“I think most authors care way too much about opening lines.” Easy for you to say Mr. “Szeth Son-Son-Vallano wore white on the day he was to kill a king.” Mr. “Ash fell from the sky.”
I think the thing to keep in mind is that a good first line is still important, but it's not the be-all and end-all. People really overthink it with the mindset of "I need a perfect first line or nobody's gonna read my book!" If your opening line is the most interesting part of your first chapter, that's not a good thing.
I don't want to read anything from an author that doesn't correctly use the word 'literally', though... Writer's block is not an illness, just a sign of ineptitude regarding one's own tasks.
It's mind-blowing for me. On the other side of the world, in Ukraine, with only mobile internet, I'm watching free lection from famous writer and learning how to write my first novel. I still can't believe that this is possible. Thank you, Mr. Sanderson, for putting your lections online and free.
5:22 (Opener) Openers must have an indication of what kind of story it is. The opening should have some sort of conflict, motion and promise of change and the future. 9:54 (Promises) You give the audience a promise of what’s gonna happen in the story. This gives them an idea of the type of story it’ll be and what they can look forward to. If you give a promise and the progress of the story is in the direction of a different promise, the audience will view it as a side quest and can be very turned off by it. 14:06 (Progress) Give a sense of progress. It’s an illusion. You control the speed of the progress. Your job is to make the progress compelling. Conflict makes it compelling. Make the character get closer and closer to their goal (promise from the beginning) but they struggle to achieve it. 15:46 (Bracket) Your story will be made up of multiple brackets. Each bracket represents a promise, progress towards that promise, and payoff of that promise. You story will have many plot points (brackets) that will weave together to make the story. All must be relevant and feed into the main plot. 25:54 (Payoffs) Plotting Backwards. Make sure payoffs are earned. During the last chunk of the story where all the climaxes and payoffs are done, make the payoff as epic and cool as you want AS LONG AS they are earned throughout the story. This is done by plotting backwards. You think of cool and epic climaxes and events in your story and list things that need to happen for the payoff to make sense. 35:21 More Progress Good progress keeps you turning the page.
"dont write a story where only a second passages in 50 pages" five episodes of HxH characters climbing stairs over the course of ten seconds intensifies
@@danascully1248 There's a pretty wide consensus that the chimera ant arc was one of the best stories in anime, ever. It's okay not to like it, of course, but you need to be honest with yourself as to your general taste. And in case you are relatively young, I'd recommend waiting a few years. I'm not trying to make fun of you, my taste in stories changed over time too.
As an engineer, learning how to architect stories and language using formulas and theory is weirdly empowering. Authors all create their own personal formulas for repeated success while not being obvious enough to the reader to be boring, and seeing this larger hierarchy to story creation makes me want to try it myself. Thanks for posting these!
I disposed of my unfinished 4th draft, went on a breakdown and an existential crisis but returned researching writing systems, linguistic quirks, sewage and irrigation, architecture, weapons, and how to make a freaking calendar while reading books on the side. My friends think I'm losing it... Maybe I am. So I'm here, ready to start anew.
I wish the writers for The Book of Boba Fett had taken less than 40 minutes of their lives to watch this video...Thanks for being awesome Brandon Sanderson!
I will never understand how some “professional” writers have no inkling of the fundamentals of writing. I guess it’s concrete proof that Hollywood rewards personal networking and loyalty over competence.
Agreed main problem is that season 7 and 8 went against every promeise on tone and even genre during first four season (because I believe that show went downhill after that) First four seasons were like Godfather, dark gritty when you knew that anybody can die at any moment. Good naive guys get rekt, most ruthles evil guys are winning. It was realistic. Last two seasons were like freaking MCU, were good guys were constantly winning and getting whatever they wanted, while ruthless evil guys were suddenly naive as hell and stupid (Littlefinger) Also realism was shaft down the toilet so we get scene when one handed cripple somehow beats equivalent of Viking. Disgusting.
One of the best "they get to the place and the place isn't there anymore" scenes I've seen comes from the Dragonlance books. This is a world that has been ravaged by a Cataclysm that could well have served as Robert Jordan's inspiration for "the Breaking of the World." A party of adventurers needs to get to a place far away, so they venture across a great distance to a city that sits at the edge of the sea, renowned for its masterful shipbuilders... and when they get there, they find the broken down ships sitting in the middle of a bunch of dry land, because the Cataclysm rearranged the face of the world and the sea isn't there anymore!
I mean... I've seen three different semesters worth of Jordan Peterson's Maps of Meaning class lol. You might learn something new this time around, who knows 🤷🏼♂️
Exactly, when he first started talking about the promise of the plot early on in the book I thought, “Fuck! I don’t start my story with a mini version of the main conflict!” but then as he continued I thought “Wait a minute, I DID. I just didn’t know it.”
Love how he breaks down the original Star Wars' plot beat by beat - it's a very telling analysis! It really just boils down to 'little ship vs big ship' at its core (with the other plot beats cresting upon it) which represents the entire struggle between the plucky Rebellion and oppressive Empire so well.
