Brandon Sanderson: "All right guys, let's do class! Yaaay! Oh boy! Class! Me, alone in my living room celebrating with a little dance: "Oh boy, class! Yaaaaay!"
I'm not even a writer, just a fan of Sanderson's works, but listening to him lecture about his craft makes me want to try writing in my spare time. What an incredible lecturer.
59:10 Brandon: "-having been changed so much that the Hero is no longer the person who can stay home, and often there's an epilogue where they just wander off..." Me, watching: "So basically the end of Fallout-" Brandon: "...Fallout, right?" Me: *Surprised Pikachu face* I wish I had lectures like this.
Not content with being the greatest living fantasy author, Sanderson has to remind everyone what a fantastic teacher he is. What's next for him? Nobel prize in Medicine? Olympic medal in Judo? Only time will tell.
@Jester Well that might be subjective. GRR Martin bores me, i like his story(mostly GoT) but his writing didn't affect me as Sanderson does. I do like Patrick Rothfuss writing but he's still struggling to deliver his next piece. Sanderson for me is consistent in what he performs. I feel like (again subjective) it boils down to each of them having different strenghts that everyone feels differently about.
@Jester Everyone has different opinions on books. I don't think theres such a thing as "best author" since some books just work for some people and others wont. I have a friend that is obsessed with "Throne of Glass" which is, in my opinion, really bad.
@@valentinkoch6972 Throne of Glass has many objective problems even when using YA as a looking glass. But hey, we enjoy awful things all the time. Objectivity does exist, but it all matters on what looking glass you use.
Mr. Sanderson writes great books, and a lot of great books. He does not rely of graphic descriptions to pull out strong emotional response, but is still able to create such response. I never thought anyone could satisfactory finish Jordan’s WoT series, but Mr, Sanderson did just that. I do enjoy the Storm Light books, but I am sad to recognize I will finish before that series will be finished.
Thanks Brandon for putting these lectures up. You're helping a ton of aspiring writers. I've paid for content that's way less useful than yours. So to get all this information for free is a blessing. Cheers.
Personally I’ve paid for Every Single book Brandon has written :) And I’ve recommended his work to dozens of people over the years. My point is that I’ve probably made one or two of Brandon’s car payments in that time haha. So I think I’ve earned a couple free lectures ;)
@@Infamous1892 you mean his book On Writing? Or does SK teach a class. My copy of on writing is dog eared. I was always a “discovery” writer but was never confident that my stream of consciousness style could result in real marketable books. King taught me that’s a valid way to write even though everyone was telling me my whole life to make detailed outlines etc.
I struggled for a long to time to actually get a first draft done because I didn't realize I was an extreme discovery writer. If anyone struggles with just getting words on the page, try unbridled discovery writing. Just write without concern for it being good in any way. Even if it's a total disaster, each word written and then later studied is a learning opportunity. I learned so much faster this way than by trying to plan anything. However, I also feel like this only works so well for me because I actually like revision unlike Brandon. I like going back and "optimizing" what I've done. It's like playing Factorio, learning something really cool, and then trashing your previous build to replace it with something more awesome.
I have found that I am getting better, maybe someday when I am pro I will be able to do a full draft before editing. But right now what is working for me is to 1) plot out my story arc with multiple plot lines 2) discovery write a chapter or two until I come to point where I don’t know what to do 3) read what I wrote and decide what works and what needs to come next, then fix it doing a single full edit of that first chapter. 4) Repeat steps 2 and 3. It’s like two steps forward, one step back, but that still makes gradual progress.
Factorio is a good analogy for discovery writing. It's a game about efficincy but you don't feel bad about being inefficient your first time playing. You're just happy with something that works eventually. Then you optimize. Even if you don't ever get to max possible efficiency, you're satisfied with what you end up with at the end.
Kaladin was a little bitch. Always crying about how much of a leader his was, then whining about how he has to protect everyone, then the constant going back in his past for him to be all sad and depressed about Light eyes. Who gives a shit? A good character has confliction, but isn't inconsistent. One second he's the most special leader amongst men, next he's crying about how he's a slave. He's boring.
@@Infamous1892 Kalladin is suffering from depression and survivor's guilt. I find his story compelling because of that, and hard to read because it's pretty damn fucking REAL. People DON'T magically overcome depression and survivor's guilt in an instant. It can take years to make progress, and it's a constant struggle to not backslide.
I wont lie, coming from fast paced YA books and even Mistborn, the Way of Kings and Kaladin's bleak, dreary and miserable start failed to grab my attention the first 3-4 times i tried to read the book. The rest is history though
@@Iluvatar196 heh. I'm going in the opposite direction. I read The Stormlight Archive, Elantris, and a couple others of Brandon Sanderson's work first, and Mistborn is next on my list after Rhythm of War.
this is the first time ive EVER heard another author dedicate so much time to talk about HOW to outline your plots and im so glad! outlining has always been something that ive struggled with, so to get an author like brandon to just state "here's how i outline, heres an example" is invaluable. thank you for putting this series out for us to watch!!
Keep them coming Brandon. Your knowledge and expertise are invaluable and its such a selfless thing you do to share it for free. You're a gentleman and a scholar, literally!
I am very grateful to be able to see these lectures. I've always wanted to go to university to study book writing, but it's a rare field where I live and I didn't have the opportunity to go to another city to study it, so I chose aesthetics as a kind of very cheap substitute. Although of course I can't say that it didn't give me anything at all, quite the opposite! Watching your lectures, I feel like I finally got into the major I always wanted to go into. Thank you very much
This class completely unlocked me. It was like fog all over my uni where they teach us again and again about plot structure but never about plot archetypes! Now I see it! A thousand times thank you for your gift.
about when you pitch an idea (46:00 ~) a friend of mine gave me a great tip: start from the most interesting, outstanding, awesome scene in your story... and then as the convo progresses, get into details. A lot of times screenwriters\authors try to start describing the story from the start, which is not always that interesting, because of all the details. So instead, just start from the fun, and gradually go into depth. I hope this helps anybody!
