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!