How to Write a Hook For Your Story...and Capture Your Reader in 5 MINUTES 🤩
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- čas přidán 28. 06. 2024
- How do you write a hook that grabs your reader's attention and pulls them through the first few pages (or first chapter) of your story? In this video, we're breaking down the answer to that question in the most simple, effective, and powerful way... diving deep into the MOST IMPORTANT aspects of an opening hook. Do you want to grab your reader's attention on page one and make them care about your characters? If so, this video is for you. Let's dive into it!
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🎥 T I M E S T A M P S 🎥
00:00 How do we capture our reader's attention?
01:21 Creating internal conflict
04:37 Desire vs fear
06:28 The five minute rule
07:44 Hook example: The Otherworld
09:01 External events meet internal conflict
09:42 Hook example: The Blood Race
11:18 Leveraging external conflict
12:30 QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF
13:04 The verdict
14:08 Subscribe for writing videos every Wednesday :)
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✨ A B O U T ✨
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!
i get that all stories are different, and told in different voices. but i think it's baffeling how many movies and tv shows that take so long to tell us about the characters desire. if the world and atmosphere is not super on point, i usually tune out if i don't know what the people in the story want.
Interesting… I feel like most films/tv are really good at setting this up within the first 5-10 minutes. A lot of times it’s a visual representation though rather than the character saying outright “I want x”
This is one of the many reasons why I love studying stories to learn more about storytelling! It's so interesting to compare and contrast different movies/tv programmes and see what captures my attention and what doesn't 🤔
@@AbbieEmmons yes, i so agree. And i love to see you share it with us, in such a thoughtful package. i appreciate your videos a lot :)
@@dannyt4663 many films do. Some try and break the mould etc. I think it is a good thing, we should explore storytelling of course. But i feel like some movies neglect the "demanding attention" aspect of showing us a character. Or they focus on extravagant plot points without meaning to the characters story. I see a lot of modern films, not diving in to the characters, and at least i think i can point at this aspect, because of what i see in channels like this one, and the general reviews from critics and audiences on those movies that just - look like they did'nt bother with it too much.
I bought the course abs can not get the templates downloaded 😭😭
You're always repeating pretty much the same principles, but somehow everytime they are what I need to hear. Each time you view them from a slightly different perspective. Really, good writing principles are simple, but it is challenging to do it yourself. And, my gosh, your studio and video editing are gorgeous, such a great background!
😄❤ Thank you so much!! I'm so happy my videos continue to inspire you and spark new ideas and curiosity, even as we explore the same principles. You know me, I never get tired of talking about internal conflict 😂 Your kind words have brightened my day!
Lol, agreed. I feel like I "learnt' something I already knew as she's said it before, but my brain has it in the front of my mind again, because Abbie said it slightly differently, and it's helpful. Like,OST writing advice just goes in one ear and out the other eventually, no matter how helpful it is, so it help to hear it over and over until you remember it in an "I know this now" way.
Wow this sounds just the Bible how u description it ! Praise LORD JESUS
I find many times I need repetition to truly internalize some concepts. That’s especially true for me because I’m finding as I learn that so many aspects of the craft are interdependent. If one aspect is off, it’s going to affect everything else.
Story structure is one of those things for sure. You get your Act 1 too long or too short because you didn’t understand the function of it in the story and you’re going to run into problems.
I find that you might learn one thing and then you learn another thing which connects back to the first thing and it puts a different light on both concepts. 🧐😂.
So yeah totally agree that some concepts are often repeated but they are also many times talked about in different contexts or with different examples or made clearer by Kate and Abbie when they talk about their own projects and how they used the concept 😀. It’s great!
Make the reader want to know more; make the reader ask questions; make the reader think they know what's going on, and always respect the reader.
Amen to that!! 👏
@@AbbieEmmons Love your stuff! Keep it up!
This helped me so much! I had characters, a conflict, a resolution, and character development for nearly every single character in my story except the protagonist. I now have an internal conflict for my MC! 😃😃
WOOHOO **high fives** 🙌🤩 Sounds like you've nailed your characters' internal conflict!! I'm so glad this video inspired you!
I feel Abbie's sense of style is like if Elizabeth from Pride in Prejudice was also a Disney princess.
Thank you, Abbie. Of your examples, my choice is: The Sound of Music. (My colleagues and I once watched it on a laptop in Salzburg while on choir tour in Europe. You can't beat Julie Andrews.) My own examples are:
Roswell (TV, 1999): Liz Parker (voice-over): "Five days ago, I died. After that, things got really weird."
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV, 1998): Two adolescent students sneak into the Sunnydale High School building at night. The girl acts afraid that someone might be lurking. The boy assures her that no one is there. She then turns into a vampire and bites him. (Darla went on to become a major character in the series and its spinoff, Angel.)
When Eight Bells Toll (Book, Alistair MacLean, 1966): It is a thriller/mystery/action/adventure secret-agent novel written in first-person narrative, and has the most immediately gripping first page I have ever read in my life!
