I would absolutely love to join but my life is a little too complicated to do that right now. I hope there is another one next year which I will definitely join if there's any openings!
I have an exception for No.4, as my main character and his sister (the secondary character) fight a tiger. My Mac leaps and fights to protect the younger sister, and almost dies, but then his sister kills the tiger after. This is in a series sooooo we will have to wait for the next book to see if the mc fully recoveres. I’ll write “book one” on the cover so that they know
If you really think about it, a novel that starts with a dark lord destroying a village BECAUSE the main character's family are too good of chefs and ends with a cooking contest between the two can be a decent premise.
Quality videos with insightful information at that. Most UA-camrs say the same stuff everyone else is saying, just with fresh examples. Jed actually presents fresh INSIGHTS. Insanely valuable stuff.
As someone in the middle of finishing their 4th draft, this is a big help. Only problem I'm facing is that I'm writing a historical fiction, so I can't be too loose or creative with the ending as these events are set in time already and have to align my characters with these events. So you can imagine how difficult it is to land a satisfying character arc with a good ending when history dictates that ending to be somewhat unsatisfactory at times
That makes me think of Rouge One. Yes it’s not historical fiction, but it’s a story set in an already structured timeline. Maybe your characters should have a sense of dread, believing the worse will come, with only one of them insisting there be hope. You can: end the character with hope, have a character whose always hated the hope talk save the Hopeful by sacrificing themself, or have the hope character give up all their faith when they see others lost. With the last one, it provokes emotion in the audience while also moving the other characters.
If you're writing fiction, it's likely fine to alter the ending more or less (just make sure that the event is still "recognizable" (which, i assume, is one of your goals)). But, take my words with a full bucket of salt as i'm not even a writer :)
I've rewritten my ending 4 times on the first draft alone, and I'm finally somewhat happy with my "double loop": the thing they really struggled to do on a small scale in the first chapter, is finally achieved on a large scale in the 35th and last chapter. But also, there's this intergenerational aspect where many years ago, "our side" won the battle but lost the war. This time, they lose the battle (three-quarter crisis) but win the war. I like symmetry like that.
I'm impressed with the way Brandon Sanderson creates a finish for each of the individual Stormlight Archive books. The 'reveal that changes *everything*" that he puts in each book is quite a skill as well.
I’m getting back into writing after a long hiatus, I’ve never finished a first draft of anything so that’s my goal. I’m really optimistic now, your videos have been so inspiring and informative! Thank you!! 🙏
Omg, this video is perfectly timed. I am currently writing the final climax chapter of my novel, the completion of my protagonist's negative character arc (i only have 5,000 words left, with the book 61,000 words in total), ending with her getting her vengeance and becoming the new tyrant queen. I want to reveal a revelation right at the end of the book, that my protagonist is actually pregnant, with an epilogue chapter of the MC giving birth to a son, who would be the protagonist of a potential sequel novel.
Maybe reveal the pregnancy just a bit earlier? If you do it RIGHT at the end it might come of as a bit BS to the readers like you just tacked it on at the end without putting in any work.
@@mighty_spirit8532 I am right at the point in the chapter, right near the beginning of it, where I could put in some clues and foreshadowing (such as morning sickness) that subtly hints at it, but not show it until the epilogue I did have a lovemaking scene with the now - deceased love interest two chapters prior that sets it up, if I decide to include it
@@unicorntomboy9736 Sounds good, though please give your reader some (dosen't need to be a ton of) time to digest the twist while reading and not after they have finished the book.
@@mighty_spirit8532 It's more so intended to set up a potential sequel, which would feature the son or daughter of the protagonist as the main character. It essentially copies the ending of Star Wars Revenge of the Sith Overall though, the ending is meant to be depressing, cynical and bleak, since it is a grimdark novel
I totally agree with the points about outling; I am on the 3rd draft of my current WIP and it is far more cohesive than previous attempts. I'm now at the point where I can just work on adding subtlety and foreshadowing etc, rather than forcing disconnected, weak plot points together. These videos have been so helpful for me.
Even tho I am only managing to write fanfictions for mysel, watching your videos allows me to have a bigger scope in regards of writing techniques and ways to tell a story outside of the main path. Thank you very much, Jed Herne!
THE WAY YOU CONDENSED THE CLIMAX AS THE CROSSING POINT OF THE EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL !!! ❤❤ JED!!! thank you, it sounded so simple like that but it was the PERFECT summary for all the thoughts on theme, plot and character that I've been trying to make sense of in my own head.
This strikes to the heart of the tension between plotters and pantsers. While pantsers may not build the perfectly crafted climax and there can even be some meandering to get to it, overly plotted stories can feel hollow because the protagonist always has plot armor to get to the predictable climax. Not all stories need to end with the destruction of the ring and the fall of Sauron. Sometimes there is value in scouring the Shire.
16:40 "monte cristo" by Alexander duma did exactly that and its ending wasn't even a climax point, and you could argue there were no the climax point, but several climax points, but it's still sooo good. Although, it's not a fantasy
I've watched alot of your videos now, they feel like a breath of fresh air ! I've seen plenty of videos about how to write/avoid mistakes etc , not alot of them cover some topics I've seen in your videos
I personally believe that any book should have some sense of closure by the end, even if it's meant to have sequels. The first method to achieve that, as Jed mentioned, is to treat your first book as a stand alone (giving your MC one main conflict to resolve and create a new one in the next book), but you can also write your plot to give your MC several layers of conflicts from the get go and resolve each one in a different book. I think the most common example of the first method is to tell your MC's struggle to become a leader and then, show his/her struggle as a leader in the next book. An example of the second is Athlea in Robin Hobb's Ship series (and of course spoiler alert. If you haven't read the first book of the trilogy and plan to do so, stop reading here). By the end of Book 1, Athlea manages to become a worthy sailor (something she quickly realize isn't so clear as she first thought) but she still has to recover her family ship and she's still a woman in a world dominated by men. Life is still not going to be easy for her, but Robin Hobb does resolve some of her conflicts by the end of book 1, and I don't think I'm the only one to think that it's important. Honestly, there's nothing more frustrating than reading the last few lines of a book and be thrown a massive "to be continued" at your face. It's good to keep things pending (I mean, it's essential if you're writing a series) but not everything.
I'm probably gonna do my first book with the mc slowly opening up to people and caring about them when before all he cared about was killing demons and getting his revenge. When he finally has the opportunity to do so he has to choose between doing it or saving the person which is the only one dear to him. This person is someone he saved while they were still a kid and he begrudgingly became their guardian/friend. He saves them, but is really frustrated that he couldn't get his revenge and the next opportunity to do so will take decades so while this person is sleeping, he abandons them at some home and becomes the lone hunter once again.
Haven't finished the video yet, but thank you for giving us all this wonderful information! It's really helped me, and surely countless others in their own, special writing journeys.