When writing my first draft I literally skipped most of the start except the interesting parts. I'm currently working on the 2nd draft where I'm adding in those details and can focus on making these parts go somewhere and be interesting. I found it easier to do like this as I got these bright shining ideas out of my head and I can now see the rest of the proverbial room clearly.
Wonder if the young man in the middle will one day regret the fact that his expressive arm motions have been immortalized online. Low key sour grapes on my part since I really wish I could be in this class.
Brandon Sanderson - you begin talking about the heist archetype, and something dawned on me. One of my favorite novels as a teen, and even now, The Hobbit, could very well be cast as a heist story. Thank you for putting out these videos. I'm greatly enjoying them.
You know,i always feel guilty when i can,t write and then i watch something related to writing. I am so happy because today i managed to write 7 pages in 3240 words. I write in portuguese so i don,t know it this changes a lot but anyway,i am so happy that i can hear this with no guilt trip whatsoever. I can do it,you can do it,just sit you ass down and write,goddamnit!!!
@@nathanj3528 to be honest,this rarely happens. Most days i strugle to make anything,and if i get 1 page done i consider ot enough. Writing is so weird,sometimes it,s exhausting and miserable,other times its pure joy,but you can,t wait for the day when it will be goo,cause it doesn,t happen by itself. You have to try every day and it, sooooo fucking hard.
@@rodrigo3732 many times I feel accomplished if I eke out a paragraph. We all have our pace. And the language difference MAKES no difference in terms of productivity. You did 7 damn pages!
Thank you, Brandon. You break it down in such a way that makes me go, "Oh yeah! I CAN do this." Having all the tools is part of it. It's so awesome that you've made these public. Love your work, love your humorous teaching style. You're a class act. Again, thank you.
I'm a natural discovery writer, and I'll share the tool that has helped me write nine of my books: Jami Gold's (free) story structure spreadsheets. The idea is that you work out the rough structure--enough to give you a path, and then discovery write from there! (This means everything from opening hook, inciting incident, doorway of no return, midpoint, pinch points, dark moment, climax, etc) As an added bonus, it also gives you something to share with your editor, so they can give it a look before you dig in too deep. (Even though I may not follow this spreadsheet exactly, it helps me come up with a much cleaner first draft! It also helps with tracking multiple plot/character arcs.
That, and the sudden plot armor when Game of Thrones was defined by a LACK of plot armor, and the bad/rushed writing that said "X Happens Because The Writers Say So!"
I don't know if Brandon still reads these comments, but his style of plotting was a game changer. It makes it so much easier to write scenes now without stressing about the entire plot
I have found your lectures to be super well spoken and informative. I am not sure how I can thank you enough, not only for the information, but for the way you deliver your thoughts. Stay epic, and keep doing big things.
Brandon, you are a legend. As a speed reader who has read around 1,000 books and reread ten times over that, I can honestly say you are my favorite author. Thank you for this resource as I now look to write my own novel.
The fact these lectures are free for everyone online is so cool, so great getting to see the inner workings of a mind like Brandon's in a long structured format. I become more of a fan each day!
Whenever I start to get frustrated by my writing and abilities, I come back to this lecture and watch it through. There’s something about the passion and understanding Brandon has that grounds me again. Just listening to the basics and bringing it down to a more approachable viewpoint reminds me how much I know and that those rules are there for guidance. Idk I just think this is truly one of the best writing resources ever
*devours every word” I look forward to these, I’ve run out of previous years’ lectures to watch, I started watching them again. I get new things out of them each time that I can apply to my own writing to make it better.
These lectures are amazing. There's so much directly useful info here that I ended up creating a plot with a setting and a rough story outline while watching, instead of just taking notes for later use. Pure gold! Thank you very much!
I'm 3 episodes in and love this. I can't normally do white board learning but I'm at work(factory) and listen to this. Note book out and jotting notes when something feels pertinent, gives me hope and direction.
You gotta love how on the ball Brandon was with the romance question. "Why do writers put a romance in everything?" Student: gives guys like me hope! Student isnt even fully done speaking... Brandon: WISH FULFILLMENT!!! Yes!
You explain everything better than any writing youtuber and I love it. You really make writing feel more freeing than the cage it has become about writing right and like others.
Im 38 years old and was brought up by a family where college never a real option outside of crippling debt which I passed on bit ive always loved writing and have always wanted to take classes. I very much doubt that I will ever write anything that will inspire or change the world in any way, but yhe fact that I am essentially taking these classes for free as a middle aged man makes me very hopeful for the future. 20 years ago when I was 18 simple creative writing classes seemed put of reach. If time continues with the same rate of progress future generations will be more well equipped for life than we could ever imagine. Could just be wishful thinking tho
@@Newt5996 In one of his streams he said he's been having frustration with getting people to pick up Mistborn so he's going to write the screenplay himself. I wouldn't take that news as a sign of it being picked up
A Russo ? Couldn't you pick up more exciting name ? I will be very dissapiont if The Russo will direct a Sanderson novel. We need somone like Ari Aster rather than a Russo.
I'm not a writer, I'm a reader. But I'm also a software developer, and like with video games or technology in general, it's amazing to see behind the curtain the magic, sweat, and knowledge authors have when crafting what I and others take for granted when teleported to different worlds.
Genuinely can't believe these are available for free on UA-cam. Super helpful so far. I was always jealous of the students who were able to take a class from such a talented writer. Then I learn he made his 2020 creative writing class available for free!
This is the video that _really_ tied my story together, before I've even written it. Until now I was flailing along with only vague and rather weak ideas on how my story was going to go, but not by the end, not every half hour, not even twenty but rather at least every five to ten minutes I was having revelation after revelation, big idea after big idea, overall a real, tangible sense of the many different ways I could go with my story and a multitude of ways to get there. This one video just turned my book from clay to pottery, and now I know that all I gotta do is paint it. Thank you _so_ much, Brandon, I can finally flail around with my story freely as a beginner novelist without actually feeling like I don't know what I'm even trying to achieve.
