I'm loose. The way I plot, I mean.

For all 2 of my active books, I only have a very loose plot worked out in my head. I have nothing written down. In fact, I don't even have the dialogue until I sit down to add it to the page (sometimes I have an idea, like the current scene in Broken, but, normally I have zero dialogue written down in advance).

Why? Well, I try to convince myself that the reason I've chosen this approach is because it makes the storytelling more organic, but I suspect the reason I create this way is that I'm basically... lazy.

It seems to work out, as readers appear to enjoy both books, but I occasionaly wonder if the books would be better if I had a more concrete approach to my plotting.

Not that I'm gonna change, but I still wonder.

How about you? What's your approach?

Later,
Chip

No, I plot quite tightly. I used to be a loose plotter but I found too many projects just never got finished.

Now I draw up detailed Character Sheets for my main characters, plot the overall story in broad detail, jotting down the key moments in each chapter or issue, and then plot each chapter or issue of the story in greater detail before I start the script for that section.

This is pretty much how I do it .

I'm very loose. It becomes tighter and better defined as I work on individual little story arcs (my comic is presented in an episodic fashion). I have a few major plot points and main story arc advances that stay solid, but how I approach and present them is fairly open. -- I have to check myself on the details, though, since my story is a series of nested mysteries and interwoven plots, so the minor clues and foreshadowing all have to come into play.

I have actually planned out detailed episodes and stories before and then ended up changing them drastically when I got to writing/drawing as it wasn't the way the characters would naturally act -- or I had a sudden burst of inspiration to make it more interesting. I've ended up only improving the story by letting the curve balls fly.

Even some of my characters have developed differently than I had originally planned. One character I had intended only as a minor extra became an integral part of the main cast, for example.

I think my story/series is simply suited for that type of plotting, though. Not all are.

DAJB
No, I plot quite tightly. I used to be a loose plotter but I found too many projects just never got finished.

Now I draw up detailed Character Sheets for my main characters, plot the overall story in broad detail, jotting down the key moments in each chapter or issue, and then plot each chapter or issue of the story in greater detail before I start the script for that section.

This is pretty much how I do it .

We are clones?

I have my main plot and story points set up for EVERY volume all the way till my comic ends.

I then break the volumes down into "Seasons". I know most of my seasons especially the ones closer to the current story I am working on.

I then break those down into chapters. The chapters are basically a full story or arc and is always plotted out in detail at least a whole chapter ahead of where I am at.

Then I break them down into issues. Issues are the toughest. Each one needs to be a fairly stand alone story and have enough room for much more than just plot stuff. I come up with a story that pushes the plot forward and finally set down and draw the comic really fast. Like with stick figures and such. I then go back and make another sketch version of the issue really quick. Solidifying things and trying to think of page flow and such.

Finally when actually drawing I fine tune layouts and such even more.

I'm very loose too... All I got is an idea of the beggining and the end of my stories, the rest I create while drawing. In one of my comics, Freakenburg, I know the very start and some events I'd like to put, but the end is unknown even to me.
I believe being loose is a good thing, since you are always open to new stuff that can make your story better.

I'm really lose. I mean, I try to stick to a plot, but I like my random little plots to be flexible to anything I might want to add on or remove...

And besides, even if I tried to be tight on a plot, it wouldn't work out too well for someone like me who does one of those random life sort of things... just doesn't work out well.

cs3ink
I'm loose. The way I plot, I mean.

For all 2 of my active books, I only have a very loose plot worked out in my head. I have nothing written down. In fact, I don't even have the dialogue until I sit down to add it to the page (sometimes I have an idea, like the current scene in Broken, but, normally I have zero dialogue written down in advance).

Why? Well, I try to convince myself that the reason I've chosen this approach is because it makes the storytelling more organic, but I suspect the reason I create this way is that I'm basically... lazy.

It seems to work out, as readers appear to enjoy both books, but I occasionaly wonder if the books would be better if I had a more concrete approach to my plotting.

Not that I'm gonna change, but I still wonder.

How about you? What's your approach?

Later,
Chip

I like to think of my looseness as self-collaboration. I start with a general concept and then flesh out the pace- what are the major events, what are the major themes? I'll plan out up to 6 months in advance. But I usually have new ideas as I go along- new twists, new takes, that most often turn out to be more interesting than my original ideas. I'll sit down with my old ideas and my new ideas and start bouncing them off each other.

No. The reason Dreamnasium is an anthology is precisely so I can tell small, self-contained stories and not worry about long intricate plots.

