i have a tip: if you get stuck on a scene because it's boring, DON"T WRITE IT. lol if it's boring it probably doesn't need to be in the story. if it's boring to write, it will be boring to read lol
I kinda disagree, because some writers (me) have the attention span of a gold fish. Any scene that I was super excited about can turn boring in a second, but I don't think this means I should delete it. Otherwise, there'd be almost nothing
I'm actually shocked at how dense this is - good dense, with all the information it has for beginners. You pretty much cover everything that could possibly be important. I do think the public perception of "show don't tell" is weirdly focused on physical actions and visual details, but you probably have the most concrete distinction between the two, and their resulting use cases.
I am so glad you enjoyed the video. :-) I really wanted to discuss some of the practical consideration when writing a scene so people could get a sense of what information is worth including. Happy writing and thanks again.
FINALLY a video that actually tackles this. i've been watching advice after advice, asking my friends for help, but none of them seemed to actually understand what my problem was: i have the plot, i have the characters, i have the setting. i'm ready to write. except that *that's* what i'm stuck with. to actually write a damn scene.
As a person who writes plays as well as novels, I find that scenes only happen because a character has an objective. Scenes between multiple characters happen because two characters have objectives that involve each other. Conflict scenes happens when two characters objectives contradict each other's.
Oh, I love that! Thank you so much for sharing. :-) It certainly plays off the idea of having contrasting characters which is something I'm going to cover in my next video...which I am hoping to get up later today or tomorrow!
I would slightly alter that to say "I find that GOOD scenes only.." because it's entirely possible for an author to write a scene because they need to share information with the reader which rarely ends up being a good scene.
wrote my first book scene ever in a blizzard. It was so utterly beautiful that I wondered if I could capture it through words, since the camera on my phone did it no justice.
Appreciate your intelligent, concise analysis of scene elements. I am learning to write and you have just filled in a large chunk. I am heading over to your page to sign up for your newsletter now.
Interesting, well done. I have long thought that scene development was at the heart of the writing process. I'm a comic book artist/animator so my writing tends to include a lot of sketching. The thing is, scenes come to me by way of questions, or maybe it's what the character or the story needs. The next element for a scene that now comes to me is expectation. In order for the audience to have expectations I need to first set up a situation. A particular character in a particular setting. Those things come with expectations. That's when something happens that we didn't expect. Bill Waterson writes a scene should surprising and inevitable at the same time. It had to happen but I didn't see it coming. Well, I didn't expect to be writing this much. Come to think of it I did not expect to be commenting on a UA-cam video. Thank you for the inspiration.
It sounds like you've found a process that really works for you! It reminds me of a writing approach that Rachael Herron uses that she refer to as write and then respond. The idea that you write something and then you use that as a prompt for the next thing (i.e. a response) and that the story is able to evolve organically from there. You're certainly onto something with thinking about your stories in terms of expectations, and I am so pleased the video inspired you to leave a comment which we can all benefit from. Happy writing!
Subscribed! This was one of the most helpful writing videos I've seen in awhile, thank you! I would love if along the way you could go split-screen with a short and silly example, showing how you might think of each step and choose what goes on the page, just like you did with the Castle example, but continued 'til the end so you have a small little scene at the end. My AuDHD brain loves seeing examples.
07:25 A good example of sparse but evocative descriptions: William Gibson's short stories New Rose Hotel, Winter Market, Johnny Mnemonic, and Burning Chrome. They can be found in the Burning Chrome collection.
Another excellent video, and certainly one to re-watch and take notes. Lots of food for thought here. And I would like to compliment you on your engaging and energetic presentation style - it's a pleasure to listen to someone who is so enthusiastic about their subject.
It would be revealing and instructive to have several authors take just one scene or chapter from a given book and to see how they might rewrite it to their particular standards or preferences. Any takers out there for this project?
I would also say that, on your point regarding slowing a scene down/over describing at 2:45, it is perfectly acceptable to slow the scene down if something about the way he makes coffee is peculiar and reveals character information about him through action. The first example i thought of was say he's OCD, so he measures out the ingredients with a table spoon, carefully pours in the precise amount of milk, so on.
