Japan's first script writing competition

[Suuper-san]

hmmmmmm I guess you could say that, I've never looked at it that way before. Confidence is usually based off experience, in that you know something is within your ability or not., so I usually just keep grinding experience.
Although from experience I wouldn't say that confidence equates to speed, or even that it should.
Speed on its own is often sought after, but it's not the ultimate skill, like you could be really fast but make lots of mistakes, or carefully paced and do it right first time. I vary wildly between the two XD

Projection, if you're using the word how I do (that is, "imagining the end result, and then trying to create it"), is a very good skill which helps reduce mistakes or changes in direction because you're focusing on the bigger picture. It's something I'm continually working on especially when it comes to high quality levels of art.

[Nabe Man]

FOOD FOR THOUGHT, FOOD FOR TALK, FOOD FOR DISCUSSION #2!!!!!!!!!!!! "Japanese cultural impact in your manga"

So you decided on your concept. This is me assuming you've used the concept method to see if your story is strong enough to your satisfactory to make you feel confident that this is your best entry for that first prize.
Some notes to add about your concept:
-Manga is an artform yes but i also see it as a language. There is so much learning that has to take place to speak the story telling language of manga which will only improve your story telling skills. Get immerse in the manga and learn why certain scenes were used and what do they convey best. Your genre of choice is best but anyone can offer a perspective you've never encountered before that can be beneficial. Your ability of self learning takes center stage!!
-inspiration of course is not limited manga

"Japan's impact"
For these competitions i would think to remember that your piece is a product that's going to exposed to the majority of japan first before reaching international acclaim. Japan being your first largest consumer i think its important to be aware (but not anxious) of the cultural norms that hold high regard in the country.

For example:
Before a meal you have seen time and time again the cultural norm of clasping hands and saying itadakimasu. Of course this isnt a rule that every time in the story that its munch time its itadakimasu time. Depending on your story and character they can be interpreted as he / she is a well behaved person for doing it, this person has no respect for not doing, this person just has no formal training for not doing it, this person is culturally ignorant

Any of  which will leave an impact of how the readers will view your story or characters.

Ive also watch many youtube videos of japan where they even like when foreigners respect their cultural norms so those lil things can be appreciated. Disclaimer dont need to go crazy for it but when it make sense by all means do so...

[Suuper-san]

to be honest this really messes with my construction of stories since I have watched so much anime I understand a lot of Japanese culture, but at the same time it's not my culture, so it's always weird to draw or write. It feels wrong writing with my own culture (because it's missing the Japanese element that I'm used to seeing), and it also feels wrong writing with Japanese culture (because it's not my culture that I have experienced).
So I have always felt the best story for me to do is one NOT set in my own country OR Japan. i.e. medieval or scifi, and then I don't have to worry XD

[Nabe Man]

  haha! I could imagine. I thought about it in a way to rack up some brownie points but yh many times it has not been necessary in story. I felt i should highlight majorly the market of people we'll be catering to.

But wow i wonder how much more writing discomforts you have. You have me thinking your a safe writer (always keeping it safe)

For me personally it is kinda hard to do as well. Mentally its almost like although i read up on it i'd be second guessing as well. Also alot of cultural norms remind me off rules and lets just say i have problems with keeping rules. 

Alot of other cultural aspects of japan is used in story and i would say probably the japanese people feel a sense of pride when cultural folklore is used.

Which country are you from though ?

[Suuper-san]

I'm from the UK

Yeah it's not so much that I'm uncomfortable writing it, but I always feel a dissonance because I can't combine my culture with Japan's nor can I draw either separately. So there's something missing no matter what I do XD
Yeah I suppose I'm a safe writer definitely. Or maybe, careful? I definitely plan everything first, sort of thing.

But considering one's target market is important, when writing for the public, so it's worth researching websites that show the top culture differences so you don't miss anything "obvious". Since I mostly write for myself I just want to write something that I like personally, if other people like it, then it's a bonus :P

[Nabe Man]

hmm ok. It is hard to try to combine uk and japanese culture. I guess its just up to that saying "when in rome do what the romans do" or if you dont want to just dont. they maybe rewards or consequences

Also theres so much things that can be learnt on the unsafe side and unplanned. it doesnt mean yoou cant learn them on the safe planned side tho haha. The experience would be different i feel.

