Manga, a Japanese form of graphic novel, are traditionally sold in paperback form, and are much thicker than a normal comic book or graphic novel. It features a particular art style that closely resembles the Japanese "anime" aesthetic of large eyes, small mouths and elaborate hairstyles. Manga is extremely popular in Japan, with long-running series marketed to every age and demographic. Due to the diverse readership, manga stories can come in any length or genre. Writing your own short manga script should be fun and simple.
Instructions
1. Brainstorm ideas for your plot, setting and characters. Think about what kind of story you want to write. Will it be happy, thoughtful, artistic, violent, funny or informative? How will the story be told--with a single narrator or many separate narrators? Will the story focus on a single main character, or tell many stories simultaneously? Where will the story be set? When will it be set?
2. Come up with a rough plot structure. Think of a solid introduction to the story that will serve as the beginning of your script. Decide on a few major dramatic elements that will serve as the action of your story. Pay attention to the chemistry between different characters when coming up with plot points. Drama is the core of storytelling, so be sure that there are plenty of problems for your characters to solve or overcome. Try to come up with a strong climax that can help lead your manga into a satisfying conclusion.
3. Write up character sketches to help you develop the characters in your story more completely. A character sketch is a document that contains all the important information about a character's personality and history. The more information you can include, the better. Write about the character's age, appearance and cultural background. Determine your character's socioeconomic status. Write about your character's strengths and flaws. Consider your character's dreams and phobias. All of these things will motivate a character to act in certain ways. Having well-developed characters will make your story more believable, and make it easier to write dialog that is true to the personalities you are attempting to portray.
4. Draft up a storyboard for the manga. A storyboard is a rough visual outline of the manga's plot. The storyboard should contain a frame for every major action sequence in the story. Manga is a a visual medium first and foremost. The imagery that accompanies every line of text is very important to the overall readability of the manga. A storyboard will allow you to tailor your writing to the specific imagery of each panel in the manga. Storyboarding is also important for gaining an understanding of the length and pacing of your novel.
5. Write dialog that is interesting and informative. Dialog is the main vector though which your readers will understand each character. The best dialog is both informative to the reader and interesting to read. Well-written dialog can increase the dramatic effect of a scene and help your reader develop an emotional connection to each character. Make sure that lines of dialog are consistent with the character sketches.
6. Proofread your work multiple times as you revisit it. Scan for spelling and mechanical issues as you proofread. Try to read all your writing aloud to see if it flows naturally. Enlist the aid of friends and family to provide feedback on the work as you finalize it. Actively seek criticism and input regarding any areas of concern. Ask for feedback on the plot and characters to ascertain if readers are understanding concepts in the way you intend them to.