Most writer have a rigid rule and I hated it. And this is great because you always have exception in every rule. Because, yea, there is no strict rule. Its all about context and effect you want to give to reader.
Absolutely! Back and white thinking when it comes to writing isn't helpful. There are so many thinks that need to be considered. As I say to students, there are writing rules, but there are also no writing rules. It so often comes down to execution, what your intentions are, and the effect you are going for.
I tell new writers that a scene is a micro-story with a beginning, middle, and an end. A protagonist with a goal and obstacle. It has its own inciting incident, etc. And ideally, the end links somehow to the next scene and, of course, the scene is necessary in some way to the larger story.
Fantastic information, great video. I'm trying to do something new in a novel I'm working on. Third person limited, 6 povs, high fantasy. I'm comfortable writing multiple povs, but I'm struggling with one of them. The character has intense psychological trauma, so I really want to bring that inner voice to life. I want the character and the voice to be two unique entities that are constantly at odds with one another. Do you have any tips on how I can convey these internal conversations without it being jarring to the reader? I don't feel like presenting it as dialogue amongst physical characters is the right move
I am definitely careful when providing advice as I never want it to feel prescriptive. My aim is to share ideas, strategies, and ways of thinking so people can take the stuff that resonates with them and leave the rest!
@@authortaraeast thank you so much, the videos are really helping. I'm sorting of in a weird limbo where I'm going to write but I've got my GCSEs, so I have to wait. Been watching loads of videos those, yours are some of the best
I just found your channel and I want to thank you for all this info you give away for free :). Your videos are super informative and helpful for a newbie like me.
7:59 Immediately? I started out imagining the wall paper in stripes of the two colours, I then thought leaves could be more appropriate, and well, that second thought fits the fireplace and vase with lilies somewhat better.
There is no exact answer for this--which is great, because it means the decisions is entirely yours. You can short chapters that contain one scene, medium chapters that contain a few scenes, or long chapter than contain multiple scenes. The length of any given scene will also vary. In short, a scene should be as long as it needs to be to pleasingly tell us--the reader--what we need to know.
@@authortaraeast Hi Tara, thank you for that great advice 🙂. I’m currently watching all your videos, they are so incredibly helpful to a beginner writer! I’m by your definition, at a zero draft. I’ve planned as much as I can but it’s starting to be a negative experience because I’m getting too restricted by my own ideas 😵💫 So, I’m just going to start writing and see where it takes me. It’s funny, because I know at some point this will all make sense to me but it feel like a really steep learning curve where even the basics like scene structure feels like an mistral secret that other know how to do and i don’t lol 😂. Thanks again, Adele x
You kind of sound like an Aussie who has lived in the US for some time? Great video. It's so hard to find specific information on these scene components. Thank you! Subscribed
Great video. Just curious about your accent. What has influenced it? I’m very into languages and I couldn’t pin point your accent. Sounded Aussie sometimes but then you had some strong Rs like Americans occasionally too…
I do have a bit of an odd accent! I'm Australian, but I've always had a bit of an American bent to my accent. Perhaps too much TV as a kid? :-) (It's not a great explanation, but it's the only one I got!)
While I like the idea of this video and wish more "writing advice" was practical, I found this video over complicated. This is actually a more general problem and not specific to just Tara. When it comes to the writing advice "show don't tell" there is one simple question that resolves the issue. What is this scene doing? In the example given showing Michael with a gun held on him, the scene was showing the character buying time either waiting for something to change, or thinking of something to do, or the scene could have been showing the character not caring. Sum up in one or two bullet points what you want to communicate. Then show don't tell the information in the bullet points.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and reflections and I will certainly take some of this feedback on board, particularly in regards to the amount of detail I provide. :-)
@@authortaraeast wow, thanks. I appreciate that, I know taking feedback isn't always easy. Like I said I really like the practical advice. I think people have err'd to far in the direction of not wanting to appear like they are some all knowing authority. Most advice now is so hedged that it's difficult to actually figure out what the advice is.
