The Invisible Thread - Making Comics by Charles Houghton

The Invisible Thread - Making Comics by Charles Houghton

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♦♦♦[STORY] How to Map Real Change—The DIIEE–GARCA Model for Character Arcs in Comics
So you’ve figured out that great character arcs aren’t just about what your character wants. Deep, memorable stories wrestle with old wounds, bad…
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Charles Merritt Houghton
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♦[STORY] Wanna Tell Visual Stories, but Short on Filmmaking Gear, a Degree, or Money? Comics Let's You Practice
Comics are a unique medium, and mastery dives into deep waters. They're idiosyncratic story forms, page & panel flow, pacing, page turns, and balloons…
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Charles Merritt Houghton
♦[BIZ] Why Every Artist Should Table at a Comic Con at Least Once
If you're teaching, presenting, or tabling at a con—assume chaos. Then structure for it. Being adaptable is a valuable skill. It's also where magic…
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Charles Merritt Houghton
♦♦[BIZ] The Children's Publishing Cheat Code: How to Write for Developmental Stages Instead of 'Kids'
What separates amateur children's book creators from professionals: amateurs write for "kids," while pros write for developmental stages most people…
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Charles Merritt Houghton
♦ [STORY] Getting Your Story Onto the Page: Organize Real Life for Maximum Impact
Organizing life into a cohesive and compelling Story isn't therapy. It's design. And once you know how to sort scenes by emotional power—not just…
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Charles Merritt Houghton
♦[BIZ] Why Every Artist Should Teach (At Least Once)
A neurosurgeon once told me he could train a monkey to do surgery. Art's kind of like that—except you also have to explain why the monkey is drawing in…
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Charles Merritt Houghton
♦♦♦[ART] Iconic Faces, Specific Places: The Inverse Laws of Immersion in Comics
Is realism the gateway to immersion? Depends. In drawn mediums, we can exploit the duality of abstraction and specificity to deepen reader engagement…
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Charles Merritt Houghton
♦♦♦[BIZ] AI-Proof Your Creative Career: The Relationship Strategy That Guarantees Your Relevance
CULTIVATING YOUR TRIBE: algorithms shift, but trust compounds. When AI can copy everything but connection, your deliberately cultivated audience is the…
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Charles Merritt Houghton
♦♦[ART] Figure Drawing. Mastery Requires Four Pillars of Expertise, because Nothing Easy is Worthwhile.
Powerful Composition, Dynamic Gesture, Meticulous Proportions, and Accurate Anatomy are ALL needed for great drawings that live. Incrementally work…
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Charles Merritt Houghton
♦♦[STORY] Writers are Loan Sharks. Narrative Debt is the Racket.
Every story runs on borrowed trust. Ignore the debt too long, and readers will repossess their attention. Deliver well-timed revelations to keep them on…
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Charles Merritt Houghton
♦♦[STORY] Borrowed Time: Managing Narrative Debt (Preview Version)
Every story runs on borrowed trust. You, the writer, raise a question—your reader lends you attention. You withhold the answer—now you’re in debt.
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Charles Merritt Houghton

May 2025

© 2025 Charles Houghton
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