Writing Graphic Novels with Bethany Loveridge
On Saturday 2nd of May, author, artist, and publisher extraordinaire Bethany Loveridge led a Write Links session on graphic novels.
Betty founded Australian publishing house Perentie Press, with Rochelle Stephens (Wombat Books) in 2025 to craft visual stories that unleash imagination.
Graphic novels are weighted towards the illustrators who spend years creating panels and pages – all in full colour with Perentie Press – so the manuscript MUST leave s p a c e for visual storytelling.
Answer below to see if your story is right for the graphic novel format:
- Are there multiple settings / locations to create visual differences across backgrounds?
- Can illustrations give something to your story that words alone can’t?
- Are there key moments of significant emotion or high climax where a full spread illustration can tell the story?
- Is your story told in dialogue and visual storytelling? (captions should be minimal)
- Do you have mini cliffhangers each spread to keep the reader turning the page?
- NON-FICTION – does it have a driving narrative? Facts + silly/funny or strong plot
How to write the manuscript
Write it like a film script. Stage directions for the scene at the top: who, what, where (only include vital illustration notes). Followed by the scene as a script.
Brief notes are welcome for main characters, but it’s the illustrator’s playground when creating the visuals, so offer notes like ‘X character is edgy’.
Most importantly, make it easy to read! Betty’s preferences are illustration notes in light grey, left aligned, and NAMES in CAPS, centre aligned.
Do your research and see how popular graphic novels balance text and image.
How to reformat an existing story into a graphic novel
Work through your story and break into scenes. Highlight the dialogue, choose what’s relevant, then condense that again. Take out anything that can be told by the illustrator.
There’s no word count, but each word counts! The PICTURE tells the story.
Writers wrote furiously when Betty shared her preferences for the Perentie Prize – open now until 30 November 2026 – offering AUTHOR only submissions. Frantic notetaking was worthwhile, the Perentie Prize winner takes home $2,000 and their graphic novel will be illustrated and published by Perentie Press!
- page turners with pace, plot and page cliffhangers
- special interests
- short stories that can be read in an hour or a day (and worthy of a re-read or fifty!)
- stories that end with hope
- stories kids can find themselves in
- fantasy, good mystery, contemporary Saddle Club / core friendships, history/historical elements, horror
- NO underwater animals, brain/emotions/feelings non-fiction
- NOTHING too graphic/scary/violent
- NO swearing – keep it school appropriate
But of course, all rules can be broken, your story might break the barriers of graphic novels – don’t worry, as Betty assured us ‘she’ll know it when she sees it!
By Shivaun Sutcliffe
Find Shivaun on Instagram @shivaunsutcliffecreates
Find Bethany Loveridge on Instagram @bethanyloveridgeauthor
Find Perentie Press on Instagram @perentie_press