The way I write, there's an overall story (with some major touch points), then I write a general outline, and then I start scripting the thing. It's a rather involved writing process....

I'm a mix. I will script out the main details of my storylines, and then will work on scripting the individual strips, and somewhere along that simple path, things often change. What seems like a good idea at the time now needs to be scrapped, or I come up with a better way to do something.

I couldn't live without a small plan, but like any good plan it needs to be flexible at a moment's notice.

As for my characters...there's no way in heck I could plan good characters. I like to say that I learn a little bit more about each character as a I write more of them, discovering their foibles and fleshing them out as time goes on.

I'm somewhat loose... I've only written a few pages past what I've got, just in case I think of something that might work better for the plot. That way, I don't have to change a whole lot if I decide to take a slightly different approach.

Looking at everyone else answers I feel really lazy and disorganized. I write things out as I sketch the page. I've tried to write the story out beforehand but I've found the way my mind works I need the images to create a flowing, smooth story and maintain a working concept. I just can't write it out before I sketch or my characters come across as stiff and the story ends up seeming stale.

Most of my best ideas don't actually occur until I have the pencil on the paper and my mind is free to unfocus and wander. 95% of the jokes I write for Last words are things I came up with while sketching some other idea and so far I don't even know where Nightmares is truly going. I like it when it feels like the story is able to write itself and go where the characters and situations drive it.

I plan out things very loosely. I get a basic idea of what I want to happen and a sense of what I want the characters to say, the rest is improvised. I have tried planning details, plots and, an exact dialogue, but it was boring to draw. I think that spur of the moment comics have a certain energy that planned ones don't.

I mate for life, yo. When I snag the one, that is.

I have a story written out from beginning to end. Dialog is written out as well. I feel it's a bad idea to wait until you get to that part to write the dialog. Because 2 years of brainstorming recorded down... beats 20 minutes of brainstorming, any day of the week. When you actually write things down, you solidify your base ideas... and then on another day you might get an idea that improves on the base idea, etc etc. You can only improve on something if you have foundations to stand on.

Basically, your brain isn't a computer. Write it down, or forget it. This does not limit you. It actually frees you. Your plot will actually become more fluid if you write it down.

Personally I write all in prose, script form. I can see my words as pictures in my head, even years later. But some ppl do it differently. A friend puts it all down in storyboard form. "I'm a visual storyteller." OK... disadvantage of that method is that it can't be communicated to others easily over the net. And it's a slower process of scripting.

Once I decide on a story arc, I'm set in stone - I might change a couple of things here or there to allow for something down the line or if my co-artist comes up with something awesome. In terms of which story arc follows which...that remains to be seen.

I come from a game developer background, so I write down /everything/. I might change a few things that don't quite fit later on, that's pretty much par for the course.

I write the script and so on, Reva then turns it into a rough, we talk about that and then the hammers out the final. So in terms of plot and design, definitely not carved in stone but not loose either.

mlai
Basically, your brain isn't a computer. Write it down, or forget it. This does not limit you. It actually frees you. Your plot will actually become more fluid if you write it down.

Well, to each their own. I won't dispute your logic because it is sound, but the reason that I do things the way I do is that I like not knowing for sure what's going to happen next.

patrickdevine
Well, to each their own. I won't dispute your logic because it is sound, but the reason that I do things the way I do is that I like not knowing for sure what's going to happen next.

Well, don't take this as arguing with you. I just like to talk about it.
I write down a scene, but that doesn't mean I know what's going to happen. Because by the time I get to it, it could have changed, gone thru revisions, or get revisions on the spot as I translate it from text into pictures. That happens a lot with me: As I translate something into pictures, I think up little cinematic devices that makes it better than the original script's screenplay.

I'm In-between I suppose. I have major plot elements and where i want the comic to go all laid out, but the in between is all loose. This is absolutely perfect for me to makethe comic flow, dialog good, and getting rid of boring spaces in the plot.

I couldn't imagine having a set-in-stone plot. Either they are a great writer or the story is frigid and awful.

I agree the writing it down, even if I'm not gonna look at it again, seems to bring 10x more ideas than what my brain previously held.

I've got the plot lined out but getting from begining to end is very spontanious. Nothing is ever set in stone. I actually have enough planned out that I could be doing my comic for several years.

I'm too loose I kinda do my pages like in the Marvel way only not so good I just have a basic idea and drew it and letter it on the computer with only an idea of what it is

Mlai seems to be the closest person to the way I work. DAJB is really close and does character profiles. But I think he may be a bit more solid. Unlike mlai and myself whom add things on the fly whenever we feel like going back and re editing or in the final phase.

