For Script Frenzy, I will be making my first attempt at a script for a graphic novel. For others who are new to the form, I thought it might be helpful to provide a sample page:

The sample page is taken from a guide I have since returned to the library--I will edit to credit as soon as I can.

Note that there are two basic forms used for scripting graphic novels. The example I gave is a sample of the "full script" type, which gives a detailed description of each frame and, within each frame, the dialogue and captions. The other form used is "plot first," which is more like an outline and gives the artist more freedom in composing panels.

In this "full script" mode, notice that the name of the GN and the page on which the panels appear is noted at the top. Panels are numbered continuously. Dialogue and caption text are in CAPS.

Ugh, that second, gigantic image is not supposed to be there but I do not see a way to edit. Help?

Panels are numbered continuously. Dialogue and caption text are in CAPS.

Actually unlike screen and stage plays panel scripts for comics are way more variable.

The sample script in "Learn to draw comics" by John Byne is formatted differently to your example but is definately a full script. It looks like this (I'll just use one Panel for example for copyright reasons)

Panel One:

It's evening - Sam Citizen leaves the newspaper office.

Dialogue:

Sam (thinks): Another day over and still nobody suspects I'm really LIGHTNING MAN.

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I found a comic book script archive online and it's amazing how different they are. Seem to vary by writer. Some don't capitalise dialogue some do, so number panels by page (ie restart the panel numbering for each page) others - like your example - don't.

These things shouldn't effect the page count much so they probably don't matter. Why does it vary more than screen/radio/stage plays? Probably because less people see it - no worrying about actors, just if the artist understands it.

Becky

Thanks for the sample and the link, Becky. Another source I consulted gives an example that is more screenplay-like than the example I posted, and also restarts the numbering for panels for each new page. I've decided to use that technique for my script because ultimately I think it will be more useful to know which number I'm on in each comic page than to have a running count of panel numbers. :)

Ahh, thanks for that Becky. I thought I was going crazy when I couldn't find one set format of doing a script, but you've confirmed my suspicions that it's more of a "freeform" with a vague idea of what it should look like.

Related question: Does anybody know what the formatting guidelines are in terms of font sizes and borders? Same as a screenplay perhaps?

Cheers,
Adrian

I don't know if there is a standard for font, but I'm just going with screenplay conventions.

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Myriad

NaNoWriMo 2007: Won with Lobbied
Scriptfrenzy 2008: These Dreams (Graphic-Novel Script)

I'm going with the same basic page size, margin size and font as a screenplay for the sake of my sanity and because whatever verification method they come up with is going to assume screenplay conventions.

I don't think there are any rules for comics.

Becky