History SoYouWantTo / WriteAYuriManga

* '''{{WAFF}}'''[[hottip:*:Warm And Fuzzy Feeling]]. This axis is defined by [[SweetDreamsFuel feel-nice, trouble-free romance]] with lots of [[HugTropes hugging]] (but rarely kissing -- too dramatic), quality time together, [[SleepCute Sleeping Cute]], etc. This axis is responsible for most of the HealingManga (and not only in yuri).

On the other hand, your main couple does need ''some'' things in common. The second important thing to remember is that while the opposites do attract, it's the similarities that create lasting bonds.

** Flat-chested — well-endowed

** [[{{Pettanko}} Flat-chested]] — well-endowed

** Flat-chested — well-endowed

** [[{{Pettanko}} Flat-chested]] — well-endowed

Shojo yuri tends to be drawn in the distinct thin-lines-big-eyes-impossibly-perfect-bodies style and to feature setups similar to the much more prominent (in that demographic) BoysLoveGenre--but that is in no way a universal rule. Seinen yuri tends to feature more {{Bishoujo}}-style art and to become LongRunners with complex plots and LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters--but, again, works on the other ends of artistic and narrative spectrum have been published for this demographic. Josei yuri tends to be the most experimental and, simultaneously, most realistic when it comes to lesbian relationships and culture (e.g. it's the only yuri category where you will likely find genuine {{Butch Lesbian}}s, as opposed to {{Bifauxnen}})--but in the end of the day, what decides your target demographic is mainly which magazine signs up to run your story.

* '''{{Drama}}'''. This axis is characterized by the prominence of {{Gayngst}}, {{Dark Secret}}s, {{Dark and Troubled Past}}s, societal barriers and stigmas, {{UST}}[[hottip:*:Unresolved Sexual Tension]], personal and external differences, etc.. In short, everything here is PlayedForDrama.

* Ditto ''Manga/WifeAndWife'' for WAFF-style yuri. Also, MiyabiFujieda's yuri mangas.

* '''{{Drama}}'''. This axis is characterized by the prominence of {{Gayngst}}, {{Dark Secret}}s, {{Dark and Troubled Past}}s, societal barriers and stigmas, {{UST}}, personal and external differences, etc.. In short, everything here is PlayedForDrama.

* '''{{WAFF}}'''. This axis is defined by [[SweetDreamsFuel feel-nice, trouble-free romance]] with lots of [[HugTropes hugging]] (but rarely kissing--too dramatic), quality time together, [[SleepCute Sleeping Cute]], etc.. This axis is responsible for most of the HealingManga (and not only in yuri).

Shojo yuri tends to be drawn in the distinct thin-lines-big-eyes-impossibly-perfect-bodies style and to feature setups similar to the much more prominent (in that demographic) BoysLoveGenre--but that is in no way a universal rule. Seinen yuri tends to feature more {{Bishoujo}}-style art and to become LongRunners with complex plots and LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters--but, again, works on the other ends of artistic and narrative spectrum have been published for this demographic. Josei yuri tends to be the most experimental and, simultaneously, most realistic when it comes to lesbian relationships (e.g. it's the only yuri category where you will likely find genuine {{Butch Lesbian}}s, as opposed to {{Bifauxnen}})--but in the end of the day, what decides your target demographic is mainly which magazine signs up to run your story.

* ''Manga/LoveMyLife'' is a good example of "realistic" yuri, painting an sweet, funny and honest picture of what it's like to be a lesbian in Japan. It's {{Josei}}.

* As been mentioned above, there aren't many ScienceFiction yuri mangas, so why not try your hand at Girls Love [-IN SPACE!-] (well, not ''literally'' in space) or ''{{Macross}}'' [-WITH LESBIANS!-]? An aspiring {{Starfighter}} AcePilot is taken POW by a GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe enemy captain but accidentally freed by a wacky [[SpacePirate Space]] PirateGirl. FoeYay and PlanetaryRomance [[LoveAcrossBattlelines Across Battlelines]] ensues. Or opt instead for a more StarTrek plot or MobileSuitGundam or what have you. ''IlivaisX'' or ''{{Iczer}}'' are examples on this wiki you can look for.

* ''Manga/AoiHana'' (Sweet Blue Flowers) is another, generally well-received, example of Drama-style yuri.

* If you wish to do PornWithPlot, ''Manga/ShoujoSect'' strikes a good balance between the two.

You will need a [[{{Homosexual}} lesbian]] AlphaCouple. Introduce them early on, as they will be the centerpiece of your story. Should you decide to be "original" and postpone setting up the main couple, all you'll achieve is frustrating the readers: if you market your story as yuri, keep your word and deliver it from chapter one.

