When to Zoom In

Zooming in helps create emotional emphasis or detail focus.

• To show facial expressions at moments of strong emotion (fear, joy, shame, pride).

• On hands, objects, or symbols that carry meaning (for example, a family heirloom, a torn letter, a favorite meal).

• When a character is internalizing something (for example, a quiet realization, isolation, reflection).

• For moments of pause—zooming in slows time, helping readers reflect with the narrator.

 When to Zoom Out

Zooming out helps create context, visual awareness of the situation or scenery. 

• Show context or setting—this orients the reader (for example, a new atmosphere, classroom, home).

• Establish relationships between characters in a space (for example, one character seated away from others).

• Give the reader a breather between intense panels.

Adding allusions (references)

• An allusion is a reference to something outside your story—maybe a moment in pop culture, a song lyric, a movie, a book, or even a historical event—that adds emotional or intellectual weight to what you're showing. It's like a shortcut to a deeper meaning. Think of it as a quiet nod to something your audience might recognize.

Assembling symbolism and motifs

• A symbol, on the other hand, is something that shows up in your story that represents something bigger. Maybe it’s a specific object, gesture, or color that keeps appearing to help represent a feeling, relationship, or idea in your story. You don't need to shout it out to the reader—it can be subtle, but be sure to make it intentional. 

• A motif is simply an image, phrase, symbol that is continuously repeated throughout the piece, adding meaning each time it is repeated. 

Allusions examples 

• "This moment felt like the Hunger Games." in order to reference survival, feeling powerless, unfair systems

• Alluding to Spider-Man to show dealing with responsibility, being underestimated

• Quoting or drawing a line from a Tupac song to represent identity, systemic injustice, resilience

• Referencing Inside Out (Pixar) to focus on emotional complexity, mental health, growing up

• Using a Greek myth like Icarus to channel ambition, getting burned, not listening to advice

• A visual reference to a scene from Euphoria or Stranger Things to show chaos, friendship, adolescence

• Mentioning Harry Potter to express feeling like the outsider, chosen one, navigating two worlds

• Alluding to a protest, march, or movement (BLM, climate strikes) to provide a connection to activism, personal empowerment

Symbols examples

• A pair of sneakers to mean freedom, identity, fitting in, movement

• A cracked phone screen meaning communication breakdown, broken connection, chaos

• A key meaning opportunity, security, growing up

• A family recipe or food item to represent cultural roots, tradition, comfort, generational connection

• A bird or feather meaning freedom, escape, being watched or judged

• A mirror meaning self-perception, identity, internal vs. external conflict

• Rain/clouds vs. sunshine or clear skies meaning emotional tone shifts, hope/despair

• A mask meaning hiding true self, protection, performing identity

• Hands meaning connection, care, violence, creativity