THE SECRET TO IRRESISTIBLE INTERNAL CONFLICT (hook your readers on page 1)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 มิ.ย. 2024
- Well my friend here I am, back with another episode of #WritersLifeWednesdays and today it's all about JUICY INTERNAL CONFLICT -- how to write it so that you HOOK AND HOLD your reader's attention. Subscribe so you don't miss next week, the last installment of the series How To Create Relatable And Addictive Characters!
Here's the link to the set of questions we talked about in this video: bit.ly/2QD8BZ3
If you haven't grabbed PART ONE of the Ultimate Character Profile, DO THAT NOW: eepurl.com/dGXFiH
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MORE VIDEOS YOU WOULD LIKE:
→ HOW TO WRITE DUAL POVS
• How to Write (and Outl...
→ SHOWING VS TELLING INTERNAL CONFLICT
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My name is Abbie Emmons I teach writers how to make their stories matter by harnessing the power and psychology of storytelling, transforming their ideas into a masterpiece, and creating a lifestyle that makes their author dreams come true.
Story isn’t about “what happens” - it’s about how what happens affects and transforms the characters. I believe that there is an exact science (a recipe, if you will) behind a perfect story. And if you know what ingredients you need, you can create your own perfect story with ease and confidence. That’s what we talk about every week on this channel - and if it’s something you’re into, be sure to subscribe and join this community!
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Speaking of how the plot “doesn’t matter” in light of the internal conflict, when you mentioned the Titanic hitting the iceberg, I thought of a good analogy: The story about a tree falling in the forest. If the tree falls and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound? An action or “conflict” happened (the tree falling) but no one cares because it has no effect on someone’s feelings or desires or fears. Thanks again for making these immensely encouraging videos!!
Great example!
@Audrey Lavenski Lol I'm glad I'm not the only one
That is a great analogy!
lol that reminds me of that Dear Evan Hansen lyric, which is also a good analogy that's practically the same thing. "When you fall in a forest, and there's nobody around, do you ever really crash or even make a sound?"
Good example
Everybody: Watching the video normally.
Me: **Thinking how she opens blue drawers at the back, without getting them stuck to the lights.**
Plot Twist: they're empty.
I kinda thought about this myself
YOU
YOUUUUUUUUU
Wait- How? I was literally thinking that whilst watching this.
😂
Desire: Well loved published author able to support myself on my writing alone
Fear: No one will like my series because it's not "typical" urban fantasy
Conflict: UGH!
I felt this on a personal level-
Misbelief: that people aren't hungry for something new and well-written.
I think my villain thinks he's the hero. I LOVE THAT SO MUCH!!
This is so great. I'm going to work on my character's arcs a little more and definitely use a lot of internal conflict. :D
I'M SO GLAD YOU LIKED THIS VIDEO, IVIE!! also, your villain sounds epic 😍✨
My villain is a self centered B. I'm a traditional kind of girl. 😉
@@Pluscelamemechose Being self centered and considering oneself to be in the right are in no way mutually exclusive.
Like Thanos lol
I love that you used Tangled as an example for these tips!
THE BEST MOVIE EVER RIGHT 💛✨
There's so much wisdom in here! I took soooo many notes!
WOO!! That's awesome Melissa, thank you for watching! 💛✨
I only took mental notes.
What do I desire most? Stability.
And in breaking down what my fear is, I realize that my misbelief is that I need to have CONTROL in order to have stability. And when things outside of my control happen, I think react in fearful ways because I've been equating control with stability.
🤔
Aha?
I'm two years late but YES I'm so proud of myself for figuring this out about my character, to answer that question "what would it take for the character to finally reach their goal?
(My answer)
Michael's goal in life is to find who he truly is. The person he's living as now doesn't feel like his true self. To him, it's like he's playing a character in a movie. This, he has been doing his whole life, acting like someone he's not becuase he feels like his true self is not good enough for others. Because of this fear of rejection, he acted like someone he's not but now, he's lost touch with who he is deep down and that scares him.
He has been trying to push away his past, becuase of all the trauma, guilt, sadness that comes with it. But he's at the same time pushing away who he is. He's trying to seperate his past and present as two different lives but he can't. Because, the things he's dealt with in the past is what shapes him as a person. It may be tragic, but when he accepts himself, his flaws, mistakes everything, that is when he'll find his true self.
