How do I come up with funny comic story ideas?

Ideas can pop up at any given moment so we suggest always carrying a notebook with you - or you can of course write comic story ideas in your phone. Your feelings, interests and thoughts will always create the best material. For instance perhaps something really funny happens to you, well why not turn that into a comic story. Your own life experiences can often be the best place to start. Even if you think nothing you come up with is comic worthy, don’t give up, more you write and connect with your imagination the more the ideas will flow.

The comic stories I write are driven by my customers ideas, the most popular comic story I write is a couple's love story. But I can still squeeze humor in, some funny things we have included, are things like the bride passing out, the groom farting really loudly and for a long time during the wedding service LOL. Everyone has a funny story to tell. Sometimes the joke is more of an inside joke, but that's also fine - not everyone who reads your cmic needs to get it".

If you would like to check out some of the custom comic strips I have written, please check this link. This is just a tiny piece of what I have written, in the last 12 years I have written close to 5000 comic stories.

What makes a funny comic story?

The narrative is the backbone of all great comic stories, if your narrative isn’t clear then your comic story won’t read well. The reader must understand what is going on at all times, so be consistent in your style and your approach. Consistency is also achieved by introducing comic characters and having them appear throughout. Repetitive speech patterns and panel layouts also help. Basically no surprises!

Also keep in mind your pacing, pacing is the rate at which the reader takes in the comic story. It is determined by lettering, the visual layout and the emotional response. A good story doesn’t have 1 speed, it starts slow, builds up, then might peak a few times and then towards the end it builds down, and perhaps peaks again at the end. You need to keep the reader engaged and interested. Think of it like a song, if a song had the same beat throughout, would you like it? Or would you get bored?

The style is also key, does the comic writing and comic drawing style work well together? Is there cohesion? Once you get it right, stick to it, don’t change it. This way your comics will have a consistent look so readers will recognise it. 

A great comic story elicits passion, the reader needs to read your comic story and feel the passion you put into it. If they feel like you didn't care then they won’t care. So it’s always best to only write about what interests you. 

Your comic should be presented very well, lettering all neat and lined up, colouring perfect, grammar accurate etc. But also think about the print finish of your comic book, make sure it is printed well and bound together strongly. No one will read a comic book which is falling apart. 

Most of the comic stories I write are quite short, the most popular length being 10 panels, which can then be printed and popped into a frame. Shorter stories can be easier to write in that you don't need to keep your audience engaged for as long. But they can sometimes be quite tricky because there might be quite a lot to squeeze in in a very small amount of time.

What are some great themes for a funny comic story?

Tell your own life story, create a character which is you and just tell your day to day adventures. Introduce who you are, where you are from, your hopes and dreams. See where the story takes you.

Create a fictional story, this is a story from your imagination. Take your reader to magical lands with unicorns and monsters. You can introduce some really wild and imagination characters and really draw the reader into the story. 

Write a love story, it might be your love story or perhaps the love story you dream of. Everyone loves a love story, think of all the ups and downs in love. Is there heartbreak? Is their marriage? Kids? Your love story could go in any direction, write what you would find interesting.

Remember you can check out some of the comic stories I have written here, or you might like to check our some of the comic books I have written. Right now I am writing a long comic book, the theme is superheroes, a client created the backbone of the story and the characters and I now I am bringing it all together.

Summary

Overall the most important piece of advice when writing your own comic story, is write about something you are interested in. Would you read your own comic story? If not then it’s not good enough. Practice does make perfect, these days i can write a good comic story pretty quickly, and that is simply because I have spent 12 years perfecting my technique.

Please check out the reviews of my work. I am pleased to say I only have 5 star reviews.