For the Act Structure, I find a really useful, functional definition is "A point where your character makes an irrevocable choice." Basically a decision is made and that sets or alters the course moving forward from there. And maybe a more elaborate definition would be "makes a choice they wouldn't have made at the start of the act." so that we're not just counting decisions made because of circumstance that don't offer any suggestion of character growth. In movies there are typically two to five acts. Three acts is plenty common in movies or plays, which is where the 'thee act structure' sort of comes from. But I don't see how anyone can look at a movie and a book and say: "yeah, one of these is five times longer than the other, with five times the detail, plot, and character interaction, but it'll still only have 3 acts." The longer books I've read I could consider as having over a dozen acts.
I would very much appreciate a copy of that Skyward outline referenced. Thanks for posting these, I love your books but have so much appreciation for your podcast and other material you publish regarding your methods. Thanks Brandon!
jenna morgan thanks for the suggestion. I wasn’t able to find a specific outline like he mentioned about Skyward, but I did see some drafting of Way of Kings Prime which was interesting. Here’s a link to what I found - www.brandonsanderson.com/the-way-of-kings-early-brainstorms-outlines/ If you have a link to what Brandon mentions in this lecture that would be cool to see, but no worries if no ones able to find it. Cheers!
Thank you so much! A true masterclass without the price tag. It feels like you’re sharing your experience with us aspiring writers out of the goodness of your heart & genuine love for encouraging the writing community. What a lovely way to spend my New Year’s Eve: sitting by the glittering Christmas tree taking notes from Brandon’s class and planning my next novel 💕
Brandon, I’m not sure if you’ll ever see this, but thank you for making these free for us. It’s really a treat. I agree from Chile in 2023. Just, students calm down he he he. Sanderson didn't finisht the idea and they raise their hands. Not enough respect. But anyway, thanks!!!! Cheers.
I'm at 6.5 pages of notes at this point in the series. By word count, I think I've taken more notes for these lectures than I did for a full semester of many of my college classes. Thank you for putting these up, Brandon.
@@watashiwa8551 Fair warning: these are the notes I took for myself; I spent about 20 hours on the lectures because I kept pausing them to make sure I had time to take things down. I've also taken a few Craft of Fiction courses in the past, so I didn't write down a lot of things that were already in my toolbox. Good luck: docs.google.com/document/d/1HY95b2kvOPccBS87YGmEE3_q0kgsweFY_Sxy6ZNPWvY/edit?usp=sharing
"If you cheat at a mystery and the reader couldn't figure it out, it'll feel unsatisfying." This is exactly why I hate the BBC Sherlock show. The viewer never has a chance to solve the mystery themselves. We're never given enough information because Sherlock just magically knows everything.
True, but the actual Sherlock Holmes stories are told in the exact same way because we see it even more directly through the lens of Watson who's an absolute idiot at seeing things
Exactly what came to mind when I heard that! If you want a good Sherlock adaptation the Mary Russel books by Laurie R King are awesome, basically Sherlock post retirement training a young female apprentice and getting dragged back in, really exciting and satisfying mystery books that stay true to the source material but don't just rehash the original stories, they have the hypercompetent protagonist etc but also with some great flaws & they get the mystery payoff exactly right IMO. Some are stronger than others of course, but all are great. They can be read as standalone mysteries but some great overarching plots develop too, and the character work is excellent. Think the first is called The Beekeeper's Apprentice. I really want to write a fantasy mystery now!
This is the difference between the "fair play" mystery story---where all the information available to the detective is available to the reader, and the "classic" mystery story--where there is a gulf between what the detective knows and the reader knows. Holmes, both written and adapted, is definitely of the "classic" type. "Figuring it out" really isn't the point. The "why" is usually far more important than the "how" or the "who".
@@sherlockholmes6171 Agatha Christie's are usually fair plays. Sure, she "cheats" a little at times, and, of course, "common knowledge" bases change, so we modern readers are often at a disadvantage understanding oblique or casual references to things that don't exist in the same state anymore, but her mysteries ARE written to be solvable
Attempting to write my first book as I listen to these. It’s amazing. I just rewind and let things kind of soak in sometimes. I just finished chapter 1 2800 word count.
"You cannot escape so easily, Dragon. It is not done between us. It will not be done until the end of time.” Then he was gone, and the mountain and the island stood alone. Waiting. Chapter 1: Some-BODY
Brandon, I loved Mistborn profoundly. When they were planning the heist it made me feel like I was over your shoulder watching you write the book. I've never felt so close to the author.
Also I HATED heist stories when I read Mistborn I went into it ready to despise this story, but like a dang magician you completely subverted my expectations.
I’m in Arizona I feel like I would want to do this drive just for this! Your writing inspires me to continue in my work. I hoping one day you will get to hold my book in your hands!
This class was exactly what I needed! Thanks, Brandon! I'm going to start outlining and getting stuff out of my head now... Maybe it'll stop rattling around in there so much :)
To Brandon Sanderson: You have given us a true trove of knowledge. It is an invaluable treasure for aspiring writers that are perfectionistic like me. Whenever I have time, I watch these videos, take notes and link these to my own writing. It is thanks to you that I broke off doing world building upon world building, although I’ll keep making maps still. TL:DR Thank you very much for sharing these lessons with us and for putting out so much content about writing on your channel. Thank you for enabling my passion to bloom from a seed to a bud.
This class has clarified things for me that I have struggled to conceptualise for a while now, great lecture in general, love how Brandon handles the class with respect and some lil jokes, examples and easy to understand explanations. THANK you so much for sharing this for free! It means the world to people like me who have currently no option to officially study creative writing. Much love!