The vice a great analogy. This was my main gripe with the Mario movie. Princess peach was the mentor and she was still around during the battle with Bowser. There was no reason she couldn’t beat Bowser herself and it took away the tension. There was also no reason that Luigi was just as effective as Mario when he didnt go through the progression that Mario did.
Great timing! I just finished act 2/3 in my first rewrite, and now I'm approaching the ending of the zero draft again. It's great to hear your thoughts - the ending is the whole point of the story, absolutely!
Fantastic stuff, Jed! My novel is a worldview change for the protagonist, so I need to think hard about aligning his inner journey with the outer one. Thanks!
I am loving Channel, just purchased a copy of Fires of the Dead. I started writing recently after getting into Fantasy recently, I read a lot but usually non fiction or Manga. Enjoying reading and writing fantasy at the moment, thanks for all the advice
Each video you have created has made me feel more and more like I can create a story worth reading. The first video of yours I watched helped me redirect my approach and shift parts of the narrative to better suit the main conflict. It is hard having a particular idea in mind that does not fit with the rest of the setting especially when it is a part you put a lot of effort into, but after making those changes I feel like my story is in a much better place. Keep doing what you’re doing and thank you.
I always feel so much better after watching a how-to video here when my imposter syndrome is kicking in. Though I worry a little about cliffhangers, the comment about standalone with series potential hit home. My characters' main goal is complete but there's lots more to do and a new goal on the horizon.
This is perfect for my story. I’ll admit that it’s ambitious, as there are quite a few plot threads spread across two, technically three, chronological periods, but I’ve already thought through my climax and am currently typing it. Because of the different win conditions for all the parties involved, neither of the two antagonists are actually killed, but the protag has a (hopefully) emotional moment of development and does defeat both antags, so hopefully it works out well.
Well, I'm one of the first! Just wanted to say thanks for all the videos you're putting out! It's definitely helping me create my fantasy novel ("Light and Shadows"), and help me tackle issues I've had with the worldbuilding. :)
Thank you for this video, as well as for the others you made. They are really helpful. :) On a sidenote: A large portion of this video feels like a fitting critique of the last season of Game of Thrones.
In my novel, I basically am making my character "the chosen one" (without prophecies) and him making all this journey to safety with different characters, but with this same old man, as in most epic fantasy novels which normally dies (or does some Gandalf-type shit). In reality, I pan for my story's climax to be in this volcano, where it is revealed my protagonist might not be the chosen one (another dragon egg is found, before it was thought the protagonist's was the first) right after, the main villain finds the group and a big battle commences. At the end, the volcano starts erupting, and the characters start evacuating it. With only the protagonist remaining to fend off the antagonist. But when the protagonist tries leaving, the gandalf figure actually blocks him in, thinking he is sacrificing him to destroy the villain, instead of risking for the villain's escape. So when the volcano erupts, with the side characters thinking the protagonist is dead, I want to build this mental picture of the volcano erupting while the cast in on a ship, furiously rowing away, with the future new protagonist huddling the egg found in the volcano.
@@Second_Son1990 Thank you! I really love this channel because it really makes it easy for people like me to share their ideas, so ever comment is really appreciated!
I don't even know how I ended in this channel, but I've watched quite a bunch of the videos, and it made me think a LOT on what I had started writing once - a low-fantasy that would drive into Sci-Fi trilogy and quite a few of these points really made me reflect on it. Of course, too ambitious for a first draft, but it's a story that just wouldn't fit in a single book I think. 1) The closing image, like, I didn't have one for the end of Book 3, but I definitely saw an image in the back of my head that felt beautiful, and will use the principle of planning backwards with that scene and image. 2) For the trilogy thing my original approach is - Book 1 is kind of self-contained in the way that it has its own particular conflict with very minor hints of a greater scheme of things. Book 2 would be the one that starts scaling up events and end with a massive cliffhanger for Book 3 to give closure. I like the fact that it kind of follows most of the principles scattered in the videos, because it doesn't overwhelm readers at first glance but at the same time it ideally doesn't fall flat later on. 3) I was thinking of using multi POVs, kind of in the ASOIAF style and thought of multiple possible characters. That said, watching through this series, I believe I'll narrow down the list to just three of those characters, since I felt like my original planification would end up not showing so much of the characters I care the most about, and focus too much on side-characters. As to know tips, what do you consider to be key points of making a good or a terrible plot twist? Like, what makes a plot twist predictable, dull or genius?
Great video. It's awesome to see so many coming out. Sadly I've not had the time to watch them all even lol. My only real negative here is knots are typically done so poorly. I found the Harry Potter Potter books as "effective fizzle" as opposed to knots. At least on most of them. A thread ending should be used to actually build on what is coming and bring more focus and tension.
In the first entry I’m working on, the protagonist’s town is attacked. His new allies are at war with the attackers elsewhere so they put the attack on the town in some broader context. Saving the town conclusively resolves the core conflict driving the first story, but it comes at a personal cost and leaves protagonist with unanswered questions about what’s going on in the world and what his place really is in it.
So I definitely did a deus ex machina, but that's kind of the point of the first book. He got lucky. My main character's mom tells him that if he thinks he's helpless, he will be, and he interprets that to mean that he'll never be helpless so long as he believes in himself, but ultimately his attempts to walk away from his experiences in the book with confidence in his own agency will fall apart, and he'll need to reorient himself in the sequels. It's paving the way for the "Empire Strikes Back" installment in the story. He's an immature twelve year old who only "won" because the ultimate villain of the series deliberately orchestrated his advantages as a prank on the minor villain of the first book. I see so many stories where the hero beats the villain by pulling a last ditch burst of strength and willpower at the last possible second, and I don't find that satisfying. So many heroes are characterized by this indominable will that seems to just be innate. They got to where they got because they were just more driven than anyone else. I want to tell a story about a character with no natural confidence who feels forced to make himself better because he knows how lucky he was, and he knows he wont get lucky a second time. I want to explore the conflict between him and family members and friends who seem to believe he's stronger than he is. The climax in the first book does at least benefit from the illusion of satisfying character growth. The bad guy IS defeated directly due to the actions of the protagonist, but its kind of like someone pissing off the hulk and dropping him on top of the problem. I THINK I've done everything I need to do to foreshadow the remaining flaws of my protagonist and the tragedies in store for him, but I feel like I'm gonna be in trouble if people miss the fact that the structure of the story is intentional.
I think getting the ending in mind is important, for sure. As a pantser, I can easily fall into a flow where I just keep writing. The story get's longer and longer and it's going somewhere, but it's not an ending.
12:06 Early on, I had this problem. I wanted a series so stories would end unresolved for a sequel. Nowadays, I plan on the first book in my sci-fi series to be stand-alone, with hints of lore and future characters. The protagonist's arc in this book is still resolved.
Next video please: 1st Person vs 3rd Person Close vs 3rd Person Omniscient | Combination of both 1st Person and 3rd Person Close Good? how do you make it work?
