The keystroke sounds during your livestreams are music to the ears. You should make one of those immersive session videos compiling those keys being smashed with a few "rock on, fhsss" here and there from time to time XD
First time I've tried writing sprints, and I have to say it was really nice to body-double with you. My focus was so much better than it has been in the past.
I love the question posed about how to determine whether you’ve used too much or too little description in a scene. I had the same question but I had a thought: if I give the description a very specific goal it must accomplish, that would help me find the balance. When the level of description accomplishes the goal - that’s enough. If I combine that with Abbie’s answer about writing descriptions within a scene keeping in mind how it will affect the pacing and her instruction to make the description an aspect of the character’s experience, I can see how the combination would help me. I understand the character living out the description to mean that if a character walks into a room and starts cataloguing everything in it - perhaps because the writer wants to create atmosphere or convey relevant context or information - it actually takes us out of the story to do it that way. It feels expositional? Instead, it would be better to describe the objects in the room as the character interacts with or uses them which connects the description to the character’s action. So if I combine the concepts: a character walks into the den of a mansion manor belonging to her new boyfriend’s wealthy parents. She doesn’t come from money and she’s a fish out of water; so you’d want to show her reaction to being in that environment. Apprehension about making a fool of herself, quiet awe, general discomfort and uncertainty about becoming a part of her boyfriend’s world. If that’s the goal for the scene and got the scenery, then the descriptions could be used to demonstrate her experiencing those feelings. And once you feel like Reader will feel that way along with the POV character (immersion) then maybe at that point you have reached the right balance of description for the scene - goal reached. Instead of her just listing off the expensive decor she sees when she walks into the den, Writer could have the pov character make a beeline to the expensive crystal pitcher of ice water and pour herself a glass. Maybe she speculates to herself that the pitcher probably cost more than a month’s rent. Maybe her hand even shakes as she pours the water because she’s paranoid about dropping the pitcher (and the water) on the expensive hard wood floors that no doubt cost ten times more than what she’d paid for her used car. This even creates the opportunity to describe the deafening twinkle of the ice in the glass (because it’s so quiet in the room) 🙄😂 and the coldness of the glass which she might hold up against her cheek for a few seconds if the room is overly warm because the parents can’t stand to be cold. She sits down on a couch that can now be described through her experiencing the soft Italian leather to be much more comfortable than it looked. Maybe she stops herself just in time from placing her water glass down on the smooth surface of the mahogany live edge coffee table. She’s not sure if it cause a water stain but she’s taking no chances and decides to hold the glass in her lap as she waits for everyone to show. Again. Fish out of water. Writer shows character experiencing the luxury instead of just observing and listing off luxurious items in the room and objectively / passively describing them. Also, we get to see how the items make her feel about the larger situation of being with the new boyfriend (internal conflict of feeling like she doesn’t belong in his world but wants to be with him). Craft is more than a notion - I love this kind of guidance assuming I’m interpreting it correctly. Even if I’m not, I still appreciate Abbie for presenting it to us the way she does!
Hi Abbie!!! This livestream was a lifesaver, since I was procrastinating outlining my novel for soooo long, but I was finally able to complete it! Can you give some tips to avoid procrastination? Thx for the livestream !😄
Allow me, a professional procrastinator, to help. Make some time, sit down and do it. Simple, but harder than it sounds. So give yourself a reward for doing what you’re supposed to do. Bring a chocolate bar or something similar with you, sit down, and begin writing. Once you begin, you will become invested into every single word that you write, and you may not even eat the chocolate until you’re done writing for the day.