I once had a beautiful Brown tabby named Annabelle Tara West. I might work her into a story idea . I don’t for a minute believe in reincarnation ( neither for moral reasons. It’s, with karma, racist and reactionary and reinforces the status quo.) Sorry had to get that out of the way😊 Anyway , it 2O yr later or so and the guy is now 40, and there’s a young woman about 20. Yes, a little risqué. And yes it’s her.
i have a tip: if you get stuck on a scene because it's boring, DON"T WRITE IT. lol if it's boring it probably doesn't need to be in the story. if it's boring to write, it will be boring to read lol
That is a great way to assess your writing. :-)
If it's too bland, just add more spice ( more CONFLICT). Don't just cut out the scene. It might be an important one to help move the story forward.
add more subtext, lots of boring things happen irl but they can be very memorable if there is more going on under the hood
I kinda disagree, because some writers (me) have the attention span of a gold fish. Any scene that I was super excited about can turn boring in a second, but I don't think this means I should delete it. Otherwise, there'd be almost nothing
0:00 - Introduction
1:45 - Telling vs Showing
5:15 - Description
9:53 - Tension
12:29 - Narrative Drive/Story Arcs
16:28 - Scene Structure
"describe the unfamiliar and mention the familiar" (to give it context). Wow. Great way of putting it.
Thank you!
I'm actually shocked at how dense this is - good dense, with all the information it has for beginners. You pretty much cover everything that could possibly be important. I do think the public perception of "show don't tell" is weirdly focused on physical actions and visual details, but you probably have the most concrete distinction between the two, and their resulting use cases.
I am so glad you enjoyed the video. :-) I really wanted to discuss some of the practical consideration when writing a scene so people could get a sense of what information is worth including. Happy writing and thanks again.
Finally! A proper explanation for showing vs telling!
Glad you enjoyed it and found my explanation helpful!
Now you are a show writer?
FINALLY a video that actually tackles this. i've been watching advice after advice, asking my friends for help, but none of them seemed to actually understand what my problem was: i have the plot, i have the characters, i have the setting. i'm ready to write. except that *that's* what i'm stuck with. to actually write a damn scene.
I am so glad that you found the video helpful! Thanks for the comment :-)
As a person who writes plays as well as novels, I find that scenes only happen because a character has an objective. Scenes between multiple characters happen because two characters have objectives that involve each other. Conflict scenes happens when two characters objectives contradict each other's.
Oh, I love that! Thank you so much for sharing. :-) It certainly plays off the idea of having contrasting characters which is something I'm going to cover in my next video...which I am hoping to get up later today or tomorrow!
I would slightly alter that to say "I find that GOOD scenes only.." because it's entirely possible for an author to write a scene because they need to share information with the reader which rarely ends up being a good scene.
Solid. Concise. Helpful.
Thanks, John!
Wow, straightforward information, rare nowadays
That's such great feedback, thank you! :-)
wrote my first book scene ever in a blizzard. It was so utterly beautiful that I wondered if I could capture it through words, since the camera on my phone did it no justice.
I'm curious, what is it about?
@@cookie-hz9fx erm- vampire king falls in love with human girl 💀
Appreciate your intelligent, concise analysis of scene elements. I am learning to write and you have just filled in a large chunk. I am heading over to your page to sign up for your newsletter now.
Interesting, well done.
I have long thought that scene development was at the heart of the writing process.
I'm a comic book artist/animator so my writing tends to include a lot of sketching.
The thing is, scenes come to me by way of questions, or maybe it's what the character or the story needs.
The next element for a scene that now comes to me is expectation.
In order for the audience to have expectations I need to first set up a situation.
A particular character in a particular setting. Those things come with expectations.
That's when something happens that we didn't expect. Bill Waterson writes a scene should surprising and inevitable at the same time. It had to happen but I didn't see it coming.
Well, I didn't expect to be writing this much.
Come to think of it I did not expect to be commenting on a UA-cam video.
Thank you for the inspiration.
It sounds like you've found a process that really works for you! It reminds me of a writing approach that Rachael Herron uses that she refer to as write and then respond. The idea that you write something and then you use that as a prompt for the next thing (i.e. a response) and that the story is able to evolve organically from there. You're certainly onto something with thinking about your stories in terms of expectations, and I am so pleased the video inspired you to leave a comment which we can all benefit from. Happy writing!
Thank you for the description about the cover-the character taking some action or solving a problem.
