I learned this problem solving/story telling trick years ago from Mary Robinette Kowal, but she said every beat should end with “yes,” then between it and the next beat you should be able to say “but no, and ..:” It made all the quality of my writing and, eventually in my sales.
Ah interesting, a slightly different take or different wording, but still the same way of ensuring you're got causation between your beats. Thanks for sharing that!
@@KierenWestwoodWriting I really enjoy all your videos As a new writer, I find it very inspiring and get lots of helpful tips and information. Best channel around for writers. Thank you 😊.
This is a very insightful tip - thank you! Plot is where I feel the most friction in my writing, and this seems like a really useful way to reframe it in my mind.
This is good general advice, but I find a lot of intrigue in a trustworthy author showing me a character's irrational choices. From what you describe, I could see a version where Corina's haunted need to escape something in her life could become all the more intriguing if she has every reason to leave the island and chooses not to at the last minute. It would be a necessarily darker storyline, but I could see myself as a reader ramping up my worry for Corina at that point - I mean on a psychological level, "Is she okay?" level - and my desire to know what she's running from piqued. Of course, it would require a lot of finesse to then continue giving me clues about her motivation in such a way that I would trust that I will eventually get an answer, but the suspense and being stuck in the pov of a character who's drives are strong but not, initially, clear, could be pretty dang compelling. The Matt Stone Method is perfect for an episode of South Park. His style of wit is kinda hyper-rational, hyper-mechanical, tragedy-of-character kind of irony comedy. Eric Cartman is a machine and we don't necessarily know what he'll do next, but everything he does ends up being soooooo in character. But, complex adults with complex pasts might be a good deal more ambiguous and disquieting. "Corina has every reason to leave BUT she doesn't," leads us into a big WHY but that why could be pretty compelling if handled with skill.
That point you made about the "illogical" decisions is actually an opportunity, if handled well. Anything can _seem_ illogical on the surface, especially in mystery novels, but if it's really a plot point, the reader needs to feel that at some point the story has to turn the illogical into something that makes good sense. I think there are ways that apparently illogical things can be _hinted at_ as a promise to the reader that they will be rewarded with a good explanation if they have the patience to stick with the story. Currently my way of hinting that what seems illogical actually has a good explanation is for my POV character to think _that doesn't make sense,_ or to just say that out loud to another character. That's the clue to the reader that this illogical thing actually has a good explanation, so please stick around to find out! But I think that readers feel betrayed if illogical things are never explained. It draws them out of the story and they just see it as a silly story by a bad writer.
Really good point. That's a great way to approach it I think. It's like a little signpost to the reader that says 'bear with me on this' but doesn't break their immersion by being too direct.
@@KierenWestwoodWriting - _thanks mate!_ I'm striving to write my first book, so I actually know very, very little. I've got a complete outline with 28 chapters, but I really struggle with my prose.... 😫 *But I do find your TH-cam channel inspiring!* 😁👍
Ah, your videos are always such a delight to watch. Really love your setup. So, I've watched the combo of the videos a few times now and I think it's slowly sinking in as to what steps I'll be taking going ahead. Sigh, I know it would've been better if I did this during the planning stages. But here we are first draft in.😅 I myself feel the same that I can write just okay but the pull of the plot, I really don't have achieved that in whatever I have written till date. That is why I feel the intrigue is very important. Now knowing that and what I've squeezed out of these two videos, I'll simply plot the story's bare bones, rattle them a little and then try to find those 'therefore' tendons to make a solid structure. I've been putting this work off cause I know it's hard but seeing you putting in the work and achieving success with it, I'm once again motivated and will put in the effort in my story. Thanks once again!✨
Thank you! Yeah I wish I'd done it sooner too... It's definitely hard work, but the result is hopefully a better, more robust story. For me this breaks a pattern of finishing novels and finding myself disappointed with them. Well worth the effort.
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Havent seen something this helpful in probably a year
This is SUPER good!
Because there should always be a reaction to a choice.
Thank you! Hope your writing is going well.
Yeah absolutely, I suppose it's a cycle really, choice - reaction - choice - reaction and so on.
I learned this problem solving/story telling trick years ago from Mary Robinette Kowal, but she said every beat should end with “yes,” then between it and the next beat you should be able to say “but no, and ..:” It made all the quality of my writing and, eventually in my sales.
Ah interesting, a slightly different take or different wording, but still the same way of ensuring you're got causation between your beats. Thanks for sharing that!
Kieren you sexy animal this was magnificent. The insight into your own (awesome) story made it truly enjoyable
This made me laugh! I'm glad this was helpful and thanks for compliements on my story, we'll see how it turns out after a bit (a lot) more work!
