I'm sobbing about how Abbie doesn't get well-deserved praise, but happy she's our little secret. Thank you for everything, Abbie! Id be so lost without you.
Me, who read the divergent book: wanting to tell Abbie why its important to tris. Also me, who saw the movie first: fully understands where abbie is coming from
Same! I literally had to pause the video and give an entire explanation out loud in my room lol! Read the book first, but from the movies (which were awful) I can see her point. If anything the books were largely about her internal conflict to determine who she who she was, where she belonged, and what her life's purpose/dying meant.
Inevitable comparison but take how Hunger Games showed Katniss's belief and fear in the inciting incident. We easily empathized with how she sacrificed herself-her own life, almost-guaranteed to lose-for her sister, despite her fear of the brutal system that is Panem and its game, because the opening established who matters to the the protagonist and why. Ultimately, Katniss's love for her sister and her family and their safety was tested to be bigger than anything else.
Exactly, whereas for Tris there was no sacrifice at all. She was divergent anyway and so she would've been picking something that wasn't 100% her regardless. A bit like a kid choosing to go out of state for college or somewhere nearby. It's a tough choice, sure, but unless we see why it MATTERS, we don't really honestly care. Choosing to die in your sisters place? Well, uhm, yeah, i can see how THAT FRIGGIN MATTERS. Had she been sentencing her family to death by choosing dauntless, then that would've mattered. Bit grim, but at least now there's more at stake than "should i leave home now that i'm an adult?"
But hunger games kind of does still suffer from this too, the sacrifice is better but I still don’t know who catnis is. This is why people hate on teen dystopia, there’s no real character and awful world building
I accidentally vaporize my pre-algebra teacher. Also, can we talk about Rick’s hooks, otherwise known as his first sentences “I didn’t want to be a halfblood” “The end of the world started when a Pegasus landed on the hood of my car” “Even before he was electrocuted, Jason was having a pretty rotten day” “I am Apollo. I used to be a god” And my personal favorite, “no, I refuse to share this part of my story. It was the lowest, most humiliating, most awful week in my 4000 years of life. Tragedy. Disaster. Heartbreak. I will not tell you about it. Why are you still here? Go away. But alas, I suppose I have no choice. Doubtless Zeus expects me to tell you the story as part of my punishment” I know those are more like openings rather than hooks, but if those don’t hook you into the story, then I don’t know what will
Huh. Now I finally have a concrete explanation for why I didn't like Divergent. I always have just said it's because I don't like Tris, but now I know WHY I don't like Tris. There's nothing to her. Thanks for doing this case study! It really helped.
You're NOT the only one, I spent months herding cats in my head always thinking "Who LIVES like this!?" Abbie's scene cards are a HUGE help if you want to get to writing before you have finished the outline. It helped me to move past a few bumps. Writing in my universe expanded my understanding of it and worked out some timeline issues and plot holes that I couldn't wrap my mind around in outline form. Best of luck to ya, glad to know it's not just me spinning in circles staring at a bunch of sticky notes.
@@mom2many166 At the other end of the writing scale are pantsers, writers that write by the seat of their pants. You don't know what's going to happen next because they don't know what's going to happen next. Stephen King writes this way; the suspense is real because it's real for the writer as well. Most people fall in the middle. You get four sentences of inspiration, and you start writing, and as you go you learn your character, and then you rewrite a bunch of stuff to throw peril in the path. Maybe hyper plotting gets you around the rewriting, but my gut says the time you spend rewriting equals the time you spend plotting, and it's a lot more fun. The other advantage about writing more about the hero that doesn't get into the final book is that it becomes mental back story. During the first StarWars movie, did anyone see that Darth Vader was actually Luke's father? It fell out of the backstory.
I completely understand Abbie’s opinion about Divergent. When I first read Divergent, I wondered what Tris’ personality was. For me, she was a cardboard-cut heroine who needed to be brave for the sake of the dystopian story. The author emphasized Tris’ love for her family but I didn’t feel it, I didn’t see it. Even her sacrifices and other actions - some of it made sense but the others were just there to serve the purpose of the plot. You know the spark you feel when you first meet a character? It’s like *boom* I like this character. Say Harry Potter - when you understand how it feels to be like him. To be bullied, poor, and underrated. I didn’t get that feeling with Tris. I finished the whole Divergent series and I was awed by the turn of events, but I never did feel the depth of Tris’ character. If you ask me to summarize her personality into three words, I can only tell you this: She’s intelligent, strong, and selfless. Are those characteristics enough? She’s just that. Brave and all. Sounds like another epic hero from any other mainstream book. She doesn’t have a unique quality that makes an unforgettable character. Katniss Everdeen is brave, but she’s soft and vulnerable, no matter how hard she tries to hide it. She’s deliberately cold. She loves her family and she’s loyal to her friends. She’s not prissy. She’s not that girly. She might even survive the Hell Week. She... I can just go on and on. Now, I think this is why people always compare Hunger Games and Divergent. Katniss lives in a dystopian world too. But all her actions make sense. As a reader, I see the reason why she did everything she did. And by the end of Mockingjay, I was crying because the Katniss in the third book was so different from the Katniss I met from the first book. I realized how much the Games had changed her and everything around her. And it just made me sad. Because her story matters to her, and therefore it matters to me as a reader too. I’m going through this because good characters complete stories. Divergent is a good story. But it feels incomplete without a three-dimensional, realistic lead. Abbie is right when she says that characters are very important. We have always believed that a book is about the story. But the truth is, a book is about the character and their story. And why it matters.
Hmmmm, i wonder if it would be a good exercise to "fix" Tris. What would you have given her to make her your one unforgettable character? How would you have made the inciting incident something that mattered? I'm going to go and think on this. Edit: it's been about 4 seconds, but i thought on it and i swear, even giving her a stuffed piggy named Mr. Gordo would've done more for her personality than what we got in 3 books. (Bonus points if anyone knows the character that Mr. Gordo actually belongs to - a hint: TV, not book or film.)
For me, I don't see any sort of internal conflict for harry potter, it was more coming-of-age or idk, it's just external events that got all the attention. But OMFGGG the Frozen example is AMAZINGGG!! Like honestly break down frozen and u can see just how amazzzzinggg it is! Even look at the lyrics and video clips of Do you wanna build a snowman and it shows you Anna as well as Elsa's desire, fear and misbelief
frozen is a great way to show this point! it shows Elsa and Anna stepping out of their comfort zones, aka the rooms and castle that they've been confided in for almost a decade.
