“[Guy’s Name] I Lo V. E yOu!!” “No, I’m too D a nger ou s for youuuu!!” “Noo but I LWOVE WOOO!!” “I don’t want to see you get H Urt!” “Nooo! I’ll follow uoy!!” Scene.
Show vs Tell Balance: Tell protagonist is nervous about opening the door to meet the boss. Show protagonist is nervous when talking to the boss. If it's important: show. If it's minor: tell.🆑
"And this locket represents my mommy issues, because it holds the secrets of my family that I don't understand... I don't know i'm just making stuff up"
... can I forward this video to fanfic writers? (No shade to fanfic writers-I think it’s a great way for people to explore writing. But their stories often become very melodramatic)
Much like YA, Fanfiction is targeted towards teenagers, my 15 year old self would LOVE all that melodrama. The angst, the filthy smut and lots of romance. Teens have intense emotions, more prone to depression, recklessness, high sexual urges... I think you get the idea
I read a lot that I don’t think are emotional *enough*. Like this person has been tortured (like with fire and shit) by their mom and were isolated by everybody. They end up getting adopted by this group of friends and like they kinda just go with it?? Like at least once I wanted them to break down when they were given a hug (which was probably the first hug they ever experienced). Or when someone said they’d always be there for them. That would’ve been a pivotal moment both for the main character and the other characters who don’t really know what they’ve been through. Sorry I just had to go off bc I didn’t think it was very believable but I’m a very emotional person so idk
The problem of dreams in fiction is that often too logical and too chronologically consistent, while in reality you can't even remember the most of your dreams and add logic and overarching connections only when you retelling the dream to someone else. And the dream symbolism? I don't know about you but more often than not people don't use any real systems for dream symbolism and instead just write very straight-forward and obvious things. Like, I've studied a bit of folklore dream interpretation and it's just... insane sometimes? I remember one woman who retold this long elaborate dream about three moons distracting her from gardening and at the end interpreted that as a prophetic dream about three men who attempted to marry her and only the last one was successful.
I also have some of these sometimes, but more often than not my dreams are connected by overarching feeling or leitmotifs. All in all, it's not that dreams are stripped of logic, it's just that logic doesn't necessary reflect the real world. Like, once I dreamt I was about to be executed Ned Stark fashion, when suddenly everyone and everything around me dissolved into colourful horses and flew away into the horizon, leaving me where I stood. Like, it happened, it had its consequences and it had kind of a reason - I didn't (and I don't) want to be executed. But was this the most logical and rational thing that could have happened? And my dreams aren't always linear - events might be rewound, perspectives change, sometimes to the point of confusion. But, well, can't speak for everyone.
I had a dream the other day that my school was attacked by Japanese hornets, I got in a verbal confrontation with an atheist whose husband said I was stupid even though I was just trying to be nice and say hi, and then I rode home on a dog that was also a horse and a camel. But usually my dreams are very complex, story oriented, with very heavy and obvious personal symbolism. That last one coincidentally happened after I'd been up for 30 hours and had some allergy medicine LOL.
I beta read and your point about souls is SPOT ON. I see it a lot and very recently saw it in some writing that (I'm laughing while writing this comment) went from "you'll always be my best friend" to a Victorian era love confession "my soul cries out for yours when you're not here, my darling..." Souls were mentioned THREE times in just two paragraphs.
Hey I really needed someone who can beta read my fanfic. It's a TXT fanfic..if it's okay with you. Please let me know. I'll also be working on a romantic fantasy story soon but for now I am practicing my writing skills with this fanfic.
For the sobbing character who found out her sister had died, the easiest thing isn’t to change what they do, but to detach the description. “She found herself limp on the sand. Her throat was burning. She couldn’t see anything. The tides kept wading.”
*sees title* ho boi just @ me Shaelin, just @ me (even if you don't really know who I am lol). Also thank you for the advice, you just saved me about five years and a lot of self-loathing lol. Melodrama is what makes it so hard for me to read my first drafts because yikes. Also, the balance between subtlelty and being heavy handed is really hard for me. I tend to try really hard to be subtle but clear but it always becomes really obscure and it's so frustrating. I think I do overcompensate for being heavyhanded.
