9 Tips for a Satisfying Plot | Writing Tips

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  • čas přidán 30. 05. 2024
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Komentáře • 420

  • @popcornbag7897
    @popcornbag7897 Před 4 lety +1695

    "I'm going to tell you what to do but not how to do it."
    School in a nutshell.

    • @jean7464
      @jean7464 Před 4 lety +7

      @@fakename7423 same xD

    • @larperdixon723
      @larperdixon723 Před 4 lety +4

      how else do you learn

    • @elpretender1357
      @elpretender1357 Před 4 lety +62

      @@larperdixon723 With proper explanations from people who have done it right. You just don't tell a kid to change a lightbulb and expect them to do it because you explained them how the light bulb works, you have to either teach them as they see you doing it or tell them the steps to archieve it and what to avoid

    • @freestyleentertainment821
      @freestyleentertainment821 Před 4 lety +8

      El Pretender I got a Bachelor of science in pre-education and I can confidently say you have no idea what you’re talking about. You know nothing about how people learn, how people grow... teachers aren’t supposed to just give you the information and have you memorize it. They’re there to guide you to figure it out for yourself. That’s education 101.

    • @elpretender1357
      @elpretender1357 Před 4 lety +22

      @@freestyleentertainment821 I never said that "eachers are supposed to just give you the information and have you memorize it", someone asked how else do you learn if not by being told what to do but not how to, to which I offered my suggestion. I dont know you, but at least whenever a professor has given me explanations, examples of how people who had done it right succeded and the conventional steps to reach a goal I've learned better than with profs that just tell me what to do and not how to. That was my point.

  • @marshm3llow467
    @marshm3llow467 Před 5 lety +1563

    Summary:
    1 Genre awareness
    2 Change and growth
    3 Set up and payoff
    4 Unpredictable
    5 Causality
    6 Mystery and revelation
    7 Suspense and snap
    8 Emotional balance and cohesion
    9 Unrest and resolution

  • @PhoebeWritesFiction
    @PhoebeWritesFiction Před 5 lety +676

    I love all of these suggestions. One way that I like to introduce unpredictability when plotting is to list out all the possible solutions to a plot question and pick the last option on the list. Usually you think of the most obvious solutions first and more creative ones last. BUT, sometimes the reason things occur first is not because they're predictable but because they fit your novel the best (they work in terms of causality and set up and payoff). So I guess the balancing act is always finding something unpredictable, but not so left of field that it will disrupt the shape of the whole.

    • @ShaelinWrites
      @ShaelinWrites  Před 5 lety +60

      That's so smart!

    • @ClintLoweTube
      @ClintLoweTube Před 5 lety +35

      A successful screenwriter teachers your technique. He calls it Rule of 20. Thinks of 20 ways to do or make a scene, picks the best and most peculiar.

    • @rodnewsom6995
      @rodnewsom6995 Před 5 lety +22

      I don't usually come at unpredictability as a plot device but from character development. Characters in fiction (like people we know in life) are the centers of their own stories. They each have their own goals and dreams, likes and dislikes, etc. We've known people in our lives who have hit us with a left-handed monkey wrench right into left field (I figured if I was resorting to cliches I'd go all in; my apologies) because our wants and needs aren't theirs. Same with fiction: the protagonist/MC will come into contact with other characters who have agendas. We're reading a story about a professional dog-walker who has a date. She's running super late because she overbooked. She had to overbook because she had to hire a plumber when the waterlines broke. She's really looking forward to this date. It's a really nice guy she knows from small talk over coffee in the Commons but this is the first real date. And it'll be nice having a relaxed evening because all the dogs today have been either surly or hyperactive. So here she is with her last dog of the day (who's both surly and hyperactive). She decides that since this walk is near where she's supposed to meet this guy she can swing by and let him know why she's late. She doesn't want him thinking she's bailing on him. But foot traffic is terrible, the dog keeps pulling this way then that, and it gets so late. She reaches a point where she can see the food vendor cart where she told him they could meet. She actually sees him, his back anyway. He's looking down at his watch and his shoulders slump. She hurries, almost pulling the dog now. A bus pulls through the intersection and then the guy's not there. She's starting to feel really down because this isn't working out like she wanted. Her and her ward make it across the street. She looks in the direction she thought she saw him go. Nothing. She turns and the crowds part: there he stands, turning around. His face lights up seeing her. She walks towards him and opens her mouth when the dog comes. He sees the dog and his expression changes. His eyes widen, mouth forms a perfect "O" as he turns and walks quickly away. Because we know that he's afraid of dogs because he was bitten when he was just a kid. So I know that's kind of lame (maybe more, but don't judge me too harshly) but the point I'm attempting to make is that when we know the characters and let them be themselves they will do unpredictable things even when it looks like we're setting the reader up for something completely different. Okay, I've wasted enough of your time but that's just another perspective on the topic.