I think the idea of beginning with the ending in mind is fantastic advice. But, it really requires equal emphasis on planning the lead up to that chosen ending. Your ending isn't worth jack if you don't carefully plan a path that prevents your characters from having access to hijack the story. Case in point: I tried writing the last three chapters of a story once. It was great. Emotionally cathartic and everything. But, I thought I could just freestyle my way up to that ending. I was totally wrong. It quickly became apparent that I had basically made myself the quintessential frustrated Dungeon Master. I had a campaign that I'd come up with and my players (the characters) ignored it completely to go in the opposite direction. Each chapter I wrote was fun and interesting, but it also took me further and further from where I was trying to go. Eventually, I had two choices before me: give up my planned ending, or scrap what I'd written and start over, this time ruling the plot with an iron fist. For now, I've set it aside to work on other things.
Two books/series I have read that leave plot threads hanging well are The Golden Goblet by Eloise Jarvis McGraw (historical fiction) and The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson (YA fantasy). The first one ends with a promise that the hell the main character has gone through is over forever and things will only get better. The second one ends with the presumed death of the POV character, with a hint that there may be a way to yet save them. The ending of the book I am currently still working on the first draft of (it has been a few months, because, you know, life...) follows the familiar mold of a character more fiercely defending those he loves than himself. The opening scene devolves into a battle for the life of the main character, which he lacks motivation to solve beyond instinctive self-defense. It is others that really brings out the determination in him. The climax (there was a smaller *bang* that resolved the secondary plot earlier) involves the protagonist finally confronting the character who has been trying to ruin his family for the past 80% of the book and soundly beating him before taking an action which sets off the rest of the narrative like a struck tuning fork.
I think a deus-ex-machina can work if it is used to tidy up loose threads after the protagonist's journey is wrapped up, especially if the threads that were created in the first place has already finished their purpose. An example of this could be a minor villain that left the plot before they could be properly dealt with, suddenly having a really bad day on their unearned vacation from being the bad guy.
Here's a pertinent question: Does the final conflict/battle in a fantasy novel have to be between the main protagonist and the main antagonist? I've been working on this fantasy series for a few years now, and in most of the books I have planned, the big battle between the party of heroes and the main villain isn't the final battle of the story. Most of the time, the final conflict is between the main protagonist and someone else close to them, as part of the process of tying up the story's last loose end. The message I'm going for is that no matter who tries to conquer/destroy the world or how they try to do it, nothing will ever be harder than fighting the ones you love most.
Man this reminds me of the His Dark Materials series and how the main character wasn't even involved in the final conflict literally just taking a stroll through the underworld while her father is fist fighting an angel
In one of my projects the hero does win by luck. It's part of her plan. She has to fight a superior swordsman, so her idea is to rush in and end the fight in a single moment, then run away. if she fights with her skill she's sure to lose. And after the fight, she has to get out of range since the wound will be fatal, but not conclusive. He'll have time to kill her ten times over before he collapses, so she has to survive his revenge long enough for him to bleed out. And there isn't a lot of room to run..
That's a matter of pacing really. Between Climax and "The End" you need to show what the climax has caused, what the pay off is. But you shouldn't drag it, otherwise it feel boring. A nice example for this is, though not a book, the party at the end of Baldur's Gate 3, where you can talk with all the characters that you have met during your journey and hear what has happened to them since the great battle.
There are a ton of factors that could go into it. If it's a sprawling epic fantasy novel that is concerned with themes, the winding down might even require a secondary climax (like the destruction of the Shire in Lord of the Rings after the hobbits return home). But if it's a fast-paced serial action flick in a novel format, maybe it should only take a chapter of winding down, showing the hero ready for new adventures.
It depends. Sometimes it's good to tie some loose ends together, to show the reader how the protagonist lives after the adventure, what he had learned about live. Sometimes a full chapter is needed, sometimes a short epilogue will do it. And sometimes you can use it to tease the sequel, e.g. the surviving villain plotting his next step.
Well mine is going to (I still need to actually write it, I’ve started 6 times, this story is kicking my ass) end with the main character sitting alone in the paradise he always dreamed of sharing with all his loved ones. He’s all alone, he’s lost them all, even when the whole point of everything he did was to protect them and his kingdom (he was a prince). He’s sits there, laughing at his own eternal misery (he ascends to godhood unwillingly, long story) and he ends the story by saying that he’ll wait until waiting is no longer an option. That he’ll wait until time is no more. He will not forget them, and so he recounts everything he can remember to himself as he sits, and as he waits. The story (or at least his pov) is literally him remembering, and the other pov is his dead lover sitting in death’s web (basically the realm of the dead) and recounting his memories to himself so that he doesn’t forget. They both end in the same line, and it’s the final line of the book. I haven’t decided what it’ll be yet, but something along the lines of- god: “Until the end of time, my love, I will wait for you.” Dead lover: “Perhaps one day, when the stars explode and time fades to nothing, I shall be able to glimpse you once more.” God: “I will go happily into eternal slumber then, my dear.” DL: “If I could only see a flash of your features anywhere except my minds eye.” Both: “For you, my love, I wait until the end of time.” Is that good?
So as far as increasing contrast goes, I've actually really liked some books that showed the hero being brave all throughout but what you saw in the first chapter or two was them being brave and then getting the crap kicked out of them and just not getting back up that one more time like they do in the climax. The stories end up as more of their journey towards competence than bravery but with a through line of endurance or internal as well as external strength. One thing I will say that I see a lot and tend to loath in stories with multiple viewpoint characters is where the author is telling two or more completely unrelated stories that just kind of happen to intersect at the climactic moment. The creation of the knot moment as you call it often falls flat for me when there is too little connection between the various and sundry plot threads you are resolving, and the threads being different unrelated characters stories often leads to this issue.
What is the device at 12:54 and where can I get one? That looks extremely portable and small enough to comfortably have on hand when writing on construction sites.
Everyone has a different method. For me I just dive into the first half of the story with just a rough idea of what the character interactions are like and then start outlining for the end and editing the first half to make everything make sense
So, the planned ending point to the climax of my second book (which I'll be writing for November) has the MC and his best friend working to get through all the traps on the ship that regenerates to disable its core power source before it can fire its magic cannon into the earth and destroy it. At the end, he fights the Antag, is even with him, but has another ally (who was set up as on her way) call for him to cut off the room's shields. He takes a lot of damage to cut off the shields, and the Antag, when about to finish him, is killed by the character who entered the room. But how she killed the antag is a reveal that she is actually a villain that was seen in book 1, and rather than getting rid of the power source, she steals it and then goes to eliminate anyone who stands in her way (leaving the MC alive for reasons later, especially since he recovered by the time she turned her attention to him), and they run her off (or so they think). The final battle wraps up, with them winning, but with a bad taste in their mouth as they prepare to leave this universe and travel to the next. (It's a multiverse portal fantasy)
I got a question: For my story, my main character doesn't achieve his goal of beating his rival in the end, but i'm planning to have him beat him in the sequel. Is this a good approach?
