While doing comics, I've done two forms of writing. One is planning out the story before the artwork gets started. Knowing what will happen from start to finish and some of the details or perhaps all of them. The second is when it's time to make the page, I just write the script then or even while it's being done.

So which do you guys tend to do more? Plan it out or make it up as you go along?

Plenty of both.

I have a good script in mind sometimes going so far as writing out an outline or even writing a full chapter (or even several chapters) script. Then when I get to the pages, I re-script the whole thing, change dialogue to sound better, draw thumbnails of the panels, and often re-script action/dialogue to better fit the panel layout.

My finished pages are never identical to the original script (and sometimes, entire scenes/arcs change drastically. I think that's probably good. Just like in writing, the more drafts I go though, the better my result is.

For me, I've found scripts useless. I never follow what they say. I keep changing my mind.

Drawing is like putting your emotions on paper, making a story, but your own personal story.
So yeah, I do it all on the spot.

I do both, all the time. :)

I write out the script, which is edited several times until I'm happy with it, and then I draw out the page, and then I change everything one last time before I write it down in the speech bubbles. It's still pretty faithful to the original script, but sometimes I add a line to make it flow more smoothly, and sometimes I cut one out because it's cluttering up the page.

I find it easier to work this way - with a pretty solid idea of what I want to do, with room for some last minute changes - than I do just making it all up on the spot. Since I do have a script, it keeps me from writing myself into corners, but I can still tweak it a bit when I feel like it.

I do both too. But I'm more for writing it out first. You can be clever with your wording if you take more time over it.

Both and I'm fond of making alterations once the dialogue is in place.

90% of the time, I write as I draw it, starting with a basic path or outcome I want to reach.

ttyler
90% of the time, I write as I draw it, starting with a basic path or outcome I want to reach.

Really? Engine gives the impression of being written ahead of time - you certainly juggle the multiple strands of storyline quite well. :)

I write it out. But I try to avoid the temptation of writing out the storyline soooooooo far far out.

But when I start putting up pages, the script is at least already 10 chapters completed as of that point. I try though to make the script already completed. When I did MAG-ISA, it was 12 chapters of script completed. Once chapter 1 is completed online, the whole script is already completed.

Like so many others, I do a bit of both. I plan out the beginning and ending of my storylines before writing them, making sure I know what I'm working up to, and then I start writing scripts. They change as I go through, and sometimes I scrap entire ideas and replace them with something better.

There's no right or wrong way to do it, that's the beauty of creation. Whatever works is great.

I only script when writing for someone else. Neither of my books is written out in advance. I sorta know where their both going, but I kind of "write" them as I do the thumbs, making little note to the sides of the thumbnails regarding any dialogue that comes to mind as I work out the design of the page.

I rely on other people to draw my comics, so I pretty much have to have the script written out in advance!

Usually, the whole story is planned in outline form, broken down into the main events that will occur chapter by chapter (or issue by issue). Then the detailed script for each chapter or issue is written and given complete to the artist.

That said, the script for a chapter can vary quite considerably from the initial outline and I continue to re-write the actual dialogue even after the artwork is complete, so I suppose there's an element of writing "on the spot" even in this method!

Din Krakatau is written on the spot (and each time I try to change it, I drop from doing a page every day or two to taking almost week), but the next comic I'm doing will be based on one of two finished scripts. Both need some rewriting (one needs just minor changes on couple of pages, the second one will be totally rewritten from 7 22 page issues to 4 28-30 page issues) and I'll be drawing from thumbnails and page layouts designed during the scripting stage.

After that? No idea, perhaps return to the system used on Din Krakatau or maybe go with a hybrid of those, for example just plan an outline with loose notes of what goes on the pages or very raw script (dialogues and actions without breaking it into pages, no idea).

I have a few different scripting methods.

For strip format comics I have a bunch of pages of notepad paper with jokes I've come up with. Any writing other than that is done on the fly, as is the panel layout.

For page format comics I have a few different methods of scripting. The first is not scripting at all, which is what I'm doing on the current Rent-A-Thug story. I have a decent idea of where the overall story, but what specifically is going to happen on the page is sorted out when I sit down to draw it. The second method involves an actual script, although to be fair it's really more of a detailed outline than an actual script. The outline is divided into pages with notes on what needs to happen on the page, any important staging notes (setting, any important actions, etc.), and dialogue. If I have specific dialogue in mind I'll write it in, but just as often I just write in a vague explanation of what should be there. For example, Bob and Steve argue about X.

I've written scripts for comics that I was really happy with but couldn't draw myself. I'm just not that good yet.

Most of the Surrealist is written literally right after coloring except for the last two pages.

In the last two pages, I've followed a traditional script. It's nice because the writing is significantly better and it's closer to what I would compose for someone else. I don't have the entire arc typed out but I plan to. Also, I like that I'm never stumped this way. In the sense of asking, okay now what?
However, it limits the strange little, inspirational moments when I sit down and just draw whatever I want. Those are the pros and cons of both to me. I'm sure I'll continue to use both methods but will use more scripting to make sure I'm telling people an actual story.

I do a little bit of both.

However, when I write the story, I put them as events because this makes it easier for me. Here's an example:

"- Protagonist enters the dark chamber to find his lost biscuit.
- Protagonist is being attacked by what?
- Protagonist finds flashlight (somewhere... specified later) and uses it
- Protagonist reveals what attacks him and it was a zombie parrot.
etc...
etc...
etc..."

When it comes to draw out the panel, I thumbnail what's gonna happen in the panels like:

"Panel 1 - Mr. X looks at the sky (drawn)
Panel 2 - His eyes grew larger than normal (drawn}
Panel 3 - He's too afraid to move (drawn)
Panel 4 - the shadow underneath him (drawn)
Panel 5 - Nuclear bomb fell on him (drawn)
Panel 6 - Mashroom cloud scene (drawn)"

Afterwards, it makes it easier for me to start drawing it in full size.

