Gah, I have notes on notes on notes XD Then I script it out, then thumb nail..then don't follow the thumb nail and make stupid mistakes XD I am working on it! :3
I’m a garden kind of writer, I HAVE a basic idea and plot set up but as I write out scenes and characters and as these character start to grow personalities of there own my plot and events are subjected to change over time. Not EVERYTHING is able to be changed. Some plots and events are unmoving. But if I become aware that a plot thread no longer makes sence because a character has grown to not make the mistake that that thread needs- or they simply no longer think the way they once did, then either the thread has to be thrown away or it needs to be changed to make sense.
One may think one can plan everything from the beginning... but many details and ideas only make sense once you journey there. Always give some room of flexibility to reach the goal.
I definitely have all the characters and all the major and secondary events planned. Minor details and specific dialog may change as I move forward, but the main points are only subject to change or cutting if I suddenly find an inconsistency or if I find that the event is redundant. I really try to keep my stories tight.
I have an overarching plot laid out with several of the major events planned, but the stuff happening in the short term is a little less thought out, though it's all steered by those major events. 
How I put things down on digital paper:
- Overarching plot
- Major scenes and events
- List of characters and what they do
- Dialogue for scenes as they pop into my head
- Secondary scenes and some subplots
- More snippets of dialogue
Once those are established it's time to actually start writing, padding things out, transitioning scenes to one another, the works.
I used to be a total "pantser" (never plotted anything in advance). Now I spend more time crafting a skeleton outline, but try to let the characters shape the story as it plays out.
My current WIP (which is not the punk story posted on Tap) is closer to literary fiction (mini/anti-plot) so it's helpful to have what little plot there is sketched out so I can spend my energy getting to the heart of my dysfunctional characters who are low-agency, drug addicts (I write such high-brow, uplifting stories, right?)
The way I'm trying to go for now is I try to go for is to flesh out the settings and what character arcs I have planned. Random character moments written down. Then a very basic outline which is pretty much how I want the story to end. Then write a more detailed outline and script of the current arc, repeat process after arc ends.
First draft I just write without a plan but have my ending somewhat in mind, then on the second pass i tidy everything up so it looks like I planned it the whole time. When I do comics, dialogue and expressions sometimes change from script to comic page, so that can change things too! Basically I have a full script with an open mind.
I'm surprised so many people plan to the finish line. If I do that, I just race there and skip all of the meaningful stuff that makes the story a story.
I'm in this one for comics, but for novels I'm in the "everything is set in place".
I have learned when I try to do that for comics I get bored with the project and just want to work on scenes that happen later instead of the ones I'm working on now. I don't have this issue with novels because the release speed is much faster. So I go with the "important events including the ending are set in stone but not EVERYTHING is" and allow things to evolve, because I need to be able to work on both writing and drawing at the same project to keep me interested and for the drawing part of it to not feel like a tedious endless grind.
How about none of the above, or a little of all of the above as needed?
Since most of what I write is nonfiction, I can't really do flexible endings. I usually do a very bare-bones outline, then go from there. It's the beginning and the middle that are pretty flexible, because I'm always learning more about what I'm writing even after I've officially ended the research stage and have started writing, inserting different people's accounts as I find them and where they'll have the most impact.
I definitely err toward the heavy planner option. Like, I'm far from completely rigid- dialogue especially frequently changes as I get to the page it's mean to go on, many side/minor/background characters I design on the spot when they have their first appearance (for better or worse lol), the events within a pre-planned scene might adjust somewhat based on nuances I tweaked in previous ones, and my paneling from my story board is always being changed and rearranged.
BUT I need my gameplan in place to have the confidence and drive to push a project through to completion lol. I've tried many times in the past to jump into a comic with little or no upfront planning and was never able to get very far with them. Having the whole thing plotted out gives me a tangible path to follow and milestones to hit, which is super motivating~
Granted I've so far only been working on smaller scale projects: I have a 10 page comic under my belt and nearing the end of a +/- 70 pager. If I were doing something longer- like several chapters long- I have the feeling that I would plot the whole thing out first, but only go into detailed scripting and storyboarding on a chapter-by-chapter basis, thus allowing some of those "allow the story to grow as you go along" aspects. I'm actually in the process of writing a project like this but it'll be a very long time before I'm ready to begin it, I feel. Much more planning to do first LOL
Between 1 and 2.
My story is very carefully planned because there are many subplots, the story follows several generations of characters, and plot holes could appear.. almost at every panel!
So every event is carefully thought, especially in term of causes and consequences.
But... I allow quite a lot of flexibility in dialogues, small extra events etc; removing or adding content depending on my mood. As long as it does not impact the general structure, I allow myself any changes, cuts or additions.
I have a general idea of the main thread of the story and where I want to go with it, and then I develop it on the fly. Back in time I used option 3 ... and I have a lot of unfinished stories with only a few pages that goes nowhere 
I am actually surprised in too, but the other way around. I was expecting about 20% to vote themselves "planners". 30% is not that bad.
EDIT: Parts of the content of this post have been edited for not sitting well with a few here. The parts in question may still be visible in quotes on some earlier replies to the original post. My opinions below are based on my own experience and personal success, and on the vivid results of this poll. EDIT.
Whoa yeah!
This POLL is alive and quaking. Over 60% so far going for the partly planned, flexible flowing approach of writing, and that’s not too much of a surprise.
Before I go further, a heartfelt shout out to everyone voting and commenting on here.
Now on with the analysis (ooohh, sounds so exprimenty :p)
EDIT: This is a demanding process, but it ensures comprehensive results, avoids plot-holes and the focus of the story is the ‘story’ itself with the characters written to fit into the story. Most accomplished writers would prefer to adopt this approach on projects that have a deadline or expected marketing date.
EDIT: This is a lesser demanding process, and for most beginner to moderate levels of writing a means to explore their own creativity and evolve. This approach is what most people aspiring to become successful writers may have, and as a result continue to hone their skills and craft.
Most writers who wish to be taken seriously usually range between these two approaches. Just ask most professional editors or publishers. 
EDIT: This process isn’t demanding by far and usually a lot more fun for the writer. This approach is mostly adopted by hobbyists and fan-fiction writers, and usually not those who aspire to make a sustained living from their talents. Such projects may eventually get abandoned for lack of planning and direction, or when the writer loses interest in lieu of a new curiosity or idea.
But there will be exceptions, especially if the writer is ‘gifted’ and can engage their readers, much like the bards of old whose songs and stories kept altering with each performance.
In conclusion, this isn’t a contest or grading system. There’s room for all of us types here on this cool site and in the big bad world. And we are all free to choose as we deem fit.
Now let’s get to writing, shall we? Those stories won’t write themselves. 
CHEERS!
If I take my fanfic into account, definitely option 4: All of the above, but for my novels I do try to plan everything out in as much detail as I can before I actually start writing it, or at the very least have a beat sheet in place so I know where I'm going.