I've seen three suggestions for procrastination. One is based on the fact that it's often centered around a fear of some kind. Abbie talks about fears driving our characters' behavior and it's true for us real humans too. So if you can identify a fear connected to writing then write it down and play it out to its conclusion. Imagine it and then play out how you would handle the outcome. Like maybe if you sit down to write, you'll be afraid that eventually you'll have to let someone read it and maybe it won't be good... but if you never finish it then you avoid that. Writing it down, applying logic and planning through to the other side of it if the fear happened might help you to get over it. If it's not fear based, look at HOW you procrastinate. Do you watch TV, listen to music, clean your house? The second suggestion is to use writing something other than your WIP as your procrastination. Journal, write an angry letter to someone, write anything you want that will never be read if you don't it to be , something with no stakes, no creative problems to figure out, no pressure. But then once you're writing - switch gears and slide into your WIP! I like this one. The third suggestion was the most drastic; but it was to treat your writing space (preferably a room or even a closet) as a place you can only be in while you are writing. Even if your fingers are just typing the same sentence over and over you have to be in motion - writing. If you stop writing, you have to leave the space for five minutes on a timer and then go back and try it again. Like an insomniac is told not to stay in bed when they are not sleepy, you cannot be in your writing space unless you are writing. BUT you can't stay away for longer than five minutes because the part of your brain that is making you procrastinate will become stronger thinking it is winning. You have to keep going back to your space and keep at it. Eventually, you will get tired of having to get up and leave to the point where you will be able to settle in and write. This is my least favorite because sometimes your WIP requires related activities that don't involve fingers on the keys - so I would say as long as you are doing something to progress your WIP - it counts. I really like these write with me sessions. I watch the videos even when I can't watch live. I still feel the energy, I still get the timer and I still get Abbie's answers to questions and i can even read the chat stream. It's just really soooo cool. Lastly, I would say just pay attention as much as you can to what might be triggering your procrastination. Pay attention to the energy around you for instance. Sometimes other people trigger our resistance to writing - not necessarily on purpose. Sometimes we can also impose self-guilt for taking that time. I don't know what your situation is obviously but just take note of everything that is going on when you procrastinate about writing and watch for patterns. That might help you address any specific causes you can identify. Hope this helps. Hang in there!
@@nikkinewbie6014 first off, top tier advice. Second, was this one of Writer Brandon Mcnulty’s videos? Third, due to my form of procrastination, these tips aren’t very effective. I forget, I remember, then I don’t want to work, I procrastinate for 2 minutes, then I forget again. And that’s my cycle. Still great advice.
Denmark, Zealand, Writing a story about a witch visiting the modern world and making a few friends along the way. Not very original, I know 😅 it's more about the friendship 🙃
This week i sm currently working on a longline for my new screenplay. Any tips on this to make it as good and marketable as possible. I will work on a treatment after this next week. Loglines are aimed at producers and other business peaple in entertainment who greenlight projects, after all.
Hey! I am writing a fantasy trilogy, but I am having trouble using the 3 act story structure. My protagonist does not truly get to their aha moment until the last book. How could I give each book a temporary dark moment, aha moment, victory, and resolution, while still showing that their internal and external journey is not over yet? Thank you!
Not if the story is engaging and the 30 chapters are completely necessary. As long as you're not dragging the story out to make it longer without narrative justification you should be fine.
Make it as long or as short as you need it to be. If all of them are essential for the narrative and most of it isn't just padding or filler content, then that's fine
Remember JRR Tolkien intended the whole Lord of the Rings to be one volume--it was limitations of binding and paper availability that had it published as three separate volumes. So, high fantasy does tend to be long--but three parts could even become three independent books if you're worried it's feeling too long between major plot points.
@@melissajill6174 It is a series, and have more books other than that I'm writing . It is the first one and I consider the option you have suggested too. Thank you
#AskAbbie I have some questions for u: 1.Can u please make a video on the Ultimate Insta love story structure with a printable PDF template? 2.What is the 2nd Plot Point called in the 2nd act of your 3-act story structure?
SPRINT #1 BEGINS 5:44
SPRINT #1 ENDS 30:44
SPRINT #2 BEGINS 40:14
SPRINT #2 ENDS 1:05:14
SPRINT #3 BEGINS 1:13:47
SPRINT #3 ENDS 1:38:48
😁
Thank you so much! 💜
You're welcome! I've been trying to go back and do it for all of her past livestreams too.@@marlanachavez6703
The keystroke sounds during your livestreams are music to the ears. You should make one of those immersive session videos compiling those keys being smashed with a few "rock on, fhsss" here and there from time to time XD
First time I've tried writing sprints, and I have to say it was really nice to body-double with you. My focus was so much better than it has been in the past.
