The most important thing when you're a newer writer is not to know how to write a good book but how to learn what you're doing wrong. You need to be able to look at what you make and figure out exactly what the problems are. Not just to solve those problems, but to get deeper and understand why you're making those mistakes in the first place. That's how you'll find your weaknesses as a writer, and that's how you'll learn to overcome them. Solve specific problems, not general ones.
Yes Correct 👍, I remember writting a story half way and thinking wow I made a masterpiece. Only to realise several years later , Shortcomings of my writing. It's fun to improve.
I must not fear. Fear is the art-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration of my art and my soul. I will face my fear to make my art. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn my inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only my art will remain.
Oh...My...Gods!!!! Why didn't I think of👆🏽Thisss??!!?? This superb variant upon The Litany Against Fear is something I NEED!!! [ [ .....And it's ALWAYS a delight to encounter a fellow fan of Frank Herbert masterworks!!! ] ] ] I MUST and SHALL employ it!!!
It seems that is a quote. I'm an artist. I got my first set of oil paints 58 years ago. I don't have any fear of painting, nor of displaying my art. But I try to paint pretty pictures, landscapes, flowers and such. I like my paintings to be a place to relax the mind, like looking out the kitchen window in the country house while doing dishes. However, I wrote the first draft of a novel recently. Writing is a different art form. There are scenes with kinky sex in my story. I do fear people knowing I could think things like that. These scenes exist to set up for humor later. I can understand fear in writers. Hell, there is a fear of telling truth these days. The author of Harry Potter was attacked by the liberal mob for saying there are 2 sexes.
Helpful hint: get a text to voice reading software and a good voice. You can use this as a sounding board for your writing. It has helped me find typos, repeated words, and other errors. The voice lack a bit of intonation but it has still been a cheap and effective investment.
@@undefinedvariable8085 If you use a Macbook, you can use it's text-to-speech. Apple voices are much more satisfying to hear compared to the free voices you'll hear from free text-to-speech apps.
My biggest mistake is giving up on stories before they're done; hearing some writing advice that my story lacks, or a finding a seemingly unfixable plot hole, and deciding the book isn't worth writing. But, the way I see it, the only way to write a book that's worth writing, is to first write one that isn't. So was it ever not worth writing in the first place? Thank you so much for your incredible insights and amazing videos! I hope your channel grows so more people can find this content- they deserve it.
I've had the same problem, so to try and not give up on the idea, I would challenge myself to complete writing the story or to write many chapters till I stop at a place where I actually start to enjoy writing. Once I do that, I reread my story and make it better as I got my inspiration to write it back. Truly you cna never write a good story if you don't have it in your heart to complete it. I always love a good challenge and I don't like losing so I almost always end up completing my book. I hope this helps you!
JUST a word about that "writing advice" that's so prevalent online and everywhere. It's easy for that stuff to come across as "THE rules"... BUT that's not how it works with ANY art. THE rules only define THE TOOLS... It's up to YOU whether the particular Tool, and its effect, is what you want in this or that scene. Over-used, ANY of the "writing rules" are terrible... Love triangles are fine enough, until everywhere you look and everyone you meet is in some kind of love triangle... THEN they start to suck... If EVERY story in a given genre has at least a love triangle problem, it becomes a cliche instead of a trope. Tropes and Cliches are another point... Tropes are storytelling tools, a shorthand used so you do NOT have to fully describe something or someone, and the reader (having seen the trope before) already knows by context and trope what's going on... Cliches (on the other hand) are Tropes that have been overused to a point of tedium or annoyance, and without undermining the idea, may actually take away from your story when they're present... SO the next time someone agonizes over this horrible wordiness and clunky dialogue from it... The efforts to instantly distill all the excess words and hums and haws of clunky dialogue should NOT be your immediate reaction. You SHOULD ask, "Wasn't part of the whole point of this dialogue TO BE painful and clunky?" Because if that's the POINT of your scene in question, then you should do EXACTLY what everyone says "You can't do that..." That's the thing about ART... AND make no mistake about it. Writing IS art. Art doesn't ONLY get to be art because it's joyous and attractive. It's ART any time it SAYS something and achieves an immediate, powerful, and visceral reaction in you. THAT is what art's supposed to do, and it's not always comfortable or fun or happy. It can be angry as hell and agonizing. It can be uncomfortable and disheartening. It's no less art. SO remember those pieces of "Writing Advice" as a discussion of cause and effect. HOLD OFF banishing adverbs and adjectives from your draft, and bother to proof read. I know, it sounds like inventing work... BUT when you proof the thing, ask WHY you might want to say it quite that way. Did he just "walk arrogantly" or was it a "saunter"... MAYBE it was more of a "strut" or he was temperamental enough to STORM out arrogantly... insistent that he'd "won" an exchange that didn't amount to a winner/loser or "zero-sum" situation. How much like an asshole do you want to display this guy? What did he do to you??? hahaha... Maybe he's a weirdo and you'd rather he "sashayed" or maybe that was just because of the Marine Recruiter across the street... If you really enjoy the process... HAVE FUN WITH IT. There's nothing wrong with enjoying your work. ;o)
"The quote "An alleged scientific discovery has no merit unless it can be explained to a barmaid." is popularly attributed to Lord Rutherford of Nelson" en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Albert_Einstein#Misattributed On top of that explaining something is a different skill set to understanding it. While to explain properly you do need to understand the subject, the opposite is not true. Learning and teaching are not the same thing. Although teaching can help you learn.
@@ZelphTheWebmancer If you learned it, but don't understand it, then your efforts to learn it were wasted. If you teach it, but don't understand it, then you are passing on fragmented knowledge, causing the above to happen more regularly.
@@OzixiThrill If you didn't understand it then you didn't learn. I do agree with the second half on trying to teach without understanding it. But, the thing is, you can understand it and not be able to teach it.
I wrote a "book" about 5 years ago, and recently, the fire to write and read in me has been reignited. I read the book I that I wrote, and I decided to learn it first before beginning to write again. I discovered your channel, and as I sift through your videos with no particular order, I realized that I made every single mistake and don'ts you described (that I know of) in that book. I told and didn't show, sometimes over described or under described scenes, a character looking at herself in the mirror and some more. But the worst one was, at the time, I thought I nailed it. And when I'd got rejected (Now I'm shocked that I even got few of those, most of them just didn't reply) I was sooo pissed off, I even got into some arguments with some low level publishers or beginner writers who got published on Twitter. I look back at those times and man, how is that even possible for someone to be so unaware about one's self while stepping on every landmine. Edit: I got distracted while trashing myself. Your lessons are extremely good and I couldn't find better suited type of explanation for learning writing. I'm sure there are good teachers of writing in the wild but for learning a specific concept or overall writing? You're my first choice.
