I'm sobbing about how Abbie doesn't get well-deserved praise, but happy she's our little secret. Thank you for everything, Abbie! Id be so lost without you.
Me, who read the divergent book: wanting to tell Abbie why its important to tris. Also me, who saw the movie first: fully understands where abbie is coming from
Same! I literally had to pause the video and give an entire explanation out loud in my room lol! Read the book first, but from the movies (which were awful) I can see her point. If anything the books were largely about her internal conflict to determine who she who she was, where she belonged, and what her life's purpose/dying meant.
Inevitable comparison but take how Hunger Games showed Katniss's belief and fear in the inciting incident. We easily empathized with how she sacrificed herself-her own life, almost-guaranteed to lose-for her sister, despite her fear of the brutal system that is Panem and its game, because the opening established who matters to the the protagonist and why. Ultimately, Katniss's love for her sister and her family and their safety was tested to be bigger than anything else.
Exactly, whereas for Tris there was no sacrifice at all. She was divergent anyway and so she would've been picking something that wasn't 100% her regardless. A bit like a kid choosing to go out of state for college or somewhere nearby. It's a tough choice, sure, but unless we see why it MATTERS, we don't really honestly care. Choosing to die in your sisters place? Well, uhm, yeah, i can see how THAT FRIGGIN MATTERS. Had she been sentencing her family to death by choosing dauntless, then that would've mattered. Bit grim, but at least now there's more at stake than "should i leave home now that i'm an adult?"
But hunger games kind of does still suffer from this too, the sacrifice is better but I still don’t know who catnis is. This is why people hate on teen dystopia, there’s no real character and awful world building
I accidentally vaporize my pre-algebra teacher. Also, can we talk about Rick’s hooks, otherwise known as his first sentences “I didn’t want to be a halfblood” “The end of the world started when a Pegasus landed on the hood of my car” “Even before he was electrocuted, Jason was having a pretty rotten day” “I am Apollo. I used to be a god” And my personal favorite, “no, I refuse to share this part of my story. It was the lowest, most humiliating, most awful week in my 4000 years of life. Tragedy. Disaster. Heartbreak. I will not tell you about it. Why are you still here? Go away. But alas, I suppose I have no choice. Doubtless Zeus expects me to tell you the story as part of my punishment” I know those are more like openings rather than hooks, but if those don’t hook you into the story, then I don’t know what will
I completely understand Abbie’s opinion about Divergent. When I first read Divergent, I wondered what Tris’ personality was. For me, she was a cardboard-cut heroine who needed to be brave for the sake of the dystopian story. The author emphasized Tris’ love for her family but I didn’t feel it, I didn’t see it. Even her sacrifices and other actions - some of it made sense but the others were just there to serve the purpose of the plot. You know the spark you feel when you first meet a character? It’s like *boom* I like this character. Say Harry Potter - when you understand how it feels to be like him. To be bullied, poor, and underrated. I didn’t get that feeling with Tris. I finished the whole Divergent series and I was awed by the turn of events, but I never did feel the depth of Tris’ character. If you ask me to summarize her personality into three words, I can only tell you this: She’s intelligent, strong, and selfless. Are those characteristics enough? She’s just that. Brave and all. Sounds like another epic hero from any other mainstream book. She doesn’t have a unique quality that makes an unforgettable character. Katniss Everdeen is brave, but she’s soft and vulnerable, no matter how hard she tries to hide it. She’s deliberately cold. She loves her family and she’s loyal to her friends. She’s not prissy. She’s not that girly. She might even survive the Hell Week. She... I can just go on and on. Now, I think this is why people always compare Hunger Games and Divergent. Katniss lives in a dystopian world too. But all her actions make sense. As a reader, I see the reason why she did everything she did. And by the end of Mockingjay, I was crying because the Katniss in the third book was so different from the Katniss I met from the first book. I realized how much the Games had changed her and everything around her. And it just made me sad. Because her story matters to her, and therefore it matters to me as a reader too. I’m going through this because good characters complete stories. Divergent is a good story. But it feels incomplete without a three-dimensional, realistic lead. Abbie is right when she says that characters are very important. We have always believed that a book is about the story. But the truth is, a book is about the character and their story. And why it matters.
Hmmmm, i wonder if it would be a good exercise to "fix" Tris. What would you have given her to make her your one unforgettable character? How would you have made the inciting incident something that mattered? I'm going to go and think on this. Edit: it's been about 4 seconds, but i thought on it and i swear, even giving her a stuffed piggy named Mr. Gordo would've done more for her personality than what we got in 3 books. (Bonus points if anyone knows the character that Mr. Gordo actually belongs to - a hint: TV, not book or film.)
Huh. Now I finally have a concrete explanation for why I didn't like Divergent. I always have just said it's because I don't like Tris, but now I know WHY I don't like Tris. There's nothing to her. Thanks for doing this case study! It really helped.
You're NOT the only one, I spent months herding cats in my head always thinking "Who LIVES like this!?" Abbie's scene cards are a HUGE help if you want to get to writing before you have finished the outline. It helped me to move past a few bumps. Writing in my universe expanded my understanding of it and worked out some timeline issues and plot holes that I couldn't wrap my mind around in outline form. Best of luck to ya, glad to know it's not just me spinning in circles staring at a bunch of sticky notes.
@@mom2many166 At the other end of the writing scale are pantsers, writers that write by the seat of their pants. You don't know what's going to happen next because they don't know what's going to happen next. Stephen King writes this way; the suspense is real because it's real for the writer as well. Most people fall in the middle. You get four sentences of inspiration, and you start writing, and as you go you learn your character, and then you rewrite a bunch of stuff to throw peril in the path. Maybe hyper plotting gets you around the rewriting, but my gut says the time you spend rewriting equals the time you spend plotting, and it's a lot more fun. The other advantage about writing more about the hero that doesn't get into the final book is that it becomes mental back story. During the first StarWars movie, did anyone see that Darth Vader was actually Luke's father? It fell out of the backstory.
For me, I don't see any sort of internal conflict for harry potter, it was more coming-of-age or idk, it's just external events that got all the attention. But OMFGGG the Frozen example is AMAZINGGG!! Like honestly break down frozen and u can see just how amazzzzinggg it is! Even look at the lyrics and video clips of Do you wanna build a snowman and it shows you Anna as well as Elsa's desire, fear and misbelief
frozen is a great way to show this point! it shows Elsa and Anna stepping out of their comfort zones, aka the rooms and castle that they've been confided in for almost a decade.