Ahhhh, Brandon Sanderson.... where do I even begin? Oh, How I love you. You bring your great knowledge onto us feeble peasants for a mere price of.....nothing. Simply, our time to learn. I edge to this video series weekly. The pure....passion. It.... gives to me is..... unmeasurable. I love you, Brandon Sanderson. You. Are. My. God
Brandon has reignited my muse and I'm currently working on finishing my novel. He's truly a gift to anyone interested in Writing/ Reading/ Understanding literature And A gift to me
These lectures have helped me rationalize some writing of my own and help me to teach my own writing club genres and prose in future. Thanks Mr. Sanderson.
Thank you Brandon. I have been writing as a hobby for most my life. I have decided to try to take it seriously. I finished a rough draft from a poorly written outline. It is a piece of crap. But, listening to your lectures, I am learning how to clean it up and make it an actual book. Thank you so much.
Only started writing a few months ago at 34 years due to having way more time on my hands. These lectures are a great asset to me and I'm thankful that it is free of charge. :D
I'm interested in procedurally generating games (kind of like Dwarf Fortress) with characters and setting and missions that can be complex and different each playthrough. Maybe one day I will get started on that. But also, knowing how and why stories work tells us a lot about people and how we should design anything that is supposed to be compelling to people.
These videos have helps break down the mammoth task into smaller chunks. It has been a really great resource for some practical tools to use. Thank you.
Brandon, I’m not sure if you’ll ever see this, but thank you for making these free for us. It’s really a treat. Cheers
My pleasure. Good luck with your writing.
@@BrandSanderson By God, I shall make you an Altar
@@genious7714 .......don't think Brandon would appreciate that.
@@Isaiah_McIntosh Oh yeah... I shall make a holly drawing then!!!
@@Isaiah_McIntosh Lol
I'm more invested in this class than in my actual college classes
I swear, me too!
You are not alone
i feel like i should be paying for this
Sooo true!
Same here man, and my career isn't even related to books
Brandon, half-heartedly: "let's do claaaaass!"
Me, clutching phone, tears streaming down my face: "FINALLY CLAAAAASS"
Lol Saaaaaaaaaame
I've never been more excited for class!
Fandersons UNITE
very descriptive scene and emotional reaction. you will make a great writer.
I JUST GOT THE NOTIFICATION AND I TURNED EVERYTHING OFF FOR THIS
"it gives poor guys like me hope"
-random lecture student
Guess he got laid that very same week end
33:24 for anyone that wants to listen to it again and again
@@gracjanlekston134 Once is enough, thank you
🤣🤣
@@Uberdude6666 The Hero's Journey
Brandon Sanderson: "All right guys, let's do class! Yaaay! Oh boy! Class!
Me, alone in my living room celebrating with a little dance: "Oh boy, class! Yaaaaay!"
I'm not even a writer, just a fan of Sanderson's works, but listening to him lecture about his craft makes me want to try writing in my spare time. What an incredible lecturer.
Same. He makes me want to write.
I saw this comment from a year ago and I wonder if you ever start writing.
Never actually read any of his books but this series was a great pitch for Mistborn
thats most of us lol. this man's legacy will be thousands of inspired fans making cool stuff, along with some of the best fiction out there
59:10
Brandon: "-having been changed so much that the Hero is no longer the person who can stay home, and often there's an epilogue where they just wander off..."
Me, watching: "So basically the end of Fallout-"
Brandon: "...Fallout, right?"
Me: *Surprised Pikachu face*
I wish I had lectures like this.
Dude, the exact same happened to me with the Bilbo and Canto Bight examples. Plus, look at his shirt. I love this guy
Ayy Redscot
This is the most helpful insight into writing I've ever seen on YT
We don't deserve Brandon
But we need him!
Not content with being the greatest living fantasy author, Sanderson has to remind everyone what a fantastic teacher he is. What's next for him? Nobel prize in Medicine? Olympic medal in Judo? Only time will tell.
@Jester Well that might be subjective. GRR Martin bores me, i like his story(mostly GoT) but his writing didn't affect me as Sanderson does. I do like Patrick Rothfuss writing but he's still struggling to deliver his next piece. Sanderson for me is consistent in what he performs. I feel like (again subjective) it boils down to each of them having different strenghts that everyone feels differently about.
@Jester Everyone has different opinions on books. I don't think theres such a thing as "best author" since some books just work for some people and others wont. I have a friend that is obsessed with "Throne of Glass" which is, in my opinion, really bad.
@@valentinkoch6972 Throne of Glass has many objective problems even when using YA as a looking glass. But hey, we enjoy awful things all the time. Objectivity does exist, but it all matters on what looking glass you use.
Mr. Sanderson writes great books, and a lot of great books. He does not rely of graphic descriptions to pull out strong emotional response, but is still able to create such response. I never thought anyone could satisfactory finish Jordan’s WoT series, but Mr, Sanderson did just that. I do enjoy the Storm Light books, but I am sad to recognize I will finish before that series will be finished.
Jester I thought the best thing about Sanderson was his magic systems.
Thanks Brandon for putting these lectures up. You're helping a ton of aspiring writers. I've paid for content that's way less useful than yours. So to get all this information for free is a blessing. Cheers.
Stephen King is better. His advice will get you that first draft.
College is dead. UA-cam killed it. Should we save it? Hell no!
Personally I’ve paid for Every Single book Brandon has written :) And I’ve recommended his work to dozens of people over the years. My point is that I’ve probably made one or two of Brandon’s car payments in that time haha. So I think I’ve earned a couple free lectures ;)
@@Infamous1892 you mean his book On Writing? Or does SK teach a class. My copy of on writing is dog eared. I was always a “discovery” writer but was never confident that my stream of consciousness style could result in real marketable books. King taught me that’s a valid way to write even though everyone was telling me my whole life to make detailed outlines etc.
@@Infamous1892 what’s better about SKs advice?