How I missed that final line! "Whatever you do, keep writing". Great advice as always. I remember writing my first novel at 15/16 years old a d thinking it was the best thing since War & Peace. It was pure cringefest, though I do remember some lines I still like from it. I had started reading for pleasure a year or two before and I was trying to imitate a couple of authors I liked, though it was a completely different genre. With practice, studying and a bit of effort, anyone can write great things. What holds many back is doubt about our own abilities, but believing in your story and your desire to tell it will help push those mistakes aside. I remember reading about how Bernard Cornwell got over his fear of being good enough by typing up C.S Forester's Hornblower book, a page or two, sticking it in a drawer for a month, then looked at it and found "mistakes" or things that he would change to suit his style, and he adored the Hornblower books. It goes to show that even our favourite authors can have things we would "fix" because of what we think is better style or content or whatever it may be. Writing is an ever-learning craft, one that we must keep evolving and fine-tuning. It's great content like this that helps a lot of us find the right tools to tune ourselves. Thank you!
I always get caught up in the setting. Am I describing it enough? Is too detailed? Too less? Am I using too many words for something that'll need only a sentence? I've practiced a lot in showing after watching one of your videos and my characters have gotten a bit more "life" since then. I'll understand my process of setting soon💪💜
Maybe for setting the scene, you write any and every little thing you wish as it comes to you... Go ahead and let it flow freely. BUILD the scene completely... AND then set that "first version" aside as the "more than complete scene"... Use it for notes, and then work your scene. Keep in mind then, that ALL you really want or need in the finished book should be precisely seen from the Protagonist's view-point, described in their perspective and voice... unless you have a different view for a narrator (of course)... This gives you the chance (and option) of condensing down through the questions like "Would he really see that? Does it matter enough for him to pay attention to it? Does the reader care? SHOULD the reader care? Why?" AND you don't get rid of the notes. They're the work "under the hood".... AND should be kept in a separate place, be it a file on your computer specifically for all the world-building and setting specific notation (like a "World Bible") OR you stuff it into a separate 3-ring binder as your "World Building Compendium" with a title page and a marker of some sort for a little easier reference when you come back later for another scene written for some other purpose or time... I'm only a humble Game Master, but a forest is still a forest... a swamp still a swamp... and every sea surrounds a shrinking boat with a WHOLE LOT of water in some shade of grey, green, or blue... It can help when you're staring at "The great white bull" to get out some words and read one setting or another to start planting a seed... Even maybe you KNOW you want to put this scene in a grand old Manor at the edge of town, somewhere in the dust-bowl years in Mississippi... BUT for whatever serendipity, you opened the World Building Compendium, and your eye latched onto a long forgotten old boathouse you'd scratched together almost mindlessly for a writing exercise. It was shabby and run down and half the rafters were dangling under Spanish Moss into the water of a bayou... BUT there's just something kind of memorable about that damned old boathouse and you stick it on a jetty behind the grand old Manor you wanted to talk about originally... with the juices flowing and your keyboard rattling as loud and fast as a machine gun in the belly of a B-25 on D-Day... you, too, can be back on your way. ;o)
@@abhilasha9608 Happy to contribute. It's a trick I've developed from my early days as a Game Master, all the way back to D&D 1e. I'd get tired writing up "script notes" for places over and over, even just from one adventure or Campaign to the next... and I started saving them, so instead, add a few words... maybe create one or two "beasties" to toss in as well, or remove some stuff that it didn't need... and bullet-points were done, I could move on to the "meat and potatoes" of the adventure stuff... Sometimes it was nice to get a great setting together and have a truly remarkable Campaign come out of it, but then it was depressing if I didn't ever try that again, or lost the notes... SO I just made it a point of "lose nothing"... There's eventually a point of "critical mass" but with a little discrimination, you keep the good stuff and "real gems" while cycling out the relatively "utter crap"... Eventually you start to notice your dubious rankings of "utter crap" have risen over the years... a kind of a bonus, seeing how far you've improved with the practice. In any case, YOU are most certainly welcome. I hope it serves you as well as it's helped me out. ;o)
I actually think my first novel that I'm working on is turning out to be very noob friendly. I was a part of a D&D group for awhile, and eventually one person brought a really cool idea to the table. They shared it with everyone and it seemed really fun. We eventually drifted apart, but I saw their idea and I reached out to them. I'm writing that as a book and the reason it's noob friendly because a) most of the characters, including the main character and the antagonist are done and b) I have the end goal All I had to do was come up with the plot, some new characters, and write it out. And I am liking this because I am dipping my toes into writing, I'm enjoying it alot and plan to do more when I finish.
"The contradictions that form a person's identity." On its own that made this video more than worth the 30 minutes. Everything else was good, but that was gold.
I find is so much value in your channel. Your suggestions and examples give me the opportunity to improve my writing. I am currently writing a fictional story based on true events of my grandmother as a young immigrant German girl in rural Texas in the early 1900s. In the early 1980s, before she died, she recorded all of her old stories for me on cassette tape which I have transcribed and using them as my outline as I re-create her stories.
Thank you for your kind words! That sounds like a great project, especially since you have a firsthand account that makes it an even more personal story. Keep writing. :)
Another bit of advice I can give is don't buy a book on how to write unless you're going to refer to it frequently, like Strunk and White's "The Elements of Style" (this is just for the sake of example, writing correctly doesn't mean writing well). Also, if your local library has a copy of a certain book, check it out, read it, and take notes. That way, you get the advice and your bank account remains intact. There are many books out there that have the usual writing advice, and you don't need a home library with lots of books basically saying the same thing. Stephen King's "On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft" is mostly autobiographical with just a small part of the book dedicated to writing. The book is interesting, and if you like Stephen King I recommend it, but you have to wade through his life story before you get to the part that's useful to aspiring writers. Remember: use library card, not credit card whenever you can.
Very helpful ma'am! I don't know how this might sound, but I'm a new writer as well, and I unbelievably got a new idea for a story in the middle of watching this video! Wow! And it's giving me positive vibes! Thank you so much! I hope I can fix my problems with my new book!😊🙌
In this pandemic when everything seems bleak your channel is one of those few things which provide me hope and a much needed motivation. Thank you so much. ❤ #allthewayfromNepal
Diane! This video is bursting with useful, actionable advice and I LOVE your vocal characterizations! You truly are too good to us. We may not poop gold, but your videos sure do!
Criticising ‘bad writing’ to myself drew me in to trying it for myself. Now ‘great writing’ has taught me my limited time probably shouldn’t be wasted. Self doubt continuously bounces off moments of inspiration. The lonely deleted words in the process really make me wonder.
Really helps putting the first draft into perspective. That it's meant for us to mess up and make mistakes so that we can come back ad improve it later.
This video pulled my lashes up,and things became plain and wonderful ❤️ If u can consider this, can u please make a video on how to know whether wt we are writing is not lagging, boring or cliche and how to revise the first draft effectively ❤️
One of my major issues with writing is pacing. I think or hope I've gotten better but it feels like I'll write scene I'm proud of but while trying to get to the next scene i want to write i skim through the story like its a montage to get to a scene that should be a few chapters laters.
I've run into this situation and found a couple of techniques that help. Please bear along for a moment. In horseback riding, many people think that there are only 3 gaits ... walk, trot and gallop. However, there is also the pace called 'the lope' (or 'canter' for you equestrian purists out there) which is the pleasant rolling gait between the trot and gallop. In writing, I'll simply write the climactic (the fullout gallop) while the synapses are firing hotly, then go back afterwards to the foundational buildup (walk to trot) before and write where 'the lope' connects the pacing (kind of like the carpet from "The Big Lebowski"). If needed, I'll mark the space with > ^^^ < or > insert additional composition
@@luciancorvus9992 I apologize if i am mis understanding you but what it sounds like what your saying is when ever i do skim through my story i should make a note so i can go back to it later? I have been doing something like this and it does give me a peace of mind. But since i haven't finished my first draft yet so I haven't really put it into practice yet. And thank you for the advice. I know "The Witching Hour" by name only so will have to check it out.
