Five Terrible Ways To Start A Story
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- čas přidán 10. 06. 2024
- In this installment of our 87-part series, you'll get the confidence to delete almost everything you've ever written and start over.
#authortube
#booktube
00:00 - Title Sequence
00:22 - Introduction
01:24 - Product Placement
02:15 - Mistake One: Starting Before the Beginning
03:12 - Quick Fix: Start At the Beginning
03:39 - Mistake Two: Introducing 30-40 Characters
04:21 - Quick Fix: Massacre Large Group of Characters
04:43 - Mistake Three: Making Your Reader Feel Dumb
05:30 - Quick Fix: Dial Down the Flowery Language
05:53 - Mistake Four: Too Long to Type
06:33 - Quick Fix: Forget Everything
07:15 - Outro
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FIND A COPY OF JOHN LAZARUS'S LATEST NOVEL HERE (Note: This is actually a real book.)
High Ground: www.amazon.com/High-Ground-No... - Komedie
I don't know why this is the only video of mine that CZcams shows people, but I do have other videos on my channel that don't sound like I recorded it with a potato. FYI
How come there's 4 and not 5 like your video title?
I clicked on this video with the intention of writing a story that starts with all 5 but the advice was pretty sound and I can't be bothered so thank you.
Thank you @Tysard. If I can dissuade at least half my viewers from writing anything at all, then I've done my job.
I absolutely love that you planned to start your story with 5 terrible ways to start your story
certified hater😂
*Mistake 4: Starting with Dialogue, Description, Backstory, Poetry, Quotes, Dream Sequences or most kinds of Action.*
Me: "Then what the fuck should I start with?"
Don't worry about it. It will all become clear once you watch every installment of this 87-part series. Thanks for watching, @kingdorm2001.
Do whatever you want, but make it work. 99% of books start with all those things you listed.
@@DEpublishingwait you mean? Like getting inspired by a dream? Is that even bad?
@@DEpublishing that response just earned you a subscriber
Start with the one that work for your plan. For instance what is your story about? and What kind of Experience you want your reader to have?
You can decide these things and then use it to help you decide how to start your story! In other word, do the beginning last.
This finally inspired me to delete my entire draft and start over! Best advice I've ever heard🥰
If I can discourage just one new writer from sharing their experiences with the world, I've done my job. Thanks for watching, @liljatupsu.
i started my childrens book with a massacre and no publishing company picked it up what do i do
First of all, this is a very common problem so don't feel like you're alone. Second, try to limit your queries to children's publishers who aren't afraid to push boundaries. See if there are any publishers who have published books about, for example, a puppy who dies of leukemia. Finally, try to hint at the massacre without getting gory. Maybe, as an example, the story could start with elves in a workshop building a bunch of tiny coffins.
A picture is worth a thousand words, and that man will never recover from that fall.
While that's not a very nice thing to say, @mcfrostie7537, it is certainly the truth. And it's a writers job to reveal the truth. Good observation.
*manga artist has entered the chat
"This is why nobody actually reads the bible and instead pretends they did so they can shove their beliefs down others throats"
Why did you have to call me out like this?
Don't worry about it, @legocontrollerjr. If God wanted us to read the entire Bible, he'd have made it a taut thriller where Jesus is the no-nonsense cop working a case the department doesn't want solved.
Spoken like a man who’s never read the Bible.
Mistake 1, another way to phrase the solution that I heard which was great: "start scenes late, end scenes early." In other words, starting with the hook of the beginning, and ending before the tension or resolution can fizzle.
As for Mistake 4, the things to start with, for real, is literally any sentence (or couple of sentences) that can create intrigue. That's the advice I got, and it was a great takeaway. Like, an observation is cool - especially ones involving sensation. "Damn, your mouth hurts." or you can paint a picture. "The black spire stretched so far into the sky it looked like it could've blocked the sun out, if viewed from the right angle."
