Great tip! I'm a cozy mystery writer. I'll do this with a Sherlock Holmes and an Agatha Christie. I've been listening to them, trying to pick up a pattern. Your method is much better. THANKS for taking the time to share this idea with us.
As much as I like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, his story structure might not translate to modern methods. I think of the classic Hound of the Baskervilles, and the protagonist is offscreen from the middle third--maybe more (going by memory). A Study in Scarlet suddenly breaks for an extended flashback without any grounding how it relates to the plot, only tying back at the very end.
You're so right. While I don't do a synopsis of every chapter read, I do read a couple chapters of any story, then I sit to write my own story. Taking some phrases and styles from various authors. I alternate between reading and writing constantly. Cool video!
This video made me happy I don't have this problem while letting me better understand why I don't really engage well with genre fiction like I did when I was a kid. Patterns bore once you know them. But as an author, patterns are exactly right for who can't write. TLDR: craft will never beat talent, but it for sure will earn you a living faster and more consistently.
Just discovered your channel man, binge watched a long series of videos. Like you I’m an aspiring, working writer, making time to read and write when I can. Thanks for the inspiration and best of luck.
Relatively short, especially when compared to books in the fantasy genre. Right now, I'm rereading Ship of Magic (about 800+ pages) and 11/22/63 (also 800+ pages). Now I regret not taking notes like this from the start.
The goofy music noise in the "background" ruins the video. I made it 34 seconds in and had a headache. Smart youtubers stopped using disruptive "background" music noise years ago.
This was very helpful. Thank you. I will try it with a Stephen King novel. His first, that being CARRIE. It's relatively short and has one of my favorite endings. Should be fun.
I'm currently running with a sci-fi fantasy series for myself. I just decided to do the same thing with Harry Potter. I read it to learn how to be a better writer Considering the book I'm working on is my first ever book, which I plan to make into a series
Appreciate it! That’s an awesome example. GOT represents some of the best of fantasy, and if you can apply at least some of what Martin is doing there, you’ve gotten better.
@0:34 *participate* implies having or taking part in an undertaking, activity, or discussion. *partake* implies accepting or acquiring a share especially of food or drink. So, why bother becoming a writer/author, if at the very base level *you* misappropriate basic words?
@@manypageslaterpod Well, Webster's dictionary is _obviously_ superior to the Oxford dictionary - par·take /pärˈtāk/ verbFORMAL 1. eat or drink (something). "she had partaken of a cheese sandwich and a cup of coffee" Similar: consume have eat drink take devour polish off ingest tuck into wolf down dispose of get outside of get one's laughing gear round 2. join in (an activity). "visitors can partake in golfing or clay pigeon shooting" Similar: participate in take part in engage in enter into join in All the best in your continuing education - Cheers
@@manypageslaterpod The words *participate* and *share* are common synonyms of *_partake_* . While all three words mean "to have, get, or use in common with another or others," *partake* implies accepting or acquiring a share especially of food or drink. Cheers, mate!
That's great advice, I will definitely try this out! Do you have the link to the Reddit post you were talking about? Also, do you only write a synopsis on every chapter, or also write down techniques that you see? I heard you mentioning it, but it seemed like those kind of notes didn't appear in your notebook, or are they written somewhere else?
I have multiple notebooks for this purpose. It depends on the novel. Some of them i'm writing synopses because I want to analyze the story as a whole--and often I will make a plot map based off my notes to help me analyze the story. Other novels I will write down techniques and approach them more analytically. It really depends on the story and my intentions at the outset.
Okay, but what are you actually saying/writing for your outline/synopsis and/or annotations? X character does y thing for z motivation/reason... or what? X thing happens in Y place at Z time for R reason? Please go into the specifics, and the actual thought process you used. What did you look for. What did you record. Why did you record *that* versus something else. How does that help you. What would you recommend to outline/note/annotate for any given scene for any given user/writer. Vague overviews are nice in theory, but what we're really after is the nuts and bolts.
Great tip! I'm a cozy mystery writer. I'll do this with a Sherlock Holmes and an Agatha Christie. I've been listening to them, trying to pick up a pattern. Your method is much better. THANKS for taking the time to share this idea with us.
As much as I like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, his story structure might not translate to modern methods. I think of the classic Hound of the Baskervilles, and the protagonist is offscreen from the middle third--maybe more (going by memory). A Study in Scarlet suddenly breaks for an extended flashback without any grounding how it relates to the plot, only tying back at the very end.
You're so right. While I don't do a synopsis of every chapter read, I do read a couple chapters of any story, then I sit to write my own story. Taking some phrases and styles from various authors. I alternate between reading and writing constantly. Cool video!
I do this as well but it feels illegal 😅
I have a copy of 1356. I never finished it because life got in the way. I must take the time to read it and take the notes suggested.
This video made me happy I don't have this problem while letting me better understand why I don't really engage well with genre fiction like I did when I was a kid. Patterns bore once you know them. But as an author, patterns are exactly right for who can't write. TLDR: craft will never beat talent, but it for sure will earn you a living faster and more consistently.
