THE SOURCE: How do you write the first line of a new series? PAUL CORNELL: Just dive in, I'll rewrite it later anyway. How do you introduce a new hero? I like to give them a big hero shot, like the Horsewoman in DEMON KNIGHTS #1 gets a big cinematic entrance. How do you introduce characters? In action, usually, then we'll get to know them when we're interested. How do you introduce a new villain? Through their actions. They can't just talk in a bad way, they have to be seen to do bad. What was the first comic you ever worked on? Doctor Who Magazine. Who was the first character you followed? Probably the Bash Street Kids in the Beano. Who was the first writer you followed? Consciously, I think Chris Claremont, but way before that Stan Lee was all I knew about anything. Who was the first artist you followed? George Perez. I used to try and draw the moon like he did! What was the first convention you attended as a fan? The Longleat Doctor Who Experience! What was the first convention you attended as a professional? It must have been one of the Bristol Comics Expos, or the Gallifrey con in LA. Kind of slipped easily between the categories without thinking about it, business as usual. What was the first comic book you read? It would have been an issue of Pippen and Playhour. Get your British Auntie to look it up. What was your first job in the comic book industry? Co-writing a short 7th Doctor strip in Doctor Who Magazine. On your creative process: Initially, I'll plot out a story arc, just saying in a couple of paragraphs what happens in each issue. Most editors are happy, once we've worked that back and forth, for me to go from that to writing an issue. Sometimes for my own use I'll write the numbers one to twenty down the side of a piece of paper, then a quick few words about happens on each page of the issue, often starting by working out how much space I need for the ending. I'll often have a scene or a line in mind for many issues before finding the right place to use it. I keep those on my iPad.