I would argue that you _can_ start with action, sort of, but not the basic action itself, _unless_ it's the POV character committing the action (at least in my experience). Even then, though, I'd probably want to focus more on how they're observing it - either during the action or just before - since that's more interesting. "When I threw my fist out, I wasn't figuring on him dodging it. I wasn't figuring on sitting up with an off-kilter view of the alley across from his barbershop, either. Then I fixed my glasses, which solved part of that problem."
(funny video, btw)
As someone who studied maths, writing is harder lol
Also btw, your narration is really great but please get a better mic! Your audio quality could be so much nicer
100%. Math has hard and fast rules, writing is all up to interpretation.
Actually, I think the problem is that I have been suffering from a mild form of syphillis lately, so you're hearing me at my most congested. But I will certain look into it,@kookiespace.
So for your first tip, basically we should avoid the use of in media res or do it in a way that's engaging? I was taught in high school that in media res is a valid way to start a story so this tip confused me. I HAVE seen writers say that morning routine beginnings are terrible unless relevant to the entire plot but otherwise I'm not sure why showing the middle of a process is bad for a beginning.
For the second tip I wholeheartedly agree. Any novel or series with loads of characters I do believe works better if the characters are gradually introduced, unless said characters briefly appear and are fleshed out later on in the narrative.
For the third tip, I think it depends on the exact genre and content of the book in question, but I agree.
For the fourth tip, quotes and dialogue I think are valid ways to start the story depending on the story but the other ones you named I agree are cliches that are overdone. And I also agree that real life experiences are a great inspiration.
I didn't see a fifth tip. But overall I thank you for the advice as I intend to start my own graphic novel soon.
I think a better way of understanding that first tip might be 'begin with something that's immediately relevant to the story you're telling'. If not at the chronological start of the narrative, a story should at least begin with something that directly pertains to its events.
The advice of forgetting every book I read while writing is actually comforting. Because when I begin writing, I feel my mind is blank and I feel bad for not knowing what exact rule or reference to follow.
"The only rule is that there are no rules." - Buddha
ngl I have been watching these types of videos and accidentally stumbled across this one this was the most honest video I hope you don't change in the future xdd
Oh, don't worry about me changing. If my three failed marriages won't get me to reassess my life, nothing will.
This is clearly a meme video but I agree
Just to clarify on mistake one, would you say it's ok to start a few hundred years before the birth of the characters? Like the lord of the rings movie, (idk if the book does that as well, never read it) to give necessary information to understand the plot
Well, to be fair, the Bible isn’t a thriller that’s meant to be enjoyed.
It’s a journal that’s a documentation of past events.
It’s educational history, not an engaging thriller story.
Still though, there are quite a few stories in the Bible that I found myself thoroughly invested in, so it’s not all boring.
There’s a lesson here. Even if a book seems boring, there’s always an aspect about it that you like.
This is really good writing advice. It’s concise, funny, and easy to understand. Great job.
Thanks @narwhaliusii8512. It's comments like these that remind me why I started doing this in the first place: to be praised constantly.
damn, that was totally worth it. I actually came over thinking it was about storytelling in person and not in books.
No worries. The principles are very much the same, the only difference being a good storyteller in person requires you to be attractive. Thanks for watching, @sirfanatical8763.
That was surprisingly well said and creative. About three times, I had to say, "Wait... what?" Nicely done.
Thanks for the kind words, @valkyriechan. They often say the greatest geniuses make baffling, inscrutible claims.
i thought I clicked on a channel with 1M subscribers. Very good video!
Bravo, Mr. Matter. I have been working on this beautiful romance novel about the union of two kindred souls and taking your first advice to heart, I am beginning my heart-touching story with a 9-man homosexual orgy I was planning to put in the second act. I'll expiate for my ignorance immediately.
Glad to hear it, @EndsToAMean. Glad at least someone out there understood what I was going for.
The actual video starts at 2:20.
If you play the video backwards to Dark Side of the Moon, it actually starts at 7:27.
