full editor at Vertigo (@vertigo_comics), and former editor at DC Comics (@DCComics), Kwitney continues to maintain an active presence in the world of comics and graphic novels even today.  She approaches her professional relationship with K. with an indefatigable sense of humor and a stress upon endurance.  No less importantly, she has given K. a new framework in which to write.  Below she discusses the mindset with which a writer must approach that structure:

When you're writing a comic book script, you're writing with a very specific reader in mind -- the artist. The artist is your first and probably your most careful reader, because she or he will have to go back over your panel descriptions again and again. Your artist will have to study your words until he or she sees them from all angles and can draw them on the page. So, in order to write well for the artist, the writer has to become the artist.

Before his advisorship with Ms. Kwitney, K. composed his graphic novel using typical prose.  His narrative consisted of long, descriptive paragraphs that encouraged the reader to generate, in his/​her mind's eye, every image.  Since his working relationship with Ms. Kwitney, however, K. has learned that images place certain constraints upon his writing, for better and for worse.  He has abandoned his uninterrupted prose for an organizer that allows him to think in shots, in panels, and in pages (not unlike a cinematographer).

Those panels that an audience finds visually stimulating are quite surprising.  A panel in which a character walks down the street or engages in a prolonged car chase is frozen (unlike in a movie).  The image, despite its narrative potential, is unexciting for its repetitious visuals.  A panel in which a character busts through a wall executes an abrupt action that does not repeat.  The image is exciting AND possesses narrative potential.  Ultimately, K. continues to experiment with this "visual writing" by playing with silences.  He is starting to explore what an image can say without the accompaniment of words.

What do you think? Do you have a suggestion or question for K.? Please post in the comments section below.

Description of 1st image:  Alisa Kwitney, pictured.  Image located at www.alisakwitney.com.  Kildonan and its IP program claim no ownership over the above photo.

Description of 2nd image:  A draft of a comic book in-progress.  Image located at www.wikihow.com.  Kildonan and its IP program claim no ownership over the above photo.