The reason I event them is because when I want to change something at some point... I could tweek it or improve it.

That're my techniques in doing a full page. HA HA HA... SECRETS REVEALED...

Steely Gaze
Like so many others, I do a bit of both. I plan out the beginning and ending of my storylines before writing them, making sure I know what I'm working up to, and then I start writing scripts. They change as I go through, and sometimes I scrap entire ideas and replace them with something better.

There's no right or wrong way to do it, that's the beauty of creation. Whatever works is great.

This. Plot out the ending, lay out major plot points that will lead to said ending, do the dialogue and action while making up the page.

But then, exacting detail--that is, writing everything out ahead--is too boring for me.

I draw then write. I actually complete drawing the entire page and after that I sit down and type out the speech. I never even bother to think through how the speech or storyline is written. Most of the time, I tend to ponder on what to draw on the next panel just to make the story flow. Seriously, I hardly even bother to plan my comics at all.

I don't think this is considered a good approach in writing comics.

Eunice P
I hardly even bother to plan my comics at all.

I don't think this is considered a good approach in writing comics.

Probably not ... ;)

But when you're doing your own artwork, you can be less disciplined about the pre-planning, I suspect. And when the artwork is as professional as yours ... hey, who's complaining!
:D

I'm a script nut. I didn't used to be. When I did superhero comics between 1980 and 2001, I never scripted. I may have had a direction in mind, but I drew it as I went and wrote the dialogue as I went. That was frustrating and made it easy to write myself into a corner. I had to start over or conveniently forget/ignore whole plotlines just to get back "on track" because of an idea I'd let myself get sidetracked with. But for action-oriented stuff, it's not so critical.

When my wife and I started Due East, it needed scripting. Since it's character and story-driven, dialogue and direction are critical. There are specific things we want to focus on and bring about. That's hard to do on the fly. :)

So I suppose it depends on what you want to do with your comic and your personal style that make the difference.

My best pages usually form when I'm going to sleep, and I'll know what everyone says and remember it. Or alternatively, I'll imagine what I want the last panel to be and when I start the art, I'll work towards it.

Because EpicA has quite a fixed format, it doesn't have to be planned very carefully, and quite often I've got three panels done and I'm trying to think up a punchline :p

I am currently working on two comics which are total opposites in terms of method. Beyond the Black Hole is planned so far in advance I doubt I'll ever fiish it. I'll write the actual script and do a little thumbnail maybe 2 or 3 comics in advance. What usually happens is I get a flash of inspiration for how the story can be told in an interesting and breif style and do about 5 thumbnails with the dialouge written underneath. Then I'll gradually do them in full size and detail.
Asylum is much more fluid and I basically make it up as I go along. Also, because there's little writing I spend a lot more time thinking about the art and finding references. I like to think of Asylum as my David Lynch comic and Beyond the black Hole as my Joss Whedon comic.

Actually, my way of doing comics is something between the opposites. I define the main events and fill out the middle with things I come up while drawing, like gags and stuff. It helps me avoiding boredom and keep the story from becoming stale (I hope).

I always thumbnail out my stories. I don't write scripts because since I draw my stories the concept of a script sounds redundant to me. I usually write out a synopsis paragraph of the entire story and then start thumbnailing. I create the little scenes in the thumbnails. Like in my book "Godlings" I just created the stone skipping scene in the thumbnails because I thought it would be funny...but it was never in the original draft of the main story. My Thumbnails are just loose guides though...I change alot as I draw the pages.

i do comics by the seat of my pants. i have vague ideas in my head of where i want the story to go, but besides that my page planning is slim to none. it's all in my head, i think a lot of what i want a page to look like but never sketch it out. in fact, i usually draw my pages on straight in pen without sketching first.

i'm sure it'll give me some trouble somewhere along the way, but i'm having fun for now. :B

i prefer to write out my script before hand because when i first started my comic i would just draw it and make the script at the same time, and i had too throw away some pages... and that realy sucked.

I do the story snyopsis for the whole story beforehand. Then I do storyboards a week or two in advance of publishing. I do the drawing, then the scripting, then the inking and coloring. I feel free to alter the script once I'm actually doing the lettering, the final process.
So...mostly planned, but with wriggle room for better ideas.---Al

I'd say about 70% of the time I plan it out before hand and use it nearly verbatim.
20% of the time I will make a drastic change to the dialogue once it is drawn.
10% of the time I make it up as I go.

That 10% is the most stressful, but sometimes the most fun too. It all depends on if I happen to be funny at the moment. I wish I could turn on the funny whenever I wanted, but I can't. That is why when I have an idea, I write it down as soon as possible no matter where I am, so I can draw it up later when I get the chance. :D

I tend to have the general outline of the story planned out, and then just come up with the details on the spot before I start working on the page. I really would much rather have everything written out in detail to start, but usually time constraints prevent me from doing that.

I like to know where I'm going in advance, just to avoid any continuity errors.

In the rare cases when I have a story completely written out first, I'll have every detail marked, like page/panel breaks and specific actions and dialog.

I first have a fair idea of where the story is taking my characters at least 10 pages ahead.
Before I script the scenes though I 'test' them out by telling the story to my Cartoon Art students and drawing a scene.
This gives me an excellent chance to judge reactions of readers by observing how the kids react to the stories.
I then do the script about three or four pages ahead, although it often changes drastically as I draw and build the panel structure, trying to find the best 'flow' of dialogue/images.
I often get entire scenes form in my head, sometimes several scenes ahead of where I am now... or even other story plots for future use. I trust these pretty much to memory, knowing my sub-conscious will bring it back out when needed.