Pitching Your Story Across Media: A Short Course for Writers Inspired by Traveling to Mars

Hook: You have one story — now sell it to comics, film and games

Struggling to turn an idea into a sellable package? You’re not alone. Many writers can write a great scene or a gripping chapter but hit a wall when asked: “How does this work as a comic? As a feature? As a game?” This micro-course gives you a practical, mentor-backed process to adapt one concept — inspired by the hit graphic novel Traveling to Mars — into three market-ready pitches: a comic issue arc, a short film treatment, and a game vertical slice.

Why this matters in 2026

In early 2026 the industry doubled down on transmedia-optimized IP: European transmedia studio The Orangery — behind Traveling to Mars — signed with WME, reinforcing a market truth: studios, streamers and game publishers now buy adaptable IP, not single-format scripts. At the same time, affordable AI-assisted tools for concept art, storyboarding and playable prototyping are lowering the bar for creators to produce professional pitch materials fast.

Variety reported in January 2026 that The Orangery — the studio behind Traveling to Mars — signed with WME, highlighting the premium on transmedia-ready IP.

That combination — studio demand and powerful creator tools — means the fastest route to paid gigs is to demonstrate story portability. This micro-course is built for students, teachers and lifelong learners who want a tight, practical roadmap plus mentor checkpoints to make an idea pitchable across formats.

Micro-course overview: outcomes, timeline and who it’s for

Outcome: By the end of 6 weeks you’ll have three polished pitch packages for the same core story concept: (1) a 3-issue comic arc, (2) a 10-page short film treatment + scene breakdown, and (3) a 10–15 minute playable game vertical slice or narrative prototype. You’ll also rehearse a 5-minute elevator pitch for industry conversations.

Timeline: 6 modules, one per week, with four mentor checkpoints (weeks 1, 3, 4 and 6). Time commitment: 4–6 hours/week.

Who it’s for: writers who can produce a short concept or logline and want the concrete skills to adapt and pitch it across media with mentor feedback and deliverable templates.

Module map: What you’ll build (week-by-week)

• Week 1 — Core concept & transmedia spine: Convert your logline into a portable spine: theme, protagonist throughline, stakes, core mechanics (for games), and visual mood. Deliverable: 1-page transmedia spine.
• Week 2 — Comics adaptation: Break the spine into issues, beats, and visual panel ideas. Deliverable: 3-issue outline + 1 sample script pages + thumbnailed cover concept.
• Week 3 — Film adaptation: Create a 10-page treatment and a 3-act scene map for a short film. Deliverable: Treatment + 5-scene beat sheet (Mentor checkpoint #2).
• Week 4 — Game adaptation: Design a playable vertical slice: core loop, player goals, level/map outline, and UX flow. Deliverable: Game design one-pager + playable prototype plan (Mentor checkpoint #3).
• Week 5 — Visual pitch & materials: Build a pitch deck for each format: one-pagers, mood boards, and a short sizzle. Deliverable: 3 mini-decks + visual assets.
• Week 6 — Rehearse, refine, and pitch: Final revisions and a 5-minute pitch rehearsal with mentor feedback. Deliverable: Finalized packs + recorded 5-min pitch (Mentor checkpoint #4).

Applying the course: Using Traveling to Mars as an example

Let’s use Traveling to Mars as a running example so you see the adaptation logic in real time.

Step A — Build the transmedia spine

Core elements (example):

• Logline: An outcast engineer wins a ticket on the first civilian voyage to Mars and uncovers corporate secrets that could cost the passengers their lives.
• Theme: Redemption and the price of leaving Earth.
• Protagonist arc: Engineer learns to trust others and chooses collective survival over individual escape.
• Core game mechanic: Resource management + moral choice system that impacts narrative outcomes.
• Visual mood: Neon grit + mid-century space design.

That spine feeds every adaptation: it tells you what can be changed (format behaviors) and what must stay (theme, stakes, core twist).

Step B — Comics: panelization and serialized stakes

Comics demand visual beats and serialized tension. For a 3-issue arc:

1. Issue 1: Setup — ticket won, boarding, first hint of sabotage.
2. Issue 2: Complication — resource failures, alliances form, moral dilemmas arise.
3. Issue 3: Payoff — secret revealed, collective choice, bittersweet resolution.

