I certainly don't regard myself as some kind of guru, but aspiring writers will seek tips, advice, samples and so on wherever they can, and I'm regularly asked for such things. I'm happy to oblige, because there really wasn't much out there when I was getting started either. This page collects what small amount of resources I can provide, and I hope you find it useful.
In my opinion, anyone aspiring to a career as a writer — in any medium — must remember just two golden rules: write what you are passionate about, and never give up. Everything else is just technique, personal style and not a small amount of luck.
— Antony
Sample scripts
JULIUS
Act I of the script for my graphic novel JULIUS, written in 2003. This script shows my original script format (JULIUS was written entirely in Final Draft — see below), and is a good example of how I direct an artist I've never worked with before.
WASTELAND #9
By comparison, this script for issue #9 of WASTELAND shows my more recent format (essentially the same but with some tweaks) and is much looser — by the time this was written, in late 2006, Chris and I had been working together for almost a year. The style and direction is therefore more casual.
COLLECTED SCRIPTS Volume One
For more samples in a handy format, plus some candid commentary on each, I self-published a script collection in 2009, and now regularly sell the book at conventions and signings. There are currently no plans to sell COLLECTED SCRIPTS Volume One online or in stores.
Writing software
I use three main applications for writing:
SCRIVENER
Scrivener is an outstanding writing application for the Mac that I use every day, to write everything (the only exception being the code for this site). Specifically, comics and other scripts are plotted, outlined and written in Scrivener (before final formatting is done in Final Draft), while novels and all other prose works are written entirely in Scrivener from start to finish. There are many imitators of Scrivener, but the original application remains the best, and is incredibly low-priced considering its capabilities. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Click here for articles showing how I use it.
AEON TIMELINE
Aeon is a timeline application for the Mac, built specifically for writers. Born from a conversation on the Scrivener users' forum, it sets out to tackle the thorny requirements of timelines for fiction that no other software currently handles, including story arcs, long-duration events, character chronology, fantasy calendars and more. Even at this early beta stage, it has become an invaluable part of my working process, and I encourage you to try out the beta and submit feedback to help guide its development.
N.B. Aeon Timeline is currently still a beta. While I've found it to be very stable, you nevertheless use it at your own risk.
FINAL DRAFT
Final Draft is my preferred pure-scripting application. I've used it, in some form or another, for every comic I've written since CLOSER. I use a modified template, which Andy Diggle and I designed together for comics (though it's been tweaked a little more since then, so Andy's template differs slightly from mine). I now use FD only for final formatting after writing original drafts in Scrivener (the two apps are very compatible, including direct export from Scrivener to FDX), but if for some reason you “can't get on” with Scrivener, Final Draft is my next highest recommendation.
(As of Version 8.0, Final Draft also now includes some graphic novel scripting templates with the application. However, they are in my opinion rather poor and old-fashioned.)
Templates
SCRIVENER
Scrivener features an integrated Comic Script format template which I designed in conjunction with the application's author, and is based on my original Final Draft template. Click here for an article showing how I use this template.
FINAL DRAFT
My Final Draft template is available in two versions, one for FD v6, one for v8.
N.B.: These templates were originally designed for the versions stated of Final Draft, on Mac OS X. They should run on other platforms and versions, but I can't guarantee that, and I don't support it in any way. The templates are supplied as-is, with no warranty or indemnity given or implied. If Final Draft breaks or your computer blows up, it's not my fault. By downloading the templates, you agree to this disclaimer.
Outliners, Mindmappers, Dramatic Structure generators, etc.
Avoid. I'm not joking.
I've tried many, if not most, of these applications, and not one of them is as intuitive, fast, or adaptable as a good pen and a nice thick pad of paper.
Damn sight cheaper than most of them, too...(The closest thing I get to outlining software is Aeon Timeline, as detailed above. But even that's just a way of formalising details that have already been created manually.)
Productivity and process
It's not unusual for me to be writing four or five different projects at once, with more on the horizon. Keeping track of each job's progress, and organising my time so I can give each one the attention it needs, is somewhat of an administrative minefield.
One of the ways I've made this process easier for myself is by implementing a modified form of the Getting Things Done system, called Getting Things Written.
As for my writing process, there's a very detailed overview of my methods in the Articles section, called simply The Process.
Backup and syncing
Not strictly to do with writing, I know. But anyone who's ever experienced data loss will know that actually, this is really important. Don't think it can't happen to you, because it most assuredly can... and will.
EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE
I have a 500GB external drive hooked up to my desktop Mac. Time Machine, which is built-in to OSX as of 10.5 “Leopard”, backs up everything I do automatically. I know people who use SuperDuper! and other such 'cloning' backup apps for the same purpose, and I assume there are similar applications available for Windows. The point is, make an external backup of some kind. It requires some initial expense, but the day you need to use it you'll realise the cost is nothing compared to the peace of mind it gives you.
OFF-SITE BACKUP AND SYNCING
External drives are great if your computer goes on the fritz, but what if your house burns down, or you get burgled? And how do you go about making sure you have the most current copies of your work files on all your machines?
I use DropBox, which automatically makes local copies of selected documents on every machine it's installed on, and keeps a copy 'in the cloud'. The best part is, it requires practically no thought whatsoever. (Like backup, the more you have to think about syncing, the less likely you are to use it.) Without getting too deep into hyperbole, DropBox is what you've always wanted Internet syncing to be. I thoroughly recommend it.