Good narration, good advice, being real.. I'm subscribing
Glad to hear it, @vinnymonteiro002. This isn't a pyramid-scheme and I can't force you to find 10 other members and get them to subscribe, but well... it'd be cool if you did.
The first sentence should sound like you already know what's going on with the power of hindsight with questions and interest. Mysterious hindsight.
Mysterious hindsight, not a terrible band name.
@@DEpublishing I claim it! 😂
Hey, that didn't hurt my feelings at all! Great tips.
If you come across a writer you aren't sure is dead and there isn't a poking stick around, just ask them if they worked in publishing
It was the best of times It was the worst of times… Even after a century and a half I can’t think of a better beginning and a none too shabby ending as well.
Dickens was no slouch. One of my favorite authors, right up there with Kurt Vonnegut, John Steinbeck and Tyra Banks. Thanks for tuning in, @RonTodd-gb1eo.
I have plans for writing a trilogy. Good thing the story is based on a real life experience and not from "I got inspired by ___." Kind of thing.
For an opening I pick something simple and not over the top. A man on a mountain cliff pondering his plan viewing the wilderness. This is a very open-ended first sentence. Compare that too "The Black Wind Howls". You know someone is going to die soon if you open that way.
I feel like I am in r/writingcirclejerks on reddit with the comment section now. I have subscribed.
Great. Tell all those losers to come here and watch.
Ngl I am a bit angry at CZcams for not showing me your channel for like a year at least
Like, wtf dude
In fairness, the algorithm is very busy promoting important stuff like reaction videos, unboxings and Minecraft videos where you die every time you turn left.
3:55 that was unnecessary 🙄
dude's trying too hard
are you ok
No writer is ever ok. Writing is a symptom of at least a mild form of mental illness or social malady, @Voxen712.
Amusing.
Indubitably.
I started my story with a guy walking into a bar
Never deny the power of a classic. Werckmeister Harmonies made it work and you can, too. Thanks for watching, @JeetKunDraw.
"Starting Before the Beginning": This is what makes prologues so annoying.
"There is no greater act of cowardice or deception than writing a prologue." - L. Ron Hubbard
Man
“This is Horrible”
Some Basic Good Lessons
Some Horrible Meaningless Lessons
Just a 7 Minute Ad
And they say AI is going to take over.
@@DEpublishing “When You Have No Defense.”
The thumb is a clickbait!
You're upset the video doesn't contain images and clips of people defecating? Sorry to disappoint you, @Andre-ww9pt.
I can't tell if you're being serous or not.
Whichever one gets you to watch more of my videos, that's what I am. Thanks for watching, @33pandagamer.
You lost me when you provided your personal take on religion
he's trying too hard to be quirky instead of shutting the fuck up and getting to the point
Funny, that's exactly what my son's teacher said at parent sharing day.
He ain’t wrong.
@@dongauthier6761 he absolutely is lil bro, regurgitating redditor slop will never make anyone right
@@Gofaw 🤣 go away.
22 secs of intro music? Seriously. Boring.
Apologies, @trolman1450. Hopefully one day they invent some sort of button that allows you to skip forward in a video.
Most of the info in this video is either untrue/useless.
Understanding satire is Mihailo Popovic father.
I just cannot stand your silly jokes bro. Im sorry
That's okay. I hope we can still be friends.
You lost me when you used your video as an opportunity to insult my faith. Why would you do this? Why would you alienate me, when all I wanted to do was learn from you?
I don't think you have anything to teach me that I can't learn from other sources that don't shove their athiesm down MY throat.
Adios.
You were hoping to learn about writing from a video with a thumbnail of a man pooping? In a video where I said I got out of the publishing business because I didn't want to file taxes? In a video that includes an obviously fake product placement that provides businesses with training to deny "sexual assault allegations?" And with a comment section filled with obviously snarky, sarcastic comments? That's who you wanted to learn from?
"Nobody reads the Bible, they just pretend they do. " -talk about shoving your beliefs down other people's throats.