Before even thinking of illustrating a panel, I start with writing. To me, it is more time efficient to write instead of draw.

The book’s writing follows a general roadmap of plot points. This way I have a clear idea in mind for each chapter what needs to be told. I write out the chapter in its entirety before I begin drawing.

For example:

General Plotpoint = In Chapter X, Stride has a fight with Y and struggles out a victory.

Writing outline = 

• Stride strikes at Y (First drawing), 
• Y dodges Stride’s attack (Second drawing).
• Y attacks Stride back with a devastating blow (Third Drawing).
• Stride was prepared to risk it all (Reaction Panel of Stride’s perseverance – Fourth Drawing),
• and in the heat of battle, by sacrificing everything, finishes Y (Fifth Drawing).

Generally, I try to write clear actions and add emotion to convey their expression in that moment to my future self. But there are more things to add in this writing outline, such as environmental panels, crowd reactions, or close-ups of a shaking hand or twitching eye to convey a character’s fears and doubts. These are things I tend to find when I draw. I notice that more drawings are required to better illustrate a scene.

Note: the drawings I make at this stage are still rough sequences of sketches. They are also easily editable.

Changes can occur in my writing process. In fact, it is a must. When you better understand a character’s motivation as they move throughout the story, it is good practice to change their reactions for consistencies sake. Constant editing is required for both writing and illustrating if you respect your final product.

To conclude:

1. I make a road map for general plot points in a chapter.
2. For the chapter, I write the key panels to draw.
3. Then I begin drawing rough sketches and add panels in-between.
4. Edit my writing and redraw where necessary.
5. I begin with illustration.