Just finished my first book. Used your videos for it. Here I am again, watching your videos while writing my second book. To anyone wanting to write their first book, just do it! It's so much fun and you learn so much through the process 💜
Thank you so much for your kind words! They mean so much to me, and I am thrilled that the content I make encourages you to chase your dreams and make your story MATTER!
Great video, Abbie! Some of my favourites are: Clarice Starling getting sent to meet Doctor Lecter... Andy Dufresne getting sent to Shawshank and him meeting Red... Frodo getting the Ring... The goal for my novel is to be better than Divergent... I have low goals... I hated that book, never finished it and ended up throwing it away.
I am SHOOK by this video.This REALLY helps with storys.
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I think the problems with Divergent go a lot deeper than just the opening hook or inciting incident. The almost empty character development makes it almost impossible to identify with Triss (or a great many of the other characters) because they really have no flaws or fears at all. At least that's how I felt reading/watching it. This is a great series of videos though! I especially liked the fact that you made an example of contemporary/slice of life story as well. Your videos are really good!
An idea that I had was a successful cop whose misguided belief was her confidence in herself. She's headstrong and focused to the point where she comes off as arrogant and dismissive of her friends ideas as they may be better than hers. But then someone, her future nemesis, appears and outwits and outmatches at every turn. This leads to disaster because the cop's belief is that she can figure this out herself or else she'll feel she was never meant to be an officer in the first place.
The inciting incident is this video. Either I give up writing because it’s too hard but regret not trying or go forth or write with the safety belt of your TH-cam channel...until I discover my true powa! Love these videos!
My goodness! I am soooo vibing with these videos. I'm just watching one after another. They are so full of information presented in a clear and concise way via her dynamic communication skills. Each video is really sinking in for me. I've been watching several different TH-cam channels to garner a basic understanding of the craft of writing. Abbie, you stand out. I LOVE how you are giving very specific examples to illustrate whatever topic you are addressing in the video. It really makes a difference. The prompts and questions are also very helpful and I will reference them when I begin writing. Thank you so much!
OK. I have set aside my constant excuses about work and life getting in the way and I am committing to getting a draft done by August 22. For this reason this channel is Abbie-solutely indispensable. And no, I do not apologise for the dad joke... I'm a dad after all. Thanks Abbie.
So freaking amazing!! Abbie you're so fantastic and I appreciate what you do here on TH-cam SO much!! Also I had a dream I met you and it was so cool and I was fangirling the while time 😂💛
Of your videos that I’ve seen, I think this is my favorite one! I love how you take the idea of the inciting incident and break it down using examples that we’re likely familiar with. You have the idea of what the inciting incident is, and then you flesh it out in these examples and really apply it practically so that it makes sense. It takes it from being just theoretical to be being real and relatable. Thank you for this awesome video (and all your other awesome videos), and keep doing your thing girl!!! 🥳🎉🥳
Thank you so much for your kind words! They mean so much to me, and I am thrilled that the content I make encourages you to chase your dreams and make your story MATTER!
Hi Abbie, I came here after reading your books and are still amazed that you are such a good teacher and writer. Hope you gain the praise you deserve, and hope you continue to help people!
Hahaha I love how you said this can be as easy as “cleaning your back yard” in the beginning of the video and end the video with that story of the woman who needs to clean her backyard. Art. Helpful video, thank you :)
wow, i'm glad youtube recommend this channel!, i love how you explain about character, how a character should be. im not writer but a videographer + video editor sometimes like a director as well. keep doing this and spread awareness if a good writing can make a huge impact on story. regard from malaysia
Thank you Abbie! It was such a detailed work! I have troubles with my own Inciting incident in a way that I cannot decide which event could be the incident for my character! But this video may help me decide!
I feel a bit confused with not accepting ''not knowing what she wants'' as the internal conflict. Maybe I don't get something yet but wouldn't the inciting incident of Divergent matter to Tris because not even the test can tell her where she belongs? However I can't really remember how this conflict was treated in the story so it might not have worked.
From what I understand, you just pointed out what she wants, 'to belong'. But what I believe Abbie is getting at is that even that desire is not established really. If we saw Tris getting anxious about how important it is to the society and peers around her to be somewhere 'they belong' and believes that she won't be happy unless she also finds where she belongs, then this incident would matter much more. But we just hear her going "I don't really know what to feel". We don't experience her fear or worries, from what I've experienced. Sure she says she's scared, but her tone of voice and actions following don't convince me of that fear. These are just my thoughts though :)
I think the issue with Divergent isn't that n9t knowing what you want isn't a problem, it's that it's not shown to be her internal struggle. Kee offers some advice, and so does Abbie (view the earlier lessons in this series). But if we see her struggle with this on more of an internal issue, and it's released (probably in slow doses with one last big bomb), we can see her struggle emotionally and bond better with her, also take joy in her overcoming it. I think the film was subtler in it showing this as an internal struggle, if shown at all.
About your view on divergent... The world building in my opinion is so important. When it comes to dystopian books the world is just as important or sometimes more important than the actual character. The world is what interests people and excites people. Although I loved Foutriss I'd much prefer to know about the history of the factions than Triss
OMG I just got done reading Divergent and couldn't pinpoint what I disliked so much about it. You nailed this analysis. Also, I'm LOVING this WLW series. Your videos are inspiring me to dive back into writing again :)
Aw, I loved the book (hated the movie). I thought the internal conflict was clear - she wanted to be abnigation but didn't think she had the strength of character for the self-denial. Which was amazing when you think of how the series ended.
There are some books or movies I just watch/read and HATE. Like I could never pinpoint why, but your videos have really show me the importance of having beautifully written, messed up and complex characters and how much of an effect that has on the story.
you're the freaking best youtuber i have ever stumbled upon. i love your conduct, your accent, your energy, your points, your explanations, your examples, the pace of all your videos, the dedication, the thought, the aesthetic feel of it all. i've learned so much from just watching one of your videos and i feel overwhelmed and thrilled at the thought that you've got so much more that i haven't watched but must pause my life somehow and gobble up in one go right now
I literally love the greatest showman! Everything from the story, to the characters, to the songs I absolutely love! Remains one of my favorite movies to this day! ^^
I love The Beautiful Fantastic!! such a great movie and I think it i an excellent example! Keep up the good work, Abbie! I am learning so much from your videos.