I love how (in my case) I don't get most of what Abbie and Kate talk about until the music come on. Then I get soo many ideas! Thank you Abbie & Kate for being so inspiring!
I just recently stumbeled over your blog and ultimatley over your videos. I immedieatly binge watched them. I can´t thank you enough. You really changed my mind and thought process and gave my story the final meaning and thus a "why it matters". You enlightened me and helped me so much. Truly thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Wow this comment totally made my day!! 🥹💛 Thank you sooo much! I'm so happy my channel has been such an inspiration for you. Rock on!
The novel I'm writing (my first!) kicks off with a small battle between two paladins and a band of pirates. For me, this skirmish establishes several things:
1. The type of things the paladins handle on a routine basis,
2. That the paladins are a sort of law enforcement for their little world,
3. Sets up an internal conflict for one of the two main characters, and
4. Establishes the reader's expectations for the kind of story they are in for.
A hook that accomplishes many things at once, to me, is a good thing. I just hope that mine works for what I'm trying to accomplish.
Do you have a link to an excerpt or chapter that you could share? Sounds awesome! (love Paladins)
@@ethandowler4669 Enjoy!
docs.google.com/document/d/1w_wevbJsOGjvnkwfJShUIzW4WmWLLIfnrIqsrrUkdj0/edit?usp=drivesdk
Sounds lit what’s it gonna be called
@@exodocian The Doom Knight
Two faves for opening hooks: Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. BTW, I love that Nolan is the first and only director so far that gives Bruce Wayne a completed character arc over his Dark Knight trilogy.
I think the opening of The Dark Knight is one of the best in cinema. As for Batman Begins, it’s a reboot of the franchise and an in depth origin story.
We are shown right off the “bat” that Christopher Nolan’s take on this character is going to be grittier and more realistic than any other iteration portrayed before it came out.
We get Bruce’s fear, his desire (story goal) and his misbelief - that he is responsible for his parents’ getting shot and killed and that he has failed to avenge their deaths.
Kate and Abbie I would love to know you guys’ thoughts about starting a story in Medias Res…
Thank you for repeating the principles over and over. It helps me see how foundational and internal they are.
I know I'm a bit late for this, but I think your videos are so helpful, so thank you!
My favorite opening hook is in the show "Supernatural", because we can literally see the moment that created the main character's desire, fear, and misbelief in the first scene, without being info-dumped. Then we see the inciting incident almost at the beginning, but we already kind of know the protagonists, so we know why what's happening matters to them.
Such a masterpiece.
Don't forget the Quasimoto's "Out There" song and sequence in Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame!
What is your favorite story hook?
✨MOVIE EXAMPLES USED✨(in order of appearance)
- Miss Scarlet and The Duke (BBC series)
- Poldark (BBC series)
- Pride & Prejudice (2005)
- Cinderella
- The Greatest Showman
- Frozen
- Beauty and The Beast
- Finding Nemo
- The Man Who Invented Christmas
- The Little Mermaid
- The Sound of Music
- Around The World in 80 Days (BBC series)
- Tangled
- The Musketeers
- Mulan
- The Avengers
- Belle (2013)
- Captain America: The First Avenger
- Iron Man (2008)
- This Beautiful Fantastic
Dune
Hi Abbie. Congratz on you new book coming next month. Off topic now. Can you also let Kate say some of her views? If she wants, of course... You were too "involved" this time!? 🤷🏻♀️🙏💞🙏
Beauty and the beast is definitely my favorite opening hook. Followed by Tangled, the avengers, Cinderella and the Little mermaid
Favorite TV Show/Movie Hooks:
Outlander (by Diana Gabeldon)
Interstellar
World War Z
The Godfather
Frozen or Tangled, disney movies always have the best intros
Kate, where did you get that pouch necklace? I need.
Loved this episode. The music, the background, the precise topic parts etc. Keep bringing them like this!
LOVED this episode as always! Kate and Abbie, you both are amazing! Abbie, I love your new book the Otherworld! I can't wait till it releases so that I can read it!
Abbie, I just want to say thank you so much for helping me become a better writer. Now, I feel more confident in my WIP! :)
Great advice. My first chapter in the first few pages you know the internal conflict. I think writing is a clear goal. wanting to accomplish ones dreams or a conflict where they need to better themselves as a person.
One of the better videos on the subject. I'll need to listen to it again to let it sink in further.
The editing in this is AMAZING! So helpful! ❤
I love all the examples you both use! So good
Thank you so much, Hannah!! ☺
Thank you so much for this amazing content, Abbie❤️ You're my writing motivation!
Aw thank you so much!! ☺❤
Thanks for posting this Abbie! Can’t wait to watch it! Fourth ❤
Your videos have been super helpful in getting me to be able to plot my new book. Thank you for another great in depth discussion.
I’m glad that they show The Sound of Music
This is so good! I am a beginner filmmaker, and I’m working with some friends on an original short film. The information in this video will be super helpful to us as we attempt to craft a story with a heart. Thank you, Kate and Abbie!
