That was one of the most excellently put commentaries on the subject. As a writer, I never thought of the exact functions I was applying, but now I see that is exactly what I have been doing all along.
One of the best pieces of advice in this video: trim the fat. Allow context to explain what is happening rather than spoon-feeding the audience. This makes for a readership that is actively engaged in figuring out what is happening rather than being passively told everything. This also has the happy side effect of making scenes shorter and snappier which makes readers happier and have a sense of a story that is moving at an accelerated clip.
This guy is a great speaker. Watched it to the end. Thanks for the tips: "audience first", "pity fear catharsis", and "the cinema screen is a big mirror where you can safely face your worst fears". Great job.
Wow, what a fantastic closing line - this is absolutely the key to retaining an audience! I often listen to talks at 1.5x speed, but I listened to the close several times at normal speed.. Thank you for such insight!
People who are interested in gaining knowledge will watch it till the end. People who want to be entertained will rather complain about the style. If someone offers you important information, without wanting money for it, you shut your mouth about the way it's being presented and you take the gift with thanks.
The conclusion of Mr. Friedmann's talk crystallizes what guarantees great storytelling and writing. His insight gives urgency to re-listening several times more with OneNote open.
I write for an audience ... they have not shown up yet. Darn. In the well seasoned age of Amazon KDP, I wonder if there are more books than audience. I think so. Especially in fiction. I know it is not true, but there are millions on millions of fiction books in many genres. I would have a bigger audience if I wrote romance than YA Sci Fi. A Twilight Spin would be better than my original stories sales wise. But if I write good stories, why do they not get traction? My reviews are great on Audible. But only a few exist. But writing is fun and cheap to do. I don't write novels. I stick to fast novelettes. I think times are changing. Enough serialized novelettes (and they are easy for me to do) you have a novel sized story in the end. People are beginning to want that (I hope). I am new. As you say Apple Slice Unite, at the moment it seems to be a hobby. If you get your audience, keep it a hobby. It is more fun I think. Check me out.
@@franklacroix6471 i am not at all suggesting I am well horned on the craft. I like nonfiction and I find that I get inspired by visiting new towns, learning about cities...I think this can be handy with fiction or other genres
For all you folks who thought that this was a terrible speech, sorry, but he had it right. the audience, or the readers absolutely have to care for the characters and to identify with them. And that character has to be challenged, every instructor will tell you that. And yes, you should have an upbeat ending.If you don't think those things are true, just try getting published. Me? I was rejected 150 before finding a publisher. It is extremely difficult.
Just because you can't get a story published, that doesn't mean it's bad - it just means the publishers don't see it as something which would resonate with the general audience (or with the specific audience they think the work is tailored for). It's wise to be aware of this, but it is very much not wise to consider published stories to be the only ones worth reading. Sure an "upbeat ending" might make the story more appealing and enjoyable to general audiences - it doesn't mean the story will be any better than if it had an unconventional ending, though. Same thing applies to your claim that characters "have to be challenged". I can't believe that someone who was rejected 150 times before finding a publisher does not understand this. Bad take.
@@20000dino There are two books that I remember reading that had left me reeling with mixed emotions because their endings weren't at all what I'd predicted or expected. Oddly enough I can't remember either book's title or author but I clearly remember how I'd felt. I've read many since then written by both known and unknown writers but I've never found that feeling since.
My mother is 92 and a published author and fine, professional storyteller. My father was a revered minister and teller of parables. I believe you are correct sir.
I really like how honest and still polite this speaker is. In my opinion this is what aspiring writers truely need. I'd rather be rejected a 100 times with honesty that I can work with than that I'll be published on the spot without having grown any further. Thank you for this great talk.
(4 year old comment, but responding anyway). He's talking about agents (presumably he is one). Agents represent people. So yes, he means people. Publishers reject manuscripts (or in the case of film, you might say "Producers reject scripts") and do so frequently.
It has been said that great creatives who are in a permanent or semi permanent state of block are often to be in the sidelines of publishing, TV, Movies etc. They have been deemed "shadow artists" by those who do write successfully. One wonders what this fine storytelling man who is a successful agent would produce if he just started to tell his own story? Certainly merely by looking at him & listening to him he seems to fit the bill. "Pity, Fear, Catharsis." There are at least a thousand good stories within this man. I ,for one, would read whatever stories this man has to tell.
I think people are being too hard on this guy, he brings up good points (albeit in a dry way). I would only change his suggestion that successful stories have "upbeat endings" to "successful stories have closure and/or and sense of hope". Endings don't have to be literally happy to be attractive to the masses.
Neither does The Last of Us. It shows that there are always exceptions to the "rule", but in general these sorts of ending have to be done with extreme care otherwise it can really put people off.blownspeakersss
That's why they're being too hard on him. He's right, and hurts their preconceptions about their writing, their prospects of writing anything people will want to read, and in some cases, their imagined superiority when they poo-poo American movies.
Endings don't have to be literally happy from a creative standpoint, but they are more often successful from a mass audience standpoint. Most people who close a book or walk out of a theater on a high note will often give a much better review than a work with a more ambivalent ending. That's just a commercial given. Leave people smiling and that's how they'll remember you. It's not to say you can't have a non-Hollywood ending. Just that on average they will not do as well commercially.
Closure is usually more important to commercial success than leaving people smiling, but yes. Though it's not the rule...look at how successful a game like the Last of Us was, which didn't have an ending with closure or much of any sense of hope, yet it was this ending that left people talking for weeks and even months later.Gary Horsman
This is an excellent speech for writers. A personal opinion of the agent, of course, but clear and objective (excellent: the words in the screen can contradict the visual facts...). And the people here are disturbed by his fluency... or the movements of the mouth... My good... what a world... Enjoy the life and the knowlegde, people, and deal with your own issues at home...
this is single handed the most wise good educated wonderful description of storytelling in the age of movies. beggining muddle and end is so funny - as british humour elementary... I'd like to add that there is a functionality to storytelling. and alas, may one day this writing talking be read ! once more, thanks for the enlightment master friedmann !