You give really good advice and I've learnt so much from you, but could you maybe prepare some more specific/concrete examples of the points you're listing? Sometimes the advice itself is a little hard to understand without an excerpt from a book or smth to back it up. Other than that, thank youuuu
I don't mind dreams if there is something tangible to them. I'd argue that films like Inception and The Matrix kind of succeed in that because there are consequences to what happens in these dreamworld, giving the story a sense of stakes.
Agree with everything but the dream point. Dreams done badly can be melodramatic but they can reveal the subconscious. When I was having difficulty with a subject in school I would have dreams about missing the exam, or splashing water over the paper or misremembering everything. Or me hanging from a weirdly tilted roof by my fingers while my family is having fun just a few steps away and then my mom crushes my hand and I fall. I'm afraid of lizards, I've had dreams of going into a room and then looking upto a ceiling filled with lizards. So melodramatic isn't it but its true. Dreams have bigger impacts on some people. My mom has night terrors. I had a nightmare when I was 9 that is the reason I'm afraid of mirrors in a room I sleep in.
Mentioning Souls. The only time I’ve used souls in reference to an emotion was it felt like my soul was splitting apart, as their soul (it was an actual magical entity) was LITERALLY being ripped from their body
Great subject. I agree with your point that melodrama is often something to be focused upon during revisions. My characters cry too much, lose it too much, and smash things up in temper. Maybe I feel like doing those things myself and hold back, so my characters go OTT. Who knows, right? I honestly can't remember ever knocking down and smashing up everything in my own home, out of anger or sadness. My characters do that. I think book, and more so TV, characters are prone to it. I guess it's an obvious way to show that a character is distressed. Very obvious...! 😀💝
The hard part about writing teenagers (and even emotionally stunted adults) is that they are melodramatic, but you don’t want to make it TOO melodramatic.
I feel so caught O.O Probably almost everything I write is melodramatic. But it is getting better, I think. I somewhat realised it myself. I just love making up those metaphors that describe extreme pain. For the sake of it being readable, I'd have to reduce it a lot. Edit: In my current project it is a lot better than in my old ones. There is hope!
I enjoy your writing videos so much. You're my favorite UA-cam Booktuber. I've learned a lot watching them. I was actually worried about this topic in my writing this week.
I love your videos! They never fail to motivate me to get cracking on my projects. I can't wait for your writing update 😁 Do you think you could do a video on how to build a world/society/government in a sci-fi/fantasy novel?
I love u, i always felt all of these flaws in my writings but wasnt consciously aware of them, they just bothered me. Hope i can write better from now on, love u❤
Omg thanks for the subtex tip! I low key could not figure out why some of my scenes hit and others fell flat. Bc in the good scenes I showed what was happening without saying it giving subtext but in the bad ones the narrator simply described what was happening and how they felt without subtext
This video is extremely helpful to me. I almost recognized some of these things myself, but after watching this video, it was more obvious. I am currently working on my first book, so I need this information. Thank you so much! I would recommend this video to all new writers.😁
I REALLY needed this video. I would say like if you agree, but yeah pretty much advice that we all need, and literally no one besides this video ever addresses it
SHAELIN, YOU SAID, "Save it for editing." GREAT thought! I am going to lead a NaNoWriMo group beginning in September, and we are going to emphasize sequencing the writing work. "No Backspacing" and "Save it for editing" will be two of my main themes. September - Creative brainstorming and story elements. October - Outlining. November - "Write, Write Baby! Sweat, Sweat!" December+ - Edit. Rewrite. Edit. Rewrite. ad infinitum Another helpful video. Thanketh Ye.
Hi, Shaelin! I just wanted to come on here and say that I've been subscribed to you on my personal (private) channel for a long time, and your videos have really helped me with bettering my writing and with the confidence I have in my writing abilities. I still struggle with it from time to time, but watching how much your channel has grown and knowing that you're planning on creating your own short story collection just makes me so happy! I hope you can keep encouraging others to write, and please, please, make an announcement video for when you decide to publish your book!
