Manga Bridges – Wk 1:
Intent Before Ink…
…The Story Starts Before the First Line
Every manga page begins long before graphite meets paper or pixels light the screen. It begins in the quiet moment when you decide why you are drawing at all.
Most artists are taught to start with tools: pencils, brushes, anatomy, perspective. Manga, however, is not a tool-driven art form. It is intention-driven. The line follows the idea. When intention is clear, even imperfect lines carry weight. When intention is absent, even masterful technique feels hollow.
Week 1 of the Manga Monday Completion Arc is about anchoring your work in purpose. Not lofty purpose. Not marketable purpose. Personal purpose. The kind that keeps you drawing when motivation fades and comparison creeps in.
This is the page that sets the tone for the next eleven weeks.
Intent Is Not Plot
Let’s clear a common misunderstanding early.
Intent is not plot.
Plot answers what happens.
Intent answers why it matters.
You can draw a character walking into a room without intent. You can draw the same action with intent and suddenly the door weighs a thousand pounds.
Intent lives underneath the story. It is the current pulling everything in the same direction.
Examples of intent:
Exploring loneliness without explaining it
Confronting fear through small, ordinary actions
Capturing the moment before change happens
Asking a question you do not yet know how to answer
Notice how none of these describe events. They describe emotional gravity.
The Sketchbook as a Compass
In the 8 Pages of Sketchbooking, Page 1 is not a warm-up. It is a compass.
This page does not judge drawing quality. It does not demand productivity. It quietly asks:
What am I really trying to say?
Many artists skip this step because it feels intangible. Manga artists cannot afford to. Manga readers feel intent instantly. They may not articulate it, but they sense when a story knows what it is doing.
Your sketchbook is the safest place to be honest about that intent.
The Story Vow
Before drawing a single panel this week, you will write a Story Vow.
This is not a pitch. It is not meant for an audience. It is a private agreement between you and your imagination.
A Story Vow follows three simple rules:
One sentence only
No character names
No plot events
Examples:
I vow to explore what it feels like to choose kindness when it costs something.
I vow to draw the space between who someone was and who they are becoming.
I vow to tell a story about courage that does not look heroic.
If your sentence feels uncomfortable, you are close.
Drawing the Invisible
Once your Story Vow is written, the next task is to draw a symbol.
Not a character. Not a scene.
A symbol that represents what your story is about.
This could be:
An object
A place
A repeated shape
An abstract mark
The symbol does not need to be clever. It needs to be honest.
Ask yourself:
If this symbol appeared again later in the manga, what would it remind the reader of?
What emotion does it carry even without explanation?
This symbol will quietly echo throughout the next eleven weeks.
Between the Panels: Why Intent Shapes Every Choice
Here is the hidden power of intent.
When you know why you are drawing:
Panel decisions become clearer
What to omit becomes obvious
Perfection loses its grip
Intent tells you:
When to slow the reader down
When to leave a panel empty
When a rough line is better than a polished one
Without intent, artists often overdraw. With intent, artists select.
Manga thrives on selection.
Common Resistance (And Why It’s Normal)
You may feel resistance this week. That is expected.
Common thoughts include:
“I just want to draw, not write.”
“This feels too vague.”
“What if I choose the wrong intent?”
There is no wrong intent. There is only intent you have not committed to yet.
This week is not about locking yourself into a box. It is about choosing a direction so movement becomes possible.
You can change direction later. You cannot move without one.
Anchor Exercises for Week 1
1. Write Your Story Vow
One sentence
No names
No plot
Write it at the top of your sketchbook page.
2. Draw the Core Symbol
One page only
No erasing
Explore variations of the same symbol
Let the symbol evolve across the page.
3. Reflection Prompt
At the bottom of the page, answer:
What part of this vow scares me?
What part excites me?
These answers matter more than the drawings.
Carrying Intent Forward
As you move into Week 2, this page remains active. Do not abandon it.
Revisit your Story Vow before each Manga Monday session. Let it whisper guidance rather than shout instructions.
When you feel lost in later weeks, return here.
Intent is the line that never breaks.
Week 1 Checklist
Journaling creative intentions
Writing a Story Vow
Drawing a symbolic anchor
Reflecting honestly
You are not behind.
You have begun.
Next week, we loosen the mind and make room for possibility.
Turn the page when you are ready.