OMG when you said the inciting incident could be as simple as cleaning up your yard...my first thought was This Beautiful Fantastic! So glad I'm not the only one who loved that movie
Thank you Abbie for introducing me to “this beautiful fantastic”, I watched it as soon as you recommended it and it totally illustrated what you were saying . I loved it 😊
I'd love you discussing more case studies if you get the chance, Abbie. Really helps pinpoint what I'm doing wrong in my own story. When you see the evidence in movies, it reminds how you can't just shrug and say, "Oh, that'll be ok if I don't fix that issue with my internal conflict." Yep. It matters... otherwise you get that awful dead feel in a story. Or baffling feel. Like you say... need to light up the brain.... to engage the emotions... and techniques matter. Thanks for the huge amount of work you put into these videos.
Mrs. Gulch threatens to have Toto destroyed, and Dorothy sings about a place where she'd rather be. Luke sees the princess' video message and wants to help her. Scrooge gets a visit from Marley's spirit and wants to save himself from Marley's fate. Wendy sees a footprint on the third-floor carpet, together with some leaves from somewhere else. As a result, although daily life continues as normal, the character's mental world has changed. The first goal is established. Dorothy wants to save Toto (but fears what? Abandoning her family?). Luke wants to help the princess by delivering R2 with its Death Star plans to her father on Alderaan (but fears leaving his aunt and uncle who can't run the farm without him). Scrooge wants to save his soul, and is willing to get with the Spirits' program (but fears what?) Wendy is curious about who made the footprint (but fears what?)
Imho, I think Dorothy and Luke are afraid of stepping outside the status quo. Being younger, they're afraid of "getting in trouble," rather than understanding that this is a chance to 'grow up.' They are of an age where they should start (or already be) asserting themselves, but don't because they've never done it before. Life therefore thrusts them into situations away from those in authority over them (but with kindly guardians), where they have to start making their own decisions. Other authors call this "believing the Lie," and that belief is what keeps the MC from taking action. Scrooge may want to save his soul, but he believes the Lie that a man's value is measured in how much money he has. So, he fears 'giving away" his money, of being charitable. He needed the ghosts to take him outside of his known [mental] world to show him what option(s) were available.
I think Dorothy fears the witch (a.k.a. Miss Gulch) and so, chooses between the value of her family and value of saving her dog BECAUSE she knows if she stays at home with toto, Miss Gulch will come back. And then hence the story revolving around the witch wanting to "get you my pretty, AND YOUR LITTLE DOG TOO" and it ends in Dorothy standing up to the witch and going home.
I'm not a huge fan of Divergent, but I did finish the series. I'd say her comfort zone is the status quo, it's not having to make a choice at all, it's having her whole life laid out ahead of her. That is all taken away when she makes that choice to go against her upbringing, which seems impossible for her. It doesn't smack you over the head, but that is the point, Abnegation is humble, she's been taught her whole life to suppress her desires and do what is best for others, now she is breaking free of that. Dauntless is all desire and passion, it is the thing she is drawn to, that's why she looks at it fleetingly. Can't look too long...maybe someone would see... Divergent has a thousand problems as a series, but this was a non-issue for me. :) Love your videos! They are always so upbeat and bright!
You say there was no call to adventure with the girl in the house, but this where I find people overlook the story mechanism. If she looks out her window at her chaotic yard, the realization alone of how bad it's gotten is the call to adventure. Turning her attention to the things inside she prefers to do is the refusal. Finally when the threat of eviction comes along, is she forced into the hard choice. Incident incited.
I love this and it helped me write my inciting incidents. Contemporary MM Romance. Both MC's have a choice brought forth and have to choose a life of solitude or risk everything for love. Granted, I think one has more to lose than the other, but it doesn't make it any less impactful for him.
I like how you explain this: there need to be stakes attached to the choice after the inciting incident. This also makes the key event more interesting because if the choice to leave is forced upon the protagonist, then we as the reader get a whole lot more conflict.
I feel like Divergent actually does hit all the points mentioned in the video. Tris's internal conflict is that she doesn't know who she is and it matters to her because her entire culture and society is structured around a person's sense of self fitting into a neat category. She's never been fully happy in abnegation but it's all she knows, her comfort zone. She's afraid that not fitting in will lead to her becoming a literal outcast forced out of society. She wants to find her true place and purpose in life but her misbelief is that she must adhere to societal expectations (fitting neatly into one of these factions) in order to find it. Her finding out she is divergent (inciting incident) matters to her because it confirms her worst fears... that she may truly never fit into society, and if discovered, will be cast out of it or even killed (raises the stakes). It pushes her out of her comfort zone (abnegation and the faction system in general) by making it impossible for her to exist openly within, or fully embrace, either. Tris is forced to choose a faction despite knowing none are a true match. She can stay in abnegation (her comfort zone) and risk never finding out whether she could be happy and fulfilled elsewhere, or she can risk going into the unknown (dauntless) to try to find purpose there, while still avoiding her fear (that she doesnt fit into one faction or society in general).
Ill have to watch This Beautiful Fantastic. Having dealt with family members with clinical OCD, I can feel for the protagonist already. Having to clean the backyard would be a MONUMENTAL task to someone with OCD.
I just found you bc I'm in the revision trenches and the inciting incident is haunting me. Your explanation really helps. Reminding me it doesn't have to be done big huge thing. I love The Beautiful Fantastic. Mainly because I love the MC from Downton & pretty much everything she's in. But it's a perfect example and mentor text for my novel. Thank you. I subscribed and can't wait to binge more from you! Happy Learning in Deed!
Holy crap! I just love this amazing woman, Abbie! I'm hoping she'll become like a Pulitzer-winning writer in the future! Will rewatch this vid again & again! ✨💓✨
Abbie you remind me of the song used for the Disney short "Paperman"! Infighting, lighting, good feels! Thank you you all this help and perspective from a human psychology/reasonable glare!
I love that you are putting words to how I feel about movies and books. The internal and how the characters feel and react to it is the only reason I like things. I end up finding movies like divergent or those with a lot of just action really boring.