I know you mentioned the epilogue of Harry Potter toward the end of the video, but I wanted to ask more specifically your take on using an epilogue, period. If I use a prologue at the start of my novel, is it necessary to then mirror that with an epilogue?
Anyway, I don't have core conflict. Life doesn't have core conflicts, so it is counterproductive to put it in fiction when it is not needed. I am not planning backwards, since the ending is the final twist for reader to sit, watch the wall and ask himself "wait, what?" and start reading once again.
I need to know if this is an ending that sounds like it could work? It is an ending where the main protagonist dies at the end, and another character takes the glory of defeating the antagonist, BUT this other character is the other main protagonist. The first protagonist, her purpose, was to not let this evil immortal entity in this one location, and she has this weapon (late game acquirement) that can wound the antagonist but she dies in the process, the other main protagonist uses his powers to extract the magic from the antagonist removing his immortality and it kills him. The first protagonist's purpose was fulfilled by pretty much sacrificing herself for the other protagonist to step in and kill the antagonist.
Eh, I don't know if Harry Potter is a good example. At the time yes, but once you know that anyone BUT Voldermort can kill him, you start to feel like - so, the main bad guy loses just because he wont let someone else do the killing? Wow.-
Why do I get the sense your issue isn't with the story, but with the writer? Voldemort is narcissistic, he has to be the one because of his oversized ego. It's a very human quality. Lazy criticism. She's a good writer. Get over it.
@@magicbuns4868 She is an amazing writer. But knowing that Harry cannot be killed by the big bad makes the stakes a lot smaller. Characters are interesting because they can be hurt. Luke Skywalker lost a hand, Bilbo lost his mind because of the ring. They can be harmed and potentially killed by the main bad guy. Harry, cannot. That doesn't make the books bad, I enjoyed them. It makes them harder to enjoy a second time around. I wont get personal with you back, but I feel what you said to me was unfair.
you talking about point #6, "Don't write a realistic ending. Readers want unrealistic endings." Things rarely all get resolved at the same time in real life
My problem is, the core conflict of the first book (in the series of 6 book )is the illusions of Kuasa ( the world of elemental power people) was to be saved by Oliver (my protagonist) from the illusionner destroying it, however in the end we find out that the illusionner was Oliver’s friend and he betrayed him and his companion. Oliver and his friends fight him as Oliver was losing due to huge amount of optical illusions he was conjuring, but then Oliver remembers the advice of his mentor, and then he gets the courage to fight the illusionner and he snaps out of the illusions and throws a huge solar beam that supposedly kills judo. However we later see that Oliver had mistakenly destroyed the very illusions that the antagonist was intending to destroy, so events backfire on him and now power government is looking after him in book 2 and so does the monsters of illusions , becoming real. Is that good?
Olivar destroying the illusion mistakenly seems too random, have the antagonist deceive Olivar into destroying the thing he wasn't meant to destroy, this makes the Antagonist more trickier, clever and dangerous than having Olivar randomly do his bidding. Fun idea: you can make it more interesting by making Olivar the only one with the power to destroy the illusion and the antagonist knows this and tricks him into doing his bidding. BOOM!!
i mean, what if the magic evil wizard likes cooking? the only way to beat them is to make a better pie? then there is the dramatic inner dialogue of the mc. now THAT is captivating 🤣
Regarding point 5, a very good example of this I would argue is Lord of the Rings the book, vs the Movies. It's weird coming from such an esteemed author, but Tolkien's end to Fellowship of the Ring is actually rather poor. It ends essentially right with the scene of Frodo escaping Boromir, it's a very abrupt and unfulfilling ending. Whereas in the movie, the film has a climactic finish where the battle with the Uruk Hai has Boromir die, Merry & Pippin kidnapped, and the rest of the fellowship split up. It's a much, much better ending imo.
Jed, I love your videos, but for the love of the gods please cool it with the self-promotion. I get wanting to make sure everyone knows about your stuff, but nothing ruins a video full of good and useful advice like interrupting it every five minutes with “and that’s why you should read my books/take my course/watch my other videos!” By all means mention those things briefly at the start or end or in the description, but repeatedly segueing into a self-plug in the middle of the video is kind of obnoxious and maybe even putting people off your videos. And nobody wants that; like I said, this is some great and practical stuff you’re putting out here, and for free no less. I just wish I could enjoy it without being bombarded with self-advertisements.
@@SideQuestChief like I said, I don’t have a problem with him promoting his stuff - because, yes, he needs to promote it if he wants it to succeed. What frustrates me is the degree of self-promotion and the placement of it. It casts doubt on his motives for making these videos - is he actually interested in providing writing advice, or does he just want to sell his products? I’d like to believe it’s the former, but at this point I honestly can’t tell.
Yeah, I'm seriously considering unsubscribing because of how pervasive his self promo has gotten. Do it at the start, do it at the end, even do it once in the middle, but don't start and end every single section of the video with it.
Want me to help you write a great fantasy novel? Apply for my 7-week Fantasy Outlining Bootcamp: bit.ly/bootcamp-cohort-4
Please how do I contact you through email
I would absolutely love to join but my life is a little too complicated to do that right now. I hope there is another one next year which I will definitely join if there's any openings!
I have an exception for No.4, as my main character and his sister (the secondary character) fight a tiger. My Mac leaps and fights to protect the younger sister, and almost dies, but then his sister kills the tiger after. This is in a series sooooo we will have to wait for the next book to see if the mc fully recoveres. I’ll write “book one” on the cover so that they know
If you really think about it, a novel that starts with a dark lord destroying a village BECAUSE the main character's family are too good of chefs and ends with a cooking contest between the two can be a decent premise.
I love the flex of your own published books scattered in the background
Bro is rapid firing videos at us and I’m loving it.
Quality videos with insightful information at that. Most UA-camrs say the same stuff everyone else is saying, just with fresh examples. Jed actually presents fresh INSIGHTS. Insanely valuable stuff.
As someone in the middle of finishing their 4th draft, this is a big help.
Only problem I'm facing is that I'm writing a historical fiction, so I can't be too loose or creative with the ending as these events are set in time already and have to align my characters with these events.
So you can imagine how difficult it is to land a satisfying character arc with a good ending when history dictates that ending to be somewhat unsatisfactory at times
That makes me think of Rouge One. Yes it’s not historical fiction, but it’s a story set in an already structured timeline. Maybe your characters should have a sense of dread, believing the worse will come, with only one of them insisting there be hope. You can: end the character with hope, have a character whose always hated the hope talk save the Hopeful by sacrificing themself, or have the hope character give up all their faith when they see others lost. With the last one, it provokes emotion in the audience while also moving the other characters.
Cool! Good luck in your writing!
If you're writing fiction, it's likely fine to alter the ending more or less (just make sure that the event is still "recognizable" (which, i assume, is one of your goals)). But, take my words with a full bucket of salt as i'm not even a writer :)
I've rewritten my ending 4 times on the first draft alone, and I'm finally somewhat happy with my "double loop": the thing they really struggled to do on a small scale in the first chapter, is finally achieved on a large scale in the 35th and last chapter. But also, there's this intergenerational aspect where many years ago, "our side" won the battle but lost the war. This time, they lose the battle (three-quarter crisis) but win the war. I like symmetry like that.
