Tweaking Word Balloons

CREATING SPACES IN WORD BALLOONS

This action makes space for the word balloon “tail” that I’m going to draw by hand in Draft Four (printed hard copy), pointing the “tail” toward the mouth of the character who is speaking.

1. Click on next page number on bottom of the page (pulling up a new page in Draft Three).
2. Place curser in first word balloon.
3. Click on drop down arrow next to page enlargement tool.
4. Click on 400% (which makes the word balloon as large as it can be).
5. Click on Line Tool.
6. Place curser somewhere on the bottom of the text box.
7. Drag it approximately ¼” creating a black line upon line.
8. Click on Line/Border Style Tool.
9. Click on 4 ½ pt. line width.
10. Click on Line Color (white).
11. With that new white line still “selected,” click the copy tool.
12. Slide page movement thingy bob on the bottom of the page to the right which moves the next word balloon into view (still at the 400% size).
13. Click paste. A new little white line (invisible on the white background) magically appears. Click and drag it to the bottom of the text box in the second word balloon.
14. Slide that page movement thingy bob to the right again which puts the word balloon in the third panel in view. Click paste, click and drag the invisible white line to the bottom of the text box and voila! The third word balloon is now ready for my hand drawn “tail.”
15. Slide the page movement thingy bob on the bottom of the page to the left. The page on the screen moves to the left so its left edge appears on the screen. Drag the page movement thingy bob on the right edge of the screen down thereby bringing into view the second row of three panels on the bottom half of the page.
16. Click paste again and position that white line on the bottom of the fourth text box.

Repeat 2568 times.

Someday remind me to describe these chores: re-positioning text boxes (repeat 200 times), connecting text boxes (200 times) and connecting panels (400 times). As tedious as all this is, in the long run it'll prevent reader eye fatigue by allowing me to put different characters in each panel rather than repeating the same character over and over. 

And they say creating a graphic novel is all thrills and chills and tense excitement.