So glad you mentioned The Beautiful Fantastic - watched it last night. So good and like you said can’t believe more people don’t know about this film. Keep producing your content so good and informative! ❤️👍
This was the funniest thing to watch in co-con. While I was chuckling at Divergents stupidity Piper was screaming about how amazing the books are. All in all great video -Alex
I think Tris’ comfort zone was remaining in Abnegation where she could fake fitting in though we know that she desires to know where she belongs like everyone else Then there was the venturing into the unknown of Dauntless in some step to feel like she’s watering that desire since she kinda favors the faction. And avoiding the fear that she might never truly belong anywhere and become like the factionless whose midst she is even afraid to walk through
Your fantastic explanation of the inciting incident brings to mind the Flashman book series. Here is a story that's being told by an old man, a decorated war hero, about his youth and how he lived a life of a coward. He did his absolute best to avoid conflict his entire life and was thrown like Forrest Gump from one exciting adventure to another. Unlike many heroes that you "trust" in the fact that they'll at least try to do the right thing, you never know what Flashman is going to do. You hope upon hope that he'll make the right choice... nope! Damn it, Man!! What a great book series, and it falls squarely into exactly what you're talking about here.
I’m a little confused because many of the things I see you saying aren’t present in Divergent I feel like I’m seeing fairly clearly. Not saying it’s a master class of writing or anything. But to me what Triss wants to be explicitly told where she belongs. She doesn’t know what she wants so an expert opinion will at least be some comfort even if she’s a little scared of either outcome. Getting labeled divergent throws a kink in all that. It’s like being face with a lose lose situation and then finding out that there was a third even worse option for her. Now there is no expert opinion and the choice is totally on her. The grapple with staying in the comfort zone or going beyond that feels pretty obvious to at the choosing ceremony. The comfort zone is staying in Abnegation, the faction that she has grown up with and is familiar with. Vs the unknown territory of any of the other factions. Maybe I’m misunderstanding or somethings just over my head but that seems to make sense to me.
Good one Abbie! What’s the Inciting Incident in Pride and Prejudice?? I always thought it was the very first line, (well of dialogue anyways) :) The greatest showman moment: it’s like Jim Carrey’s dad said- You can just as easily fail at something you don’t want to do, so why not do what you want.
This is such a small little detail but it scratches my brain how the protagonist is constantly referred to as she/her while I'm only comfortable with writing male protagonists, lmao
Thank you for this, I just started with writing my first contemporary Ya novel and was having problem with coming up with a good inciting incident, now I know how to write one, keep those videos coming, I love them.
I think Divergent was going for the Twilight approach; which is to say, you create a character who is bland enough to allow readers to extrapolate their own character traits onto them. In this case, it's basically being a teenager; your parents start to feel more like strangers, you don't know what you want or where you're going, and it feels like you don't fit in anywhere but everyone else does. The problem wasn't actually this character approach, it was making the world insufficiently interesting. A bland character in a fascinating world can work. A fascinating character in a bland world can work. But a bland character in a bland world doesn't work. What Twilight did really, really well was very similar to what Harry Potter did well; it established a vivid, compelling, and atmospheric secret world, hidden beneath the real one. It was filled with mystery and excitement around every corner, but at its heart was a golden secret; in Twilights case, love; in Harry Potter's case, home. Almost everything else in those stories orbits around that. In Twilight, the constant quest for Edward. In Harry Potter, protecting Hogwarts, Harry's new home. But what was there in Divergent? There was never anything to move towards. Things just kinda happened. And while that's enough to keep people going for a while, eventually your interest just wanders off, because there's nothing to hold it there.
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I'm sobbing about how Abbie doesn't get well-deserved praise, but happy she's our little secret. Thank you for everything, Abbie! Id be so lost without you.
You don't know how much I agree with this comment right now 😇😂!
If it's a little secret, why not share it with the world?
@@lesleyblackvelvet5802 Yes! It would benefit a lot of people
Like fr. I'd be lost without abbie
I couldn't agree more.
Tbh if u release a book about writing books so basically writers wednesday in book format IM BUYING IT
yees!
I would too.
But for a wider success with writing advice books, shed be muched helped to have few books published first .
Omg yes I’d read the *hell* out of that
Yes. This. Sold!
Yup.
Me, who read the divergent book: wanting to tell Abbie why its important to tris.
Also me, who saw the movie first: fully understands where abbie is coming from
Same! I literally had to pause the video and give an entire explanation out loud in my room lol! Read the book first, but from the movies (which were awful) I can see her point. If anything the books were largely about her internal conflict to determine who she who she was, where she belonged, and what her life's purpose/dying meant.
@Jared Jams Late, but where is it and what did she say about it?
@@ineednochannelyoutube2651 i guess she said she didn't like it much
@@delaneybean3876haha i do that all the time when watching videos!
@@delaneybean3876 same
Inevitable comparison but take how Hunger Games showed Katniss's belief and fear in the inciting incident. We easily empathized with how she sacrificed herself-her own life, almost-guaranteed to lose-for her sister, despite her fear of the brutal system that is Panem and its game, because the opening established who matters to the the protagonist and why.
Ultimately, Katniss's love for her sister and her family and their safety was tested to be bigger than anything else.
Exactly, whereas for Tris there was no sacrifice at all. She was divergent anyway and so she would've been picking something that wasn't 100% her regardless. A bit like a kid choosing to go out of state for college or somewhere nearby. It's a tough choice, sure, but unless we see why it MATTERS, we don't really honestly care.
Choosing to die in your sisters place? Well, uhm, yeah, i can see how THAT FRIGGIN MATTERS.
Had she been sentencing her family to death by choosing dauntless, then that would've mattered. Bit grim, but at least now there's more at stake than "should i leave home now that i'm an adult?"
But hunger games kind of does still suffer from this too, the sacrifice is better but I still don’t know who catnis is. This is why people hate on teen dystopia, there’s no real character and awful world building
Videos like this make me realise how crucial it is to have examples when trying to understand plot points!
This channel deserves a hundred thousand more subscribers.
I agree, but Abbie is our little secret for now 😂, which I am honestly really grateful for her by the way.
@@saraoln maybe not. I want to share her with the world.
@@lesleyblackvelvet5802 I see your viewpoint. She needs to be shared with the world at the same time.
a million!
I subbed last night. 😃
My favorite inciting incident?
Percy Jackson is attacked by his demon math teacher.
hahah
YAS
I accidentally vaporize my pre-algebra teacher.