I get the point about dreams, though I think it can be done very well myself like in The Witcher and ASOFAI. Loved Twin Peaks approach to dreams and Lynch
Haha! Love a good rant and this was up there. Now... I agree. You probably wouldn’t start crying if your sister died. You’d start of being numb and void of emotions. Empty. Crying comes later, once you understand that she’s actually dead. You wouldn’t grasp that right away. Your sister isn’t supposed to die and your mind will protect you from the impact for a while. As for dreams. Ouch. My first novel was built around dreams, but then they were real. It’s just that the protagonist didn’t know until his life had fallen apart. Putting dreams into a Nordic Noir (someone called that novel that and I found it cool enough to repeat it whenever anyone asks... and even when they don’t) is kind of fun. No melodrama because everyone is cold inside, but trying to deal with being cold inside. Anyways, loved the video.
thank u thank u!!! I'm writing a contemporary fiction romance/drame/murder mystery and am outlining/rough writing the scenes where my adult protagonist has to kill her father (who is the murderer) when he tries to kill her when he finds out she knows he did it. It is very emotional, but I don't want it to come off as melodramatic and it's all in the writing. These tips are super helpful as always
This is just what I need aha. I'm not a new writer but when I get excited about something in the story I find myself writing melodramatic 😂 Thanks for the great tips!
One type of dreams I feel like can make sense in fictional stories, is the type of recurring dreams that everyone experience from time to time. Like when a character is going to do something important the following day. Doing a speach in front of lots of people, or getting up early to travel somewhere, and things like that, it would be completely logical for them to have dreams about oversleeping, miss the flight, forgetting their lines, etc. That's totally normal and totally relatable. If the dreams aren't described in full detail, I think it would be fine to just mention the general topic of it, and how they leave the character feeling super stressed and nervous.
Hey, speaking of subtext, do you have any advice on pulling of subtext in a believable way? Like, I've tried to use subtext, but I'm not sure if I can hit it right without being too subtle or too blatant. IDK
ALL THIS CONTENT THE INTERNET IS QUAKING (also, I'm definitely guilty of melodrama, and I've been thinking lately about how to make my work more subtle so the timing of this video couldn't be more perfect ❤)
There was anger in her soul. Even her dreams were full of anger. During day, all she could think of was her anger. She punched the wall, breaking two fingers and dislocating her shoulder. "I'm so angry!", she yelled as the volcano poured lava into the streets and a meteor hit Earth. Keep reading, there's a lot of suspense right now!
Cliche lines feel melodramatic because, since they've been so over-used, whatever image/emotion they try to convey, it feels cheap and unearned, aka melodramatic.
That was actually advice from Stephen King: On the technique of writing, he said two things: "Keep your paragraphs short and end chapters on a cliffhanger". Think I'll take his advice, considering he's the best selling author in the history of the world.
Write Heroes Yes, I really like it here. If you need any help at any moment, don’t hesitate to message me. I’m from the capital but I live here for a long time so I was in most of places ;)
Great video about a topic which a lot of young authors wrestle with. I would add that many times melodrama is the result of characters having an emotional moment too early in the story, before we have become invested in the story. Having the same exact moment later on could actually work , once it has been earned.
Oh, that's me so, so much. I grew up reading YA, then romance, and I find so much literary fiction to be so cold. Happily, though, I don't feel quite as called out in this video as I was fully expecting to be, whew.
YES MY NOSE IS SUNBURNT I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT
ShaelinWrites I know, your poor nose! I feel for ya girl, my face is lobster red from the beach.
show, don't tell. lol. btw I love you're confidence ♥
Thank you,maybe my character shouldn't cry for three pages long...
I thought only Chloe Price says Hella.
I felt bad for your nose the whole way through XD
5:32
“The sun smiled down at him.
That shiny bastard.”
This deserves more attention.
Alt Title: How to Not Accidentally Write a Soap Opera Script. 😂😂
TRUE
Alex S. Good one! You should do a vid with that title.
"BUT SHE WAS HER SECRET INCEST LOVE CHILD TWIN SISTER ALL ALONG!!!"- the plot of about 7 TV shows
“[Guy’s Name] I Lo V. E yOu!!”
“No, I’m too D a nger ou s for youuuu!!”
“Noo but I LWOVE WOOO!!”
“I don’t want to see you get H Urt!”
“Nooo! I’ll follow uoy!!”
Scene.
I have a scene like this except the girl throws herself onto the floor and cries for days
@@anyad6131 wut
End of 10 book long series
You forgot the down to earth side love interest
What is this Arrow?