4:00 Pros of an Outline
6:40 Brandon’s Outline
10:08 Plot
35:51 Outlining Backwards
41:17 Bullet Points
54:21 Plot Structures
Thank you
@@mitchelldkirby
All in a days work, citizen.
Thank you hero 😅👍
@@vaibhavgore165
👍👍👍👍👍👍
Legend
There's something ironic about the fact that this free writing course was preceded by an ad for a paid masterclass
To be honest those are the only ads I don't skip 😂
Sometimes those Masterclass ads are so invigorating it helps push me to write more. I will watch them all the way through.
I watched the Margaret Atwood class. It was pretty good.
,, 😂😂😂
@@donovanmaxwell yup. When i need motivation i do the same
I struggled for a long to time to actually get a first draft done because I didn't realize I was an extreme discovery writer. If anyone struggles with just getting words on the page, try unbridled discovery writing. Just write without concern for it being good in any way. Even if it's a total disaster, each word written and then later studied is a learning opportunity. I learned so much faster this way than by trying to plan anything.
However, I also feel like this only works so well for me because I actually like revision unlike Brandon. I like going back and "optimizing" what I've done. It's like playing Factorio, learning something really cool, and then trashing your previous build to replace it with something more awesome.
I'm going to screenshot your comment and keep it for motivation
I have found that I am getting better, maybe someday when I am pro I will be able to do a full draft before editing. But right now what is working for me is to 1) plot out my story arc with multiple plot lines 2) discovery write a chapter or two until I come to point where I don’t know what to do 3) read what I wrote and decide what works and what needs to come next, then fix it doing a single full edit of that first chapter. 4) Repeat steps 2 and 3. It’s like two steps forward, one step back, but that still makes gradual progress.
same.
Also, try writing longhand too. It gives you more time to work out what's next because of how much slower it is than typing.
Factorio is a good analogy for discovery writing. It's a game about efficincy but you don't feel bad about being inefficient your first time playing. You're just happy with something that works eventually. Then you optimize. Even if you don't ever get to max possible efficiency, you're satisfied with what you end up with at the end.
Brandon Sanderson is my writing guru, I have watched this lecture series three times through at least since COVID-19 lockdown on march 13th
The Kaladin underdog story was some of the most impactful stuff I’ve ever read! It brought out so many emotions in me
Kaladin was a little bitch. Always crying about how much of a leader his was, then whining about how he has to protect everyone, then the constant going back in his past for him to be all sad and depressed about Light eyes. Who gives a shit? A good character has confliction, but isn't inconsistent. One second he's the most special leader amongst men, next he's crying about how he's a slave. He's boring.
@@Infamous1892 bruh
Kaladin isn't inconsistent
just because your brain is too small doesn't mean this guys brain is
@@Infamous1892 Kalladin is suffering from depression and survivor's guilt. I find his story compelling because of that, and hard to read because it's pretty damn fucking REAL. People DON'T magically overcome depression and survivor's guilt in an instant. It can take years to make progress, and it's a constant struggle to not backslide.
I wont lie, coming from fast paced YA books and even Mistborn, the Way of Kings and Kaladin's bleak, dreary and miserable start failed to grab my attention the first 3-4 times i tried to read the book. The rest is history though
@@Iluvatar196 heh. I'm going in the opposite direction. I read The Stormlight Archive, Elantris, and a couple others of Brandon Sanderson's work first, and Mistborn is next on my list after Rhythm of War.
this is the first time ive EVER heard another author dedicate so much time to talk about HOW to outline your plots and im so glad! outlining has always been something that ive struggled with, so to get an author like brandon to just state "here's how i outline, heres an example" is invaluable. thank you for putting this series out for us to watch!!
I don't even want to be a writer, but these lectures make me feel like I get to pick your brain an hour at a time. PRAISE THE SUN!
NICEEEEE
A pre elden ring dark souls player, I respect that
I've been going down the comments trying to find one comment about his shirt🤣
Keep them coming Brandon. Your knowledge and expertise are invaluable and its such a selfless thing you do to share it for free. You're a gentleman and a scholar, literally!
I am very grateful to be able to see these lectures. I've always wanted to go to university to study book writing, but it's a rare field where I live and I didn't have the opportunity to go to another city to study it, so I chose aesthetics as a kind of very cheap substitute. Although of course I can't say that it didn't give me anything at all, quite the opposite! Watching your lectures, I feel like I finally got into the major I always wanted to go into. Thank you very much
This class completely unlocked me. It was like fog all over my uni where they teach us again and again about plot structure but never about plot archetypes! Now I see it! A thousand times thank you for your gift.
I hard stopped a 30 Rock episode when this showed up. So...A+ on engaging lectures?
Can't stop watching these since I discovered them the other day. Thanks so much for providing these to all of us!
about when you pitch an idea (46:00 ~) a friend of mine gave me a great tip: start from the most interesting, outstanding, awesome scene in your story... and then as the convo progresses, get into details. A lot of times screenwriters\authors try to start describing the story from the start, which is not always that interesting, because of all the details. So instead, just start from the fun, and gradually go into depth.
I hope this helps anybody!
When writing my first draft I literally skipped most of the start except the interesting parts. I'm currently working on the 2nd draft where I'm adding in those details and can focus on making these parts go somewhere and be interesting. I found it easier to do like this as I got these bright shining ideas out of my head and I can now see the rest of the proverbial room clearly.
Dropped out of college 5 years ago, back in college on UA-cam. Thanks Brandon for making class interesting
Wonder if the young man in the middle will one day regret the fact that his expressive arm motions have been immortalized online.
Low key sour grapes on my part since I really wish I could be in this class.
We get the same as everyone else minus the writing groups.
I think he´s got tourette or some sort oft that
Timestamp?
The fact I'm procrastinating my own uni lectures to binge watch all of Brandon Sanderson's at once
Bruh
It's the right choice.