Great video, Abbie! Some of my favourites are: Clarice Starling getting sent to meet Doctor Lecter... Andy Dufresne getting sent to Shawshank and him meeting Red... Frodo getting the Ring... The goal for my novel is to be better than Divergent... I have low goals... I hated that book, never finished it and ended up throwing it away.
Just finished my first book. Used your videos for it. Here I am again, watching your videos while writing my second book. To anyone wanting to write their first book, just do it! It's so much fun and you learn so much through the process 💜
An idea that I had was a successful cop whose misguided belief was her confidence in herself. She's headstrong and focused to the point where she comes off as arrogant and dismissive of her friends ideas as they may be better than hers. But then someone, her future nemesis, appears and outwits and outmatches at every turn. This leads to disaster because the cop's belief is that she can figure this out herself or else she'll feel she was never meant to be an officer in the first place.
Thank you so much for your kind words! They mean so much to me, and I am thrilled that the content I make encourages you to chase your dreams and make your story MATTER!
I feel a bit confused with not accepting ''not knowing what she wants'' as the internal conflict. Maybe I don't get something yet but wouldn't the inciting incident of Divergent matter to Tris because not even the test can tell her where she belongs? However I can't really remember how this conflict was treated in the story so it might not have worked.
From what I understand, you just pointed out what she wants, 'to belong'. But what I believe Abbie is getting at is that even that desire is not established really. If we saw Tris getting anxious about how important it is to the society and peers around her to be somewhere 'they belong' and believes that she won't be happy unless she also finds where she belongs, then this incident would matter much more. But we just hear her going "I don't really know what to feel". We don't experience her fear or worries, from what I've experienced. Sure she says she's scared, but her tone of voice and actions following don't convince me of that fear. These are just my thoughts though :)
I think the issue with Divergent isn't that n9t knowing what you want isn't a problem, it's that it's not shown to be her internal struggle. Kee offers some advice, and so does Abbie (view the earlier lessons in this series). But if we see her struggle with this on more of an internal issue, and it's released (probably in slow doses with one last big bomb), we can see her struggle emotionally and bond better with her, also take joy in her overcoming it. I think the film was subtler in it showing this as an internal struggle, if shown at all.
OK. I have set aside my constant excuses about work and life getting in the way and I am committing to getting a draft done by August 22. For this reason this channel is Abbie-solutely indispensable. And no, I do not apologise for the dad joke... I'm a dad after all. Thanks Abbie.
The inciting incident is this video. Either I give up writing because it’s too hard but regret not trying or go forth or write with the safety belt of your UA-cam channel...until I discover my true powa! Love these videos!
Of your videos that I’ve seen, I think this is my favorite one! I love how you take the idea of the inciting incident and break it down using examples that we’re likely familiar with. You have the idea of what the inciting incident is, and then you flesh it out in these examples and really apply it practically so that it makes sense. It takes it from being just theoretical to be being real and relatable. Thank you for this awesome video (and all your other awesome videos), and keep doing your thing girl!!! 🥳🎉🥳
Thank you so much for your kind words! They mean so much to me, and I am thrilled that the content I make encourages you to chase your dreams and make your story MATTER!
My goodness! I am soooo vibing with these videos. I'm just watching one after another. They are so full of information presented in a clear and concise way via her dynamic communication skills. Each video is really sinking in for me. I've been watching several different UA-cam channels to garner a basic understanding of the craft of writing. Abbie, you stand out. I LOVE how you are giving very specific examples to illustrate whatever topic you are addressing in the video. It really makes a difference. The prompts and questions are also very helpful and I will reference them when I begin writing. Thank you so much!
So freaking amazing!! Abbie you're so fantastic and I appreciate what you do here on UA-cam SO much!! Also I had a dream I met you and it was so cool and I was fangirling the while time 😂💛
Mrs. Gulch threatens to have Toto destroyed, and Dorothy sings about a place where she'd rather be. Luke sees the princess' video message and wants to help her. Scrooge gets a visit from Marley's spirit and wants to save himself from Marley's fate. Wendy sees a footprint on the third-floor carpet, together with some leaves from somewhere else. As a result, although daily life continues as normal, the character's mental world has changed. The first goal is established. Dorothy wants to save Toto (but fears what? Abandoning her family?). Luke wants to help the princess by delivering R2 with its Death Star plans to her father on Alderaan (but fears leaving his aunt and uncle who can't run the farm without him). Scrooge wants to save his soul, and is willing to get with the Spirits' program (but fears what?) Wendy is curious about who made the footprint (but fears what?)
Imho, I think Dorothy and Luke are afraid of stepping outside the status quo. Being younger, they're afraid of "getting in trouble," rather than understanding that this is a chance to 'grow up.' They are of an age where they should start (or already be) asserting themselves, but don't because they've never done it before. Life therefore thrusts them into situations away from those in authority over them (but with kindly guardians), where they have to start making their own decisions. Other authors call this "believing the Lie," and that belief is what keeps the MC from taking action. Scrooge may want to save his soul, but he believes the Lie that a man's value is measured in how much money he has. So, he fears 'giving away" his money, of being charitable. He needed the ghosts to take him outside of his known [mental] world to show him what option(s) were available.
I think Dorothy fears the witch (a.k.a. Miss Gulch) and so, chooses between the value of her family and value of saving her dog BECAUSE she knows if she stays at home with toto, Miss Gulch will come back. And then hence the story revolving around the witch wanting to "get you my pretty, AND YOUR LITTLE DOG TOO" and it ends in Dorothy standing up to the witch and going home.
About your view on divergent... The world building in my opinion is so important. When it comes to dystopian books the world is just as important or sometimes more important than the actual character. The world is what interests people and excites people. Although I loved Foutriss I'd much prefer to know about the history of the factions than Triss
Hi Abbie, I came here after reading your books and are still amazed that you are such a good teacher and writer. Hope you gain the praise you deserve, and hope you continue to help people!
Hahaha I love how you said this can be as easy as “cleaning your back yard” in the beginning of the video and end the video with that story of the woman who needs to clean her backyard. Art. Helpful video, thank you :)
OMG I just got done reading Divergent and couldn't pinpoint what I disliked so much about it. You nailed this analysis. Also, I'm LOVING this WLW series. Your videos are inspiring me to dive back into writing again :)
Aw, I loved the book (hated the movie). I thought the internal conflict was clear - she wanted to be abnigation but didn't think she had the strength of character for the self-denial. Which was amazing when you think of how the series ended.
