A writer’s imagination is one of the most powerful weapons in their arsenal. Being able to imagine what they write gives them a better sense of how a story goes and how to make it come to life.
But sometimes it’s hard to set an image in your mind. Scenes can constantly shift as you think up new elements to add. This is why storyboarding is a valuable tool in keeping your story consistent.
What Is a Storyboard?
A storyboard is a visual representation of your plot. It consists of sequential images that break down how your story or scenes play out, accompanied by brief descriptions of what’s happening in each picture. Think of it as the comic book version of your story.
Most storyboards are drawn and written. As you can see in the image above, you don’t need to be good at drawing. You just need to be able to illustrate what you are imagining. Sometimes the drawing isn’t even necessary.
Filmmakers are the ones who usually use storyboards. They’re excellent ways to show their team how a scene is set, from the angle of the camera to the positioning of characters. That doesn’t mean you can’t use this technique for your novels though.
The Storyboarding Process
Storyboarding can be as simple as drawing a bunch of boxes and filling them up with scenes from your work. But to make it a more effective process, here are a few steps you can consider:
1. Choose your medium
With the advance in technology, it’s no longer necessary to do your storyboards manually. Some software can be adapted to suit your needs, or you can use one that is specifically made for storyboarding. They’re quick to set up, and it’s easy to undo any mistakes or expand the board if you need to.
Some people still like the old-school method though. The use of pen and paper can give you a more intimate feel for the process. It can be a lot slower though, with you having to create everything manually.
Choose the medium you think is more fun or comfortable for you. And if you do go digital, check out our list of the best storyboarding software.
2. Identify key points
Just because it’s sequential doesn’t mean you need to draw everything that happens. Identify the key moments in your story as these are the best parts to include in a storyboard.
For a start, you can set a goal for a nice, flat number like ten. Now all you need to do is think of the 10 most pivotal moments in your story.
Or think of how you usually structure your stories. If you follow the seven-point story structure, identify your seven key points first and expand from that. For the classic three-act structure, select the three most important events for each act, giving you nine key points.
Yes, your story will have more scenes. The above methods are only meant to get you started. Depending on length and complexity, you’ll end up drawing up to a hundred scenes, maybe more.
There’s no precise method to this. Don’t feel bad if you only want to draw a few, and don’t feel overwhelmed when you do more than you thought at first.
3. Draw your frames
The amount of frames you draw depends on how many key points you end up with. Make sure that the sizes of each frame are enough for what you want to portray. If you look at comic books, their panels are rarely the same sizes.
Think of it on a macro and micro scale. A scene depicting war will likely need more space than one depicting a duel.
You can find a lot of free downloadable templates for your storyboard. But depending on what you need, it might be best to devise your own.
It’s also not necessary to always have straight lines and same-sized panels, especially when you’re storyboarding manually. Draw rough boxes if that works for you.
You can number each panel and draw arrows that lead from one to the other to make the storyboard easier to understand.
4. Illustrate the scenes
You don’t need to be good at drawing. Whether you do simple stick figures or full illustrations, make sure that each panel can be understood even without a description.
Focus on the important details of each scene. When showing a person peeling an apple, you need to show the character, the apple, and the knife. Adding a few other details is ok as long as they don’t upstage what needs to be shown.
Think also of how best to portray each key moment. If you have a character facing down a charging army, it makes sense to draw the scene from a first-person POV. Or show it from a bird’s eye view if you want to convey the scale of the conflict.
5. Add a short description
This step is interchangeable with step 4. It’s easy to forget the idea behind an illustration. Prevent that by adding a short description of each one.
Doing this also makes it more understandable for the people who you might be sharing your storyboard with. While the drawing may be obvious to you, others can misinterpret it due to a lack of context.
Why Use a Storyboard?
When storyboarding, you cement your ideas on paper. It gives you a tangible record of your process, including the changes and revisions you’ll make. It also makes it easier for you to plot your work and identify roadblocks.
Having a set of pictures to go by also makes it easier to reimagine scenes and check the flow of your narrative. You might find that a part of your story is too bland, or that one scene will have a bigger impact when positioned earlier or later.
You would then simply rearrange panels for a better narrative flow. It’s the same idea as Vladimir Nabokov writing on index cards and shuffling them to create his novels.
Storyboards are especially useful when you’re working with other people, such as when making a film, a marketing video, or a presentation. It’s easier for others to understand your vision when they have a visual aid to look at.
Visualizing Your Story
When people enjoy your stories, they’re not just reading words but also imagining what you’re trying to convey. They need to see what’s happening, from each action that takes place to every element that makes up the setting.
As a writer, you likely desire to tell your readers an accurate image of your story. To do that, you need to be able to see the image clearly first. Having a murky understanding of your own tale leads to poor storytelling.
By giving it physical form through techniques like storyboarding, you’re able to crystalize that vision so you can better translate it to your readers.
Have you ever tried storyboarding? Share your experience in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:
- Using the 3×3 Writing Process to Become a Productive Writer
- 8 Writing Extensions for Chrome to Help You Streamline Your Process
- How to Improve Your Writing Using the Rule of Three
Cole is a blog writer and aspiring novelist. He has a degree in Communications and is an advocate of media and information literacy and responsible media practices. Aside from his interest in technology, crafts, and food, he’s also your typical science fiction and fantasy junkie, spending most of his free time reading through an ever-growing to-be-read list. It’s either that or procrastinating over actually writing his book. Wish him luck!