    • @PhoebeWritesFiction
      @PhoebeWritesFiction Před 5 lety +20

      I think you're absolutely right that characters should have secrets and that this should affect the events of the story. The method I describe can be applied in all kinds of ways, not just plot questions. For example, I might ask myself: What secret will keep this guy and girl apart? Then I make a list starting 1) His fear of commitment in relationships (this is a bit obvious and cliche). Later down the list I might get to 5) His fear of dogs (which I think is a pretty cool one!) The emphasis doesn't have to be on plot, the idea is just that whatever question you have about the story, you provide yourself with plenty of options to choose from.

    • @rodnewsom6995
      @rodnewsom6995 Před 5 lety +9

      I like your thoughts on this. These tips are very practical and smart. (And thank you for not hating my example.)

  • @ginge641
    @ginge641 Před 5 lety +348

    A story is essentially a tapestry.

    • @ShaelinWrites
      @ShaelinWrites  Před 5 lety +43

      TRUE

    • @EmilynWood
      @EmilynWood Před 5 lety +16

      There's a bookseries that uses this metaphor! It's called the Auralia Thread series. The first book is Auralia's Colors (the Red Strand) and it's my favorite book in the world.

  • @kaceynm
    @kaceynm Před 5 lety +78

    Alfred Hitchcock once said that suspense is achieved by giving the adhere information that the characters don't have. Basically, suspense is achieved when you know that something is going to happen, but you don't know when so you're waiting for it.

    • @LanceLust1980HugeTheWarningFan
      @LanceLust1980HugeTheWarningFan Před 5 lety +3

      I think I know what you're getting at, even though I have no idea what the word "adhere" means. And such is why I don't like suspense in most horror movies; they show the character's reaction to something quite often first. It doesn't work for me.
      While watching House of the Devil by Ti West, the protagonist sees something horrible in the tub, then we're given the knowledge as to what it is. I thought a much better way of doing the scene would be to have a cut out tub, have the camera slowly descend to the rim where you see what's within it, then have the protagonist turn to find what we already are aware of. It would have been so much better.
      This is why I LOVE the movie Hereditary!

    • @Youcifer
      @Youcifer Před 2 lety +3

      That's also the definition of dramatic irony - "...giving the adhere [sic] information that the characters don't have."

  • @r.i.p.4485
    @r.i.p.4485 Před 3 lety +361

    on unpredictability. Make a predictable story, then put in a character (preferably your mains) and make them unpredictable. They make choices which are not present in the "multiple choice answers" which a problem gives. A warship is hit, the ship is sinking, the enemy is approaching, the character has two choices presented to them, save himself or attack the enemy in an attempt to save the crew, unpredictable character chooses to save the crew by forcing the enemy to save the crew by broadcasting a message to non existent allies that the enemy spy they uncovered, who has highly sensitive military information, is on the ship. Of course the message is a blind attempt to fool the enemy into believing someone on his ship is one of their spies and he has information that they will want. Now the enemy ship stops firing and attempts to save as many of the crew as they can, who are abandoning ship, since they don't know exactly who the spy is. Of course this is a lie, but it gives the character a chance to sabotage the enemy ship. Now your story has taken an unpredicted turn because of a character using an unpredictable choice.

    • @miketacos9034
      @miketacos9034 Před rokem +21

      Dude I wanna keep reading this 😆

    • @akeelahbruce1821
      @akeelahbruce1821 Před rokem +1

      @@miketacos9034 same

    • @gamewriteeye769
      @gamewriteeye769 Před rokem

      -That's how you don't write a character arc but ok.- Hisoka from HunterxHunter is a good example of a character who constantly changes what they want or don't want, which serves as a way to make an unpredictable plot from his choices as a character.

    • @gamewriteeye769
      @gamewriteeye769 Před rokem +3

      @Nes Ally Ok. When I initially read this top comment, I was aware of the idea he's explaining because it only gives an example on the inner workings of what's going on to make an unpredictable plot. And what does it revolve around? Character. Character arcs shape the plot around how they act, and if you want an unpredictable plot, you'll need to know how to manipulate inner and external conflict in a way that fits. It'd be too long for a comment to explain though so take it how you will.

    • @hayden3774
      @hayden3774 Před rokem +1

      I would also say that being open to new ideas in your plot is a good strategy too. Maybe you planned out a lot of stuff, but you realize it's too linear. Reveal a crazy secret that can relate to the beginning or tie some reason a character is a certain way, for example. It's more of an art than a science. But you can get better at art with practice!