31:17 I believe this is data being badly understood. I've seen multiple writing advices saying that putting foreshadowing and implicit meaning is a good thing. There were times I was afraid of going through a mystery story for a second time, since I already knew the solution, but it was actually very entertaining seeing all the hints, and it gives a whole new perspective on the work. I see this as an example of why you should go through stories more than once.
Hey Brandon, thanks for everything. You writing and lectures have reinvigorated my love of creative fiction - I am positive I wouldn't be where I'm at today without you.
For anyone interested, Michael Arndt breaks down the 3 sets of stakes in 'A New Hope' (internal, external and philosophical) and how they are reversed at the climax of the movie. It's a 90 minute video called 'insanely great endings'
This is the biggest revelation for me. Applied to my failed book and I see already, that I made wrong promise, thus my progress felt like not important, and then I pushed the payoff to the book two! One Brandon's video showed me what is wrong, when professional editors and my collegues who are writers already did not, while giving me their opinions on my writing. These clasess and mr. Sanderson are worth all the money in the world. If/when I get my first book published, Brandon Sanderson will be credited as most influential and useful teacher I had so far.
Most famous prologue in fantasy: Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky, Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone, Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die, One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie. One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie. There is of course, Concerning Hobbits, Pipeweed, and of the finding of the ring. But I’d say that little poem at the beginning of Fellowship of the Ring is the most famous in the history of all fantasy, maybe even of all books.
As primarily a for entertainment reader, it is always interesting finding out why it is that certain things work for me and why others do not in a more formal way.
I read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets when the series was starting to get popular. I didn't think much of it the first time through-though now I appreciate it for its world building in its context with the rest of the series. I've since realized that I liked it less because its twist at the end *is that its plot is actually relevant to the rest of the series.* Dobby even tells us that Voldemort isn't the villain this time.
You knocked one out of the park here, Brandon -- superb lecture! I would never have considered that readers want to know what's going to happen, but now that I think about it, I feel satisfied knowing what's coming and I sit back to enjoy the ride. Also, and although I'm far removed from my preschool years, I can understand the feeling of "I knew it!" we get from knowing what's going to happen, even if we'd been spoon-fed the info. Related, and perhaps a caveat: This doesn't really apply to a mysteries, does it? Mysteries require too much work for me. I prefer to relax with a good book, not ponder it and try to figure it out. People who enjoy mysteries might be overachievers.
The interesting thing I realized about progress was that I loved Ned Stark's story in Game of Thrones because of how well it progresses. I knew the ending but watching it unfold was super rewarding
When you described an intense prologue followed by developing a kid on a farm, I immediately thought of Star Wars. I never thought of this before, but the opening scene of A New Hope has a lot in common with a prologue.
I love Brandon, I love his books. I probably will never write a book, but I feel like these make me a better reader. Also, I never caught that idea from the intro to Raiders that the trap was from the pressure plate and not the light. Mind Blown!
These videos are such a help. I've never been able to plot a story ahead of time without getting bored. Without a outline though I get lost and stuck in a story due to struggling with the fluff of a story
I'm fairly certain the Malcolm Gladwell book he referenced was "The Tipping Point." I definitely recommend it to anyone interested in learning about epidemics in Gladwell fashion. "Outliers" was an excellent read as well.
Thank you so much for posting longer clips from the class. I am disappointed we don't get to watch the full classes this year. No matter what, there are always cool stories, jokes, etc. that happen during each class, and you are a wealth of info and inspiration. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom with us.
Do spoilers make someone enjoy a story more? I think this question is linked into Sanderson's concept of promise and payoff. A spoiler in no uncertain terms gives you a promise of what the story will be like, because you know what happens. I think the most common reason people dislike movies is because they came to them with a bad promise. When something meets your expectations, you are happy. When it gives you something you like, that you never knew you wanted, it's a brilliant piece of fiction. Even something good can be disappointing if you came to it with the wrong promise. While it may seem pessimistic, I approach movies with low expectations. I am usually pleasantly surprised.
I watch these videos for motivation, it is so gratifying when I watch these and I find that I've already done half the things he talks about and then it motivates me further Example: 9:40 , I've done this without trying and I'm so happy
THIS IS IT THIS IS WHAT I NEEDED i have been watching your lectures for weeks trying to figure out my book why its not working why the promise is failing why i cant nail down the tone the plot any of it and somehow something in this video clicked and i know. I can fix it. My first published novel is going to be dedicated to you at this point.
31:22 I like getting movies/books spoiled because if it is something cool I'm interested in what took place for that to happened, if it is boring then I don't have to watch the movie and at the same time know what happens. Is a win-win for me
I would argue that instead of people finding more enjoyment in knowing what is going to happen next, they enjoy the journey more if they know that there is a goal which they are moving towards. Certainly, the feeling of being right when guessing how the story would unfold is strong, but if it's too easy and obvious, it would make it feel boring rather than exciting or interesting.
My favorite compromise is to write something that suprises most people, but something they realize COULD have been deduced through clues and foreshadowing. You'll have some that guessed it, but they'll feel rewarded, and some that realize so close to the reveal that's it's still exhilarating. But most will enjoy the surprise, but also enjoy the "oh! Of course". I agree you don't wanna make it too obvious, but what's FAR worse, is a reveal they NEVER could have pieced together... no matter how good the answer, they'll feel cheated for any time they spent trying.
