Thank you! So happy it’s been helpful for you. And omg yeah haha I find this system is helpful when you want more details than that, even just as a jump off point
Yeahhhhhh haha I find it to be the most vague part which is wild because it’s a giant chunk of the book, which is why I ended up developing more of a system
This was super helpful. I always felt like people talked about the “fun and games” section as if it was so obvious. It definitely the part I struggle with the most.
Brilliant, Liselle. Big thanks. I suspect this is going to blow up, viral. Nowhere is this laid out with such specificity, clarity and luvvv. Work it, girl!
@@LiselleSambury Yes. I've heard people fake it before but never heard a genuine Canadian say it. It's cool. I was also going to say, I really like your chunky twists. They look juicy and healthy and are definitely hair goals 😊
Look at you out here a WHOLE educator with handouts and all! And I love it for you! also: PERFECT example of a hook. "I got you a nifty handout BUT it won't make sense if you don't watch the whole video ;)" I see what you did there.
Definitely one of the most useful writing craft videos I've ever seen. I'm printing this out and posting it on my wall, I know I will use it over and over again. I wish more writers could explain the 'nuts and bolts' of writing the way you do. Thank you!
Ahh yay that makes me so happy! I worried that I wasn’t as coherent as I wanted to be lol so I’m very happy that the message came through and was helpful
Oh my god thank you! I felt like I was missing something with that beat, but this actually was so helpful in figuring out this beat that was super vague otherwise.
Yes! I wished for something like that so much. Hilariously I always just do whatever I want in the finale. But would have loved more guidance for a chunk thats 30% of the book 😂 Ah well, that’s why I got this system in place, hope it helps you!
This whole playlist is incredibly helpful, but this video in particular has just changed my whole life 😂😭 I had literally no clue how to go about structuring the entire fat middle of my story! Thank you so much for this!
Happy to help! And yes haha this takes up sooo much of the middle of the book which I used to struggle with a lot which is why I wanted to share the method
Thank you so much, Liselle! I always struggle with the sagging middle of my novels and now my screenplays, and I think you've finally helped me put this in a format where I have a solid structure with which to work in confidence. You're an ANGEL!!! Thank you for taking the time to share this process you use for one of my favorite outline structures.
This was a HUGE help AND such a well-made video! The fun and games is the hardest beat for me, and this will be a game-changer. I also loved that this was so full of handy info but never overwhelming or dry, it felt easy to follow and a fun video to watch as well as incredibly helpful. 💜
This was very helpful for me. I was super stuck in my fun and games, even though I felt like I had a good outline for the rest of the story. Now I have a much better idea of where to go. I watched this like twice last night and kept pausing to add things to my outline. Appreciate your advice!
I’m glad it helped!! I feel like this is such a tricky beat and so I’m super happy that you have a much better idea of how to structure your outline with this
I have always gotten stuck on this part of my story and have dreaded the middle. Thank you so much for making this video! It was so helpful and I am actually excited to write this part of my book!!
I just rewatched this for like the third time. This time I closed my eyes and listened to you talk and visualize what you were saying and secret fun and games plotting was unlocked! Thank youuuuuu 💜
the fun and games section has always sounded like the "draw the rest of the owl" meme. lol like "just write the book". thank you for this video, it will be very helpful. i especially liked your advice about wrapping up sub-plots.
I swear by Save the Cat! Love that you broke this down. I love your content, so keep it coming. I couldn’t agree with you more on the vague fun and games section. Don’t we all have a book in our drawer that we think...boy that’s not my best. Love that you’re so open about that! I cannot wait for Blood Like Magic! I chose it for my book club once it’s released and I’m beyond excited! 💜
It is truly a super vague section lol and yes we definitely all have a book like that. And thank you so much for picking Blood Like Magic for your book club!!
this is incredibly helpful, THANK YOU for this series and this video in particular!!! I agree that this section in the book is extremely vague, but you made it very easy and actionable. Now I'm actually excited about plotting/writing this part instead of throwing up my hands in despair.