Thank you Abbie! It was such a detailed work! I have troubles with my own Inciting incident in a way that I cannot decide which event could be the incident for my character! But this video may help me decide!
I think Tris’ comfort zone was remaining in Abnegation where she could fake fitting in though we know that she desires to know where she belongs like everyone else Then there was the venturing into the unknown of Dauntless in some step to feel like she’s watering that desire since she kinda favors the faction. And avoiding the fear that she might never truly belong anywhere and become like the factionless whose midst she is even afraid to walk through
There are some books or movies I just watch/read and HATE. Like I could never pinpoint why, but your videos have really show me the importance of having beautifully written, messed up and complex characters and how much of an effect that has on the story.
Good one Abbie! What’s the Inciting Incident in Pride and Prejudice?? I always thought it was the very first line, (well of dialogue anyways) :) The greatest showman moment: it’s like Jim Carrey’s dad said- You can just as easily fail at something you don’t want to do, so why not do what you want.
wow, i'm glad youtube recommend this channel!, i love how you explain about character, how a character should be. im not writer but a videographer + video editor sometimes like a director as well. keep doing this and spread awareness if a good writing can make a huge impact on story. regard from malaysia
You say there was no call to adventure with the girl in the house, but this where I find people overlook the story mechanism. If she looks out her window at her chaotic yard, the realization alone of how bad it's gotten is the call to adventure. Turning her attention to the things inside she prefers to do is the refusal. Finally when the threat of eviction comes along, is she forced into the hard choice. Incident incited.
I'd love you discussing more case studies if you get the chance, Abbie. Really helps pinpoint what I'm doing wrong in my own story. When you see the evidence in movies, it reminds how you can't just shrug and say, "Oh, that'll be ok if I don't fix that issue with my internal conflict." Yep. It matters... otherwise you get that awful dead feel in a story. Or baffling feel. Like you say... need to light up the brain.... to engage the emotions... and techniques matter. Thanks for the huge amount of work you put into these videos.
This is such a small little detail but it scratches my brain how the protagonist is constantly referred to as she/her while I'm only comfortable with writing male protagonists, lmao
I feel like Divergent actually does hit all the points mentioned in the video. Tris's internal conflict is that she doesn't know who she is and it matters to her because her entire culture and society is structured around a person's sense of self fitting into a neat category. She's never been fully happy in abnegation but it's all she knows, her comfort zone. She's afraid that not fitting in will lead to her becoming a literal outcast forced out of society. She wants to find her true place and purpose in life but her misbelief is that she must adhere to societal expectations (fitting neatly into one of these factions) in order to find it. Her finding out she is divergent (inciting incident) matters to her because it confirms her worst fears... that she may truly never fit into society, and if discovered, will be cast out of it or even killed (raises the stakes). It pushes her out of her comfort zone (abnegation and the faction system in general) by making it impossible for her to exist openly within, or fully embrace, either. Tris is forced to choose a faction despite knowing none are a true match. She can stay in abnegation (her comfort zone) and risk never finding out whether she could be happy and fulfilled elsewhere, or she can risk going into the unknown (dauntless) to try to find purpose there, while still avoiding her fear (that she doesnt fit into one faction or society in general).
I literally love the greatest showman! Everything from the story, to the characters, to the songs I absolutely love! Remains one of my favorite movies to this day! ^^
I’m a little confused because many of the things I see you saying aren’t present in Divergent I feel like I’m seeing fairly clearly. Not saying it’s a master class of writing or anything. But to me what Triss wants to be explicitly told where she belongs. She doesn’t know what she wants so an expert opinion will at least be some comfort even if she’s a little scared of either outcome. Getting labeled divergent throws a kink in all that. It’s like being face with a lose lose situation and then finding out that there was a third even worse option for her. Now there is no expert opinion and the choice is totally on her. The grapple with staying in the comfort zone or going beyond that feels pretty obvious to at the choosing ceremony. The comfort zone is staying in Abnegation, the faction that she has grown up with and is familiar with. Vs the unknown territory of any of the other factions. Maybe I’m misunderstanding or somethings just over my head but that seems to make sense to me.
I'm not a huge fan of Divergent, but I did finish the series. I'd say her comfort zone is the status quo, it's not having to make a choice at all, it's having her whole life laid out ahead of her. That is all taken away when she makes that choice to go against her upbringing, which seems impossible for her. It doesn't smack you over the head, but that is the point, Abnegation is humble, she's been taught her whole life to suppress her desires and do what is best for others, now she is breaking free of that. Dauntless is all desire and passion, it is the thing she is drawn to, that's why she looks at it fleetingly. Can't look too long...maybe someone would see... Divergent has a thousand problems as a series, but this was a non-issue for me. :) Love your videos! They are always so upbeat and bright!
Ill have to watch This Beautiful Fantastic. Having dealt with family members with clinical OCD, I can feel for the protagonist already. Having to clean the backyard would be a MONUMENTAL task to someone with OCD.
I like how you explain this: there need to be stakes attached to the choice after the inciting incident. This also makes the key event more interesting because if the choice to leave is forced upon the protagonist, then we as the reader get a whole lot more conflict.
OMG when you said the inciting incident could be as simple as cleaning up your yard...my first thought was This Beautiful Fantastic! So glad I'm not the only one who loved that movie
I love this and it helped me write my inciting incidents. Contemporary MM Romance. Both MC's have a choice brought forth and have to choose a life of solitude or risk everything for love. Granted, I think one has more to lose than the other, but it doesn't make it any less impactful for him.
I think Divergent was going for the Twilight approach; which is to say, you create a character who is bland enough to allow readers to extrapolate their own character traits onto them. In this case, it's basically being a teenager; your parents start to feel more like strangers, you don't know what you want or where you're going, and it feels like you don't fit in anywhere but everyone else does. The problem wasn't actually this character approach, it was making the world insufficiently interesting. A bland character in a fascinating world can work. A fascinating character in a bland world can work. But a bland character in a bland world doesn't work. What Twilight did really, really well was very similar to what Harry Potter did well; it established a vivid, compelling, and atmospheric secret world, hidden beneath the real one. It was filled with mystery and excitement around every corner, but at its heart was a golden secret; in Twilights case, love; in Harry Potter's case, home. Almost everything else in those stories orbits around that. In Twilight, the constant quest for Edward. In Harry Potter, protecting Hogwarts, Harry's new home. But what was there in Divergent? There was never anything to move towards. Things just kinda happened. And while that's enough to keep people going for a while, eventually your interest just wanders off, because there's nothing to hold it there.
you're the freaking best youtuber i have ever stumbled upon. i love your conduct, your accent, your energy, your points, your explanations, your examples, the pace of all your videos, the dedication, the thought, the aesthetic feel of it all. i've learned so much from just watching one of your videos and i feel overwhelmed and thrilled at the thought that you've got so much more that i haven't watched but must pause my life somehow and gobble up in one go right now
Your fantastic explanation of the inciting incident brings to mind the Flashman book series. Here is a story that's being told by an old man, a decorated war hero, about his youth and how he lived a life of a coward. He did his absolute best to avoid conflict his entire life and was thrown like Forrest Gump from one exciting adventure to another. Unlike many heroes that you "trust" in the fact that they'll at least try to do the right thing, you never know what Flashman is going to do. You hope upon hope that he'll make the right choice... nope! Damn it, Man!! What a great book series, and it falls squarely into exactly what you're talking about here.