[Suuper-san]

yeah, there's many routes to success so I'm taking the one I feel the most comfortable on :P

when in rome do what the romans do

100% true, if I was trying to market a manga in Japan I'd have to consider that a lot more but until then I'm just doing whatever XD

[Nabe Man]

FOOD FOR THOUGHT/FOOD FOR TALK/  FOOD FOR DISCUSSION #3!!!!!!!! : SIMULATION, SIMULATION, SIMULATION!!!!!!

So you have your chosen concept and you are aware of your demographic so your writing commences. This process i would say is the most conflicting. You can write your first chapter in full but to reach that point you had to imagine several scenarios to carry across your points to make a simple yet compelling first chapter for a grand story in mind. To add structure to this you can always reference guides; genre, tone, theme, concepts other artistic works

Even when that first chapter is created its natural to have several edits after especially after you feel its complete.
Many established managaka published multiple oneshots of their story and they are quite different from the last. And its ok to have those processes. How I'd describe this process would be like a romantic relationship with someone difficult to love and creating that dynamic which works.

I believe the standard for a good manga has been set with the many stories that are appreciated by the masses so its now all about curating your standards so that  it can be parallel to those (parallel because you can offer your own unique perspectives)

Also to note; reference guides also change but it all comes down to what you like and want for your story

[Suuper-san]

What's interesting about editing your idea is that you may have different versions of an idea, but all are equally good, in different ways. So sometimes changing a detail doesn't necessarily make an idea better or worse, it just changes it XD

In a similar vein, it's good to know when to stop editing, when you reach the maximum quality plateau that you're capable of reaching. If you're aiming above your skill level you will find you will constantly be making changes but never getting any better. So being aware of your limits can help with getting stuck in an editing loop.

[Nabe Man]

Interesting though. I would say depending on changes you can make your writing better . It can clearly be seen when mangakas write one shots of a story and you can see it improving more and more then you get your hands on the completed chapter one and you see the improvement.

Yes it is important to know when to stop . I’d suggest when you answer these questions: Did I stimulate my reader enough to continue to read my story? Did I hook my readers with something that’s fresh and captivating? Did I layout a proper foundation this chapter one with sufficient answered and unanswered questions?
If we are to create a marketable piece these questions should be answered because stories are nice and all but it should be strong enough to generate income.

[Suuper-san]

yeah definitely change often does lead to improvements, but only up to the level you are at. A beginner aiming at an expert level is going to meet with frustration. So keeping in mind your level and stopping when you've done the best you personally can do, is what I meant.

That's some nice self examination Qs as a quality check.
In fact quality control is a useful skill to have where you can switch between your creative self and your critical self, like switching between writer mode and editor mode.

[Nabe Man]

I think a lot of magic happens in that frustration. A pursuit ensues and its what helps you to grow with understanding the chain of events in a story and how much impact certain scenes can give over others. Taking breaks is important in that process though lol. Its also good to imagine that its sweeter on the other side.

When it  comes to a persons level I dont really have a method of gauging that. Probably if i delve into their understanding on certain things. What metrics do you measure that?

[Suuper-san]

Ultimately someone's level can only be measured by what they produce. With art it's a lot easier to see where an artist is at, what skills they have developed and which ones need work. But with writing it's similar, skills such as realistic development, believable dialogue, relatable characters, good choice of words etc are all parts of writing that can be either good or bad depending on the writers ability. And all of which can be improved with practice.
But really one should have a good idea of their own level which comes by looking at your work objectively and comparing it to works that you really like.
But you can't put a number on it I don't think. It's quite subjective as well, for instance, if you're writing a children's book, you wont use a large vocabulary, but using children's simple language in a book for adults or older teens might be offputting. So the target that you're aiming at has to be considered as well.

Ultimately there's no one standard but you should have your own way of measuring the quality of your work otherwise you won't know how to improve or if you've even achieved your goal or not.

[Nabe Man]

fair enough. It makes sense.