Practical tips:

• Create a visual motif (e.g., cracked visor reflections) to echo theme across panels.
• Use a 6–8 panel-per-page rhythm for dense emotional beats and 3–4 panel pages for action sequences.
• Thumbnail a cover for each issue showing the emotional pivot; editors and agents often look at covers first.

Step C — Film: compact scenes and cinematic reveal

A short film needs pressure and clarity. Convert the spine into a tight 10-page treatment:

• Open with a visual hook (engineer watching Earth receding).
• Three pivot scenes: inciting incident (ticket won), midpoint twist (sabotage revealed), climax (collective sacrifice).
• End with a resonant image that echoes the comics’ motif (e.g., visor reflection) but resolves differently — film uses performance and sound to make the moment land.

Practical tips:

• Write a 1-page scene list with locations, beats, and camera intention — producers want to see scope clearly.
• Include a director’s mood note: how color, sound design and editing will sell the theme.
• Attach a 1-minute visual sizzle (AI-assisted animatic or trailer) — in 2026, quick visual demos are expected in top-tier pitches.

Step D — Games: mechanics that dramatize theme

Games turn dilemmas into mechanics. Translate moral conflict into player choices and resource constraints:

• Core loop: Manage oxygen, fuel, and allegiances between passengers while resolving tasks to keep the ship alive.
• Choice system: Your actions determine who survives and which secrets are exposed — narrative branches tie to resource consequences.
• Vertical slice: A single mission on the ship — two rooms, 3 NPCs, one moral choice, and one quick-time mechanical task (repair the reactor).

Practical tips:

• Use a low-code engine (Unity/Unreal templates, or narrative engines like Ink or Fungus) to build a 10–15 minute prototype.
• Create a short GDD (game design document) one-pager that outlines the loop, failure states, and player emotion targets.
• Record a short walkthrough video of the prototype; publishers want to see player experience, not all code.

Mentor checkpoints: concrete review criteria

Four mentor checkpoints are built into the micro-course. Each has clear, actionable criteria so feedback is objective and useful.

Checkpoint 1 — Week 1: Transmedia spine review

• Does the spine state theme, protagonist arc, stakes and core mechanic clearly?
• Can the spine be summarized in one sentence per format (comic, film, game)?
• Suggested fixes: tighten stakes, reframe mechanics, or re-center the protagonist.

Checkpoint 2 — Week 3: Film treatment review

• Is the short-film scene map cinematic and feasible on a micro-budget?
• Does the treatment include a clear emotional arc and a visual motif?
• Suggested fixes: simplify locations, highlight show-not-tell moments.

Checkpoint 3 — Week 4: Game vertical slice plan review

• Is the core loop engaging and does it mechanically express the theme?
• Is the vertical slice scope realistic for a prototype?
• Suggested fixes: reduce NPCs, clarify player goals, add measurable success/failure states.

Checkpoint 4 — Week 6: Final pitch review

• Are pitch decks tight (3–6 slides) and tailored to their audience (comic editors vs indie game devs vs short-film festivals)?
• Does the 5-minute pitch clearly state why this IP is adaptable and commercially interesting?
• Suggested fixes: re-order slides, sharpen loglines, strengthen call-to-action for the buyer.

Deliverable templates you’ll get (and how to use them)

Templates reduce friction. The course provides editable templates for:

• Transmedia spine (1 page): sections for logline, theme, protagonist arc, core mechanic, mood, and format notes.
• 3-issue comic outline: panels-per-page guide, cover mock, and one-script sample page.
• Short film treatment: 10-page template with scene headings, camera notes and budget flags.
• Game GDD one-pager + prototype plan: loop map, success/failure states, UX sketches and asset list.
• Pitch deck mini-templates: 3–6 slide decks optimized for comics, film festivals, and games publishers.

How to use them: each template is paired with a filled example based on Traveling to Mars. You’ll see how the spine populates each template so you can replicate the pattern with your concept.