  • @BookBFF
    @BookBFF Před 5 lety +285

    I liked what you said about causality. When writing my first draft I didn’t know what I was doing so I just was like “let me add a scene with the villain now”. But as I’m editing, I’m making sure the scenes influence or cause the next scenes so it isn’t just like “the villain is popping up to make a mess for no reason”. I think it really is important and I haven’t seen many writing advice books/channels that talk about it!

    • @amouramarie
      @amouramarie Před 4 lety +14

      YES YES. I just outlined a whole short story with the tips from a couple of her videos and this was INCREDIBLY helpful. I'd find myself adding a scene, then going... No. How can I make this scene come about specifically from what happened in the last scene. And it works much better. Nothing is happening by accident and things automatically make more logical sense. I'm so glad I found this channel. XD

  • @Jay-fj9eq
    @Jay-fj9eq Před 5 lety +404

    I love the short hair!! (And I like the tapestries too)

    • @justagerman140
      @justagerman140 Před 5 lety +2

      Not trying to hate but I liked the long hair and the bookshelf better

    • @xtonibx5770
      @xtonibx5770 Před 4 lety +2

      The short hair suits her so well.

  • @HMJenn
    @HMJenn Před 5 lety +242

    gurl you slay short hair!

  • @maxgraybooks471
    @maxgraybooks471 Před 5 lety +71

    "Suspense is waiting for the jumpscare, snap is the jumpscare" this is really clever !! this entire video is super helpful, I took notes on it for the fic I'm outlining xD I never would have thought of "snap" but it's a really effective way of putting it

  • @blastermaster5009
    @blastermaster5009 Před 5 lety +208

    She's officially embraced the meme.

  • @scottsenecal7155
    @scottsenecal7155 Před 3 lety +18

    In a college class of mine we learned of two different types of suspense: proairetic and hermeneutic. Proairetic is when you ask yourself “where is this going?” If you have a character going down a dark ally you ask yourself “will they be attacked?” Hermeneutic is when you ask yourself “how did we get here?” And it’s basically when you show the end of a situation before showing the beginning and middle. We see the character get killed in the ally but then ask “how’d they get to this point?”

  • @QueenCloveroftheice
    @QueenCloveroftheice Před 5 lety +80

    I always have to watch your videos twice because the first time around, I have to keep pausing and breaking up your sentences to go into my files and make a note of changes I have to make to my manuscript lol

    • @ClintLoweTube
      @ClintLoweTube Před 5 lety +7

      That's dedicated.

    • @aimeepartain1248
      @aimeepartain1248 Před 5 lety +12

      I have to watch twice cause the first time I'm reading comments and not listening

  • @darkdragonblade1157
    @darkdragonblade1157 Před 5 lety +26

    3:06 reminded me of the quote “Change is not always growth, but growth is often rooted in change.” - Drizzt Do’Urden

  • @ThomasGHouse
    @ThomasGHouse Před 5 lety +33

    I was getting Danganronpa flashbacks from the amount of times you said hope and despair in 30 seconds.
    Great video, though. :)

  • @hmmmok1924
    @hmmmok1924 Před 5 lety +31

    I'm writing a short story and I'm about three-quarters done, it was immensely satisfying to see that all of these things are already in my story or are coming up! This is really well done and helpful video.
    (Also you're gorgeous 👀)

  • @theimmaculateloaf2152
    @theimmaculateloaf2152 Před 3 lety +5

    honestly what i love about stories is the set up and payoffs with things that you wouldn't even realize like "what?? that plant pot in the background that the main character put his/her shoes by is a big part of the story?? i wouldn't of ever even thought of it" or things that start out at the beginning of the story and you almost forget about until they just, boom, pop up as a big part of the story i love it

  • @overallaverage8546
    @overallaverage8546 Před 4 lety +10

    I had a dream last night and realized it would make a really interesting story. Just gotta make it longer and with more unpredictability.

