Manga Trying to start a manga...need a little help

[Fox Heart]

ok so I'm trying to start work on a manga of my own but I'm having trouble coming up with a good story line and various names(can problem come up with some but am open to ideas).

I've got a general basses of what it's about. I want it to be a little like bloody roar, as the characters can turn into an animal (befiting the personality of the various characters). But I can't really think of a good story line I like, If I couyld just get some kind of general base for it I could work it out, but I got nothing.

Also I'll probably make the main character a fox but I was considering a lion. What do you think?

So I was wondering if you all had any ideas for me of general storyline idea I could expand on, mybe some name ideas, and what you think the main character should turn into, though it will most likely be a fox. :catgirl: thanks in advance.

[Shiros_Hime123]

hmmmmmmmmmmm.......lets see here. Let me get this straight.

You want to start a manga series of your own, but you cant think of a story line OR character names, right?

Well, I suggest you take one of the two and start with that. I am actually starting my very own manga/anime series at this moment. I started with making character sketches. As I got the hang of drawing different styles for hair, I thought of names based of what their traits were. ex: I drew a girl who had bunny ears. In japanese, usagi = bunny rabbit. So I named her Usagi-yume-chan[Dream of Bunny] I drew another with cat ears. cat=neko. Neko-yume-chan[Dream of Cat] I used "yume" / "dream" because young girls usually have dreams of what theyd want to be.

And if you take a story line first as you said you wanted it to be like Fruits Basket where they turn into animals. Think of what animals you want in the story and start drawing different ones.

Thats really all I can say, as I am not the smartest in the world. But I hope it works for you, good luck! :animesmil

[Aberinkula]

Well personaly I would make other manga storylines and see which one people like best. The idea sounds good. But have a second idea for a manga. Just in case you don't get good lift on your story. So have a second salution just in case. When I first started I had two ideas suporting one basis of my story. Should they be the egyption god or just be named it? Well actually i quit that idea for a historical fiction. But fantasy is more my feel. But you could do that with a story. 2 ideas based around the same thought. Animal transformation cool. But have two story lines based around that. When you think of a story.

[Fox Heart]

Thanks for the replies, the names I'm to worried about because I have plenty of ideas.

As for the transformation, for clarification it's not a full animal transformation but more like a werewolf would be, still stand on two legs and have a somewhat human shape to them, but with fur, scales, feathers, etc... and an animal face, tail, ears and other parts(those who play bloody roar know what I mean).

I decided to go with a fox as the main character(animal form wise)

He's calm and laid back but a quick speed oriented fighter who uses mostly kicks.
I want it to have plenty of fight scenes...

He'll have another main story character as his friend/traveling companion but I have yet to decide on his friends animal or how they are connected.

So any ideas on a animal form for his friend?
I still haven't though of a solid storyline yet...but I'll keep working on it.

Feel free to post if you have any ideas or critisism about anything. I'd like to hear it.

[Chikara Kokoro]

I think that animals like foxes, cats, dogs and wolves are used entirely too much in manga. This story concept doesn't seem like it will be different from things I've alreay read. At the very least you should choose animals that haven't been used one-hundred times.

Honestly, I believe that it's better to first come up with a character's personality, then their appearance, and then find a plot for them to fit in. Any other order usually makes the characters seem undeveloped (at least when I write).

[AnimeHeroX]

Well let's see to start you could make it where all the character animal forms are reincarnation of anicent spirits brought back to life to save the world from a evil animal sprit brought back to life by an evil force. and a [B][SIZE=4][COLOR=Red][I][U]Greater Destiny [/U] [/I] [/COLOR] [/SIZE] [/B] is set in motion. :D

[Aaryanna]

[COLOR=SeaGreen]If you are having trouble coming up with a story line I would suggest you take a different approach to developing your manga. For example you could create character sheets where in addition to coming up with their names you also write sections on appearances, special skills, background, and other information that makes up who the character is.

I?ve done a little bit of story writing myself and I find that the actual storyline and plot tends to be easier to work on once I?ve got a firm idea of the details surrounding my characters. It just makes it easier since once I?ve taken the time to develop them it seems more natural to be able to think of stuff since I know how they would react or behave.

I would guess that part of the reason you are having trouble with the storyline is you?ve yet to decide on what your characters are like or what their abilities will be, so it?s only natural that it?s hard to think of a plot line around something that hasn?t been determined yet. [/COLOR]

[Fox Heart]

Ok, some progress.

the first main character:

name:Yuki Kitsune(snow fox)
Species:half fox
abilities:various magic( tought to him by his mother)
general info: A wanderer and a thief, he has no real place to call his own. His father was a mighty fox warrior who had fallen in love with a beautifull human woman(his mother). The small forest village in which he lived was burnt to the ground by a ruthless half dragon(half dragon half human). He still remembers the look of joy on the dragons face as his family and friends died and screamed in the inferno. He was only 6 when it happened, his mother( who he had studied the old ways of magic from as a young boy) had hidden him saftely in a tree outside the village and left him as not to draw attention, she was slaughtered in front of his eyes. Not he's 16 and has no money so he steals to feed himself from day to day. Constantly searching for the man who destroyed everything he knew and loved those 10 long years ago.

