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Dude, its fine to use examples from your own work. Every writing youtuber always gives these humble disclaimers, excusing themselves. It's a bad trend in our culture, where enthusiasm about the things youre passionate about, and proud of, is regarded as vanity. Show what you create ❤
Thank you I'll bear that in mind, but I'm keen to avoid projecting the image that I have all the answers, when nobody actually does. That's really important to me.
OMG thank you! I'm editing my debut and doing a rewrite of my first chapter, which was killing me. I could not figure out why it was lagging. I'm now restructuring using this technique. It will mean renumbering chapters but it will be so much better!
I think I'm the only person not to watch or read this series 😅 but good points and feel like I have a good handle on doing this, especially with multi POV
if you are interested, i highly recommend reading the books. the show loses quality after a couple seasons and i never finished it, but i have read the novels many times because they are so good.
This was a great video that earned a sub. It tackles a subject that I've not even thought of and will undoubtly make my writing more engaging. Thank you much!!
Absolutely makes sense! Cutting the not so interesting bits is good not just during the start and the end but a very important part of editing. Its very easy to remember it this way too. I guess its harder for hooks in my case, since I feel that need to ground the readers in this new scene. On hooks, honestly your Tshirt this time was a show stealer. That heart logo and that tiny thread poking out against the dark background. They were hooking my attention a lot of the times lol.
Honestly, I get it. As soon as I opened the footage I'd just spent over an hour recording and saw that little thread... Suffice to say I was not pleased to see it! The t-shirt is a quote from Frankenstein though so I'm okay with that grabbing some attention.
Yes! Get in late, get out early. I used this advice with the latest book I wrote. Reminded myself of it with each chapter. Great vid and congrats on hitting 20K 🎉
Loved this episode. Thank you for posting. I have a few places in my WIP that include "boring walks" etc., and I've tried to be vigilant about them. This is a good reminder to watch both ends of the chapter, and what to put at both ends.
I wanted to say thank you for this. I always had a problem with pacing chapters in my novel and then crash and burn and start again. But this video really helped. I'm writing a couple of short stories for a challenge and I realized this while writing them but couldn't put into words. So again, thank you.
Great video, man. Chapter and scene construction is one of the biggest things a writer can learn and I feel like it's the least understood. Thanks for adding to the conversation.
I know this isn't relevant to the current topic, but I'd like to ask: I used to enjoy motivational quotes and loved reading them all. However, lately, whenever I see a book or come across some inspirational lines on social media or in a status update, I start feeling nauseous and want to vomit. Yet, at the same time, I still feel a strong desire to read them. I'm puzzled - why is that?
Alternating story lines every other chapter can be good for getting readers to pick up and read more... In my experience it feels like a cliffhanger and you want to read on because you want to get to the next chapter to see it continue. But this can also backfire if one storyline is not as engaging as the previous one. Then the reader goes... oh, now I have to read through this less interesting chapter before i get back to the story Like better. For the alternating storyline / chapters cliffhangers to work... both story lines have to be engaging and interesting so the reader keeps wanting to find out what happens next.
Me too. I also actually wrote a scene this week where one of the characters and his father dangle a piece of cheese on a string, in front of a hungry, caged slave. ...it was a long time ago... ok?
I see how this fits into the Scene and Sequel technique. That technique is a way of writing scenes. It begins with the Scene: the goal, encountering conflict, then disaster/failure. Then Sequel: emotional reaction, quandary, and decision. You start a scene by telling us the Hero's goal, or restating it so we know what to expect and to hook us with tension. Then you show the conflict. This can be 80% of the scene. Then you have the Hero fail or have a setback. If they succeed, then the story is over, so they either fail to complete their goal or their goal shifts or they realize their goal was misguided, etc. Then Sequel. The emotional reaction to the disaster. If the Hero doesn't care about it then why should the reader? Emotion. Then there is a quandary, a moment to figure out what to do next. It is best if there are no ideal options. Then they choose the next goal--Decision. And it repeats until the story is over. This technique you outlined has the chapter end right when they make the decision. No dwelling on things. This next goal will be where the story will head next. Many writers will mozy about or will end during the Reaction or the Quandary. It can work, but if you end by showing there are no good options, but we are taking a risk with this one, then it hooks the reader better. "Better fins that wolf of yours." It's clear from just this that they don't have many good options. It is a reluctant decision, but necessary. And by starting the next chapter so close to the conflict as possible. Don't mozy about going over the goal or rehashing all the reasons why the Hero chose this option over the others. Nor is it best to have them think about the last disaster and rehash the emotional reaction. It can work to have them second guess themselves, but it depends on the character and it is almost always better to start when the Hero can see the conflict coming up. Start as close to conflict as possible, or introduce a small conflict before the main one to tide us over.