  • @cwfcwfcwf
    @cwfcwfcwf Před 5 lety +150

    You're brilliant Shaelin. Love the new hair cut. :)

  • @frances6091
    @frances6091 Před 4 lety +27

    I wanna add something about Causality. I think that it's fine if a scene could've very well occurred without the previous scene, but I think it's bad if this scene does not cause the next scene, or change the story in some way.
    Like, what if the protagonist was really stressed out about the main plot, and then their friends decided to surprise them with a cake on the birthday that they thought they didn't have time to celebrate? And then maybe something happens during this birthday scene, like a significant conversation with a friend, or interaction that reveals more about side characters. Or maybe this causes the protagonist to change their beliefs and realize that their friends are there for them. It's true that a birthday surprise can happen in any novel and isn't caused by the protagonist's actions, but it can also affect later scenes and become one of the most well loved scenes in the story. Just make sure that these scenes have an impact on *something,* like character attitude or setting.
    An actual real book example could be in the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry goes to Hogwarts' Hallowe'en feast. Not only does this feast establish the tone of the book, the setting, and provide an opportunity for characters to mingle, but it also sets up the next scene in which Harry faces a troll. That Hallowe'en feast could've occurred a few scenes before, but was still an enjoyable subplot.
    (I love your channel and the advice!)

  • @andrewclegg2221
    @andrewclegg2221 Před 5 lety +26

    "unpredictability is one of the most obvious ones" lol

  • @tmichica145
    @tmichica145 Před 3 lety +6

    I like the “suspense vs. snap”! It also makes sense if you think how suspense is like tension, and the “snap” is like a break in the tension, like a twig snapping.

  • @homeyman1917
    @homeyman1917 Před 3 lety +5

    I think one way to make your story unpredictable is draw from your own life experiences. Many of us go through similar events, but we often experience them in different ways and draw different conclusions

  • @stantheroyman
    @stantheroyman Před 5 měsíci +1

    I'm here from a video posted from 5months ago that just found me and figured I'd go back even further. I appreciate the growth in knowledge

  • @mikroraptor
    @mikroraptor Před 5 lety +34

    AAAAA i saw your short hair in the thumbnail and it looks s t u n n i n g

  • @CassTeaElle
    @CassTeaElle Před 5 lety +30

    Your videos are always so well thought out. You could write a book about writing books! You've got a lot of really great knowledge. Thanks for passing it along

  • @victoriannecastle
    @victoriannecastle Před 5 lety +44

    Whoa. When I see the vid from my recommendation I didn't recognize you.
    And then I saw your name under.
    And I thought that maybe you have given up writing and became a spiritual guru. Those people who talked about five dimensions.
    Btw, you're having an evolution on your channel. As someone who has been here since you just had 2k subs, I witnessed your growth with every video you upload. Keep it up. :)

    • @ShaelinWrites
      @ShaelinWrites  Před 5 lety +10

      Wow, you've been here so long! I've been seeing you comments since the start, thanks so much for the ongoing support!

  • @gamewriteeye769
    @gamewriteeye769 Před rokem +2

    6:23 To write an unpredictable plot in its simplest form, what you need to do is change what a character Wants in a scene at the flip of a coin(or change their scene goal). This means that whatever is typically a proactive or reactive scene has another element of a proactive or reactive moment laced into it, even if the outcome is the same or different as a result(unpredictable characters make the unexpected choice in deciding what to do). I hope this makes sense in a nutshell.
    Edit: There are crucial elements to this involving plot/character patterns, but it involves writing terms I came up with to convey what structure you're going for. What this comment originally talked about above is “right” to a certain extent. Because you can have scene “Motivations” with its first ingredient being a scene goal/Want, the first step toward the character striving toward their endgoal Want(something tangible to achieve by the plot's Climax). *But* the outcome of the plot may not change as a result after the scene if the character's plot “Motivation”(yes, what they go on) does not change in the long run of the scene's outcome.
    To further explain, every scene's “Motivation”/personality/belief system all contain conflict ingredients that create a basic “Causal Chain” for the conflict of the story, and after each one, characters go on what's called “Shifts”, and these are the “effects” of those conflict ingredients. Some Shifts might be Static for example, and that depends if your character is not changing and/or not undergoing a Flat/No Change character arc. Being _Static_ means the character does not change after the scene, but another type of Shift may change specific conflict ingredients thereafter and cause a change in the character's Motivation/personality/belief system while still being Static in their other conflict ingredients. Confused yet? 😝 This is what creating an unpredictable plot looks like(eventually I'll have something written explaining all this, so look forward to that) but it does essentially boil down to: Character Type, Character Arc(which dictates change in the Character Type and what type of Shift), and Plot Structure itself(what scene structure is formulated from their plot beats, such as Three Act Story Structure or Save The Cat).