I love your profile picture.
That sounds so cool!
what will cause him to change or make him accept his flaws
Very relatable
How do you introduce an inner conflict when the character is deliberately avoiding thinking about what would make them happy?
Then that is the conflict, you have to write why they are afraid of thinking about it.
I was thinking that exact same thing!
Make the inner conflict the struggle of avoiding what makes them happy.
You could make another Character mention it without knowing. For example one of my characters hates to think about the loss of his mother and that he needs to talk about it. So my other character asks who that lady on the portrait is and due to his cols reaction, it is introduced
@@naomiuchiha0906
It's like I could sense the tension in that scene.
And if your character doesn’t want to talk about it, then you can show how their whole body freezes up, mind whirring as they come up with an answer. By this point, the reader is already wondering who this woman is, which mean they are hooked.
4:39 "people don't get too abstract.."
me (INFP): guiltily shrinks down, "guess I'm not people"
Liss Kori same 😂
😂💕
I'm with you Liss. I'm INFJ. My whole life is thinking about how to bring abstracts out into the light. Or how to "abstractify" the seeming 'concreteness' of things. Except when writing - then, it's all about clarifying.
omg same!!! i am also an INFP and whenever i try to get an idea of my characters i always write their thought processes wayyyy too abstractly even tho ik i wont even be able to display half of them
You explain abstract concepts so clear, Abbie. This, honestly, is way better than my Masters classes in Creative Writing. Many people are amazing writers, but not amazing teachers. Most writers struggle to communicate their writing process, masquerading it as something magical and happenstance. You just make things concrete. Thank you!
Probably the most underrated video when it comes to writing advice on youtube
Tangled was the perfect example, thanks for helping us.
I was watching this to help me with my life and didn't know it was about writing. Turns out I did just have all of this happen and my fear kept me from my desire. I wasn't even that scared. It was just biology. It can literally hold you away from all you want and will make you physically sick to keep you from what you desire. Really sucks to lose. The best way to avoid fear is to move so quickly toward what you want it can't catch you. Just move fast! This won't stop it, but it will outrun it more than not, and also, when it does catch up; you'll have more of the journey completed toward your goal. Get strong for no reason! Stay strong and decent. Love yourself. If you can't find worth, pretend you have it.. And keep going! Don't miss out on your dream. It sucks. The dream never goes away. The opportunity does.
This video has so many great tips! And I love how you referred to Tangled; I love that movie! 😄
TANGLED IS ONE OF THE BEST STORIES EVER, THE END. 💛✨ thank you so much for watching, Julia!
Wow. I never realized that what I was missing was something I knew all along. The only problem is that I haven’t really touched on it at all. Time to do some revisions! Thank you so much for this.
Not only am I learning about my character, but I am learning about myself. My desires, my fears, my "thing that will make me happy", and my flawed beliefs. Thank you for the free therapy. :)
That is so awesome! Filling out the1st questionary was a pain in the ass (for me personally) and I struggled so much. But, the more I began figuring out the characters, the easier it became. This part was a breeze compared to the first. I already know the characters on a so much deeper level. And it's only getting better. Thank you so much for this! It's soooo helpful!🤗💙
YOU GO GIRL 💛✨ I'm so glad the questionnaire helped to develop your characters!! That is so awesome *fist bump * this comment brightened my day
with me it’s the other way around
The good villain comment is so true! The toy story franchise does a great job with their villains believing they’re the good guy. Even Woody was the villain at some point in the first one. Great video, thanks for the advice!
I absolutely adore how you use movie/book examples after your instructions and tips! It really helps with the viewer clarity and understanding. THANK YOU
Oh my... THANK YOU!
You have no idea how helpful this one video has been!
I was struggling with expressing these concepts in a game system I'm developing (tabletop rpg) and no amount of other videos about the same topics seemed to help in a concrete way (character arcs, motivations, change, not change, theme, etc).
But you explained it all in a simple and actionable way... which really helped me do the same in the game.
Just... THANK YOU :D
I'm so glad this video helped you with developing the story in your game! That so awesome 😍 Thank you for watching! ✨
I thought I was the only one who come here to write something that will not be a novel/short story. I'm using for a comic.
@@0OB08O I know this comment is pretty old but I'm here for a manga!