I slightly misunderstood your comment.. I was speaking in reference to something shown in part but purposefully obscured in full. Ya know, anything that makes them start theorizing the answer. For example: a masked character that is presented in a way that they are someone we know under the mask.
I feel this is all wrong. If I can predict how the movie is going to go, I stop watching. It's precisely the subverting of my expectations in a satisfying way that keeps me hooked.
I enjoy watching your videos. I'm a new subscriber and I've been having this huge writerblovk. You have explained so much very easily and I have only watched two of your videos thus far. Thanks so much for sharing your wisdom and knowledge with with. It is really helping and I'm very grateful 🙏 💕
I just bought and started reading The Lost Metal in order to analyze Sanderson's work in application of his theory. On the first page, there is a tone promise, conflict promise, and character promise.
I enjoy hearing that the idea of Progress can be simplified into a nested list. Whenever there is a situation where the hero opens a problem, there must be some way for them to close it. Character That encourages me as a creative to make sure that the progress is properly sign-posted, like he said. If I ignore even a single element, the story is half-baked, since the characters would have earned an unnecessary component in their journey. Even worse, there is a massive gap in progress, since each roadblock should be overcome before the drive is finished!
Hi Brandon! I've been listening to your Nerd Of the Rings posts. I'm on the part when Gandalf returns to the Shire to discuss the Ring with Frodo who has been safeguarding it since Bilbo left. The discussion arose about whether or not the Ring was affecting Frodo since he took possession. I believe you said he Ring wasn't affecting him at that point. I disagree. I disagree because Frodo refers to the Ring as belonging to HIM and Bilbo. Normally when something old and precious is passed along in a family the descendants usually credit complete ownership to an elder. For example "I proposed with my grandmother's wedding ring." "I keep my great grandmother's china in the cabinet." "My father passed away. I wear his watch to remember him." "I was married in my mother's wedding dress. My future daughter will be married in my mother's dress too." These objects can be handed down through generations with ownership being credited to someone who died decades ago. So Frodo claiming even partial ownership is odd and perhaps a clue that the Ring was reaching out to him from its hiding place.
When you brought up the intro to A New Hope I suddenly heard the dulcet tones of Mr. Plinkett in the recesses of my mind. "You see, a guy named William Shakesman once said..."
It might've been Tolkien, Steven King, a couple mangakas, Aurora, Odyssey and Eclipse engine games, Silent Hill games and Yoko Taro games that had me wanting to and inspired me to write, but it was two or three TH-camrs and Brandon Sanderson sharing their knowledge that made me want to and know how to really polish on the overall quality of what I'm writing.
Hi Brandon, I'd really love to see the full 2021 lecture series (even though you have the 2020 lecture series up (minus the last lecture)). Any chance you could post them at some point?
10:33 He's wrong about that scene. Indy doesn't mislead the guy. Brandon is combining two traps: the light trap with the long spikes where a previous raider's remains are still attached to them, and the pressure plates with the darts right before the idol. The guy who betrays him just forgot about the light trap as he fled. Only Indy went through the pressure plate trap to get the idol and then ran back through it, narrowly missing the darts.
I learn so much from your lectures and that is all I need to stay loyal. BUT the fact that you drop the occasional "Easter eggs" where you support my need to see *The Last Jedi* receive unlimited numbers of thrashings by whips (from Indiana Jones or any others willing to give out lashes, verbal or otherwise...) This guarantees my loyalty to ALWAYS stop whatever I'm doing and watch your videos!
Great video: re: 31:00 "People like stories when they know what is going to happen." How many people went to Star Wars over and over? Or any smash movie, or just rewatched a TV or anyting again? How many people enjoyed reading a book more than once? It is about the journey, and entering that world. Kids like repeat stories where they know what will happen, as it is "safe, familiar," but also still very enjoyable. Many people find re-reading ro rewatching is better the second or third time.
omg this made me realize how special it was when someone gave chewie a medal in ep 9…. and it was the same medal that leis gave luke in ep 4 😭😭😭😭 chewie finally got his medal
Canto Bight = failure being a teacher and the imperfection of novice heroes. It reflects the evolution in screenwriting from Saturday serials toward a postmodern prospective.
The Raiders of thr Lost Ark part - where do we learn that Indy is triggering a pressure plate to cause the spikes to jump out? Dont recall that at all, sounds like he's describing a detail from the novelization or something.