Brandon Sanderson - you begin talking about the heist archetype, and something dawned on me. One of my favorite novels as a teen, and even now, The Hobbit, could very well be cast as a heist story.
Thank you for putting out these videos. I'm greatly enjoying them.
Brandon : Why is there romance in every book?
Random Student: It gives poor people like me, hope. ❤️❤️
And annoying for poor aromantics like me.
I love how Brandon gets an applause every time he's done with a lecture.
You know,i always feel guilty when i can,t write and then i watch something related to writing. I am so happy because today i managed to write 7 pages in 3240 words. I write in portuguese so i don,t know it this changes a lot but anyway,i am so happy that i can hear this with no guilt trip whatsoever. I can do it,you can do it,just sit you ass down and write,goddamnit!!!
I'm not able to finish a single page lol. 7 pages is an accomplishment. I definitely need some motivation 😓
@@nathanj3528 to be honest,this rarely happens. Most days i strugle to make anything,and if i get 1 page done i consider ot enough. Writing is so weird,sometimes it,s exhausting and miserable,other times its pure joy,but you can,t wait for the day when it will be goo,cause it doesn,t happen by itself. You have to try every day and it, sooooo fucking hard.
@@rodrigo3732 many times I feel accomplished if I eke out a paragraph. We all have our pace. And the language difference MAKES no difference in terms of productivity. You did 7 damn pages!
@@billyalarie929 thanks man.
parabens!! qualquer progresso ja é ótimo :)
Your man at 50:26 reeeeeeeeeeally likes Inception. He even does a little dance after it's mentioned.
Thank you, Brandon. You break it down in such a way that makes me go, "Oh yeah! I CAN do this." Having all the tools is part of it. It's so awesome that you've made these public. Love your work, love your humorous teaching style. You're a class act. Again, thank you.
I'm a natural discovery writer, and I'll share the tool that has helped me write nine of my books: Jami Gold's (free) story structure spreadsheets. The idea is that you work out the rough structure--enough to give you a path, and then discovery write from there! (This means everything from opening hook, inciting incident, doorway of no return, midpoint, pinch points, dark moment, climax, etc) As an added bonus, it also gives you something to share with your editor, so they can give it a look before you dig in too deep. (Even though I may not follow this spreadsheet exactly, it helps me come up with a much cleaner first draft! It also helps with tracking multiple plot/character arcs.
That's really helpful, thank you!
This comment reads like an advert.
I was going to listen to this guy while I was doing something else. I couldn't do anything else. I had to stop and listen.
The whole progress thing, and how important it is explains so much about my frustrations with Game of Thrones' final two seasons.
That, and the sudden plot armor when Game of Thrones was defined by a LACK of plot armor, and the bad/rushed writing that said "X Happens Because The Writers Say So!"
I don't know if Brandon still reads these comments, but his style of plotting was a game changer. It makes it so much easier to write scenes now without stressing about the entire plot
I have found your lectures to be super well spoken and informative. I am not sure how I can thank you enough, not only for the information, but for the way you deliver your thoughts. Stay epic, and keep doing big things.
PRAISE THE SUN!
PRAISE THE SHIRT!
@@hunterbartley7071 is that a Dark Souls thing? If not, then no
Umbasa
@@davidwilson6577 Ah, a fellow intellectual.
@@Yora21 Here's where I admit I've never played it. :(
Watching AGermanSpy's playthrough is good enough, right?
Brandon, you are a legend. As a speed reader who has read around 1,000 books and reread ten times over that, I can honestly say you are my favorite author. Thank you for this resource as I now look to write my own novel.
The fact these lectures are free for everyone online is so cool, so great getting to see the inner workings of a mind like Brandon's in a long structured format. I become more of a fan each day!
I feel more overwhelmed now than when I started the series.
This man is literally changing my life
Whenever I start to get frustrated by my writing and abilities, I come back to this lecture and watch it through. There’s something about the passion and understanding Brandon has that grounds me again. Just listening to the basics and bringing it down to a more approachable viewpoint reminds me how much I know and that those rules are there for guidance. Idk I just think this is truly one of the best writing resources ever
*devours every word” I look forward to these, I’ve run out of previous years’ lectures to watch, I started watching them again. I get new things out of them each time that I can apply to my own writing to make it better.
I would never have had the chance to take such a course, thank you for giving us free access to such high-quality content.
PRAISE THE SUN BRANDON! And thanks for the lectures. -Brendon
"It gives poor guys like me hope!"
My friend, I don't know who you are, but you have now become a legendary figure to me.
These lectures are amazing. There's so much directly useful info here that I ended up creating a plot with a setting and a rough story outline while watching, instead of just taking notes for later use. Pure gold! Thank you very much!
I'm 3 episodes in and love this. I can't normally do white board learning but I'm at work(factory) and listen to this. Note book out and jotting notes when something feels pertinent, gives me hope and direction.
You gotta love how on the ball Brandon was with the romance question.
"Why do writers put a romance in everything?"
Student: gives guys like me hope!
Student isnt even fully done speaking...
Brandon: WISH FULFILLMENT!!! Yes!
You explain everything better than any writing youtuber and I love it. You really make writing feel more freeing than the cage it has become about writing right and like others.
Im 38 years old and was brought up by a family where college never a real option outside of crippling debt which I passed on bit ive always loved writing and have always wanted to take classes. I very much doubt that I will ever write anything that will inspire or change the world in any way, but yhe fact that I am essentially taking these classes for free as a middle aged man makes me very hopeful for the future. 20 years ago when I was 18 simple creative writing classes seemed put of reach. If time continues with the same rate of progress future generations will be more well equipped for life than we could ever imagine. Could just be wishful thinking tho
You may be 40 but you aren't dead yet. There's still time for you to do it, well equipped, in this life!