This video is crazy helpful and it's the one I keep coming back to whenever I get stuck. It's gotten me through writer's block a countless number of times, and your other videos and blog posts are super helpful and inspirational! But I did have a couple of questions; how do you make a book meaningful, but still leave room in the character's development for a sequel or a series? And how can you do this with a cast of characters and switching POVs? Your switching POVs video was super helpful for part of this, but how is it different if one were to add a POV/main character a la The Lunar Chronicles?
Thank you so much!
What a satisfying experience is to come back to these videos after reading "100 Days of Sunlight" and "Tessa and Weston: The Best Christmas Ever".
Please, keep making these amazing works of arts.
8:04 You just hit me with my protagonist’s second favorite movie. I was NOT expecting that. Not only that, but the reason she loves Tangled is because her story throughout my book is similar to Rapunzel’s in the movie, all the way down to the freedom on her birthday and inciting incident becoming her love interest, so you’re basically giving me a cheat sheet.
I literally just stumbled upon these videos and they are the exact thing I needed to help me write my stories!!
Lady! You're life! I was struggleling so much with internal conflict and you enlighted everything! Thank you :')
I'm watching this on a Wednesday 3 years later. Thank you, Abbie! You always give amazing advice. I always find myself coming back to your videos and I feel like writing 1 MILLION novels every single time.
I am so honored to be part of your journey Abbie, you and your sister are amazing and I can't wait for every single video you guys upload. I am back in my writing game because of you, and I can't thank you enough
I want to thank you for all of the great advice you give concerning writing. It's very helpful to people who want to be authors.
NO WORDS CAN DESCRIBE HOW USEFUL THIS WAS
THANK YOU!!!
i have had a writers block for so long but i have an idea completely sketched in my head. i needed this fresh air, thank u so much for ur videos!
I am SO GLAD I found you in the beginning of my book! You get me pumped up!!
Your videos are not only informative, your delivery is smart, fun, and encouraging! I just decovered your channel and subscribed. Bravo!!!
(On my first non-graphic novel.) 😊
Abbie. I have to say thank you so much. I've spent the best part of a year trying to figure out why something just isn't gelling with my characters and plot. You have solved my issue in like, forty minutes of watching your videos. I'm so grateful - thank you for being so clever and generous by sharing this. You are AMAZING.
Brilliant, Abbie. I agree - add that word "fear" has kept them from taking action... such a GEM of info!!! I have been having so much trouble because I keep accidentally falling back on external conflict... I CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH. You really helped answer ALL the issues I had with my manuscript.... in one day... thank you. I bow.
This is so brilliant. Lucky day, stumbling upon your videos!!!
Thanks Abbie. This was an extremely helpful video... not many mentors talking about "irresistible" internal conflict. You are so good at pinpointing the techniques. You... make...it... all....so... uncomplicated. Thank you. Thank you.
I LOVE your videos. I always believed there was a book inside me and started to watch your videos with some characters and theme to them without much of a plot. Long story short, I have completely changed my story and discovered that I am a plantser - I do the outline before I do a first draft but just 5 or 6 scenes at a time and it just flows! I NEVER though that could happen with me.
So. Just a HUGE thank you for making my writing life a LOT easier and so well organized. (I was already a Scrivener fan but you made it a whole new game with how you use it!) I've even joined your Patreon.
Big thanks from Toronto,
Easter
I literally just discovered your channel and your videos are soooo helpful!
I had to keep pausing this video so I could keep adding notes to my draft. My protagonist didn't quite feel right and watching your series, this video in particular, helped SOOOO much. I've been editing the aha moment and it didn't feel right. This video made everything click into place about why she hits rock bottom and how she pulls herself out of it. Thank you so much!!!!!
Again, I have to say, you put things in a way no one else has for me. You've explained concepts clearly to me, for the first time. Thanks so much.
I just put in my own internal conflict. Boom, relatable! 😃
Using Disney movies as examples is so helpful! Im more likely to have seen them and the inner conflicts tend to be a bit more obvious, so it's easier to understand!
I already loved this video and then you go and sneak in the perfect example from the perfect movie and it was just awesome. Thank you, Abbie!
Just got a note from an editor telling me to work on my internal conflicts so this is super helpful. Thank you!