Thank you for consistently uploading these helpful videos. I love your soundscapes especially, they really help me write. Those along with your instructional videos like this make your channel a haven for beginner writers! Thank you again!
Wow thank you sooo much!! 😄❤ this comment brightened my day! I'm so happy my channel has been helpful and inspirational for you!
Thank you so much for this video Abby!!! You are the best!!!!! And I would just like to say that I have my channel up now. And I know that some of you were really excited to see it. So I just want to let you all know.
Kate is just sitting there the whole episode lmao, I was waiting for her to state her opinion or give her original advice.
Yeah I feel like she should get more talking time, in their regular episodes its mostly Abby talking and i feel like she should back of just a tad so kate can have some time
@@pizzanarwhaltemmie Yeah, I mean its like she just watching the video with us but live
Poor Kate is the third wheel on the Abby show
very helpful!! thank u sm
Very informative. I love it when both of yawl talk about your books. It's more inspiring to see the light in the sister's eyes. ❤ Opening Hook: I loved the opening of the TV series True Blood, the first scene boom vampires!
First! I pre-ordered and got the chance to read the first five chapters from The OtherWorld and I just want to say I loved them!
Yay!! thank you so much! That means the world to me ☺🌎❤
The first two sentences of the sequel to my first book. -Wilhelm looked down at his watch and saw that the thirty minute mark was quickly approaching. He then turned his attention to the direction of the ambulance and the six full body bags at its side.-With two sentences I established that time is ticking and the stakes are grim and high.
Hey Abbie! I recently got pretty bored of writing my book, so I tried something different. I basically have a question. Can you make a short/video on how to write sibling relationships without them sounding not real-like? I've had this question for quite a while, and I really hope you'll answer it.❤
Love your work!
Love seeing clips from Poldark in there. Love that show
❤❤❤Thx Abbie!!!
you are incredible! I am not a writer, but this helps me a lot creating videos
Thank you, you helped me so much 😭🤧❤
Yesssss! I love Poldark!!! The first few seasons are my favorite to rewatch!
SAME BRUH ❤❤❤
Your new book is the heroes journey! Nice!
Thank you so much Abby! I just started writing my book opening and I really needed it. Love you 🫶. Btw I am the first one!!!
I'm so happy this video came at the right time for you! thank you so much ❤
Excellent info.
Hey Kate & Abbie 🤗... I must say this How To video is monumentally great!!👍Thank you both. The use of those awesome movies to make your point made this viseo even more digestible 😉
I'll be purchasing both of your books 📚!!
*video
*video
Thank you for explaining the importance of the role played by internal conflict in the HOOK. I did use the wisdom of an earlier video ( posted by you) and did craft a reasonably gripping hook to the story I'm crafting. After watching this I plan to revamp my hook to include the protagonist's internal conflict. Much appreciated🙏🙏
Give Story Genius a read. Abbie bases important parts of her advice on the ideas in that book. I just finished it. Abbies ids are really helpful in framing the advice in an easy to remember way
Thanks will do...Appreciate🙏
Just want to put out there that Abbie herself has on multiple videos referred people to that book and other books by the same author (Lisa Cron). I believe she even has it visible on her bookshelf in several videos as one of her references she uses.
I have a story that comes from my own life experiences that I've wanted to make into a movie for over 14 years. It's a love story, and the main character wants to earn the same affection for his crush that he has for her; and of course follow up with finding himself in a relationship with her.
But I worry that I don't know how to establish this in a way that isn't overdone and cliche. And I don't know how to do it in under five minutes.
This video is outstanding and has my mind working towards creating this movie at long last. Any help, advice, anything, would all be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much.
Informative presentation
I had a dream last night that we met up and designed/organized an apartment together while talking about philosophy, the conversation moved to being homeschooled, we met each others sisters, and then watched a show.
It was probably the nicest dream I’ve had all year but I find it funny that I’ve watched so many of your videos on both channels these past three months that you are now a 3 dimensional being with real feelings in my dream scape.
Colby. That was endearing... Hope Abbie is touched!😇 Maybe shd use it as premise to an alternate-dream-reality-mixed-plot!??🤞
@@camir2747 haha, that does seem like something she would write. Imagine meeting someone IRL and knowing all about each other in abstract depth because you share a dreamscape.
Abbie, Your videos are an amazing resource to learn from! I also enjoyed 100 Days of Sunlight. I have binged watched so many videos as I am preparing to write my first novel, which I NEVER dreamed of doing. I'm passionate about my theme, which the USA needs to recapture. My question is, will you list the movie titles in your description or voice them as they appear? I want to watch them to better understand, but I don't know even half of your examples.
You are very inspiring, and your guidance is priceless!
Thank you, Lorrie
I don’t know if Abbie will see your question. She usually looks for hashtags I think. I’m kind of in the same boat as you, but I decided on a way to move forward. I don’t know what Abbie would say, but here is how I took her guidance and ran with it so far 😂😂.