@@KierenWestwoodWriting damn right bro
Brilliant - also intrigues the reader in why this character has changed.
Another great video.😊
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed this video, it was a fun one to make too :)
@@KierenWestwoodWriting I really enjoy all your videos
As a new writer, I find it very inspiring and get lots of helpful tips and information.
Best channel around for writers.
Thank you 😊.
Thank you for the concrete example! Excellent video.
Thanks for watching!
Great example! Thank you for the clarification ❤ it makes more sense now.
I should have put an example in the first time around! Thanks for coming back for it though :)
Thank you so much Kieren, really, really helpful as always :)
I really liked hearing how you switched it around. I'm about to jump into dev edits so I'll be using this a lot!
It's defintiely helped me a fair bit so far. I feel like it really fills a blind spot for me! Hope edits go well!
This is a very insightful tip - thank you! Plot is where I feel the most friction in my writing, and this seems like a really useful way to reframe it in my mind.
Thank you! Plotting is where I struggle most too, I've got a feeling this method will help a lot in the future.
Grateful for your guidance and willingness to share your work and how you apply what you've learned.
Thanks for watching! I'm glad it could be helpful.
Excellent, as always. Thank you for sharing such valuable tips, and for your high quality vids. always a treat!
Thanks so much! I appreciate the support :)
This is good general advice, but I find a lot of intrigue in a trustworthy author showing me a character's irrational choices. From what you describe, I could see a version where Corina's haunted need to escape something in her life could become all the more intriguing if she has every reason to leave the island and chooses not to at the last minute. It would be a necessarily darker storyline, but I could see myself as a reader ramping up my worry for Corina at that point - I mean on a psychological level, "Is she okay?" level - and my desire to know what she's running from piqued. Of course, it would require a lot of finesse to then continue giving me clues about her motivation in such a way that I would trust that I will eventually get an answer, but the suspense and being stuck in the pov of a character who's drives are strong but not, initially, clear, could be pretty dang compelling.
The Matt Stone Method is perfect for an episode of South Park. His style of wit is kinda hyper-rational, hyper-mechanical, tragedy-of-character kind of irony comedy. Eric Cartman is a machine and we don't necessarily know what he'll do next, but everything he does ends up being soooooo in character. But, complex adults with complex pasts might be a good deal more ambiguous and disquieting. "Corina has every reason to leave BUT she doesn't," leads us into a big WHY but that why could be pretty compelling if handled with skill.
That point you made about the "illogical" decisions is actually an opportunity, if handled well.
Anything can _seem_ illogical on the surface, especially in mystery novels, but if it's really a plot point, the reader needs to feel that at some point the story has to turn the illogical into something that makes good sense.
I think there are ways that apparently illogical things can be _hinted at_ as a promise to the reader that they will be rewarded with a good explanation if they have the patience to stick with the story.
Currently my way of hinting that what seems illogical actually has a good explanation is for my POV character to think _that doesn't make sense,_ or to just say that out loud to another character. That's the clue to the reader that this illogical thing actually has a good explanation, so please stick around to find out!
But I think that readers feel betrayed if illogical things are never explained. It draws them out of the story and they just see it as a silly story by a bad writer.
Really good point. That's a great way to approach it I think. It's like a little signpost to the reader that says 'bear with me on this' but doesn't break their immersion by being too direct.
@@KierenWestwoodWriting - _thanks mate!_
I'm striving to write my first book, so I actually know very, very little. I've got a complete outline with 28 chapters, but I really struggle with my prose.... 😫
*But I do find your TH-cam channel inspiring!* 😁👍
Ah, your videos are always such a delight to watch. Really love your setup.
So, I've watched the combo of the videos a few times now and I think it's slowly sinking in as to what steps I'll be taking going ahead.
Sigh, I know it would've been better if I did this during the planning stages. But here we are first draft in.😅
I myself feel the same that I can write just okay but the pull of the plot, I really don't have achieved that in whatever I have written till date. That is why I feel the intrigue is very important.
Now knowing that and what I've squeezed out of these two videos, I'll simply plot the story's bare bones, rattle them a little and then try to find those 'therefore' tendons to make a solid structure.
I've been putting this work off cause I know it's hard but seeing you putting in the work and achieving success with it, I'm once again motivated and will put in the effort in my story. Thanks once again!✨
Thank you! Yeah I wish I'd done it sooner too...
It's definitely hard work, but the result is hopefully a better, more robust story. For me this breaks a pattern of finishing novels and finding myself disappointed with them. Well worth the effort.
You hype me
Nice! That's what I want most of all from these videos.