Thanks Abbie. I've learned so much about writing from watching your channel.
Writing from Canada! My first women's fiction novel. I usually write for children.
Thank you Abbie.
I was planning on writing 4 books each with a different main character.
I love the question posed about how to determine whether you’ve used too much or too little description in a scene.
I had the same question but I had a thought: if I give the description a very specific goal it must accomplish, that would help me find the balance. When the level of description accomplishes the goal - that’s enough.
If I combine that with Abbie’s answer about writing descriptions within a scene keeping in mind how it will affect the pacing and her instruction to make the description an aspect of the character’s experience, I can see how the combination would help me.
I understand the character living out the description to mean that if a character walks into a room and starts cataloguing everything in it - perhaps because the writer wants to create atmosphere or convey relevant context or information - it actually takes us out of the story to do it that way. It feels expositional?
Instead, it would be better to describe the objects in the room as the character interacts with or uses them which connects the description to the character’s action.
So if I combine the concepts: a character walks into the den of a mansion manor belonging to her new boyfriend’s wealthy parents. She doesn’t come from money and she’s a fish out of water; so you’d want to show her reaction to being in that environment. Apprehension about making a fool of herself, quiet awe, general discomfort and uncertainty about becoming a part of her boyfriend’s world.
If that’s the goal for the scene and got the scenery, then the descriptions could be used to demonstrate her experiencing those feelings. And once you feel like Reader will feel that way along with the POV character (immersion) then maybe at that point you have reached the right balance of description for the scene - goal reached.
Instead of her just listing off the expensive decor she sees when she walks into the den, Writer could have the pov character make a beeline to the expensive crystal pitcher of ice water and pour herself a glass. Maybe she speculates to herself that the pitcher probably cost more than a month’s rent.
Maybe her hand even shakes as she pours the water because she’s paranoid about dropping the pitcher (and the water) on the expensive hard wood floors that no doubt cost ten times more than what she’d paid for her used car.
This even creates the opportunity to describe the deafening twinkle of the ice in the glass (because it’s so quiet in the room) 🙄😂 and the coldness of the glass which she might hold up against her cheek for a few seconds if the room is overly warm because the parents can’t stand to be cold.
She sits down on a couch that can now be described through her experiencing the soft Italian leather to be much more comfortable than it looked.
Maybe she stops herself just in time from placing her water glass down on the smooth surface of the mahogany live edge coffee table. She’s not sure if it cause a water stain but she’s taking no chances and decides to hold the glass in her lap as she waits for everyone to show. Again. Fish out of water.
Writer shows character experiencing the luxury instead of just observing and listing off luxurious items in the room and objectively / passively describing them. Also, we get to see how the items make her feel about the larger situation of being with the new boyfriend (internal conflict of feeling like she doesn’t belong in his world but wants to be with him).
Craft is more than a notion - I love this kind of guidance assuming I’m interpreting it correctly. Even if I’m not, I still appreciate Abbie for presenting it to us the way she does!
Hi Abbie!!! This livestream was a lifesaver, since I was procrastinating outlining my novel for soooo long, but I was finally able to complete it! Can you give some tips to avoid procrastination? Thx for the livestream !😄
Allow me, a professional procrastinator, to help.
Make some time, sit down and do it.
Simple, but harder than it sounds.
So give yourself a reward for doing what you’re supposed to do.
Bring a chocolate bar or something similar with you, sit down, and begin writing. Once you begin, you will become invested into every single word that you write, and you may not even eat the chocolate until you’re done writing for the day.
I've seen three suggestions for procrastination. One is based on the fact that it's often centered around a fear of some kind. Abbie talks about fears driving our characters' behavior and it's true for us real humans too. So if you can identify a fear connected to writing then write it down and play it out to its conclusion. Imagine it and then play out how you would handle the outcome. Like maybe if you sit down to write, you'll be afraid that eventually you'll have to let someone read it and maybe it won't be good... but if you never finish it then you avoid that. Writing it down, applying logic and planning through to the other side of it if the fear happened might help you to get over it.