Before Sunrise is one of my favorite films and stories of all time because of how simple it is. It’s an American man and Frenchwoman who meet on a train and explore Vienna together, having conversations about their past and current worldview until a romance blossoms. The inciting incident is Jesse asking Celine to get off the train with him to explore the town. That’s it. As simple as it is, you want these characters to keep talking because of their natural chemistry. If Celine refused, Jesse could’ve been just a random stranger she had a very interesting conversation with. Instead, she’s charmed into it and they become the love of each others lives.
Hi Abbie, this thought hit me yesterday. I finished a first draft of a novel during nanowrimo, and planned to continue with a second draft and do revisions. But then I thought, maybe I shouldn't. It's not a book I'm very proud of or would ever publish, so I don't know if it's worth putting so much time into it, or if I should just move on to a new story. I realize that in the end it comes down to what I want to do, but I'm just curious what you think. Love your videos, they help a lot 💓💓
No matter what it was worth writing it! What you accomplished is HUGE, and it's good for your psyche, helped to form some useful habits, you did it for yourself, it's good practice, and you can come back to it later. If it's worth it to you, come back to it. If not and you keep running into this, go more into some of what Abbie talks about in this and previous lessons, like seeing what's internally important to your characters and why, and that might bring out your passion.
I love The Beautiful Fantastic!! such a great movie and I think it i an excellent example! Keep up the good work, Abbie! I am learning so much from your videos.
I know I'm super late, but could you please do a case study on The Ballade Of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins? It's my favourite book, and i personally think that it's a great example of a book that nails the three-act story structure. It's about an 18-year-old, selfish, caculating and self-centred student who is barely making ends meet along with his older cousin and grandma'am. Without any money, his only chance of becoming successful is to suck up to his teachers and keep his grades up, which he is pretty good at. When the top students of his academy are chosen to become mentors for the tributes of the 10th hunger games, he scores the worst tribute possible: a 16-year-old girl from the smallest and poorest district, who has virtually no chance of winning and bringing him glory and fame. Please do this book, i love it so much and want to know what you think of it!
Thank you Abbie for introducing me to “this beautiful fantastic”, I watched it as soon as you recommended it and it totally illustrated what you were saying . I loved it 😊
I love that you are putting words to how I feel about movies and books. The internal and how the characters feel and react to it is the only reason I like things. I end up finding movies like divergent or those with a lot of just action really boring.
Hi Abbie! I love absolutely your content and can relate to the thought process (mindset) it involves so well. One bit of a doubt that i have regarding your explanation of Divergent is, Beatrice did have a desire to be a Dauntless (although the author just hinted, didn't make it too obvious at the beginning), she had the fear of leaving her family and she had a choice to make which involved her fear and desire. I don't see how she doesn't go through an internal conflict. Can you explain?
Abbie, it would be great if you made a few videos about how you would change these plot points to show how you would improve the inciting incidents. It would be interesting to hear your thoughts on what you would change or improve on to make the inciting incidents better. I find myself agreeing with you and it makes total sense so it kind of baffles my mind why they didn't think of these things when they were working on the script for Divergent.
I'd love a comparison between a good coming of age story vs a bad one (divergent lol) because now I'm curious if they ask suffer from the ambiguous goal. Usually in those stories, the person doesn't know what they want so it's a story about self discovery
This was the funniest thing to watch in co-con. While I was chuckling at Divergents stupidity Piper was screaming about how amazing the books are. All in all great video -Alex
This brought back all the intense feelings of watching and reading Divergent. She has such a heart for dauntless. It is so potent its like trying to breath honey. But she is afraid of rejecting her family. It's heartbreaking when she has to choose. Then the story is about whether she can make it as dauntless. Is her step into the brave world of following her heart going to be thrown in her face? Will she be kicked out of dauntless because she simply isn't dauntless enough? Because she is too Abnegation. She feels terrible for rejecting her abnegation family to choose her light as a dauntless. So, what is the external conflict? What else but a literal playing out of her internal struggle. The Dauntless are being manipulated into killing the Abnegation, just like she rejected Abnegation and therefor her family, to join Dauntless. If she wasn't a special Divergent, the external plot situation would have her literally killing her family, which would be the ultimate salt in her emotional wound. Abbie did you game us to make us think for ourselves and spot the internal journey ourselves? If so, it was genius. If not, it was still a really good video. Maybe it just seems that way to people who love Divergent, (it's one of my favorite books,) but haven't seen the other two movies.
The inciting incident was poorly done in divergent. You're allowed to like the book of course, but still acknowledge the weaknesses. Personally, I found the ending and main bad guy plot awful and dumb as well, but that's just my opinion. Every story has weaknesses and divergent has quite a lot of them , sorry
As someone who just finished college and still didn't know where I should go, I can relate myself to Tris (who doesn't know where she would go, too). I think it's also scary of not knowing what you want in a world where people around you figured out their lives already. Abnegation is a faction where people should be selfless--- to do things for others without any hesitation. In that kind of environment, it's really hard to know what you should want. It was like living with parents who controls your life. The internal conflict was there, it's just not emphasized that much in the movie, at least for me hehehehe since I'm reading the book right now. But I agree with you that it would be much better if Tris had an idea about being Divergent and on how the leader of Erudite (the short-haired girl, I forgot her name) kills every one of them. It will scare the sheet (pun intended XD) out of her and will choose a faction outside her comfort zone with less pain. Anyway, I love your videos huhuhu such a life-saver for a girl with a chaotic mind like me. XD More videos to come!! I'm improving my writing skills because of this. Thank you so much!! 😍😍💖💖
This video was super helpful! And I have to say that I loved the divergent movies and couldn’t even finished The Greatest Showman 🙈 But that’s just because I’m an action movie junkie and can sustain disbelief.