The brawl had gone on long enough and Sir Goodfellow knew that if he didn’t step in he’d never have a chance inquire about the Fountain of Darkness at the center of town. He silently readied a spell of Forcible Push as a precaution and stepped forward. “Now that’s not the way a true warrior carries on in a fight,” he said in a calm yet threatening tone. “I’ve seen toddlers throw punches more heavy handed than you lot!” A bearded sailor stumbled forward, curiosity mixed with rage swirled through his eyes. “How dare you come into our theatre and disturb our rehearsal? Do you know how long Finley here had to learn this choreography? Two whole hours!” The rest of the troupe shouted out in support of their newest member, patting a small, slender man on the back. “It was me mum’s dying wish to see me on the big stage.” Sir Goodfellow made a quick glance around the area and removed his hand from his hilt. He spied a large sign post that read “Eastvale Concert Hall.” Clearly he overestimated the situation and felt blood rushing into his cheeks and ears. He took a step backwards, falling into a large pile of sticks and kindling. “Oh great, ya lummox!” The sailor, who was behaving much more like a stage manager, stomped forward. “Now you destroyed our giant nest prop for the finale when the little eagle destroys the big dragon! Do ya plan on ruining anything else on your way out?” The good knight rolled over to push himself up, managing to destroy some smaller, yet softer nests. He turned and beamed a weak smile to the group. His spell of Forcible Push then triggered and fired upward to the ceiling. A large lantern came crashing down. The troupe fumed. Sir Goodfellow reached for his money bag. “How much do I owe?” “4K.”
“I think most authors care way too much about opening lines.”
Easy for you to say Mr. “Szeth Son-Son-Vallano wore white on the day he was to kill a king.”
Mr. “Ash fell from the sky.”
I think the thing to keep in mind is that a good first line is still important, but it's not the be-all and end-all. People really overthink it with the mindset of "I need a perfect first line or nobody's gonna read my book!"
If your opening line is the most interesting part of your first chapter, that's not a good thing.
@@Hmm_Ace_Attorney_Channel aaand there;s also revisions which can easily fix that
@@alexandreprodan5014 You'll revise the wrong way if you think the first line is the most important part of your hook.
@@Hmm_Ace_Attorney_Channel the whole point of my comment was to imply it isn't so...yeah.
Those aren't particularly good opening lines though so his opinion checks out
These videos literally cured my writer's block.
Yup
Honestly same.
I don't want to read anything from an author that doesn't correctly use the word 'literally', though... Writer's block is not an illness, just a sign of ineptitude regarding one's own tasks.
Same. Whenever I get in a rut I just watch one of these or his livestreams and then I'm all fired up and excited to keep writing
@@senseofwonder4062 no one cares
I love how Brandon's short stuff is 40 minutes long
THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID
Yeah, have you read any of his ‘novellas’? 😂
When Brandon wrote a short story in his 2020 class, with someone saying how long each line should be, he still went about 3x over the word cap
Wouldn't have it any other way.
@@chelseasigler4668 😂
Brandon: I wrote a novella!
Someone: Oh cool, how long is it?
Brandon: Only 50k words!
Someone: ....that's a novel, Brandon.
I'm honestly so grateful that he puts these amazing quality writing videos up for FREE
It's mind-blowing for me. On the other side of the world, in Ukraine, with only mobile internet, I'm watching free lection from famous writer and learning how to write my first novel. I still can't believe that this is possible.
Thank you, Mr. Sanderson, for putting your lections online and free.
Hope you’re still alive…
@@TheMastermind729 I've been so desensitized to the world recently I found that humourous, what dark times we find ourselves in :(
Hope you're good man 👍👍
Slava Ukraini
All authors adore alliteration, and Brandon Sanderson ain't an anomaly after all.
👌
Aye, nice pfp
This was a strangely satisfying read
So do some us dreamers
Added alliterative appeal
5:22
(Opener)
Openers must have an indication of what kind of story it is. The opening should have some sort of conflict, motion and promise of change and the future.
9:54
(Promises)
You give the audience a promise of what’s gonna happen in the story. This gives them an idea of the type of story it’ll be and what they can look forward to. If you give a promise and the progress of the story is in the direction of a different promise, the audience will view it as a side quest and can be very turned off by it.
14:06
(Progress)
Give a sense of progress. It’s an illusion. You control the speed of the progress. Your job is to make the progress compelling. Conflict makes it compelling. Make the character get closer and closer to their goal (promise from the beginning) but they struggle to achieve it.
15:46
(Bracket)
Your story will be made up of multiple brackets. Each bracket represents a promise, progress towards that promise, and payoff of that promise. You story will have many plot points (brackets) that will weave together to make the story. All must be relevant and feed into the main plot.
25:54
(Payoffs)
Plotting Backwards. Make sure payoffs are earned. During the last chunk of the story where all the climaxes and payoffs are done, make the payoff as epic and cool as you want AS LONG AS they are earned throughout the story. This is done by plotting backwards. You think of cool and epic climaxes and events in your story and list things that need to happen for the payoff to make sense.
35:21
More Progress
Good progress keeps you turning the page.
You are a hero of all the worlds that are to be created
You are a legend, a myth, if you will. The gratitude that I once possessed, is now yours.
@@Author_SoftwareDesigner
Damn thanks for commenting I come back and see i got 115 likes lol
@@appledough3843 141 and counting! MANY THANKS for your original post!
@@SnowMonkeyCantSing
Sheeeesh thx my dude!
"dont write a story where only a second passages in 50 pages"
five episodes of HxH characters climbing stairs over the course of ten seconds intensifies
And it's perfect.
