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Topic: Q: consecutive storylines Post Reply | Post New Topic
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Andrew Bitner
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 01 June 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 7578
Posted: 22 March 2026 at 4:01pm | IP Logged | 1 post reply
JB, when plotting out a series, you structured a main plot, a B-plot and maybe a C-plot in the background. How did you decide what these would be and how they would segue one to the next?
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John Byrne

Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 135901
Posted: 22 March 2026 at 4:42pm | IP Logged | 2 post reply
Pretty spontaneous. I’d have two or three plots floating beyond the main one, and I’d get to a point that something would say this is the next one!
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Brian ONeill
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 04 July 2024
Posts: 111
Posted: 22 March 2026 at 5:38pm | IP Logged | 3 post reply
I learned the word 'interlude' from the single-page(or scene) 'digressions' from the action, which often set up a forthcoming storyline.
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Andrew Bitner
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 01 June 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 7578
Posted: 25 March 2026 at 2:06am | IP Logged | 4 post reply
Cool, thanks! 
Were there stories that didn't jell the way you wanted? I ask because I can't recall any subplots that disappeared somewhere between issues.
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John Byrne

Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 135901
Posted: 25 March 2026 at 1:45pm | IP Logged | 5 post reply
Fortunately I was usually plotting far enough ahead that I would catch such things before they became an issue.

Unlike in ELSEWHEN. Ahem.

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Brian Miller
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 28 July 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 31933
Posted: 25 March 2026 at 3:39pm | IP Logged | 6 post reply
He got better!
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Greg McPhee
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 25 August 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 5197
Posted: 25 March 2026 at 10:50pm | IP Logged | 7 post reply
Paul Levitz has some great posts you can Google about how he A, B and C plotted the Legion of Super Heroes during his run.

Then you read the stories again, and see how it all came together. 
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Andrew Bitner
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 01 June 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 7578
Posted: 26 March 2026 at 3:05am | IP Logged | 8 post reply
Appreciate the answers, JB. And thanks, Greg! I'm always interested in how writers do comics--there are lots of approaches, many ways to tell a story.
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