>Brandon Sanderson talking to a Russo
Don't do that, don't give me hope (for a massive, MCU level adaption of Stormlight Archives)
Well a student confirmed he is writing a Mistborn screenplay adaptation
@@Newt5996 In one of his streams he said he's been having frustration with getting people to pick up Mistborn so he's going to write the screenplay himself. I wouldn't take that news as a sign of it being picked up
A Russo ? Couldn't you pick up more exciting name ?
I will be very dissapiont if The Russo will direct a Sanderson novel.
We need somone like Ari Aster rather than a Russo.
Jacob Licklider あ
@@n0zenzur sorry who?
I would love to see that Skyward or Steelheart outlining.
Please, please, please
Yeah I was hoping he would have a link in the description to it or something. But sadly no.
Man I would love to see it.
He linked the outline here: www.brandonsanderson.com/writing-advice/ (down there below the NaNoWriMo pep talks)
4 years later I’ve come across this. This is helping me write for the first time hehe thanks internet
I'm not a writer, I'm a reader. But I'm also a software developer, and like with video games or technology in general, it's amazing to see behind the curtain the magic, sweat, and knowledge authors have when crafting what I and others take for granted when teleported to different worlds.
Genuinely can't believe these are available for free on UA-cam.
Super helpful so far. I was always jealous of the students who were able to take a class from such a talented writer. Then I learn he made his 2020 creative writing class available for free!
So excited that you're including Indie-pub this year!!!
"It gives poor guys like me hope" witty, quick, and correct lmao. guy's gonna be a writer.
I am so thrilled that these are on UA-cam!
This is the video that _really_ tied my story together, before I've even written it. Until now I was flailing along with only vague and rather weak ideas on how my story was going to go, but not by the end, not every half hour, not even twenty but rather at least every five to ten minutes I was having revelation after revelation, big idea after big idea, overall a real, tangible sense of the many different ways I could go with my story and a multitude of ways to get there. This one video just turned my book from clay to pottery, and now I know that all I gotta do is paint it. Thank you _so_ much, Brandon, I can finally flail around with my story freely as a beginner novelist without actually feeling like I don't know what I'm even trying to achieve.
I have honestly never been this excited about a class before, or even watched an hour-long video without being at least a bit bored at some point
For the Act Structure, I find a really useful, functional definition is "A point where your character makes an irrevocable choice." Basically a decision is made and that sets or alters the course moving forward from there. And maybe a more elaborate definition would be "makes a choice they wouldn't have made at the start of the act." so that we're not just counting decisions made because of circumstance that don't offer any suggestion of character growth.
In movies there are typically two to five acts. Three acts is plenty common in movies or plays, which is where the 'thee act structure' sort of comes from. But I don't see how anyone can look at a movie and a book and say: "yeah, one of these is five times longer than the other, with five times the detail, plot, and character interaction, but it'll still only have 3 acts." The longer books I've read I could consider as having over a dozen acts.
I would very much appreciate a copy of that Skyward outline referenced. Thanks for posting these, I love your books but have so much appreciation for your podcast and other material you publish regarding your methods.
Thanks Brandon!
TTTrouble It’s on his website!
jenna morgan thanks for the suggestion. I wasn’t able to find a specific outline like he mentioned about Skyward, but I did see some drafting of Way of Kings Prime which was interesting.
Here’s a link to what I found - www.brandonsanderson.com/the-way-of-kings-early-brainstorms-outlines/
If you have a link to what Brandon mentions in this lecture that would be cool to see, but no worries if no ones able to find it. Cheers!
These nuggets are awesome. That relatable archtype to ground your plot, especially if there’s a lot of worldbuilding going on….. *chef kiss*
Hey Brandon! I know you're way too busy to see this, but thanks for putting these classes on UA-cam. I've learned so, so much from these! Thank you.
I paid some money to have some online classes about creative writing before knowing about these. Man how a regret it, these is a treasure for writers!
Thank you so much! A true masterclass without the price tag. It feels like you’re sharing your experience with us aspiring writers out of the goodness of your heart & genuine love for encouraging the writing community. What a lovely way to spend my New Year’s Eve: sitting by the glittering Christmas tree taking notes from Brandon’s class and planning my next novel 💕
Brandon, I’m not sure if you’ll ever see this, but thank you for making these free for us. It’s really a treat. I agree from Chile in 2023. Just, students calm down he he he. Sanderson didn't finisht the idea and they raise their hands. Not enough respect. But anyway, thanks!!!! Cheers.
I'm at 6.5 pages of notes at this point in the series. By word count, I think I've taken more notes for these lectures than I did for a full semester of many of my college classes. Thank you for putting these up, Brandon.
hey can you share the notes :) I have a hard time making notes, trying to decide what to write what not.
@@watashiwa8551 Uh, I'm at about 45 pages of notes for the course. I'm not sure that will fit in a UA-cam comment
@@Jon1213 of course lmao maybe you can put it in a drive link or if you're on telegram you can send a document or word file maybe ? maybe ?
@@watashiwa8551 Fair warning: these are the notes I took for myself; I spent about 20 hours on the lectures because I kept pausing them to make sure I had time to take things down. I've also taken a few Craft of Fiction courses in the past, so I didn't write down a lot of things that were already in my toolbox.
Good luck: docs.google.com/document/d/1HY95b2kvOPccBS87YGmEE3_q0kgsweFY_Sxy6ZNPWvY/edit?usp=sharing
@@Jon1213 Thank you very much for this, you're a godsend 😄
Oh thank God I've been devouring these for the last two weeks and was sure I was about to run out of vids I hadn't seen.
"If you cheat at a mystery and the reader couldn't figure it out, it'll feel unsatisfying."
This is exactly why I hate the BBC Sherlock show. The viewer never has a chance to solve the mystery themselves. We're never given enough information because Sherlock just magically knows everything.