  • @ZPrince
    @ZPrince Před 5 lety +24

    Soooo Suspense & Snap is basically the Bend & Snap from Legally Blonde, right? Cool cool 👌

  • @deriznohappehquite
    @deriznohappehquite Před 5 lety +5

    You can't avoid using tropes. If you somehow manage to do something new, all you've done is create a new trope. Tropes are not cliches, tropes are tools. Any sort of storytelling idea is a trope.
    It would be nearly impossible to completely avoid using tropes.
    Per TV-Tropes:
    "You can't have a hero or a villain. Not a deal-breaker so far, there have been works that did that.
    But then it hits you: those two storytelling elements having been used by other stories means that they're tropes of their own, so you can't not have a hero or villain. As you think about this, you continue gathering tropes and realize:
    You can't have an Action Guy or a Non-Action Guy, nor can you have only men or only women.
    You can't write about anything you like. That might be fixable if you just write about what you hate-No, wait! You can't do that, either.
    You will not go overboard with your descriptions, but you can't limit those descriptions, either.
    You will not have a narrative in your story. That means no Dialogue, no Conflict, no Characters, no Plot. Your story will be about the purely abstract, maybe even nothingness. Just a page or two describing the non-existent scenery that is uTropia. Or maybe just describing nothingness. Aww, nuts, that won't work either...
    You should avert all tropes, but you cannot use Averted Trope, either. Sound like some sort of Logic Bomb? Well, you have to avert that now too.
    It's at this point that your head explodes from the sheer number of paradoxes that have arisen from trying to create a Tropeless Tale. Your spirit rises out of your body into the clouds, where Trope-tan, goddess of tropes, is waiting for you. Incensed, you say to her, "Is this some kind of cosmic prank you're pulling? I'm sure there has to be a way to write a story without tropes!"
    Trope-tan shakes her head and answers:
    "Even if you actually accomplish it somehow, despite all the other issues you encountered, even if you manage to create a story that is well and truly tropeless, what happens if other people decide they like your ideas enough to copy them in their stories? Then your tale would no longer be tropeless, but instead be the Trope Maker for an entirely new set of tropes, because that's what a trope is: a pattern of elements meant to convey meaning."
    You stare in silence for several seconds. Finally, Trope-tan asks you, "So what did you learn?"
    And you reply, "I learned two things:"
    1) "I can't write a story without tropes, and that's OK."
    2) "Trying to write a story without tropes will make your head explode.""

  • @captainrick4513
    @captainrick4513 Před 3 lety +14

    I'm in the process of trying to make a story, and I feel like this kind of helped.
    I feel like the thing I'm best at is looking at all sorts of ideas from different stories, whether TV Show, anime, movie, videogame, or book, and find what I think is cool,
    and come up with something similar, yet still my own thing.
    Something that could be seen as a mix of Venom, Ogichi, Mr. Hyde, and Brainiac,
    yet something completely different.
    And I also really like "right under your nose" kind of stuff.
    Such as two people arguing in the background which you don't think of too much, but way later you find out they were important to the story long before the protagonist was even born.

  • @Torthrodhel
    @Torthrodhel Před 5 lety +48

    I hate how the conceit of Chekov's Gun is framed, though. It's as if to say there's no such thing as a red herring, and no such thing as atmospheric setting dressing. There could absolutely be a gun that doesn't go off, in a world where it makes sense for there to be a gun that doesn't go off, or perhaps a tale where you actually want some tension over whether or not it will and you know your readers are used to normal writing techniques. I understand the general principle, but I don't myself subscribe to the hyper-efficiency idea. Sometimes there really can just be ornaments. Same thing goes for causality. It's valuable in general, but I think an overconcentration can eliminate some of the magic and weirdness to a thing.

    • @williamkeohane9964
      @williamkeohane9964 Před 2 lety

      Maybe he should update it where if a gun is placed on a table in act one, the gun should have at least some very minor importance by act 3.

    • @Torthrodhel
      @Torthrodhel Před 2 lety +2

      @@williamkeohane9964 hmm, it's still a maybe for me though. It could have none at all. It could still have major importance by act 1. Who knows, the point is to be most effective, it shouldn't be predictable.

    • @williamkeohane9964
      @williamkeohane9964 Před 2 lety +1

      @@Torthrodhel good point. Perhaps I should rephrase it a little more: the gun should have enough importance that an English teacher could find ‘hidden meaning’ to it lol. Or maybe that the action itself should serve some incredibly minor purpose. For instance, setting a gun on a table in general could be to show somebody is trusting others in that room. It could be used as a threat. Maybe it is for Russian roulette and it shows that the gun owner is a man of risks or that he cheats. Every action somebody does should show their character, though by this point the law is so watered down it no longer has its original meaning. Either way, you are right when you say that that law has some flaws.

    • @Torthrodhel
      @Torthrodhel Před 2 lety +1

      @@williamkeohane9964 cool thinking :)

  • @rueroxanne972
    @rueroxanne972 Před 5 lety +19

    I haven’t even started watching this video but I love your hair! And you!

