: Re: I have no artistic skill, but I want to write for animated shows/movies See title. I love writing stories, but I usually imagine how they are like in show/movie form, specifically 3d animated

@Kristi637

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Yes, it's quite possible to be successful in a hybrid medium like animation or graphic novels solely as a writer. There are many people with abundant artistic talent who don't write well at all, and who need someone like you. (Just like some people write music and some write lyrics, and some write both.) Neil Gaiman is a prime example of someone who became a superstar in the comic books world on the solely on strength of his writing --and the way great artists found it inspiring.

There are really three basic ways to go from here: One, you can try to find an artist or animator on your own, and form a partnership. Online searches might be one way, but good old fashioned footwork works as well. There are often local communities of artists clustered around places such as comic book stores, art schools, and so forth. Another way is to write scripts on spec and submit them to publishers or animation studios. There's no reason you can't do both. Finally, there are people, like Randall Munroe, who are successful in a visual format on the strength of their writing, despite having no particular artistic talent (as wetcircut and Liquid suggested, you can use tools to help as well). But I don't necessarily see that as the strongest option, particularly if you want your images to be realized in their best possible form.

As far as the specifics of writing for animation or comic books: Animated films are written like any other movie, and there are set guidelines and standards for how scripts/screenplays are written. Those are readily available online, and there are many excellent books on them. Similarly, graphic novel scripts have their own standards and conventions. Conveying strong visuals in writing isn't easy, of course, but that's the core skill of a good writer in a hybrid medium --there's no way around that. It will just take a combination of imagination and hard work. Don't feel you need to do the work of the artists for them, however. Your job is to inspire them, not to create a detail-by-detail blueprint.

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