i'm making a graphic novel

My research before I begin means reading some amazing content.

Thanks to Rebekkah Lowell and her awesome twitter #pbchat suggestion to keep a style guide. I'll be using this to develop the objects and items in my world building.

Using the "Beat Clock" from Janice Hardy's blog to help us put together our plot.

Holy moly.
Yes. I'm officially doing it.
Actually, it's been official for about a month now, but I'm deep in it now and there's no turning back.
I wouldn't want to turn back. In fact, I've never been so excited in my entire life.
Why?  Because I think I've finally found the perfect project for me.
I've been working at making it back into the picture book industry for years. After working in animation as a character designer for a few years, I left the industry to work at home and segued into illustrating picture books for Simon & Schuster. But these books were all Nickelodeon properties, which were AMAZING to work on, but they weren't my properties. They weren't MY stories. They weren't MY characters. They were Nickelodeon's.
I had been wanting to illustrate my own personal stories and my own character designs for years when I finally, finally, finally got an agent to represent me. It took several years longer than I thought it would. The problem was that even though I knew I could draw well, I didn't really know how to create illustrations specifically for children's books with my own style. I had to learn a lot about creating picture book illustrations and how to build a narrative in my work. I had to learn that an appealing illustration had to have room to breathe, had to evoke an emotional response, and had to make the viewer interested in the story behind the image. 
So, once I learned all that, I found an agent who was willing to take a chance on me. 
I've been with Rachel Orr of the Prospect Agency for about a year now and she's thankfully kept me busy with projects since signing on with her.
Now, one of the projects I want to start is going to be the biggest one I've ever done. But I'm ready.
I've learned so much about storytelling. I've storyboarded. I've designed characters. I've designed backgrounds. I've taught perspective. I've learned about cinematic compositions, color theory, lighting design, ahhhhhh….I think I know how to do everything I need to know to make an actual graphic novel. Now, let's see if I can just pull it off.
Oh, what about the writing? The story? Can I actually write a strong enough story that would be interesting that anyone would want to read? Well, I would like to think that I could, but I have some help. And that's what makes all of this so perfect. 
I'm partnering with a writer who has dreamed of writing a project like this for as long as I've known him.
I can't wait to share our process with all of you.
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More to come!

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Helpful links I've found in my process:
Picture Book Chat #pbchat on Twitter
Joyce Sweeney's Plot Clock and Writing Coaching
10 Things to Know Before You Start A Graphic Novel
Rebekkah Lowell's Illustration site