If it's not fear based, look at HOW you procrastinate. Do you watch TV, listen to music, clean your house? The second suggestion is to use writing something other than your WIP as your procrastination. Journal, write an angry letter to someone, write anything you want that will never be read if you don't it to be , something with no stakes, no creative problems to figure out, no pressure. But then once you're writing - switch gears and slide into your WIP! I like this one.
The third suggestion was the most drastic; but it was to treat your writing space (preferably a room or even a closet) as a place you can only be in while you are writing. Even if your fingers are just typing the same sentence over and over you have to be in motion - writing. If you stop writing, you have to leave the space for five minutes on a timer and then go back and try it again. Like an insomniac is told not to stay in bed when they are not sleepy, you cannot be in your writing space unless you are writing. BUT you can't stay away for longer than five minutes because the part of your brain that is making you procrastinate will become stronger thinking it is winning. You have to keep going back to your space and keep at it. Eventually, you will get tired of having to get up and leave to the point where you will be able to settle in and write. This is my least favorite because sometimes your WIP requires related activities that don't involve fingers on the keys - so I would say as long as you are doing something to progress your WIP - it counts.
I really like these write with me sessions. I watch the videos even when I can't watch live. I still feel the energy, I still get the timer and I still get Abbie's answers to questions and i can even read the chat stream. It's just really soooo cool.
Lastly, I would say just pay attention as much as you can to what might be triggering your procrastination. Pay attention to the energy around you for instance. Sometimes other people trigger our resistance to writing - not necessarily on purpose. Sometimes we can also impose self-guilt for taking that time. I don't know what your situation is obviously but just take note of everything that is going on when you procrastinate about writing and watch for patterns. That might help you address any specific causes you can identify.
Hope this helps. Hang in there!
@@nikkinewbie6014 first off, top tier advice.
Second, was this one of Writer Brandon Mcnulty’s videos?
Third, due to my form of procrastination, these tips aren’t very effective.
I forget, I remember, then I don’t want to work, I procrastinate for 2 minutes, then I forget again. And that’s my cycle.
Still great advice.
Colorado mountains 😊
When is the next Write with Me session? I don't see it in the Patreon. Is Discord and Patreon the same thing? I'm new to all this. 🙂
It was great Abbie!
Hey Abbie! Am still confusing using the three pillars of story structure
Denmark, Zealand, Writing a story about a witch visiting the modern world and making a few friends along the way. Not very original, I know 😅 it's more about the friendship 🙃
It is original because it's yours!!
This week i sm currently working on a longline for my new screenplay. Any tips on this to make it as good and marketable as possible. I will work on a treatment after this next week.
Loglines are aimed at producers and other business peaple in entertainment who greenlight projects, after all.
Hey! I am writing a fantasy trilogy, but I am having trouble using the 3 act story structure. My protagonist does not truly get to their aha moment until the last book. How could I give each book a temporary dark moment, aha moment, victory, and resolution, while still showing that their internal and external journey is not over yet? Thank you!
I am writing a fantasy novel comprising of 3 parts , each part have 30 chapters.
Is that too long ?
Not if the story is engaging and the 30 chapters are completely necessary. As long as you're not dragging the story out to make it longer without narrative justification you should be fine.
@@lelavelion1356 thanks. I think one or two chapters are not necessary but the rest are. Actually the story is long
Make it as long or as short as you need it to be. If all of them are essential for the narrative and most of it isn't just padding or filler content, then that's fine
Remember JRR Tolkien intended the whole Lord of the Rings to be one volume--it was limitations of binding and paper availability that had it published as three separate volumes. So, high fantasy does tend to be long--but three parts could even become three independent books if you're worried it's feeling too long between major plot points.
@@melissajill6174 It is a series, and have more books other than that I'm writing . It is the first one and I consider the option you have suggested too. Thank you
I was wondering how to write a book about epilepsy awareness
I want that keyboard SO BAD, wher did you get it??.
I got it from Azio and I love it! www.aziocorp.com/products/rck?variant=13401223823403
#AskAbbie I have some questions for u:
1.Can u please make a video on the Ultimate Insta love story structure with a printable PDF template?
2.What is the 2nd Plot Point called in the 2nd act of your 3-act story structure?
His opinion, pleaaaassseee!
More sippable.