All writing advice saying "don't do X" should include an asterisk saying: "unless you can actually pull it off"...
@@alexmir1763 I like HxH but you gotta admit the Chimera Ant arc didn't have great pacing
That said, I agree with the sentiment overall
@@lloydnoid6506 I agree. But I only referred to the stair-climbing part, not to the chimera arc as a whole.
@alexmir1763 nah it was so weird and boring. I quit watching after that
@@danascully1248 There's a pretty wide consensus that the chimera ant arc was one of the best stories in anime, ever. It's okay not to like it, of course, but you need to be honest with yourself as to your general taste. And in case you are relatively young, I'd recommend waiting a few years. I'm not trying to make fun of you, my taste in stories changed over time too.
"it's spelled right now, you can't tell me it's not--it's in my own language..."
lol
As an engineer, learning how to architect stories and language using formulas and theory is weirdly empowering.
Authors all create their own personal formulas for repeated success while not being obvious enough to the reader to be boring, and seeing this larger hierarchy to story creation makes me want to try it myself.
Thanks for posting these!
Problem-solving the stories instead of feeling the feelings helps a lot to people who value thinking more than feelings.
I disposed of my unfinished 4th draft, went on a breakdown and an existential crisis but returned researching writing systems, linguistic quirks, sewage and irrigation, architecture, weapons, and how to make a freaking calendar while reading books on the side. My friends think I'm losing it... Maybe I am.
So I'm here, ready to start anew.
I know it's been 3 months, but i hope it all went well!
How is the writing going? Good I hope.
Not all who wander are lost
Sometimes, that's just part of the process. Even if it doesn't seem to end up with the result you expected.
I don’t know what you’re doing right now, but I hope it’s working out
I wish the writers for The Book of Boba Fett had taken less than 40 minutes of their lives to watch this video...Thanks for being awesome Brandon Sanderson!
I will never understand how some “professional” writers have no inkling of the fundamentals of writing. I guess it’s concrete proof that Hollywood rewards personal networking and loyalty over competence.
I wish D & D saw this video when they were writing season 7 and 8 of Game of Thrones
How original...
Exactly my thoughts!
What a clever, original TH-cam comment
@@jakehopkins6989 Maybe unoriginal it fits.
Agreed main problem is that season 7 and 8 went against every promeise on tone and even genre during first four season (because I believe that show went downhill after that) First four seasons were like Godfather, dark gritty when you knew that anybody can die at any moment. Good naive guys get rekt, most ruthles evil guys are winning. It was realistic. Last two seasons were like freaking MCU, were good guys were constantly winning and getting whatever they wanted, while ruthless evil guys were suddenly naive as hell and stupid (Littlefinger) Also realism was shaft down the toilet so we get scene when one handed cripple somehow beats equivalent of Viking. Disgusting.
One of the best "they get to the place and the place isn't there anymore" scenes I've seen comes from the Dragonlance books. This is a world that has been ravaged by a Cataclysm that could well have served as Robert Jordan's inspiration for "the Breaking of the World." A party of adventurers needs to get to a place far away, so they venture across a great distance to a city that sits at the edge of the sea, renowned for its masterful shipbuilders...
and when they get there, they find the broken down ships sitting in the middle of a bunch of dry land, because the Cataclysm rearranged the face of the world and the sea isn't there anymore!
But it was on Taselhoffs map!! Lol so good.
So Mad Max Fury Road
I've already watched a very similar lecture of his...but that won't stop me.
I watched like four versions of this exact lecture by Brandon.
I’m here every time.
@@billyalarie929 Year 2012 at first in my case, I think.
I mean... I've seen three different semesters worth of Jordan Peterson's Maps of Meaning class lol. You might learn something new this time around, who knows 🤷🏼♂️
@@jollyroger6660 Pretty much my thought process honestly
@@jollyroger6660 Where did you find those?
Its strangely reassuring to hear what Brandon does and realize your doing some of the same things already.
Very true,
It means you’re on the right path, but every writer has a process that works for them. You just have to find yours.
Exactly, when he first started talking about the promise of the plot early on in the book I thought, “Fuck! I don’t start my story with a mini version of the main conflict!” but then as he continued I thought “Wait a minute, I DID. I just didn’t know it.”
All I could think about this whole time was tapping Brandon's shirt for one mana.
This is golden content in an accessible presentation method. Thank you.
Brandon is very adorable when he gets all excited about plot - even when the plot's not his own. 😁
"Today we will talk about Plot".
(Unholy Stephen King noises in the background)
Giant turtle noices
* Raymond Chandler passes the flask with a sigh*
Stephen King is Right. Story over Plot.
@@Infamous1892
If either suck, they both suck.
Fun fact: a barrel-maker is called a *cooper.* Cooper is a classic English profession-surname like Smith or Carpenter.
Love how he breaks down the original Star Wars' plot beat by beat - it's a very telling analysis! It really just boils down to 'little ship vs big ship' at its core (with the other plot beats cresting upon it) which represents the entire struggle between the plucky Rebellion and oppressive Empire so well.