This was such an amazing and educational video! Thank you so much. I've recently started outlining my first mystery novel, and your kind words are really inspirational! 😃
This video is really useful and also really encouraging. A pet peeve I have with "Writing Tips" videos on TH-cam is that they're often done by snobby authors who like to punch down newcomers. I liked how this keeps it about the mistakes and doesn't shit on the authors for making them. Thank you.
I wanted to write and u have help me a lot. Your videos are straight to the point, doesn't give a duck about average people mentality and give real ideas which will work if one does. I haven't even started writing, I am learning to how to write (by this meaning how to make people see what I want them to see). U are doing a great work simplifying things in manner one need thinking ability not listening which is the best part. Thanks a lot ma'am.
Excellently done, and like any great advice, simply said but internalizing it and putting it into practice is the hard part. The most succinct advice I ever received (from a journalism professor) was, "Write right, write tight." Simple. Except the writing right part. That's been a lifelong journey.
As for me, the biggest new authors' mistake is definitely not writing at all; I'm also suffering from it btw. Thank you so much, Diane, for this inspiring video! Best regards from Ukraine! Keep up the great work!
Scott sigler could be used as a great example for many of your points. His nocturnal book could never have been published if his infected series didn't sell. He republished his horror cave book years later as he wanted to make it better. He created a podcast to help sell his books. For a while you could listen to them all for free. He has said that when finishing a book he puts it away for 3 months before going back to it. As well as using big publishers he also self published the GFL series. He only made a profit once the third one came out. He learnt a lot and uses a business partner to help. This vid is fantastic.
Ever since I subscribed you I have always been checking my phone to see if you have uploaded a video and today I was like"SHE'S BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!" I'm twelve and I hope to be a writer and your videos are helping me a lot. Amazing. Whatever you do keep writing 💓💓💓💓 PS: Can you tell me the names of the Stories and novels you have written? Please?
I'm so happy to hear that my videos have been helping you! You can find my list of current publications on my website. :) www.quotidianwriter.com/my-writing
If only there was a way you could hear how I screamed! I was thinking about you since a few days and you uploaded! The stars have aligned! I love your content so much! It's an inspiration 😭💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜
I guess to this point is not making enough specific time to write. Have written a bit throughout my life but only when I make a time and place to write. I love your tutorials. You are a born teacher, easy to listen to and have noticeably researched your tutorials. Thank you.
Really helpful video. I'm a very new writer. Never thought I would ever put pen to paper or, more accurately, fingers to keyboard. I have already edited my first novel six times. I have fallen down many of the usual pitfalls. I love reading but I hate books that are so literary they're really hard work. I've given up on quite a few books lately that come with glowing reviews but in my view were simply indulgent and boring. While I totally get the 'show don't tell' or 'describe don't explain,' I find myself skipping so many areas in a book because I want to get on to the next stage of the story. Is it just me or do too many writers become so wrapped up with their 'showing' their readers nod off to sleep? Maybe they're not doing their 'showing/describing' in the right way? I've recently finished reading 'Lessons in Chemistry' - a fun story, great characterisation, good writing, and a strong message but a really easy read - it left me wanting more. I'm currently reading John Le Carre's 'The Pigeon Tunnel - Stories from my Life.' I find his writing style superb. My taste in books is pretty broad. Will I ever publish - who knows. I've started the second book with the ongoing story of my protagonist in the first book and last week I started a new story with a different protagonist. My stories are based on my own experiences so should be true to life - I'm following the old adage, 'write about what you know,' - probably laziness on my part as I don't want to do too much research. My biggest challenge - Finding good verbs.
I totally agree...the more you receive feedback, the more you'll be able to tell if it's helpful or semi useless. I've been in a writing group for the past 4 years...and although I consider myself a pretty good writer now, and though I was then, a lot of my increased ability as a writer came from reading and commenting on other peoples writing and listening to comments from members of my group. Emersion is a great tool for finding what works and what doesn't. The best revelation here is, "you don't know what you don't know." That's where I was...and still am sometimes...now less than before.
This is such a fantastic and useful channel full of valuable informations. I’m revising my novel that I’ve written in my native language, Portuguese, and your lessons are helping me a lot. Thanks! ❤️📚
This is the Gestalt (from the 5 question of saturation in Betty Edwards’ Drawing on the Artist Within sense) we all needed & I am [Once again] cogitating in my happy place in your debt Diane!
Thank you. I needed to hear these to understand an aspect about storytelling in video games. My mistake has been skipping the story to focus on the mechanics. Now I see that I can use the mechanics as a canvas for the story 😅
FANTASTIC VIDEO! Especially liked the second half with the "big picture" advice. I just now bought so many of the books that were shown in this video, too!
I was lucky. I had a long history of writing academic work as well as being a voracious reader all my life. I absorbed a lot of understanding about how novels and writing generally worked without really "studying" it, and so did not make very many of those "newby" mistakes even at the beginning (I even got a star from Booklife when I submitted it for review!). Academic writing follows a formula, and in a way, that formula *is* applicable to fiction: a premise/intro statement, followed by background literature and work already done in the area, methodology, then your data, discussion (optional), and conclusions. It is, in fact, a three act structure, weirdly enough.
I should add that reading a critique of "Pride and Prejudice" when I was about 15 really stuck with me. The critic pointed out that the "climax" (Darcy's proposal) actually occurs at almost the exact midpoint of the novel: all the action leads up to that moment, and then everything else flows out from that. (And that Austen basically was working on gut instinct alone, because there was no one who could have "taught" her how to do that.) It's now called a mid-point reversal, but the analysis still stands, and I try never to forget this nugget of wisdom.
Almost half of the things mentioned are relevant to me. I learned a lot from this video, and I will do my best to improve, and write great stories using these advices. You have my thanks.
Definitely mimics blacksmithing throughout my career....be ok with making mistakes...those mistakes are only mistakes if you don't use them as stepping stones to the next adventure you find yourself on.
My husband says he is not a writer but a storyteller. He writes short stories right now that he says no one will probably read. What he is writing now, he says is like Stephen KING meets the Twilight Zone and it is too scary for me.
0:24 its actually funny how on point this is, i discussed with someone earlier today about why I haven’t tried writing a book and my reasoning for it was exactly what you just said.
I was mowing the lawn while listening to your videos and I absolutely love them. So much so, I decided to stop and pitch a few ideas to you that came to me during this video. By the end it sounded like you have already completed all 3 books, so perhaps you can use these ideas for future novels of this particular universe. Ok here goes, and perhaps I touch on things that you already accounted for in the book, my apologies if so. You say people can acquire wishes by saving a life, if this concept were common knowledge I think people would use it in very dark ways. They would put others lives in danger very often and wait on the sidelines for someone to save them. Once saved they would force the individual to give up their wish or “it’s curtains” (this may be darker than your novels go, again my apologies if so lmao, I thought maybe it could inspire you in some way). Second idea I had thinking of your books. A villian who is as smart as Sherlock Holmes. Perhaps they use their first wish to be able to see those that are carrying around an unused wish and upon obtaining them, executes them. Your heroin realizes this eventually and decides to look into possible freelancers that are selling wishes having obtained them far too easily. Ok back to mowing for me, I thought they were potentially good ideas to help you out in future novels! I will continue listening to more of your videos as I have been brainstorm a story for sometime and will be bringing it to life soon! Cheers!