Yaaay I’m so happy about that! That’s exactly what I hoped this video would do. Because I know I was like “wut… is supposed to go here?” as a person who likes more detail and actionable steps
@@LiselleSambury it's really helpful, just like the whole series. I think you would do great at teaching writing classes, you make it very actionable without portraying your way as the ultimate way. ☺️☺️
I actually get so stressed out about teaching/doing workshops 🤣 which is why I like putting these videos up because I just talk to myself in a low stress environment but the information gets out
@@LiselleSambury oh no! I get it, it's different when you can do as many takes as you want and edit out the awkward pauses. But your natural excitement for the subject plus visible expertise are obvious and I'm sure they shine through at workshops as well ☺️☺️
@@LiselleSambury I found the explanations super clear and the examples really helped drive the point. I am working on my subplots right now because from watching this I realized I never had them very clear in my head and maybe working through them and trying this method will help me get through the middle chunk of the book which always seems to be the hardest for me LOL. I really appreciate you sharing this, it's very motivating
You are amazing. I struggle so hard with the fun and games section, but you've given me some excellent ideas on how to approach it better. Hopefully the story I'm trying to plot now will come together a lot easier now. I really do wish the book went into things like this. It was super vague and I never knew how to make the section interesting and actually make sense.
Yeah, I felt the same way when I read that section which led to this whole process. Super happy that it’s given you some ideas and I hope your plotting will be easier now too!
The second time I've come back to this and this was sooooo amazing!! Please, PLEASE do the same for the rest of the beats (Or at least, Act one and Act 3 maybe) You are a writing saint!!
So so happy it’s helpful! And I wasn’t planning to do anything for act 1 and 2 since I thought they were more straight forward, but I’ve had a few people ask now so maybe I will 👀
Thank you so much for this video! I haven't read save the cat writes a novel but listening to you talk about the fun and games section made me go....ohhhh is that why my middle feels like the pacing is off?? I have some work to do....thanks very much!
AMAZING VIDEO. I was struck with a terrible case of writer’s block when planning for fun and games but this video makes a lot of sense! This is the first video I’ve watched from you and I’m totally subscribing. Quick question: when do you wrap up subplots in a trilogy? Should each book have their own subplots or should the same ones extend throughout the series? Thanks! ✍️
Yay! Thank you! I’ve only so far written a two-book series (second book editing in progress) but I give each book its own subplots. And I have separate details that I leave unfinished to come into other books but I don’t include them in the subplots that I plan for the book. I do that because I want each book to be able to stand on its own and I want the reader to have an enjoyable experience, and I worry that it would be upsetting for them if the subplots didn’t wrap up in some way by the end of the book. But I think you can reopen or extend those subplots in later books
Coming over from the Kate Kavanaugh channel! Thanks for your vulnerability in sharing your It-Shall-Not-Be-Written story! Makes me wonder if I should dust off mine.
Thank you for this video and the guide sheet! It was so helpful in concretizing the fuzzy concepts I kind of already knew. I will definitely continue referencing this in the future. Also had your werewolf book been published in 2010-2012 I would have ate that shit up lmao.
Thank you so much for this! Fun and games has had me head scratching. Question: I’m plotting my first novel now and have a few chapters written. I don’t have enough completed to know my average words per chapter, but I am writing middle grade. To figure out where the fun and games should start, would you say to estimate an overall manuscript word count for my genre and use the math from there?
That’s definitely what I would suggest. Poke around and see what the genre conventions for word count are and start from there for sure. You can always adjust once you’ve finished your first act and have a better idea of how long your chapters are in general
Random thought I had: what if the ghost mom who is haunting her is actually the “missing princess” - maybe she’s not the princes daughter or she is - but plot twist! P.s. this was awesome. I haven’t understood the “fun and games” and this helped so much!
![Save the Cat Deep Dive: Midpoint [CC]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/nQKi2_CpAtA/mqdefault.jpg)
![Save the Cat Deep Dive: Midpoint [CC]](/img/tr.png)
![Save the Cat Deep Dive: Opening Image [CC]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/L0Gi_JEv42w/mqdefault.jpg)
![Writing Vlog: Debut Week! Events, Cake, and More [CC]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/JYl3HAiCnQ0/mqdefault.jpg)
Whenever I get to a new Fun and Games, I give this video a rewatch because it's a lot better than Save the Cat's "Promise of the Premise"
Thank you! So happy it’s been helpful for you. And omg yeah haha I find this system is helpful when you want more details than that, even just as a jump off point
oh thank GOD you said it was vague because I have reread it over and over and i am on the struggle bus!