For people that make character bios what are your templates?

Here's mine.

------PERSONAL DETAILS------
NAME:
ALIAS:
SPECIES:
ALIGNMENT (GOOD EVIL, ECT):
AGE:
DATE OF BIRTH:
SEX:
SPECIES NORMAL POWERS/ABILITIES (IF NOT HUMAN):
POWERS/ABILITIES AT BIRTH:
POWERS/ABILITIES GAINED:
HOW THEY WERE GAINED:
------APPEARANCE------
HEIGHT:
WEIGHT:
PHYSIQUE:
HAIR COLOR:
SKIN COLOR:
EYE COLOR:
DISTINGUISHING MARKS (NATURAL OR INFLICTED):
HOW THEY WERE ACQUIRED:
------CLOTHING------
STYLE:
MATERIAL:
ACCESSORIES:
WEAPONS AND THEIR USES:
------FAMILY------
MOTHER:
TYPE OF WORK:
FATHER:
TYPE OF WORK:
PLACE OF BIRTH:
DETAILS OF BIRTH (EVENTS , ETC):
SIBLINGS (NAMES & RELATIONSHIPS):
CHILDREN:
SPOUSE:
------EDUCATION------
SCHOOL (NAME AND TYPE OF SCHOOL, LEVEL OF SCHOOLING):
SPECIAL TEACHERS OR SUBJECTS:
SCHOOL FRIENDS & RELATIONSHIPS:
------OCCUPATION------
TYPE OF WORK:
ECONOMIC STATUS:
SPECIAL SKILLS:
------BELIEFS------
RELIGION OR SPIRITUAL PATH:
POLITICS:
AMBITIONS:
MORALS AND ETHICS:
OTHER PHILOSOPHIES:
------PERSONALITY------
MOTIVATIONS (NEEDS/WANTS):
WEAKNESSES OR FLAWS:
STRENGTHS:
WHAT CAUSES FEAR:
WHAT CAUSES ANGER:
WHAT CAUSES HAPPINESS:
WHAT CAUSES SADNESS:
LESSONS TO BE LEARNED:
5 WORDS TO DESCRIBE CHARACTER PERSONALITY:
------FAVORITES------
COLOR:
FOOD:
DRINK:
MUSIC:
ART:
HOBBY:
SPORT:
------TIMELINE (IMPORTANT DATES IN CHAR'S LIFE)------

Shrank size for less post stretching.

Character bios?

I don't even know Steely Dan's real name from my book, Broken.

Later,
Chip

I'm new to writing so I go overboard trying to map out the characters. I assembled these listings from several site out on the internet. Several times I've had my character react in a different way that I first mapped out, because of this information. Often I find I have the character as I would have reacted and change it later to how I envision the character instead.
--------------
Name:
Age:
Build:
Appearance:
Hair
Physical abilities/ limitations:
Background:
Family Socioeconomic class/standing:
Religion:
World:
Place of birth:
Parents' overview: n/a
Parents' race/ethnicity:
Parents' socioeconomic level:
Parents relationship with child(ren): .
Parents' living/deceased:
Family structure/life:
How did your character get here from there?
Did they have a good or bad childhood?
Has their life worked out like they expected?
Has their life been difficult or easy until now?
Were they forced into their current path, or are they here by choice?
Do they have regrets?
What special circumstances have made them into who they are today?
Did anything happen in their past that they cannot forget or live down, or that has deeply changed them or scarred them in some way?
Outer Goal (physical):
Inner Goal (psychological/emotional):
Life, career, or personal goals outside of the realm of the story:
Hopes/desires:
Fears/phobias:
Deep Secrets:
Introvert or extrovert?:
More thinking or feeling?:
What do you see is the biggest contradiction(s) your character lives out?:
Tends to be self centered? Selfish? Selfless?:
Favorite and hated foods/drinks:
Favorite and hated music:
Plays Music?
Education or important learning experiences:
Most hated activities:
Most enjoyed activities:
Deepest secret or wildest fantasy:
Sense (or lack!) of humor: what makes your character laugh?
Attitudes toward self -
Attitudes toward others -
Attitudes toward friendship -
Attitudes toward sex -
Attitudes toward love -
Attitudes toward family -
Attitudes toward universe
Attitudes toward religion
public causes supported/protested
politically active/apathetic
Superstitions?
Catchphrase that defines their worldview?
Closest friend(s)
Enemy(ies)
Job/career/occupation:
Attitude towards job:
Noted accomplishments:
Famous/infamous?
Clubs/organizations belonged to:
Favorite music or group/favorite TV shows or films:
Hobbies:
Inheriting 1 million dollars.
The death of a loved one:
A natural disaster: hurricane/earthquake, etc.:
Being fired:
Meeting an old friend or enemy not seen for years:
Having or raising children:
Being raped/mugged/violated in some way:
An unexpected kindness or compliment:
A serious illness such as AIDS or cancer:
A flat tire on the expressway:
An interracial relationship:
Five minutes on local or national TV:
What is your character's strong point?
What are your character's vices?
What are your character's fatal flaw?
What is your character's typical daily schedule like?
Is your character right or left-handed?
What kind of living space does your character have? Is it neat and clean, or cluttered and "lived-in"?
Why does your character wear the paint he does?
What is your character's favorite color?
What does your character think is his/her best feature?
What does your character think is his/her Worst feature?
Is your character's handwriting neat and precise, or sloppy and unintelligible?
What kind of vehicle would your character drive?
Does your character have a collection of anything?
What are your character's talents? Do his/her friends routinely call him/her when they need help in a certain area?
What is your character most proud of?
Most embarrassed about?
Play the stock market?
Gamble?
Pay child support or alimony?
Why did he go into space?