True, but the actual Sherlock Holmes stories are told in the exact same way because we see it even more directly through the lens of Watson who's an absolute idiot at seeing things
Same thing about Agatha Christie. I couldn't every figure out who done it because she hides some stuff which her heroine magically figure it outs
Exactly what came to mind when I heard that! If you want a good Sherlock adaptation the Mary Russel books by Laurie R King are awesome, basically Sherlock post retirement training a young female apprentice and getting dragged back in, really exciting and satisfying mystery books that stay true to the source material but don't just rehash the original stories, they have the hypercompetent protagonist etc but also with some great flaws & they get the mystery payoff exactly right IMO. Some are stronger than others of course, but all are great. They can be read as standalone mysteries but some great overarching plots develop too, and the character work is excellent. Think the first is called The Beekeeper's Apprentice.
I really want to write a fantasy mystery now!
This is the difference between the "fair play" mystery story---where all the information available to the detective is available to the reader, and the "classic" mystery story--where there is a gulf between what the detective knows and the reader knows. Holmes, both written and adapted, is definitely of the "classic" type. "Figuring it out" really isn't the point. The "why" is usually far more important than the "how" or the "who".
@@sherlockholmes6171 Agatha Christie's are usually fair plays. Sure, she "cheats" a little at times, and, of course, "common knowledge" bases change, so we modern readers are often at a disadvantage understanding oblique or casual references to things that don't exist in the same state anymore, but her mysteries ARE written to be solvable
Attempting to write my first book as I listen to these. It’s amazing. I just rewind and let things kind of soak in sometimes. I just finished chapter 1 2800 word count.
"You cannot escape so easily, Dragon. It is not done between us. It will not be done until the end of time.”
Then he was gone, and the mountain and the island stood alone. Waiting.
Chapter 1:
Some-BODY
Wheel of Time?
@@longshot9757 Yeah
I swear I'm not sleeping, Brandon. Too much pertinent content.
this is very good, thanks for posting. And it's the most cost-effective class I've ever taken.
Brandon, I loved Mistborn profoundly. When they were planning the heist it made me feel like I was over your shoulder watching you write the book. I've never felt so close to the author.
Also I HATED heist stories when I read Mistborn I went into it ready to despise this story, but like a dang magician you completely subverted my expectations.
I’m in Arizona I feel like I would want to do this drive just for this! Your writing inspires me to continue in my work. I hoping one day you will get to hold my book in your hands!
These are so good... I am so happy to have found them
This class was exactly what I needed! Thanks, Brandon! I'm going to start outlining and getting stuff out of my head now... Maybe it'll stop rattling around in there so much :)
To Brandon Sanderson: You have given us a true trove of knowledge. It is an invaluable treasure for aspiring writers that are perfectionistic like me. Whenever I have time, I watch these videos, take notes and link these to my own writing. It is thanks to you that I broke off doing world building upon world building, although I’ll keep making maps still. TL:DR Thank you very much for sharing these lessons with us and for putting out so much content about writing on your channel. Thank you for enabling my passion to bloom from a seed to a bud.
Endgame is a heist too. I hadn't noticed it about Infinity War. Interesting.
Im so glad you said "Spoiler" whenever he went to talk about Misborn, I'm currently reading the book so I pulled out my headphones soooooo fast hahah
Thank you Brandon. These lectures are priceless.
23:30 This dude crystallized the core meaning of heist stories...and it felt like a mere blip the first three times I watched this.
And here I was, getting ready to be productive, OOOOOH WELL.
It's research!
This *is* productive.
Watching a lecture isn't exactly slacking off...haha.
I'm here researching for my speech class 😁
This class has clarified things for me that I have struggled to conceptualise for a while now, great lecture in general, love how Brandon handles the class with respect and some lil jokes, examples and easy to understand explanations. THANK you so much for sharing this for free! It means the world to people like me who have currently no option to officially study creative writing. Much love!
Omg, I'd love to see the Steelheart/Skyward outlines like you mentioned. I hope it would be public and not just for the class :-(
Logan Lees It’s on his website!
Ahhhh, Brandon Sanderson.... where do I even begin? Oh, How I love you. You bring your great knowledge onto us feeble peasants for a mere price of.....nothing. Simply, our time to learn. I edge to this video series weekly. The pure....passion. It.... gives to me is..... unmeasurable. I love you, Brandon Sanderson. You. Are. My. God
Brandon has reignited my muse and I'm currently working on finishing my novel.
He's truly a gift to anyone interested in Writing/ Reading/ Understanding literature
And
A gift to me
Love that he’s wearing a Dark Souls shirt.
These lectures have helped me rationalize some writing of my own and help me to teach my own writing club genres and prose in future. Thanks Mr. Sanderson.
Updated bucket list:
Convince Brandon Sanderson to have a dark souls co-op adventure with me.
Thank you Brandon. I have been writing as a hobby for most my life. I have decided to try to take it seriously. I finished a rough draft from a poorly written outline. It is a piece of crap. But, listening to your lectures, I am learning how to clean it up and make it an actual book. Thank you so much.
Will you post your Steelheart or Skyward outline to your website?
Daniel Blackburn he did! www.brandonsanderson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Skyward-Outline4796.docx
Only started writing a few months ago at 34 years due to having way more time on my hands. These lectures are a great asset to me and I'm thankful that it is free of charge. :D
Don't know why I'm watching this. I am not planning on writing anything and I've already seen all the lectures from a couple of years ago.
Maybe somewhere inside you want to but is afraid. I started like that.
I'm interested in procedurally generating games (kind of like Dwarf Fortress) with characters and setting and missions that can be complex and different each playthrough. Maybe one day I will get started on that. But also, knowing how and why stories work tells us a lot about people and how we should design anything that is supposed to be compelling to people.
These videos have helps break down the mammoth task into smaller chunks. It has been a really great resource for some practical tools to use. Thank you.
You’re looking healthier, Brandon! I know you’ve been working on that, and it’s apparent!
🤣
I really appreciate this lecture series. It's completely reinvigorated me as a writer.