12:10 Omniscient Point of View.... Omniscient... View... Reader... Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint..... Fuck I came here for a course but I just realized that my favorite novel's title has some great meaning behind it, dang.
I couldn't understand all of the advices and their importance but I did find some guidance. I will definitely return to this video again when I will need someone to tell me the right thing.
After studying writing for a bit I went back and reread a book I liked by Kurt Vonnegut. I noticed he used a lot of adverbs, such as 'He hung up the phone angrily'. It seemed to me he used telling instead of showing at times to move the story faster.
My first book mistakes. Head-hopping. Adding description that made no contribution to the movement of the narrative. Lack of interpersonal conflict (my family characters were agreeing too much according to a professional author who critiqued it). Too didactic, rather than allowing the story to convey the message. The lone compliment from the pro writer was, "At least you finished the manuscript. That's more than most people do." This means, or course, that I was already in the Top Half of all writers with that first, poorly-written book. And if YOU have completed a manuscript (Good, Bad or Ugly), PAT YOURSELF ON THE BACK AND KEEP WRITING!
I've learned from my mistakes, revision more often then not, improves the work I'm doing. Revision isnt a one time process. Sometimes more revision works rather then less, seems best. It usually never gets less words, or shorter. It most always seems to get more interesting, as it increases in length. I just have to let go and not be inhibited to work on it more by writing it longer. Its just fun for the heck of doing it, to rotate revising longer and shorter, just to see what happens. It never stays the same, or maintains its original first draft copy. I simply enjoy writing and i find its more exciting then not. I must be obsessive compulsive with it because i rarely write anything that stays as it was when I first wrote it. It keeps changing, evolving, and growing, or, shrinking. Whichever way it goes in the process of formal and final drafts. As long as I can finally leave it that way. Usually thats the biggest challenge. I do it for the thrill of doing it mostly. Seeing it through the changes is amazing. And BRAVE. Sometimes it gets better and sometimes not. Some times its just bad. Lol
Good advice, only one change though: Cormac McCarthy writes only "dense description filled prose" in most of his novels. There are only 2 exceptions that I have ever seen, "No Country For Old Men, " and "The Road." Sure, they are minimalist, but they were also more or less written in the script or screenplay style. Just saying-- lots of (good/experienced) writers can control how much "minimalism" is included in their novels.
I'm new writer. So, I don't know how helpful this is but whenever I'm describing something I look online for an image to start my ideas from. Also to give me an idea of how the object or space could look. I hope it's adding more variety to my description.
Thank you for the fully realistic description of what it really takes to self publish--I always see people emphasize the difficulties of trad while either downplaying self pub challenges or not acknowledging them at all.
Thank you:) I’ve seen every single one of your videos and I watch them over and over lol I can hear the passion in your voice. By not showing yourself I feel like you’re not trying to sell your looks. You’re trying to sell your passion and knowledge. That’s what I think Abbie does. I like her channel but I feel it’s less about the art and more about her🤨😑 Writing may not make you rich. But it’s an enriching experience. Thanks for inspiring me to perfect my craft.
My biggest issues indeed are head hopping and repeated words ("But" more than anything). However, I need to get my first draft actually done so I can focus on these kinda issues
Diane Callahan, pls tell us about the books you're written, I am Super Excited and eager to read yours, I'm sure we'll all learn even more from ur books
one of my biggest lessons was when I was writing my first detective series. I only post online right now and haven't written my first book yet, but writing that series taught me a lot about the writing process and how different genres require different techniques. It's probably my worst story to date, but the best part about writing your worst work is rverything you learn from it.
describe don't explain might be the perfect way to explain how to use the "show don't tell" rule in writing I did think "show don't tell" was also supposed to be used in writing not just cinema because even if cinema has visuals being able to show things that doesn't mean that text can't have the same rule I had no idea how to do it thought... until now describing how people react also shows their personality like let's say "Jacob was frozen in place even though his eyes were trembling, Phenix felt like if he didn't stop moving his eyes so quickly they'd pop out of his sockets"
My biggest problem with writing (and with everything else) is that I can never finish what I start. I'm not even a quarter into my first draft before I decide I hate it and I'm trying again.
The most important thing when you're a newer writer is not to know how to write a good book but how to learn what you're doing wrong. You need to be able to look at what you make and figure out exactly what the problems are. Not just to solve those problems, but to get deeper and understand why you're making those mistakes in the first place. That's how you'll find your weaknesses as a writer, and that's how you'll learn to overcome them. Solve specific problems, not general ones.
Yes Correct 👍, I remember writting a story half way and thinking wow I made a masterpiece. Only to realise several years later , Shortcomings of my writing.
It's fun to improve.
I must not fear. Fear is the art-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration of my art and my soul. I will face my fear to make my art. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn my inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only my art will remain.
Oh...My...Gods!!!! Why didn't I think of👆🏽Thisss??!!?? This superb variant upon The Litany Against Fear is something I NEED!!! [ [ .....And it's ALWAYS a delight to encounter a fellow fan of Frank Herbert masterworks!!! ] ] ]
I MUST and SHALL employ it!!!
It seems that is a quote. I'm an artist. I got my first set of oil paints 58 years ago. I don't have any fear of painting, nor of displaying my art. But I try to paint pretty pictures, landscapes, flowers and such. I like my paintings to be a place to relax the mind, like looking out the kitchen window in the country house while doing dishes.
However, I wrote the first draft of a novel recently. Writing is a different art form. There are scenes with kinky sex in my story. I do fear people knowing I could think things like that. These scenes exist to set up for humor later. I can understand fear in writers. Hell, there is a fear of telling truth these days. The author of Harry Potter was attacked by the liberal mob for saying there are 2 sexes.
@@b_g_c3281 0
Cool changing Dune quotes to make it better for artists!
Well said. Also, the first draft is for making it exist.
She really understands all kinds of writers and she really is making the future novel's better.
Helpful hint: get a text to voice reading software and a good voice. You can use this as a sounding board for your writing. It has helped me find typos, repeated words, and other errors. The voice lack a bit of intonation but it has still been a cheap and effective investment.
Wow, that's a great idea. Thanks!
I never thought of that
Software suggestions?
@@undefinedvariable8085 If you use a Macbook, you can use it's text-to-speech. Apple voices are much more satisfying to hear compared to the free voices you'll hear from free text-to-speech apps.
I tried this before, but I felt like I can use more speaking practice that's why I reverted back to saying my works out loud lol.
"Success is not an escalator. It's pushing a rock up a hill, over an over again."
Words to live by 👏
When we needed her, she returned. I'm a writer, and I just love your suggestions Ma'am. Thank you for guiding me.🙌
Same but I’m 21
@@lilylime77 Haha 🤟
@@zachdavidson5248 ooo!! A bit elder but yay!🤩🤟
@@bookaholic1431 I'm 31 and I love her too.
same but I'm 16!