Show vs Tell Balance: Tell protagonist is nervous about opening the door to meet the boss. Show protagonist is nervous when talking to the boss. If it's important: show. If it's minor: tell.🆑
You’re my writing teacher ❤️
"And this locket represents my mommy issues, because it holds the secrets of my family that I don't understand... I don't know i'm just making stuff up"
I came across this comment JUST as she started saying it in the video
... can I forward this video to fanfic writers?
(No shade to fanfic writers-I think it’s a great way for people to explore writing. But their stories often become very melodramatic)
Nerds Are We haha tru
Much like YA, Fanfiction is targeted towards teenagers, my 15 year old self would LOVE all that melodrama. The angst, the filthy smut and lots of romance. Teens have intense emotions, more prone to depression, recklessness, high sexual urges... I think you get the idea
i write fanfics and i agree
Lee Jazz your 100% write. But literally I've gone back to give I remember liking and I've just been shocked at how unreadable they've become to me.
I read a lot that I don’t think are emotional *enough*. Like this person has been tortured (like with fire and shit) by their mom and were isolated by everybody. They end up getting adopted by this group of friends and like they kinda just go with it?? Like at least once I wanted them to break down when they were given a hug (which was probably the first hug they ever experienced). Or when someone said they’d always be there for them. That would’ve been a pivotal moment both for the main character and the other characters who don’t really know what they’ve been through. Sorry I just had to go off bc I didn’t think it was very believable but I’m a very emotional person so idk
"Melodrama was my shit" LOL
the first step is realizing you have a problem and ohhhh boyyy I had one
I love this video...IN MY SOUL!!
my heart sings with how much agrees with all you said.
Is that melodramatic?
Maybe lol :)
whenver i think of melodrama i think of that ember island play from Avatar:TLA
I’m a year late but I love this comment hahaha
“Emotional texture.” That’s the phrase I’ve been looking for to explain the “show, don’t tell” rule. Nice.
The problem of dreams in fiction is that often too logical and too chronologically consistent, while in reality you can't even remember the most of your dreams and add logic and overarching connections only when you retelling the dream to someone else. And the dream symbolism? I don't know about you but more often than not people don't use any real systems for dream symbolism and instead just write very straight-forward and obvious things.
Like, I've studied a bit of folklore dream interpretation and it's just... insane sometimes? I remember one woman who retold this long elaborate dream about three moons distracting her from gardening and at the end interpreted that as a prophetic dream about three men who attempted to marry her and only the last one was successful.
Марічка Панф could never relate to dream logic lol, my dreams are lengthy and include story elements suited for novels. They're pretty dope.
Lee Jazz mine too! They could be movies and I would watch them
they have many twists you can't see beforehand
I also have some of these sometimes, but more often than not my dreams are connected by overarching feeling or leitmotifs.
All in all, it's not that dreams are stripped of logic, it's just that logic doesn't necessary reflect the real world. Like, once I dreamt I was about to be executed Ned Stark fashion, when suddenly everyone and everything around me dissolved into colourful horses and flew away into the horizon, leaving me where I stood. Like, it happened, it had its consequences and it had kind of a reason - I didn't (and I don't) want to be executed. But was this the most logical and rational thing that could have happened?
And my dreams aren't always linear - events might be rewound, perspectives change, sometimes to the point of confusion.
But, well, can't speak for everyone.
I had a dream the other day that my school was attacked by Japanese hornets, I got in a verbal confrontation with an atheist whose husband said I was stupid even though I was just trying to be nice and say hi, and then I rode home on a dog that was also a horse and a camel.
But usually my dreams are very complex, story oriented, with very heavy and obvious personal symbolism. That last one coincidentally happened after I'd been up for 30 hours and had some allergy medicine LOL.
Eh, I have a few dreams I can still remember even when I was a kid.
I beta read and your point about souls is SPOT ON. I see it a lot and very recently saw it in some writing that (I'm laughing while writing this comment) went from "you'll always be my best friend" to a Victorian era love confession "my soul cries out for yours when you're not here, my darling..." Souls were mentioned THREE times in just two paragraphs.
Ewe, I just threw up.
Oh, that's pretty cringy
Hey I really needed someone who can beta read my fanfic. It's a TXT fanfic..if it's okay with you. Please let me know.
I'll also be working on a romantic fantasy story soon but for now I am practicing my writing skills with this fanfic.
dark souls 3
For the sobbing character who found out her sister had died, the easiest thing isn’t to change what they do, but to detach the description.