It's interesting, because the beginning and the ending are the easiest for me, it's the journey between the two that takes time. :)
I'm impressed with the way Brandon Sanderson creates a finish for each of the individual Stormlight Archive books. The 'reveal that changes *everything*" that he puts in each book is quite a skill as well.
So happy to see this channel grow since finding it when he was at 50k glad to see other writers getting value from this guy. Jed my goat fr fr
"Promise, Progress, Payoff... the three P's."
dude comes in swinging big PPP energy.
I’m getting back into writing after a long hiatus, I’ve never finished a first draft of anything so that’s my goal. I’m really optimistic now, your videos have been so inspiring and informative! Thank you!! 🙏
Same
Cool! Don't get stuck watching writing videos instead of actually writing like I did.
I love these moments when Jed gets closer to his books and picks one out. Nice to see this once again, after a while. Shakes things up a bit!
Omg, this video is perfectly timed. I am currently writing the final climax chapter of my novel, the completion of my protagonist's negative character arc (i only have 5,000 words left, with the book 61,000 words in total), ending with her getting her vengeance and becoming the new tyrant queen.
I want to reveal a revelation right at the end of the book, that my protagonist is actually pregnant, with an epilogue chapter of the MC giving birth to a son, who would be the protagonist of a potential sequel novel.
Great stuff! Good luck on finishing the book
Maybe reveal the pregnancy just a bit earlier? If you do it RIGHT at the end it might come of as a bit BS to the readers like you just tacked it on at the end without putting in any work.
@@mighty_spirit8532 I am right at the point in the chapter, right near the beginning of it, where I could put in some clues and foreshadowing (such as morning sickness) that subtly hints at it, but not show it until the epilogue
I did have a lovemaking scene with the now - deceased love interest two chapters prior that sets it up, if I decide to include it
@@unicorntomboy9736 Sounds good, though please give your reader some (dosen't need to be a ton of) time to digest the twist while reading and not after they have finished the book.
@@mighty_spirit8532 It's more so intended to set up a potential sequel, which would feature the son or daughter of the protagonist as the main character. It essentially copies the ending of Star Wars Revenge of the Sith
Overall though, the ending is meant to be depressing, cynical and bleak, since it is a grimdark novel
I totally agree with the points about outling; I am on the 3rd draft of my current WIP and it is far more cohesive than previous attempts. I'm now at the point where I can just work on adding subtlety and foreshadowing etc, rather than forcing disconnected, weak plot points together.
These videos have been so helpful for me.
vision = ending = your goal = your target = your path = knowing what you're doing
Thank you for making more videos as of late, they always get my writers brain engaged. Quality is always there.
Even tho I am only managing to write fanfictions for mysel, watching your videos allows me to have a bigger scope in regards of writing techniques and ways to tell a story outside of the main path. Thank you very much, Jed Herne!
THE WAY YOU CONDENSED THE CLIMAX AS THE CROSSING POINT OF THE EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL !!! ❤❤ JED!!! thank you, it sounded so simple like that but it was the PERFECT summary for all the thoughts on theme, plot and character that I've been trying to make sense of in my own head.
It’s called “sticking the landing” for a reason.
Flight could be awesome, but if it crashes at the end, nothing else matters.
This strikes to the heart of the tension between plotters and pantsers. While pantsers may not build the perfectly crafted climax and there can even be some meandering to get to it, overly plotted stories can feel hollow because the protagonist always has plot armor to get to the predictable climax. Not all stories need to end with the destruction of the ring and the fall of Sauron. Sometimes there is value in scouring the Shire.
16:40 "monte cristo" by Alexander duma did exactly that and its ending wasn't even a climax point, and you could argue there were no the climax point, but several climax points, but it's still sooo good. Although, it's not a fantasy
I've watched alot of your videos now, they feel like a breath of fresh air ! I've seen plenty of videos about how to write/avoid mistakes etc , not alot of them cover some topics I've seen in your videos
I personally believe that any book should have some sense of closure by the end, even if it's meant to have sequels.
The first method to achieve that, as Jed mentioned, is to treat your first book as a stand alone (giving your MC one main conflict to resolve and create a new one in the next book), but you can also write your plot to give your MC several layers of conflicts from the get go and resolve each one in a different book.
I think the most common example of the first method is to tell your MC's struggle to become a leader and then, show his/her struggle as a leader in the next book.
An example of the second is Athlea in Robin Hobb's Ship series (and of course spoiler alert. If you haven't read the first book of the trilogy and plan to do so, stop reading here).
By the end of Book 1, Athlea manages to become a worthy sailor (something she quickly realize isn't so clear as she first thought) but she still has to recover her family ship and she's still a woman in a world dominated by men. Life is still not going to be easy for her, but Robin Hobb does resolve some of her conflicts by the end of book 1, and I don't think I'm the only one to think that it's important.
Honestly, there's nothing more frustrating than reading the last few lines of a book and be thrown a massive "to be continued" at your face. It's good to keep things pending (I mean, it's essential if you're writing a series) but not everything.
I'm probably gonna do my first book with the mc slowly opening up to people and caring about them when before all he cared about was killing demons and getting his revenge. When he finally has the opportunity to do so he has to choose between doing it or saving the person which is the only one dear to him. This person is someone he saved while they were still a kid and he begrudgingly became their guardian/friend. He saves them, but is really frustrated that he couldn't get his revenge and the next opportunity to do so will take decades so while this person is sleeping, he abandons them at some home and becomes the lone hunter once again.
Yooooo Northman recognition! That movie was amazing!
Haven't finished the video yet, but thank you for giving us all this wonderful information! It's really helped me, and surely countless others in their own, special writing journeys.
The vice a great analogy. This was my main gripe with the Mario movie. Princess peach was the mentor and she was still around during the battle with Bowser. There was no reason she couldn’t beat Bowser herself and it took away the tension. There was also no reason that Luigi was just as effective as Mario when he didnt go through the progression that Mario did.
Great timing! I just finished act 2/3 in my first rewrite, and now I'm approaching the ending of the zero draft again. It's great to hear your thoughts - the ending is the whole point of the story, absolutely!
Fantastic stuff, Jed! My novel is a worldview change for the protagonist, so I need to think hard about aligning his inner journey with the outer one. Thanks!
I am loving Channel, just purchased a copy of Fires of the Dead. I started writing recently after getting into Fantasy recently, I read a lot but usually non fiction or Manga. Enjoying reading and writing fantasy at the moment, thanks for all the advice
This was published at the perfect time! I just outlined my climax(es) to my novel's storylines so I am excited to watch!
Each video you have created has made me feel more and more like I can create a story worth reading.
