So what's everyones writing process?

[kardonwire]

Just kinda curious how everyone goes about their writing. Hoping to pick up some tips.

I always start by writing a short synopsis of the whole story (normally on my mobile while at work) and then begin to do a more detailed version for each chapter, if it's a long story, again on the mobile as I go along. After that I start to write out the first draft and depending on the quality of it I might revise it or just keep it as is.

Normally I listen to some music or have the T.V. on in the background when I'm writing at home. For some reason I can't write if there's just silence.

[C_Miller]

I wish I had a better process. I typically just write with only having a basic idea of the plot. I rarely go long term, only really planning out an arc or individual story at a time. However, Ultimate Flash has a long term story of sorts. I have an end plan and I have some individual stories to move it closer to the end, but really a lot of the middle is left unfilled.

But yeah, typically I just sit down and write. Usually I put music on in the background to write. Typically if I put the TV on, I get distracted unless it's like the news or something. Most of my writing music is older stuff like Frank Sinatra and early Beatles. Also Broadway stuff gets heavy play. Lately the soundtrack to Wicked has helped me write. Superheroes are kind of cheesy in a good way and so is Musical Theater, so I guess they fit.

[Stardrifter]

Nothing fancy here. I generally go into an arc knowing the major beats. I work out the way I want to story to go in my head. Then when I actually can sit down in peace and quiet I write the issue.

Even though I have a rough estimate of where I'm going, when I'm actually writing the issue things can change. When I start putting in dialogue and such I might decide there's a better way to do it or come up with a better idea.

[buck]

Well for this site I wrote out long term plans for both of my titles. Checkmate is plotted out through about issue 16 and Zeta Warriors has an 18 issue run plotted. The outline is just the broad strokes and usually I do an issue by issue outline before I write. Then I get into the actual writing process. If I like an issue I keep it if I don't then I will revise or scrap it depending on how strongly I felt about it.

[thekillingjoke]

I go into things with an idea in mind though sometimes the idea changes. As I work, I'm always thinking about the angles: Why is this character doing this? What's the motivation? Is he psychotic? Has his childhood affected his adult life? Etc, etc. Then I think of the most eloquent yet simple way to state something. For settings and feelings and character moments I like to use poetic phrases. For action I prefer simple statements strung together, when appropriate. And so this goes on for a while until I have a rough draft. Afterward I go through the draft and rewrite it with fewer words until everything feels right. If it doesn't feel right after the second draft is complete, I run through it a third time.

Mostly I work a little every day because fatigue sets in and I don't like it to affect the quality.

[jackalope]

I try to stay one issue ahead of whatever I've posted, so I can go back and change stuff as needed. Generally I see what is needed for the overall arc then I try and figure out how I want the issue to end. The writing I do whenever I can but I get most done late at night (usually when I've got something early on the next day too). I like to keep a lot unplanned as I find it more interesting for me to not know, on the most part, what characters are going to say or do until I write it. I put on music but I probably write better without it.

[jross]

I create an outline of how I want the entire story to go first. Then I do some world building. I defined the characters ahead of time, all of them, and the powers of the rings, so that I wouldn't contradict myself or paint myself into a corner. The broad strokes are all there.

In each issue I try to focus on at least one character, usually Hal, to help the audience to know better. I like to mix action and exposition. Rather than simply explaining things, I try to have dialogue and action flesh out the universe.

[superecwfan1]

I basically will write an outline for the story-arc and beats I wanna hit. Each storyline has to hit a beat for me. I have outlines past 25. So I know exactly what stories I wanna tell. I then sit and write down a little each day or every few days that time allows me.

Now if anyone really pays close attention a writer's style I use a lot is Chuck Dixon's. I always try and end each issue I do with a "suspense" deal. Like...I want you to read the next one and see what happens. For a case of this...read Dixon's "Robin" from the 1990's.

Now Dixon doesn't get as much props for this. But I always thought...now thats a way to end a issue of a comic. That "hook" so to speak. So your gonna see the hook a lot from me.

[The Wonderful Wachter]

Mostly I outline in my head and do character "sheets" for want of a better word at 4 in the morning.

But I can't tell you how many times I'm managed to make a decent story out of a single line of dialogue. Like that Floor line Steph had in the first issue of Spoilers.

[Deleted]

I start with my characters and where I want to take them. Then I figure out the conflict that needs to be there to drive the character growth and change I want. What are my character turns and story value changes to use Robert McKee's terminology.

I figure out my story beginning and end, get a sense of the tentpoles for the middle to determine how many parts I want for the arc or if it is a standalone.

I do the same for the larger story, currently I have about 25-30 issues tentpoled for BoM before I scripted the first issue. 3-4 major arcs plus several standalones between arcs. A lot of that will change as I write each issue, but I want a sense of what I am writing towards. There will also be logistical changes as characters I want to claim later may not be available or other titles may introduce continuity I have to accommodate, but I want at least a direction and a plan moving forward.
Then I begin to break down the first part into beats and build up my scenes.

That's when I start thinking in terms of comics. A typical comic is now 20 pages, so I look at my scenes and imagine what the page layout for a comic would be-how many comic pages for this scenes, then for that scenes etc. Do I have 20 comic pages of story? If I have too much, what can I cut or move to another issue? If I have too little, what can I add or expand?

When I feel like I have a good sense of what the issue will have I forget all about my 20 pages visuals and begin to script the issue, writing out the scenes and roughing out the dialogue. I forget about visuals here because I don't have any. I write the scene in prose making sure everything the reader needs is there, engaging as many senses as I can-what is seen? heard? smelt? felt? etc. There are no visual shortcuts to the story telling, so I make sure everything is there for the scene to be complete and come alive for the character.

Then I do a second pass on dialogue. I try to capture the feel and pacing of what dialogue would be like in a comics page. No more than 25-30 words per balloon is the standard I think, so I make sure that my dialogue fits that pattern. If I need longer bits, I try to intersperse it with descriptions of body language, reactions, description, etc. to keep the feel of comic dialogue.

Once I have that done, my first draft is done, but I am not. I do a grammar, spelling, usage, typo edit.

Then I put it aside for at least a day, read, write something else, whatever.

Then I do a second pass on the entire thing. Does each scene accomplish the character goal or story value goal I set for it. Does each character have a distinctive voice in dialogue, thought, body language, etc. Did I miss anything that needed to be there? Did I include anything that didn't need to be there. Take my first draft and develop it into something better.

Then I do another round of grammar, spelling, typo type edits for all the changes I made, put it away again.

Come back a day or two later, reread, give it a final polish, and a final copy edit. Then post and hope I didn't miss any typos, spellings, etc.

Sometimes I have scripted scenes form upcoming issues as I am writing the current issue. The scene in BoM #1 between Zee and Madame Xanadu was the beginning of a conversation, that I wanted to see through, so I have rough scripted the continuation that will appear in issue #2 before I finished #1. There's a scene in #5 I saw so clearly I had to write it before I forgot it, so that scene is scripted already and waiting for me when I get there. Of course, things could change before #5, but I have a foundation ready when I use that scene.

It may seem excessive, but then I went through 85 drafts of my master's thesis before my adviser found it acceptable, so I don't find three-four drafts to be excessive at all

-M