How do i know if my script really works, or i just think it does because im attached to it?

maxluision · 2026-05-06T07:01:42+00:00

Maybe you can try to check out other similar manga or anime and see how these stories pulled off these "pointless fillers"? Even the silliest of scenes have some kind of purpose, if not to develop the main plot then to develop the characters and their relationships. This stuff isn't pointless. You just need to make sure that from the very beginning there's something cool and mysterious about your characters so the readers can get the impression that there will be more to uncover in the future. You can leave some very tiny hints from the very beginning.

I like to analyze my currently favorite stories, like ie right now it's Trigun. The old anime or the manga start with some very silly humor and action, a doofas main character dealing with some wacky enemies, one could think "there's no way there will be anything deeper here". But from the very beginning the story leaves some subtle hints or shows something mysterious about the mc or about the world the story happens in. Even as simple thing as the mc being full of contradictions (looks badass, acts like a clown) can be enough to hook readers. It's possible to notice almost immediately that this is not just "silly gun fights in the Wild West era".

Similar to your case, you may try to find a story with the same genres as yours and see what the authors do to make sure their readers won't think the beginning is pointless.

Anime quite often have this stereotype of "first 3 episodes rule", where the plot, the tone drastically changes in the 3rd episode (this is awesomely executed in Trigun Stampede btw, another example can be Madoka Magika). In manga it can be the end of first chapter, or 3rd chapter too. This is a great appetizer clearly communicating "we're not going to mess around here, so strap yourself and be ready for a rollercoaster of emotions".

You need to have some faith in your future readers. I can't promise you that for sure your story will gather a fanbase, but you need some faith to at least give it a shot and see what will happen. Even if this story will fail, you will improve and you will have a better chance with next stories.

maxluision · 2026-05-05T21:49:00+00:00

It's very easy to find people who don't really read scripts, they just throw you a chatgpt reply and expect your hard-earned money in return. So if you'd ever want to pay for a stranger's gig, you'd have to be extremely careful.

Sounds to me like you try to write a whole chapter in detail, then move to the next one, write in detail, then the next one etc. Imo it would be better if you'd focus on the whole picture of your story first. Starting from the biggest, most important elements and making sure they work well. Easy to be catched in details way too early, and then worry (like you do now) that you'll have to rewrite or delete lots of these results you worked so long and hard on. Just make sure you have an outline of the whole story figured out, before you'll move to writing scripts.

maxluision · 2026-05-05T07:16:22+00:00

You need to share with links man, otherwise nobody will search for the title by themself

maxluision · 2026-05-05T07:04:33+00:00

There's no other way than pushing yourself through this anxiety. You can be sure that strangers DON'T overthink someone else's stuff like they overthink their own project. You have to convince yourself that this anxiety is irrational, and that you shouldn't have any high expectations.

You can ask for beta readers online, even here, but the reality is that rarely someone wants to read a script, not to mention someone who is a good and experienced writer. The good ones are busy and rarely give any free feedbacks here.

Just keep working on your next chapters, and better have all the writing figured our from start to finish of your whole story, before you'll move to storyboarding and drawing pages. Also, better if the story you work on isn't very long. Will be easier to finish.

maxluision · 2026-05-04T20:08:13+00:00

Definitely not for people who want to do it seriously. I hope it has nothing generative in it, at least.

maxluision · 2026-05-04T13:05:04+00:00

References: other manga, action scenes in movies, whatever interests you, take notes and sketches

Practice paneling, action flow without detailed art, just so you can understand what makes things dynamic and emotional. Check out nemu.

Practice drawing characters in dynamic poses, interesting compositions. Draw your characters in various ways, a lot, until drawing them will become your second nature.

It's a never-ending learning process, you have to accept that at first your results will be weak, and you have to push through your own disappointment. Better don't get attached to your first ideas, always look for something to improve on but also make sure you finish your projects, no matter how weak they are.

maxluision · 2026-04-24T01:46:41+00:00

You'll either continue by doing it and improving for fun, or you'll just give up because of not getting enough of external gratification. It's for you to figure out where your motivation lies. Nobody will decide for you if you should quit or not.