Nlt related, but i want people's opinions on my book's finalized title. It is called 'Obsidion Waters'. Does it sound compelling or not? For context, it is a Y.A Dark Fantasy novel themed around truama, betrayal and revenge, featuring a negative character arc i.e a villain origin tale, with a teenage girl as the protagonist. I am currently 80% done in writing my 50,000 word debut novel as of right now, but i am stuck in a rut with a third act chapter, which involves my protagonist finding a cursed magical sword, which makes them far more physically powerful, but at the cost of corrupting her psyche, making her more evil and morally reprehensible. It is supposed to accelerate her negative arc, but would it feel cheap and unsatisfying for the audience, if some mcguffin object is accelerating her descent into evil. Yhe cursed sword is supposed to work like the symbiote black suit from the Spider-Man universe, essentially a fantasy version of it.
👉 Join my Writing Club - www.patreon.com/kierenwestwoodwriting
👉 Hire me to work on your story - www.kierenwestwood.com/editing
👉 My free newsletter - tinyurl.com/4z7mee38
Dude, its fine to use examples from your own work. Every writing youtuber always gives these humble disclaimers, excusing themselves. It's a bad trend in our culture, where enthusiasm about the things youre passionate about, and proud of, is regarded as vanity. Show what you create ❤
Thank you I'll bear that in mind, but I'm keen to avoid projecting the image that I have all the answers, when nobody actually does. That's really important to me.
OMG thank you! I'm editing my debut and doing a rewrite of my first chapter, which was killing me. I could not figure out why it was lagging. I'm now restructuring using this technique. It will mean renumbering chapters but it will be so much better!
Fantastic, that was good timing! Really glad it could help a bit ☺️
What a brilliant idea for a video! Looking forward to this
Fantastic advice, thank you!
Ramp and hook. Thanks for this tip!
Thanks for watching ☺️
I think I'm the only person not to watch or read this series 😅 but good points and feel like I have a good handle on doing this, especially with multi POV
if you are interested, i highly recommend reading the books. the show loses quality after a couple seasons and i never finished it, but i have read the novels many times because they are so good.
I'd recommend both to some extend, but neither is perfect by any means!
This was a great video that earned a sub. It tackles a subject that I've not even thought of and will undoubtly make my writing more engaging. Thank you much!!
Absolutely makes sense! Cutting the not so interesting bits is good not just during the start and the end but a very important part of editing. Its very easy to remember it this way too. I guess its harder for hooks in my case, since I feel that need to ground the readers in this new scene.
On hooks, honestly your Tshirt this time was a show stealer. That heart logo and that tiny thread poking out against the dark background. They were hooking my attention a lot of the times lol.
Honestly, I get it. As soon as I opened the footage I'd just spent over an hour recording and saw that little thread...
Suffice to say I was not pleased to see it!
The t-shirt is a quote from Frankenstein though so I'm okay with that grabbing some attention.
Yes! Get in late, get out early. I used this advice with the latest book I wrote. Reminded myself of it with each chapter.
Great vid and congrats on hitting 20K 🎉
That's a much more concise way to summarize it! Exactly.
Thank you! ☺️
Loved this episode. Thank you for posting. I have a few places in my WIP that include "boring walks" etc., and I've tried to be vigilant about them. This is a good reminder to watch both ends of the chapter, and what to put at both ends.
I wanted to say thank you for this.
I always had a problem with pacing chapters in my novel and then crash and burn and start again. But this video really helped.
I'm writing a couple of short stories for a challenge and I realized this while writing them but couldn't put into words.
So again, thank you.
I'm really glad it helped! Sometimes it just takes a different angle for things to drop into place, it does for me anyway.