Abbie you remind me of the song used for the Disney short "Paperman"! Infighting, lighting, good feels! Thank you you all this help and perspective from a human psychology/reasonable glare!
Holy crap! I just love this amazing woman, Abbie! I'm hoping she'll become like a Pulitzer-winning writer in the future! Will rewatch this vid again & again! ✨💓✨
So I have two books I'm writing. Both seem to be like nothings really happening, but the beginning is building up to the juicy twists that happen in the middle/end. As a reader myself, I'm obsessed with what I'm writing, and want to read it when I'm done 🥺🤣
In the first book of the "Inheritance Cycle" by Christopher Paolini, "Eragon", the titular main character arguably has TWO Inciting Incidents. The first is when Saphira's (the dragon) egg first appears before him while he's out hunting. He doesn't HAVE to take the egg (what he thinks is a stone at first) and he severely debates it because there's a long standing fear of anything magic in the people of his village. *Technically* this is also a hook, but I feel that it's also an Inciting Incident in part due to the consequences he incurs for the decision. The second and main Inciting Incident is after the death of his uncle, the man who raised him, and his choice to join Brom (the local storyteller with knowledge of magic and dragons, there's more to him but spoilers) to hunt down his uncle's killers, leaving behind his destroyed home, his village, his cousin, everything that he's ever known, all to get revenge and to save others from suffering as he has.
I just found you bc I'm in the revision trenches and the inciting incident is haunting me. Your explanation really helps. Reminding me it doesn't have to be done big huge thing. I love The Beautiful Fantastic. Mainly because I love the MC from Downton & pretty much everything she's in. But it's a perfect example and mentor text for my novel. Thank you. I subscribed and can't wait to binge more from you! Happy Learning in Deed!
I'm sobbing about how Abbie doesn't get well-deserved praise, but happy she's our little secret. Thank you for everything, Abbie! Id be so lost without you.
You don't know how much I agree with this comment right now 😇😂!
If it's a little secret, why not share it with the world?
@@lesleyblackvelvet5802 Yes! It would benefit a lot of people
Like fr. I'd be lost without abbie
I couldn't agree more.
Me, who read the divergent book: wanting to tell Abbie why its important to tris.
Also me, who saw the movie first: fully understands where abbie is coming from
Same! I literally had to pause the video and give an entire explanation out loud in my room lol! Read the book first, but from the movies (which were awful) I can see her point. If anything the books were largely about her internal conflict to determine who she who she was, where she belonged, and what her life's purpose/dying meant.
@Jared Jams Late, but where is it and what did she say about it?
@@ineednochannelyoutube2651 i guess she said she didn't like it much
@@delaneybean3876haha i do that all the time when watching videos!
@@delaneybean3876 same
Tbh if u release a book about writing books so basically writers wednesday in book format IM BUYING IT
yees!
I would too.
But for a wider success with writing advice books, shed be muched helped to have few books published first .
Omg yes I’d read the *hell* out of that
Yes. This. Sold!
Yup.
Inevitable comparison but take how Hunger Games showed Katniss's belief and fear in the inciting incident. We easily empathized with how she sacrificed herself-her own life, almost-guaranteed to lose-for her sister, despite her fear of the brutal system that is Panem and its game, because the opening established who matters to the the protagonist and why.
Ultimately, Katniss's love for her sister and her family and their safety was tested to be bigger than anything else.
Exactly, whereas for Tris there was no sacrifice at all. She was divergent anyway and so she would've been picking something that wasn't 100% her regardless. A bit like a kid choosing to go out of state for college or somewhere nearby. It's a tough choice, sure, but unless we see why it MATTERS, we don't really honestly care.
Choosing to die in your sisters place? Well, uhm, yeah, i can see how THAT FRIGGIN MATTERS.
Had she been sentencing her family to death by choosing dauntless, then that would've mattered. Bit grim, but at least now there's more at stake than "should i leave home now that i'm an adult?"
But hunger games kind of does still suffer from this too, the sacrifice is better but I still don’t know who catnis is. This is why people hate on teen dystopia, there’s no real character and awful world building
My favorite inciting incident?
Percy Jackson is attacked by his demon math teacher.
hahah
YAS
I accidentally vaporize my pre-algebra teacher.
Also, can we talk about Rick’s hooks, otherwise known as his first sentences
“I didn’t want to be a halfblood”
“The end of the world started when a Pegasus landed on the hood of my car”
“Even before he was electrocuted, Jason was having a pretty rotten day”
“I am Apollo. I used to be a god”
And my personal favorite, “no, I refuse to share this part of my story. It was the lowest, most humiliating, most awful week in my 4000 years of life. Tragedy. Disaster. Heartbreak. I will not tell you about it. Why are you still here? Go away. But alas, I suppose I have no choice. Doubtless Zeus expects me to tell you the story as part of my punishment”
I know those are more like openings rather than hooks, but if those don’t hook you into the story, then I don’t know what will
VERY GOOD
@@august1837 Rick Riordan is the BEST at openings.
Videos like this make me realise how crucial it is to have examples when trying to understand plot points!
I completely understand Abbie’s opinion about Divergent. When I first read Divergent, I wondered what Tris’ personality was. For me, she was a cardboard-cut heroine who needed to be brave for the sake of the dystopian story. The author emphasized Tris’ love for her family but I didn’t feel it, I didn’t see it. Even her sacrifices and other actions - some of it made sense but the others were just there to serve the purpose of the plot.
You know the spark you feel when you first meet a character? It’s like *boom* I like this character. Say Harry Potter - when you understand how it feels to be like him. To be bullied, poor, and underrated. I didn’t get that feeling with Tris. I finished the whole Divergent series and I was awed by the turn of events, but I never did feel the depth of Tris’ character. If you ask me to summarize her personality into three words, I can only tell you this: She’s intelligent, strong, and selfless. Are those characteristics enough? She’s just that. Brave and all. Sounds like another epic hero from any other mainstream book. She doesn’t have a unique quality that makes an unforgettable character.
Katniss Everdeen is brave, but she’s soft and vulnerable, no matter how hard she tries to hide it. She’s deliberately cold. She loves her family and she’s loyal to her friends. She’s not prissy. She’s not that girly. She might even survive the Hell Week. She... I can just go on and on.
Now, I think this is why people always compare Hunger Games and Divergent. Katniss lives in a dystopian world too. But all her actions make sense. As a reader, I see the reason why she did everything she did. And by the end of Mockingjay, I was crying because the Katniss in the third book was so different from the Katniss I met from the first book. I realized how much the Games had changed her and everything around her. And it just made me sad.
