Last year I really struggled to make the leap from short form story structure (mini comic) to long form (book length). Now I feel quite solid about what I’ve been working on, and it’s nearly time to move on to a different phase.” Mwah ha ha (twirl mustache.) The plot thickens!”

I thought this week it would be fun to share my process (I never tire of talking shop.) So, here is a brief overview of how I worked on plot.

This is a basic chart of a story arc given to me by Paul Karasik. It’s the most boiled down, easy to understand version that I’ve found.

First I made a cork board of index cards with notes and scenes, arranging them in tiers, always during this stage, there are a lot of gaps.

Which then was transcribed to my computer with no gaps allowed.

And then I turned this chart into extremely basic page breakdowns.

And then I had a dance party (with the dead) because it was time for one of my favorite things, thumbnails!

Oh, and I forgot about the blood, sweat and tears. Lots of messy fluids required.