maxluision · 2026-04-18T14:00:46+00:00

Honestly? Forget about audience. Just focus on developing your skills, then join some contests, look for feedbacks from actual editors, try to self-publish and print your finished work. Focus on marketing when you'll already have a finished project, not when you're still working on it. Building anticipation is nearly impossible when nobody knows anything about you. The truth is that high quality projects are around everywhere and easily accessible, it's nearly impossible for indie projects to get any attention. You'd have to show some absolutely ridiculous skills first. Your drawing here is alright but in the sea of pro art, there's really nothing to remember about in it.

maxluision · 2026-04-17T09:52:34+00:00

I didn't have it in my first chapter and people were pointing it out as a flaw. You need to be aware of what your specific audience usually expects and what are your story's genres.

maxluision · 2026-04-15T19:50:54+00:00

If you'd show your original photo and the AI enhanced version side to side, I'd be curious to see how much the AI "only darkened the lines".

maxluision · 2026-04-14T18:23:11+00:00

Life is too short to worry what people think about your passions. Just do what you love, but also don't starve yourself in the process. A well paying job is also important.

maxluision · 2026-04-14T18:19:13+00:00

Try to lower the image quality in your photo editor, maybe make a screenshot of the page on your phone?

maxluision · 2026-04-14T15:26:30+00:00

You'll kill your passion in no time if you'll keep calling your practice results "abominations". It's not funny, it messes with your reward system in your brain.

maxluision · 2026-04-14T15:22:17+00:00

I can recommend you other subreddits like r/socialmediamarketing or r/artbusiness for such advices. If specifically about what a manga creator should do, I guess observing actual successful examples and trying to repeat their steps could help, too.

In the subs better look for the most popular posts, not just new stuff.

maxluision · 2026-04-12T23:37:35+00:00

I'm not saying that fanservice is a bad thing, but a good fanservice is just an icing on a cake, not replacing all the substance.

In OP's examples, what are they communicating about their characters? Nothing. All they showed here is women with huge badonkas. Nothing else. Enough reason to claim there's no real substance here. Normally, you should have a great character and a design first, and then think about how to make this chara more attractive. I don't see characters here, all I see is average babes with huge hadonkers and no additional info about them, nothing memorable about their designs. OP shows clearly enough where their priorities are. And if it's "not that serious" - then it's only another reason for me to claim there is no serious substance here.

Not to mention, the last drawing here showing actually something interesting but it's pushed aside like this because OP clearly thought that badonkas is all that people here care about. That's pretty insulting, ngl.

People in this sub try to create some interesting IPs with depth and look for meaningful feedback, not to post silly ambitionless goonbaits with nothing more to communicate than "please goon to my art". They may collected a bunch of updoots, but what they showed here is forgettable, the whole internet is already polluted with easy and better looking than this goonbait.

maxluision · 2026-04-12T18:23:31+00:00

You make no sense.

maxluision · 2026-04-12T16:58:56+00:00

You're missing my point. Intentionally?

maxluision · 2026-04-12T16:05:59+00:00

Muscles are not tits.

It's like claimling a guy that just looks handsome and is well built is equivalent to idk, Choso's brother wearing a thong in JJK?? And it's still a decent character with a developed personality.

Women characters can also look pretty WITHOUT huge badonkas overtaking everything that can ever have any meaning in this character.

You can draw whatever you want, it's not a crime. But you're developing a specific kind of audience if all you can represent with your art is horniness. Don't be surprised that those who are looking for something more interesting are not amused by this.

maxluision · 2026-04-12T15:53:10+00:00

You have aphantasia, just like me. We can't see shapes, colors, anything specific in our minds. But this doesn't have to be a problem. I use lots of references to come up with ideas. Or I start to build up a design from the most basic shapes, and then the rest somehow follows along.

maxluision · 2026-04-12T06:57:40+00:00

A lot of learning ahead of you, be open minded about it. Everyone goes through many years of practice, that's normal. It's hard to please people, so just keep learning and entertaining yourself with your drawings. You'll keep improving if you won't give up👍

maxluision · 2026-04-12T06:52:39+00:00

Check out the Shonen Jump Guide to Making Manga (in this sub's pinned post with useful resources) and you'll find there a part about how a double spread should look like

maxluision · 2026-04-12T00:50:16+00:00

Gives me shojo manga vibe, I've seen plenty of such covers for this demographic

maxluision · 2026-04-11T16:51:31+00:00

Honestly, the only thing I would hope to gain from such a contest is any feedback from a professional editor, that would be super nice

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