“She found herself limp on the sand. Her throat was burning.
She couldn’t see anything.
The tides kept wading.”
Or you could say something like, she threw herself head first into the sand and cried into the sand for 9 hours then she got up and went home
AnyaDicki6969 lol As we all do.
@@henryanderson6752 a casual Saturday if you ask me
That's the most melodratic thing I've ever read 😂
Hey, this may be a stupid question but could you talk about pacing?
Definitely! Pacing is tricky, it's not a stupid question at all!
Kacey Marioghae Ebb and flo. That's a good basic.
My average pace is three miles per hour.
Oh, I have a friend who needs this video just about now.
SHE DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH FINGERS!!! WHY?!! WHY, LORD, WHY?!! (soul perishes in anguish)
Me writing a lighthearted children's book
Wat
*sees title*
ho boi just @ me Shaelin, just @ me (even if you don't really know who I am lol). Also thank you for the advice, you just saved me about five years and a lot of self-loathing lol. Melodrama is what makes it so hard for me to read my first drafts because yikes. Also, the balance between subtlelty and being heavy handed is really hard for me. I tend to try really hard to be subtle but clear but it always becomes really obscure and it's so frustrating. I think I do overcompensate for being heavyhanded.
You give really good advice and I've learnt so much from you, but could you maybe prepare some more specific/concrete examples of the points you're listing? Sometimes the advice itself is a little hard to understand without an excerpt from a book or smth to back it up. Other than that, thank youuuu
I agree. There should be example
*First!* Love the Fact you are back to giving tips for other writers *:)*
I TOTALLY DID THIS. I had one of my characters break up with the other, and looking back on it is almost like reading fanfic.
I don't mind dreams if there is something tangible to them. I'd argue that films like Inception and The Matrix kind of succeed in that because there are consequences to what happens in these dreamworld, giving the story a sense of stakes.
Those are perfect examples of stories that make dreams an actual part of the story and its systems, rather than just a vague ~~symbol
I love that animation thing that u have of yourself at the end, it’s so cute!
My best friend made it for me!
Agree with everything but the dream point. Dreams done badly can be melodramatic but they can reveal the subconscious. When I was having difficulty with a subject in school I would have dreams about missing the exam, or splashing water over the paper or misremembering everything. Or me hanging from a weirdly tilted roof by my fingers while my family is having fun just a few steps away and then my mom crushes my hand and I fall. I'm afraid of lizards, I've had dreams of going into a room and then looking upto a ceiling filled with lizards. So melodramatic isn't it but its true. Dreams have bigger impacts on some people. My mom has night terrors. I had a nightmare when I was 9 that is the reason I'm afraid of mirrors in a room I sleep in.
Mentioning Souls. The only time I’ve used souls in reference to an emotion was it felt like my soul was splitting apart, as their soul (it was an actual magical entity) was LITERALLY being ripped from their body
Great subject. I agree with your point that melodrama is often something to be focused upon during revisions. My characters cry too much, lose it too much, and smash things up in temper. Maybe I feel like doing those things myself and hold back, so my characters go OTT. Who knows, right? I honestly can't remember ever knocking down and smashing up everything in my own home, out of anger or sadness. My characters do that. I think book, and more so TV, characters are prone to it. I guess it's an obvious way to show that a character is distressed. Very obvious...! 😀💝
The hard part about writing teenagers (and even emotionally stunted adults) is that they are melodramatic, but you don’t want to make it TOO melodramatic.
Why
You don't want them to show raw emotions
I feel so caught O.O Probably almost everything I write is melodramatic. But it is getting better, I think. I somewhat realised it myself. I just love making up those metaphors that describe extreme pain. For the sake of it being readable, I'd have to reduce it a lot.
Edit: In my current project it is a lot better than in my old ones. There is hope!
Every time I get a notification for your videos, I get so excited! This one did not disappoint! ❤
That abusing Murphy's law point is kind of how I feel about writing that overuses the "yes-but, no-and" plot tool.
This is one of the best writing videos I have ever seen. I love how specific you get with your advice
Would A Series of Unfortunate Events count as abusing Murphy's law 😂😂
A Series of Unfortunate Events would count as absolute genius
Aw that was very cute outro music. Thanks for another great video Shae! Still very excited that you're back.
Glad to have your videos back!