10:08 why are TED Talk camera operators/editors so bad at their job? He's reading a quote and looking at the screen! No, by all means, don't focus on the screen or show the quote, focus on the back of the guy's head while he reads the entire quote. Great job!
Excellent talk. I just can't understand why so many people, below, made such depreciating comments about it. Friedmann shows he knows very well what he says, gives us good advice about writing a script or a story, and, last but not least, has a fine sense of humour!. I liked it very much!
I'm new at this game but I have to say that was the best description of the screenwriter's charge I have yet come across. I'll be watching this over and over...
@ Elisa van den Berg. The word is catharsis. It's an emotional release or purging caused by a situation, an action, or thought. It can be seen as a form of cleansing or a spiritual/emotional renewal. Also, it's pity not pitty.
I enjoyed listening from the very beginning. I learned much. Thank you. Don't pay any attention to the negative people signing, they just haven't grownup and they don't realize we're not in grade school any longer.
Stories also play another key function - to describe the world and educate humans. In Aboriginal Australia, many stories were imbued with information about animals and plants which was essential for survival and conservation, and described the landscape around the tribe, allowing people to learn geography. Today, by reading books, we get an insight into how human relationships work, and by watching movies we see a glamourised version in real time. Perhaps this is why modern "world-building" fantasy is so compelling - it recreates that sense of discovery of a huge and detailed world. In this formulation, I think blockbuster movies and internet pornography can both be troubling. At the cinema, there tends to be binary "good vs evil", "America vs bad guys" type scenarios which are almost always directed by men and featuring men. In porn, and increasingly popular music, a grossly inaccurate view of human sexuality is being made the norm, and we don't seem to have a compelling counter-narrative to draw upon besides the usual religious dogma. The stories we choose to tell are powerful, they define who we are, and who we are not, and how we see the world.
Ok maybe a weird quetion but can somebody tell me how you write the word he says at 9:13 ? Because I'm trying to write it down but I have no idea how to write it. The list was 1. Pitty 2. fear 3. ... We would say scafaces but I'm pretty sure that that's not right. Thank you upfront
So many negative comments, wow. I'm sorry, but your screenplay about an androgynous kodiak bear who serves as a butler for the queen of England might comment on social standards, but it is most likely not a good story.
It's not the story, it's the storyteller. Ever read Kafka or an Edgar Allen Poe poem? Stories can be compelling regardless of structure, even what some might consider to be mundane or surrealist nonsense, if the storyteller is any good.
Just a note the feel good catharsis is due to Dopamine release. Phenylalanine is an essential amino acid that combines with another essential amino acid Tyrosene to make the feel good stimulator Dopamine. By the way excellent presentation and very valuable information. Thankyou.
A really good video that gives a brief guide for would be writers from the point of view of an agent. Of course it's a commercial point of view and only scratches the surface of this art form, but it is a good starting point.
I normally do not write negative comments about videos (or even good ones for that matter), but when it comes to something I care about, such as writing, I felt I could either ignore my being pissed off, OR just leave an angry comment. After feeling like I was going to waste 18 minutes of my life just so I could leave at least an informed and angry comment, I found what Julian Friedmann was trying to say (in his own stuffy way), was that YOUR READERS will be the ones imagining your story, and will be the ones experiencing your story through their own past experiences. But when it comes to saying "You know that story your working on with the characters, world, and meanings you are passionate about? Well, don't write that. It's not selling." THAT is, frankly, bullshit. Now, you may or may not agree with that, but its called "commercial writing" and many writers who I've listened to have tried it, and hated it, and never did it again. Also, the whole "writing cannot be taught" thing is funny, because if you look up the other videos that TED has on writing, such as Simon Booy, Terrry Brooks, Nathan Filer, all of them are of the exact opposite mindset (and I deeply encourage you to watch those if you are wanting to learn how to write and had the terrible misfortune of this being the first video you found on the subject). My point is this: Write what you love, and don't let anyone tell you that it won't work. It will. They can tell you it's not good enough yet, and that's what you want to hear. You just need to put in the time and effort to polish the hell out of it until you get what you want. End of rant.
John Wreed Eh. Yes and no. I agree with you, but I also agree with Friedmann. I think it's important to write something you're passionate about, it definitely gives value to the work, but it needs to be done in such a way that an audience can relate to whatever you're trying to say. Otherwise, who cares? It doesn't necessarily mean selling out, it just means having a balance between "the writer, the characters and the audience". That way, everyone is happy.
Nobody cares about what you love. They will only read if there's common interest. If I like knitting and write a book about a guy who joins to knitting contest for such and such reason, you wouldn't read that book unless you are a fan. Commercial writing is necessary and you have to find a common interest with your readers if you want them to read your book. Otherwise no one will care and it won't sell. Just because you want to write, does not mean people are obligated to read it. That's what he was trying to say here and he's absolutely right. I need to relate or otherwise I will not care about your stupid book. People who fail to succeed are the ones who don't get this.
John - of course you can be passionate about your story - as long as your readers are too. If you don't want to be read, then it doesn't matter if only you are passionate, you and your mum maybe. I love a writer called Felisberto Hernandez. Not too many people do because his stories are absurd to some, not really so interesting. I love their absurdity and strangeness. He will never be a best seller (tho of course he was successful to the extent that he was publ ished).I
i agree with all those reasons. i would just add that i write to open minds regarding how to appreciate the less commonly appreciated... this sounds rather specific. but it's a very primal sentiment of compassion i have for the popularly overlooked/downtrodden aspects of life. it even seems that the truly altruistic people in life rarely get noticed. it's sort of in the vein of The Twilight Zone series that illuminated commonly overlooked possibilities and would cause your hair to raise with thoughtfulness as you paused to entertain certain possibilities that you might have been closed off to and quickly judged previous.
I stopped listening when he said that most people's writing was boring because most people's lives are boring. The gentleman has proven to me that he is the last person I would trust to spot real literary talent. Maybe he just hates people, or maybe I love them too much, but I find most people's lives absolutely fascinating.