Also, can we talk about Rick’s hooks, otherwise known as his first sentences
“I didn’t want to be a halfblood”
“The end of the world started when a Pegasus landed on the hood of my car”
“Even before he was electrocuted, Jason was having a pretty rotten day”
“I am Apollo. I used to be a god”
And my personal favorite, “no, I refuse to share this part of my story. It was the lowest, most humiliating, most awful week in my 4000 years of life. Tragedy. Disaster. Heartbreak. I will not tell you about it. Why are you still here? Go away. But alas, I suppose I have no choice. Doubtless Zeus expects me to tell you the story as part of my punishment”
I know those are more like openings rather than hooks, but if those don’t hook you into the story, then I don’t know what will
VERY GOOD
@@august1837 Rick Riordan is the BEST at openings.
Huh. Now I finally have a concrete explanation for why I didn't like Divergent. I always have just said it's because I don't like Tris, but now I know WHY I don't like Tris. There's nothing to her. Thanks for doing this case study! It really helped.
this!!!! Tris is super boring!!
I loved all these different story examples!
Is it normal for it to take months to outline my story? Am I the only one?😫
I'm on the same boat my friend :')
#plotterpride
You're NOT the only one, I spent months herding cats in my head always thinking "Who LIVES like this!?" Abbie's scene cards are a HUGE help if you want to get to writing before you have finished the outline. It helped me to move past a few bumps. Writing in my universe expanded my understanding of it and worked out some timeline issues and plot holes that I couldn't wrap my mind around in outline form. Best of luck to ya, glad to know it's not just me spinning in circles staring at a bunch of sticky notes.
@@mom2many166 At the other end of the writing scale are pantsers, writers that write by the seat of their pants. You don't know what's going to happen next because they don't know what's going to happen next. Stephen King writes this way; the suspense is real because it's real for the writer as well. Most people fall in the middle. You get four sentences of inspiration, and you start writing, and as you go you learn your character, and then you rewrite a bunch of stuff to throw peril in the path. Maybe hyper plotting gets you around the rewriting, but my gut says the time you spend rewriting equals the time you spend plotting, and it's a lot more fun. The other advantage about writing more about the hero that doesn't get into the final book is that it becomes mental back story. During the first StarWars movie, did anyone see that Darth Vader was actually Luke's father? It fell out of the backstory.
Yes, it's normal! It actually is going to take me over a year, but it's always good to take your time if you have the chance 😇.
I completely understand Abbie’s opinion about Divergent. When I first read Divergent, I wondered what Tris’ personality was. For me, she was a cardboard-cut heroine who needed to be brave for the sake of the dystopian story. The author emphasized Tris’ love for her family but I didn’t feel it, I didn’t see it. Even her sacrifices and other actions - some of it made sense but the others were just there to serve the purpose of the plot.
You know the spark you feel when you first meet a character? It’s like *boom* I like this character. Say Harry Potter - when you understand how it feels to be like him. To be bullied, poor, and underrated. I didn’t get that feeling with Tris. I finished the whole Divergent series and I was awed by the turn of events, but I never did feel the depth of Tris’ character. If you ask me to summarize her personality into three words, I can only tell you this: She’s intelligent, strong, and selfless. Are those characteristics enough? She’s just that. Brave and all. Sounds like another epic hero from any other mainstream book. She doesn’t have a unique quality that makes an unforgettable character.
Katniss Everdeen is brave, but she’s soft and vulnerable, no matter how hard she tries to hide it. She’s deliberately cold. She loves her family and she’s loyal to her friends. She’s not prissy. She’s not that girly. She might even survive the Hell Week. She... I can just go on and on.
Now, I think this is why people always compare Hunger Games and Divergent. Katniss lives in a dystopian world too. But all her actions make sense. As a reader, I see the reason why she did everything she did. And by the end of Mockingjay, I was crying because the Katniss in the third book was so different from the Katniss I met from the first book. I realized how much the Games had changed her and everything around her. And it just made me sad.
Because her story matters to her, and therefore it matters to me as a reader too.
I’m going through this because good characters complete stories. Divergent is a good story. But it feels incomplete without a three-dimensional, realistic lead. Abbie is right when she says that characters are very important. We have always believed that a book is about the story. But the truth is, a book is about the character and their story.
And why it matters.
Hmmmm, i wonder if it would be a good exercise to "fix" Tris.
What would you have given her to make her your one unforgettable character? How would you have made the inciting incident something that mattered?
I'm going to go and think on this.
Edit: it's been about 4 seconds, but i thought on it and i swear, even giving her a stuffed piggy named Mr. Gordo would've done more for her personality than what we got in 3 books.
(Bonus points if anyone knows the character that Mr. Gordo actually belongs to - a hint: TV, not book or film.)
I just watched "This Beautiful Fantastic" because of this, and honestly... that movie filled me with an indescribable amount of joy
I'm rewatching this video and cracked up at "being hunted down and killed by Kate Winslet." I missed that the first time I watched it. Lol
My favorite inciting incident:
When Harry gets the letter from Hogwarts
OR
Elsa messes up bad at the crowning ceremony
For me, I don't see any sort of internal conflict for harry potter, it was more coming-of-age or idk, it's just external events that got all the attention. But OMFGGG the Frozen example is AMAZINGGG!! Like honestly break down frozen and u can see just how amazzzzinggg it is! Even look at the lyrics and video clips of Do you wanna build a snowman and it shows you Anna as well as Elsa's desire, fear and misbelief
frozen is a great way to show this point! it shows Elsa and Anna stepping out of their comfort zones, aka the rooms and castle that they've been confided in for almost a decade.
ORRRRRRR When Percy sasses a god!
I LOVE writer's life Wednesday
Just finished my first book. Used your videos for it. Here I am again, watching your videos while writing my second book.
To anyone wanting to write their first book, just do it! It's so much fun and you learn so much through the process 💜
I'm rewatching this because it's just SO FREAKING GOOD! Love your case study format abbie!
Ahhh thank you so much!!
I can't decide which is more valuable to me, your exceptional help on craft or your consistently affirming motivation. As always, many thanks.
Thank you so much for your kind words! They mean so much to me, and I am thrilled that the content I make encourages you to chase your dreams and make your story MATTER!
Great video, Abbie!