I can’t put in words how deep/advanced but yet simply put/easy to understand and therefore incredibly helpful your content is. Thank you!
This video just helped me SO MUCH! I have had my characters, theme, and general concept for so long but I didnt know how the story could be made into a cohesive plot with beats and points. These questions helped me lay it out in a format I can grasp!
HI Abbie, just dropped in to see what your views are on conflict and character, and find that some of the questions you pose are actually very well thought out. Thank you for sharing.
Love your spunk and positivity. Keep up the awesomeness.
That kind of internal conflict was what drew me into the Sword of Truth saga. Richard's father had just died, but something weird happened that wanted his attention.
2 years late but I just wanted to tell you how much your videos changed my writing life. Before discovering your channel I was a full-on pantser, I literally just sat down and wrote whatever came to mind, and never finished any of my ideas because I never knew where I was going. After a year of following your channel I am now a plotter through and through! I can't get enough of outlining, and I am truly getting to know my characters for the first time.
This channel has been so helpful
best channel that ever existed?
You are awesome!!! I'd still be lost if I hadn't found these AMAZING Outline videos!
wow you are such a gift, abbie 💕 i'm on my way writing a book and your tips help A LOT!
Abbie you a life saver! I’m not writing a novel but I want to make a comic. Your video have been helping me a lot. You’re probably not going to notice this on an old video but You’re awesome and your content is Amazing. Thank you 😊
This video is just absolutely amazing. This is pure gold. Sharing.
YOUR VIDEOS ARE SMASHING GIRL!! I MEAN THEY ARE VERY AMAZING!! content and technique and THE QUALITY OF YOUR VIDEOS ARE REALLY CAPTIVATING!! am I repeating myself?I love you!! very good luck in everything you create my dear!!
this is the best channel on here I just got addicted 💀
The things you talk about are really helpful! Thanks for sharing them
Love it! You are wise beyond your years.
WOW THANK YOU
Your videos are so helpful. I’ve learned so much from your channel, more than I learned in creative writing classes in college lol. Thank you!
Quick, concise, and soo easy to understand!! Thanks so much for this great video
Hey, Abbie! I subscribed last week! Out of so many on the web, I love your videos, and have made this one of my FEW go-to references. :D I love you energy and enthusiasm. I am working on my first novel, and every time I turn around, BAM! something new to learn and incorporate. I agree about character questionnaires. So much is not relevant. I think my life has been a little too sheltered. When I started the book a few years ago, it was really boring! So I looked around for writing advice. Found the problem: no conflict. And I personally shut down when there's an argument, so it's interesting having to build that all in. Still, I have high hopes for my book, and just a long-winded way to let you know that even in just this past week, I've noted a few changes that have to be made (during edit so I don't get stuck in a loop of going back and fixing), thanks to your vlog. Keep it up.
Thank you! This video is so helpful!
Your awesome I learnt alot and I watched this over and over again.
I love you. This video provided soooo much value, thank you
i cant believe 3 years after i originally watched this video, i'm now using it as a reference for my essay :)
One of my all time favorites, Roxanne with Steve Martin and Daryl Hannah. Love it!
I love your videos, it is helping me learn how to be more organized. I would love to put your name in my book under inspiring people!!
What kept me from creating great characters all these days? Well, I haven't seen this video all these days.
Thanks for sharing this Abbie, there's so much of "Aaha" moments in this one video,
This is the first time I have come to know of your channel.
Initially when I started watching this video you just appeared like some other regular youtubers,
But at the end of this video, I felt you are Awesome,
This is literally free gold... thanks abbie
I loved your clarity of thought. Awesome content! Can you talk about external conflict? Not the types and other generic information, but maybe your take on it? I would like to understand it from your PoV as I love the deep understanding that you got in the subject. Thanks :).
ur such a beautiful and bright person ! cant wait for ur channel to blow up ♡
aw thank you!
Great video. I don't completely agree with your take on external vs internal conflict, but I do agree with a need for internal conflict even if the backbone of the story is external (I'm thinking of like an adventure story). You make great videos and are very insightful.
Thank you so much for making these videos! They've helped me so much!
Glad you like them!
Your advice has been invaluable to me.
Really great stuff! Thanks for the great advice.
