How to Write a Doctor Who Comic

Just fill in each page on one of these empty pagination sheets with nonsensical doodles that only you can understand – this is called a “plot.” Then join all the incidents together by writing a script. It’s easy! Why not try it at home?

... Seriously, the way these things work is as a rough visual guide to help plan and pace action and incident through a 22-page episode of Doctor Who. You might want to check these out with a copy of each of the relevant issues to hand.

The first, for Tenth Doctor #3.11 was originally intended for regular artist Giorgia Sposito when I thought we’d be working “Marvel method” with just a plot breakdown for each page which she’d illustrate and I’d dialogue later. Turned out we did it the usual method of me writing her a full script, though.

The other two were notes to self, essentially basic visual plots by way of which I work out the main beats and “page-turns” of a story. These were for specials that took place during 2017’s Lost Dimension crossover for Titan Comics, and there was a lot of story to cram into each issue.

Note the appearance of the RED TARDIS at the end there, just to remind myself what the gruesome cliffhanger was.

This one's for Tenth Doctor #3.9...

The final one is for Eleventh Doctor #3.10 and is the first and only time I've written for the eleventh Doctor and his companion Alice, which was a sojourn from my usual spot as regular writer on the tenth Doctor comics. I love writing for Tennant's Doctor, but it was huge fun to take a break from him and find the cadences and vocal mannerisms for both Matt Smith and Patrick Troughton, whose second Doctor made a cameo in this story.