I had a premise and ideas for scenes and an ending. Full disclosure - I’m writing a fanfic for practice / as my first ever project. I am creating four original characters though, and dropping them into a story I’m crafting that takes place in the fandom character’s world.
Like I said - I had a plot growing in my brain and what helped me the most to develop my original character’s desire, fear and misbelief was Theme!
I looked at my ideas for the plot and determined what kind of life lesson a character could learn from going through the events I saw happening in my head.
I could see multiple possibilities but I decided on one main one. Once I did that, I reversed it (turned it on its head) to turn it into a misbelief. Seek out Abbie’s videos - she made videos explaining that method that explain better than I ever could.
Once I had the misbelief, I asked myself how my original character came to believe it - what happened to her and what was the wound that she hadn’t dealt with. I asked how that misbelief would define her life and create fear for certain outcomes unless she made her decisions based on the misbelief.
The desire was easy because I’m writing a romantic thriller. Ultimately, she wants to fall in love with a man that “gets” her and she wants to stay alive long enough to enjoy the newfound relationship 😂😂👀😩. She does still have an initial ambition / desire for her life she is pursuing which generates the reason she comes into fandom world and crosses paths with the fanfic characters. She is pursuing her want and not her need - she doesn’t discover it until the events of the plot reveal it to her.
I already knew (figured out) the existing fandom object’s desire, fear and misbelief and internal conflict as depicted in the movie. I can work with that. So then I further tweaked my original character’s internal conflict so that the two main characters become the “answers” to each others’ issue.
They fall deeply in love, quickly because they are deeply connected via their internal conflict.
They’ve struggled with their respective internal conflicts differently over the course of their lives, but they recognize each other in themselves. Im hoping it won’t feel like instalove but I think I can swing it. 😂😂. I’m going to try because I don’t think thrillers typically take place over a span of years or even several months. So it’s going to go down pretty quickly. It will definitely be seen as an HEA type of ending. They will be firmly established as a couple; but there won’t be a wedding scene or anything unless I write a prologue.
Sorry. I got lost out here in these weeds; but one last thing that helped was looking at a cheatsheet of the Enneagram types that Abbie made available as a download.
Abbie highly recommends it as a reference for figuring out your character’s desires, fears and misbeliefs. It’s an extremely useful tool for personality typing. It gives you a good starting point for making authentic, original characters once you layer in all your ideas for quirks and character voice etc. It’s a good video to watch if you haven’t already.
I didn’t delve that deeply into it yet. You don’t have to in order to get a foundation to build your your characters on - but I plan to look into it further. It will really help guide me to fleshing out my original characters.
So I’m now looking further into the “basics” of story structure and enhancing my understanding of Abbie’s “recipe”, point of view, writing good scenes that cause and affect each next scene to propel the plot, and dialogue.
I’m also looking at genre specific expectations for my story to further guide me developing the plot. I’m also creating my process for developing Story as I go along.
I already have two premises for original stories (not fanfic) that I will try to develop next - but my fanfic will hopefully be a useful exercise that will allow me to get feedback and help me out with writing my original “babies”. 😂.
To wrap it up, I believe Theme can save you in this situation and serve as the two way bridge between your plot and how you develop your characters. I think that’s true regardless of whether the horse is traveling in front of, or behind the cart. 😂😂😂
I’m no Abbie or Kate. Not even close. But that’s how I used their advice and guidance to come at our shared situation.
I hope some of this helps you.
very nice.
Hi Abbie! I have just subscribed to your channel and I've been watching your videos for a while. I love everything you teach and I can't wait to buy your book (if I don't get it for Christmas). I have a question. I have created a hook and then I created a different version. And then I created another one. but how do I stop second guessing myself. How do I know which hook is the best. I can't seem to get past the first page because I keep thinking I need to change things. Is it too dark, too blunt, too mysterious. Those are the questions I always ask myself.
Thank you to friend's anywhere
Thanks
So so helpful as I'm doing edits on my first novel right now. Thank you for reminding me always of good writing principles :) Question... Can you please list all of the shows/ movies you referenced snippets of? Would like to watch them and I don't recognize them all. Thank you!
I'm so glad you enjoyed this video! Thank you so much ☺💛 I will pin a comment with the movie/tv show references!
Awesome hook lesson, Kate and Abbie! Thanks. My plot: 1915, a convicted war-scientist breaks parole, openly resuming outlawed practices, in a race to vindicate himself and disgraced, dead mentor.
Not so much Internal conflict as much as the mystery of both the conflict and resolution. Once we spend time uncovering the problem, we openly seek the solution.
Hi Abbie! I have a question, for your recent character profile that you made, which characters am I supposed to put in the character relations section; just people she already knows, or also the people she's going to meeet in the story?
So question what about an epic fantasy book with multiple POVs? Do you have to establish each characters intrrnal conflict fears and goals every time they switch POVs? Or do multiple opening hooks? And multiple inciting incidences for the PoVs that don't connect ?