  • @amyleofficial1682
    @amyleofficial1682 Před rokem +2

    This helped me more Than school teaching me things repeatedly for 3 years

  • @jasongretencord3326
    @jasongretencord3326 Před 5 lety +35

    That background is reminiscent of the Dr. Strange movie.

  • @kailamichelle6126
    @kailamichelle6126 Před 5 lety +14

    THE MOTHER SLAYS!!😍😭

  • @nvwest
    @nvwest Před 5 lety +11

    Always happy when you upload. :) love the hair ❤️ very adult
    Edit: that’s why I love this channel. You always don’t just tell us what to do, but you always give us a method of how to do it. Really useful.
    The most helpful tip ever was skipping unnecessary words.
    ‘She saw a man standing across the street’ would become ‘a man was standing acrossthe street’
    Sentence level tips like that are hard to find.

    • @ShaelinWrites
      @ShaelinWrites  Před 5 lety +3

      Thanks so much!

    • @wrightfamily7381
      @wrightfamily7381 Před 7 měsíci

      @@ShaelinWriteshello I’m vary grateful for your tips and advice I’m writing a spy thriller like no other and it deals with my main character wanting to find his mom because she had to leave and his partner and him are connected, but they have no recollection of why they are important to each other and there’s a love story slowly budding romance between two old friends one is my main lead who is 17 young and naïve but kind hearted he falls for his friend he hasn’t seen since they were both 5 and her dad pays for the academy they go to so they see her as a rich daddy’s girl how do I make that work

  • @baxterjaye3984
    @baxterjaye3984 Před 2 lety +3

    I'd say to make an unpredictable story, obscure the motivations of the other characters to the protagonist. If the readers aren't always aware of what everyone wants, they won't know how to predict how the characters will affect the MC. That doesn't mean keep them COMPLETELY unsaid, or don't give them a motivation at all, but stave off revealing it for as long as possible to keep the readers and protagonist on their toes.

  • @cait5819
    @cait5819 Před 5 lety +5

    Girl I LIVE for your videos

  • @raymondraymond3207
    @raymondraymond3207 Před 3 lety +2

    You teach me so much Shaelin. Thank you for all your hard work.

  • @mackdebruin999
    @mackdebruin999 Před 3 lety +13

    I've been wanting to mold a story around a group of detectives who have to solve a series of cases in a relatively short amount of time. The ending idea being that all the cases are later revealed to be linked in some way. Is there a good story structure for a novel that might be episodic like this?

  • @beetlethebard7110
    @beetlethebard7110 Před 5 lety +156

    I feel like J.K. Rowling and the Harry Potter series was great at doing the Set Up & Payoff.

    • @shelbytheis6111
      @shelbytheis6111 Před 5 lety +9

      That's exactly what came to mind for me when she talked about that one, so well done!

    • @phoenixsweet1697
      @phoenixsweet1697 Před 3 lety +13

      Yeah. Too bad she's a horrible person.

    • @skeletoninyourbody9896
      @skeletoninyourbody9896 Před 3 lety +1

      Nope

    • @anushkabhowmik2746
      @anushkabhowmik2746 Před 3 lety +14

      ​@@phoenixsweet1697 She might have some horrible opinions, but those horrible opinions don't make her a horrible person. A person is too complex to be defined by just bad opinions. Also, the definition of a good person and a bad person is not definite. Neither is the definition of good or bad opinions, not that I think that what she said was good in any way at all.

    • @jenniferariesta6635
      @jenniferariesta6635 Před 3 lety

      Yes, one of the best!

  • @user-vu5dp2wm4e
    @user-vu5dp2wm4e Před rokem +2

    Love your channel. Best I've watch on this site so far. My only regret is not finding this channel 2 years ago. Some of your tips, techniques may not work so well in non-English writing (Chinese in my case), but I think revising my novel based on what I learnt on this channel increased it quality by two times. You just made some huge impact on my writing.Even some of my friends I sent my drifts to for test reading pointed out that there is some notable inconsistence in their styles. So I decide to rewrite some earlier parts of the novel.
    The struggle I have right now is exactly the part didn't get answered though, which is kind of a bummer, no saying it in an offensive way.
    I'm writing a suspense horror story . Which is actually a huge challenge for me because I'm not really gifted in writing twists. It's really hard for me to control the amount of information I intented to give before the twists. Sometimes I gave too much infomation, which made it too predictable and there wasn't much of a twist any more; then I decided to withhold some information, plant some decoys and the twists became too far-fetched. It's like I just pulled things out of the thin air just for the sole purpose of rationalizing the twist. I wonder if I need to find more creative ways to present informations.

