How to Write Cartoon Scripts

Artistic ability is not a necessity for drawing up the kind of characters, situations and interactions that can only exist in cartoons. The key to making the most of the "anything can happen" world of animation is a vivid imagination. Thankfully the world has been blessed with many. Walt Disney, Max Fleischer, Chuck Jones, Hayao Miyazaki and Genndy Tartakovsky are some of the outstanding achievers who broadened this art form with their fantastical imaginations. While some of the writers working on animated series and movie scripts couldn’t draw a chop stick, they are able to visualize scenarios. Put your visualizations into words, and you'll be writing cartoon scripts, too.

Difficulty:

Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Visualize and hear. Animated production is done with pictures and sound. While the characters also experience tactile, olfactory, taste and emotional stimuli, it’s all presented with sight and sound. A description of a setting will include objects, their color and condition and resulting noises. For instance: the interior of an obsessively clean modern kitchen with pale yellow walls, lime design Formica cabinets and eggshell white appliances. A coffeemaker is trickling out a fresh pot, while the microwave hums and digitally counts backwards. These are just simple notes for making up the background, before any characters come into play.

2. Characterize. A cartoon character can be anything, wear anything, speak in any way, and posses any abilities or shortcomings you imagine. To observe the possibilities let’s create: Myron–a chestnut and white buck with ring–toss pieces stacked in his antlers, who wears red overalls that are only buckled over one shoulder. His accent denotes a sophisticate from London, and he’s prone to saying, “jolly well–tastic.” He walks on hind legs with his palms out, fingers up; and a squeaky toy noise accompanies every steps of his left foot. His special talent is swallowing broken down buildings whole, and regurgitating them in perfect repair. Impressive yes, but he’s unable to tie a shoe. Myron’s simple sidekick is Dedrick–a huge black bull with a raspy Mexican accent, who wears nothing but a loop earring. Myron and Dedrick are typical cartoon characters.

3. Use dialogue to move the story. Though everything is pictured, all events are set up and highlighted with dialogue. A narrator will sometimes even verbalize the obvious. Common script form shows the name of the character speaking off to the left, with their speech separated to the right. Descriptions of settings and character movements can be noted in separate paragraphs or parenthetically inserted with dialogue.

4. Exaggerate the action. To make the best use of the unlimited physics these drawings permit, create lots of action sequences that are beyond conceivable reality. Anything goes, and any result can come of it. The effect it has on your characters, and their condition, depends on the needs of the story. Some action is simply used for gags. The ridiculously impossible needs no explanation. When characters are asked why something happened, they say, “because it’s in the script.” You can, too.

5. Introduce elemental twists. Most of the oddities that mark the poetic license of cartoon writers are presented pictorially. Buildings dance, clothing designs move, characters fall after a few mid-air steps. Some are eccentric personality traits, forcing characters to repeat comical actions. Those can be based on actual or fabricated psychosis. Animated twists range anywhere from slightly quirky to outright anomalous. While many nuisances are copied and overused, creative cartoonists invent new ones.

6. Write it up. Here’s an example of a typical animated scenario in simple script form, using the characters described in step 2. Note that there are intentional misspellings in this example to account for the dialect of the characters."Our fated friends stroll down a suburban sidewalk on a sweltering sunny afternoon. A passing bird stops in flight to wing-wipe a brow, and say shhew! Myron stops with a fizzling squeak and listens to the gurgling in his belly.Myron: I’m positively famished, ol' boy. Where can we rake in a little cash for some grub?Dedrick: Hhhi don’t know Myron. First I should tie your shoe, but maybe thees guy could benefit from your spaaecial services. (He says pointing to a man in front of an unpainted split level home with siding falling and holes in the roof.) Myron: Hmm, (Stroking his chin while Dedrick ties his laces) I suppose. You there, what would you say if I repair your for a small fee. The little, balding man runs to the sidewalk and skids to a stop on his knees in front of the pair. He’s sobbing onto his green checkered vest as he grovels with interlaced fingers.Man: Please, oh please I beg you. The contractor wants 7 months and 40–thousand dollars to fix this.Myron: Oh rubbish, I’ll do it today if you’ll give us both ten spot.Man: (Still pleading) I’ll do it, I’ll do it! Myron walks to the structure, unearths it and swallows it whole.Man: (To Dedrick) Ooh I just remembered: I left soapy water in the bathtub!Myron spits up the home in perfect condition with sparkling new paint. He has a slightly disturbed look on his face, though. The man smirks and fans out two ten dollar bills.Dedrick: How do you feel about going to lunssh Myron?Myron: (Bubbles flying as he speaks in gargles) Jolly well–tastic!"

Tips & Warnings

• Practice the craft. A lot of what you'll learn about writing comes in the course doing it.

• Share your drafts with family and friends. Ask for constructive criticism.