Some of my favourites are: Clarice Starling getting sent to meet Doctor Lecter... Andy Dufresne getting sent to Shawshank and him meeting Red... Frodo getting the Ring...
The goal for my novel is to be better than Divergent... I have low goals... I hated that book, never finished it and ended up throwing it away.
You go, man!
Next time donate it to the library or 2nd hand store or craigslist or something.
It's true, Abbie, you deserve so much more attention from writers. I'm telling as many people as I can.
When you find a channel you wish you'd always known about 😭 💕 Instant follow.
I am SHOOK by this video.This REALLY helps with storys.
I think the problems with Divergent go a lot deeper than just the opening hook or inciting incident. The almost empty character development makes it almost impossible to identify with Triss (or a great many of the other characters) because they really have no flaws or fears at all. At least that's how I felt reading/watching it. This is a great series of videos though! I especially liked the fact that you made an example of contemporary/slice of life story as well. Your videos are really good!
An idea that I had was a successful cop whose misguided belief was her confidence in herself. She's headstrong and focused to the point where she comes off as arrogant and dismissive of her friends ideas as they may be better than hers. But then someone, her future nemesis, appears and outwits and outmatches at every turn. This leads to disaster because the cop's belief is that she can figure this out herself or else she'll feel she was never meant to be an officer in the first place.
Hey! I watched This Beautiful Fantastic a month ago!
Cool!
The inciting incident is this video. Either I give up writing because it’s too hard but regret not trying or go forth or write with the safety belt of your TH-cam channel...until I discover my true powa! Love these videos!
So you're saying Jordan Peterson telling me to clean up my room qualifies as an inciting incident? 😂
*Thank you.* 💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
My goodness! I am soooo vibing with these videos. I'm just watching one after another. They are so full of information presented in a clear and concise way via her dynamic communication skills. Each video is really sinking in for me. I've been watching several different TH-cam channels to garner a basic understanding of the craft of writing. Abbie, you stand out. I LOVE how you are giving very specific examples to illustrate whatever topic you are addressing in the video. It really makes a difference. The prompts and questions are also very helpful and I will reference them when I begin writing. Thank you so much!
Looking good! The only reason I would look forward to a Wednesday lol.. Greatest Showman is my favourite!
I even have a few cover songs on my channel.
That's awesome! Thanks for watching!
Thank you so much for this break down of the inciting incident, it helps soooo much!
OK. I have set aside my constant excuses about work and life getting in the way and I am committing to getting a draft done by August 22. For this reason this channel is Abbie-solutely indispensable. And no, I do not apologise for the dad joke... I'm a dad after all. Thanks Abbie.
So freaking amazing!! Abbie you're so fantastic and I appreciate what you do here on TH-cam SO much!!
Also I had a dream I met you and it was so cool and I was fangirling the while time 😂💛
Of your videos that I’ve seen, I think this is my favorite one! I love how you take the idea of the inciting incident and break it down using examples that we’re likely familiar with. You have the idea of what the inciting incident is, and then you flesh it out in these examples and really apply it practically so that it makes sense. It takes it from being just theoretical to be being real and relatable. Thank you for this awesome video (and all your other awesome videos), and keep doing your thing girl!!! 🥳🎉🥳
Thank you so much for your kind words! They mean so much to me, and I am thrilled that the content I make encourages you to chase your dreams and make your story MATTER!
Hi Abbie, I came here after reading your books and are still amazed that you are such a good teacher and writer.
Hope you gain the praise you deserve, and hope you continue to help people!
Hahaha I love how you said this can be as easy as “cleaning your back yard” in the beginning of the video and end the video with that story of the woman who needs to clean her backyard. Art. Helpful video, thank you :)
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief when the minotaur comes and attacks Percy, Grover, and Percy's mom.
wow, i'm glad youtube recommend this channel!, i love how you explain about character, how a character should be. im not writer but a videographer + video editor sometimes like a director as well. keep doing this and spread awareness if a good writing can make a huge impact on story. regard from malaysia
Thank you Abbie! It was such a detailed work! I have troubles with my own Inciting incident in a way that I cannot decide which event could be the incident for my character! But this video may help me decide!
Same.
I needed this! Still struggling with my stories opening so thank you Abbie :)
this is the best story-telling channel around. great content, entertaining, focused on specific issues... 10/10.
I feel a bit confused with not accepting ''not knowing what she wants'' as the internal conflict. Maybe I don't get something yet but wouldn't the inciting incident of Divergent matter to Tris because not even the test can tell her where she belongs? However I can't really remember how this conflict was treated in the story so it might not have worked.
My thoughts exactly!
From what I understand, you just pointed out what she wants, 'to belong'. But what I believe Abbie is getting at is that even that desire is not established really. If we saw Tris getting anxious about how important it is to the society and peers around her to be somewhere 'they belong' and believes that she won't be happy unless she also finds where she belongs, then this incident would matter much more. But we just hear her going "I don't really know what to feel". We don't experience her fear or worries, from what I've experienced. Sure she says she's scared, but her tone of voice and actions following don't convince me of that fear. These are just my thoughts though :)
I think the issue with Divergent isn't that n9t knowing what you want isn't a problem, it's that it's not shown to be her internal struggle. Kee offers some advice, and so does Abbie (view the earlier lessons in this series). But if we see her struggle with this on more of an internal issue, and it's released (probably in slow doses with one last big bomb), we can see her struggle emotionally and bond better with her, also take joy in her overcoming it.
I think the film was subtler in it showing this as an internal struggle, if shown at all.
About your view on divergent... The world building in my opinion is so important. When it comes to dystopian books the world is just as important or sometimes more important than the actual character. The world is what interests people and excites people. Although I loved Foutriss I'd much prefer to know about the history of the factions than Triss
OMG I just got done reading Divergent and couldn't pinpoint what I disliked so much about it. You nailed this analysis. Also, I'm LOVING this WLW series. Your videos are inspiring me to dive back into writing again :)
Aw, I loved the book (hated the movie). I thought the internal conflict was clear - she wanted to be abnigation but didn't think she had the strength of character for the self-denial. Which was amazing when you think of how the series ended.
There are some books or movies I just watch/read and HATE. Like I could never pinpoint why, but your videos have really show me the importance of having beautifully written, messed up and complex characters and how much of an effect that has on the story.
