"It can't just happen, it has to happen in an interesting way." You know...that is probably the best advice I've ever heard.

Just to summarize, mainly for myself... 1. Show, Don't Tell. 2. Don't Always Go with the First Idea that Pops Inside Your Head. 3. Consider the Reader's Experience at All Times 4. - (Apparently he skipped 4, I didn't even notice the first time I went through this video.) - 5. Give Each Character a Specific Way of Speaking 6. It Can't Just Happen, It Has To Happen In an Interesting Way 7. Work Out Your Ending. (Try to Figure our What your Ending is Before You Write the Story) 8. Think About What the Reader Will Expect, and Do Something Different. 9. Be Aware of the Passive Protagonist. - ( By the way, he labeled this as 8 again. xD) - 10. Give the Readers Information, Just Before They Need It. - (Labeled as 9) - 11. If It's Not Working, Be Willing to Toss It Out. - (Labeled as 10) -

I've learned so much from you. I feel like I've received a free college education just from your youtube channel. Thank you.

As an artist who would like to at some point throw my hat in the comics ring, I honestly find these type of videos super helpful. There are plenty of drawing tutorials out there, I've tried doing a couple myself, but writing is such hard thing to wrap one's head around and it's really inspiring to hear someone with experience in the field talk about it. Awesome video and I hope you'll do more on this topic!

I haven't even touched a copy of Brody's ghost, but from this, I can tell it has a well-crafted story.

That example with Brody in the pawnshop...Has convinced me to buy the series. Awesome writing!

I prefer these kind of vids. I find them more helping than how to draw. Thanks a lot

One of the rare videos where all the writing tips are valuable and translatable to other storytelling forms (especially 6 and 7). This guy knows what he's talking about.

You are really a great teacher .

Mark sounds like he could be a good voice actor, the way he's voices his characters as an example of speech, really makes you think he can ^w^ very helpful video

Just to add to this thread, here are the most important, critical tips I've ever heard regarding creative writing: 1. Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted. 2. Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for. 3. Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water. 4. Every sentence must do one of two things-reveal character or advance the action. 5 Start as close to the end as possible. 6. Be a sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them-in order that the reader may see what they are made of. 7. Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia. 8. Give your readers as much information as possible as soon as possible. To heck with suspense. Readers should have such complete understanding of what is going on, where and why, that they could finish the story themselves, should cockroaches eat the last few pages. -Taken from Kurt Vonnegut's 8 Basics of Creative Writing

That pawn shop scene really hooked me

My birthday is coming up. You have inspired me so much, and Im getting your books for my birthday. ALL OF THEM. Thank you, Mark.

I have the rare habit of putting on videos like this while I'm drawing, just long videos of somebody talking about drawing, and I pick up something and try to use it in the drawing I'm making, and it really helps me in some sort of way to keep drawing and not to put away my pencils and do something else. So thank you for making these kind of videos :)

I read Akiko back when I was in Elementary School. A wave of Nostalgia just hit me after that. You are awesome.

actually pausing video bc laughing "EXPLAINO" omg love it I'm so using this

You're not going to do videos like this very often? How disappointing! This is actually valuable advice for anyone who wants to be a creator. You need to be able to tell a story and having an understanding of story telling will make you a better artist, video editor, writer, story teller in general. I actually hope you do at least one or two more videos because this is just great advice by far. Thanks for the video!

I'm not a manga artist myself but i do write short stories,nothing to big since i'm only in high school and i found almost all of this advice extremely helpful. I am positive that it is going to help me as a writer.

This helped me! I may not be writing a comic, but I'm trying to write a book. My problem is to get my characters interesting and not get bored with it. I believe the tips helped me get ideas :) You're amazing!

I've been watching the playlist "How to Make Comics / Manga" and am really enjoying it. So many great tips. I just wanted to point out how helpful they are to me and am glad that you invested the time to make them.