The first video of yours I watched helped me redirect my approach and shift parts of the narrative to better suit the main conflict. It is hard having a particular idea in mind that does not fit with the rest of the setting especially when it is a part you put a lot of effort into, but after making those changes I feel like my story is in a much better place. Keep doing what you’re doing and thank you.
I always feel so much better after watching a how-to video here when my imposter syndrome is kicking in. Though I worry a little about cliffhangers, the comment about standalone with series potential hit home. My characters' main goal is complete but there's lots more to do and a new goal on the horizon.
This is perfect for my story.
I’ll admit that it’s ambitious, as there are quite a few plot threads spread across two, technically three, chronological periods, but I’ve already thought through my climax and am currently typing it. Because of the different win conditions for all the parties involved, neither of the two antagonists are actually killed, but the protag has a (hopefully) emotional moment of development and does defeat both antags, so hopefully it works out well.
101k subs. That's huge. Congratulations.
Well, I'm one of the first! Just wanted to say thanks for all the videos you're putting out! It's definitely helping me create my fantasy novel ("Light and Shadows"), and help me tackle issues I've had with the worldbuilding. :)
Reloaded at the right time, 30 seconds ago 🙏
Thank you for this video, as well as for the others you made. They are really helpful. :) On a sidenote: A large portion of this video feels like a fitting critique of the last season of Game of Thrones.
4:15 I’d like to say that Across the Broken Stars has one of the best endings to a novel I’ve ever read.
Thanks!
my goat is cranking out videos at light speed
In my novel, I basically am making my character "the chosen one" (without prophecies) and him making all this journey to safety with different characters, but with this same old man, as in most epic fantasy novels which normally dies (or does some Gandalf-type shit). In reality, I pan for my story's climax to be in this volcano, where it is revealed my protagonist might not be the chosen one (another dragon egg is found, before it was thought the protagonist's was the first) right after, the main villain finds the group and a big battle commences. At the end, the volcano starts erupting, and the characters start evacuating it. With only the protagonist remaining to fend off the antagonist. But when the protagonist tries leaving, the gandalf figure actually blocks him in, thinking he is sacrificing him to destroy the villain, instead of risking for the villain's escape. So when the volcano erupts, with the side characters thinking the protagonist is dead, I want to build this mental picture of the volcano erupting while the cast in on a ship, furiously rowing away, with the future new protagonist huddling the egg found in the volcano.
Oooooh. I like it!
@@Second_Son1990 Thank you! I really love this channel because it really makes it easy for people like me to share their ideas, so ever comment is really appreciated!
I don't even know how I ended in this channel, but I've watched quite a bunch of the videos, and it made me think a LOT on what I had started writing once - a low-fantasy that would drive into Sci-Fi trilogy and quite a few of these points really made me reflect on it. Of course, too ambitious for a first draft, but it's a story that just wouldn't fit in a single book I think.
1) The closing image, like, I didn't have one for the end of Book 3, but I definitely saw an image in the back of my head that felt beautiful, and will use the principle of planning backwards with that scene and image.
2) For the trilogy thing my original approach is - Book 1 is kind of self-contained in the way that it has its own particular conflict with very minor hints of a greater scheme of things. Book 2 would be the one that starts scaling up events and end with a massive cliffhanger for Book 3 to give closure. I like the fact that it kind of follows most of the principles scattered in the videos, because it doesn't overwhelm readers at first glance but at the same time it ideally doesn't fall flat later on.
3) I was thinking of using multi POVs, kind of in the ASOIAF style and thought of multiple possible characters. That said, watching through this series, I believe I'll narrow down the list to just three of those characters, since I felt like my original planification would end up not showing so much of the characters I care the most about, and focus too much on side-characters.
As to know tips, what do you consider to be key points of making a good or a terrible plot twist? Like, what makes a plot twist predictable, dull or genius?
Great video. It's awesome to see so many coming out. Sadly I've not had the time to watch them all even lol.
My only real negative here is knots are typically done so poorly. I found the Harry Potter Potter books as "effective fizzle" as opposed to knots. At least on most of them.
A thread ending should be used to actually build on what is coming and bring more focus and tension.
In the first entry I’m working on, the protagonist’s town is attacked. His new allies are at war with the attackers elsewhere so they put the attack on the town in some broader context. Saving the town conclusively resolves the core conflict driving the first story, but it comes at a personal cost and leaves protagonist with unanswered questions about what’s going on in the world and what his place really is in it.
So I definitely did a deus ex machina, but that's kind of the point of the first book. He got lucky. My main character's mom tells him that if he thinks he's helpless, he will be, and he interprets that to mean that he'll never be helpless so long as he believes in himself, but ultimately his attempts to walk away from his experiences in the book with confidence in his own agency will fall apart, and he'll need to reorient himself in the sequels. It's paving the way for the "Empire Strikes Back" installment in the story. He's an immature twelve year old who only "won" because the ultimate villain of the series deliberately orchestrated his advantages as a prank on the minor villain of the first book.
I see so many stories where the hero beats the villain by pulling a last ditch burst of strength and willpower at the last possible second, and I don't find that satisfying. So many heroes are characterized by this indominable will that seems to just be innate. They got to where they got because they were just more driven than anyone else. I want to tell a story about a character with no natural confidence who feels forced to make himself better because he knows how lucky he was, and he knows he wont get lucky a second time. I want to explore the conflict between him and family members and friends who seem to believe he's stronger than he is.
The climax in the first book does at least benefit from the illusion of satisfying character growth. The bad guy IS defeated directly due to the actions of the protagonist, but its kind of like someone pissing off the hulk and dropping him on top of the problem. I THINK I've done everything I need to do to foreshadow the remaining flaws of my protagonist and the tragedies in store for him, but I feel like I'm gonna be in trouble if people miss the fact that the structure of the story is intentional.
I think getting the ending in mind is important, for sure. As a pantser, I can easily fall into a flow where I just keep writing. The story get's longer and longer and it's going somewhere, but it's not an ending.
Thanks for giving so many writing tips.
Thank you for these amazing writing videos ❤
Your explanation of the Deus Ex Machina is hugely helpful.
Watching this stuff feels like Stealing,
Thank you so much Sensei
12:06 Early on, I had this problem. I wanted a series so stories would end unresolved for a sequel. Nowadays, I plan on the first book in my sci-fi series to be stand-alone, with hints of lore and future characters. The protagonist's arc in this book is still resolved.
Yay, new video is here 🎉
Happi happi happi
The cliffhanger segment with the star wars example was perfect. I feel like not enough people realize that's how cliffhangers are done
Aaaah, the "amazing story with the bad ending." We all know one, I tend to refer to this as The Mass Effect Effect...
Love the tips! What is the small writing device at 12:52? It looks so cool!
It’s a freewrite traveler
Next video please: 1st Person vs 3rd Person Close vs 3rd Person Omniscient | Combination of both 1st Person and 3rd Person Close Good? how do you make it work?
I think the idea of beginning with the ending in mind is fantastic advice. But, it really requires equal emphasis on planning the lead up to that chosen ending.