YES!! This Beautiful Fantastic is the greatest movie of all time!! Have watched it over and over again. Thank you for acknowledging its brilliance.
you're the freaking best youtuber i have ever stumbled upon. i love your conduct, your accent, your energy, your points, your explanations, your examples, the pace of all your videos, the dedication, the thought, the aesthetic feel of it all. i've learned so much from just watching one of your videos and i feel overwhelmed and thrilled at the thought that you've got so much more that i haven't watched but must pause my life somehow and gobble up in one go right now
"going into the garden" perfect example of inciting incident which seems minor but is a big deal to the character. Thanks.
I love the fact that this is funny and informative
I literally love the greatest showman! Everything from the story, to the characters, to the songs I absolutely love! Remains one of my favorite movies to this day! ^^
Now I just kinda wanna watch that last movie you talked about, seems really good to be honest
I love The Beautiful Fantastic!! such a great movie and I think it i an excellent example! Keep up the good work, Abbie! I am learning so much from your videos.
You are the best writing teacher I have ever seen. I like that you are concise snd effective
This is very informative!
My favorite inciting incident to date is from Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell. When Alex legit falls through the book :D
I'm a middle school teacher and this is AWESOME. Thank you for making my job easier!
I love that The Beautiful Fantastic!
I love The Greatest Showman
Omg just watched this Beautiful Fantastic, what a wonderful movie...
right?! So glad you enjoyed it!
this was so incredibly helpful because i've been struggling with this, thank you sm
OMG when you said the inciting incident could be as simple as cleaning up your yard...my first thought was This Beautiful Fantastic! So glad I'm not the only one who loved that movie
Thank you Abbie for introducing me to “this beautiful fantastic”, I watched it as soon as you recommended it and it totally illustrated what you were saying . I loved it 😊
Thank you very much for the work you're doing.
"But reality, and his future father-in-law, slaps him in the face." Haha, You are a gem Abbie! Love your content, so insightful.
I'd love you discussing more case studies if you get the chance, Abbie. Really helps pinpoint what I'm doing wrong in my own story. When you see the evidence in movies, it reminds how you can't just shrug and say, "Oh, that'll be ok if I don't fix that issue with my internal conflict." Yep. It matters... otherwise you get that awful dead feel in a story. Or baffling feel. Like you say... need to light up the brain.... to engage the emotions... and techniques matter. Thanks for the huge amount of work you put into these videos.
God I am obsessed with this TH-cam channel!! I finally feel capable of writing a story with this beautifully crafted formulaic approach!
Mrs. Gulch threatens to have Toto destroyed, and Dorothy sings about a place where she'd rather be. Luke sees the princess' video message and wants to help her. Scrooge gets a visit from Marley's spirit and wants to save himself from Marley's fate. Wendy sees a footprint on the third-floor carpet, together with some leaves from somewhere else.
As a result, although daily life continues as normal, the character's mental world has changed. The first goal is established. Dorothy wants to save Toto (but fears what? Abandoning her family?). Luke wants to help the princess by delivering R2 with its Death Star plans to her father on Alderaan (but fears leaving his aunt and uncle who can't run the farm without him). Scrooge wants to save his soul, and is willing to get with the Spirits' program (but fears what?) Wendy is curious about who made the footprint (but fears what?)
Imho, I think Dorothy and Luke are afraid of stepping outside the status quo. Being younger, they're afraid of "getting in trouble," rather than understanding that this is a chance to 'grow up.' They are of an age where they should start (or already be) asserting themselves, but don't because they've never done it before. Life therefore thrusts them into situations away from those in authority over them (but with kindly guardians), where they have to start making their own decisions.
Other authors call this "believing the Lie," and that belief is what keeps the MC from taking action. Scrooge may want to save his soul, but he believes the Lie that a man's value is measured in how much money he has. So, he fears 'giving away" his money, of being charitable. He needed the ghosts to take him outside of his known [mental] world to show him what option(s) were available.
I think Dorothy fears the witch (a.k.a. Miss Gulch) and so, chooses between the value of her family and value of saving her dog BECAUSE she knows if she stays at home with toto, Miss Gulch will come back.
And then hence the story revolving around the witch wanting to "get you my pretty, AND YOUR LITTLE DOG TOO" and it ends in Dorothy standing up to the witch and going home.
10:39 That graveyard in the background slowly appearing from behind the building was very symbolic :>
I'm not a huge fan of Divergent, but I did finish the series. I'd say her comfort zone is the status quo, it's not having to make a choice at all, it's having her whole life laid out ahead of her. That is all taken away when she makes that choice to go against her upbringing, which seems impossible for her. It doesn't smack you over the head, but that is the point, Abnegation is humble, she's been taught her whole life to suppress her desires and do what is best for others, now she is breaking free of that. Dauntless is all desire and passion, it is the thing she is drawn to, that's why she looks at it fleetingly. Can't look too long...maybe someone would see...
Divergent has a thousand problems as a series, but this was a non-issue for me. :) Love your videos! They are always so upbeat and bright!
Great concrete examples! I really get what you're talking about. Thanks.
Eye opening - thanks!
Wow I actually loved divergent so much but you broke it down in a way that made so much sense
A beautiful fantastic IS AN AMAZING EXAMPLE. the story telling is supreme.
You say there was no call to adventure with the girl in the house, but this where I find people overlook the story mechanism. If she looks out her window at her chaotic yard, the realization alone of how bad it's gotten is the call to adventure. Turning her attention to the things inside she prefers to do is the refusal. Finally when the threat of eviction comes along, is she forced into the hard choice. Incident incited.
I love this and it helped me write my inciting incidents.
Contemporary MM Romance. Both MC's have a choice brought forth and have to choose a life of solitude or risk everything for love. Granted, I think one has more to lose than the other, but it doesn't make it any less impactful for him.
I like how you explain this: there need to be stakes attached to the choice after the inciting incident. This also makes the key event more interesting because if the choice to leave is forced upon the protagonist, then we as the reader get a whole lot more conflict.
I feel like Divergent actually does hit all the points mentioned in the video. Tris's internal conflict is that she doesn't know who she is and it matters to her because her entire culture and society is structured around a person's sense of self fitting into a neat category. She's never been fully happy in abnegation but it's all she knows, her comfort zone. She's afraid that not fitting in will lead to her becoming a literal outcast forced out of society. She wants to find her true place and purpose in life but her misbelief is that she must adhere to societal expectations (fitting neatly into one of these factions) in order to find it.
