Part One: Getting And Refining An Idea

So, you want to make a webcomic?
Part One: Getting And Refining An Idea

If you are new, which I’m assuming you are and that’s why you’re reading “Part One” of this series, then you should be warned that creating and maintaining a webcomic on a consistent schedule is not the easiest of tasks. If you already have an idea in mind, this next part will still apply.

Now, as the writer of your webcomic, comes your first major chore – coming up with or making your currently thought idea into an original idea. The trick is to make your webcomic different enough to stand out from the pack. You want to be the albino of your genre.

The process to becoming different then your competition begins with knowing everything about your competition. Read every webcomic you feel has content similar to what you want to write about. You should probably explore outside the genre of your strip as well, possibly even mediums such as print and film. Keep in mind what they do have but also look for what they don’t have. If you see that something is missing from these other works, try to write it into your own.

Original things can be just about anything. Settings of the story, different mixes of character traits, different mixes of genres – You want your idea to find its place within a niche group but be broad enough to potentially attract readers from outside as well.

A great resource for finding webcomics by genre is The Webcomic List.

Here is a trick – that idea you’re sitting on might not actually be good. Don’t be disheartened if it doesn’t catch and don’t be afraid to abandon the idea and invest in another. Explore your creativity.