Yeahhhhhh haha I find it to be the most vague part which is wild because it’s a giant chunk of the book, which is why I ended up developing more of a system
This was super helpful. I always felt like people talked about the “fun and games” section as if it was so obvious. It definitely the part I struggle with the most.
Omg my kingdom to be those people haha I’ve always found it confusing. Happy it’s helpful for you!
LISELLE THANK YOU THIS IS SO SO SO SO SO HELPFUL AND I LITERALLY WAS JUST STRUGGLING WITH MY FUN AND GAMES SECTION YOU ARE THE BEST EVER OMG
Yay!! So so happy it’s helpful for you!
I can’t believe this video is free 🙌🏽 ✍🏽
I really hope it helps you out!
YES THIS!!!
Brilliant, Liselle. Big thanks. I suspect this is going to blow up, viral. Nowhere is this laid out with such specificity, clarity and luvvv. Work it, girl!
Thank you! Definitely tried my best to make it as clear as possible and glad it’s helpful for you!
This is great and so helpful, but I'm gonna to have to rewatch it because I keep getting distracted by how much I love how you say "about"!
😂 I assume this is the Canadian accented about that I cannot hear because I’m Canadian
@@LiselleSambury Yes. I've heard people fake it before but never heard a genuine Canadian say it. It's cool.
I was also going to say, I really like your chunky twists. They look juicy and healthy and are definitely hair goals 😊
Haha so interesting, I wish I could hear the difference myself. And thank you! Definitely happy with the twists
Look at you out here a WHOLE educator with handouts and all! And I love it for you!
also: PERFECT example of a hook. "I got you a nifty handout BUT it won't make sense if you don't watch the whole video ;)" I see what you did there.
I can be crafty when I want to 😎 also I didn’t want to have to write a long hand out lololol
@@LiselleSambury 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Definitely one of the most useful writing craft videos I've ever seen. I'm printing this out and posting it on my wall, I know I will use it over and over again. I wish more writers could explain the 'nuts and bolts' of writing the way you do. Thank you!
Ahh yay that makes me so happy! I worried that I wasn’t as coherent as I wanted to be lol so I’m very happy that the message came through and was helpful
I struggled with this so much when plotting!!
I’ve watched this at about 6 times and get something new from it every time. 🙌🙌🙌
Yay!! So happy about that! ☺️
Oh my god thank you! I felt like I was missing something with that beat, but this actually was so helpful in figuring out this beat that was super vague otherwise.
It is definitely a super vague beat lol happy o could help!
Holy smokes. Something clicked in my head when watching this. Thank you so much. It is beyond helpful. :)
Yay! 😁 so happy it helped!
This is so helpful! I always wanted a better breakdown of the fun & games, like how she breaks out the five-point finale.
Yes! I wished for something like that so much. Hilariously I always just do whatever I want in the finale. But would have loved more guidance for a chunk thats 30% of the book 😂 Ah well, that’s why I got this system in place, hope it helps you!
This whole playlist is incredibly helpful, but this video in particular has just changed my whole life 😂😭 I had literally no clue how to go about structuring the entire fat middle of my story! Thank you so much for this!
Happy to help! And yes haha this takes up sooo much of the middle of the book which I used to struggle with a lot which is why I wanted to share the method
No more saggy middles...Love this--thank you so much!
Yay!! That’s exactly what I want this video to help you do
Thank you so much, Liselle! I always struggle with the sagging middle of my novels and now my screenplays, and I think you've finally helped me put this in a format where I have a solid structure with which to work in confidence. You're an ANGEL!!! Thank you for taking the time to share this process you use for one of my favorite outline structures.
So so happy this helped your get a solid structure that you’re confident in!! ☺️
This was very helpful with thinking about subplots for a FanFiction I’m working on! Thank you!
Amazing!! Happy it helped!
This was a HUGE help AND such a well-made video! The fun and games is the hardest beat for me, and this will be a game-changer.
I also loved that this was so full of handy info but never overwhelming or dry, it felt easy to follow and a fun video to watch as well as incredibly helpful. 💜
Yay!! Thank you so much, I’m super happy you got so much out of it!
This was very helpful for me. I was super stuck in my fun and games, even though I felt like I had a good outline for the rest of the story. Now I have a much better idea of where to go. I watched this like twice last night and kept pausing to add things to my outline. Appreciate your advice!