This channel is so underrated 😔
My biggest mistake is giving up on stories before they're done; hearing some writing advice that my story lacks, or a finding a seemingly unfixable plot hole, and deciding the book isn't worth writing.
But, the way I see it, the only way to write a book that's worth writing, is to first write one that isn't. So was it ever not worth writing in the first place?
Thank you so much for your incredible insights and amazing videos! I hope your channel grows so more people can find this content- they deserve it.
I've had the same problem, so to try and not give up on the idea, I would challenge myself to complete writing the story or to write many chapters till I stop at a place where I actually start to enjoy writing. Once I do that, I reread my story and make it better as I got my inspiration to write it back. Truly you cna never write a good story if you don't have it in your heart to complete it. I always love a good challenge and I don't like losing so I almost always end up completing my book. I hope this helps you!
JUST a word about that "writing advice" that's so prevalent online and everywhere. It's easy for that stuff to come across as "THE rules"... BUT that's not how it works with ANY art. THE rules only define THE TOOLS... It's up to YOU whether the particular Tool, and its effect, is what you want in this or that scene. Over-used, ANY of the "writing rules" are terrible... Love triangles are fine enough, until everywhere you look and everyone you meet is in some kind of love triangle... THEN they start to suck... If EVERY story in a given genre has at least a love triangle problem, it becomes a cliche instead of a trope.
Tropes and Cliches are another point... Tropes are storytelling tools, a shorthand used so you do NOT have to fully describe something or someone, and the reader (having seen the trope before) already knows by context and trope what's going on...
Cliches (on the other hand) are Tropes that have been overused to a point of tedium or annoyance, and without undermining the idea, may actually take away from your story when they're present...
SO the next time someone agonizes over this horrible wordiness and clunky dialogue from it... The efforts to instantly distill all the excess words and hums and haws of clunky dialogue should NOT be your immediate reaction. You SHOULD ask, "Wasn't part of the whole point of this dialogue TO BE painful and clunky?" Because if that's the POINT of your scene in question, then you should do EXACTLY what everyone says "You can't do that..."
That's the thing about ART... AND make no mistake about it. Writing IS art. Art doesn't ONLY get to be art because it's joyous and attractive. It's ART any time it SAYS something and achieves an immediate, powerful, and visceral reaction in you. THAT is what art's supposed to do, and it's not always comfortable or fun or happy. It can be angry as hell and agonizing. It can be uncomfortable and disheartening. It's no less art.
SO remember those pieces of "Writing Advice" as a discussion of cause and effect. HOLD OFF banishing adverbs and adjectives from your draft, and bother to proof read. I know, it sounds like inventing work... BUT when you proof the thing, ask WHY you might want to say it quite that way. Did he just "walk arrogantly" or was it a "saunter"... MAYBE it was more of a "strut" or he was temperamental enough to STORM out arrogantly... insistent that he'd "won" an exchange that didn't amount to a winner/loser or "zero-sum" situation. How much like an asshole do you want to display this guy? What did he do to you??? hahaha... Maybe he's a weirdo and you'd rather he "sashayed" or maybe that was just because of the Marine Recruiter across the street...
If you really enjoy the process... HAVE FUN WITH IT. There's nothing wrong with enjoying your work. ;o)
On advice 2: As Albert Einstein once said if you can't explain it simply then you don't understand it well enough.
Fantastic!!! Thank you 🥳
I don't think he actually said that, nice try though
"The quote "An alleged scientific discovery has no merit unless it can be explained to a barmaid." is popularly attributed to Lord Rutherford of Nelson"
en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Albert_Einstein#Misattributed
On top of that explaining something is a different skill set to understanding it. While to explain properly you do need to understand the subject, the opposite is not true. Learning and teaching are not the same thing. Although teaching can help you learn.
@@ZelphTheWebmancer If you learned it, but don't understand it, then your efforts to learn it were wasted.
If you teach it, but don't understand it, then you are passing on fragmented knowledge, causing the above to happen more regularly.
@@OzixiThrill If you didn't understand it then you didn't learn. I do agree with the second half on trying to teach without understanding it.
But, the thing is, you can understand it and not be able to teach it.
I wrote a "book" about 5 years ago, and recently, the fire to write and read in me has been reignited. I read the book I that I wrote, and I decided to learn it first before beginning to write again. I discovered your channel, and as I sift through your videos with no particular order, I realized that I made every single mistake and don'ts you described (that I know of) in that book. I told and didn't show, sometimes over described or under described scenes, a character looking at herself in the mirror and some more. But the worst one was, at the time, I thought I nailed it. And when I'd got rejected (Now I'm shocked that I even got few of those, most of them just didn't reply) I was sooo pissed off, I even got into some arguments with some low level publishers or beginner writers who got published on Twitter. I look back at those times and man, how is that even possible for someone to be so unaware about one's self while stepping on every landmine.
Edit: I got distracted while trashing myself. Your lessons are extremely good and I couldn't find better suited type of explanation for learning writing. I'm sure there are good teachers of writing in the wild but for learning a specific concept or overall writing? You're my first choice.
Looks like you've grown. How's the revitalised foray into writing going?
As a Former FOX Staff Writer, I find Your material EXTREMELY Useful...
Thank You, You Are Appreciated!!!
How I missed that final line! "Whatever you do, keep writing".
Great advice as always. I remember writing my first novel at 15/16 years old a d thinking it was the best thing since War & Peace. It was pure cringefest, though I do remember some lines I still like from it. I had started reading for pleasure a year or two before and I was trying to imitate a couple of authors I liked, though it was a completely different genre. With practice, studying and a bit of effort, anyone can write great things. What holds many back is doubt about our own abilities, but believing in your story and your desire to tell it will help push those mistakes aside. I remember reading about how Bernard Cornwell got over his fear of being good enough by typing up C.S Forester's Hornblower book, a page or two, sticking it in a drawer for a month, then looked at it and found "mistakes" or things that he would change to suit his style, and he adored the Hornblower books. It goes to show that even our favourite authors can have things we would "fix" because of what we think is better style or content or whatever it may be. Writing is an ever-learning craft, one that we must keep evolving and fine-tuning. It's great content like this that helps a lot of us find the right tools to tune ourselves. Thank you!
The QUEEN! The QUEEN IS BAAACK!!!
I always get caught up in the setting. Am I describing it enough? Is too detailed? Too less? Am I using too many words for something that'll need only a sentence?
I've practiced a lot in showing after watching one of your videos and my characters have gotten a bit more "life" since then. I'll understand my process of setting soon💪💜
Same bro I write a LOT like if I need to write a 2 page story ,instead I write a 4 page story.