I enjoy your writing videos so much. You're my favorite UA-cam Booktuber. I've learned a lot watching them. I was actually worried about this topic in my writing this week.
Great advice - I love that you always pinpoint such specific techniques :)
You’re spoiling us😭😭💕💕
I love your videos! They never fail to motivate me to get cracking on my projects. I can't wait for your writing update 😁
Do you think you could do a video on how to build a world/society/government in a sci-fi/fantasy novel?
I've missed your videos and your amazing advice! Thank you!
The videos where you give writing advice are the best!
Just wonderful. Thank you, Shaelin.
Your videos are always so informative and entertaining! Great job! (P.S. I like the end music!)
Your advice helps me so much! Thank you❤️
I love u, i always felt all of these flaws in my writings but wasnt consciously aware of them, they just bothered me. Hope i can write better from now on, love u❤
Omg thanks for the subtex tip! I low key could not figure out why some of my scenes hit and others fell flat. Bc in the good scenes I showed what was happening without saying it giving subtext but in the bad ones the narrator simply described what was happening and how they felt without subtext
don't avoid melodrama. buy it on itunes now! 😘
LORDE IS QUEEN
YES YES YES
Lmao I knew there'll be a comment like this here
This was really helpful. Thanks, Shaelin.
This video is extremely helpful to me. I almost recognized some of these things myself, but after watching this video, it was more obvious. I am currently working on my first book, so I need this information. Thank you so much! I would recommend this video to all new writers.😁
Very helpful! Glad you made this!
Your videos have improved in quality so much in the last few months. Bravo!
Thank you! I got a job making youtube videos for Reedy and so they bought me some new camera gear and ain't dat quality niceeee
ShaelinWrites 👏👏Yaaaass
Thank you for your videos, they are helping me become a better writer.
Your enthusiasm and passion really come across in this video-making you even more attractive. Outstanding work. ⭐️
Excellent points and delivery :)
What about a system where the soul is made out of concrete? Excuse me, I'm off to write that shit.
BRILLIANT
Well shit, I forgot I'd ever written this.
This is the energy I want in every video 💯
lol I love this. Tbh, I'm a sucker for a dream sequence done well. Some of my favorite stories feature (or are about) dreams.
16:11 cute picture! The music goes with it.
Yessss thank you for this 🙏💕
Wow; you just explained why some films make me feel like not watching! This will help me in my writing. Thank you Shaelin.
Good post! Literally updating. Thanx.
I REALLY needed this video. I would say like if you agree, but yeah pretty much advice that we all need, and literally no one besides this video ever addresses it
SHAELIN, YOU SAID, "Save it for editing." GREAT thought! I am going to lead a NaNoWriMo group beginning in September, and we are going to emphasize sequencing the writing work. "No Backspacing" and "Save it for editing" will be two of my main themes. September - Creative brainstorming and story elements. October - Outlining. November - "Write, Write Baby! Sweat, Sweat!" December+ - Edit. Rewrite. Edit. Rewrite. ad infinitum Another helpful video. Thanketh Ye.
Hi, Shaelin! I just wanted to come on here and say that I've been subscribed to you on my personal (private) channel for a long time, and your videos have really helped me with bettering my writing and with the confidence I have in my writing abilities. I still struggle with it from time to time, but watching how much your channel has grown and knowing that you're planning on creating your own short story collection just makes me so happy! I hope you can keep encouraging others to write, and please, please, make an announcement video for when you decide to publish your book!
KiraKira Clover Confidence is over rated. Do the work and you will be fine.
I love your voice. ❤️
Do you plan to make a video on symbolism? thats a subject im really interested about. Also great video! Your videos helps A LOT in my writing
Yep! I have an inter the works script!
Thank you for the wisdom, rudolph.
This is a mood
Regarding subtext: I heard somewhere that you should make one sentence have the power of two.
I get the point about dreams, though I think it can be done very well myself like in The Witcher and ASOFAI. Loved Twin Peaks approach to dreams and Lynch
My MC is melodramatic intentionally, but this helped me with the narrative and the rest of the characters ❤️
Time to make the most melodramatic piece of art anyone’s ever seen
looking forward to it.
Haha! Love a good rant and this was up there. Now... I agree. You probably wouldn’t start crying if your sister died. You’d start of being numb and void of emotions. Empty. Crying comes later, once you understand that she’s actually dead. You wouldn’t grasp that right away. Your sister isn’t supposed to die and your mind will protect you from the impact for a while.