I’m glad it helped!! I feel like this is such a tricky beat and so I’m super happy that you have a much better idea of how to structure your outline with this
Binge watching your content while working is the best thing until I can go back to writing! x
Yay! 💜 happy to bridge that gap
I have always gotten stuck on this part of my story and have dreaded the middle. Thank you so much for making this video! It was so helpful and I am actually excited to write this part of my book!!
So happy it was helpful!! Definitely hope this method does the trick for you
The way I clicked on this video FAST. 😂😂😂
THANK YOU! ❤️
I hope it helps!!
I just rewatched this for like the third time. This time I closed my eyes and listened to you talk and visualize what you were saying and secret fun and games plotting was unlocked! Thank youuuuuu 💜
Yay!! 🎉🎉🎉
AYE! NEEDED THIS. U always come thru!! 😆😆
I am here to provide lol
"This example book is bad and that's okay" XD
😂
Wow, incredibly helpful tips!! You always give such great advice, thank you so much for these videos!
Thank you! I’m super happy it helped you!
the fun and games section has always sounded like the "draw the rest of the owl" meme. lol like "just write the book". thank you for this video, it will be very helpful. i especially liked your advice about wrapping up sub-plots.
Hahaha that is very much the vibe of it, which definitely makes it a struggle. Glad this was helpful to you!
I swear by Save the Cat! Love that you broke this down. I love your content, so keep it coming. I couldn’t agree with you more on the vague fun and games section.
Don’t we all have a book in our drawer that we think...boy that’s not my best. Love that you’re so open about that!
I cannot wait for Blood Like Magic! I chose it for my book club once it’s released and I’m beyond excited! 💜
It is truly a super vague section lol and yes we definitely all have a book like that. And thank you so much for picking Blood Like Magic for your book club!!
this is incredibly helpful, THANK YOU for this series and this video in particular!!! I agree that this section in the book is extremely vague, but you made it very easy and actionable. Now I'm actually excited about plotting/writing this part instead of throwing up my hands in despair.
Yaaay I’m so happy about that! That’s exactly what I hoped this video would do. Because I know I was like “wut… is supposed to go here?” as a person who likes more detail and actionable steps
@@LiselleSambury it's really helpful, just like the whole series. I think you would do great at teaching writing classes, you make it very actionable without portraying your way as the ultimate way. ☺️☺️
I actually get so stressed out about teaching/doing workshops 🤣 which is why I like putting these videos up because I just talk to myself in a low stress environment but the information gets out
@@LiselleSambury oh no! I get it, it's different when you can do as many takes as you want and edit out the awkward pauses. But your natural excitement for the subject plus visible expertise are obvious and I'm sure they shine through at workshops as well ☺️☺️
Thank you!! I hope so for sure
this was SO crazy helpful!! absolutely going to rewatch this when I’m outlining again. thank you!!! 🙏
Yay! So glad it helped you!
Super helpful! Thank you for this!
So happy it’s helpful!
I'm so mad I never found this video sooner!! Super helpful, and you explained so many of the questions I had. Thank you!!
So happy that it helped you out!
Your sample story sounds like a sci-fi channel movie. And you know what? I WOULD WATCH IT if it was one for real. 😆😅
🤣 I’m glad you would watch it. I would definitely not write it lol someone can buy the idea off me and go wild. I was doing the most when I wrote that
@@LiselleSambury 😂😂😂
Thank you so much for this video, Liselle!! This is amazing and so well explained.
Yay! Very happy that it came across well! I was so worried about being unclear haha
@@LiselleSambury I found the explanations super clear and the examples really helped drive the point. I am working on my subplots right now because from watching this I realized I never had them very clear in my head and maybe working through them and trying this method will help me get through the middle chunk of the book which always seems to be the hardest for me LOL. I really appreciate you sharing this, it's very motivating
@@lexibiondi8027 I hope that it will help you with that middle chunk!
@@LiselleSambury thank you ❤️
You are amazing. I struggle so hard with the fun and games section, but you've given me some excellent ideas on how to approach it better. Hopefully the story I'm trying to plot now will come together a lot easier now. I really do wish the book went into things like this. It was super vague and I never knew how to make the section interesting and actually make sense.
Yeah, I felt the same way when I read that section which led to this whole process. Super happy that it’s given you some ideas and I hope your plotting will be easier now too!
I needed this. Thank you 🙏🏾
Happy to share!