Tools and workflows for fast, professional results (2026)

In 2026 the tools you need are accessible and affordable. Here’s a recommended stack and workflow:

• Concept art & mood: Use AI-assisted tools for iteration (text-to-image models for mood boards), then refine in Clip Studio Paint or Procreate for final covers.
• Storyboard & animatic: Use quick animatic tools (Storyboarder, DaVinci Resolve) with AI-assisted lip-sync for short sizzles.
• Comics scripting: Writer-friendly tools like Scrite or standard ComicScript templates in Google Docs for collaboration.
• Game prototyping: Unity with Narrative tools (Ink/Dialogue systems), or Construct/ Godot for low-code prototypes.
• Pitch decks: Google Slides + high-res JPEGs exported from concept art tools; include a 30–60 second sizzle embedded via a streaming link.

Quick workflow tip: always produce a 60-second visual sizzle (animatic + music) and a 2-minute prototype walkthrough video. These two assets unlock conversations faster than long documents.

Assessment rubric: how mentors score your work

Mentor feedback is anchored to a simple rubric so you know where to improve:

• Clarity (25%): Is the core idea unambiguous across formats?
• Market fit (25%): Does each pitch match the expectations of its target buyer (comic editor, indie publisher, festival programmer)?
• Execution (25%): Are visual and technical deliverables professional and feasible?
• Originality & emotional impact (25%): Does the story move audiences and offer a distinct hook?

Pitching strategy in 2026: where to send your adapted packages

Use format-specific outreach and lead with your adaptability:

• Comics: Submit 1-page query + cover mock to editors; attach a 3-issue outline and one sample script page. Consider indie publishers and digital-first platforms where serialized IP incubates rapidly.
• Film: Target short-film festivals and grant bodies; show budget feasibility and festival fit. Festivals increasingly favor transmedia projects that can extend into other revenue streams.
• Games: Pitch to indie publishers, narrative-first studios, or attach to incubators; show a playable vertical slice and player metrics (playtime, retention triggers in prototype).

Extra leverage: attach a compact transmedia one-pager that explains cross-format monetization: comics drive readership, film drives rights, games create engagement and data. Buyers in 2026 expect creators to think this way.

Real-world case study: What The Orangery’s success teaches creators

The Orangery’s move to sign with WME demonstrates two lessons:

• IP-first thinking wins: Studios package narratives as adaptable property, not a single-format story.
• Professionalized pitch materials matter: Agents and buyers reward creators who deliver consistent cross-format materials — one-pagers, visual sizzles, and playable demos accelerate deal flow.

As you adapt your own concept, aim to demonstrate the same professionalism: a unified spine, distinct but consistent format packages, and a polished visual asset that conveys tonal promise immediately.

Common pitfalls and how mentors fix them

• Pitfall: Trying to cram everything into every format. Fix: Keep the spine constant but let formatting rules dictate what you emphasize (visual beats for comics, sound for film, mechanics for games).
• Pitfall: Over-scoped prototypes. Fix: Build narrow vertical slices that prove your mechanic and emotional beat, not entire games.
• Pitfall: Weak visual storytelling. Fix: Use AI concept art only for iteration; mentor-guided refinement is essential to avoid generic imagery.

Actionable next steps for readers (quick checklist)

1. Write a single-sentence logline of your concept.
2. Draft the transmedia spine (1 page): theme, protagonist arc, core mechanic, visual mood.
3. Create one visual mood board (3–6 images) using AI as a first pass, then edit manually.
4. Pick one format to prototype this week (3 sample comic pages OR 3-scene film treatment OR a 5–10 minute game vertical slice plan).
5. Schedule feedback: join a mentor checkpoint or peer group for an initial review within 7 days.

Closing: Why a micro-course beats DIY for transmedia pitching

DIY is possible, but mentors accelerate learning and cut costly mistakes. This micro-course is designed to give you a repeatable process — a transmedia spine — and clear checkpoints so you don’t waste months on deliverables that don’t sell. In 2026, with studios scouting adaptable IP and tools enabling fast prototyping, being able to show a comic arc, a short-film treatment and a playable vertical slice for the same story is the most direct route from idea to opportunity.

Call to action

Ready to adapt your story like a pro? Enroll in the micro-course to get the templates, weekly mentor checkpoints, and a proven process to pitch your concept across comics, film and games. Bring your logline and we’ll turn it into a sellable multi-format package — starting this week.

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