Creating Comics: Comic_Writers Week One

Creating Comics: Comic_Writers Week One
How do you find a balance when working with dialog within panels? How much is too much?

There's an old rule-of-thumb to be applied to dialogue when starting out. I think Stan Lee came up with it. It works. Hold yourself down to a maximum of twenty-five words a panel. That's 25 words for everything, dialogue and captionwork. (Alan Moore still uses 29 words per panel as his guide, I think.) Try it. See how it works for you. Once you're comfortable with it, and you've got it working, start playing with variances. But not until you can make the rule work for you.
And that doesn't mean pack 25 words into each and every panel. The biggest mistake new writers make is not allowing silences in their work. There are times when you just have to shut up and let the art work for you. You'll learn when.
-- Warren Ellis