I agree with you, but must say this was the best ted talk I ever watched. Most ted talks are just feel good videos with very limited substance that I watch more to pass time than for their information value. This one made me sit up and listen. If anything I think Friedman is less of a literary agent and more of a storyteller whoes talent was either overlooked by others or himself.
I suffered through the whole video and I agree that most peoples' lives are unbelievably fascinating. This speaker is cynical, uninspiring, unfunny, and he had very little of substance to say. I would never hire him as an agent.
Another reason people write is 'to think'; and specifically, to think more critically about challenging topics, and in the process become a better verbal communicator of ideas
+Jamie Khan He is talking more about storytelling for publication. I think he shares some valuable information with writers. I agree with your statement.
whats beyond me though... they always talk about how writers get rejected all the time and only a few get published and so on. and then the bestsellers are books like 50 shades of grey and twilight. HOW??? how can this happen? and does this mean the rejected stuff is EVEN WORSE? I dont get it. I dont get this world.
@@youtubesucks5131 How can this happen? Well, he told you - there was/is a large audience for those books, and "bad" or "worse" is a subjective opinion as far as commercial viability. You seem to be suffering from the same sort of elitism that the speaker describes is present in British film-making. The choice between principled elitism with meager profit vs. widely accessible but simpler (baser you might say) content with healthy profits. Just my opinion of course. For my part, I'd rather try to understand what makes the so-called lesser works so appealing than dismissing them out of hand. Oh and yes - the rejected stuff is even worse.
this guy just gave you the keys to the kingdom. any response other than "yes" or "thank you" indicates s person who sucks, will suck at, or always has sucked, at writing an engaging story. Don't dare get mad at me- look in the mirror. figure it out. if you can
Trying your hand huh, try your left foot, it usually works better, at least for me. Also, of course you're not from the realm of fantasy, its exclusive and I'm the bouncer.
Actually,I like the speech.He is saying the truth about the process of writing and publishing.Maybe, it is painful but we cant do anything because it is business.
There are negative comments due to the glaring fact, that he is not interested in new business or clients. I see this a lot in editor panels, agent panels, etc. He has the people he is willing to represent, and is not interested in new business. New business is hard and uncertain, that is his attitude. Unfortunately it reflects throughout his advice.
Tom - perhaps it is the reality at his company? There are new young publishing houses open to new authors plus there is the internet for self publishing. The negativity here is OUR in my view, ad hominem and petulant.
just curious why the camera people chose to not show us any of his slides... he was using a clicker to show slides he was referring to ... there are 2 cameras yet we never see the screen behind him. the camera follows the speaker so it is not that they are stationary.
Important point, for example, about music and emotional connection. But the author seems unaware that he is actually talking about a western (European or American) audience (even though he mentions the Maasai). Storytelling "patterns" are not universal and certainly not biological. The West African "pattern" or formula for telling a good story is not identical to a western pattern of storytelling. For example, the West African pattern often eschews the linear sequence of western storytelling.
kwame zulu shabazz Right on. The forms and designs of my favorite author, Ben Okri, can't even be reduced to these stupid billion dollar formulae and he's more British than Queen Victoria. But we're listening to a guy who praises "Bend it like Beckham" and then literally wishes he could drug a movie audience for their money. Maybe the main challenge for the aspiring writers today isn't the marketplace but wasting time with this jackass telling them to "entertain us, for only we can give you immortality." Take your immortality and bend it like Beckham, prick. Peace!
kwame zulu shabazz Sorry about that guy, KZS; he's a racist who knows as much about film as I do about the custom ice cream e-commerce industry, I reported him. I thought it might have been a kid who was discouraged by his perception of the entertainment industry. You never know. One of my next films takes place in West Africa - but it's very linear! Wish us luck.
Great stuff, and I think anyone can appreciate an agent's perspective, but for someone stating how often other people's work can be so boring, this Ted-Ed talk nearly made me fall asleep, he has a good soothing voice for public speaking though
some interesting thoughts but i am always skeptical of three act structure. Its not that it fails to work but that there is no other way. there have been fourth and fifth acts as well as the end in the second or nothing considered an act at all. Opinions vary.
bottom line: storytelling can't and shouldn't be taught....? really geared to writers and how it is to get punished. If you can get past that, he's an outstanding speaker.
Interesting how he points out that very few writers get published, and that most who do not are doing something wrong... And many of the comments disagreeing with him merely prove his point. Perhaps your mindset, that the gatekeepers of the medium are wrong, is a big part of why your work will never achieve a wide readership (and by the way, if your book is really that good but somehow doesn't appeal to a wide audience, then maybe it's not so good after all). Maybe if you stop treating commercial success as some type of demonic act of selling your soul, you'll see that it doesn't always have to be so bad. Barring cataclysmic, mind-numbing "event" books such as the Twilight or 50 Shades series, you'll find that many popular, successful books (the Jack Reacher novels come to mind for me) are actually fun to read and still have room for creativity. They can be well-written, engaging, accessible (never had to check a dictionary to understand Lee Child's vocabulary), and have a universality that draws in many personality types (heavy on action, romance, mystery, suspense, humour, etc.). There's nothing wrong with approaching something conventional and doing it well (i.e. a detective story with a good guy, bad guy, love interest, etc.) , rather than tackling something "completely unique" (i.e. an ink droplet contemplates a canvas as it soaks into the fabric for 8 eye-scratching chapters) and boring your audience/reader to tears. The formula exists for a reason, and while it's not the only way to tell a story, most of the world's greatest stories can be broken down to beginning/middle/end (the order of which is up to you), following a sympathetic protagonist(s) who desires a goal, faces obstacles on his/her way to achieve it, and then ultimately succeeds or fails with some type or personal or dramatic resolution for the character and audience.
Excellent video, so many good movies like No Country For Old Men fit this type of storytelling and it's no wonder said movie in particular is a master piece. Undeserved dislikes, get over yourselves.