I think I certainly started out like Chip. The first dozen SuperFogeys strips were done with only a vague idea of who the characters are and what they're doing.

I then took a couple months off to think about it and, pretty much in an instant, came up with a grand plan that I'm still following to this day.

The further I get into it, the more planning I find I have to do. There are so many secrets and subplots brewing in the story, that I wouldn't be able to keep it all straight if I didn't.

The catch is that I'm doing a humor strip. So what I've taken to doing is before I start a chapter I write a one sentence description for every strip in that chapter--just enough to know what plot point I need to cover and what the possible joke might be. Then, as I work through that chapter I take that one sentence and write out what the joke should be and how the plot point is going to get across. I usually have about 4 fully scripted strips ahead of whatever strip I'm currently drawing.

Doing it this way has been a lifesaver and has resulted in a more thematically sound chapter (although only time will tell on that front). There's something to be said for the organic process of saving the writing for the drawing, but my strongest episodes are the ones where I had some real time to put thought into it and doing an outline provides that.

I have a script.

I am loose when writing the script. I just throw in whatever comes into my head and what I feel should go in there. To a point where I get the feeling that I'm not the real one writing my story but my higher consciousness or something.

I have a story. I know its beginning and have a ROUGH IDEA on how its gonna end.
The stuff in between needs to be filled up.

But all the time I keep revising the script. Up to the moment when I'm coloring my pages and trying to order the dialog on the page.

I write my scripts one chapter ahead (speaking of which, I should probably get cracking on chapter five...), but I've got a loose idea of where I'm going. Sort of. It changes a lot, but for this comic, I rather like it that way - every time it's changed, it's changed for the better, because when I look back at my first idea, it was pretty much crap.

The problem for me right now is figuring out how this all ends, and whether I should scrap my villain idea and go for this other idea I have. The thing is, once I've written one chapter and drawn it out, something new about the story reveals itself and needs to be explored, so I just go with the flow with a bit of forward thinking, really.

Usually, though, I plot more tightly - I certainly plot more tightly when I'm writing prose, because if I don't plot, my novels go off the rails and end up in going-nowhere-ville.

I'll probably plot more tightly when I do my next comic (whenever that will be), but I don't know.

I used to write full scripts, but I always ended up not being able to draw something that I wrote into the script and couldn't simply change it without throwing away half of the script. Thus no project ever got finished.

Right now I work with no script at all, just sit down, figure out what's going to go on the page and either start by breaking it into panels, or by writing the dialogue (depending on whether it's a conversation or action page). Then redo it once or twice, draw a nice thumbnail of the page and get onto the pencilling.

There are some transition problems between some pages and I'd have trouble keeping track of it all if the cast was much bigger, but so far it works (I'll probably get stuck on the next page after having said this, haha).

Once I'll know all limitations of my art skills, I'll return to full scripts most likely.

Well, I'm trying to get more organized with my story here. So I'm about to write a script that will cover the rest of Chapter 1.

But mostly everything done so far was just kinda done 'loose'. Most of the time I don't even follow the script. I always have something to change, mostly dialouge though. And forget about thumbnails.

They don't work for me.

When I wing it, I just end up making things incredibly long.