Your ending isn't worth jack if you don't carefully plan a path that prevents your characters from having access to hijack the story. Case in point: I tried writing the last three chapters of a story once. It was great. Emotionally cathartic and everything. But, I thought I could just freestyle my way up to that ending. I was totally wrong. It quickly became apparent that I had basically made myself the quintessential frustrated Dungeon Master. I had a campaign that I'd come up with and my players (the characters) ignored it completely to go in the opposite direction. Each chapter I wrote was fun and interesting, but it also took me further and further from where I was trying to go. Eventually, I had two choices before me: give up my planned ending, or scrap what I'd written and start over, this time ruling the plot with an iron fist. For now, I've set it aside to work on other things.
Two books/series I have read that leave plot threads hanging well are The Golden Goblet by Eloise Jarvis McGraw (historical fiction) and The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson (YA fantasy). The first one ends with a promise that the hell the main character has gone through is over forever and things will only get better. The second one ends with the presumed death of the POV character, with a hint that there may be a way to yet save them.
The ending of the book I am currently still working on the first draft of (it has been a few months, because, you know, life...) follows the familiar mold of a character more fiercely defending those he loves than himself. The opening scene devolves into a battle for the life of the main character, which he lacks motivation to solve beyond instinctive self-defense. It is others that really brings out the determination in him. The climax (there was a smaller *bang* that resolved the secondary plot earlier) involves the protagonist finally confronting the character who has been trying to ruin his family for the past 80% of the book and soundly beating him before taking an action which sets off the rest of the narrative like a struck tuning fork.
I think a deus-ex-machina can work if it is used to tidy up loose threads after the protagonist's journey is wrapped up, especially if the threads that were created in the first place has already finished their purpose. An example of this could be a minor villain that left the plot before they could be properly dealt with, suddenly having a really bad day on their unearned vacation from being the bad guy.
Excellent Gordon Ramsey clip. There should be one per video
Here's a pertinent question: Does the final conflict/battle in a fantasy novel have to be between the main protagonist and the main antagonist? I've been working on this fantasy series for a few years now, and in most of the books I have planned, the big battle between the party of heroes and the main villain isn't the final battle of the story. Most of the time, the final conflict is between the main protagonist and someone else close to them, as part of the process of tying up the story's last loose end. The message I'm going for is that no matter who tries to conquer/destroy the world or how they try to do it, nothing will ever be harder than fighting the ones you love most.
ending mistake:
Start video with Game of Thrones S8.
*Instant Subscribe
Man this reminds me of the His Dark Materials series and how the main character wasn't even involved in the final conflict literally just taking a stroll through the underworld while her father is fist fighting an angel
While I don’t write with an outline, I do write with a plan in my head. I know where my story needs to be in terms of plot and character arcs.
ngl the more I listen to you the more I feel this is straight from Sanderson's lectures on UA-cam. 10/0 would recommend those.
Jed's air quotes are Elaine Benes dancing.
In one of my projects the hero does win by luck. It's part of her plan.
She has to fight a superior swordsman, so her idea is to rush in and end the fight in a single moment, then run away. if she fights with her skill she's sure to lose. And after the fight, she has to get out of range since the wound will be fatal, but not conclusive. He'll have time to kill her ten times over before he collapses, so she has to survive his revenge long enough for him to bleed out. And there isn't a lot of room to run..
How close to the end does the climax need to be. Or how long should I make the falling action and resolution
That's a matter of pacing really. Between Climax and "The End" you need to show what the climax has caused, what the pay off is. But you shouldn't drag it, otherwise it feel boring.
A nice example for this is, though not a book, the party at the end of Baldur's Gate 3, where you can talk with all the characters that you have met during your journey and hear what has happened to them since the great battle.
There are a ton of factors that could go into it. If it's a sprawling epic fantasy novel that is concerned with themes, the winding down might even require a secondary climax (like the destruction of the Shire in Lord of the Rings after the hobbits return home). But if it's a fast-paced serial action flick in a novel format, maybe it should only take a chapter of winding down, showing the hero ready for new adventures.
It depends. Sometimes it's good to tie some loose ends together, to show the reader how the protagonist lives after the adventure, what he had learned about live. Sometimes a full chapter is needed, sometimes a short epilogue will do it. And sometimes you can use it to tease the sequel, e.g. the surviving villain plotting his next step.
Good Video
Well mine is going to (I still need to actually write it, I’ve started 6 times, this story is kicking my ass) end with the main character sitting alone in the paradise he always dreamed of sharing with all his loved ones. He’s all alone, he’s lost them all, even when the whole point of everything he did was to protect them and his kingdom (he was a prince). He’s sits there, laughing at his own eternal misery (he ascends to godhood unwillingly, long story) and he ends the story by saying that he’ll wait until waiting is no longer an option. That he’ll wait until time is no more. He will not forget them, and so he recounts everything he can remember to himself as he sits, and as he waits. The story (or at least his pov) is literally him remembering, and the other pov is his dead lover sitting in death’s web (basically the realm of the dead) and recounting his memories to himself so that he doesn’t forget. They both end in the same line, and it’s the final line of the book. I haven’t decided what it’ll be yet, but something along the lines of- god: “Until the end of time, my love, I will wait for you.” Dead lover: “Perhaps one day, when the stars explode and time fades to nothing, I shall be able to glimpse you once more.” God: “I will go happily into eternal slumber then, my dear.” DL: “If I could only see a flash of your features anywhere except my minds eye.” Both: “For you, my love, I wait until the end of time.”
Is that good?
So as far as increasing contrast goes, I've actually really liked some books that showed the hero being brave all throughout but what you saw in the first chapter or two was them being brave and then getting the crap kicked out of them and just not getting back up that one more time like they do in the climax. The stories end up as more of their journey towards competence than bravery but with a through line of endurance or internal as well as external strength.
One thing I will say that I see a lot and tend to loath in stories with multiple viewpoint characters is where the author is telling two or more completely unrelated stories that just kind of happen to intersect at the climactic moment. The creation of the knot moment as you call it often falls flat for me when there is too little connection between the various and sundry plot threads you are resolving, and the threads being different unrelated characters stories often leads to this issue.
What is the device at 12:54 and where can I get one?
That looks extremely portable and small enough to comfortably have on hand when writing on construction sites.
Everyone has a different method. For me I just dive into the first half of the story with just a rough idea of what the character interactions are like and then start outlining for the end and editing the first half to make everything make sense
So, the planned ending point to the climax of my second book (which I'll be writing for November) has the MC and his best friend working to get through all the traps on the ship that regenerates to disable its core power source before it can fire its magic cannon into the earth and destroy it. At the end, he fights the Antag, is even with him, but has another ally (who was set up as on her way) call for him to cut off the room's shields.
He takes a lot of damage to cut off the shields, and the Antag, when about to finish him, is killed by the character who entered the room.