Just finished your video on the same topic from 3 years ago...
For my story, (not published nor completed yet) I struggled a lot with finding a good starting point, but I found one I feel is an exemplary focal point of the conflict my characters have.
In very basic terms, my story contains gods from different mythologies including Ares and Athena, (they are my deconstructions of them) who in this scene are reuniting under tense circumstances after a long standing rivalry that has no foreseeable peaceful outcome.
The fictional world this takes place in is a planet called Exodous, which is protected by its own trio of gods who have allied with Athena, one of which is her new husband.
It’s a tall order for sure as you can tell from the wall of text, but I’m hoping to accomplish enough in the scene to give a firm understanding of what happened between the two, the inevitable threats coming their way and thus the necessity of their reunification, and that even though Athena is in the right, Ares has always managed to be one step ahead of her in all forms of endeavor.
Thank you abbie! 💕
Also I need help! I'm young writer and I'm starting my book. But i don't really know can I start first chapter with waking up. So guys can you say something about it? Maybe you have a tip for another way to start? I will be very grateful!! 💕 (sorry if my English is bad)
Hey Abbie 💞 i have a question, do you think i could start my story with my protagonist looking around at the setting and then maybe something bad could happen in the setting that could give the reader an idea about her internal conflict? Thank you ☺️
I like to jump the reader into an event without prior character fanfare. The characters are already well outlined, but I want my readers to figure out the characters as they interact during a significant event, then see the build up as the character is fleshed out in the story progression.
I've found that little details in description or storyline where the opening is a bit mysterious or rather unusual, often become focal points for readers.
This is born out when presenting drafts to beta readers initially. For example, in the opening chapter of the first story of my latest book series, which takes place on an alien ship that swiftly appears in our solar system along with its support fleet, the alien protagonist and his subordinate discus the small blue planet that they have come to.
Strangely enough both beta readers, and later alpha readers, expressed a lot of curiosity not only with the plot and narrative between the two aliens but also the description of the protagonist's armor.
I got feedback asking me about the significance of the filigree designs in the armor of the protagonist?
The readers all described the story as strange, exciting, interesting, and even epic. Several of them related that if the book or series were turned into a science fiction film or series that it would easily rival space operas like Star Wars or movies like Avatar.
But the hook is not pethaps so obvious to me other than readers learning that humans have been harvested as "pets" and taken away to an alien world where the story transpires.
It could be the more sinister third character that initially inspects and speaks to the captive immobilized humans as they are being transported. Or perhaps it is simple empathy.
The truth of the matter is that I write first and foremost for myself.
I write for my readers as well, but I write the sorts of stories that I would enjoy if they were written by another author.
I've invested a lot of time analyzing characters, plots, and so forth. Applying rules like show don't tell, avoiding information dumps, and moving the pace of the story along in a way that holds the reader's interest.
The first paragraph (or page, depending on your information source) should hook the reader, according to most publishers and writers.
I try to keep to that rule of thumb, but I don't obsess over the hook.
People will read it and either be pulled in, or be initially confused. Hopefully most readers take the time to read the first few pages.
But compelling readers or compressing a meaningful analog of a protagonist or story arc is not the primary thought driving my writing.
I hope to hook the reader's interest. But if not, oh well.
That's not to say that I don't care about the hook. But I do focus more on the description and presentation or scene setting than trying to make that first paragraph or that first page mind blowing and all inclusive.
That's just my reflection. I think you have some good insights. It's important that characters are not just story filler.
That they have back stories and lives and personalities that the author knows well and incorporates into the narrative as the character grows or changes through the story arcs.
With intrnal conflict is it bad for your character to want multiple things and they think they could achieve both in the inciting incedent/where it leads while avoiding their fear. I have her internal conflict pretty figured out but I can see how she would want both of the options I have for her desire and how they both clash with the fear, I just want to know before I get too deep into the story. Any advice is welcomed, thank you in advance❤❤❤❤❤
4:00 Which movie is this clip from?
is there any videos for step by step on how to publish my own books on amazon?
Hey Abbie I have a question I wanted to ask: Say I already wrote a great hook and made sure that the characters internal conflict is shown to the reader and they understand and care for the characters deeply. But where I’m stuck on is that when a character their mom their internal conflict and why they made all these fear based decisions without repeating yourself or preachy to your theme but instead make it feel natural and not make my readers or audience feel like there stupid because there being told the there internal conflict again when they already know?
(Hope the question made since. 😁)
The book series I'm working on is about the boy who wants to become "The Hero" but due to his past of being bullied and told he's not good enough, he lacks the confidence to do so while also struggling with some built up anger issues
Would it be the hook is like the "movie trailer" for your story? And with movies maybe that is why some don't have a hook within the actual first five minutes because the hook was in the trailer to market the movie. So, people buying a ticket should already be hooked otherwise they would not go to the movie.