@10:20 stares into blackness, an apt metaphor. Speaker Julian Friedmann's painful struggle for breath and relevance is illustrated in this talk, which trades on the TED name with none of the namesake's sleek production. The arena Mr. Friedmann proudly describes cantering within was one whose gates kept out diversity while creating a false scarcity of content. I'm intrigued that Mr. Friedmann does not list my own "Reason to Write:" I write because I cannot do otherwise.
Samuel Johnson: "Your work is both: good and original. Unfortunately, the part that is good, is not original and the part that is original is not good. "
I see writing as a creatively decorated phone used to hear the voice of your loved ones. Writing is important but what matters is the meaning behind the words. We're all intelligent deep inside. As a side note, let me ask you a question: Is the definition of the words smart and intelligence different? I think so
It was a beautiful morning, I moved to a new city, started a new life. Found my self working two jobs to sustain myself, one at nights usually from 10pm to 6am and the other would have a schedule that changed from time to time. For the last two weeks I had no days off and life was good. I was able to finally get back the girl I loved. Funny story she broke my heart once two years ago and got married to the person she left me for. That for some of us could be the worst feeling ever, to me at that time felt like an imaginary knife of imaginable pain constantly stabbing my chest, inside out. For two years I lived trying to move on, not looking for love in no one else for she was the person I loved the most. Today, when I woke I felt that knife finally gone, as if God had finally given me a break from that suffering and rejection. A few months ago, Daisy came back to my life asking for forgiveness, saying how stupid she was that she loved me and wanted to be with me. It was the most amazing day of my life, I felt an incredible amount of happiness. My life got back on track and I started to see my life going in the right track. As you can see it was. It is approximately 9 am and I start to wonder why I have not received a good morning from the woman I love so much. So I send my usual good morning I love you, hope you have an amazing day as I did every day. The day went on and I heard nothing back from my beloved.... God has a funny way of making a person realize that great ideas come from an imaginable pain and amount of suffering. The question was and has always been .. why ? Today I see my beloved no more, I see a person who I taught I knew with an image of someone that appears to be something they are not.
Sorry to hear that mate. From the get, if she left you for someone else and married them, then she's fickle and she's not sure of herself and what she wants. She came back to you not because she truly loves you, the way you do her, but because she was afraid of being alone and you are a sure thing, a safe thing in the moment while she collects herself. I don't know who you are but I can hope that you have higher regards for yourself. Yes, you love her, the idea of her at the least, but she's not the one. Go forth, be proud, and find someone who can return the love you share willingly, not conveniently. I wish you the best of luck.
That was one of the most excellently put commentaries on the subject. As a writer, I never thought of the exact functions I was applying, but now I see that is exactly what I have been doing all along.
This TED talk is so rich in advices. Wow.
And making people looking at themselves through our story makes so much sense.
One of the best pieces of advice in this video: trim the fat. Allow context to explain what is happening rather than spoon-feeding the audience. This makes for a readership that is actively engaged in figuring out what is happening rather than being passively told everything. This also has the happy side effect of making scenes shorter and snappier which makes readers happier and have a sense of a story that is moving at an accelerated clip.
check out the chekov's gun.
tavel
Great..that is true.
Great..that is true.
This guy is a great speaker. Watched it to the end. Thanks for the tips: "audience first", "pity fear catharsis", and "the cinema screen is a big mirror where you can safely face your worst fears". Great job.
Nice summary.
Wow, what a fantastic closing line - this is absolutely the key to retaining an audience! I often listen to talks at 1.5x speed, but I listened to the close several times at normal speed.. Thank you for such insight!
People who are interested in gaining knowledge will watch it till the end. People who want to be entertained will rather complain about the style.
If someone offers you important information, without wanting money for it, you shut your mouth about the way it's being presented and you take the gift with thanks.
I thought exactly the same way. He is not a showman.
I agree 💯😁
Exactly!!!!
Pity
Fear
Catharsis
Suffering
Struggle
Overcoming
We believe what we see, not what we hear
okay Aristotle
Thats exactly what I took note from the video! those same words kkk
The conclusion of Mr. Friedmann's talk crystallizes what guarantees great storytelling and writing. His insight gives urgency to re-listening several times more with OneNote open.
Writing for yourself is a hobby, writing for the audience is a career.
I write for an audience ... they have not shown up yet. Darn. In the well seasoned age of Amazon KDP, I wonder if there are more books than audience. I think so. Especially in fiction. I know it is not true, but there are millions on millions of fiction books in many genres. I would have a bigger audience if I wrote romance than YA Sci Fi. A Twilight Spin would be better than my original stories sales wise. But if I write good stories, why do they not get traction? My reviews are great on Audible. But only a few exist. But writing is fun and cheap to do. I don't write novels. I stick to fast novelettes. I think times are changing. Enough serialized novelettes (and they are easy for me to do) you have a novel sized story in the end. People are beginning to want that (I hope). I am new. As you say Apple Slice Unite, at the moment it seems to be a hobby. If you get your audience, keep it a hobby. It is more fun I think. Check me out.
@@franklacroix6471 i am not at all suggesting I am well horned on the craft. I like nonfiction and I find that I get inspired by visiting new towns, learning about cities...I think this can be handy with fiction or other genres
For all you folks who thought that this was a terrible speech, sorry, but he had it right. the audience, or the readers absolutely have to care for the characters and to identify with them. And that character has to be challenged, every instructor will tell you that. And yes, you should have an upbeat ending.If you don't think those things are true, just try getting published. Me? I was rejected 150 before finding a publisher. It is extremely difficult.
I feel so to. Particularly when he said let the audience give you immortality, I learnt why i hate some plots and why i love some.
Just because you can't get a story published, that doesn't mean it's bad - it just means the publishers don't see it as something which would resonate with the general audience (or with the specific audience they think the work is tailored for). It's wise to be aware of this, but it is very much not wise to consider published stories to be the only ones worth reading. Sure an "upbeat ending" might make the story more appealing and enjoyable to general audiences - it doesn't mean the story will be any better than if it had an unconventional ending, though. Same thing applies to your claim that characters "have to be challenged". I can't believe that someone who was rejected 150 times before finding a publisher does not understand this.