31:17 I believe this is data being badly understood. I've seen multiple writing advices saying that putting foreshadowing and implicit meaning is a good thing. There were times I was afraid of going through a mystery story for a second time, since I already knew the solution, but it was actually very entertaining seeing all the hints, and it gives a whole new perspective on the work. I see this as an example of why you should go through stories more than once.
30:17 Brandon: "He's a barrelwright."
Me, loving Tolkien's writing too much: "He's a barrow wight!?" * gasp *
Better call Tom!
Now there's a comedic possibility.
Hey Brandon, thanks for everything. You writing and lectures have reinvigorated my love of creative fiction - I am positive I wouldn't be where I'm at today without you.
For anyone interested, Michael Arndt breaks down the 3 sets of stakes in 'A New Hope' (internal, external and philosophical) and how they are reversed at the climax of the movie.
It's a 90 minute video called 'insanely great endings'
This is the biggest revelation for me. Applied to my failed book and I see already, that I made wrong promise, thus my progress felt like not important, and then I pushed the payoff to the book two! One Brandon's video showed me what is wrong, when professional editors and my collegues who are writers already did not, while giving me their opinions on my writing. These clasess and mr. Sanderson are worth all the money in the world. If/when I get my first book published, Brandon Sanderson will be credited as most influential and useful teacher I had so far.
Coopers, are carpenters who's skills are making barrels and other vessels that hold things. If anyone wanted to know.
Just wondering, are you using Swiftkey as your keyboard? I use Swiftkey and it's forever adding unnecessary commas to my posts, too.
Most famous prologue in fantasy:
Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
There is of course, Concerning Hobbits, Pipeweed, and of the finding of the ring. But I’d say that little poem at the beginning of Fellowship of the Ring is the most famous in the history of all fantasy, maybe even of all books.
As primarily a for entertainment reader, it is always interesting finding out why it is that certain things work for me and why others do not in a more formal way.
You are such an interesting and wholesome person, thank you for being so kind to post these videos for free.
I read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets when the series was starting to get popular. I didn't think much of it the first time through-though now I appreciate it for its world building in its context with the rest of the series. I've since realized that I liked it less because its twist at the end *is that its plot is actually relevant to the rest of the series.* Dobby even tells us that Voldemort isn't the villain this time.
You knocked one out of the park here, Brandon -- superb lecture!
I would never have considered that readers want to know what's going to happen, but now that I think about it, I feel satisfied knowing what's coming and I sit back to enjoy the ride. Also, and although I'm far removed from my preschool years, I can understand the feeling of "I knew it!" we get from knowing what's going to happen, even if we'd been spoon-fed the info.
Related, and perhaps a caveat: This doesn't really apply to a mysteries, does it? Mysteries require too much work for me. I prefer to relax with a good book, not ponder it and try to figure it out. People who enjoy mysteries might be overachievers.
The interesting thing I realized about progress was that I loved Ned Stark's story in Game of Thrones because of how well it progresses. I knew the ending but watching it unfold was super rewarding
"Brandons philosophy on plot."
I'd say I'm interested ... go on.
That's the promise. ;)
When you described an intense prologue followed by developing a kid on a farm, I immediately thought of Star Wars. I never thought of this before, but the opening scene of A New Hope has a lot in common with a prologue.
It IS a prologue…that’s the point
I love Brandon, I love his books. I probably will never write a book, but I feel like these make me a better reader. Also, I never caught that idea from the intro to Raiders that the trap was from the pressure plate and not the light. Mind Blown!
The secret is to make the reader guess the result, but not completely in the way they guessed
I like that
Bingo 👍
Rian Johnson: (uses secret twin reveals, death fakeouts, and retcon flashbacks to hide the fact that the rich guy whom everyone already hates did it)
These videos are such a help. I've never been able to plot a story ahead of time without getting bored. Without a outline though I get lost and stuck in a story due to struggling with the fluff of a story
I'm fairly certain the Malcolm Gladwell book he referenced was "The Tipping Point."
I definitely recommend it to anyone interested in learning about epidemics in Gladwell fashion. "Outliers" was an excellent read as well.
The way he described A New Hope is kind of mind blowing.
Every screenwriter in Hollywood/Netflix/Paramount/Amazon over the last 10 years needs to watch this.
“It’s in my own language!”
Touché, Brandon. Touché.
Steinbeck starts off many of his chapters with a description of a scene, almost a tableau.
This guy is soo helpful to all wannabe writers. Huge help, thank u
Thank you so much for posting longer clips from the class. I am disappointed we don't get to watch the full classes this year. No matter what, there are always cool stories, jokes, etc. that happen during each class, and you are a wealth of info and inspiration. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom with us.
"4k scribbles on a white board" would be a good rap lyric.
4k scribbles on a whiteboard
Brandon is the handwriting dark lord
@@samus598 what he writes down strikes our hearts chord
His massive talent can’t be ignored
Still haven’t read one of Mr Sanderson’s books, enjoying hearing him talk about them more than enough for now
I know the lecture hasn't changed that much, but we'll still watch them if you upload the whole thing.
Do spoilers make someone enjoy a story more? I think this question is linked into Sanderson's concept of promise and payoff. A spoiler in no uncertain terms gives you a promise of what the story will be like, because you know what happens.