  • @headfulloftrees4071
    @headfulloftrees4071 Před 5 lety +1

    Both the new hair and the new background are amazing! And the little drawing of you in the end omg it's so cute! ❤️
    Thank you for those tips I feel like they are exactly what I've been needing.

  • @nitzans
    @nitzans Před 5 lety +10

    your hair looks fab!

  • @3polygons
    @3polygons Před 5 lety +3

    So glad I found (very randomly, YT suggestion) this channel. As a comic artist who actually writes (or tries to) his own stories (and without English being my first language) , this is really useful. I think I am going to write down these points, and try to see if I can apply them to my future stories, to see if it helps to build them better. In the end, art in a comic is nothing without good story telling... :)
    Subscribed!

  • @Ideophagous
    @Ideophagous Před 3 lety +1

    Your videos make me appreciate one of my favorite stories, Attack on Titan, even more. I also started working on a novel, and I find your tips quite useful. Thank you!

  • @donaldaribam
    @donaldaribam Před 4 lety +1

    I love your tapestry. I personally think it’s the best background ever.

  • @manufacturedrainbows1229
    @manufacturedrainbows1229 Před 5 lety +6

    This was very helpful!! I'm currently outlining and I needed a bit of guidance, especially when it comes to causality. I'll be sure to keep this stuff in mind! Thanks!! ❤

  • @AriDelgato
    @AriDelgato Před 5 lety +3

    I really love your hair! It looks so cute!

  • @sevinm6261
    @sevinm6261 Před 5 lety +3

    I was so sad that your hair had grown back because short hair looks so good on you and now the length is just so beautiful again :D

  • @pizzospages354
    @pizzospages354 Před 3 lety +1

    This is an excellent explanation of plot elements a story needs! Thank you!

  • @BowTieWriter
    @BowTieWriter Před 5 lety

    Thank you for sharing! These are some super useful ways to help articulate some of the resonant bits of plot. I really liked your discussion of "Suspense" and "Snap"!

  • @alinaa3108
    @alinaa3108 Před 4 lety +2

    This helped so much!!! I started writing and I had tons of ideas but I was having such a hard time continuing but I realized that they weren’t relevant to the book as a whole. After removing them I finally got some momentum!

  • @xXDemkaBelikovXx
    @xXDemkaBelikovXx Před 5 lety

    I love the hair!! Lobs are amazing and easy to maintain!!

  • @Valentina-xv9cs
    @Valentina-xv9cs Před rokem +1

    That's so detailed and so structured, I absolutely love these tips. Thank you!!

  • @TheMusicscotty
    @TheMusicscotty Před 3 lety

    My favorite author channel on all of CZcams. No frills or noise, but amazing content. Bravo!

  • @SSSoto17
    @SSSoto17 Před 5 lety +16

    Bae you look sO FRIGGIN CUTE WITH YOUR NEW HAIR AAAAAHHHH

  • @didihuch
    @didihuch Před rokem +1

    Thank you for this fantastic lesson! I feel prepared to answer the illusive plot dissonance that so often arises in my writing process

  • @maou7222
    @maou7222 Před 3 lety

    I love you Shaelin!

  • @Micktrex
    @Micktrex Před 5 lety

    Love the new look.

  • @brendawilliams7145
    @brendawilliams7145 Před 5 lety

    I absolutely love your teaching videos. Keep up the good work.

  • @superZEROKID
    @superZEROKID Před 5 lety +2

    As everyone else is saying, I love your short hair! And great advice! You framed things nicely (except maybe for that unexpected plot part, which is understandable lol). It's given me so many ideas, thanks.

  • @readerturnedwriter
    @readerturnedwriter Před 5 lety +2

    This was the perfect topic for me right now, I'm just starting an outline! Thanks for this :)

  • @irritation_at_the_nightclu1016

    no one:
    writers: s p a c e d o u t w o r d s
    jk i do it to

  • @annenaan1786
    @annenaan1786 Před 5 lety

    That hair style looks amazing😍😍

  • @BrianaMorganBooks
    @BrianaMorganBooks Před 5 lety +1

    These are some great tips! I also love the tapestries and the short hair-it really suits you :)

  • @galaxylucia1898
    @galaxylucia1898 Před 5 lety

    Great video as always. Thanks Shaelin!

  • @fatimazahrah3995
    @fatimazahrah3995 Před 5 lety

    This is the best video I've watched about writing a satisfying plot. Thank you!