As for dreams. Ouch. My first novel was built around dreams, but then they were real. It’s just that the protagonist didn’t know until his life had fallen apart. Putting dreams into a Nordic Noir (someone called that novel that and I found it cool enough to repeat it whenever anyone asks... and even when they don’t) is kind of fun. No melodrama because everyone is cold inside, but trying to deal with being cold inside. Anyways, loved the video.
thank u thank u!!! I'm writing a contemporary fiction romance/drame/murder mystery and am outlining/rough writing the scenes where my adult protagonist has to kill her father (who is the murderer) when he tries to kill her when he finds out she knows he did it. It is very emotional, but I don't want it to come off as melodramatic and it's all in the writing. These tips are super helpful as always
This is just what I need aha. I'm not a new writer but when I get excited about something in the story I find myself writing melodramatic 😂 Thanks for the great tips!
One type of dreams I feel like can make sense in fictional stories, is the type of recurring dreams that everyone experience from time to time. Like when a character is going to do something important the following day. Doing a speach in front of lots of people, or getting up early to travel somewhere, and things like that, it would be completely logical for them to have dreams about oversleeping, miss the flight, forgetting their lines, etc. That's totally normal and totally relatable. If the dreams aren't described in full detail, I think it would be fine to just mention the general topic of it, and how they leave the character feeling super stressed and nervous.
Thank you!!
Hey, do you think you could make a video about symbolism at some point? That would be super helpful
can you do a video on adding important side characters later and if its good or not?
Omg I talk about souls way too much, this was sooooo helpful
Hey, speaking of subtext, do you have any advice on pulling of subtext in a believable way? Like, I've tried to use subtext, but I'm not sure if I can hit it right without being too subtle or too blatant. IDK
What if you want to write a soap opera on purpose?
James Stark: Ben Edition then add as much melodrama as you possibly can
I had a mentor in grad school who occasionally wrote "too dramatic" in the margins.
ALL THIS CONTENT THE INTERNET IS QUAKING
(also, I'm definitely guilty of melodrama, and I've been thinking lately about how to make my work more subtle so the timing of this video couldn't be more perfect ❤)
I love dreaming i enjoyed hearing you dont like the dreams in stories dont plan on writing
I am on a ShaelinWrites Marathon today 😂
You should learn sign language. Very easy to say 12 with just one hand ;)
Zwerggoldhamster
Ahhhhhhhhhh that makes sense
I feel like I'm breaking all of these 🤣 (they do actually make sense in the context of my WIP)
There was anger in her soul. Even her dreams were full of anger. During day, all she could think of was her anger. She punched the wall, breaking two fingers and dislocating her shoulder. "I'm so angry!", she yelled as the volcano poured lava into the streets and a meteor hit Earth. Keep reading, there's a lot of suspense right now!
Cliche lines feel melodramatic because, since they've been so over-used, whatever image/emotion they try to convey, it feels cheap and unearned, aka melodramatic.
My first book is cringy. Lol. I wrote it when I was a freshman and published in the summer before sophmore year. Book 1 is too much action 😂
I put a search for the word “soul” in my notes app (where I do a ton of writing) and OHHH BOYYY the melodrama is unreal
That was actually advice from Stephen King: On the technique of writing, he said two things: "Keep your paragraphs short and end chapters on a cliffhanger". Think I'll take his advice, considering he's the best selling author in the history of the world.
Love your videos
DA B I'm writing a story based on Poland. Nice spot by what I've researched.
Write Heroes Yes, I really like it here. If you need any help at any moment, don’t hesitate to message me. I’m from the capital but I live here for a long time so I was in most of places ;)
Great video about a topic which a lot of young authors wrestle with.
I would add that many times melodrama is the result of characters having an emotional moment too early in the story, before we have become invested in the story. Having the same exact moment later on could actually work , once it has been earned.
You are always so hard on yourself. :)
Oh, that's me so, so much. I grew up reading YA, then romance, and I find so much literary fiction to be so cold. Happily, though, I don't feel quite as called out in this video as I was fully expecting to be, whew.
Would you do a video on "plot manipulation?" I see it a lot and have fallen to the sin as well.
Melodrama is the opposite of a mellow drama, period :)