Her finding out she is divergent (inciting incident) matters to her because it confirms her worst fears... that she may truly never fit into society, and if discovered, will be cast out of it or even killed (raises the stakes). It pushes her out of her comfort zone (abnegation and the faction system in general) by making it impossible for her to exist openly within, or fully embrace, either. Tris is forced to choose a faction despite knowing none are a true match. She can stay in abnegation (her comfort zone) and risk never finding out whether she could be happy and fulfilled elsewhere, or she can risk going into the unknown (dauntless) to try to find purpose there, while still avoiding her fear (that she doesnt fit into one faction or society in general).
u are so good, i will be best writer cuz of u
Thank you… if I remember correctly it took me a while to get into divergent and this is probably why…
I love your case studies! Hope you'll do more of them, cause I think I actually learn a lot from those!
Thanks for posting so many videos. I’m downloading several of them so I can watch them on the plane to Hawaii 😊
Ill have to watch This Beautiful Fantastic. Having dealt with family members with clinical OCD, I can feel for the protagonist already. Having to clean the backyard would be a MONUMENTAL task to someone with OCD.
I just found you bc I'm in the revision trenches and the inciting incident is haunting me. Your explanation really helps. Reminding me it doesn't have to be done big huge thing. I love The Beautiful Fantastic. Mainly because I love the MC from Downton & pretty much everything she's in. But it's a perfect example and mentor text for my novel. Thank you. I subscribed and can't wait to binge more from you! Happy Learning in Deed!
Holy crap! I just love this amazing woman, Abbie! I'm hoping she'll become like a Pulitzer-winning writer in the future! Will rewatch this vid again & again! ✨💓✨
I started tearing up during The Greatest Showman section of this video and not Divergent. That's a testament to the power of its inciting incident.
Abbie you remind me of the song used for the Disney short "Paperman"!
Infighting, lighting, good feels! Thank you you all this help and perspective from a human psychology/reasonable glare!
I love that you are putting words to how I feel about movies and books. The internal and how the characters feel and react to it is the only reason I like things. I end up finding movies like divergent or those with a lot of just action really boring.
So glad you mentioned The Beautiful Fantastic - watched it last night. So good and like you said can’t believe more people don’t know about this film. Keep producing your content so good and informative! ❤️👍
This was the funniest thing to watch in co-con. While I was chuckling at Divergents stupidity Piper was screaming about how amazing the books are.
All in all great video
-Alex
I think Tris’ comfort zone was remaining in Abnegation where she could fake fitting in though we know that she desires to know where she belongs like everyone else
Then there was the venturing into the unknown of Dauntless in some step to feel like she’s watering that desire since she kinda favors the faction. And avoiding the fear that she might never truly belong anywhere and become like the factionless whose midst she is even afraid to walk through
Your fantastic explanation of the inciting incident brings to mind the Flashman book series. Here is a story that's being told by an old man, a decorated war hero, about his youth and how he lived a life of a coward. He did his absolute best to avoid conflict his entire life and was thrown like Forrest Gump from one exciting adventure to another. Unlike many heroes that you "trust" in the fact that they'll at least try to do the right thing, you never know what Flashman is going to do. You hope upon hope that he'll make the right choice... nope! Damn it, Man!! What a great book series, and it falls squarely into exactly what you're talking about here.
I love how Abbie says DESTINYYYYYYYYY @11:59
i started writing again today and i'm marathoning all your videos
Love you for the past months i watched a ton of your videos and finally I write my story's first ep 😘
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone, when Hagrid comes to the hut and rescues him from the Dursleys.
I’m a little confused because many of the things I see you saying aren’t present in Divergent I feel like I’m seeing fairly clearly. Not saying it’s a master class of writing or anything. But to me what Triss wants to be explicitly told where she belongs. She doesn’t know what she wants so an expert opinion will at least be some comfort even if she’s a little scared of either outcome. Getting labeled divergent throws a kink in all that. It’s like being face with a lose lose situation and then finding out that there was a third even worse option for her. Now there is no expert opinion and the choice is totally on her.
The grapple with staying in the comfort zone or going beyond that feels pretty obvious to at the choosing ceremony. The comfort zone is staying in Abnegation, the faction that she has grown up with and is familiar with. Vs the unknown territory of any of the other factions. Maybe I’m misunderstanding or somethings just over my head but that seems to make sense to me.
Good one Abbie! What’s the Inciting Incident in Pride and Prejudice?? I always thought it was the very first line, (well of dialogue anyways) :)
The greatest showman moment: it’s like Jim Carrey’s dad said- You can just as easily fail at something you don’t want to do, so why not do what you want.
I think the inciting incident would be when Jane first meets Mr. Darcy.
@@EllePlowPlow or when he says “Tolerable but not handsome enough."
This is such a small little detail but it scratches my brain how the protagonist is constantly referred to as she/her while I'm only comfortable with writing male protagonists, lmao
Thank you for this, I just started with writing my first contemporary Ya novel and was having problem with coming up with a good inciting incident, now I know how to write one, keep those videos coming, I love them.
I think Divergent was going for the Twilight approach; which is to say, you create a character who is bland enough to allow readers to extrapolate their own character traits onto them. In this case, it's basically being a teenager; your parents start to feel more like strangers, you don't know what you want or where you're going, and it feels like you don't fit in anywhere but everyone else does.
The problem wasn't actually this character approach, it was making the world insufficiently interesting. A bland character in a fascinating world can work. A fascinating character in a bland world can work. But a bland character in a bland world doesn't work.
What Twilight did really, really well was very similar to what Harry Potter did well; it established a vivid, compelling, and atmospheric secret world, hidden beneath the real one. It was filled with mystery and excitement around every corner, but at its heart was a golden secret; in Twilights case, love; in Harry Potter's case, home. Almost everything else in those stories orbits around that. In Twilight, the constant quest for Edward. In Harry Potter, protecting Hogwarts, Harry's new home.
But what was there in Divergent? There was never anything to move towards. Things just kinda happened. And while that's enough to keep people going for a while, eventually your interest just wanders off, because there's nothing to hold it there.
Well done. All the examples were spot on and now I have to see this Beautiful Fantastic.
This is literally amazing thank you! Gives fantastic insight into the various differences with great examples.