Because her story matters to her, and therefore it matters to me as a reader too.
I’m going through this because good characters complete stories. Divergent is a good story. But it feels incomplete without a three-dimensional, realistic lead. Abbie is right when she says that characters are very important. We have always believed that a book is about the story. But the truth is, a book is about the character and their story.
And why it matters.
Hmmmm, i wonder if it would be a good exercise to "fix" Tris.
What would you have given her to make her your one unforgettable character? How would you have made the inciting incident something that mattered?
I'm going to go and think on this.
Edit: it's been about 4 seconds, but i thought on it and i swear, even giving her a stuffed piggy named Mr. Gordo would've done more for her personality than what we got in 3 books.
(Bonus points if anyone knows the character that Mr. Gordo actually belongs to - a hint: TV, not book or film.)
This channel deserves a hundred thousand more subscribers.
I agree, but Abbie is our little secret for now 😂, which I am honestly really grateful for her by the way.
@@saraoln maybe not. I want to share her with the world.
@@lesleyblackvelvet5802 I see your viewpoint. She needs to be shared with the world at the same time.
a million!
I subbed last night. 😃
Huh. Now I finally have a concrete explanation for why I didn't like Divergent. I always have just said it's because I don't like Tris, but now I know WHY I don't like Tris. There's nothing to her. Thanks for doing this case study! It really helped.
this!!!! Tris is super boring!!
I loved all these different story examples!
Is it normal for it to take months to outline my story? Am I the only one?😫
I'm on the same boat my friend :')
#plotterpride
You're NOT the only one, I spent months herding cats in my head always thinking "Who LIVES like this!?" Abbie's scene cards are a HUGE help if you want to get to writing before you have finished the outline. It helped me to move past a few bumps. Writing in my universe expanded my understanding of it and worked out some timeline issues and plot holes that I couldn't wrap my mind around in outline form. Best of luck to ya, glad to know it's not just me spinning in circles staring at a bunch of sticky notes.
@@mom2many166 At the other end of the writing scale are pantsers, writers that write by the seat of their pants. You don't know what's going to happen next because they don't know what's going to happen next. Stephen King writes this way; the suspense is real because it's real for the writer as well. Most people fall in the middle. You get four sentences of inspiration, and you start writing, and as you go you learn your character, and then you rewrite a bunch of stuff to throw peril in the path. Maybe hyper plotting gets you around the rewriting, but my gut says the time you spend rewriting equals the time you spend plotting, and it's a lot more fun. The other advantage about writing more about the hero that doesn't get into the final book is that it becomes mental back story. During the first StarWars movie, did anyone see that Darth Vader was actually Luke's father? It fell out of the backstory.
Yes, it's normal! It actually is going to take me over a year, but it's always good to take your time if you have the chance 😇.
I just watched "This Beautiful Fantastic" because of this, and honestly... that movie filled me with an indescribable amount of joy
My favorite inciting incident:
When Harry gets the letter from Hogwarts
OR
Elsa messes up bad at the crowning ceremony
For me, I don't see any sort of internal conflict for harry potter, it was more coming-of-age or idk, it's just external events that got all the attention. But OMFGGG the Frozen example is AMAZINGGG!! Like honestly break down frozen and u can see just how amazzzzinggg it is! Even look at the lyrics and video clips of Do you wanna build a snowman and it shows you Anna as well as Elsa's desire, fear and misbelief
frozen is a great way to show this point! it shows Elsa and Anna stepping out of their comfort zones, aka the rooms and castle that they've been confided in for almost a decade.
I'm rewatching this video and cracked up at "being hunted down and killed by Kate Winslet." I missed that the first time I watched it. Lol
I LOVE writer's life Wednesday
Great video, Abbie!
Some of my favourites are: Clarice Starling getting sent to meet Doctor Lecter... Andy Dufresne getting sent to Shawshank and him meeting Red... Frodo getting the Ring...
The goal for my novel is to be better than Divergent... I have low goals... I hated that book, never finished it and ended up throwing it away.
You go, man!
Next time donate it to the library or 2nd hand store or craigslist or something.
Just finished my first book. Used your videos for it. Here I am again, watching your videos while writing my second book.
To anyone wanting to write their first book, just do it! It's so much fun and you learn so much through the process 💜
An idea that I had was a successful cop whose misguided belief was her confidence in herself. She's headstrong and focused to the point where she comes off as arrogant and dismissive of her friends ideas as they may be better than hers. But then someone, her future nemesis, appears and outwits and outmatches at every turn. This leads to disaster because the cop's belief is that she can figure this out herself or else she'll feel she was never meant to be an officer in the first place.
I can't decide which is more valuable to me, your exceptional help on craft or your consistently affirming motivation. As always, many thanks.
Thank you so much for your kind words! They mean so much to me, and I am thrilled that the content I make encourages you to chase your dreams and make your story MATTER!
It's true, Abbie, you deserve so much more attention from writers. I'm telling as many people as I can.
I'm rewatching this because it's just SO FREAKING GOOD! Love your case study format abbie!
Ahhh thank you so much!!
I am SHOOK by this video.This REALLY helps with storys.
I feel a bit confused with not accepting ''not knowing what she wants'' as the internal conflict. Maybe I don't get something yet but wouldn't the inciting incident of Divergent matter to Tris because not even the test can tell her where she belongs? However I can't really remember how this conflict was treated in the story so it might not have worked.
My thoughts exactly!
From what I understand, you just pointed out what she wants, 'to belong'. But what I believe Abbie is getting at is that even that desire is not established really. If we saw Tris getting anxious about how important it is to the society and peers around her to be somewhere 'they belong' and believes that she won't be happy unless she also finds where she belongs, then this incident would matter much more. But we just hear her going "I don't really know what to feel". We don't experience her fear or worries, from what I've experienced. Sure she says she's scared, but her tone of voice and actions following don't convince me of that fear. These are just my thoughts though :)
I think the issue with Divergent isn't that n9t knowing what you want isn't a problem, it's that it's not shown to be her internal struggle. Kee offers some advice, and so does Abbie (view the earlier lessons in this series). But if we see her struggle with this on more of an internal issue, and it's released (probably in slow doses with one last big bomb), we can see her struggle emotionally and bond better with her, also take joy in her overcoming it.
I think the film was subtler in it showing this as an internal struggle, if shown at all.
