Do you plan comics with an end in mind?

[CaptainUfo]

All seasons of Captain Ufo are self-contained story arcs and the plot is written even before I start drawing them. The series itself doesn't have a planned ending.

[jackalope212]

I have one comic that I have been writing the script for for over a year with a set ending in mind. Then I started planning a second season set several years later with new characters and cameos from old ones...

Then I have another comic that I only started writing the script recently and while I planned pretty far into the story it currently doesn't have an end...

I don't know. Guess it just depends on the creator.

[Shanny8]

While I do have an ending planned for my series, it wont be coming anytime soon...

[mg78]

some of my stories start with the end before i can even think about who, where, how start and so on XD
but with grunk i havent an end, right now.
weird how a story or an idea can set the work lol.

[Papina]

It varies per story in my case. Though usually, I don't have an ending in mind for comedy stories. For mystery and horror, on the other hand, I sometimes have a tentative ending in mind.

[jasperlizard]

For my first comic, I pretty much only had a solid idea for the first five pages when I started...I really didn't know what I was doing heh. I got a basic outline figured out quick enough to continue it, though, and got a clear idea for the ending then.

But for my current and probably all my future comics I'll probably have the end in mind and even the whole story planned before I even start drawing. I can't see myself doing an indefinite comic, i enjoy doing self-contained stories too much for that (plus I have waaaay too many stories to just do one forever)

[Mane]

I used to concentrate on just finding an interesting premise and thinking I'd make up the story as I go along , but I've come to realize that it's far better to have the key points of a story figured out before starting and the conclusion can make or break it. Yes, now I try to always know what the end goal of my story is.

[Doubtcent]

Usually when I come up with any story, my mind pictures what it could become before I could even lead up to it. In one sense, this is a good thing. It means all I have to do is lead the story or let the story eventually get to the end goal on its own.

However, some stories that do have an ending in mind never actually get to it, and those stories suffer for it.

Two examples I know of are Fullmetal alchemist, where the creator knew where the story had to go, and she planned it from the beginning, making the story tight and incredible.
Then there's One Piece, where we know the end goal, but how or when it will ever happen in our lifetimes? No idea. The story does seem to be getting closer to a conclusion, but it still feels a ways off. One Piece could in fact keep on going until the creator, Oda, dies. It's really up to him.

Now both stories here are great. But while FMA has its conclusion and just about anyone can pick it up with the goal in sight (around 26 volumes), One Piece is very huge. It would take a lot of time and effort just to catch up (around 80 volumes???). Since One Piece is such a long story, most people would give up. (Reader burn, essentially)

Having an ending when you start off is a good thing, but don't let it bog you down or make your creative ideas suffer for it. Don't think "how can I steer this situation my characters are going through towards this specific ending, even if it might hurt their current characterizations?"

Basically, it's fine to have an ending in mind, but don't make it an anchor. Have it be more like a goal, since goals can change or be altered.

[alaingrey]

I planned the end of my comic first, since a strong end leads to a strong middle and beginning in my opinion. Everything that will ever happen in my comic has pretty much been alluded to in my first 23-page prologue. If you know the end in mind you can put together the pieces. (With some things left to surprise, of course!)
I think this is useful because:
1. it promotes readers going back to pages thinking 'didn't that character say ____ once?' or 'wasnt there ___ in the background?' and then being pleasantly surprised when they see the answer was right under their nose a while back.
2. It motivates me to actually want to finish this story. I have an end in mind, and I have a plan to get there, even if it may take a long time.
I love seeing comics that have a goal in mind and allude to things happening in the future, because it lets me know the writer knows what they're doing. Someone who doesn't have a plan may very well make a poor ending to their comic, and let's face it- the ending is what sticks with you. Poor end, poor story.

[marfivemai]

I do! I try to create a story where the character arcs become story arcs as well, where everything that happens even to minor characters connects somehow to the overall plot. Everything moving towards the grand finale, even if that finale is far, FAR away.

However, sometimes the story becomes bigger after it starts and endings change. Thats not bad at all as long as you don't noodle too much with it.

[quakeulf]

Always.

Otherwise I will just end up wasting a lot of time.

[Starfestival]

Like others have said, I have an end planned and I don't want to do an endless series. I have other ideas I wanna flesh out. Though for my current series I do have a second arc already planned out, but I might do that later down the line after I finish some other ideas I have incubating.

[kazukitakamura126]

I definitely plan out the ending of my comics so I know what direction to take the narrative. In the past I didn't make the ending for my stories and they felt like they would drag on forever with not real direction. I usual plan the Intro, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action and Conclusion before I make my work into comic form.

[artsy_oleander]

I generally try to make an ending for my stories. I've noticed that in any series (comics or TV), if they don't have an ending in mind, it typically gets boring and repetitive. I do have a superhero story that I am planning that will end when I feel like the time is right... once I get to making it...

[PorcheJ]

@joannekwan Well said.

[BraveHeartTatsumaki]

I normally do, for my actual comic I think in the beginning and in the end. Like how it starts and then how everything will end and the rest are the things to how to reach to that ending. It helps me a lot, even to create characters. Though with the pass of years the ending has changed a bit it still has the same point, and I'm not like "okay this will have 10 episodes bla bla" becuase then I push myself to put everything into a certain amount of pages and in the end I won't put everything of the plot as I wanted so for now I let the story develop itself until reach the end.
With all of this I might make over 30 chapters, maybe more :'D This will be fun

[Shiori_Saku]

I almost always write my stories with the ending in mind. Sometimes, when I start writing, all I have is the end and I have to fill in the beginning and middle. I have found, as a writer and creator, that starting a project without a clear goal allows for it to get sidetracked more easily and it also raises the chance that you will loose interest or drive to finish it halfway though a story ark (especially with longer stories).

Many of my older projects are only four of 5 chapters long which is why I wont publish them. They arnt complete and I don't want to give my readers the equivalent of comic blue-balls just so I can get more works out there.

This same thing sometimes happens with fan fiction or personalty published fiction (chapter by chapter on sites like Fictionpress.net and the like) and its a real turn off for me as a reader so I like to avoid doing that to my readers.

[kazukitakamura126]

It's always important to know how your story will begin and end. It's like going someplace, you have to have a starting point and a destination. As for stories the "destination" could change. Sometimes you have bend and mold the rules of your story so it can make the story a better experience and expression certain themes more effectively.

The climax is also important, it signifies a major change in the story, this usually happens in the middle or near the end of a story. Both Seishin Patona and In The Midst are both going to be 15 chapters, that way its a nice length and you don't have wait 500 chapters for something interesting to happen or the story to reach its conclusion.

[noonecomicsve]

I think you should have a master plan for your comic, you have to know where are you going, your characters purpose and how they behave etc.
you do all that in the planning stages, then you can improvise a little when how to present that on the page, thats the cool part.

[indagold]

I never really had a comic that didn't have an ending. Then again my work is serious. Endless series seems to only really work for comedic cartoons.