Subscribed! This was one of the most helpful writing videos I've seen in awhile, thank you! I would love if along the way you could go split-screen with a short and silly example, showing how you might think of each step and choose what goes on the page, just like you did with the Castle example, but continued 'til the end so you have a small little scene at the end. My AuDHD brain loves seeing examples.
Oh! What a great idea! Thanks for the tip :-)
This was actually super helpful and I immediately subscribed.
This has helped me so so SO much. Thank you!!
Wow. This is INCREDIBLY helpful. Thank you!!
Glad you enjoyed it! :-) Happy writing.
This is one of the best writing advice videos I have ever seen 👏🏼
Excellent delivery on a complicated topic. Thanks!
You're so kind, thank you!
07:25 A good example of sparse but evocative descriptions: William Gibson's short stories New Rose Hotel, Winter Market, Johnny Mnemonic, and Burning Chrome. They can be found in the Burning Chrome collection.
Oh, thanks for the recommendations. Much appreciated.
I'm going to have rewatch this a bunch of times to help commit all this info.
It's a pretty packed video! Though I am glad that the it warrants a re-watch. :-) Happy writing!
This is good. Make more videos. The internet is lucky to have you
You're so sweet. Thank you!
Another excellent video, and certainly one to re-watch and take notes. Lots of food for thought here. And I would like to compliment you on your engaging and energetic presentation style - it's a pleasure to listen to someone who is so enthusiastic about their subject.
Thank you, Elizabeth! That's so lovely and I really appreciate it. And yes....I am a little obsessed with writing and storytelling :-)
"Show don't tell" is like saying "Use salt not sugar" or "Step on the accelerator not the brakes."
You should change that to “brakes” in your second draft. 😉
@tdc_2021 Thanks!
It would be revealing and instructive to have several authors take just one scene or chapter from a given book and to see how they might rewrite it to their particular standards or preferences. Any takers out there for this project?
2:28 Cormac McCarthy would lol
I would also say that, on your point regarding slowing a scene down/over describing at 2:45, it is perfectly acceptable to slow the scene down if something about the way he makes coffee is peculiar and reveals character information about him through action. The first example i thought of was say he's OCD, so he measures out the ingredients with a table spoon, carefully pours in the precise amount of milk, so on.
Thanks Tara!
You're welcome!
Most writer have a rigid rule and I hated it. And this is great because you always have exception in every rule. Because, yea, there is no strict rule. Its all about context and effect you want to give to reader.
Absolutely! Back and white thinking when it comes to writing isn't helpful. There are so many thinks that need to be considered. As I say to students, there are writing rules, but there are also no writing rules. It so often comes down to execution, what your intentions are, and the effect you are going for.
I tell new writers that a scene is a micro-story with a beginning, middle, and an end. A protagonist with a goal and obstacle. It has its own inciting incident, etc. And ideally, the end links somehow to the next scene and, of course, the scene is necessary in some way to the larger story.
That is a great way to frame the structuring of a scene.
Very, very good points. Thanks.
Great advice and clearly delivered with examples ❤ thank you
You are most welcome! I'm so glad it was helpful.
Found this video here and got to know you today, Great video, will always keep alert for your videos, 🙏🕊️
Thank you so much! Best of luck with your writing!
excellent video thanks, english is not my first language but you're a great help, pls continue what you're doing
Thank you for watching and for leaving such a lovely comment. I hope the video help and best of luck with your writing!
The best part of writing is you can do it however you want
So true, Jeremy.
Fantastic information, great video. I'm trying to do something new in a novel I'm working on. Third person limited, 6 povs, high fantasy. I'm comfortable writing multiple povs, but I'm struggling with one of them. The character has intense psychological trauma, so I really want to bring that inner voice to life. I want the character and the voice to be two unique entities that are constantly at odds with one another. Do you have any tips on how I can convey these internal conversations without it being jarring to the reader? I don't feel like presenting it as dialogue amongst physical characters is the right move
Love this video so much, im glad you don't tell ne how to write, you show different techniques and i can figure out how to use them
I am definitely careful when providing advice as I never want it to feel prescriptive. My aim is to share ideas, strategies, and ways of thinking so people can take the stuff that resonates with them and leave the rest!