But how she killed the antag is a reveal that she is actually a villain that was seen in book 1, and rather than getting rid of the power source, she steals it and then goes to eliminate anyone who stands in her way (leaving the MC alive for reasons later, especially since he recovered by the time she turned her attention to him), and they run her off (or so they think).
The final battle wraps up, with them winning, but with a bad taste in their mouth as they prepare to leave this universe and travel to the next. (It's a multiverse portal fantasy)
does anyone know the name of the device that shows up at 12:51? that looks super neat, id like to get one for myself lol
How do you plan backward from the ending if you’re a pantser?
Star Wars, but written in the post Shakespearean 1600's. Star Wars "A New Hymn" "The Empire Strikes Bach". "Return of The Beethoven"
I got a question:
For my story, my main character doesn't achieve his goal of beating his rival in the end, but i'm planning to have him beat him in the sequel. Is this a good approach?
I know you mentioned the epilogue of Harry Potter toward the end of the video, but I wanted to ask more specifically your take on using an epilogue, period. If I use a prologue at the start of my novel, is it necessary to then mirror that with an epilogue?
I like endings where villains are victorious in a way. That’s what I’ll do with my novels.
Yeah if the ending is bad, the novel is bad.
Just like my hero academia!
@@Nova11435 or Solo Leveling
@@Pressato eh solo leveling wasnt *that* bad. It just left things a little messy because of his weird time travel shenanigans.
Anyway, I don't have core conflict. Life doesn't have core conflicts, so it is counterproductive to put it in fiction when it is not needed. I am not planning backwards, since the ending is the final twist for reader to sit, watch the wall and ask himself "wait, what?" and start reading once again.
FIRST PROBABLY IDK
I LOVE the Northman!!!
I need to know if this is an ending that sounds like it could work? It is an ending where the main protagonist dies at the end, and another character takes the glory of defeating the antagonist, BUT this other character is the other main protagonist. The first protagonist, her purpose, was to not let this evil immortal entity in this one location, and she has this weapon (late game acquirement) that can wound the antagonist but she dies in the process, the other main protagonist uses his powers to extract the magic from the antagonist removing his immortality and it kills him. The first protagonist's purpose was fulfilled by pretty much sacrificing herself for the other protagonist to step in and kill the antagonist.
Is this an ending that could work. It's a main story finale type ending.
Eh, I don't know if Harry Potter is a good example. At the time yes, but once you know that anyone BUT Voldermort can kill him, you start to feel like - so, the main bad guy loses just because he wont let someone else do the killing? Wow.-
Why do I get the sense your issue isn't with the story, but with the writer?
Voldemort is narcissistic, he has to be the one because of his oversized ego. It's a very human quality.
Lazy criticism. She's a good writer. Get over it.
@@magicbuns4868 She is an amazing writer. But knowing that Harry cannot be killed by the big bad makes the stakes a lot smaller.
Characters are interesting because they can be hurt. Luke Skywalker lost a hand, Bilbo lost his mind because of the ring. They can be harmed and potentially killed by the main bad guy.
Harry, cannot.
That doesn't make the books bad, I enjoyed them. It makes them harder to enjoy a second time around.
I wont get personal with you back, but I feel what you said to me was unfair.
How so you manage writing multiple climaxes for say an ongoing series?
1:30 am I losing my mind or does that look exactly the same as a fight from Troy?
Strictly speaking, "Deus ex machina" is a Latin phrase, but is a translation of a Greek theatrical phrase (Apò mēkhanês theós).
Hey just a quick question , does these things also apply on other ways of telling stories like comics or manga or something else
you talking about point #6, "Don't write a realistic ending. Readers want unrealistic endings."
Things rarely all get resolved at the same time in real life
What was that portable keyboard-screen thing you were typing on? :O
My problem is, the core conflict of the first book (in the series of 6 book )is the illusions of Kuasa ( the world of elemental power people) was to be saved by Oliver (my protagonist) from the illusionner destroying it, however in the end we find out that the illusionner was Oliver’s friend and he betrayed him and his companion. Oliver and his friends fight him as Oliver was losing due to huge amount of optical illusions he was conjuring, but then Oliver remembers the advice of his mentor, and then he gets the courage to fight the illusionner and he snaps out of the illusions and throws a huge solar beam that supposedly kills judo. However we later see that Oliver had mistakenly destroyed the very illusions that the antagonist was intending to destroy, so events backfire on him and now power government is looking after him in book 2 and so does the monsters of illusions , becoming real. Is that good?
Olivar destroying the illusion mistakenly seems too random, have the antagonist deceive Olivar into destroying the thing he wasn't meant to destroy, this makes the Antagonist more trickier, clever and dangerous than having Olivar randomly do his bidding.
Fun idea: you can make it more interesting by making Olivar the only one with the power to destroy the illusion and the antagonist knows this and tricks him into doing his bidding. BOOM!!
i mean, what if the magic evil wizard likes cooking? the only way to beat them is to make a better pie? then there is the dramatic inner dialogue of the mc. now THAT is captivating 🤣
What is that tiny thing you are typing on called? 😮
do you have a video that presents book you wrote ?
What if my climax consists of two protagonists fighting, rather than an antagonist and a protagonist?
Regarding point 5, a very good example of this I would argue is Lord of the Rings the book, vs the Movies.
It's weird coming from such an esteemed author, but Tolkien's end to Fellowship of the Ring is actually rather poor. It ends essentially right with the scene of Frodo escaping Boromir, it's a very abrupt and unfulfilling ending. Whereas in the movie, the film has a climactic finish where the battle with the Uruk Hai has Boromir die, Merry & Pippin kidnapped, and the rest of the fellowship split up. It's a much, much better ending imo.
Jed, I love your videos, but for the love of the gods please cool it with the self-promotion. I get wanting to make sure everyone knows about your stuff, but nothing ruins a video full of good and useful advice like interrupting it every five minutes with “and that’s why you should read my books/take my course/watch my other videos!” By all means mention those things briefly at the start or end or in the description, but repeatedly segueing into a self-plug in the middle of the video is kind of obnoxious and maybe even putting people off your videos. And nobody wants that; like I said, this is some great and practical stuff you’re putting out here, and for free no less. I just wish I could enjoy it without being bombarded with self-advertisements.
In order to sell something you need self promotion so until you have something to sell of your own then you won’t understand.
@@SideQuestChief like I said, I don’t have a problem with him promoting his stuff - because, yes, he needs to promote it if he wants it to succeed. What frustrates me is the degree of self-promotion and the placement of it. It casts doubt on his motives for making these videos - is he actually interested in providing writing advice, or does he just want to sell his products? I’d like to believe it’s the former, but at this point I honestly can’t tell.
Yeah, I'm seriously considering unsubscribing because of how pervasive his self promo has gotten. Do it at the start, do it at the end, even do it once in the middle, but don't start and end every single section of the video with it.
I know the beginning and I know the ending. But what the heck is happening in between!?
Deus ex machina is latin.
Greek equivalent would be: ἀπὸ μηχανῆς θεός (appo maekannes theos)