I love the voice you did for Akiko, just perfect XD

Mr. Crilley: I'm a Graphic Designer from Bolivia who really enjoys drawing manga and I've been collecting "How to Draw Manga" for a few years now, and I wanted to say that after watching lots of your videos I have to tell you that your work is absolutely remarcable and that both your method of drawing and your whole approach to the Manga Style are the best ones I have ever seen. I just got both of your Mastering Manga books and let me tell you that, after looking through it my passion for drawing has been rekindled. Let me congratulate you for the amazing job you are doing and to let you know that your art has reached places in the world that, perhaps, you didn't know it had. Keep up the good work!!!

Anytime I see a video from you, I stop everything I do, curl up in bed, and get ready to watch a masterpiece. :)

I like that you used your past mistakes as positives to help your audience with their writing 💙

4:00 I would say due to the fact that there Isn't text, it kind of expresses how much he is in shock of the situation - kind of like to show that the scene is speechless (though I'm sure you've talked about this before)

oh my god?? you helped me so much in my childhood 😭😭 i know this was posted 8 years ago but seeing your work again made me scream. i cant wait to check out the rest of your stuff and learn from you again 😭💗💗

This was amazingly helpful, unlike most generic storytelling tips I've stumbled upon. Thank you so much!

Mark Im 33 and used to love drawing but due to circumstances in life had moved away from this creative side of me, having stumbled upon your videos I have found myself inspired and have started formulating ideals for my own manga, I just wanted to thank you for all your work and words of encouragement, I have picked up a copy of your Mastering Manga 2 and am now eagerly awaiting part 3, keep up the awesome work !

Even though I make animations (not comics), this video still applies to me as animation is a story telling medium. Besides, we essentially create comics with storyboards anyays. Thanks for making this video, I've started making an animated show and I'm almost to the point of writing episode scripts. This helped a ton. :)

Love these ideas. I can understand all this and have applied these things before but hearing it from someone else helps. Hearing these thoughts gives me direction plus listening to others seems to be helpful to me more than listening to myself.

Please do more videos like this mark. This has opened my eyes to some many things I can improve on! It's was extremely helpful!!

Thanks, Mark! These type of videos help me a lot with my graphic novel creating skills! Hope to see more of videos like these in the near future!

I've been watching a ton of your tip videos and I must say they are fantastic. I really enjoy your examples even though some may see it as just self promotion. Very professional and informative.

Awesome video. I think I learned something today :D Random tangent: Named a female ghost-type Pokemon I caught after Talia :)

You've got a very logical approach to storytelling, exposition etc. I always appreciate hearing your insights and methods

These are really good reminders for my comic writting as well. Working on my 3rd chapter now, so the timing is perfect.

To a new author this is gold!

Please make writing videos like this more often! It's extremely helpful!

Mark Crilly I just have to say that you are such an inspiration! You have been such a great teacher and you've made me a better artist even more than anyone else has!

Mark Crilley, you are amazing. Thank you so much for all the videos from the how to draws to videos like this one. You are a great help to so many people so thank you for everything. I'm so glad that I found your channel.

This is SO helpful! Thank you!

Thanks for this vid. It helped me so much since I'm working on writing my manga now. ^u^ Ur amazing Mark-Sempai!!!!

Ugh yes, JUST the video I needed! I'm getting my own graphic novel script edited soon and this helped a lot! Thanks!

Great! I love this video! It shows what you shoul do before the start. It's very important to see if your story is going to live at all, so you have to work hard analyzing and thinking.

I think this is one of my favorite videos by Crilley.

can you do a video on ideas for clothing your characters can wear and how it can fit their personaliteis.

This was definitely a blessing. Getting ready to start a series of my own and I've learned a lot from this.

Thank you. You're video has helped me devised a plan for my story. I've read some of your books and I'm a bit of a fan of your work like Planet Smoo. I'm currently making a manga and just happened to stumble upon your video. Once again, many thanks!!

I really admire you mr crilley Kinda feel as if I'm back in school and I'm a student and your a teacher.

