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Have you ever wondered how to write a manga? Well here are some basic tips to get you started.
Steps
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Come up with a plot that interests you. It can be romance, adventure, action, comedy or a mix of everything. -
Try to write it out before you actually draw it so you don't later change your mind and have to draw the whole thing over again.Advertisement -
Make sure you know the objective of the story. This cannot be stressed enough. -
Be sure to know where your story is going, and what the goal of the characters are. If you don't have an objective, then your story will probably be spiraling into all different directions, and your readers will be completely lost. -
Once you know where your story is going, try to sum up your story in one sentence. For example, if you summed up a story titled 'Death Note', it would probably be something like, 'A cursed notebook causes a young man, who is being chased by a private detective, to kill criminals of the world.' If you can do this, writing the story will be a breeze. -
Make sure you know exactly where the setting is and the basic knowledge about that place. If your setting is make-believe, then make sure you think of some history that happened there and some areas around it. If it's a real place like Japan, wiki it and see your results. Use some of that information in your manga. -
Come up with some characters to populate your fantasy world. Make a protagonist and an antagonist, and state their likes and dislikes, fears, and especially their history. Remember, all characters should be 3-D, not 2-D. What this means is that make the character do things unpredictable. Maybe they have an oddity about them? For example, maybe they're clumsy or have a really bad temper or obsessed with their hair? It's completely up to you. Remember, your characters basically make the whole story. Every story has at least one main character and one person or thing who opposes them, as well as a supporting cast. Give everyone different appearances so that you can distinguish them at a glance. This can be especially useful if you're not that good at drawing. Making characters really challenges your creative side, but can be really fun! -
Try to practice drawing your setting and your characters all interacting together before you begin your manga. If you're not that good at drawing, then try to find someone who is. You could write the story, and the other person could draw it out. Many mangas have been written like this, including Death Note. But, your story has to be really good if you want a really good artist. And, also, make sure you do not to suddenly change the plot line or else your artist might get stressed out from all the drawing and redrawing he/she has to do. And you probably don't want that, right? -
Use a manga to make a manga. Many people use mangas as a How to Draw manga. It's always good to get into a manga, or into a manga-mindset, before you work. Just don't plagiarize.
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Community Q&A
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QuestionCan I write a Manga if I am not Japanese?Community AnswerYou can. Manga in this sense is just referring to the style of drawing.
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QuestionShould I also watch anime?Community AnswerAnime is usually based off of manga. However, it can sometimes get the style across easier and faster than manga can. If anime interests you, then definitetly. Still, reading the actual manga is recommended.
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QuestionHow do I write the plot to a manga comic?Community AnswerStart with a basic idea or genre for the manga you want to create. Then try to expand on it by creating basic characters and worlds in your mind. Start with one simple sentence that explains the plot and expand on it, adding new characters. After this, write all the ideas down, make sense of them, and tie them together to make your own manga plot.
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Tips
- Sketch FIRST then go onto to final draft paper and materials it makes a whole lot of a difference.Thanks
- Think of good plots in your free time.Thanks
- Vary the layout on each page; the same old panel setup over and over gets repetitive.Thanks
Tips from our Readers
The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
- Before you plan to create a full-length manga, try to make a good one-shot short story. This will help you gain some experience and add more to your portfolio to show eventual publishers.
- If you don’t feel like writing an original story, try making a manga based off of your favorite fairy tales or books.
- If you are planning on coloring your manga, try adding colorful hair and interesting eye colors to liven up your art.
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Warnings
- Don't copy someone else's work!- You don't want to be sued for copyright issues!Thanks
- Be patient if someone doesn't like your ideas. Maybe it's time to go back to the drawing board, or maybe you have something really great, but it's just not their cup of tea. The Harry Potter series and the Twilight series were both rejected by over ten publishers each, but now look at how popular they are!Thanks
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