How To Write An Anime Script: 8 Steps Posted Mar 17, 2020

Anime is loads of fun to read! It’s exciting and cool and the cartoon characters make it possible to explore different themes without alienating too many people. After all, it’s just cartoons, right?

It’s easy to get caught up with all the great anime fun and want to write your own. If you’ve ever caught the anime bug, then you know exactly what I’m talking about. So, let’s say you already have the characters ready and even a few rudimentary drawings of them. How do you start writing an anime script for it? That’s what this article is all about. Ready? Let’s go!

Writing an Anime Script

1. Flesh out the characters

Usually, when we create characters for our anime script, we only have high level ideas of what they’re supposed to be like. However, for the character to really be believable, it’s necessary to flesh them out with a comprehensive character profile. Think really hard about how your character would behave in a variety of situations, with a variety of emotions, including enjoyment, embarrassment, fear, and so on. If you have to, find additional resources to help you flesh the character out. Who is your character going to make friends with and who are going to be their enemies? Are they extraverted or introverted? Don’t move on before really fleshing out your characters.

2. Flesh out the Plot

Once we have the characters properly worked out, it’s time to flesh out the plot of the story. You can draw a rough sketch of a plot line to get an idea of how this works. It starts by drawing a straight horizontal line. At some point, let it rise at a 45-degree angle. Then, just when it’s about to hit the top of the page, let it decline sharply at a steeper angle, such as 85 degrees for example. The start of the line is where the story begins, where we meet the character and get to know what a typical day is like for them. This is where you introduce the characters and the setting for the audience. Where the line starts 4to rise is where you introduce some conflict. It could be a villain, some circumstantial problem, or even an act of God. As the line continues to rise, the problem gets more and more complicated, and the characters struggle harder and harder to solve it, right up to the climax, where a big showdown happens (a fight? A last stand? A desperate attempt to correct things?). This should be the proverbial darkest hour just before dawn. At the climax they will somehow solve the problem, and then the line will drop sharply. There you can show how they cope in the aftermath. Tie the end up neatly so there aren’t many open questions.

3. Start the Writing

Now that you have a clear idea what you’re going to do, start the actual writing. The script for an anime is much like that of any theater or screen play. Have the name of the person, with any actions they make in parentheses. Have a colon after the name and then write out the words the character says.

4. Stay on Track

Every time a character says or does something, make sure it’s something that they would say or do, according to their nature. Don’t make a serious character silly, or a silly one super serious, or a shy one talkative, unless it’s part of their evolution in the story. Make everything coherent.

5. Enjoy the Process

Don’t be too rigid or hard on yourself. You can start the story wherever you feel most comfortable. Start at the climax if you have to, and then work backwards from that, or start at a special scene and then flesh it out from there. As long as you have the plot in your head it should be easy to start from anywhere and have fun while you’re at it.

6. Edit Ruthlessly

Once you’re done with the story, go back and edit it to ensure you haven’t lost the ball at any point. Plot holes are your enemy, unless they’re deliberate. Make sure you also get your grammar right. You can have a friend edit it for you. They may even suggest improvements to the plot.

7. Read it out Loud

Read through the words of your character to know just how the character would sound. Do the words support the emotions you want the character to express? Do they support fast talking or slow talking? Should your character breathe heavily or lightly? How do the words support this? All of these things can only be figured out if you read through the dialogs.

8. Share it with People

Now that your script is ready, you can print it or share it online. Accompany character descriptions so anyone who’s going to be acting it out knows where to start.

Conclusion

As you can see, writing an anime script isn’t especially hard. All it takes is a bit of effort and conscientiousness and you’re already there. Try it and see what masterpiece you might come up with.

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Author Bio

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Jeff Blaylock is a writer and editor with many years of experience. His main focus is entertainment, writing, education, and personal improvement. He deeply enjoys creative pursuits and, when he’s not writing, he’s busy doing fine art in his studio.