Mark this is very helpfull!! i've recently started to write my own comic and some of this tips i knew but some of them are fresh new to me and i have to say, gonna have to toss away some stuff i had coming. You're very inspiring master to me, keep it up as always!

I love to draw, and write, but I've never been able to conceive of a way to join them together effectively. Thanks for sharing your tips with us, Mark! You're one of the best.

That was very helpful, particularly with examples thank you so much. The pawn shop sequence from Brody's ghost also blew me away.

Very interesting video! I'm not even a writer - nor do I plan to be, but I found this video very entertaining and enlightening. I read a lot of manga, and from the points you illustrated I could think back to specific manga accounts that used your advice well, or that utilized it poorly and I think after watching this video I understand a bit more why I like the manga I like and why certain scenes work or don't work. I love your regular videos, but I hope to see more like this in the future! It's a breath of fresh air.

I am sooo glad you went with Anra instead of an amulet! She is my favorite character in the series! I know that she doesn't even speak throughout, but I love how she has her own thoughts and feelings, she's not just a cutesy pet (even if she is adorable), and she has real influence on the plot. I love her design, how her expressions work, the way she moves, I have sketched her so many times, just OMG I want a hold spirit! Thank you!

Thanks for the video! I plan to start writing/drawing stories of my own and stories with my friends and family, and I found this video as well as the one about making unique characters very helpful! Again, thank you!

This video helped me so much writing the story of one of my projects, I have seen a lot of this kind of videos, but only this one has different tips and a interesting point of view, plus it's really helpful when you introduce examples to explain better what you mean. Thanks for you hard work and dedication making this type of videos 😌

I'm in 5th grade so no one thinks I can make comics but I want to start should I??

It can't just happen. It has to happen interestingly... I'm going to remember that.

Thanks a lot Mark, I was one of those asking for advice on writing as well. This was great.

Thank you for this wonderful video, Mark! I'll be sure to keep these tips in mind when continuing with my own writing. I hope you make more of them.

Thanks Mr.Crilley! I am trying to make a comic and I watched some of your videos on how to make a comic and I think I am all set, thanks to you! But... how did you get an editor?

I have an example for the second tip: I am writing the story for a comic. Guess how many times I changed the story. 17 times and counting. I'm super excited about my work. I'm only 11. How did I decide to make a comic? This guy named Mark Crilley😃

I really enjoyed this video as I have been for a while now developing a character and this has just reminded me of my intentions with her. So thanks for making a video like this and I can assure you I will be telling one of my friends about this as she wants to write a graphic novel!

The best video for a long weeks. Thank you, Mark!

did anyone notice that mark skipped 4

I can't wait for Brody's ghost book 6! I bet its gonna be EPIC!!!! Is it true that its coming out in April?

I only just now remembered how much Mark has inspired me in my life choices, and how to do it right. I had a couple of these problems and you simply covered each one perfectly :D Thanks a tonne

Hi Mark! Okay, so I can imagine you get stuff like this a lot, but you're amazing. Every video you make about drawing, every book about drawing, every Manga, they all shock me. It's incredible how somebody can draw like that, imagine plots like that, imagine characters, make dialogue, character design. I mean, you have mastered every style and every angle. I have all of your books, I watch your videos every day and i always try to learn from you. You're an amazing teacher, too! I've learned a lot from you, and everything you do leaves me breathless. I can't even imagine you'll read this, but I just wanted to tell you how important you are to me, to everybody. You're my role model and influence. Thank you so much!

Any suggestions for making believable antagonists? I usually come up with a plot first, but I find that I don't really know why they are even doing the things that they are doing... Other than to fuel the plot!

So are the words in the speech bubles typed or written?

