rgz

readergirlz is a literacy and social media project for teens, awarded the National Book Foundation's Innovations in Reading Prize. The rgz blog serves as a depot for news and YA reviews from industry professionals and teens. As volunteers return full force to their own YA writing, the organization continues to hold one initiative a year to impact teen literacy. All are welcome to "like" us on Facebook!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Sara Easterly on Writing a Graphic Novel, Part 2

This week we have author, readergirlz PR specialist, and former SCBWI WWA co-Regional Advisor Sara Easterly guest-blogging about the process of writing a graphic novel and working with her illustrator co-hort, Jaime Temairik. Today we have Collaborating with an Illustrator. (All illustrations are copyright Jaime Temairik!) Welcome, Sara!

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Unlike with picture books where it’s atypical to collaborate with your illustrator, with graphic novels that’s not always the case. And often, the writer, illustrator, penciler, and letterer are all the same person.

But I’m no Jackie of All Trades. So I collaborate with super-artist Jaime Temairik (cocoastomp.blogspot.com), one of the most creative and funny peeps I know. The best part about working on a book together (for the second time) is all the wacky brainstorming we get to do. We’ve spent countless hours at coffee shops and sushi restaurants, in hotels, over email, and on the phone chatting about our characters, plotlines, sequels, villains, and red herrings.

Then I run away and try to capture it all in words, leaving room—lots of room—for Jaime’s illustrations to finish, and usually make better, the job.

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This will be a five-part series all this week on the why's of writing a graphic novel, illustrator collaboration, graphic wordplay, turning to the experts, and where to start. Tomorrow: Graphic Wordplay!

 


5 comments:

Melissa Walker said...

Interesting how it comes to be! I wonder how much the words change post-images?

Joddie said...

Nice graphic artist + good writer --> best combination

nice post.. thanks for the inspiration
Gravis-Design

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