Bad take.
Perfectly said
@@20000dino There are two books that I remember reading that had left me reeling with mixed emotions because their endings weren't at all what I'd predicted or expected. Oddly enough I can't remember either book's title or author but I clearly remember how I'd felt. I've read many since then written by both known and unknown writers but I've never found that feeling since.
My mother is 92 and a published author and fine, professional storyteller. My father was a revered minister and teller of parables. I believe you are correct sir.
I really like how honest and still polite this speaker is. In my opinion this is what aspiring writers truely need. I'd rather be rejected a 100 times with honesty that I can work with than that I'll be published on the spot without having grown any further.
Thank you for this great talk.
Leto85 - He wasn't so polite actually. He was mostly just putting people down in a dry, underhanded manner.
Excellent talk. I think what he means is he rejects a lot of manuscripts, not people.
Green Wood - Nice catch. Yes, he probally intended to phrase it that way. I suspect it was a Freudian slip on his part though.
Green Wood
Isn't the manuscript the people, or the writing the writer.
(4 year old comment, but responding anyway). He's talking about agents (presumably he is one). Agents represent people. So yes, he means people. Publishers reject manuscripts (or in the case of film, you might say "Producers reject scripts") and do so frequently.
"Undeserved misfortune" I really like this line because not every misfortune will lead to empathy. Some will just annoy you
It has been said that great creatives who are in a permanent or semi permanent state of block are often to be in the sidelines of publishing, TV, Movies etc. They have been deemed "shadow artists" by those who do write successfully. One wonders what this fine storytelling man who is a successful agent would produce if he just started to tell his own story? Certainly merely by looking at him & listening to him he seems to fit the bill. "Pity, Fear, Catharsis." There are at least a thousand good stories within this man. I ,for one, would read whatever stories this man has to tell.
I love TEDx talks. They are all so inspiring. Thanks a whole lot for the initiative
I think people are being too hard on this guy, he brings up good points (albeit in a dry way). I would only change his suggestion that successful stories have "upbeat endings" to "successful stories have closure and/or and sense of hope". Endings don't have to be literally happy to be attractive to the masses.
+CampingforCool41 1984 by Orwell has an ending that shows neither closure nor hope
Neither does The Last of Us. It shows that there are always exceptions to the "rule", but in general these sorts of ending have to be done with extreme care otherwise it can really put people off.blownspeakersss
That's why they're being too hard on him. He's right, and hurts their preconceptions about their writing, their prospects of writing anything people will want to read, and in some cases, their imagined superiority when they poo-poo American movies.
Endings don't have to be literally happy from a creative standpoint, but they are more often successful from a mass audience standpoint. Most people who close a book or walk out of a theater on a high note will often give a much better review than a work with a more ambivalent ending. That's just a commercial given. Leave people smiling and that's how they'll remember you. It's not to say you can't have a non-Hollywood ending. Just that on average they will not do as well commercially.
Closure is usually more important to commercial success than leaving people smiling, but yes. Though it's not the rule...look at how successful a game like the Last of Us was, which didn't have an ending with closure or much of any sense of hope, yet it was this ending that left people talking for weeks and even months later.Gary Horsman
This is an excellent speech for writers. A personal opinion of the agent, of course, but clear and objective (excellent: the words in the screen can contradict the visual facts...). And the people here are disturbed by his fluency... or the movements of the mouth... My good... what a world... Enjoy the life and the knowlegde, people, and deal with your own issues at home...
this is single handed the most wise good educated wonderful description of
storytelling in the age of movies. beggining muddle and end is so funny - as
british humour elementary... I'd like to add that there is a functionality to storytelling.
and alas, may one day this writing talking be read ! once more, thanks for the enlightment master friedmann !
10:08 why are TED Talk camera operators/editors so bad at their job? He's reading a quote and looking at the screen! No, by all means, don't focus on the screen or show the quote, focus on the back of the guy's head while he reads the entire quote. Great job!
Inexperience.... simply put.
It's the editor, not the camera.
@@loomea Good point. Everything I said but for the editor then lol.
Great video, one thing though: he moved from writing to filmmaking without any transition. Great lessons, kept me listening entire time.
Excellent talk. I just can't understand why so many people, below, made such depreciating comments about it. Friedmann shows he knows very well what he says, gives us good advice about writing a script or a story, and, last but not least, has a fine sense of humour!. I liked it very much!
I like the unfilled long pauses saved for the audience's supposed laughter.
What he shared here from an agent's point of view is quite insightful for new writers. Thank you, Mr. Freidmann!
Just incredible. What a presentation. Stumbled upon it by accident and mesmerised. I didn't agree with it all but what an insightful piece.
I know, right? This guy deserves a full hour or three to share his thoughts.
I appreciate the candid perspective offered by Mr. Friedmann and his solid advice.
I'm new at this game but I have to say that was the best description of the screenwriter's charge I have yet come across. I'll be watching this over and over...
Next level storytelling knowledge dropped in this clip! And what a way to end the speech! Bravo!
@ Elisa van den Berg. The word is catharsis. It's an emotional release or purging caused by a situation, an action, or thought. It can be seen as a form of cleansing or a spiritual/emotional renewal.
Also, it's pity not pitty.
I enjoyed listening from the very beginning. I learned much. Thank you. Don't pay any attention to the negative people signing, they just haven't grownup and they don't realize we're not in grade school any longer.
The review at the end was so wonderful. That’s all anyone who writes could ever ask for. 🙂
Stories also play another key function - to describe the world and educate humans. In Aboriginal Australia, many stories were imbued with information about animals and plants which was essential for survival and conservation, and described the landscape around the tribe, allowing people to learn geography. Today, by reading books, we get an insight into how human relationships work, and by watching movies we see a glamourised version in real time. Perhaps this is why modern "world-building" fantasy is so compelling - it recreates that sense of discovery of a huge and detailed world. In this formulation, I think blockbuster movies and internet pornography can both be troubling. At the cinema, there tends to be binary "good vs evil", "America vs bad guys" type scenarios which are almost always directed by men and featuring men. In porn, and increasingly popular music, a grossly inaccurate view of human sexuality is being made the norm, and we don't seem to have a compelling counter-narrative to draw upon besides the usual religious dogma. The stories we choose to tell are powerful, they define who we are, and who we are not, and how we see the world.