I just recently bought your 2nd Mastering Manga book and I can't even put into words how great and helpful it is. It made me get back into drawing again. Thanks so much! :D

I'm not in the comic book business (I write screenplays) but this is probably the best advice on storytelling I've seen so far, you're really a great guy/artist/teacher, thank you a lot

DOMO....and DO MO'

*VAWEE USEFALL IN DEED! =D* ⁽ᵒᶠ ᶜᵒᵘʳˢᵉ ᵇᵃᵈ ᵍʳᵃᵐᵐᵃʳ ᵃᶰᵈ ˢᵖᵉᶫᶫᶦᶰᵍ ʷᵃˢ ᶦᶰᵗᵉᶰᵗᶦᵒᶰᵃᶫ⁾

I keep hearing about your books, Brody's Ghost and such through your videos, and my curiosity about them and their story keeps increasing. Just looking at the few pages you've shown in this video, I already like the art style and am interested in what it might be about. Also, I love the way you break down each idea in regards to actually writing stories. It's simple and easy to understand, but also extremely enlightening. w00t

These are my favorites crilldog! Would love a brainstorming session video.

Does anyone else notice it goes from 3 to 5? lol

I wonder if one could read all of the Brody's Ghost books just by going through each video and finding the right pages.

Great video, Mark! I for one would appreciate more writing videos. I often hit road blocks with my stories and your advice has helped me out a lot with that! Thank you so much! You're amazing!

Thanks for the tips , your attitude and they way you explain your points is really good .You are helping us keep our hopes of making stories alive , Thank You!!!

What's the font used when Talia yells at Brody?

Its been a while since I've watched one of your video and this was just perfect! I've been exploring writing recently and set my drawing aside to focus. Thanks for great advice Mark, I would definitely like to see more writing related videos in the future.

Mark, thank you so much for this video! This is really helpful! Thanks for taking your time to do this!

This Really Helped And I Would Love To See More of these! All of Your Videos are Slowly and Steadily Helping Me On My Journey To Become A Awesome Manga/Book/Anime Writer Plus Drawer!

Beautiful art! This is EXTREMELY inspiring!

I found A Collection Edition of Brody’s Ghost today at my local library and the narrative, characters, setting- all of it, is freaking amazing. 20/10 would love going through it over and over again.

Thanks mark! This was really helpful. I've been drawing manga/anime art for a while and I've been considering writing a small manga just to challenge myself. This was helpful with my plot development/writing.

Hi, I'm now in my late forties trying to get into comic book/manga writing and your tips are really, really good! I'm learning a lot.

Glad I saw this. I'm the process of trying to 'reboot' a manga series I'd done with Radio Comix a few years back. This pretty much validates what I've been thinking! Thanks!

Fantastic advice! I am planning on writing my first visual novel, so these tips are just what I needed. Took notes too and going to watch your other advice videos. Thanks a lot!

I finally finished the book series: Brody's Ghost and I love it sooo much!!!! Keep it up!!!

I'm preparing myself to start a comic, and I find these really useful, so thanks a lot

Thanks Mark! That's really helpful for me. I'm a subscriber from Brazil and makes a long time that I've been subscribed here. Thanks again!

I don't know how you did it. Here I was, stuck on part of a chapter I'm writing in my novel that has been pretty bland so far, and just watching this video somehow made me realize how to bring out each of my characters in each scene and make it interesting and fun. I don't even know which tip could've possibly helped me with that. In any case, though, thanks for the help, Mark! Loved the video!

Thank you very much for doing this! I'm working on a collaborative comic project with my friend and this really helped me out with what we could do.

You’re truly good at describing things, most informative, thanks!

This was very helpful! I needed this just as much as I need to learn about interesting comic paneling and keeping the paneling from being too boring and repetitive. These are my weaknesses.

I think you should *absolutely* do more writing/story boarding videos! This was wonderful!

I love your videos that have to do with storytelling, character design, paneling, etc. Y'know, things specific to making a manga or comic book. They're very helpful ^_^ Thanks for the advice!

These tips are really useful! I've almost finished writing a book that I've been working on for two years so this really helps to assure me that whatever I've been doing has been working. Admittedly I should probably have looked for writing tips earlier, but this is a great help. Thanks Mark!