OK. I have set aside my constant excuses about work and life getting in the way and I am committing to getting a draft done by August 22. For this reason this channel is Abbie-solutely indispensable. And no, I do not apologise for the dad joke... I'm a dad after all. Thanks Abbie.
When you find a channel you wish you'd always known about 😭 💕 Instant follow.
The inciting incident is this video. Either I give up writing because it’s too hard but regret not trying or go forth or write with the safety belt of your UA-cam channel...until I discover my true powa! Love these videos!
Looking good! The only reason I would look forward to a Wednesday lol.. Greatest Showman is my favourite!
I even have a few cover songs on my channel.
That's awesome! Thanks for watching!
Of your videos that I’ve seen, I think this is my favorite one! I love how you take the idea of the inciting incident and break it down using examples that we’re likely familiar with. You have the idea of what the inciting incident is, and then you flesh it out in these examples and really apply it practically so that it makes sense. It takes it from being just theoretical to be being real and relatable. Thank you for this awesome video (and all your other awesome videos), and keep doing your thing girl!!! 🥳🎉🥳
Thank you so much for your kind words! They mean so much to me, and I am thrilled that the content I make encourages you to chase your dreams and make your story MATTER!
My goodness! I am soooo vibing with these videos. I'm just watching one after another. They are so full of information presented in a clear and concise way via her dynamic communication skills. Each video is really sinking in for me. I've been watching several different UA-cam channels to garner a basic understanding of the craft of writing. Abbie, you stand out. I LOVE how you are giving very specific examples to illustrate whatever topic you are addressing in the video. It really makes a difference. The prompts and questions are also very helpful and I will reference them when I begin writing. Thank you so much!
Hey! I watched This Beautiful Fantastic a month ago!
Cool!
So freaking amazing!! Abbie you're so fantastic and I appreciate what you do here on UA-cam SO much!!
Also I had a dream I met you and it was so cool and I was fangirling the while time 😂💛
Mrs. Gulch threatens to have Toto destroyed, and Dorothy sings about a place where she'd rather be. Luke sees the princess' video message and wants to help her. Scrooge gets a visit from Marley's spirit and wants to save himself from Marley's fate. Wendy sees a footprint on the third-floor carpet, together with some leaves from somewhere else.
As a result, although daily life continues as normal, the character's mental world has changed. The first goal is established. Dorothy wants to save Toto (but fears what? Abandoning her family?). Luke wants to help the princess by delivering R2 with its Death Star plans to her father on Alderaan (but fears leaving his aunt and uncle who can't run the farm without him). Scrooge wants to save his soul, and is willing to get with the Spirits' program (but fears what?) Wendy is curious about who made the footprint (but fears what?)
Imho, I think Dorothy and Luke are afraid of stepping outside the status quo. Being younger, they're afraid of "getting in trouble," rather than understanding that this is a chance to 'grow up.' They are of an age where they should start (or already be) asserting themselves, but don't because they've never done it before. Life therefore thrusts them into situations away from those in authority over them (but with kindly guardians), where they have to start making their own decisions.
Other authors call this "believing the Lie," and that belief is what keeps the MC from taking action. Scrooge may want to save his soul, but he believes the Lie that a man's value is measured in how much money he has. So, he fears 'giving away" his money, of being charitable. He needed the ghosts to take him outside of his known [mental] world to show him what option(s) were available.
I think Dorothy fears the witch (a.k.a. Miss Gulch) and so, chooses between the value of her family and value of saving her dog BECAUSE she knows if she stays at home with toto, Miss Gulch will come back.
And then hence the story revolving around the witch wanting to "get you my pretty, AND YOUR LITTLE DOG TOO" and it ends in Dorothy standing up to the witch and going home.
About your view on divergent... The world building in my opinion is so important. When it comes to dystopian books the world is just as important or sometimes more important than the actual character. The world is what interests people and excites people. Although I loved Foutriss I'd much prefer to know about the history of the factions than Triss
Hi Abbie, I came here after reading your books and are still amazed that you are such a good teacher and writer.
Hope you gain the praise you deserve, and hope you continue to help people!
Hahaha I love how you said this can be as easy as “cleaning your back yard” in the beginning of the video and end the video with that story of the woman who needs to clean her backyard. Art. Helpful video, thank you :)
Thank you so much for this break down of the inciting incident, it helps soooo much!
OMG I just got done reading Divergent and couldn't pinpoint what I disliked so much about it. You nailed this analysis. Also, I'm LOVING this WLW series. Your videos are inspiring me to dive back into writing again :)
Aw, I loved the book (hated the movie). I thought the internal conflict was clear - she wanted to be abnigation but didn't think she had the strength of character for the self-denial. Which was amazing when you think of how the series ended.
Thank you Abbie! It was such a detailed work! I have troubles with my own Inciting incident in a way that I cannot decide which event could be the incident for my character! But this video may help me decide!
Same.
*Thank you.* 💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
I think Tris’ comfort zone was remaining in Abnegation where she could fake fitting in though we know that she desires to know where she belongs like everyone else
Then there was the venturing into the unknown of Dauntless in some step to feel like she’s watering that desire since she kinda favors the faction. And avoiding the fear that she might never truly belong anywhere and become like the factionless whose midst she is even afraid to walk through
There are some books or movies I just watch/read and HATE. Like I could never pinpoint why, but your videos have really show me the importance of having beautifully written, messed up and complex characters and how much of an effect that has on the story.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief when the minotaur comes and attacks Percy, Grover, and Percy's mom.
I needed this! Still struggling with my stories opening so thank you Abbie :)
You are the best writing teacher I have ever seen. I like that you are concise snd effective
Good one Abbie! What’s the Inciting Incident in Pride and Prejudice?? I always thought it was the very first line, (well of dialogue anyways) :)
The greatest showman moment: it’s like Jim Carrey’s dad said- You can just as easily fail at something you don’t want to do, so why not do what you want.
I think the inciting incident would be when Jane first meets Mr. Darcy.
@@EllePlowPlow or when he says “Tolerable but not handsome enough."
wow, i'm glad youtube recommend this channel!, i love how you explain about character, how a character should be. im not writer but a videographer + video editor sometimes like a director as well. keep doing this and spread awareness if a good writing can make a huge impact on story. regard from malaysia
So you're saying Jordan Peterson telling me to clean up my room qualifies as an inciting incident? 😂
You say there was no call to adventure with the girl in the house, but this where I find people overlook the story mechanism. If she looks out her window at her chaotic yard, the realization alone of how bad it's gotten is the call to adventure. Turning her attention to the things inside she prefers to do is the refusal. Finally when the threat of eviction comes along, is she forced into the hard choice. Incident incited.