Excellent presentation! Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experiences. Emotional connection seems to be the clue.
i'm going to write a book called, "tai lopez, nobody gives a damn about your backyard"
Already wrote it
ima write one called "Tai Lopez and his 22 year struggle with AIDS
the first chapter is going to go " here in my garage, with my lamborghini and my crippling depression"
Tai Lopez makes a huge impact in a lot of peoples lives, despite how much you do not like his ads.
hahaha
An interesting and honest perspective. Succesful storytelling is indeed a mystery!
Thank you for sharing the knowledge that you have gathered over the years....
Ok maybe a weird quetion but can somebody tell me how you write the word he says at 9:13 ?
Because I'm trying to write it down but I have no idea how to write it.
The list was
1. Pitty
2. fear
3. ... We would say scafaces but I'm pretty sure that that's not right.
Thank you upfront
Elisa van den Berg the word is "catharsis" .
So many negative comments, wow.
I'm sorry, but your screenplay about an androgynous kodiak bear who serves as a butler for the queen of England might comment on social standards, but it is most likely not a good story.
It's not the story, it's the storyteller. Ever read Kafka or an Edgar Allen Poe poem? Stories can be compelling regardless of structure, even what some might consider to be mundane or surrealist nonsense, if the storyteller is any good.
Very fine talk, tough, but fair, and with much truth.
Great insight. Unpretentious and interesting talk.
Howard Koor - He had some good points and he was entertaining, however, I thought he was snobbish and arrogant.
jesus give that man a glass of water!
Perhaps a glass of wine?
i felt so nauseatingly badly for him watching. i guess this was anxious dry mouth?
Lmao so true
I'm really glad I came across this video. Thank you!
What a perspicacious
talk with regards to the origins and goal of storytelling! Quite insightful indeed.
Makes me look at agents with a more forgiving attitude. Great talk.
Within eighteen minutes he has shown us a picture of what it´s all about, from an agent´s pov. thank you.
Just a note the feel good catharsis is due to Dopamine release. Phenylalanine is an essential amino acid that combines with another essential amino acid Tyrosene to make the feel good stimulator Dopamine. By the way excellent presentation and very valuable information. Thankyou.
This is a fascinating talk. (I’m not a writer but I’m interested in what/why what makes a good story.)
Very very deep knowledge and solutions.... greetings from india..
A really good video that gives a brief guide for would be writers from the point of view of an agent. Of course it's a commercial point of view and only scratches the surface of this art form, but it is a good starting point.
Been trying to writer for a very kin time. I’m a junior in high school and I am currently writing my first novel
how is your novel bud
Watch Ray Bradbury give great writing advice. All the best.
Julian, thanks for your guidance. Regards
I normally do not write negative comments about videos (or even good ones for that matter), but when it comes to something I care about, such as writing, I felt I could either ignore my being pissed off, OR just leave an angry comment.
After feeling like I was going to waste 18 minutes of my life just so I could leave at least an informed and angry comment, I found what Julian Friedmann was trying to say (in his own stuffy way), was that YOUR READERS will be the ones imagining your story, and will be the ones experiencing your story through their own past experiences.
But when it comes to saying "You know that story your working on with the characters, world, and meanings you are passionate about? Well, don't write that. It's not selling." THAT is, frankly, bullshit.
Now, you may or may not agree with that, but its called "commercial writing" and many writers who I've listened to have tried it, and hated it, and never did it again.
Also, the whole "writing cannot be taught" thing is funny, because if you look up the other videos that TED has on writing, such as Simon Booy, Terrry Brooks, Nathan Filer, all of them are of the exact opposite mindset (and I deeply encourage you to watch those if you are wanting to learn how to write and had the terrible misfortune of this being the first video you found on the subject).
My point is this: Write what you love, and don't let anyone tell you that it won't work. It will. They can tell you it's not good enough yet, and that's what you want to hear.
You just need to put in the time and effort to polish the hell out of it until you get what you want. End of rant.
John Wreed Eh. Yes and no. I agree with you, but I also agree with Friedmann. I think it's important to write something you're passionate about, it definitely gives value to the work, but it needs to be done in such a way that an audience can relate to whatever you're trying to say. Otherwise, who cares? It doesn't necessarily mean selling out, it just means having a balance between "the writer, the characters and the audience". That way, everyone is happy.
Nobody cares about what you love. They will only read if there's common interest.
If I like knitting and write a book about a guy who joins to knitting contest for such and such reason, you wouldn't read that book unless you are a fan.
Commercial writing is necessary and you have to find a common interest with your readers if you want them to read your book.
Otherwise no one will care and it won't sell.
Just because you want to write, does not mean people are obligated to read it.
That's what he was trying to say here and he's absolutely right. I need to relate or otherwise I will not care about your stupid book.
People who fail to succeed are the ones who don't get this.
I agree that it can be taught. We all had to learn someplace.
John - of course you can be passionate about your story - as long as your readers are too. If you don't want to be read, then it doesn't matter if only you are passionate, you and your mum maybe. I love a writer called Felisberto Hernandez. Not too many people do because his stories are absurd to some, not really so interesting. I love their absurdity and strangeness. He will never be a best seller (tho of course he was successful to the extent that he was publ ished).I
WHAT is wrong with commercial writing?
Everybody wants to hear stories, and that's what makes marketing and branding important.
i agree with all those reasons. i would just add that i write to open minds regarding how to appreciate the less commonly appreciated... this sounds rather specific. but it's a very primal sentiment of compassion i have for the popularly overlooked/downtrodden aspects of life. it even seems that the truly altruistic people in life rarely get noticed. it's sort of in the vein of The Twilight Zone series that illuminated commonly overlooked possibilities and would cause your hair to raise with thoughtfulness as you paused to entertain certain possibilities that you might have been closed off to and quickly judged previous.