Maybe for setting the scene, you write any and every little thing you wish as it comes to you... Go ahead and let it flow freely. BUILD the scene completely... AND then set that "first version" aside as the "more than complete scene"... Use it for notes, and then work your scene. Keep in mind then, that ALL you really want or need in the finished book should be precisely seen from the Protagonist's view-point, described in their perspective and voice... unless you have a different view for a narrator (of course)... This gives you the chance (and option) of condensing down through the questions like "Would he really see that? Does it matter enough for him to pay attention to it? Does the reader care? SHOULD the reader care? Why?" AND you don't get rid of the notes. They're the work "under the hood".... AND should be kept in a separate place, be it a file on your computer specifically for all the world-building and setting specific notation (like a "World Bible") OR you stuff it into a separate 3-ring binder as your "World Building Compendium" with a title page and a marker of some sort for a little easier reference when you come back later for another scene written for some other purpose or time...
I'm only a humble Game Master, but a forest is still a forest... a swamp still a swamp... and every sea surrounds a shrinking boat with a WHOLE LOT of water in some shade of grey, green, or blue... It can help when you're staring at "The great white bull" to get out some words and read one setting or another to start planting a seed... Even maybe you KNOW you want to put this scene in a grand old Manor at the edge of town, somewhere in the dust-bowl years in Mississippi... BUT for whatever serendipity, you opened the World Building Compendium, and your eye latched onto a long forgotten old boathouse you'd scratched together almost mindlessly for a writing exercise. It was shabby and run down and half the rafters were dangling under Spanish Moss into the water of a bayou... BUT there's just something kind of memorable about that damned old boathouse and you stick it on a jetty behind the grand old Manor you wanted to talk about originally... with the juices flowing and your keyboard rattling as loud and fast as a machine gun in the belly of a B-25 on D-Day... you, too, can be back on your way. ;o)
@@gnarthdarkanen7464 this is incredibly helpful, THANK YOU 🙏💜
@@abhilasha9608 Happy to contribute. It's a trick I've developed from my early days as a Game Master, all the way back to D&D 1e. I'd get tired writing up "script notes" for places over and over, even just from one adventure or Campaign to the next... and I started saving them, so instead, add a few words... maybe create one or two "beasties" to toss in as well, or remove some stuff that it didn't need... and bullet-points were done, I could move on to the "meat and potatoes" of the adventure stuff...
Sometimes it was nice to get a great setting together and have a truly remarkable Campaign come out of it, but then it was depressing if I didn't ever try that again, or lost the notes... SO I just made it a point of "lose nothing"... There's eventually a point of "critical mass" but with a little discrimination, you keep the good stuff and "real gems" while cycling out the relatively "utter crap"... Eventually you start to notice your dubious rankings of "utter crap" have risen over the years... a kind of a bonus, seeing how far you've improved with the practice.
In any case, YOU are most certainly welcome. I hope it serves you as well as it's helped me out. ;o)
start of video: I'll watch this to reassure myself how much I've learned about writing and my process.
end of video: head in hands
“What do they want and why can’t they have it?” Asked a movie producer who had no time or patience for another poor pitch.
No. 11: you don't know how to write a novel until you have written a novel.
💯% Accurate!
I actually think my first novel that I'm working on is turning out to be very noob friendly. I was a part of a D&D group for awhile, and eventually one person brought a really cool idea to the table. They shared it with everyone and it seemed really fun. We eventually drifted apart, but I saw their idea and I reached out to them. I'm writing that as a book and the reason it's noob friendly because
a) most of the characters, including the main character and the antagonist are done
and b) I have the end goal
All I had to do was come up with the plot, some new characters, and write it out.
And I am liking this because I am dipping my toes into writing, I'm enjoying it alot and plan to do more when I finish.
I love the advice to get busy being lousy at it. That's step one to being good. That makes so much sense.
This channel is a hidden treasure in this mundane social network.
"The contradictions that form a person's identity." On its own that made this video more than worth the 30 minutes. Everything else was good, but that was gold.
i appreciate that you used an excerpt of Neil Gaiman speaking when referencing his quote.
his voice is everything.
I find is so much value in your channel. Your suggestions and examples give me the opportunity to improve my writing. I am currently writing a fictional story based on true events of my grandmother as a young immigrant German girl in rural Texas in the early 1900s. In the early 1980s, before she died, she recorded all of her old stories for me on cassette tape which I have transcribed and using them as my outline as I re-create her stories.
Thank you for your kind words! That sounds like a great project, especially since you have a firsthand account that makes it an even more personal story. Keep writing. :)
Another bit of advice I can give is don't buy a book on how to write unless you're going to refer to it frequently, like Strunk and White's "The Elements of Style" (this is just for the sake of example, writing correctly doesn't mean writing well). Also, if your local library has a copy of a certain book, check it out, read it, and take notes. That way, you get the advice and your bank account remains intact. There are many books out there that have the usual writing advice, and you don't need a home library with lots of books basically saying the same thing. Stephen King's "On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft" is mostly autobiographical with just a small part of the book dedicated to writing. The book is interesting, and if you like Stephen King I recommend it, but you have to wade through his life story before you get to the part that's useful to aspiring writers. Remember: use library card, not credit card whenever you can.
This explains why I couldn't get into the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina show. She's a Mary Sue and carries no significant flaws.
Very helpful ma'am! I don't know how this might sound, but I'm a new writer as well, and I unbelievably got a new idea for a story in the middle of watching this video! Wow! And it's giving me positive vibes! Thank you so much! I hope I can fix my problems with my new book!😊🙌
In this pandemic when everything seems bleak your channel is one of those few things which provide me hope and a much needed motivation. Thank you so much. ❤
#allthewayfromNepal
I like to give myself the idea that my writing is well detailed when its actually rushed, the same when I write in the comments section on TH-cam.
Lol
Diane! This video is bursting with useful, actionable advice and I LOVE your vocal characterizations! You truly are too good to us. We may not poop gold, but your videos sure do!
"We may not poop gold, but your videos sure do!" is such a funny analogy (or whatever you call it).
Criticising ‘bad writing’ to myself drew me in to trying it for myself. Now ‘great writing’ has taught me my limited time probably shouldn’t be wasted. Self doubt continuously bounces off moments of inspiration. The lonely deleted words in the process really make me wonder.
Just what i was looking for... why is this channel so underated?
Really helps putting the first draft into perspective. That it's meant for us to mess up and make mistakes so that we can come back ad improve it later.
This video pulled my lashes up,and things became plain and wonderful ❤️
If u can consider this, can u please make a video on how to know whether wt we are writing is not lagging, boring or cliche and how to revise the first draft effectively ❤️
One of my major issues with writing is pacing. I think or hope I've gotten better but it feels like I'll write scene I'm proud of but while trying to get to the next scene i want to write i skim through the story like its a montage to get to a scene that should be a few chapters laters.
I've run into this situation and found a couple of techniques that help. Please bear along for a moment. In horseback riding, many people think that there are only 3 gaits ... walk, trot and gallop.
However, there is also the pace called 'the lope' (or 'canter' for you equestrian purists out there) which is the pleasant rolling gait between the trot and gallop.
In writing, I'll simply write the climactic (the fullout gallop) while the synapses are firing hotly, then go back afterwards to the foundational buildup (walk to trot) before and write where 'the lope' connects the pacing (kind of like the carpet from "The Big Lebowski"). If needed, I'll mark the space with > ^^^ < or
> insert additional composition
@@luciancorvus9992 I apologize if i am mis understanding you but what it sounds like what your saying is when ever i do skim through my story i should make a note so i can go back to it later? I have been doing something like this and it does give me a peace of mind. But since i haven't finished my first draft yet so I haven't really put it into practice yet. And thank you for the advice. I know "The Witching Hour" by name only so will have to check it out.