Just found this channel and boy am I in love : ) hopefully I'll get to finish my novel someday with your help!
awesome revelations. made me rethink what i was doing in the first place.
thank you
Your narration is so nice and tips on creating internal conflict and making a character with many techniques ..MBTI plus ENNEAGRAM. 👍👍
Just love all this information!!
Great video, allowed me to gain some clarity.
7:48 - That's something people often forget about villains. The best villains are ones that think they're doing the right thing.
OMG! I want you … as my co-author. But, given that isn’t going to happen I want to thank you. I have watched all of Brandon Sanderson’s videos on writing, many of Shaelin’s, as well as a host of other ‘contentors’. They all taught me a lot, but your advice, herein, is #1. Thank you so very much. Good luck in life! - author of the future series: Endo’s Deity Invents/Changes Time’s Substructure.
I would sacrifice some of my own plot bunnies to let you write them just so I can enjoy reading it in your style. You’ve taught me so much Abbie. Thank you!!
The Infernal Devices is me FAVORITE example of well written internal conflict, especially in Will🥰
I also love Tangled! Favorite Disney movie!!
this video helped me SO. much!! thank you
I'm so glad! 💛
This reminds me of Simon Sinek's excellent book "Start with Why," which is about success in business, but (as I'm now seeing) apparently has some implications to success at writing, as well. Our Why (and for whom) is what inspires people. Losing focus on our Why can lose our customers---or our audience.
Thank you much Abbie...
I love these videos you make! They’re super duper helpful and I can’t wait for more helpful guides! I’ll make sure to use the templates you provide and the tips you give because they are definitely great to keep in mind! Keep up the great work!❤️
Thank you, Charity! I'm so glad you enjoy watching my videos 💛💛💛
your videos help me a lot! thank you♡
Glad you like them!
😂😂 I LITERALLY LOVE THE ENERGY in this slightly old videos. It is like more "punchy". Character driven video
Thanks Abbie...very interesting 🌎
I have so many comments to make on this wonderful video. I did it with the villain, which is one of the MC"s mother, who believes she's doing what's best for him by manipulating him into believing he is better off with his family and church, and anyone outside the church is not a friend.
You're so cool! I love the way you speak.😎
I feel like this is mostly life advice tbh
I love, love, love your videos! Whenever I am feeling meh about writing, I just put on one of your videos and voila, inspiration! What I appreciate the most is how you actually care about the craft; I can tell because of how you answer the questions I am constantly thinking about when writing. I would give an example, but I can't think of one right off the top of my head. Question.
Do you have a video on how to write in the female perspective? My main characters always end up being women, but unless I am writing a really butch, "tom boy" character they come out very flat and unbelievable. Basically, unless I am copying Buffy's personality, I can't write a believable woman.
What is really crazy was that I actually thought that you were talking about throughout the WHOLE STORY this is the thing to do so I was plotting my entire story based on this and it actually worked for the most part. But I'll try to make it on a smaller scale for the beginning too. LOL
I have questions about motivation. Sometimes the motivation is tied to the misbelief and the story ends with them getting not what they wanted, but what actually makes them happy. But sometimes it's "pure" and the story ends with them getting their initial desire and it's what makes them happy. What about say Ratatouille, it's a fantastic movie but he isn't "wrong" for his desire to become a chef, he fights the people who say he can't do it, and in the end, being a chef is what he gets to do. It doesn't get subverted. So what's the difference?
I scrolled down specifically to find a comment like this, because I was confused too.
If I made my character wrong about her goal, it wouldn't make sense-- the logical solution is the ACTUAL solution in her case. She hates how horrible and immoral the world is, and she wants to make a better world for her and everyone else. In the end, the satisfaction is in the moment that she finally achieves the goal she's been chasing all along, after all the sidetracks and downward spirals that made it seem like her effort was for naught and it was all coming to an end. If I made her WRONG about that goal and give it up, nothing external would actually be accomplished in the story, which makes the plot weak AND the rest of the internal conflict NULL, because that means that all the times she tried to give up her dream were RIGHT and she should've just given up from the start, which is a VERY unsatisfying ending in my opinion..
So this confused me too. I think this particular piece of writing advice really depends on what kind of story you're writing.
Thank you so much! 💖💖
Love your videos, they are very helpful. I guess I am in the 1% of males here. More men should listen to your advice. Thanks.