With books it is much different. Between the title of the book and the hook, the readers will stay. I am a writer of a fan-fiction mystery series set in the world of How to Train Your Dragon - currently writing Book 10 - and thought of something to add to the hook for a book series: A deeper lore hook.
Returning readers are already hooked, they want something more, something that they either recongize from a previous book or a new found conflict to a character that would be exciting to explore or maybe the theme of the book is fresh to the series and they want ti see how it plays out.
But where to put the second hook I am still figuring out.
Hi Abbie, really helpful video as always. Im in the middle of writing an initial hook for my graphic novel, and was wondering if its ok to have more than one internal conflict for my MC. Or is that too complicated? What are your thoughts on this?
I’m no professional, but I’d say it’s okay as long as you have a clear view of the characters MAIN misbelief, and the one big truth that they learn. As long as you keep in mind the big theme/truth/aha moment of your story, I think it’s fine, if not encouraged, to layer your characters with more conflicts, as long as they feed into each other and matter in the long run? I hope that helps :)
@@isadoranurdin4402 cheers 👍 helpful advice.
@@midnightsketcher6570 glad to hear it! I'd love to know what it's about, if you don't mind me asking?
1:49 when's the right time to bring in the conflict in my book? A few chapters later? The second chapter??
I think I realized now what I feel is missing from a character I've been working on and it's possibly that he is very close to not having a goal. The beginning is kind of a revenge arc but there's no clear target for said revenge. He also has a way out of the path of revenge and yet I'm not exactly sure how to lead him to it. So many holes but I'm not giving up just frustrated. Of all the people to have trouble with my protagonists are the most difficult 😅
( First part was before watching the video 🙃 ) I feel like I might have some ideas on what to do to fix my problem. I have his conflict and misbelief down for the most part but his issue is that he doesn't believe he will be happy again because of what's happened to him and revenge pushes him forward until he realizes he's becoming something he hated and subconsciously feared as a child. His way out of the revenge path someone who believes in redemption and unstands why he lost his way. Just thought of an interesting way for them to meet 😈
Hi Abbie, my character has a fear of abandonment (and gets ghosted afterwards), does it mean that her main desire is to fall in love ? or can it be something external like "get a job". x
Do you have any advice for getting feedback on your book? How do you find some arc readers? Thanks
Me and Kate did a podcast on that topic! You can watch it here: czcams.com/video/gkpHWD6tFac/video.html
@@AbbieEmmons Thank you so much for the reply. I’ll check it out. :)
I know you said to develop your characters before the plot, but what if the plot is the idea you started with? How would you recommend figuring out your character’s desire, fear, and misbelief in that case?
I had the same problem, but I think the best way to fix it is to think of a motive that guides the characters through the plot you’ve made. Like, WHY are they going on this journey? What do they have to gain? Why are they so desperate to gain it? What do they fear will happen? It’s also important to keep an open mind to new ideas - if something in your plot just doesn’t work, you might need to tweak things until it feels realistic for your character. That doesn’t necessarily mean you need to scrap anything, just try to line it up. Hope that helps :)
after watching your videos my writing problems get solved but if someone were to ask me what did she say exactly in the video that solved your issues. and my answer will be nothing... nothing exactly, nothing particular BUT my problems were solved and its all that matters to me.
A great movie with amazing character internal conflict is Doctor Strange.....
Can you please do a video on how to wrote with a better prose 😂 my writing, despite me having a much better grasp of writing, still seems to read like a high-school essay. 😂😢
Do you have any advice on how to write a fantasy novel where the mc goes on a journey through a bunch of lands? Specifically how to make it less repetitive?
I wondered about this too, but maybe try giving each land its own purpose and dynamic, and make it flow better by having things from past lands ( like, antagonists following behind, memories from hometown, etc. ) follow them through, and make sure every land or custom of that land ( well, not EVERYTHING in it, but important things ) to be specifically relevant to plot and arcs. Also try to make it that the characters get to each land in different ways; travel, brought there against their will, accidentally find something that they want to explore, clues that lead them all over the place, etc. maybe look to some movies for reference? The only thing coming to mind is Lord Of the Rings, though I don’t know much about it. Good luck
i think, the very very first hook for the book is blurb in its cover. the blurb itself should hook the future readers to grab and buy the book.
secondly, is the very first word and the very first sentence of first chapter. after compare both english literature writers and Indonesian literature writers, i think Indonesian literature writers have better skill to make hook in the very first sentence of first chapter. they don't always use internal conflict, otherwise they often use the punching argumentation of the story's narrator or the main character's argumentation/statement. The argumentations literally blow readers mind. starting from there, they continue the story's setup using internal conflicts, etc.
They're actually taking about the story bit called "The Hook" that sets up the rest of the story. It is basically the internal conflict, the moment you establish your character.