"[[BoyMeetsGirl Girl meets girl]]" comes first; everything else (boys, families, rivals, etc.) comes later.

* See those two big no-no rules about the DeadLesbianSyndrome and BaitAndSwitchLesbians above? Go ahead and build up to then subvert those endings all you want. Bonus points for doing it in the EarnYourHappyEnding way.

* ''Manga/KannazukiNoMiko''. While a bit heavy-handed and often confusing, the anime was among the first openly yuri televised series and highly influential on all that followed.

Abruptly switching from one primary axis to another, particularly from Comedy or WAFF to Drama, is a common cause of MoodWhiplash, which is something to consider--but very, very carefully.

While some of these traits go naturally hand in hand, virtually any combination of these is possible for each of the leads. As tempting as it may be, however, refrain from cramming too many items from this list into your concept; in practice, you won't be able to keep track of them all, anyway. If you want a guideline, 6 to 12 for the main girls are most common.

As you may have noticed, some trait pairs above do not cause friction ''per se'' but instead complement each other (e.g. dominant -- submissive). It does not mean, however, that they cannot be milked for drama or comedy: if one of the partners doesn't ''know'' the other has the complementary trait, much angst or hilarity ensues. Alternatively, one girl can be in denial about her own traits for whatever reason, and growing to accept them through ThePowerOfLove constitutes a nice CharacterDevelopment.

"[[BoyMeetsGirl Girl meets girl]]" comes first; everything else (boyfriends, families, rivals, etc.) comes later.

** [[LongHairIsFeminine Long-haired]] — short-haired

** Upper-class — middle-class

In RealLife, neither "AllWomenArePrudes" nor "AllWomenAreLustful" is true. In fact, between these [[MadonnaWhoreComplex two extremes]], the vast majority of women are neither sex-obsessed nymphomaniacs, nor absolutely asexual, but a healthy, fulfilling sexual life is desirable for both heterosexual and homosexual women, especially young women who love and are loved. On the flip side, very few readers would argue against the notion that GirlOnGirlIsHot (and certainly none among the {{Yuri Fan}}s you are writing for), so a tastefully done lesbian lovemaking scene will be a great treat for both your characters and your readership. There are a [[GokujouDrops few]] [[{Manga/{Octave}} examples]] where it was done right.

* ''ShiroiHeyaNoFutari''. The manga genre launcher.
* ''KannazukiNoMiko''. While a bit heavy-handed and often confusing, it was among the first openly yuri anime series and highly influential on all that followed.
* ''GirlFriends'' is a reference for Drama-style yuri.
* Ditto ''StrawberryShakeSweet'' for Comedy-style yuri.
* Ditto MiyabiFujieda's yuri mangas for WAFF-style yuri.
* ''HanjukuJoshi'' is a dramatic love story with a [[SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped not-so-subtle criticism]] of the ClassS idea.

* ''{{ICE}}''. The yuri feels tacked-on, and yet the plot and setting feel like they were mutilated to accommodate it. In any case, it manages to blend ClicheStorm and MindScrew and should not be emulated.

* As been mentioned above, there aren't many ScienceFiction yuri mangas, so why not try your hand at Girls Love [-IN SPACE!-] (well, not ''literally'' in space) or ''{{Macross}}'' [-WITH LESBIANS!-]? An aspiring {{Starfighter}} AcePilot is taken POW by a GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe enemy captain but accidentally freed by a wacky [[SpacePirate Space]] PirateGirl. FoeYay and PlanetaryRomance [[LoveAcrossBattlelines Across Battlelines]] ensues.

* If you wish to do PornWithPlot, ''ShoujoSect'' strikes a good balance between the two.

In RealLife, neither "AllWomenArePrudes" nor "AllWomenAreLustful" is true. In fact, between these [[MadonnaWhoreComplex two extremes]], the vast majority of women are neither sex-obsessed nymphomaniacs, nor absolutely asexual, but a healthy, fulfilling sexual life is desirable for both heterosexual and homosexual women, especially young women who love and are loved. On the flip side, very few readers would argue against the notion that GirlOnGirlIsHot (and certainly none among the {{Yuri Fan}}s you are writing for), so a tastefully done lesbian lovemaking scene will be a great treat for both your characters and your readership. There are a [[GokujouDrops few]] [[{{Octave}} examples]] where it was done right.

And just in case you have decided to write a lovemaking scene and wonder what kind of [[IfYouKnowWhatIMean "props"]] your girls should use, there are much better specialized educational websites out there for such questions than ThisWiki. OurSuperStrictLanguagePolicy doesn't allow such details, anyway.

Refer to RomanceNovelPlots and RomanceArc pages. A lot of yuri mangas out there are either short (one-shot to a single volume) single-arc pieces or longer (multi-volume) episodic or arc-based works.