Pity
Fear
Catharsis
a great breakdown of story
This reaffirms that which is presented in Lisa Cron’s book “Wired for Story”
She has a few videos here on TH-cam as well. Worth watching :)
Bravo...Excellent talk...I am a producer and financier...I totally agree with EVERYTHING he is sharing!
so insightful!! love the emotional connection to the 3 act structure.
Thank you Mr. Friedmann, it was as educational as it was entertaining ❤️👍
I stopped listening when he said that most people's writing was boring because most people's lives are boring. The gentleman has proven to me that he is the last person I would trust to spot real literary talent. Maybe he just hates people, or maybe I love them too much, but I find most people's lives absolutely fascinating.
I stopped watching at that point too. How uninspiring this guy is.....not every TED talk is a good one thou.
Check out Trent Hohaia Ted talk on oral storytelling....that was good.👍
I agree with you, but must say this was the best ted talk I ever watched. Most ted talks are just feel good videos with very limited substance that I watch more to pass time than for their information value. This one made me sit up and listen. If anything I think Friedman is less of a literary agent and more of a storyteller whoes talent was either overlooked by others or himself.
I suffered through the whole video and I agree that most peoples' lives are unbelievably fascinating. This speaker is cynical, uninspiring, unfunny, and he had very little of substance to say. I would never hire him as an agent.
Another reason people write is 'to think'; and specifically, to think more critically about challenging topics, and in the process become a better verbal communicator of ideas
Great Ted talk from a great speaker!
Great points. This right here, this is powerful advise
This is more like the mystery of commercial storytelling.
+Jamie Khan True, but he totally had my attention even without pity fear catharsis .
+Jamie Khan He is talking more about storytelling for publication. I think he shares some valuable information with writers. I agree with your statement.
whats beyond me though... they always talk about how writers get rejected all the time and only a few get published and so on. and then the bestsellers are books like 50 shades of grey and twilight. HOW??? how can this happen? and does this mean the rejected stuff is EVEN WORSE? I dont get it. I dont get this world.
@@youtubesucks5131 so true, but twillight was very good.
@@youtubesucks5131 How can this happen? Well, he told you - there was/is a large audience for those books, and "bad" or "worse" is a subjective opinion as far as commercial viability. You seem to be suffering from the same sort of elitism that the speaker describes is present in British film-making. The choice between principled elitism with meager profit vs. widely accessible but simpler (baser you might say) content with healthy profits. Just my opinion of course.
For my part, I'd rather try to understand what makes the so-called lesser works so appealing than dismissing them out of hand.
Oh and yes - the rejected stuff is even worse.
this guy just gave you the keys to the kingdom.
any response other than "yes" or "thank you" indicates s person who sucks, will suck at, or always has sucked, at writing an engaging story.
Don't dare get mad at me- look in the mirror. figure it out. if you can
+Kristi314159 *Insert angry response here*
...What? I'm not 20 yet, I'm still a teenager, and thus am obligated by law to be a rebellious ratbag.
Loved the way you articulated the story.
I enjoyed this. I'm trying my hand at fiction and I'm not really from that realm. So it was insightful to me.
Trying your hand huh, try your left foot, it usually works better, at least for me. Also, of course you're not from the realm of fantasy, its exclusive and I'm the bouncer.
oh......... I see your name on the list. Go in. Watch out for the dragons
You wag tongue only to make riddles. Make plain with your words........
Off your medication, Caiman?
Still taking yours, Tom?
Best talk on this subject ever!
Good talk, got inspired and did a video myself on this, going all in on implementing storytelling this week!
Actually,I like the speech.He is saying the truth about the process of writing and publishing.Maybe, it is painful but we cant do anything because it is business.
This is phenomenally educational
There are negative comments due to the glaring fact, that he is not interested in new business or clients. I see this a lot in editor panels, agent panels, etc. He has the people he is willing to represent, and is not interested in new business. New business is hard and uncertain, that is his attitude. Unfortunately it reflects throughout his advice.
Tom - perhaps it is the reality at his company? There are new young publishing houses open to new authors plus there is the internet for self publishing. The negativity here is OUR in my view, ad hominem and petulant.
OTT
just curious why the camera people chose to not show us any of his slides... he was using a clicker to show slides he was referring to ... there are 2 cameras yet we never see the screen behind him. the camera follows the speaker so it is not that they are stationary.
shibumi60 he read them out loud in a shy way.
Thank you for the advice, I'll meditate on this
Fantastic advice. Love this talk!
Thank you for sharing the formula.
Awesome talk that everyone should check out.
TEDx #storytelling #writing #TED
Important point, for example, about music and emotional connection. But the author seems unaware that he is actually talking about a western (European or American) audience (even though he mentions the Maasai). Storytelling "patterns" are not universal and certainly not biological. The West African "pattern" or formula for telling a good story is not identical to a western pattern of storytelling. For example, the West African pattern often eschews the linear sequence of western storytelling.
kwame zulu shabazz Right on. The forms and designs of my favorite author, Ben Okri, can't even be reduced to these stupid billion dollar formulae and he's more British than Queen Victoria.
But we're listening to a guy who praises "Bend it like Beckham" and then literally wishes he could drug a movie audience for their money. Maybe the main challenge for the aspiring writers today isn't the marketplace but wasting time with this jackass telling them to "entertain us, for only we can give you immortality." Take your immortality and bend it like Beckham, prick.
Peace!
***** lol! Great points. Thanks for sharing them.
kwame zulu shabazz Sorry about that guy, KZS; he's a racist who knows as much about film as I do about the custom ice cream e-commerce industry, I reported him.
I thought it might have been a kid who was discouraged by his perception of the entertainment industry. You never know.
One of my next films takes place in West Africa - but it's very linear! Wish us luck.
everyone should know about custom ice cream :)
+kwame zulu shabazz I like the feedback you share here. I had always been taught storytelling principles were "universal."