I think the most common reason people dislike movies is because they came to them with a bad promise. When something meets your expectations, you are happy. When it gives you something you like, that you never knew you wanted, it's a brilliant piece of fiction. Even something good can be disappointing if you came to it with the wrong promise.
While it may seem pessimistic, I approach movies with low expectations. I am usually pleasantly surprised.
Yes. A youtuber named Just Write showed a portion of a study in his video about spoilers make someone enjoy a story more.
Man, I cannot get enough of these videos. Thank you Brandon!
I can't believe the amount of content you are capable of producing. You're a legend. Thank you so much for your insight!
When you're doing what you already love to do, there's no such thing as too much work
I watch these videos for motivation, it is so gratifying when I watch these and I find that I've already done half the things he talks about and then it motivates me further
Example: 9:40 , I've done this without trying and I'm so happy
Man, Sanderson. You're a true help! I'm halfway through my book cause of you!
I should be sleeping rn... but it's Brandon's Philosophy
THIS IS IT THIS IS WHAT I NEEDED i have been watching your lectures for weeks trying to figure out my book why its not working why the promise is failing why i cant nail down the tone the plot any of it and somehow something in this video clicked and i know. I can fix it. My first published novel is going to be dedicated to you at this point.
31:22 I like getting movies/books spoiled because if it is something cool I'm interested in what took place for that to happened, if it is boring then I don't have to watch the movie and at the same time know what happens. Is a win-win for me
I would argue that instead of people finding more enjoyment in knowing what is going to happen next, they enjoy the journey more if they know that there is a goal which they are moving towards.
Certainly, the feeling of being right when guessing how the story would unfold is strong, but if it's too easy and obvious, it would make it feel boring rather than exciting or interesting.
My favorite compromise is to write something that suprises most people, but something they realize COULD have been deduced through clues and foreshadowing. You'll have some that guessed it, but they'll feel rewarded, and some that realize so close to the reveal that's it's still exhilarating. But most will enjoy the surprise, but also enjoy the "oh! Of course".
I agree you don't wanna make it too obvious, but what's FAR worse, is a reveal they NEVER could have pieced together... no matter how good the answer, they'll feel cheated for any time they spent trying.
I slightly misunderstood your comment.. I was speaking in reference to something shown in part but purposefully obscured in full. Ya know, anything that makes them start theorizing the answer.
For example: a masked character that is presented in a way that they are someone we know under the mask.
I feel this is all wrong. If I can predict how the movie is going to go, I stop watching. It's precisely the subverting of my expectations in a satisfying way that keeps me hooked.
The dig at Last Jedi made me love Sanderson even more.
I enjoy watching your videos. I'm a new subscriber and I've been having this huge writerblovk. You have explained so much very easily and I have only watched two of your videos thus far. Thanks so much for sharing your wisdom and knowledge with with. It is really helping and I'm very grateful 🙏 💕
30:10 A cooper is someone who makes barrels. A cartwright makes carts.
I just bought and started reading The Lost Metal in order to analyze Sanderson's work in application of his theory. On the first page, there is a tone promise, conflict promise, and character promise.
Haha, yes, the "very short" prologue to the Wheel of Time 🤣🤣
WoT Book 1 has a super short prologue. The Ravens one that is long was added later.
I enjoy hearing that the idea of Progress can be simplified into a nested list. Whenever there is a situation where the hero opens a problem, there must be some way for them to close it. Character
That encourages me as a creative to make sure that the progress is properly sign-posted, like he said. If I ignore even a single element, the story is half-baked, since the characters would have earned an unnecessary component in their journey. Even worse, there is a massive gap in progress, since each roadblock should be overcome before the drive is finished!
Hi Brandon! I've been listening to your Nerd Of the Rings posts. I'm on the part when Gandalf returns to the Shire to discuss the Ring with Frodo who has been safeguarding it since Bilbo left. The discussion arose about whether or not the Ring was affecting Frodo since he took possession. I believe you said he Ring wasn't affecting him at that point.
I disagree. I disagree because Frodo refers to the Ring as belonging to HIM and Bilbo. Normally when something old and precious is passed along in a family the descendants usually credit complete ownership to an elder. For example "I proposed with my grandmother's wedding ring." "I keep my great grandmother's china in the cabinet." "My father passed away. I wear his watch to remember him." "I was married in my mother's wedding dress. My future daughter will be married in my mother's dress too." These objects can be handed down through generations with ownership being credited to someone who died decades ago. So Frodo claiming even partial ownership is odd and perhaps a clue that the Ring was reaching out to him from its hiding place.
i love it when a writing lecture makes me realize why i liked the first planet of the apes but not the other ones XD
These videos have improved my writing so much! I keep having these great "ah hah!" moments while brainstorming.
When you brought up the intro to A New Hope I suddenly heard the dulcet tones of Mr. Plinkett in the recesses of my mind.
"You see, a guy named William Shakesman once said..."