I am testing out a premise for a new story idea. Its a J R.R Tolkien inspired high fantasy setting (with most of the usual tropes of high fantasy) populated by elves, wolfskins and other fantasy races. However instead of dragons as tne dangerous antagonists, irs dinosaurs from our own world tjat inhabit this high fantasy world. Does that sound like a cool hook for a narrative? I am trying to do a retelling of The Last of Us, but with dinosaurs in a fantasy setting instead of zombies.
I intend to have the opening scene begin with a Raptor attack on the protagonist home village tnst ends with her biological som being killed, with a 20 year timeskip afterwards where our protagonist is a middle-age monster slayer for-hire.
3:48 Does anyone know the movie/series that is presented here?
it's the movie Belle (2013) which is one of my favorite period dramas of all time! 😍🙏
@@AbbieEmmons Oh I see!! Then I'll definitly be watching it soon 💗 Also, I love your videos always and they help me so much in my writing!! Thank you so much for the reply!! I use your videos as a blue print for my writing and watching them really encourages me to do better! 😢😢 bless your heart!! ILY 💗 super excited for you new book btwww!
Hi Abbie!
Good job!
First of, thanks for all the marvelous work you do to help other writers along in their own writing journeys. ❤
That said, I found I could pay more attention to what you were teaching in this video when I DIDN'T watch it but simply listened to it. The clips of the movies completely distracted me from whatever point you were trying to make. Also, I find it a bit odd and unhelpful when writers of novels are often given MOVIE examples of what they should and should not do or have in their BOOKS. Movies and books are totally different; most movies are completed in 90-120 minutes, while most novels take a few to several hours before completion. Movies are also made with the corroboration of a team of creatives, whereas books are the penned-out imagination of one person, sometimes two. The two formats cannot be compared on equal footing. I agree with what you SAID about hooks and characters and such in the video, but I disagree with your use of MOVIES to get your point across. But maybe I'm just showing my age here. 🤷🏼♀️
It is easier to show all those stories via watching a movie clip , than describe a book, which is probably unread by the person watching youtube after all. Simply a part of the content style to be found here pretty much.
OK, so I can sort of understand why you think the first chapter Hass to pop out, and I’ll admit, I’m not always good at doing that. For myself, I don’t know if it’s always meant to be the case. Harry Potter, and the sorcerer‘s/philosopher‘s stone, for example, didn’t really explain what was going on until chapter 4, and even then Harry just seem to be going along with whatever was happening, just as fascinated with the world as we were the parent even though we got some foreshadowing in chapter 1). If you can’t do internal conflict, would it mystery be a good substitute? I know that might sound like an old 1970s movie, but it’s how I’ve done things. And in Hamilton, we don’t learn what Aaron burr wants until halfway through the second act! We know what Hamilton wants almost from the get-go. But being indecisive or hesitant is all part of Aaron burr’s character. There’s a series on CZcams about how Hamilton works musically, and one of those videos addresses that topic about the I want song. I think it was in the video about Aaron and Bursts theme music. God bless!
47 Ronin. The hook of the Samurai Lord saying good bye to his wife.
Question: Is it okay to begin a story not with the protagonist, but with the inciting incident approaching them, so you're introducing what's in store for your character before introducing them themselves?
In the show "Will Trent" They use something similar to this so I'd assume you'd be able to use it in a story but correct me if I'm wrong.
@@nikonash201 I felt like it had appeared in stories before.
On Columbo, they always showed the killer committing the murder. Then Columbo (the protagonist) would show up at the crime scene afterwards.
The crime was always the inciting incident so Columbo routinely entered the story. after the inciting incident. However, that was episodic tv - not a novel. Plus that kind of setup might be somewhat specific to the crime / thriller/ detective genres.
Like with romance, the inciting incident is generally always when the couple first meet (meet cute or meet hate). With crime detective thriller it’s often the crime or the discovery of it that is the inciting incident but not always.
I guess it depends on what genre you’re writing but I think you could probably do it however you wanted…as long as you compel the Reader to want to care about the protagonist and follow his journey and don’t take too long to get us invested in him / her (the protagonist). 🤔🤔.
Also authors sometimes start their stories in “medias res” at an action point far into the story and then they time shift back to an earlier point to show what happened to get the protagonist to that point.
That’s an instance where the plot points have been juggled around by doing that and it’s still commonly used to good effect to jumpstart story. So shifting the order of plot points is a legit thing for sure.
#AskAbbie Hi, Abbie I really like your videos but there are three things I don't completely understand
Q. 1- you know Internal conflict, desire vs fear. Well, my mc, Castor has many desires and fears which all come from the same source. I can't remove any of them either because they are all interconnected and the story would crumble without one of the desires/fears, can you give me some advice?
Q. 2- It's about my Villain, I really have no clue how to write his relationship with the mc because it's very complicated. He would go to his grave hating Castor but at the same time will never let anyone apart from him and the side-villain touch Castor. He doesn't want Castor to ever die or leave him, and it's very confusing. Thank you 😊
If my first chapter isn’t captivating, should I create an intense prologue or something?!
Because in my storyline, I can’t make the first chapter extremely meaningful, because it has to capture the main characters humble origins before his life was uprooted and thrown into disarray.