Great video, man. Chapter and scene construction is one of the biggest things a writer can learn and I feel like it's the least understood. Thanks for adding to the conversation.
Thanks mate! This is a relatively simple version, but could be helpful to have in the back of the mind I think.
Great tip! Thank you!!!
Excellent. Thank you.
I know this isn't relevant to the current topic, but I'd like to ask: I used to enjoy motivational quotes and loved reading them all. However, lately, whenever I see a book or come across some inspirational lines on social media or in a status update, I start feeling nauseous and want to vomit. Yet, at the same time, I still feel a strong desire to read them. I'm puzzled - why is that?
Alternating story lines every other chapter can be good for getting readers to pick up and read more... In my experience it feels like a cliffhanger and you want to read on because you want to get to the next chapter to see it continue. But this can also backfire if one storyline is not as engaging as the previous one. Then the reader goes... oh, now I have to read through this less interesting chapter before i get back to the story Like better. For the alternating storyline / chapters cliffhangers to work... both story lines have to be engaging and interesting so the reader keeps wanting to find out what happens next.
😂 I saw the thumbnail and thought it was suggesting Cheese + hook. Cheesy hook? 😂😂😂
Omg it totally looks like Cheese doesn’t it 🤦♂️ You’re totally right!
@@KierenWestwoodWriting well, I definitely had to watch the video after seeing that! Great video as usual.
Me too. I also actually wrote a scene this week where one of the characters and his father dangle a piece of cheese on a string, in front of a hungry, caged slave.
...it was a long time ago... ok?
I see how this fits into the Scene and Sequel technique.
That technique is a way of writing scenes. It begins with the Scene: the goal, encountering conflict, then disaster/failure. Then Sequel: emotional reaction, quandary, and decision.
You start a scene by telling us the Hero's goal, or restating it so we know what to expect and to hook us with tension. Then you show the conflict. This can be 80% of the scene.
Then you have the Hero fail or have a setback. If they succeed, then the story is over, so they either fail to complete their goal or their goal shifts or they realize their goal was misguided, etc.
Then Sequel. The emotional reaction to the disaster. If the Hero doesn't care about it then why should the reader? Emotion. Then there is a quandary, a moment to figure out what to do next. It is best if there are no ideal options. Then they choose the next goal--Decision.
And it repeats until the story is over.
This technique you outlined has the chapter end right when they make the decision. No dwelling on things. This next goal will be where the story will head next.
Many writers will mozy about or will end during the Reaction or the Quandary. It can work, but if you end by showing there are no good options, but we are taking a risk with this one, then it hooks the reader better. "Better fins that wolf of yours." It's clear from just this that they don't have many good options. It is a reluctant decision, but necessary.
And by starting the next chapter so close to the conflict as possible. Don't mozy about going over the goal or rehashing all the reasons why the Hero chose this option over the others. Nor is it best to have them think about the last disaster and rehash the emotional reaction.
It can work to have them second guess themselves, but it depends on the character and it is almost always better to start when the Hero can see the conflict coming up. Start as close to conflict as possible, or introduce a small conflict before the main one to tide us over.
Ahhh...it's a RAMP! At first I thought it was going to be cheese (bait) and a hook! lol
You're not the first person to see cheese! I really didn't think that thumbnail through :D
@@KierenWestwoodWriting Either way works. ;-) But the ramp makes more sense in this context for sure.
Nlt related, but i want people's opinions on my book's finalized title. It is called 'Obsidion Waters'. Does it sound compelling or not?
For context, it is a Y.A Dark Fantasy novel themed around truama, betrayal and revenge, featuring a negative character arc i.e a villain origin tale, with a teenage girl as the protagonist.
I am currently 80% done in writing my 50,000 word debut novel as of right now, but i am stuck in a rut with a third act chapter, which involves my protagonist finding a cursed magical sword, which makes them far more physically powerful, but at the cost of corrupting her psyche, making her more evil and morally reprehensible. It is supposed to accelerate her negative arc, but would it feel cheap and unsatisfying for the audience, if some mcguffin object is accelerating her descent into evil. Yhe cursed sword is supposed to work like the symbiote black suit from the Spider-Man universe, essentially a fantasy version of it.
💖💓♏💓💖