Wow… what a speech 🏆🔥
First ted talk to make me genuinely laugh. Great speech!
EXCEPTIONAL SPEECH.
this was SO GOOD.
Seemed like the audience was asleep. I found most of the jokes really funny.
Great stuff, and I think anyone can appreciate an agent's perspective, but for someone stating how often other people's work can be so boring, this Ted-Ed talk nearly made me fall asleep, he has a good soothing voice for public speaking though
some interesting thoughts but i am always skeptical of three act structure. Its not that it fails to work but that there is no other way. there have been fourth and fifth acts as well as the end in the second or nothing considered an act at all. Opinions vary.
Richard Minkley tomAto Tomato... not the numbers count but the structure of telling in parts...
bottom line: storytelling can't and shouldn't be taught....? really geared to writers and how it is to get punished. If you can get past that, he's an outstanding speaker.
Rebecca Moore that was a provocation... pity remember.
Very interesting. His analysis of Cave Paintings were quite wrong but the rest was really good ^^
Eden Zak no no... the cave paintings coments from Julian Friedmann were right on the spot. I was there and I remember.
Honest and brilliant
Book=[beginning,middle &end]
*pity ,fear and kasasus
* suffering ,struggle and overcome
Interesting how he points out that very few writers get published, and that most who do not are doing something wrong... And many of the comments disagreeing with him merely prove his point. Perhaps your mindset, that the gatekeepers of the medium are wrong, is a big part of why your work will never achieve a wide readership (and by the way, if your book is really that good but somehow doesn't appeal to a wide audience, then maybe it's not so good after all).
Maybe if you stop treating commercial success as some type of demonic act of selling your soul, you'll see that it doesn't always have to be so bad. Barring cataclysmic, mind-numbing "event" books such as the Twilight or 50 Shades series, you'll find that many popular, successful books (the Jack Reacher novels come to mind for me) are actually fun to read and still have room for creativity. They can be well-written, engaging, accessible (never had to check a dictionary to understand Lee Child's vocabulary), and have a universality that draws in many personality types (heavy on action, romance, mystery, suspense, humour, etc.).
There's nothing wrong with approaching something conventional and doing it well (i.e. a detective story with a good guy, bad guy, love interest, etc.) , rather than tackling something "completely unique" (i.e. an ink droplet contemplates a canvas as it soaks into the fabric for 8 eye-scratching chapters) and boring your audience/reader to tears. The formula exists for a reason, and while it's not the only way to tell a story, most of the world's greatest stories can be broken down to beginning/middle/end (the order of which is up to you), following a sympathetic protagonist(s) who desires a goal, faces obstacles on his/her way to achieve it, and then ultimately succeeds or fails with some type or personal or dramatic resolution for the character and audience.
A sane comment on this video. Thank you
Thanks Jennifer!
Excellent video, so many good movies like No Country For Old Men fit this type of storytelling and it's no wonder said movie in particular is a master piece. Undeserved dislikes, get over yourselves.
BOOOOORIIIIING!!!!!
Excellent stuff.
Excellent!
Great talk! Very funny as well.
@10:20 stares into blackness, an apt metaphor. Speaker Julian Friedmann's painful struggle for breath and relevance is illustrated in this talk, which trades on the TED name with none of the namesake's sleek production.
The arena Mr. Friedmann proudly describes cantering within was one whose gates kept out diversity while creating a false scarcity of content.
I'm intrigued that Mr. Friedmann does not list my own "Reason to Write:" I write because I cannot do otherwise.
Excellent Advice 4 budding authors!
Samuel Johnson: "Your work is both: good and original. Unfortunately, the part that is good, is not original and the part that is original is not good. "
I see writing as a creatively decorated phone used to hear the voice of your loved ones. Writing is important but what matters is the meaning behind the words. We're all intelligent deep inside. As a side note, let me ask you a question: Is the definition of the words smart and intelligence different? I think so
Good speech. It's a bit distracting how moist his mouth is.
+Lari K ikr XD
+Lari K Dry
J-Crafton Moist af
Why'd I read this first. Now it's all I can focus on lol
It sounds like his mouth is dry and it's extremely distracting. Hard to listen to it.
It was a beautiful morning,
I moved to a new city, started a new life. Found my self working two jobs to sustain myself, one at nights usually from 10pm to 6am and the other would have a schedule that changed from time to time. For the last two weeks I had no days off and life was good. I was able to finally get back the girl I loved. Funny story she broke my heart once two years ago and got married to the person she left me for. That for some of us could be the worst feeling ever, to me at that time felt like an imaginary knife of imaginable pain constantly stabbing my chest, inside out. For two years I lived trying to move on, not looking for love in no one else for she was the person I loved the most. Today, when I woke I felt that knife finally gone, as if God had finally given me a break from that suffering and rejection. A few months ago, Daisy came back to my life asking for forgiveness, saying how stupid she was that she loved me and wanted to be with me. It was the most amazing day of my life, I felt an incredible amount of happiness. My life got back on track and I started to see my life going in the right track. As you can see it was. It is approximately 9 am and I start to wonder why I have not received a good morning from the woman I love so much. So I send my usual good morning I love you, hope you have an amazing day as I did every day. The day went on and I heard nothing back from my beloved....
God has a funny way of making a person realize that great ideas come from an imaginable pain and amount of suffering. The question was and has always been .. why ?
Today I see my beloved no more, I see a person who I taught I knew with an image of someone that appears to be something they are not.
Sorry to hear that mate. From the get, if she left you for someone else and married them, then she's fickle and she's not sure of herself and what she wants. She came back to you not because she truly loves you, the way you do her, but because she was afraid of being alone and you are a sure thing, a safe thing in the moment while she collects herself. I don't know who you are but I can hope that you have higher regards for yourself. Yes, you love her, the idea of her at the least, but she's not the one. Go forth, be proud, and find someone who can return the love you share willingly, not conveniently. I wish you the best of luck.