  • @phanisundarssimages
    @phanisundarssimages Před 2 lety

    Well compiled, nicely presented. Thanks for putting them together

  • @WillBlacksilver
    @WillBlacksilver Před 4 lety +9

    HOW TO MAKE THINGS UNPREDICTABLE IDEA:
    Write a list of you would expect or think should to happen in order. Write anything/everything... Keep going... until you come up with something new and interesting. Your earlier ideas are probably the predictable ones. The latter ones are probably more interesting. ESSENTIALLY BRAINSTORM. That simple.

  • @erikrault
    @erikrault Před 4 lety

    Just wanted to throw out how much I appreciate this info it’s so useful!

  • @albertross2456
    @albertross2456 Před rokem +1

    Instant fan. Love you face!!! And point of view of course. Great advice!

  • @siobhanm9690
    @siobhanm9690 Před 5 lety

    ugh shaelin i love your hair

  • @jelliebombshell2159
    @jelliebombshell2159 Před 5 lety

    Thank you for your writing tips. I like that you are natural and intelligent. A refreshing change!

  • @corinadelbarro2110
    @corinadelbarro2110 Před 5 lety

    Your hair cut is wonderful, but then again you’re always looking great. Thank you for your nugget of knowledge.

  • @midnightearth1015
    @midnightearth1015 Před 5 lety

    your videos are always so helpful! thank you for this one ❤️

  • @b3a3n3a3n3a3s
    @b3a3n3a3n3a3s Před 5 lety

    This is the first video I’ve seen of yours and I found it really helpful! Thanks for sharing such a well made guide for us, much appreciated and I will take it on board :) all the best

  • @oni10231
    @oni10231 Před 5 lety

    Giiiirrrrrrllllllll your hair looks so good omg

  • @adysandilldine3683
    @adysandilldine3683 Před 3 lety +2

    This helped a lot and got me an A in my Honours language arts class!!

  • @hams2410
    @hams2410 Před 3 lety +1

    I love your background ❤️
    Nice tips!

  • @SuperShiki666
    @SuperShiki666 Před 5 lety

    Just as I was going to change the plot of my novel, glad i found your channel

  • @lilyraine6819
    @lilyraine6819 Před 5 lety

    I love your channel! You have taught me more about writing than my English teacher. I really want to become a writer or a director when I graduate high school. You inspire me to get better at writing! I also want to say that you are beautiful. Keep on writing! (:

  • @jessspreadborough8196
    @jessspreadborough8196 Před 5 lety

    omg love the new hair! also great vid!!

  • @lukasnovella9001
    @lukasnovella9001 Před 5 lety +2

    I like these advice videos

  • @ashirahelat4749
    @ashirahelat4749 Před 2 lety +1

    Love your genius mind

  • @dasha_vb
    @dasha_vb Před 5 lety +1

    Great video, Shaelin! Very informative and helpful :)

  • @onlyfrog
    @onlyfrog Před 3 lety

    off topic but your voice is sooo satisfying and calm, i can't explain??

  • @gwenminor9244
    @gwenminor9244 Před 2 lety +1

    I'd like to add something on unpredictabilty as well. Have a plot that is quite predictable at first, but add surpising elements and/or twists

  • @ilyas_elouchihi
    @ilyas_elouchihi Před 2 lety +1

    Very very useful, simple a d straight to the point.. thank you infinitely

  • @petermendez7654
    @petermendez7654 Před 5 lety

    I just discovered your channel and judging by your content I can guarantee that your channel will be very helpful with my writing.

  • @allieadoodles
    @allieadoodles Před 3 lety

    Thanks for all your tips and videos. I just discovered them and all of them have been helpful! Thanks 🙏🏼

  • @tabeatamm3594
    @tabeatamm3594 Před 5 lety

    You give such great advice.

  • @abram263
    @abram263 Před 5 lety

    No thumbs down, because everyone likes this video. It's sooo helpful!
    Shaelin, I just discovered your channel, but I think I'll be watching a lot more of your videos from now on.
    Subscribed.

  • @ClintLoweTube
    @ClintLoweTube Před 5 lety +2

    Great advice, as always.💪

  • @cjpreach
    @cjpreach Před 5 lety +4

    "Suspense" is produced by "An outcome withheld."

  • @eduardocolella
    @eduardocolella Před 5 lety

    girl, i love so much

  • @jckgirlsparkle
    @jckgirlsparkle Před 5 lety

    Your hair is gorgeous!

  • @crimelab5318
    @crimelab5318 Před 5 lety

    That was a wonderful and surely a very helpful video. Thanks!

  • @daniellezykowska981
    @daniellezykowska981 Před 3 lety

    Thank you for this video.
    You have helped me gain clarity with my thought's !
    Useful tips 😃