This was such an amazing and educational video! Thank you so much.
I've recently started outlining my first mystery novel, and your kind words are really inspirational! 😃
This video is really useful and also really encouraging. A pet peeve I have with "Writing Tips" videos on TH-cam is that they're often done by snobby authors who like to punch down newcomers.
I liked how this keeps it about the mistakes and doesn't shit on the authors for making them.
Thank you.
I wanted to write and u have help me a lot. Your videos are straight to the point, doesn't give a duck about average people mentality and give real ideas which will work if one does.
I haven't even started writing, I am learning to how to write (by this meaning how to make people see what I want them to see).
U are doing a great work simplifying things in manner one need thinking ability not listening which is the best part.
Thanks a lot ma'am.
Excellently done, and like any great advice, simply said but internalizing it and putting it into practice is the hard part. The most succinct advice I ever received (from a journalism professor) was, "Write right, write tight."
Simple. Except the writing right part. That's been a lifelong journey.
So true!
If all writing advice are guidelines, then I take that as a guide line and all advice really is set in stone. Thank you for this revelation.
As for me, the biggest new authors' mistake is definitely not writing at all; I'm also suffering from it btw.
Thank you so much, Diane, for this inspiring video!
Best regards from Ukraine!
Keep up the great work!
Scott sigler could be used as a great example for many of your points. His nocturnal book could never have been published if his infected series didn't sell. He republished his horror cave book years later as he wanted to make it better. He created a podcast to help sell his books. For a while you could listen to them all for free. He has said that when finishing a book he puts it away for 3 months before going back to it.
As well as using big publishers he also self published the GFL series. He only made a profit once the third one came out. He learnt a lot and uses a business partner to help.
This vid is fantastic.
Ever since I subscribed you I have always been checking my phone to see if you have uploaded a video and today I was like"SHE'S BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!"
I'm twelve and I hope to be a writer and your videos are helping me a lot. Amazing.
Whatever you do keep writing 💓💓💓💓
PS: Can you tell me the names of the Stories and novels you have written? Please?
I'm so happy to hear that my videos have been helping you! You can find my list of current publications on my website. :) www.quotidianwriter.com/my-writing
You replied to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for that BTW.
*my dreams tonight*
Diana Callahan replied to me.........
*me smiling all night*
@@heerupadhyay783 Be joyful, my young friend. Be joyful!
@@kathrynstubbs4519 who wouldn't be!!!!!!!!!! :)
Hello! Haha you replied on my comment so I just thought to reply on yours 😂🙌
If only there was a way you could hear how I screamed! I was thinking about you since a few days and you uploaded! The stars have aligned! I love your content so much! It's an inspiration 😭💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜
I guess to this point is not making enough specific time to write. Have written a bit throughout my life but only when I make a time and place to write. I love your tutorials. You are a born teacher, easy to listen to and have noticeably researched your tutorials. Thank you.
There are many channels like this, but this one is the best-->if you ask me.
Really helpful video. I'm a very new writer. Never thought I would ever put pen to paper or, more accurately, fingers to keyboard. I have already edited my first novel six times. I have fallen down many of the usual pitfalls. I love reading but I hate books that are so literary they're really hard work. I've given up on quite a few books lately that come with glowing reviews but in my view were simply indulgent and boring. While I totally get the 'show don't tell' or 'describe don't explain,' I find myself skipping so many areas in a book because I want to get on to the next stage of the story. Is it just me or do too many writers become so wrapped up with their 'showing' their readers nod off to sleep? Maybe they're not doing their 'showing/describing' in the right way? I've recently finished reading 'Lessons in Chemistry' - a fun story, great characterisation, good writing, and a strong message but a really easy read - it left me wanting more. I'm currently reading John Le Carre's 'The Pigeon Tunnel - Stories from my Life.' I find his writing style superb. My taste in books is pretty broad. Will I ever publish - who knows. I've started the second book with the ongoing story of my protagonist in the first book and last week I started a new story with a different protagonist. My stories are based on my own experiences so should be true to life - I'm following the old adage, 'write about what you know,' - probably laziness
on my part as I don't want to do too much research. My biggest challenge - Finding good verbs.
Extremely helpful as always Diane. Can’t wait to send you the finished product )
Yours is my favorite channel on writing🌌
I actually want to make a Manga but my drawing skill suck so I just gonna go with a novel your videos are very helpful thanks for your guidance.
I totally agree...the more you receive feedback, the more you'll be able to tell if it's helpful or semi useless. I've been in a writing group for the past 4 years...and although I consider myself a pretty good writer now, and though I was then, a lot of my increased ability as a writer came from reading and commenting on other peoples writing and listening to comments from members of my group. Emersion is a great tool for finding what works and what doesn't.
The best revelation here is, "you don't know what you don't know." That's where I was...and still am sometimes...now less than before.
This is such a fantastic and useful channel full of valuable informations. I’m revising my novel that I’ve written in my native language, Portuguese, and your lessons are helping me a lot. Thanks! ❤️📚
One of the best and most helpful writing videos I’ve come across. Thank you Diane!
Thank you so much for your kind words! Keep writing. :)
This is the Gestalt (from the 5 question of saturation in Betty Edwards’ Drawing on the Artist Within sense) we all needed & I am [Once again] cogitating in my happy place in your debt Diane!
Thank you. I needed to hear these to understand an aspect about storytelling in video games. My mistake has been skipping the story to focus on the mechanics. Now I see that I can use the mechanics as a canvas for the story 😅
Practical, thoughtful, and thorough; You are a wonder! Thank you Diane!
Thank you. You always make the time rich with your voice and advice.
FANTASTIC VIDEO! Especially liked the second half with the "big picture" advice. I just now bought so many of the books that were shown in this video, too!
A "thumbs down" for this video? Seriously? Wow. Someone has disengaged from reality.
U show definitely make A video on your favourite book, your life journey what problems did u face and autobiography about urself
I was lucky. I had a long history of writing academic work as well as being a voracious reader all my life. I absorbed a lot of understanding about how novels and writing generally worked without really "studying" it, and so did not make very many of those "newby" mistakes even at the beginning (I even got a star from Booklife when I submitted it for review!).
Academic writing follows a formula, and in a way, that formula *is* applicable to fiction: a premise/intro statement, followed by background literature and work already done in the area, methodology, then your data, discussion (optional), and conclusions.
It is, in fact, a three act structure, weirdly enough.
I should add that reading a critique of "Pride and Prejudice" when I was about 15 really stuck with me. The critic pointed out that the "climax" (Darcy's proposal) actually occurs at almost the exact midpoint of the novel: all the action leads up to that moment, and then everything else flows out from that. (And that Austen basically was working on gut instinct alone, because there was no one who could have "taught" her how to do that.)
It's now called a mid-point reversal, but the analysis still stands, and I try never to forget this nugget of wisdom.
Almost half of the things mentioned are relevant to me.
I learned a lot from this video, and I will do my best to improve, and write great stories using these advices.
You have my thanks.
Thank you so much for watching! Keep writing! :)
So much useful information in one video! Great job. Thank you.