Just discovered your channel man, binge watched a long series of videos. Like you I’m an aspiring, working writer, making time to read and write when I can. Thanks for the inspiration and best of luck.
So glad to hear it, John! Best of luck to you as well!
"only" 400 pages.
Relatively short, especially when compared to books in the fantasy genre. Right now, I'm rereading Ship of Magic (about 800+ pages) and 11/22/63 (also 800+ pages). Now I regret not taking notes like this from the start.
Nice work man! Love this type of content. I’m going to do this with ‘Children of Bone and Blood’ once I get into it.
Yes! That will be a great one to examine. Lot’s of themes to be learned from that one, I hear.
Awesome. Thanks for the video. I especially liked seeing your notebook with scene breakdowns at the end.
I’m so glad! It’s been a really useful practice for me
The goofy music noise in the "background" ruins the video. I made it 34 seconds in and had a headache. Smart youtubers stopped using disruptive "background" music noise years ago.
This video is criminally underrated
Great video but please turn down the music for future videos, found it very hard to concentrate on what you were saying.
This is a great way to be a writer - screenwriters do this for movies! Why not do it for books as well?
This was very helpful. Thank you. I will try it with a Stephen King novel. His first, that being CARRIE. It's relatively short and has one of my favorite endings. Should be fun.
Thanks so much!!
Good tips. But as another said, the music is annoying
I'm currently running with a sci-fi fantasy series for myself.
I just decided to do the same thing with Harry Potter. I read it to learn how to be a better writer
Considering the book I'm working on is my first ever book, which I plan to make into a series
I'm assuming the scene by scene breakdown is to look for those specific techniques?
I plan to do this with A Game of Thrones in my next reread; great vid btw!
Appreciate it! That’s an awesome example. GOT represents some of the best of fantasy, and if you can apply at least some of what Martin is doing there, you’ve gotten better.
Great video, thanks.
Who was listening while simultaneously reading the spine of the books in the back? 😅
Ok, I'll try that :)
This was a great breakdown on how to structure your paragraphs and story. Thank you. Good thoughts.
Glad it was helpful!
@0:34 *participate* implies having or taking part in an undertaking, activity, or discussion.
*partake* implies accepting or acquiring a share especially of food or drink.
So, why bother becoming a writer/author, if at the very base level *you* misappropriate basic words?
Per Webster's:
Partake (v)
to take part in or experience something along with others.
@@manypageslaterpod Well, Webster's dictionary is _obviously_ superior to the Oxford dictionary -
par·take
/pärˈtāk/
verbFORMAL
1.
eat or drink (something).
"she had partaken of a cheese sandwich and a cup of coffee"
Similar:
consume
have
eat
drink
take
devour
polish off
ingest
tuck into
wolf down
dispose of
get outside of
get one's laughing gear round
2.
join in (an activity).
"visitors can partake in golfing or clay pigeon shooting"
Similar:
participate in
take part in
engage in
enter into
join in
All the best in your continuing education - Cheers
@@manypageslaterpod The words *participate* and *share* are common synonyms of *_partake_* . While all three words mean "to have, get, or use in common with another or others," *partake* implies accepting or acquiring a share especially of food or drink. Cheers, mate!
I wish you had read out a small section of your notes for further clarification.😞
Nice video!
That's great advice, I will definitely try this out! Do you have the link to the Reddit post you were talking about? Also, do you only write a synopsis on every chapter, or also write down techniques that you see? I heard you mentioning it, but it seemed like those kind of notes didn't appear in your notebook, or are they written somewhere else?
I have multiple notebooks for this purpose. It depends on the novel. Some of them i'm writing synopses because I want to analyze the story as a whole--and often I will make a plot map based off my notes to help me analyze the story. Other novels I will write down techniques and approach them more analytically. It really depends on the story and my intentions at the outset.
@@manypageslaterpod Ah, that makes sense. Thanks for your reply! :)
very interesting
Okay, but what are you actually saying/writing for your outline/synopsis and/or annotations? X character does y thing for z motivation/reason... or what? X thing happens in Y place at Z time for R reason?
Please go into the specifics, and the actual thought process you used. What did you look for. What did you record. Why did you record *that* versus something else. How does that help you. What would you recommend to outline/note/annotate for any given scene for any given user/writer.
Vague overviews are nice in theory, but what we're really after is the nuts and bolts.
Yes, I'd love to hear Josh expand on this. What kinds of patterns did he see?
Who is this, Jesus's disciple? Or Davinci without his cap!
We can never know
The music is annoying and makes it hard to concentrate on what you're saying. Good content, but stopped listening half way for this reason.
haha true it's super distracting for some reason
Sanderson and Masterclass are the two last places I would go to for advice of any sort. Wondering why you chose those two examples.
My secret to better writing - Watch lots of youtube! 😀
You say it in jest, but there’s a lot of good stuff on here! Thanks for watching!
@@manypageslaterpod Yeah, it is good advice to make notes on the chapters of good books to learn how the writer develops the story.
Am I the only one who clocked on this video because in the profile pic. The host looks like Jesus.
Jesus Christ Johnson
Jesus wasn't a white Caucasian man😅