Juggling Words and Pictures

As I near the completion of draft one (which consists entirely of text; no drawings or layout yet) I'm contemplating how to proceed with stage two of creating this graphic novel. Part of me wants to stick entirely to editing text and NOT yet experiment with panel sizes, shapes, and "timing" (the space between panels represents the passage of time).

On the other hand, stumbling upon this page from King Ottokar's Scepter got my creative juices flowing.

Just look at how evocative the "wide angle" shot is! Instead of Bianca Castafiore, I can see Mr. Q standing in front of a class of students. Visual imagining taps a different region of my brain than the "text writing" region. (I'm not good at playing the "name that cortex" game....the precise labels for brain regions is of little use in my work as therapist or artist; besides neuroscience geeks, who really needs to know the difference between an nucleus accumbens, visual cortex, prefrontal cortex, insula, or amygdala?).

After handwriting text on large sheets of paper (First Draft) I enter the dialog into a Publisher page divided up into six evenly sized panels (Second Draft). You can see these on display in old posts on this blog. The repetition will be maddening to readers (and me!) so the possibility of combining panels is exciting.

BUT...if I indulge the "tweak the layout" part of my brain too soon I may short change the "tweak the words" part of my brain. It's taking all my will power to say NO to the visual part and stick to the language part. Once the second draft of text is complete I will rearrange panels; until then I purpose to work entirely on dialog.  I want the dialog to "stand alone" for the time being, unaffected by pictures. Once complete THEN I will indulge the sweet symbiosis of blending words and pictures. Ahhh.....the anticipation is killing me!