This man is very good at writing
It might've been Tolkien, Steven King, a couple mangakas, Aurora, Odyssey and Eclipse engine games, Silent Hill games and Yoko Taro games that had me wanting to and inspired me to write, but it was two or three TH-camrs and Brandon Sanderson sharing their knowledge that made me want to and know how to really polish on the overall quality of what I'm writing.
The enthusiasm here is so inspirational 😭
Is anyone else watching this and also thinking about stories they like and how brilliantly those stories pull what he’s talking about off?
Thank you Brandon! and thank you team! This is top notch! Content-wise and Production-wise!
There’s a very distinct cognitive dissonance that happens to me whenever you talk about yourself in the third person
This was probably my favorite video on writing yet. Thanks a ton brando sando
So it wasn't a little ship blowing up a big ship, it was friend ship blowing up a big ship. Moral of the story, friendship is the best ship
Hi Brandon, I'd really love to see the full 2021 lecture series (even though you have the 2020 lecture series up (minus the last lecture)). Any chance you could post them at some point?
Bless the souls of all involved
14:53 Fun fact: There's a very good and famous mexican novel called "Farabeuf" that does exactly this.
16:30 Big ship poppin, and little ship stoppin
Loved this, exactly what I needed with my writer’s block. Thank youUu, looking forward for your next upload!
10:33 He's wrong about that scene. Indy doesn't mislead the guy. Brandon is combining two traps: the light trap with the long spikes where a previous raider's remains are still attached to them, and the pressure plates with the darts right before the idol. The guy who betrays him just forgot about the light trap as he fled. Only Indy went through the pressure plate trap to get the idol and then ran back through it, narrowly missing the darts.
This specific lecture has helped me find errors with my first novel.
I learn so much from your lectures and that is all I need to stay loyal. BUT the fact that you drop the occasional "Easter eggs" where you support my need to see *The Last Jedi* receive unlimited numbers of thrashings by whips (from Indiana Jones or any others willing to give out lashes, verbal or otherwise...) This guarantees my loyalty to ALWAYS stop whatever I'm doing and watch your videos!
Great video: re: 31:00 "People like stories when they know what is going to happen." How many people went to Star Wars over and over? Or any smash movie, or just rewatched a TV or anyting again? How many people enjoyed reading a book more than once? It is about the journey, and entering that world.
Kids like repeat stories where they know what will happen, as it is "safe, familiar," but also still very enjoyable. Many people find re-reading ro rewatching is better the second or third time.
omg this made me realize how special it was when someone gave chewie a medal in ep 9…. and it was the same medal that leis gave luke in ep 4 😭😭😭😭 chewie finally got his medal
I love love this video. I revisit it frequently.
Canto Bight = failure being a teacher and the imperfection of novice heroes. It reflects the evolution in screenwriting from Saturday serials toward a postmodern prospective.
The dislike comes from the writer with writer's block.
There is so much awesome content in here. I’d absolutely love to see you write a book on plotting.
The Raiders of thr Lost Ark part - where do we learn that Indy is triggering a pressure plate to cause the spikes to jump out? Dont recall that at all, sounds like he's describing a detail from the novelization or something.
The brawl had gone on long enough and Sir Goodfellow knew that if he didn’t step in he’d never have a chance inquire about the Fountain of Darkness at the center of town. He silently readied a spell of Forcible Push as a precaution and stepped forward.
“Now that’s not the way a true warrior carries on in a fight,” he said in a calm yet threatening tone. “I’ve seen toddlers throw punches more heavy handed than you lot!”
A bearded sailor stumbled forward, curiosity mixed with rage swirled through his eyes. “How dare you come into our theatre and disturb our rehearsal? Do you know how long Finley here had to learn this choreography? Two whole hours!”
The rest of the troupe shouted out in support of their newest member, patting a small, slender man on the back. “It was me mum’s dying wish to see me on the big stage.”
Sir Goodfellow made a quick glance around the area and removed his hand from his hilt. He spied a large sign post that read “Eastvale Concert Hall.” Clearly he overestimated the situation and felt blood rushing into his cheeks and ears. He took a step backwards, falling into a large pile of sticks and kindling.
“Oh great, ya lummox!” The sailor, who was behaving much more like a stage manager, stomped forward. “Now you destroyed our giant nest prop for the finale when the little eagle destroys the big dragon! Do ya plan on ruining anything else on your way out?”
The good knight rolled over to push himself up, managing to destroy some smaller, yet softer nests. He turned and beamed a weak smile to the group. His spell of Forcible Push then triggered and fired upward to the ceiling. A large lantern came crashing down. The troupe fumed. Sir Goodfellow reached for his money bag.
“How much do I owe?”
“4K.”
"short segment"
38 minutes... :D
Brandon - are you still doing this course?? It would be awesome to get a new course playlist!
24:40
The power of friendship
Hahaha I tell this to my friends and coworkers as a joke all the time 😂
14:54 Now I want to see a book about that...
Wouldn't be surprised of it already exists.
Thanks for doing all these teaching videos! I learn a lot, and I'm sure many others do too.
wish the people at disney and amazon watched these wonderful videos!
I love these chunky 'short' videos!
Regarding prologues... Is a prologue that shows something from later in the story (a conflict, a fight, a confrontation) a good approach?