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Thanks for the advice, OP!

Whenever I'm starting out, I tend to just doodle. Whatever comes out of my pen is the starting point for me, then.
I draw the characters first, interacting with each other. I can then analyse my own work and pick out personalities for them.
The plot comes next. This is the thing I find hardest - getting an original idea. People say: "oh, draw what you know" ...but what do I know? Manga? No, that's been done! Uhh.. DDR? That's been done too! Maybe I could combine the two? A manga about a manga about DDR? No, that just sounds stupid.
By this point, I usually give up on ideas, and just draw more. Ideas come when you least expect them, and more than once, i've had to scrub writing off my arm, after returning home, because I couldn't find any paper to write ideas down on!

Maybe try using your everyday life. Anything funny happen during your day that could make others laugh? Sure, it sounds strange to put your social life into a manga, but if an audience can relate to your work, they might enjoy it more.

Or try combining ideas! Okay, so you loved reading 'Bleach'? Well, what made it a good manga? If you liked the use of swords, why not put that into your own manga? But not everybody in 'Bleach' has a sword... so lets say, in your manga, every single person does.
Now what else? Okay, so you liked 'FullMetal Alchemist' and the quest for the Philospher's stone.. so lets have your character looking for something... (I'm not saying that this is a good idea, though. Any manga which is too repetitive, with characters searching for endless pieces of something for volumes on end, might make for tedious reading, and lose fans).
So what can he look for? A sword? His friend? I know, a missing person!
So far we have a lot of people with swords. The setting? Modern-day or set in the past? Hell, even the future! Why not?
Let's chuck a school in there, too.

A school to train kids to use swords. Maybe these swords have special significance to the owner of them. Maybe the main character's sword has been passed through his family for generations. Maybe his teacher disapears one day, and it is up to the class to find him.

This is off the top of my head just now. It's entirely possible that something very similar has already been done, but of course I don't know every single manga out there, so I wouldn't know. *laughs* xD


One other thing. Everybody has flaws. Please, please PLEASE, don't make your character into a Mary Sue/Gary Stu! I can see the character in this idea being one of the worst fighters in his class. He's got a strong sense of justice, and he'll always stick up for those weaker than him, but he's teased a lot because of the old sword he has, and because he can't use it. Give your characters weaknesses as well as strong points. It will make them much more believable, and easier for the reader to relate to.

mm. Just my ideas!

Anyway, I hope this helps somebody.. maybe?


~ Cat

Ps, oh yeah, my first day here! Nice to meet everybody!

i fell un-emo now ^^