MakeBeliefsComix
Some writers guide their stories with structures. Aristotle did it with his famous Beginning-Middle-End. Gustav Freytag used his famous pyramid (Exposition-Rising-Action-Climax-Falling-Action-Resolution). Comedians use the Setup-Buildup-Sendup model to write jokes.
In a Literature class, you might teach these structures with a top-down approach: teach a structure, read a story and find all the structure-pieces. But, in WITS, we teach writing. So, a top-down approach does not fit. Instead, we will use a bottom-up approach: teach the structure, and write a story.
You can teach story-structure with comic strips. Comic strips tell a complete story in a short length. Some strips do it in three panels. So, kids can write a three-panel comic strip and use Aristotle's structure: one panel holds the beginning, one holds the middle and one holds the end. Now, the kids know how to structure a story. Then, teach them the Freytag pyramid. Next, give them a challenge; let them write a strip with the Freytag elements. Then, end the lesson with a harder challenge: let them tell a structured story through a comic strip with only two panels!
Enter MakeBeliefsComix.com. This website gives you the tools to make comics strips on a computer. First, select a layout of panels: you get either two, three or four of them. Then, pick out characters from a collection; drag-and-drop them into the panels. Next, add speech-bubbles and dialogue. A writer can create a story with these elements alone. But MakeBeliefsComix.com gives you more. It lets you add backgrounds, sound-effects and panel-prompts.
When done, you can save, share and print your comic strip.
Requirements
Computer
- Windows, Apple or Linux
Internet Connection
- Web Browser
- Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, etc.