Definitely mimics blacksmithing throughout my career....be ok with making mistakes...those mistakes are only mistakes if you don't use them as stepping stones to the next adventure you find yourself on.
The dream scenario is for you and Hello Future Me to collab on a writing video. My life would be complete with that.
You're back♥️♥️♥️♥️
Some excellent thoughts. Thanks for sharing.
Another stellar video chock full of information - you really keep exceeding my expectations! Thank you.
Wowww The lines at ending are really magical had blown my mind...
My husband says he is not a writer but a storyteller. He writes short stories right now that he says no one will probably read. What he is writing now, he says is like Stephen KING meets the Twilight Zone and it is too scary for me.
Your videos are really good. Thanks for putting in the effort. 👍
0:24 its actually funny how on point this is, i discussed with someone earlier today about why I haven’t tried writing a book and my reasoning for it was exactly what you just said.
I loved the key pointers, god bless you dear! You add spice to my mood and awake the butterflies in my tummy! 💚
I was mowing the lawn while listening to your videos and I absolutely love them. So much so, I decided to stop and pitch a few ideas to you that came to me during this video. By the end it sounded like you have already completed all 3 books, so perhaps you can use these ideas for future novels of this particular universe. Ok here goes, and perhaps I touch on things that you already accounted for in the book, my apologies if so. You say people can acquire wishes by saving a life, if this concept were common knowledge I think people would use it in very dark ways. They would put others lives in danger very often and wait on the sidelines for someone to save them. Once saved they would force the individual to give up their wish or “it’s curtains” (this may be darker than your novels go, again my apologies if so lmao, I thought maybe it could inspire you in some way).
Second idea I had thinking of your books. A villian who is as smart as Sherlock Holmes. Perhaps they use their first wish to be able to see those that are carrying around an unused wish and upon obtaining them, executes them. Your heroin realizes this eventually and decides to look into possible freelancers that are selling wishes having obtained them far too easily.
Ok back to mowing for me, I thought they were potentially good ideas to help you out in future novels! I will continue listening to more of your videos as I have been brainstorm a story for sometime and will be bringing it to life soon! Cheers!
12:10 Omniscient Point of View.... Omniscient... View... Reader... Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint..... Fuck I came here for a course but I just realized that my favorite novel's title has some great meaning behind it, dang.
Great video as always. Still writing. Still improving. Patience and study will win.
Wow
Amazing and super helpful tips clearly and simply explained
Heartfelt gratitude 🍃
Thank you so much! Keep writing! :)
“Forget the haters” is probably the most important takeaway 😂
Great writing advice, thank you!
(And I really want to make candles now too 🙂)
I couldn't understand all of the advices and their importance but I did find some guidance. I will definitely return to this video again when I will need someone to tell me the right thing.
After studying writing for a bit I went back and reread a book I liked by Kurt Vonnegut. I noticed he used a lot of adverbs, such as 'He hung up the phone angrily'. It seemed to me he used telling instead of showing at times to move the story faster.
My first book mistakes. Head-hopping. Adding description that made no contribution to the movement of the narrative. Lack of interpersonal conflict (my family characters were agreeing too much according to a professional author who critiqued it). Too didactic, rather than allowing the story to convey the message. The lone compliment from the pro writer was, "At least you finished the manuscript. That's more than most people do." This means, or course, that I was already in the Top Half of all writers with that first, poorly-written book. And if YOU have completed a manuscript (Good, Bad or Ugly), PAT YOURSELF ON THE BACK AND KEEP WRITING!
I've learned from my mistakes, revision more often then not, improves the work I'm doing. Revision isnt a one time process. Sometimes more revision works rather then less, seems best. It usually never gets less words, or shorter. It most always seems to get more interesting, as it increases in length. I just have to let go and not be inhibited to work on it more by writing it longer. Its just fun for the heck of doing it, to rotate revising longer and shorter, just to see what happens. It never stays the same, or maintains its original first draft copy. I simply enjoy writing and i find its more exciting then not. I must be obsessive compulsive with it because i rarely write anything that stays as it was when I first wrote it. It keeps changing, evolving, and growing, or, shrinking. Whichever way it goes in the process of formal and final drafts. As long as I can finally leave it that way. Usually thats the biggest challenge. I do it for the thrill of doing it mostly. Seeing it through the changes is amazing. And BRAVE. Sometimes it gets better and sometimes not. Some times its just bad. Lol
Good advice, only one change though: Cormac McCarthy writes only "dense description filled prose" in most of his novels. There are only 2 exceptions that I have ever seen, "No Country For Old Men, " and "The Road." Sure, they are minimalist, but they were also more or less written in the script or screenplay style. Just saying-- lots of (good/experienced) writers can control how much "minimalism" is included in their novels.
I'm new writer. So, I don't know how helpful this is but whenever I'm describing something I look online for an image to start my ideas from. Also to give me an idea of how the object or space could look. I hope it's adding more variety to my description.
Thank you for your wonderful videos! They are awesome! Love that sentence "it takes a village to raise the novel!" 🙌🤗❣🙏🏿💫
Thank you so much for your kind words, Stefan! Keep writing! :)
Awesome content as usual. I love these videos.
Thank you for the fully realistic description of what it really takes to self publish--I always see people emphasize the difficulties of trad while either downplaying self pub challenges or not acknowledging them at all.
Thank you:)
I’ve seen every single one of your videos and I watch them over and over lol
I can hear the passion in your voice.
By not showing yourself I feel like you’re not trying to sell your looks. You’re trying to sell your passion and knowledge.
That’s what I think Abbie does. I like her channel but I feel it’s less about the art and more about her🤨😑
Writing may not make you rich. But it’s an enriching experience.
Thanks for inspiring me to perfect my craft.
Never fails to deliver. Keep up the good work
Oh wow! Was waiting for a video from you.
Amazing video, really helpful
My biggest issues indeed are head hopping and repeated words ("But" more than anything). However, I need to get my first draft actually done so I can focus on these kinda issues
Diane Callahan, pls tell us about the books you're written, I am Super Excited and eager to read yours, I'm sure we'll all learn even more from ur books
I asked her the same thing and she replied to me. pl check my comment and it's replies, you'll find a link.
@@heerupadhyay783 Thankkk you!! I just got it
To me, number nine is the most important advice.
thank you, Diane.
one of my biggest lessons was when I was writing my first detective series. I only post online right now and haven't written my first book yet, but writing that series taught me a lot about the writing process and how different genres require different techniques. It's probably my worst story to date, but the best part about writing your worst work is rverything you learn from it.
SHE'S BACK
describe don't explain might be the perfect way to explain how to use the "show don't tell" rule in writing
I did think "show don't tell" was also supposed to be used in writing not just cinema because even if cinema has visuals being able to show things that doesn't mean that text can't have the same rule
I had no idea how to do it thought... until now
describing how people react also shows their personality like let's say
"Jacob was frozen in place even though his eyes were trembling, Phenix felt like if he didn't stop moving his eyes so quickly they'd pop out of his sockets"
My biggest problem with writing (and with everything else) is that I can never finish what I start. I'm not even a quarter into my first draft before I decide I hate it and I'm trying again.
Best line- what ever you do, just keep writing