Second main character:

name: Junshin Taiga(pure tiger)
Species:tiger breed
Abilities:a weapons expert
General info: Junshin grew up in small town in a canyon. The people there only had respect for those who were strong, the weak were outcast, barely reckognised by the society in which they lived. Junshin was always trying to prove himself as when he was young, but was simply outclassed. Everyone looked down on him, even his parent who used to be so kind had turned wicked and cruel to there son. So he ran away and sat out to become stronger, nomatter what the cost. He walked for days trying to find an answer to his problem. He became exhausted and callapsed at the face of a mountain. Where he was found by an old rounin who had settled down in a small home at the top. The old rounin listened to his story, saddened by Junshins past he let him live there. Teaching Junshin everything he knew of combat.

Those are the first two character(who will meet eachother early on) Thanks chicara for the advice, I'm going to use animals and creatures that aren't constantly used in everything. (except the fox)

So thats it so far, I'll post more as I think of it, please check back and tell me what yu think when I do.

[sikaurai]

Uh, oh. . . fox breed, tiger breed. . . it has potential, but um, i guess i would be biased to that opinion. crap. i already started out a book about two races: and wolf breeds were one of them. heh heh. they say that when you put a hundred monkeys in a room. . . but, anyway!!!!! I like the fact that you already have the history of the characters. . . when a character has depth, it makes the world that they live in so much easier to sink into. . . so good luck with this endeavor, and hey, I would be curious to see the accompanying art when you have it in place. I can't think of anything else intelligent to say about that.
[COLOR=DeepSkyBlue][SIZE=1][INDENT][B]sikaurai[/B], it is completely unnecessary to quote the person you are responding to when your post is the very next one. Especially when the quote is more than twice as long as your post. ~indifference[/INDENT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[emily-chan]

Well, i have an idea
You say you want the characters to be able to turn into animals. i was thinking that maybe it would add a cool element into the story if they could not turn into these animals at will. i don't know if you are into other world type things, but if someone signaled to them from another world using some sort of magical item, they would be forced into that world in their individual animal forms until they are released from service.

that was just what popped into my head. i hope its ok.

[gee-man]

Hm...
Well, so far, my little bit of constructive criticism is that the characters seem a little too cliched. The main character whose village was destroyed (Tales of Symphonia anyone?), the side character who wants to prove himself to his people...I like the concepts so far, but it's a little...too normal.

I mean, obviously, the main character has to be someone that people can identify with, but for all the side characters and villains and stuff, make them eccentric, or different, or just something that stands out. Like...lemme think...Oh! Here's a quick example of a character I think might stand out a bit.

A monkey who works at a government office. But his dream was to become a great performer and travel the land. When he was a kid, he always practiced acrobatics, juggling, and many other performer skills. But he was too afraid to take the chance and got a normal job instead. Then he could join the band of characters in a desire to see the world that he regretted never seeing on his own.

Well, that's just me, and I think your manga would be cool, but just make the characters a little more different and something that'll stand out. Also, don't have too many foxes, wolves, and cats. All are way overused. Try something different, like a bunny, or a monkey, or possum. A possum...now that would be kinda cool...

[Mei Mei]

I think a raccon would be cool.

Maybe as like a theif or something because when she/he transformed they have this mask. Just an idea.

I really like the idea... I might try to do something like that someday... I want to work on my drawing a little more first. I can draw then stanging still, but mangas they tend to move around a little so I have to work on that.

Mei Mei

[makuno]

Ah, at the moment. I've been making my own maga also.

What you could maybe use is, they were experiments from a lab.

Somehow, a few of them escaped. So they're travling the world to find out who they were before the experiment.

The main would be a fox/human. As you said.
You could combine a few more, like...
Dog/human, falcon/human, snake/human...Stuff like that.
But I'd limit the main characters to [SIZE=3]3[/SIZE]

I could give you a sketch, providing some ideas...If you wanted.

[Waterbender]

[quote name='Fox Heart'] I'm having trouble coming up with a good story line and various names(can problem come up with some but am open to ideas).[/quote]
I'm making my own too, but I can never think of names. I had to ask other people as well. Sorry!
I do have some hints however:
[quote name='Fox Heart']. But I can't really think of a good story line I like, If I couyld just get some kind of general base for it I could work it out, but I got nothing.[/quote]
In mine, there are two tribes and one is tying to conquer the other, kind of like the Fire Nation in Avatar. Conflicting People is my favorite type of story line. Another one of my favorite typs of story lines, is where they get sent out on a dangerous mission (slay dragon, find a missing artifact, etc.) and then have a twist. (i.e. an unknown enemy) Those two are my favorite types of story lines

[quote name='Fox Heart']Also I'll probably make the main character a fox but I was considering a lion. What do you think?[/quote]
I fox would be my choice, but you [I]are[/I] making it. A lion vs. fox is a hard choice (Strentgh versus Stealth) Fox would be my choice, but like I said you are the one making it, it all comes down to what [I]you[/I] want

[Guest Shell100x]

Hey I planed on making a manga with my friends in it. I thought I would have them create there own chariter you know how they look and diferent personality trates so on so forth and create a story based on what they give me does that sound like a good idea or not I'm not sure if I should go forward with my plan or not. What do you guys think of my idea.

[Mei Mei]

I do the same thing with some of my friends too.

I think it's a cool Idea, though it's not my right to decied.

Mei Mei

[Guest Shell100x]

Well I tried it and they like the idea they want me to make it a ninja theme (man I hope I dont mess up).

[musiQ_Q]

the fox character triggered a memory of 'The fox and the grapevine' story.
Bascially, a hungry fox stares up at a ripe and juicy grape punnet. However, he cannot reach it no matter how hard he tries. Finally, the fox gives up and assures himself that the grapes were sour anyway.

nostalgic story. perhaps you could do something with it.