Another great instant reminder I usually use for the 'FUN & GAMES' part is the "I'll Make A Man Out Of You" song in the Animated 'Mulan' Movie 💙
Ohhh that’s a good one!
So helpful! Thanks for creating and sharing.
Happy to!
The second time I've come back to this and this was sooooo amazing!! Please, PLEASE do the same for the rest of the beats (Or at least, Act one and Act 3 maybe) You are a writing saint!!
So so happy it’s helpful! And I wasn’t planning to do anything for act 1 and 2 since I thought they were more straight forward, but I’ve had a few people ask now so maybe I will 👀
There are so many amazing ideas and a ton of great information in this video, thank you so much!!
Happy to share! Glad it was helpful for you!
i loved this video!! so helpful, thank you so much!
Happy to help!
Thank you this helps a lot!
Happy to hear that!!
Thank you so much for this video! I haven't read save the cat writes a novel but listening to you talk about the fun and games section made me go....ohhhh is that why my middle feels like the pacing is off?? I have some work to do....thanks very much!
Glad that something clicked for you while watching!
Uuuuhhh, so not only do you give me some of the coolest books I've ever read, but then you teach me how to do it myself? Here's your crown.
🥹💚 aww thank you!! Glad to provide haha
This was super helpful! Thanks for sharing :)
Happy it helped you!
AMAZING VIDEO. I was struck with a terrible case of writer’s block when planning for fun and games but this video makes a lot of sense! This is the first video I’ve watched from you and I’m totally subscribing.
Quick question: when do you wrap up subplots in a trilogy? Should each book have their own subplots or should the same ones extend throughout the series? Thanks! ✍️
Yay! Thank you! I’ve only so far written a two-book series (second book editing in progress) but I give each book its own subplots. And I have separate details that I leave unfinished to come into other books but I don’t include them in the subplots that I plan for the book.
I do that because I want each book to be able to stand on its own and I want the reader to have an enjoyable experience, and I worry that it would be upsetting for them if the subplots didn’t wrap up in some way by the end of the book. But I think you can reopen or extend those subplots in later books
this video made me realize I had no subplots in my book LMAO thank you for saving my life
I’ve been there haha so glad this helped you!
Thanks for sending me back to this video, this was super interesting :D
No problem!
Coming over from the Kate Kavanaugh channel! Thanks for your vulnerability in sharing your It-Shall-Not-Be-Written story! Makes me wonder if I should dust off mine.
Glad she sent you here! Kate is lovely ☺️ and I mean if the story brings you joy, it’s worth the dust off!
This is really helpful thank you so much 💕💕💕💕
I’m glad!!
Thank you for this video and the guide sheet! It was so helpful in concretizing the fuzzy concepts I kind of already knew.
I will definitely continue referencing this in the future. Also had your werewolf book been published in 2010-2012 I would have ate that shit up lmao.
Glad it helped!! And LOL I can’t say that I’m upset that it didn’t even if you would have read it lol
This is SO helpful!!
Happy it is!!
thank you, this was helpful!
So glad it helped you!!
Thank you so much for this! Fun and games has had me head scratching. Question: I’m plotting my first novel now and have a few chapters written. I don’t have enough completed to know my average words per chapter, but I am writing middle grade. To figure out where the fun and games should start, would you say to estimate an overall manuscript word count for my genre and use the math from there?
That’s definitely what I would suggest. Poke around and see what the genre conventions for word count are and start from there for sure. You can always adjust once you’ve finished your first act and have a better idea of how long your chapters are in general
Random thought I had: what if the ghost mom who is haunting her is actually the “missing princess” - maybe she’s not the princes daughter or she is - but plot twist! P.s. this was awesome. I haven’t understood the “fun and games” and this helped so much!
Very interesting plot twist! So many possibilities! So glad that this helped you out!
Thank you!!!!
Great video :)
Thank you!!
Oh my goodness! 100k words? If I wrote 50K coherent words all strung together I'd be happy.
Yeahhh I tend to have a lot to say haha
The sheet link doesn't work anymore :(
Sorry about that! My entire website got deleted a couple weeks ago and I forgot to reupload it 🤦🏾♀️ it’s working now!
Omg your popup 🤣🤣🤣🤣
I was like “Urg whatever” 🤣
Super super helpful!! Thank you!
So glad it helped you!