@@authortaraeast thank you so much, the videos are really helping. I'm sorting of in a weird limbo where I'm going to write but I've got my GCSEs, so I have to wait. Been watching loads of videos those, yours are some of the best
@@rockbandny That is high praise! Thank you, and good luck with your GCSEs.
Thanks
Hey, this was a fantastic video. I think I might just have to check out your book. 😊
Thank you so much! I hope it helps as you work on your novel. :-) And if you do buy a copy of Every Time He Dies, I hope you love it!
I just found your channel and I want to thank you for all this info you give away for free :). Your videos are super informative and helpful for a newbie like me.
I'm so glad i found you!
:-)
This helped me so much
Awesome! :-)
7:59 Immediately?
I started out imagining the wall paper in stripes of the two colours, I then thought leaves could be more appropriate, and well, that second thought fits the fireplace and vase with lilies somewhat better.
It is absolutely insane to me that this channel doesn't have 100k+ subs.
You're so sweet! This channel is definitely a passion project, so I hope the videos just find the right people.
Brilliant video, I hit subscribe straight away! 😊. How many scenes would there be per chapter, would it just be one per chapter or more? Thanks
There is no exact answer for this--which is great, because it means the decisions is entirely yours. You can short chapters that contain one scene, medium chapters that contain a few scenes, or long chapter than contain multiple scenes. The length of any given scene will also vary. In short, a scene should be as long as it needs to be to pleasingly tell us--the reader--what we need to know.
@@authortaraeast Hi Tara, thank you for that great advice 🙂. I’m currently watching all your videos, they are so incredibly helpful to a beginner writer!
I’m by your definition, at a zero draft. I’ve planned as much as I can but it’s starting to be a negative experience because I’m getting too restricted by my own ideas 😵💫
So, I’m just going to start writing and see where it takes me. It’s funny, because I know at some point this will all make sense to me but it feel like a really steep learning curve where even the basics like scene structure feels like an mistral secret that other know how to do and i don’t lol 😂.
Thanks again, Adele x
You kind of sound like an Aussie who has lived in the US for some time? Great video. It's so hard to find specific information on these scene components. Thank you! Subscribed
Yes, I have a ...weird accent! I am Australia but have always had a bit of an American twang :-) Perhaps too much TV as a kid?
@@authortaraeast Oh wow that’s a surprise! Well it’s a very nice accent however it came about :)
13:16 The famous (or if you prefer infamous) "bear on the beach"?
Great video. Just curious about your accent. What has influenced it? I’m very into languages and I couldn’t pin point your accent. Sounded Aussie sometimes but then you had some strong Rs like Americans occasionally too…
I do have a bit of an odd accent! I'm Australian, but I've always had a bit of an American bent to my accent. Perhaps too much TV as a kid? :-) (It's not a great explanation, but it's the only one I got!)
And subscribed
Thank you :-)
I want to write a novel, but i fear that i may have no natural writing ability
While I like the idea of this video and wish more "writing advice" was practical, I found this video over complicated. This is actually a more general problem and not specific to just Tara. When it comes to the writing advice "show don't tell" there is one simple question that resolves the issue. What is this scene doing? In the example given showing Michael with a gun held on him, the scene was showing the character buying time either waiting for something to change, or thinking of something to do, or the scene could have been showing the character not caring.
Sum up in one or two bullet points what you want to communicate. Then show don't tell the information in the bullet points.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and reflections and I will certainly take some of this feedback on board, particularly in regards to the amount of detail I provide. :-)
@@authortaraeast wow, thanks. I appreciate that, I know taking feedback isn't always easy. Like I said I really like the practical advice. I think people have err'd to far in the direction of not wanting to appear like they are some all knowing authority. Most advice now is so hedged that it's difficult to actually figure out what the advice is.
@@alananimus9145 I totally understand what you're saying!
I once had a beautiful Brown tabby named Annabelle Tara West.
I might work her into a story idea .
I don’t for a minute believe in reincarnation ( neither for moral reasons. It’s, with karma, racist and reactionary and reinforces the status quo.)
Sorry had to get that out of the way😊
Anyway , it 2O yr later or so and the guy is now 40, and there’s a young woman about 20. Yes, a little risqué. And yes it’s her.