What's your writing process? What have you learned?

@powerplantanimations Powerplantanimations
Fri, 28 Jan 2022 19:35:50 +0000

@powerplantanimations wrote:

Aight so I promised another Tapas User I'd reply so here I go:

First I come up with the idea, then I do an outline. I usually do three drafts. Now despite me making an outline, everything is not set in stone. I still change a lot of stuff. I try to be as adaptable as possible when working on the next issue.

Anyway, so I slice up storybeats to create small episodes (20 Panels each episode). I make ANOTHER outline, do some page breakdowns and some panel progressions. After that I do 4 drafts of the episode. This might sound long, but I just read the dialogue for fourty minutes in the morning and at night. DIALOGUE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN DESCRIPTIONS. At least, for me.

Everytime I read four minutes I add a 5 to the draft. I started at Draft #1.0, but I read for forty minutes, so it's #1.5. And tonight I read 40 minutes so now it's a #2.0. Again I do this until I hit 4.0 (Or 3.5). The FINAL time I do this is for descriptions.

After that, I look back at my outline for the entire series and I make tweaks so everything can flow together. Just so I won't be like "OH DANG IT! NOW THIS DOESN'T MAKE SENSE!!!!". I read through EVERYTHING.

What have I learned from this process? OCD is your best friend. Try to hide in as many details as possible so people can re-read your story. Focus real hard on implications. Make sure EVERYTHING YOU DO IS INTENTIONAL. Hindsight is key.

I make a playlist for music. Lyrics match up with the themes of the comic. I listen to this to give me motivation and to remind me of the themes so whenever I write, I won't be lost.

What else... oh yeah. Write what you know and be adaptable as possible. That is all c: