PLOTTING A STORY - Terrible Writing Advice

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  • Опубліковано 31 гру 2024

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  • @panlis6243
    @panlis6243 4 роки тому +2943

    I don't like calling it "first draft". It suggests that there will ever be a second one and that would mean that my work is not perfect which it obviously is

    • @nostalgiameadows23
      @nostalgiameadows23 3 роки тому +172

      Fr, it's not like you're ALLOWED to make mistakes 😒

    • @MalThEMal
      @MalThEMal 2 роки тому +14

      @@nostalgiameadows23 ikr ,-,

    • @cryolocker0224
      @cryolocker0224 2 роки тому +140

      If you do find one mistake, Scrap the entire story, Clearly it cannot be fixed and your entire story is damned to the writers bin

    • @panlis6243
      @panlis6243 2 роки тому +47

      @@cryolocker0224 my god, this sounds way too close to home

    • @cryolocker0224
      @cryolocker0224 2 роки тому +23

      @@panlis6243 I’ve unfortunately done that before

  • @calamusgladiofortior2814
    @calamusgladiofortior2814 6 років тому +7053

    Just ONE plot twist? No, no, no. You need lots of plot twists - convolute your plot with so many reveals, betrayals and reversals that nobody knows what is going on and who is on which side. This is the best way to distract the reader from glaring plot holes and continuity problems.

    • @martyr_lightsilver1833
      @martyr_lightsilver1833 6 років тому +359

      Tbh, I do that, but I always make sure I have sufficient worldbuilding and foreshadowing in place to justify it.
      It's really just a matter of knowing what the hell you're doing.
      Note that this will only work if your story has a heavy mystery element to it.

    • @calamusgladiofortior2814
      @calamusgladiofortior2814 6 років тому +311

      Saint_Darkgold It can be done well, I agree. When it’s done right, it’s like a puzzle coming together - it seems confusing at first, but then as one piece after another falls in place the true picture of what is going on is revealed. When it’s done badly, it’s like trying to unknot your iPod headphones - you’re not sure how everything got so tangled in the first place, and you just wish you could find the end.

    • @mariobadia4553
      @mariobadia4553 6 років тому +86

      This is basically rwby.

    • @mckylacious61
      @mckylacious61 5 років тому +43

      Literally disney

    • @a.morphous66
      @a.morphous66 5 років тому +15

      Arthur Williams Ok, Shyamalan.

  • @rafaeltorres1380
    @rafaeltorres1380 6 років тому +4089

    When people start asking how a technology in your sci fi story works:
    QUANTUM

    • @peppermintmiso4341
      @peppermintmiso4341 4 роки тому +364

      Because really tiny particles does really weird stuff, and that powers our plebotinum machine. Thus we can create a time-travelling shapeship that's also faster than light!

    • @karlmags4022
      @karlmags4022 4 роки тому +209

      Wise man: You need to get a... ummm... Plasma...fupediwupp...mamothfur....relay, yes that 😬
      Protagonist: Ok a plasmafupediwuppmamothfurrelay coming right up

    • @anonymousperson6228
      @anonymousperson6228 4 роки тому +117

      Also include hyper before any ordinary technology. Car? No. Hypercar is better.

    • @TomEyeTheSFMguy
      @TomEyeTheSFMguy 4 роки тому +105

      Quantum nanotechnology

    • @KRUGSTON
      @KRUGSTON 4 роки тому +15

      I feel this

  • @yerabbit
    @yerabbit 5 років тому +3895

    i'm worried a lot of big budget blockbuster screenwriters have been watching your videos and not getting the sarcasm...

  • @teal_m_101
    @teal_m_101 6 років тому +4892

    And remember to never redo, rewrite, revisit, reevaluate, return, reexamine, review and rediscover the plot. If it's your first draft, it will succeed. You should always be satisfied with it and never should change it for the better.

    • @fire-nrg7962
      @fire-nrg7962 5 років тому +29

      Oh. I didn't know you would be here. OwO

    • @legrandliseurtri7495
      @legrandliseurtri7495 5 років тому +125

      And know I imagine my first draft on the internet. The nightmare.

    • @dvmpgmhl1191
      @dvmpgmhl1191 5 років тому +185

      Or better yet, don't make a draft at all.

    • @yuzukilance8744
      @yuzukilance8744 5 років тому +64

      @@dvmpgmhl1191 That's a mood lmao

    • @rigzmoviediaries654
      @rigzmoviediaries654 5 років тому +71

      Spent over a year writing story. Rewrote 5 times. Still writing it.

  • @electroflame6188
    @electroflame6188 6 років тому +4258

    tbh I'm the kind of writer that gets so lost in worldbuilding that I forget that there even is a plot

  • @dplonker6140
    @dplonker6140 6 років тому +3041

    Then there's the fourth type. The "throw stuff at the wall and see what sticks"

    • @samuelshock6292
      @samuelshock6292 6 років тому +250

      Dr. Peachey AKA the Chaotic Discovery

    • @Haverlock
      @Haverlock 6 років тому +221

      Also known as the JoJo gambit

    • @teal_m_101
      @teal_m_101 6 років тому +137

      Not throw, more like machine gun

    • @abraxas4261
      @abraxas4261 6 років тому +244

      This only has a 0.01% chance of working, but it's fucking magical when it does.

    • @screamingcactus1753
      @screamingcactus1753 6 років тому +120

      Why even bother only using what sticks? You couldn't possibly come up with a bad idea, and it would frankly be an injustice to humanity to throw out anything you thought up.

  • @taltamir
    @taltamir 6 років тому +2006

    How to plot a story: DON'T!
    Just write whatever comes to mind at the moment without any plan! Everything will turn out just fine! Make sure to not take any notes either, nobody will notice the contradictions you introduce.

    • @blue_wolfproductions12
      @blue_wolfproductions12 4 роки тому +28

      Lol 😂

    • @malevolentmarmalade4828
      @malevolentmarmalade4828 4 роки тому +40

      Ok! I’ll keep that in mind!

    • @RookcandyExoterix
      @RookcandyExoterix 4 роки тому +20

      That’s me already XD

    • @xavierfaust9417
      @xavierfaust9417 4 роки тому +116

      Writing what comes to mind can be useful. Sometimes ideas will actually pop in your head out of nowhere and you wouldn't want to forget it. Also letting the characters drive the story can be a valid strategy, even though you might need to revisit it.

    • @jamesgosling8491
      @jamesgosling8491 4 роки тому +39

      Thats just Discovery writers and it can work

  • @theguardianqueen2628
    @theguardianqueen2628 6 років тому +1157

    I'm kind of a discovery writer, where I'll do the first version of my story absurdly organically, and then I'll look at my incoherent mess and go "okay, let's work on finding the good parts of this." And rework it so much I basically become an architect writer.

    • @andresousa6677
      @andresousa6677 4 роки тому +17

      Same

    • @Piqipeg
      @Piqipeg 4 роки тому +123

      At least you get writing done!
      I get stuck on worldbuilding so much my plot suffers...

    • @L3X1N
      @L3X1N 4 роки тому +109

      I think that's just... a discovery writer.
      _Everyone_ goes back and makes a revision of their work every once in a while. It's how you know if you executed your ideas well - regardless of whether said ideas were had weeks in advance or come up with the moment they were jotted down.

    • @Coryn02
      @Coryn02 4 роки тому +69

      I think most skilled authors learn to use a bit of both discovery and architect writing, even when one comes more naturally to them.

    • @sudha4241
      @sudha4241 4 роки тому +6

      Nice I do the same

  • @somegirl4631
    @somegirl4631 6 років тому +726

    As a wise old Chinese man once said:
    _"You can never add enough unrelated plot twists and potential lovers for the main character in one series!"_
    *but then came Twilight* ...

  • @bro-rm5xo
    @bro-rm5xo 6 років тому +5775

    We all know the only thing that's needed for a plot.
    A love triangle

    • @miles6283
      @miles6283 6 років тому +512

      Haven't clicked "Read more" yet but if it's a fucking love triangle I'm gonna kill myself

    • @miles6283
      @miles6283 6 років тому +462

      Goddamn it

    • @Refloni
      @Refloni 6 років тому +152

      As predictable as the plots you write after watching this video

    • @christomlinson9181
      @christomlinson9181 6 років тому +83

      I'm surprised that didn't make this video.

    • @jovanjovanovski8749
      @jovanjovanovski8749 6 років тому +39

      @@christomlinson9181 oh but it did in the list near the beginning

  • @mistersureshot1749
    @mistersureshot1749 6 років тому +1653

    Man, I really want TWA to talk about "Revenge".
    Revenge stories are one of the most well-known and most used plots ever! I'm hoping he covers it one day :(

    • @indrayatbhakta2943
      @indrayatbhakta2943 6 років тому +42

      This.

    • @ShudowWolf
      @ShudowWolf 6 років тому +50

      I imagine he will - it comes up quite a bit (a bit less than the love triangle but still)

    • @cjmarshall7970
      @cjmarshall7970 6 років тому +121

      When writing a revenge story, never address the implication that revenge isn’t satisfying. Taking your vengeance and making someone suffer for more than the character did A-OK as long as they constantly angst about it.

    • @gandalftheantlion
      @gandalftheantlion 6 років тому +24

      Yeah, almost all of Ubisoft is kinda the king of using revenge as a plot device.

    • @MusicalInquisit
      @MusicalInquisit 6 років тому +18

      He covered rival stories; I'm pretty sure he is going to cover revenge stories.

  • @kirstenpaff8946
    @kirstenpaff8946 6 років тому +1858

    You know you are watching a quality channel, when even the ads for the sponsor are hilarious.

    • @drunkenslav2334
      @drunkenslav2334 6 років тому +11

      Kirsten Paff not really that funny but i agree

    • @wilburdemitel8468
      @wilburdemitel8468 6 років тому +58

      Maybe not funny, but i stick around to see it. It's so natural and feels like it's part of the video.

    • @androsh9039
      @androsh9039 6 років тому +63

      The amount of effort he put into the ad alone warrants a stand-alone video, that was quality stuff.

    • @atk05003
      @atk05003 6 років тому +16

      I enjoy a good sponsor ad. It reminds me of a recording I heard of the Bob Hope radio show. He was making fun of Dick Tracy style investigative mysteries. The detective aske Hope to read back the notes after they talked to a witness. The notes were reminders to buy Jell-O and a new safe to protect the Jell-O from his kids. The detective said, "Hope, you make a terrible detective." Bob Hope replied, "That may be so, but I know how to keep a sponsor."

    • @tntcerveris
      @tntcerveris 6 років тому +5

      I don,t care much for writing. I watch this for the ads now

  • @antares6167
    @antares6167 6 років тому +747

    "My book has a plot!"
    Brilliant idea! I wish more writers thought about addition like that!
    (No, seriously, just look at some YA novels. They really could have used some plot...)

    • @Alino-
      @Alino- 4 роки тому +70

      I've read some YA series (well, only the first few books) since i've wanted to be a writer since i was a kid. And yeah, some stories are.... yeah -,- I remember a best selling one, called Throne Of Glass, about some assassin girl who just..... does not act like how her deeds are described.

    • @polyhymnia701
      @polyhymnia701 4 роки тому +90

      R.A. Klein II I think the author of _Throne of Glass_ binged all of TWA's videos and thought he was being serious. The vapid, frilly MC whom everyone thinks is a deadly assassin. The way the entire world seems to revolve around the girl. The book keeps forgetting that it's supposed to be about an assassin competition. The love triangle with one guy who's kinda decent and the other one who's a pig.
      I only read the first book, but apparently in the sequels it turns out that she's really the long-lost faerie princess who needs to reclaim her throne. And she winds up with some dude who wasn't in the first book, making the love triangle a complete waste of time. Also, apparently the later books have graphic sex scenes, because that's a wholesome thing for young kids to read about * barfs *
      Yeah...that series is a dumpster fire 😂

    • @Alino-
      @Alino- 4 роки тому +39

      @@polyhymnia701 I read up to i think middle of book 3, but it gets bad.... really bad. It blows my mind how shit like that becomes best-selling.I remember getting into it cause the first book's summary sounded cool to me like 3 or 4 years ago when i was still in highschool.

    • @Τοπαλικάριτουκάμπου
      @Τοπαλικάριτουκάμπου 4 роки тому +36

      @@polyhymnia701 the writer has a thing for writing multiple romantic interests and I think it's just a waste of time.
      Like we get it, being a female character doesn't mean she has to be an innocent virgin, but honestly, the fact that you care so much, enough to go out of your way to write thoroughly and with great detail about your character's sex life, goes to show what kind of plot this book has.
      If you're not planning on making a compelling romantic interest/love story that your audience will like and be interested in, DON'T bother writing about every single random fuck she happens to have because it's just irrelevant porn. And honestly, teenage girls know there's better smut in the internet and it's FOR FREE and we don't have to put up with half-assed attempts at plot or terms like "velvet wrapped steel'. Idk SJM has a thing for describing dicks the weirdest way possible.

    • @aeyakieduenas1331
      @aeyakieduenas1331 3 роки тому +5

      @@polyhymnia701 A book that seems to follow all TWA's sarcastic advice? Oh yeah, I've always been waiting for a book like this.
      But seriously, I need someone to purposely write a book based on his advice. Although, for the meanwhile, I'll read this one. Welp, wish my eyes luck!

  • @daniel-zh9nj6yn6y
    @daniel-zh9nj6yn6y 4 роки тому +917

    If crap like 50 Shades of Grey managed to get published and turned into a movie, anything is possible. Just write your book, you might become rich.

    • @Heylivecoconuggets
      @Heylivecoconuggets 3 роки тому +44

      Have you watched "After" you might also enjoy that💀🗿

    • @starrynight5207
      @starrynight5207 3 роки тому +68

      well 50 shades of grey was self published meaning there were probably no professional editor or anything in the process :)

    • @hughmann8458
      @hughmann8458 3 роки тому +32

      @@Heylivecoconuggets Isn't that the movie based on a Wattpad One Direction fanfic?

    • @Heylivecoconuggets
      @Heylivecoconuggets 3 роки тому +75

      @@hughmann8458 ya, well technically harry styles. Apparently harry styles blocked the author on twitter. I mean who wouldn't, that's just so creepy and wierd.

    • @delfinoworld9265
      @delfinoworld9265 3 роки тому +23

      The motivation I didn't know I needed. Thanks bud 😊

  • @dexis9412
    @dexis9412 6 років тому +810

    “Saggy middle syndrome”
    Hey I think my dad has that

  • @artemiswolf4508
    @artemiswolf4508 6 років тому +630

    You forgot the “Hey this going to be a trilogy anyway, so why don’t I just make each book an overly long and padded act of the same story, because creating a compelling narrative in all 3 sounds hard” author

    • @indumatipngtuber2790
      @indumatipngtuber2790 6 років тому +58

      Need to do it to make money-I mean, add more interesting story elements to the worldbuilding!

    • @ufukcangencoglu2279
      @ufukcangencoglu2279 6 років тому +15

      @@indumatipngtuber2790 Authors DO want to make money

    • @popmonika
      @popmonika 5 років тому +59

      Or... This is a trilogy, so any plot holes can be explained away as "we'll answer in the next movie!"
      Although, by the time of the final movie of the trilogy you've created so many plot holes that you somehow need to answer 10 hours worth in only 2 and a half hours in a cliched and disappointing or distasterous manner (talking to you Disney star wars trilogy!!)

    • @runningcommentary2125
      @runningcommentary2125 4 роки тому +21

      Don't forget to slavishly follow the three act structure beat by beat for the whole trilogy so that the middle book is aimless, boring filler and nothing else.

    • @panlis6243
      @panlis6243 4 роки тому +6

      @@runningcommentary2125 And also the first book resembles the first act which let's be honest most authors have no idea how to execute properly and it basically boils down to "a bunch of boring scenes you have to sit through before we can get to the cool stuff because otherwise my book would have 5 pages"

  • @bretginn1419
    @bretginn1419 6 років тому +837

    I know what to do in order to write a good plot now. I just need to go to TV Tropes, add every single trope, and play them all straight. Then my plot will be so aggresively average, so by the book, that its sheer dullness will transform into greatness.

    • @dr.questionmark6481
      @dr.questionmark6481 6 років тому +147

      *I N T E L L E C T 1 0 0*

    • @kimifw58
      @kimifw58 6 років тому +100

      Or it'll be horribly offensive, but so offensive that it'll Cross the Line Twice!

    • @condorboss3339
      @condorboss3339 6 років тому +57

      So, you're one of the writers for the next _Star Wars_ film. " Star Wars: The Revenge of -Mary Sue- Rey "

    • @PsychicLoser
      @PsychicLoser 6 років тому +38

      So...RWBY?

    • @merrittanimation7721
      @merrittanimation7721 6 років тому +4

      You mean like Order of the Stick?

  • @marccolten9801
    @marccolten9801 6 років тому +190

    I follow the advice of the caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland: "Start at the beginning, continue until you reach the end, then STOP!"

  • @emmapopovic-bogdanich1991
    @emmapopovic-bogdanich1991 6 років тому +588

    I have ADHD so I constantly daydream parts of an increasingly big story which sometimes changes, and most of it is in my head. However, I'm also starting to outline the multi-part story by first writing what I want each story part to be fundamentally about (i.e. Pandaemonium is ultimately about chaos that demons and benevolent spirits spread while the humans try to do the right thing and figure out what's going on) and then write down a list of everything that I keep coming back to that I definitely want to include. Then I'll include it into a rough outline, and then I'll write it by still daydreaming a lot while being guided by the guideline and not strangled by it. Because it is a guideline, not a checklist.
    At the same time, for the much more structured parts I'm writing it normally, by having an outline that sees forward a bit, but sometimes changing it, and having a more permanent outline that covers the story much more deeply, but is more sparse.

    • @synflwr
      @synflwr 5 років тому +52

      I’ve just found out I may or may not have ADHD 😂
      Nah I’m just autistic

    • @roioi
      @roioi 5 років тому +48

      Bruh you made ADHD sound like a super power

    • @eatatjoe
      @eatatjoe 5 років тому +41

      ADHD *sucks* when it comes to writing.

    • @calebreynolds9183
      @calebreynolds9183 5 років тому +3

      Emma Popovic-Bogdanich
      Ouch, too relatable; painful to read 😂

    • @RizaLazar
      @RizaLazar 5 років тому

      You write a lot

  • @allie2621
    @allie2621 6 років тому +2213

    Why plot your story when you could use...
    A love triangle?

  • @harvesterofhitpoints4597
    @harvesterofhitpoints4597 6 років тому +1096

    Do one about killing off a character.

    • @Wobble9000
      @Wobble9000 6 років тому +53

      Permanent or resurrection?

    • @funnelvortex7722
      @funnelvortex7722 6 років тому +69

      Usually they are brought back through magic BS that was only relevant after the character died or through some weird form of reincarnation that was never seen before in the setting. Popular characters have a hard time staying dead.

    • @jaschabull2365
      @jaschabull2365 6 років тому +25

      Except Final Fantasy, right? Phoenix down is relevant until Aerith needs it the most...

    • @harvesterofhitpoints4597
      @harvesterofhitpoints4597 6 років тому +29

      @@Wobble9000 Both. I want to see if he thinks there's a good way to resurrect a character and also when he think killing off a character is important.

    • @TheRezro
      @TheRezro 6 років тому +5

      @Jascha Bull
      No. What you saying is so called Ludonarrative Dissonance (ugh, what stupid word!). In short gameplay and plot are separate thing. Only kids and autistic people have problem with understanding that.
      What he refereed was common problem of comic books where important characters are killed off screen, because writer is too lazy to establish things. Or when characters are killed and resurrect so commonly that it lose its meaning (especially mass deaths). There is also a issue of killing off hand characters (especially side characters) with deep backstory just because need for cheep thrills. In this case I mean permanent deaths like second Blue Beetle or James Olsen in BvS. Take a note that in realistic works that can happen, but story need establish first that it fallow that trend (John Snow in books).

  • @smjaiteh
    @smjaiteh 6 років тому +338

    I love how this character obviously knows so much about writing and puts so much effort figuring out how to solve writing problems, and just *chooses* to pick the very worst option. 🤣

    • @TheMamaluigi300
      @TheMamaluigi300 6 років тому +55

      Sambou Jaiteh This *is* Terrible Writing Advice. Though i think this is pretty good advice

    • @LIFE-mk7kz
      @LIFE-mk7kz 5 років тому +52

      TheMamaluigi300 when you look past the sarcasm you see a lot of good advice.

    • @eeveeofalltrades4780
      @eeveeofalltrades4780 Рік тому +2

      Like that Marvel villain who could cure cancer but chose to turn people into dinosaurs.

  • @OceanAce
    @OceanAce 6 років тому +331

    4:17 Me looking at my one-scene fanfic... If this scene were cut out of the story would it make the plot better?
    ...yes :(

    • @MusiXificati0n
      @MusiXificati0n 5 років тому +34

      I feel you, mate

    • @akunekochan
      @akunekochan 4 роки тому +6

      I managed to stretch 1 day on 16 chapters on my BEST fanfic ᇂ_ᇂ
      So yeah, I know how you feel

    • @GalazyProductions
      @GalazyProductions 3 роки тому +3

      @@akunekochan Time is an illusion and that is why I have no clue when my comics take place or how long they are (in universe).

    • @diamondfox1178
      @diamondfox1178 3 роки тому +2

      Wrote 16 pages for like a quarter of a chapter once, ended up cutting 7 of them by the editing process because they didn't do anything to progress the story. In the end, the entire chapter was left with roughly 30 pages, mostly because I cut roughly 40 pages due to unnecessary writing. Since then I make an active effort to write the bare minimum, because by the time I'm done it's filled out nicely with some stuff not necessary to the plot, but still important nonetheless.

    • @tuluppampam
      @tuluppampam Рік тому +2

      As many have said:"A story isn't finished when there's nothing left to add, it's finished when there's nothing left to remove"

  • @quantumjoss
    @quantumjoss 4 роки тому +191

    The plot twist thing really made it through to me. I'm just going to make one that flops in universe, where the villain reveals he was the MC's brother all along and the MC doesn't care and kills him.

    • @ConnanTheCivilized
      @ConnanTheCivilized Рік тому +9

      So, did you do it? I’d love to experience that scene. It really drives me crazy when writers act like a reveal justifies derailing the entire story/characterization.

    • @mattvin2503
      @mattvin2503 11 місяців тому +2

      Reminds me of a certain anime's first season having just that

    • @anitanielsen1061
      @anitanielsen1061 3 місяці тому +1

      Which one???

  • @sewershaman3280
    @sewershaman3280 6 років тому +620

    The hero's journey is actually a terrible story structure. DEVELOPMENT! ATONEMENT! MY protagonist doesn't need to "develop" or "atone" for anything! They're already a perfect space princess from a race of fiscally conservative feminist Elves!

    • @ExValeFor
      @ExValeFor 6 років тому +91

      you mean your elves arent a communist utopia? get on with the times....

    • @AegixDrakan
      @AegixDrakan 6 років тому +90

      Wait, where's the love triangle? Your book is weak!

    • @diablo.the.cheater
      @diablo.the.cheater 6 років тому +22

      space elves best elves

    • @merrittanimation7721
      @merrittanimation7721 6 років тому +32

      You forgot environmentalist

    • @spacejunk2186
      @spacejunk2186 6 років тому +5

      @@diablo.the.cheater
      Kitchensink elves best elves

  • @Necris94
    @Necris94 6 років тому +1447

    That discovery guys sounds like your typical shounen manga autor.

    • @chinuaalibatya7345
      @chinuaalibatya7345 5 років тому +33

      I agree

    • @minnalunar
      @minnalunar 4 роки тому +132

      apart from aot's author. he planned everything out super well. amazing

    • @haillobster7154
      @haillobster7154 4 роки тому +32

      A certain fat old man comes to mind...

    • @mason3872
      @mason3872 4 роки тому +35

      ABT You do realize that aot isn’t even shounen right?

    • @minnalunar
      @minnalunar 4 роки тому +17

      @@mason3872 i know it's shounen!

  • @dplonker6140
    @dplonker6140 6 років тому +906

    Of course the clowns are on fire.

    • @LuizAlexPhoenix
      @LuizAlexPhoenix 6 років тому +22

      It was setup on the love triangle arc, during the info dump for what objects and people are more or less flammable. It was obvious all along!

    • @tskmaster3837
      @tskmaster3837 6 років тому +15

      That is such a great line, the line in the video should have been "And of course the clowns are on fire." Because of course they are.
      Everyone loves a flaming clown so why don't you...

    • @teigantheisen2549
      @teigantheisen2549 6 років тому +6

      why wouldn't they!

    • @ViscountAlexOfTheHorsePeople
      @ViscountAlexOfTheHorsePeople 6 років тому +11

      Did you see it coming? I thought it was a shocking twist!

    • @darwinxavier3516
      @darwinxavier3516 6 років тому +3

      The train should've crashed into the internet culture wars dumpster fire.

  • @artman40
    @artman40 4 роки тому +92

    5:56. Bonus points: Abandon the subplots and get back to the main plot when you think the important (but hard-to-write) plot-driving scenes of the main plot have resolved offscreen.

  • @fingerboxes
    @fingerboxes 3 роки тому +29

    3:23 -- After growing up with a schizophrenic dad, I've observed that most of the time if someone asks you a serious question or gives you constructive criticism and you respond by rambling about what the voices in your head have to say, most people DO abandon their original line of questions/critiques and will instead either leave as quickly as possible, ask someone else, or start asking about if you're medicated. So uh, I guess that's one way to shut up most critics? Lowering someone's expectations is one way to make sure you clear that bar.

  • @davidgold3nrose
    @davidgold3nrose 6 років тому +591

    I... actually learnt something from terrible writing advice. I mean obviously I get the goodbyes and what not to do. But this time I actually learnt something. I didn't know about the discovery versus architect writer. I always have trouble when I'm writing because I never get past the point of making plot because I can never do it I'm always a character creator, a character moment person. I didn't know discovery writing was even a thing that was... allowed I guess

    • @ExValeFor
      @ExValeFor 6 років тому +61

      Im definitely glad that I have an excuse as to why I make all these outlines and then get carried away with stupid rambling bullshit no one wants to read

    • @davidgold3nrose
      @davidgold3nrose 6 років тому +53

      1337n00binc honestly every piece of advice I got was 'detail your plan'
      I honestly had given up on writing, I thought it was just something I couldn't do, but- as is evident by the fact I watch this channel- I was still interested.
      But now I know that my style... it's okay, and legitimate, well...

    • @ExValeFor
      @ExValeFor 6 років тому +40

      That advice is given is because its generally what's taught. you can't really teach someone to be a discovery writer, and once someone takes a writing course, they realize theyve made a horrible mistake and try to compensate by sharing the 'knowledge' with others and upholding it as rule of fact
      Still, discovery style writing is a huge pitfall in and of itself. I was being sarcastic, but it's too appealing to just go "nah that's just my style" and go widely off track, possibly resulting in something that'd give any editor a heart attack. I'd like to think i'm more of a discovery author, but I'm going to stick with more architecture to my writing because otherwise it'd just be an untreadable swamp.

    • @davidgold3nrose
      @davidgold3nrose 6 років тому +15

      1337n00binc yes, but also by actual writers I reached out to. They probably gave me the advice, because that was it they did that was what worked for them
      I'm actively trying to avoid the pitfalls of my style though

    • @diablo.the.cheater
      @diablo.the.cheater 6 років тому +20

      It is not very recomended because you kind of need to be very good and very creative for it to work, the other way is the safer way, is like, the technique vs the art

  • @glowstickofdestiny1290
    @glowstickofdestiny1290 6 років тому +367

    Success is obviously the destination, the journey is just there to add more fight scenes and love triangles.

    • @AegixDrakan
      @AegixDrakan 6 років тому +30

      Or love triangles IN your fight scenes, for maximum efficiency!

    • @glowstickofdestiny1290
      @glowstickofdestiny1290 6 років тому +5

      Mind blown.

    • @condorboss3339
      @condorboss3339 6 років тому +2

      _Delendam esse Maria Suetonia_

    • @andrewgwilliam4831
      @andrewgwilliam4831 6 років тому +7

      Or possibly, fight triangles and love scenes. 🤔

    • @artman40
      @artman40 5 років тому +1

      Or, if anyone criticized your story for its ending, you can always use "It's the journey that counts!" as a counterargument.

  • @tskmaster3837
    @tskmaster3837 6 років тому +345

    Haven't you heard, JP? Plot holes don't matter. If there are gaps in the story, it's the reader's/viewer's responsibility to... uh... something. And then it's a great story.

  • @reese1719
    @reese1719 5 років тому +163

    3:05 honestly sounds like an amazing story
    10/10 would read

  • @onimaxblade8988
    @onimaxblade8988 6 років тому +173

    Honestly I think this video might be your most valuable video you've made, it covers a lot of things that are just kinda easier to accidentally do, and which probably plague even good stories.

    • @futurestories2380
      @futurestories2380 6 років тому +1

      I think it's the most misleading. At least with the planing part.

    • @francisthompson3772
      @francisthompson3772 5 років тому +12

      @@futurestories2380 What's wrong with his explanation?

    • @futurestories2380
      @futurestories2380 5 років тому +2

      @@francisthompson3772 He says that you should plan. That is the number 1 mistack that people do. You let your self conches mind develop the story naturaly.
      When you don't brainstorm and sit on it for years you have very little plot holes, your storys with be full of meaning fullness and you can have lots of plot twists.
      If you take the things that people criticise about storys, what they say are bad A bought it and deconstruct the ones that they praise you will find every maid up story has these.
      Some examples that you may not think A bought that can ruin your story.
      1: Naming charictors. let's say you have a kid who is doing a fight scene and a guy who is a body guard and You name these 2 different names. You now have created 2 different storys when it was supposed to be one and now you have destroyed your story because you asoumed that they are different characters.
      2 world building.: If I have a character that is supost to die but I created the world building were a bolet to the head won't kill them I also have ruined my story.
      This is why it is exstreamly important for writers to
      1 not brainstorme or set deadlines other wise your story will have many plot holes and lack depth.
      2 Only World build if that is what your selfconchis mind came up with and it is needed for the plot.
      3 Only Name characters when you are done or almost done. Instead put it in simple terms like wife, husband, brother, sister, mother, father.
      To figure out if what is brainstormed or not if you know you have brainstormed is by sitting on it. Over time you will get inspiration which will confirm it.
      However I did not discover this. I fallow a UA-cam named ponstory games. I have watched his videos a bought story telling, read his comments and have applied them to my writing and my writing has has drematicly improved.
      Ponstory games ua-cam.com/channels/-ZHSXPSC40TMFKHMs-J1UA.html

    • @sarahvunkannon7336
      @sarahvunkannon7336 4 роки тому +21

      @@futurestories2380 This is very different from my writing style. My writing style consists of sitting on the characters and the world for a year or so until they have developed into something cool, while creating only a basic and vague outline of a plot that is nothing more than a natural extension of the characters and world. Everything I said in the previous sentence can be skipped if a dream does it for me, but ONLY if the dream really does do EVERYTHING described. So basically I do a lot of worldbuilding and character building, set up some goal posts, place the characters at the starting line, and say "GO!" And then I watch where they go, what path they take to reach the posts, and how they get to the end. In case they take too long, I go back after the race is over and revise.
      Also, I don't know what you mean by self conscious. That's the part of you that worries about what other people think of you. I've had my best ideas come to me in dreams; did you perhaps mean subconscious?
      Also, I disagree with points 1 and 2. If you name characters you barely know, you get to figure out how they're related to each other and what role each of them plays, which is fun. Also, if you create a world where a bullet to the head won't kill a character but you need them to die, that gives you an opportunity to figure out how they can be killed in other ways. I view both of these things that you call "ruining the story" as opportunities to exercise your creativity. Even plot holes are opportunities to exercise creativity, because now I have to figure out a way to patch them and that's really fun. I don't know what you're doing man, if you're not taking opportunities to have fun with writing.
      Also your post is riddled with spelling and grammar errors. If the post wasn't about writing that would be okay, but...

    • @futurestories2380
      @futurestories2380 4 роки тому

      @@sarahvunkannon7336
      When you start off your story it will be basic. The longer you sit on the ideas the more complex they will be and the more stories you'll have. Sit on it until the story is done. It may take 10-15 years. Depends on the amount of ideas you get.
      Yes I meant subconscious and yes it does it all. Telling a story requires no effort. I could be eating breakfast and a idea could pop into my head. The only effort would be is is getting it into some medium.
      People have a idea then they stretch it into a movie or book, show or game with all these brainstormed ideas and the unique idea gets lost.
      A real story consists of entirely of unique ideas. Something where if you were to steal that idea and added it to your work it would not work unless you stole the hole thing.
      People rush there there stories. There story should start at the beginning. Every major character that has a impact on there world. We should see them from when there born to when they die or when there story ends.
      When people don't do that they usually have back story which is worthless because it destroys the tension.
      People say that would take to long. But if they stopped focusing on dumb stuff like.
      1: meaningless blabbering that is not relevant to the story, is not impacting the characters to change them or having there minds conflicted.
      2: Telling the viewer something they already know.
      3: just having people walking
      4: Having fight scenes.
      If at any time the characters are not growing or there not having a debate were view points can be exchanged and it doesn't led somewhere. if there is a fight scene or training and it does not affect the characters or changes a event you are wasting the viewers time.
      People also need to stop skipping there characters training. Show a natural progression. Not necessarily all of it. Just key points of when in training they gain a skill or show a massive improvement in that skill.
      My point with naming the characters was not that you wouldn't see how things would go if you didn't name them. I have a few names in mind but I keep an open mind and keep the characters that I'm unsure of how there story ends out brief like mom, dad, doctor. What I'm trying to say is if you name them, don't keep a open mind you end up stealing away from those characters and have worthless ones that are not as deep and are not relevant and your story have plot holes.
      What I meant with the world building and a character getting shot in the head, wont die was to not brainstorm it. Having that is a interesting idea but don't force it in there. Let your subconscious do the world building.
      I belive if you can stop brainstorming and stop setting deadlines you'll only have to write your story once. No rewrites and no plot holes.

  • @phyrexian_dude4645
    @phyrexian_dude4645 6 років тому +152

    But... but... WHERE WOULD I PUT MY LOVE TRIANGLE?!

    • @Carewolf
      @Carewolf 6 років тому +15

      Anywhere you want... There is not wrong place to stick it.....

    • @duckduckinator3185
      @duckduckinator3185 4 роки тому +10

      The plotholes should have enough room

    • @M3rtyville
      @M3rtyville 4 роки тому +2

      Everywhere

  • @victoryprime2915
    @victoryprime2915 6 років тому +1300

    I've been writing a book with a female lead for a while but she's not a Mary sue and there's no live triangle. How do I fix this?

    • @arandomqueerfanpeep7655
      @arandomqueerfanpeep7655 6 років тому +520

      Add in a hot bad boy, and and quiet geeky boy, and make them both fall into irrevocable love with her. As you do this, give her all the power in the universe

    • @victoryprime2915
      @victoryprime2915 6 років тому +232

      @Mad Man yes, but a live triangle is a love triangle that comes alive and devours everything

    • @christinew1644
      @christinew1644 6 років тому +319

      Don't forget that she's klutzy until she's in combat and ordinary-looking except when the boys are talking about her. Also she's never wrong, and the only people who disagree with her are obviously awful and all your readers should hate them for that simple reason.

    • @scienceandmusic4295
      @scienceandmusic4295 6 років тому +220

      Christine S Did you seriously forget about the abusive parents? And what about her secret powers?

    • @demonfireasw1120
      @demonfireasw1120 6 років тому +183

      @@scienceandmusic4295 and she needs to be half angel half fairy half elf half vampire half whatever else is cliche and a princess.

  • @mememem
    @mememem 6 років тому +1895

    5:27 You forgot the best option of them all: bloat up the sagging middle even more and then split the book into 2. Then rinse and repeat for book 3-7, hopefully getting a HBO series made out of your epic -trilogy- septogy somewhere in the process

    • @miro.georgiev97
      @miro.georgiev97 6 років тому +115

      I see what you did there... 😏

    • @redeemingqualitiesmaynotap8245
      @redeemingqualitiesmaynotap8245 6 років тому +191

      N-nonono friend, you fill the story in by telling of the tyranny of sand and by talking about the midichlorians' importance.

    • @sageemerald7685
      @sageemerald7685 6 років тому +156

      Your name is meme and you avatar is a panty shot. This information has no bearing, and gives no context to your honest and truthful thoughts.

    • @redeemingqualitiesmaynotap8245
      @redeemingqualitiesmaynotap8245 6 років тому +2

      I was talking about the prequels....idk what shes taking 'bout

    • @ndv135
      @ndv135 6 років тому +142

      Adonai Hawkins She's talking about A Song of Ice and Fire. It has a very convoluted plot that takes a long time to play out, with many different POV characters, many people just want the major plot points and don't care about things like characterization or stakes, and just want fantasy battles, so I think that's what she's talking about.

  • @jonahfalcon1970
    @jonahfalcon1970 6 років тому +89

    "Shut up, JP! Do you have any idea how long I've waited for this day?" still makes me giggle.

  • @Vesnicie
    @Vesnicie 5 років тому +91

    3:03 "I can't seem to find the climax." -- that's what she said!

  • @upsyloownmusic
    @upsyloownmusic 6 років тому +343

    Will you do an episode about "How to build a romance" ? (featuring the all-mighty Love Triangle, obviously)

    • @pickyphysicsstudent201
      @pickyphysicsstudent201 6 років тому +29

      100 episode special, obviously.

    • @creatressanna8714
      @creatressanna8714 6 років тому +27

      He said in one of his Honest Thoughts posts on his website that love interests will get a Terrible Writing Advice video one day.

    • @mathisanidioticsport6969
      @mathisanidioticsport6969 6 років тому +2

      UPsyloown, I think that has been the underlying theme of every video

    • @spookyrosev6467
      @spookyrosev6467 6 років тому

      UPsyloown Why do I get the feeling that might be the Milestone Episode.

    • @jacobhamilton2473
      @jacobhamilton2473 5 років тому

      Ask and ye shall receive.

  • @matchesburn
    @matchesburn 6 років тому +266

    "Plotting a Story" (Working title was "How to Become a Japanese Light Novel Writer")

  • @araknidsGrip
    @araknidsGrip 6 років тому +725

    The worst fascist empires have emperors that play fortnite

    • @teal_m_101
      @teal_m_101 6 років тому +48

      All good empires... I mean Republics play Roblox

    • @Mramazing103
      @Mramazing103 6 років тому +66

      Don't you know that Hitler and Mussolini were the tag team Fortnite champions of 1941?

    • @Rebellions
      @Rebellions 6 років тому +35

      Yeah the whole mishap actually started years before that when that black guy styled on them in the Olympic fortnite championships with his jewish partner back in the late 1930s, thus robbing them of being declared the best players ever until 1941 when they finally won after... Thinning... The competition a little bit.

    • @sdagoth3037
      @sdagoth3037 6 років тому +8

      Not the First Order, Kylo Ren is still screaming at "tryhards" on Call of Duty.

    • @Rebellions
      @Rebellions 6 років тому

      I think he meant worst as in "threatening" not "destroying your franchise 101"

  • @PhoebeWritesFiction
    @PhoebeWritesFiction 6 років тому +50

    Omg, when you mention how outlined stories can have poor scene transitions and character motivation... I felt CALLED OUT. I'm having to fix so much of that as I revise my current WIP! Not planning to make the same mistakes on my next project, though :)

  • @Ethan-cz8xq
    @Ethan-cz8xq 4 роки тому +22

    0:36 Wait, there are other characters and viewpoints besides Mary Sue?!?! I just have Mary Sue and a bunch of spray-painted cardboard boxes!

  • @throwdown1776
    @throwdown1776 6 років тому +177

    The amazing outline vs. the love triangle

    • @ScamDocMaindel
      @ScamDocMaindel 6 років тому +7

      Virgin outline vs Chad Love Triangle

  • @georgesears934
    @georgesears934 6 років тому +245

    Or, just say “nanomachines” every time someone brings up a potential plothole and keep the plottwist rollercoaster rocketing along so fast that the audience has no time to point out that nanomachines create even more plotholes than they solve.

    • @thecyperpunkninja5080
      @thecyperpunkninja5080 6 років тому +27

      Or just keep shoving new info down the audiences throat so fast that they don't have any time to process it. This will eventually end up making so many crucial plot threads that need to be resolved that the final book is going to be bloated and stupidly long out of necessity.

    • @magosleibowitz9626
      @magosleibowitz9626 6 років тому +37

      "Nanomachines son, they harden in response to physical trauma"

    • @tach5884
      @tach5884 6 років тому +24

      Two words: alternate timelines
      Never mind that it isn't your world that you're saving anymore.

    • @thecyperpunkninja5080
      @thecyperpunkninja5080 6 років тому +25

      And of course you need the evil version of the hero from one of those alternate timelines to somehow make it to the prime world and try to take it over! It's pretty much a requirement for any alternate universe story nowadays!

    • @ValThracian
      @ValThracian 6 років тому +2

      Name checks out

  • @maf7742
    @maf7742 6 років тому +116

    I was trying to outline my story, watched this, scribbled over everything and replaced it all with 'love triangle'
    hope it works

    • @azraelle6232
      @azraelle6232 6 років тому +25

      I sense a BESTSELLER!

    • @futurestories2380
      @futurestories2380 6 років тому

      If you want the truth probably not. Hers why.
      You do not plan your story, you let your self conchies mind develop the story naturally for many years on it with out brain storming. You do that you'll have multiple story's that are packed to the gills with information and meaningfulness and in less time. What most %99.99 or all writers do is They simply release the basic story outline as a movie or book. You let one person write and remove all deadlines and with no brainstorming.

    • @TheMamaluigi300
      @TheMamaluigi300 6 років тому

      Gray Jedi I doubt he did.

    • @seijoukirikaze8167
      @seijoukirikaze8167 5 років тому

      Im not liking it cuz its 69

    • @bananian
      @bananian 5 років тому +1

      Glue the triangles together to make a love octagon.

  • @ThePickledAuthor
    @ThePickledAuthor 3 роки тому +40

    As a writer....this greatly pleases me.
    It also made me laugh, which is the most important part. LOVE THIS!

  • @yeet.mp8458
    @yeet.mp8458 4 роки тому +392

    Holy shit its like the writers of the Star Wars sequel trilogy actually followed this video step by step

    • @angelmakestrash1512
      @angelmakestrash1512 4 роки тому +8

      Lmao yes

    • @vintheguy
      @vintheguy 4 роки тому +3

      *tros did
      The rest didnt

    • @ova524
      @ova524 3 роки тому +8

      @@vintheguy Excuse me Revenge of The Sith? What do you mean? I really hope you mean TROS (The Rise of Skywalker). If that is true pls edit the comment to avoid any more confusion.

    • @vintheguy
      @vintheguy 3 роки тому +6

      @@ova524
      Miss spelled
      Yeah

    • @tuluppampam
      @tuluppampam Рік тому

      I accidentally read it as prequel but luckily I managed to restrain myself enough to properly check

  • @teddyn240
    @teddyn240 6 років тому +127

    Video ideas:
    Zombie apocalypses
    Historical fiction
    Writing for kids
    Writing for animated films
    Writing Biographies
    Writing female characters
    Writing sequels
    And how to have multiple plot lines in a story.

    • @austintheamerican3784
      @austintheamerican3784 6 років тому +15

      Historical fiction starts and ends with world war 2, but if you want to go a little deeper then the American civil war will do.
      Just halfhazardly build an alternate timeline without considering how one change would or wouldn’t effect other parts of unchanged history and society.
      Just build something really cool no matter if you have to rely on literal magic to fill in the plot *cough wolfenstien *cough
      No need to consider close and almost if at all done alternate time lines like Harold Hadrada taking over England instead of William the conquerer in 1066 that takes effort and research
      Not wanting an alternate time line? That’s cool well just set a story in a historical time period. Be sure to make sure that the plot doesn’t need or fit in the time we are putting it in.
      Also pretend controversial things exist, it’s totally okay to have openly atheist characters in the Middle Ages without any issue.
      We could also go to the other end of the spectrum and use the past as a straw man to make people who disagree with me, for example, people who believe that the current education system is flawed in a way I disagree should be portrayed as medieval idiots who went around burning smart people at the stake and calling them witches with out any thought or nuance.
      Never should an author use the past to create themes like what society values change over time for a variety of reasons or that nuanced discussion is nothing new and the more things change the more they stay the same.
      If all goes wrong, just have a Mary Sue love triangle plot set in the Middle Ages.

    • @dagreco9888
      @dagreco9888 6 років тому +13

      Writing for kids and animation is practically the same thing no adult would EVER enjoy something so immature. So feel free to just write without any sort of thought involved in the process. After all kids love anything that have bright flashing colors, talking animals, celebrity voice actors, and a dance party at the end. What you say adults like animation too? Well that’s simple all you need to do to make animated movies or tv shows for adults is to make them raunchy comedies. After all animation shouldn’t have a variety of genres showcased in its medium. You actually think people will take it seriously?

    • @austintheamerican3784
      @austintheamerican3784 6 років тому +12

      Da Greco it’s not like animation has the capability to do epic action scenes or surreal horror or fantastical and excellent fiction nope all poorly animated raunchy comedies.

    • @scottmantooth8785
      @scottmantooth8785 4 роки тому +6

      *or even better combine several of these and make spectacular crossover fictions such as Historical Female Zombie Apocalypse's for Kids...Ka-Ching!!!! Best Seller!!!! straight to movie trilogy deal*

  • @TheKartana
    @TheKartana 6 років тому +297

    I hope next time someone else has the sponsorship, and when asked why the empire no longer has it, they will respond “that got retconned”

  • @olenickel6013
    @olenickel6013 6 років тому +238

    I see you tutored the producers of Game of Thrones on plot twists

    • @Carewolf
      @Carewolf 6 років тому +35

      And the new Star Wars on plot structure.

    • @shosty575
      @shosty575 4 роки тому +6

      😔🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

    • @jamesgosling8491
      @jamesgosling8491 4 роки тому +1

      The new ones. Not Martin

  • @jakeswierdfriend7204
    @jakeswierdfriend7204 4 роки тому +25

    This vid is actually exactly what I needed since I really struggle with planning stories and often write myself into a corner

  • @ChaosRayZero
    @ChaosRayZero 6 років тому +29

    5:45 _You forgot to put the _*_love triangle_*_ image on your "sub-plot."_

  • @BumbleCrumble1072
    @BumbleCrumble1072 6 років тому +113

    This video is a extremely accurate description of RWBY.

    • @python1972
      @python1972 6 років тому

      In what way may I ask?

    • @Angel_Dusk02
      @Angel_Dusk02 6 років тому +15

      @@python1972 the way they manage the plot and scenes were character LITERALLY dont talk or do anything

    • @python1972
      @python1972 6 років тому +9

      @@Angel_Dusk02 ....wasn't the whole problem with Volume 5 that all they did was stand around ina room and spout exposition?
      Before that it was animation problems and people didn't think the story was very fluid. Look there's a lot of reasons for people to nor like the show but I don't think anyone had ever said "the characters say and do nothing"

    • @Angel_Dusk02
      @Angel_Dusk02 6 років тому

      @@python1972 whait I'm gonna go find the clip

    • @rebeccahburnette8414
      @rebeccahburnette8414 6 років тому +2

      I haven't watched much RWBY but i get that vibe. I am a huge fan of Steven universe. It's my favorite show in the world but i watch some brutally honest critic of that show for having shitty or otherwise lazy / sub par writing. There's a huge crazy plot twist that's supposed to give you new light of all prior information... but not really a strong enough plot device to give a complete re-conceptual perception. It kinda brings more light but there's still huge gaping plot holes that are now, more or less, dead ends.

  • @firockfinion3326
    @firockfinion3326 6 років тому +164

    ... I feel very self conscious about my writing now.

    • @ChaosRayZero
      @ChaosRayZero 6 років тому +15

      Quick! Erase those self-doubts with this! ua-cam.com/video/tZ3FnbzNwss/v-deo.html

    • @carloscastellanosdarkeyesi6126
      @carloscastellanosdarkeyesi6126 4 роки тому +19

      @JIM BO WOW. So inspirational. Thank you. You are definitely capable of understanding people, and so you are also very much able to write a story with humans in it. You are the best person ever, thank you for telling him to follow his dreams and that recognizing his mistakes is the first step towards being a better writer. Follow yoir dream of horribly and unobjectively insult people without any prompting for it, because it's a skill that will take you very far in life. Asshole

    • @cryolocker0224
      @cryolocker0224 4 роки тому +4

      @JIM BO Nearly everything in your sentence Is wrong

    • @grizzlyowlbear3538
      @grizzlyowlbear3538 4 роки тому +4

      @@carloscastellanosdarkeyesi6126 Yo what did they say?

    • @carloscastellanosdarkeyesi6126
      @carloscastellanosdarkeyesi6126 4 роки тому +8

      @@grizzlyowlbear3538 I don't really remember, but they said something along the lines of "If you're self conscious about it, it must be really bad. Just give up"

  • @just-a-silly-goofy-guy
    @just-a-silly-goofy-guy 6 років тому +279

    You need an alternate account where you give great advice on writing

    • @AGS363
      @AGS363 6 років тому +25

      Maybe we will get a taste of that soon:
      "My Honest Thoughts on plotting a story will be uploaded as a video on the main Terrible Writing Advice channel at a later date since I get asked about how to structure a plot so much."
      jpbeaubien.com/terrible-writing-advice-chapter-33-plotting-a-story/

    • @ashleylentz2651
      @ashleylentz2651 6 років тому +34

      Or...you can just do the exact opposite of whatever is in these videos. Shocker, I know.

    • @calswartz615
      @calswartz615 6 років тому +18

      You don't need that! Just stick in a love triangle! It solves all of your problems!

    • @zyaicob
      @zyaicob 6 років тому +14

      This is the account where he gives great advice on writing.

    • @python1972
      @python1972 6 років тому +6

      He has made a video or two voicing his inner vritic as another character but in the end. Just do everything opposite to what this guy says and you'll be fine that's how I got into writing.

  • @redman7775
    @redman7775 4 роки тому +22

    You can't stop me, I've been living with LEGO blocks for a decade! My pain tolerance is beyond your power!

  • @ThalkorthePyromaniac
    @ThalkorthePyromaniac 5 років тому +53

    Just fill all those leftover plot holes with “magic”. Everybody knows that’s the answer to any inconsistencies or missing info. 👍

  • @kimifw58
    @kimifw58 6 років тому +40

    You really don't have to "murder your darlings," though. You just have to torture them until they break.

  • @BobLogical
    @BobLogical 6 років тому +134

    Looks like Kakashi's old friend Obito was the true villain all along, a plot point that was cleverly foreshadowed since the midpoint of the series and gave the audience enough clues to actually figure it out years prior to it being revealed.
    No, actually it was all just Madara Uchiha's plan from the beginning, a plan that involved him dying and being brought back to life by a technique created by an unrelated third party.
    No, wait, it's actually the space bunny woman from the moon who invented ninjas.
    Oh, wait, no, Sasuke's being a dick again, so I guess he's the real villain all along.
    Oh, no, it was actually Kishimoto that was the series' ultimate villain. Glad we cleared that up.

    • @olianims
      @olianims 5 років тому +5

      :D

    • @sharonchong8156
      @sharonchong8156 4 роки тому +2

      💯% Pervert fucking dude

    • @Max-wp8mx
      @Max-wp8mx 4 роки тому +5

      Actually, with saying the name and showing the power house Madara was like somehow made it easier to accept that twist, plus explaining it in some intervals. The problems come because of that power house and the last plot twist, but fine, just let the show die. Oh right, we can't because TV Tokyo still wants money.
      Great

    • @alfa01spotivo
      @alfa01spotivo 4 роки тому +11

      the first two i dont mind. Everything about Kaguya is trash. Naruto was fantastic until Madara died.
      Obito and madara were legit fantastic characters and both of their stories were tragic, interesting and they had satisfying reasons for doing what they did and had some awesome moments.
      Also Obito was gonna use Rinne Rebirth to bring Madara back which Madara told him to after he told him Nagato could do it after he gave him the Rinnegan. It all makes sense to me.
      And Madara using and brainwashing Obito into a warped mind sense was great storytelling that shows what Naruto could've been if he went down a dark path which helped when Naruto and Obito talked to each other.

  • @Arisorio
    @Arisorio 6 років тому +128

    Ah yes the M.E.M.E. Gun and L.E.E.T. Helmet, i see the Empire has Style.

  • @JohnWhiteHere
    @JohnWhiteHere 6 років тому +1082

    Did you just sarcastically write “The Last Jedi”?

    • @immikeurnot
      @immikeurnot 6 років тому +77

      A lot of his episodes have.

    • @ninjabluefyre3815
      @ninjabluefyre3815 6 років тому +11

      OH SHUT UP!

    • @nvfury13
      @nvfury13 5 років тому +46

      There’s a way to write that non sarcastically?

    • @troo_6656
      @troo_6656 5 років тому +35

      It is beacause TLJ is a terrible story.

    • @fire-nrg7962
      @fire-nrg7962 4 роки тому +11

      It's actually a well written film, if you actually give it a chance.

  • @rxndomfxndom7405
    @rxndomfxndom7405 6 місяців тому +2

    Hey, JP? Genuine comment: I love this video, as most plot guides I see only talk about architect writers, like talking about outlines and planning and stuff, and I'm a discovery writer, so I love how this video makes me feel like I can be a discovery writer and still be a "proper" writer.

  • @johannageisel5390
    @johannageisel5390 6 років тому +69

    "Oh man. I had a terrible nightmare. I dreamed that my plot was riddled with pointless side plots, a meandering middle, disconnected plot threads, and even pointless scenes full of dull exposition. It even had a horrible plot twist at the end."
    Don't fret. Dreams are always like this.
    Did you also experience sudden jumps in scenery? Characters that inexplicably change their behaviour and/or look or even vanish while others appear? Could you fly?
    That's all normal.

    • @doxasophosmoros
      @doxasophosmoros 5 років тому +6

      You just described George RR Martin's books A song of ice and fire...fucking bullshit after 2003.. he is a gardener writer and this describes him perfectly ... He won't ever finish btw , he doesn't even know how to

    • @scottmantooth8785
      @scottmantooth8785 4 роки тому

      *and all of these events were loosely connected to the interweaving teen angst drama of an on again off again love triangle plagued by all participating members of the triangle complicated even further by them having both amnesia and short term memory loss but never at the same time and never when plausible deniability would truly be an asset to the plot narrative*

  • @asalways1504
    @asalways1504 6 років тому +42

    The best plot is emphasizing the romantic subplot/s and putting the conflict on the sidelines.

    • @clover4522
      @clover4522 6 років тому

      As Always That's essentially the Star Wars Prequels lmao

    • @ufukcangencoglu2279
      @ufukcangencoglu2279 6 років тому

      @@clover4522 Only really happened in Episode II

  • @casualcyberguy1314
    @casualcyberguy1314 6 років тому +108

    HAIL THE LOVE TRIANGLE

  • @Brandonhayhew
    @Brandonhayhew 6 років тому +37

    Hero's journey it has the same trope in every hero's journey tropes like: Love triangle, rival, black and white, savior, chosen one, pure evil and a guy who was evil but turns out to be a good guy, then the anti-hero, mystery background story, Mary sue, and old Mentor father figure alike.

  • @hehecactusboy4312
    @hehecactusboy4312 3 роки тому +10

    I've been writing a book for a month so far, and I never think of what comes next outside of writing time. It's fun. And it just comes so naturally to me.

  • @PengyDraws
    @PengyDraws 6 років тому +100

    Did you know? JP actually counts as an animator in UA-camrs wiki, which is weird.

    • @jvtps765
      @jvtps765 6 років тому +7

      Makes sense to be honest. What else would you classify his channel as?

    • @yw5617
      @yw5617 6 років тому +20

      UA-cam doesn't know what animation is, many animation youtubers are just comic narrators, animatronic makers or make slide shows with drawns stills like terrible writing advice or extra credits if you know them .

    • @PengyDraws
      @PengyDraws 6 років тому +18

      @@jvtps765
      I'd categorize it as how to or tutirial channel

    • @jvtps765
      @jvtps765 6 років тому +9

      @@PengyDraws Hmm..Although I would like to point out that most of his videos are put under comedy XD

    • @ShudowWolf
      @ShudowWolf 6 років тому +10

      Parody would likely be the best fit or comedy though it is technically animated even if he himself admits less than one effort was put into the animation.

  • @sunnie1638
    @sunnie1638 6 років тому +69

    I'M HERE!!! FOR THE PLOT!

    • @steelbear2063
      @steelbear2063 6 років тому +1

      I say the same when watching porn

    • @adzinco6916
      @adzinco6916 6 років тому

      Sunny the Tiny Horse said every hentai viewer ever when confronted by his friends and family

  • @SirNeutral
    @SirNeutral 6 років тому +23

    "Hanns Speer is polite, good-natured, charming, a genius inventor of a time travel machine, and a dedicated member of the Nazi Party." But can he see why kids love the taste of Cinnamon Toast Crunch?

  • @RuneRelations
    @RuneRelations 6 років тому +22

    “I dub this video. Best Kingdom Hearts Retrospective.”

  • @cee8226
    @cee8226 4 роки тому +65

    _"Where does the story end?"_
    Ugh, idk. I guess they need to buy my 2nd book 🤭😆

  • @marcysoucy9522
    @marcysoucy9522 6 років тому +78

    Skillshare is now part of the cannon

    • @ShudowWolf
      @ShudowWolf 6 років тому +9

      It'll be retconned in season 4 without explanation
      After all, audiences will accept all cuts from a story, especially ones central to the plot, without question!

    • @SerDerpish
      @SerDerpish 6 років тому +4

      also: canon*

    • @marcysoucy9522
      @marcysoucy9522 6 років тому

      @@SerDerpish yah i just noticed that.

    • @f.i.r.e.5119
      @f.i.r.e.5119 5 років тому +1

      @@marcysoucy9522
      Yeah, no sweat. I'm sure Skillshare was employed when designing the cannon, too.

  • @Just_Some_Guy_with_a_Mustache
    @Just_Some_Guy_with_a_Mustache 6 років тому +50

    Yadda, yadda, yadda. I got ya. Twists, twists, and more twists. Let's get to writing!

    • @im_so_sorry6562
      @im_so_sorry6562 6 років тому +14

      Don't forget a love triangle.

    • @Halophage
      @Halophage 6 років тому +2

      Hey, Some Guy, do you write stuff?

    • @diablo.the.cheater
      @diablo.the.cheater 6 років тому +12

      if you mix the love triangle and twist you get a "fidget spinner"

  • @klydekadiddlehopper5349
    @klydekadiddlehopper5349 6 років тому +726

    The last time I was this early this series had good intro music

  • @vanillabean3827
    @vanillabean3827 6 років тому +2

    This series has actually been really helpful and has changed my view of literature, as it not only organizes what I've already heard of in English class into short, comedic summaries, but it gives a kind of reference frame to good stories and checks a lot of the bad ideas I've been subject to over the years since actively reading. I'm sure I speak for the young authors and readers in your audience when I say thank you for all the wonderful entertainment and thought-provoking advice!

  • @Spats2Bats
    @Spats2Bats 5 років тому +2

    The Architect vs. Discovery writer portion is so insanely useful, especially because it helps to pinpoint both cons and pros with each style.
    When I took screenwriting class in college, I had to rely a lot on discovery writing because of deadlines but it sometimes became a crutch when the ending felt rushed due to slow but great character building. I got complimented on my characters but got flack for not tying smaller loose ends in my endings, mainly due to accidentally creating a larger story than needed. I feel like once I discover my character's motives and backstory through note-writing, that's when the architect finally comes in and lays down an ending along with a planned story arc over a long period of time. Del Toro likes to take notes as the ideas come to him in a journal and I'm very much the same way.

  • @indrayatbhakta2943
    @indrayatbhakta2943 6 років тому +80

    TWA on how not to subvert tropes, cliches, and archetypes.

    • @kimifw58
      @kimifw58 6 років тому +7

      Isn't that every video?

    • @TheRezro
      @TheRezro 6 років тому +3

      Yeh, he should at least menton cliches and wish fulfillment contriving the plot (aka fan-fic). Technically they aren't directly related but both are also common script templates, so he should at least mention them.

    • @indrayatbhakta2943
      @indrayatbhakta2943 6 років тому +2

      @@kimifw58
      He mostly goes over poor cliches and badly implemented tropes.
      I'm referring more to a general video on how subverting cliches for its own sake can often lead to something even worse.

    • @psychocrysis2
      @psychocrysis2 6 років тому +2

      Isn't that just the Plinkett Last Jedi review?

    • @Mars-dw2zc
      @Mars-dw2zc 6 років тому

      yeah, he can talk about anti-sues in it

  • @spikeoramathon
    @spikeoramathon 6 років тому +49

    I always have to watch these twice in order to get the jokes on the screen as well as the jokes in the narration. Is this on purpose? Well played, J. P....

    • @adrianinha19
      @adrianinha19 6 років тому

      Same

    • @AegixDrakan
      @AegixDrakan 6 років тому +7

      I just mash the left arrow key to rewatch the last 5 seconds every 5 second or so. XD

    • @spikeoramathon
      @spikeoramathon 6 років тому +1

      I've tried that, too, but then I lose the thread of his narration, because my memory is a thing of the past. :D

  • @t3chkn1ght
    @t3chkn1ght 6 років тому +23

    5:45
    But what should this subplot be?
    To find one of the lore stones, as splitting up would help the heroes find them faster?
    To take down something standing in the heroes way?
    To help the hero come to terms with his personal issues?
    These are all well and good, except for the fact that they're boring. If you need a subplot, look no further than.......
    *Dramatic Buildup*
    *Dramatic Buildup*
    *Dramatic Buildup*
    *Dramatic Buildup*
    *Dramatic Buildup*
    THE LOVE TRIANGLE!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • @vickypedia1308
    @vickypedia1308 3 роки тому +12

    UA-cam recommended me this after deciding to reboot my webcomic and actually write a decent plot, and I have never felt so called out despite having fixed half of these issues in the first brainstorming session. The plot and the character development was already there, it evolved over time. I just never sat down to think about how to connect it in a way that is comprehensible to anyone who isn't me. There's a reason why I'm invested in these characters! Now go figure out that reason and show it to everyone else!
    (I just managed to connect the side plot with the main plot and I have never felt so genius and stupid at the same time.)

  • @Guyfrom2001
    @Guyfrom2001 5 років тому +10

    I’m excited for that heroes journey episode, I’ve been working on an “Anti-Chosen One” story and I need something to research on it

  • @howdypartner4818
    @howdypartner4818 6 років тому +62

    I’m in a love triangle with these videos!

    • @christinew1644
      @christinew1644 6 років тому +5

      I'm the other side of the triangle. Oh Video-Senpai, can't you see I'm the one who will make you happy?

    • @Heulerado
      @Heulerado 6 років тому +6

      Plot twist! I'M the person in the other side of the triangle! Christine is actually a dragon from another dimension which wants to use the Mary Sue powers of the videos to defeat the Dark Lord!

    • @maka9724
      @maka9724 6 років тому +3

      DAMN YOU INTER-DIMENSIONAL DRAGONS!

  • @kamilee4123
    @kamilee4123 6 років тому +7

    Someone I went to school with said the whole "The characters are in control" thing to me once when we were discussing, and I was attempting to critique, her subpar story (that admittedly had something somewhat interesting in there).

  • @trivialrant9808
    @trivialrant9808 5 років тому +21

    It's good to at times make the story outline a bit vague. Have a general 2-3 sentence summary of each chapter and then just fill in the rest with development and motivation

  • @gave1797
    @gave1797 3 роки тому +8

    I’ve tried to be an architect for story building, but discovery writer is much better for me I feel.
    It’s hard for me to plan a lot of things out because often my ideas grow off of each other and I usually don’t have big world ideas.
    I do revise my writing however, and I don’t really go off to the extreme with words and descriptions.
    Also gonna be honest that even though your reviews make fun of bad stories, it actually gives me great advice of what not to do lol.

    • @tuluppampam
      @tuluppampam Рік тому

      Most of the times it is essentially impossible to be an architect writer
      The more you've already created, the easier it is to create the rest
      This is why you should start describing a character from their shoes: the details will come by themselves whilst you go up (consider it as a metaphor of starting from a small detail)

  • @PocketDeerBoy
    @PocketDeerBoy 6 років тому +7

    I once read some good advice on writing a story that just went “write down everything that needs to happen in your story and then in your second draft pretend you knew what you were doing all along.” For some reason that really resonated with me because i’m always stuck in planning hell.

  • @Oceanblue_Art_
    @Oceanblue_Art_ 6 років тому +3

    Oof, I needed this. I realized recently how much my story's plot doesn't make sense when you really think about it and I've spent several hours straight today trying to restructure everything. It's severe enough that I feel like I'm re-building the story again from square one. Fortunately though, I didn't have to scrap too much of what I'd written for this draft, and the "deleted scenes" will make for interesting bonus content in the future. I'm putting progress on the main draft on hold for now, and instead I'm working on what I call "The Spoiler File," in which I'm writing a detailed summary of a pivotal character's complete history and motivations. I'm definitely 50-50 when it comes to being a "Discoverer" or an "Architect," and I think that laying the groundwork through this file will make the organic character development that I'm best at come a lot easier.

  • @agiar2000
    @agiar2000 6 років тому +6

    When I wrote my best story, I did a little bit of architecting, and a little bit of discovery. I architected the big, overall beginning, middle, and end points, the main things that would happen _to_ my characters, and where, generally speaking, I wanted them to end up. When it came to the specifics of what they would _do_ to get from point A to point B and how they would interact with each _other,_ I tried to be more of a "discovery" type author, letting the characters sort of show me how they would act and feel. Part of the result of this was that I found that I had to discard a few scenes that I had previously imagined in a brainstorm, a scene that I had imagined in isolation, without really thinking about how I would get there or back out of it, once I realized that my characters were doing something _else_ instead of that fun little scene that I had imagined. I think that this was a really helpful effect, since it kept my action from getting too awkward and unwieldy, while still driving toward the twist and climax that I had imagined from the beginning of the story (you know, so that I had time to lay subtle hints and themes for culmination).
    I think that I did it fairly well, and apparently most of the folks who left a review for it on Fanfiction dot net agreed, which makes me feel pretty proud of myself!

  • @zmoon9764
    @zmoon9764 6 років тому +14

    This is the only channel which makes me look forward to the sponsor advertising

  • @AmonDevilman
    @AmonDevilman 6 років тому +2

    Man, I needed this video. I was plotting a story and for the first time ever I have a carefully crafted outline. Still, sometimes I go off the rail and I allow for quieter moments so we can have characterization. The outline describes the most important events but what happens between them and how they are connected is more important.

  • @lilahb.8698
    @lilahb.8698 6 років тому +2

    You gotta love this channel. Because of all the sarcasm I get the actual point, all while being engaged and enjoying myself.

  • @Debicus
    @Debicus 6 років тому +10

    For a second I mistook the thumbnail for my life, instead of an amazing story and I was questioning why I got an episode of myself until I started having brain cells again

  • @Tronnyverse
    @Tronnyverse 6 років тому +26

    I'm getting some strange mix signals here. Almost like if I'm getting a dash of actual writing advise mixed in with the obviously terrible ones XD

    • @diablo.the.cheater
      @diablo.the.cheater 6 років тому +6

      that is the point duh

    • @jonsnor4313
      @jonsnor4313 6 років тому +6

      Because it is, like the inner of the circle is satire, but the outer is actually real plotting advise. In general when he says nah or never do it its good advice.

    • @Tronnyverse
      @Tronnyverse 6 років тому +1

      Well I am aware that he does actually give good advise lurking in the subtext of his episodes, for some reason I felt like I was hearing a lot more of the subtext here in this video than I usually do.

  • @zandbergx9747
    @zandbergx9747 4 роки тому +9

    3:04 "But then an interdimensional portal opens to an alternate reality where the main characters must face off against an evil sapient disco ball in a competitive cooking show!"
    *Also known as **_cooking with a killer robot_*

  • @Renserin
    @Renserin 6 років тому +1

    Oh, Lord, I've missed these videos. No one delivers writing advice with as much humor and sarcasm as you do. I'm more of a discovery writer myself, though I prefer to have at least some of the plot loosely worked out, before I let everyone loose. A couple of stories have even ones where I know the climax, and half the fun is having the characters find their own way to get there.

  • @lpflowrider8619
    @lpflowrider8619 6 років тому +31

    3:02 This sounds like something that would happen in Jojos bizarre adventure XD Not gonna lie