So is a prologue good?
Your first chapter doesn't have to be incredibly meaningful to captivate your audience. I think if you hook your readers with a character that they want to care about, then you can keep them reading further.
Prologue’s often feel kinda filler-y to me. I think your first chapter sounds like it could be a great start just make sure to include something of him wanting something more to begin that internal conflict. So one of the examples in the video above was of the Greatest Showman where a young PT Barnum who is poor and broke is looking at the finery inside a shop and imagining himself in it through the window. It’s a very brief moment-but it shows the audience his dreams very clearly.
Basically, the internal conflict in chapter one doesn’t have to be long or talked about extensively, just show the reader what this character thinks they want. You don’t have to have the character tell the reader that they want to be rich and powerful, just show them admiring something they lack.
@@ninjasteph9561 Great advice! You especially shouldn't use a prologue if it's just to hide a first chapter that you believe is subpar.
I can't wrap my head around the concepts "hook" and "inciting incident", I just can't see the difference between them!
I request you look into World of Warcraft lore please.
My character is a independent character that has no personal connections and thinks they're a waste of time. Her external challenge is that she's trying to get her book published but it keeps getting rejected, but I don't know how her internal fear of getting close to people ties into that :/ EDIT: Not in a plot sense, I already have the basics of what I want my plot to be, I just need to know how her fear ties in to her challenge and how I can convey that in the opening hook.
On top of that I have no idea what goes down when someone's book gets rejected and google won't tell me anything 😂 I don't expect Abbie to answer obviously, but if anyone else on here has any ideas I'm all ears.
So, maybe her journey should be to understand that having friends/personal connections is not really a waste of time. Keep asking questions, as Glenn Gers explains in czcams.com/video/uL0atQFZzL8/video.html
Just a suggestion but maybe you could create a fear of failure in her in the sense that she sees failure as a thing to always counter and since she's always getting rejected, she hatches a plan probably to deceitfully befriend someone which she hates but can help her get accepted(maybe a love interest, friend, or enemy) At the end of her journey she realizes that friends are necessary to have and not people you use or you could make her learn it's okay to fail sometimes as humans and rise up . All in all, you wanna make sure you have a main theme and then the subtheme backing up the main theme, to make sense of what I'm saying you could use the both themes/internal conflict I pointed out but you have to make one a main theme and then the other a subtheme
@@obiegbunkiruka2750 This set off a spark of ideas in my head - of the character lying to a potential editor to get a job as a proof reader so that she can read other authors work and maybe sneakily push hers through. While she’s there she meets a potential love interest but has to lie to them to maintain the cover. In the end it all catches up with her and the people she’s met leave her on her own again, at which point she realises she does actually want them around.
@@FrankWolfson Yeah I already know her journey and that's exactly what she learns. That's not what I asked about tho :
@@rosestarofroseclan8094 OK, my mistake. Didn't understand the question.
Okay this isn’t ab the video (loved it btw!) but has anyone told u that u look like the actress Emily wickersham!
she totally does! she also looks a little like natalia dyer from stranger things, not a whole lot but there is a resemblance
So, I am trying to write a story, since I think its really fun. Like onde I start writing, i seen to not be alle to stop. I have now started writing, but i feel like the first sentence is something that will make people leave. So I was wondering if this is really bad start or if the start is okay…. The sun gradually set, completing its work for the day and making way for the moon to begin its work. The sky was painted in three hues: a warm yellow like a sunflower, a lively orange similar to the gemstone amber, and a fiery red identical to fire…. Like it’s that really bad of a start? Because I feel like most people will think that its boring. (Sorry for writing so much)
Haha, I started with a similar thing, but I’ve learned that a weather description is generally… a pretty bad way to start. Sorry. You can still use it, but maybe save it for when heightened description is REALLY necessary, like a romantic scene or introduction to a place. As for the actual beginning sentence, try to make something sudden, unexpected, funny -
“An ax swings for my head.” - warrior of the wild, Tricia Levenseller. Of course I don’t know what your story is about, but try to conjure a scene, set the tone, start with action. I’m no pro, but my story starts with a puppet show, with the puppet-carving protagonist proud of her work in a world of ghosts. First sentence: “The puppets looked a moment away from drawing breath” Hope that helps ;)
What was the show with the lady writer in 1872? ...curious now tia
I think it’s called Colette
It appears to be Miss Scarlett and the Duke. PBS Masterpiece.
@@jefferysayer7988 Ahh, thanks Jeffery!
Totally on point about some stories making their characters aimless. Makes me loose interest very quick.
I read the title as “how to COOK your readers” so uh
I was very confused at first.
Story arc
Internal conflicts:
-DESIRES to enter a loving, committed relationship but IS AFRAID OF betrayal or disappointment.
-DESIRES to assume a position of leadership but IS AFRAID to face criticism/to fall short of expectations.
-DESIRES to end a relationship but IS AFRAID OF solitude.