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I've been writing manga ever since my freshman year in high school. True, the first stuff I did was not anything to look at (my parents refuse to let me burn them so that no one can ever view them again), but it was definitely a start, and along the way, I started becoming a competent writer. Of course, I'm still working at it, even now, in my fourth year of college, but I'm proud to say that my stuff, with a little push, could now probably pass for professional grade work.

Most of my stories start as ideas that tickle the back of my mind. Some of them I got from playing video games, while others came from watching the people around me. Still other concepts were thought up from simply playing around. So never underestimate the power of goofing off- some of my best ideas came from what most people would think of as frivolous pastimes.

Usually, once I have a basic idea, I start working on the story by drawing character concepts, so then I can let the characters themselves suggest the plot. In turn, the plot often helps shape the characters, and together, the ideas evolve until I like the result. I really enjoy doing it this way, since the plot isn't forced upon the characters, and I end up with better material to write and draw. I try to draw my characters for each story in a slightly different style, partially because some styles might not work for certain stories, but mostly because it would be boring always drawing the same style for each manga.

When I have the basic concept of a storyline and characters in rough shape, I start refining my characters, which is probably the part that I like the most, because such interesting traits can emerge at this stage. I start jotting down hobbies and personality quirks that might be entertaining, and I pick the ones that I think work best with each character. I've come up with some very interesting- and often hilarious- combinations that, in the end, made my characters and story all the more engaging.

I never write out a script of the plot- it makes things seem predictable and planned-out. I find I get far better results by making the story up as I go, with a mental outline to keep things on track. Instead of using a keyboard to write, I draw everything in thumbnails, so I can see how the picture will look and what kind of panels I will use. If I like how it works out, I might redraw it to see if I can make it even better. If I don't like it, I sulk for a while, then start over with the thumbnails.

That's pretty much how I work, though things aren't always in neat little stages like how I described it- some ideas might come spontaneously and full-formed, and with others, I have to work for months to get a story to click. Right now, I have one manga in the storyboard stage, one where I'm still working on the plot, and one somewhat completed story that I haven't sketched out yet, because I'm too busy working on the other two. I'll get them out eventually, and when I do, my buddies here on Gaia will most likely be the first to see them.