Now I just kinda wanna watch that last movie you talked about, seems really good to be honest
I'd love you discussing more case studies if you get the chance, Abbie. Really helps pinpoint what I'm doing wrong in my own story. When you see the evidence in movies, it reminds how you can't just shrug and say, "Oh, that'll be ok if I don't fix that issue with my internal conflict." Yep. It matters... otherwise you get that awful dead feel in a story. Or baffling feel. Like you say... need to light up the brain.... to engage the emotions... and techniques matter. Thanks for the huge amount of work you put into these videos.
This is such a small little detail but it scratches my brain how the protagonist is constantly referred to as she/her while I'm only comfortable with writing male protagonists, lmao
I feel like Divergent actually does hit all the points mentioned in the video. Tris's internal conflict is that she doesn't know who she is and it matters to her because her entire culture and society is structured around a person's sense of self fitting into a neat category. She's never been fully happy in abnegation but it's all she knows, her comfort zone. She's afraid that not fitting in will lead to her becoming a literal outcast forced out of society. She wants to find her true place and purpose in life but her misbelief is that she must adhere to societal expectations (fitting neatly into one of these factions) in order to find it.
Her finding out she is divergent (inciting incident) matters to her because it confirms her worst fears... that she may truly never fit into society, and if discovered, will be cast out of it or even killed (raises the stakes). It pushes her out of her comfort zone (abnegation and the faction system in general) by making it impossible for her to exist openly within, or fully embrace, either. Tris is forced to choose a faction despite knowing none are a true match. She can stay in abnegation (her comfort zone) and risk never finding out whether she could be happy and fulfilled elsewhere, or she can risk going into the unknown (dauntless) to try to find purpose there, while still avoiding her fear (that she doesnt fit into one faction or society in general).
I literally love the greatest showman! Everything from the story, to the characters, to the songs I absolutely love! Remains one of my favorite movies to this day! ^^
YES!! This Beautiful Fantastic is the greatest movie of all time!! Have watched it over and over again. Thank you for acknowledging its brilliance.
"going into the garden" perfect example of inciting incident which seems minor but is a big deal to the character. Thanks.
I’m a little confused because many of the things I see you saying aren’t present in Divergent I feel like I’m seeing fairly clearly. Not saying it’s a master class of writing or anything. But to me what Triss wants to be explicitly told where she belongs. She doesn’t know what she wants so an expert opinion will at least be some comfort even if she’s a little scared of either outcome. Getting labeled divergent throws a kink in all that. It’s like being face with a lose lose situation and then finding out that there was a third even worse option for her. Now there is no expert opinion and the choice is totally on her.
The grapple with staying in the comfort zone or going beyond that feels pretty obvious to at the choosing ceremony. The comfort zone is staying in Abnegation, the faction that she has grown up with and is familiar with. Vs the unknown territory of any of the other factions. Maybe I’m misunderstanding or somethings just over my head but that seems to make sense to me.
I'm not a huge fan of Divergent, but I did finish the series. I'd say her comfort zone is the status quo, it's not having to make a choice at all, it's having her whole life laid out ahead of her. That is all taken away when she makes that choice to go against her upbringing, which seems impossible for her. It doesn't smack you over the head, but that is the point, Abnegation is humble, she's been taught her whole life to suppress her desires and do what is best for others, now she is breaking free of that. Dauntless is all desire and passion, it is the thing she is drawn to, that's why she looks at it fleetingly. Can't look too long...maybe someone would see...
Divergent has a thousand problems as a series, but this was a non-issue for me. :) Love your videos! They are always so upbeat and bright!
this is the best story-telling channel around. great content, entertaining, focused on specific issues... 10/10.
This is very informative!
My favorite inciting incident to date is from Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell. When Alex legit falls through the book :D
Ill have to watch This Beautiful Fantastic. Having dealt with family members with clinical OCD, I can feel for the protagonist already. Having to clean the backyard would be a MONUMENTAL task to someone with OCD.
I like how you explain this: there need to be stakes attached to the choice after the inciting incident. This also makes the key event more interesting because if the choice to leave is forced upon the protagonist, then we as the reader get a whole lot more conflict.
I'm a middle school teacher and this is AWESOME. Thank you for making my job easier!
OMG when you said the inciting incident could be as simple as cleaning up your yard...my first thought was This Beautiful Fantastic! So glad I'm not the only one who loved that movie
I love this and it helped me write my inciting incidents.
Contemporary MM Romance. Both MC's have a choice brought forth and have to choose a life of solitude or risk everything for love. Granted, I think one has more to lose than the other, but it doesn't make it any less impactful for him.
I think Divergent was going for the Twilight approach; which is to say, you create a character who is bland enough to allow readers to extrapolate their own character traits onto them. In this case, it's basically being a teenager; your parents start to feel more like strangers, you don't know what you want or where you're going, and it feels like you don't fit in anywhere but everyone else does.
The problem wasn't actually this character approach, it was making the world insufficiently interesting. A bland character in a fascinating world can work. A fascinating character in a bland world can work. But a bland character in a bland world doesn't work.
What Twilight did really, really well was very similar to what Harry Potter did well; it established a vivid, compelling, and atmospheric secret world, hidden beneath the real one. It was filled with mystery and excitement around every corner, but at its heart was a golden secret; in Twilights case, love; in Harry Potter's case, home. Almost everything else in those stories orbits around that. In Twilight, the constant quest for Edward. In Harry Potter, protecting Hogwarts, Harry's new home.
But what was there in Divergent? There was never anything to move towards. Things just kinda happened. And while that's enough to keep people going for a while, eventually your interest just wanders off, because there's nothing to hold it there.
you're the freaking best youtuber i have ever stumbled upon. i love your conduct, your accent, your energy, your points, your explanations, your examples, the pace of all your videos, the dedication, the thought, the aesthetic feel of it all. i've learned so much from just watching one of your videos and i feel overwhelmed and thrilled at the thought that you've got so much more that i haven't watched but must pause my life somehow and gobble up in one go right now
Your fantastic explanation of the inciting incident brings to mind the Flashman book series. Here is a story that's being told by an old man, a decorated war hero, about his youth and how he lived a life of a coward. He did his absolute best to avoid conflict his entire life and was thrown like Forrest Gump from one exciting adventure to another. Unlike many heroes that you "trust" in the fact that they'll at least try to do the right thing, you never know what Flashman is going to do. You hope upon hope that he'll make the right choice... nope! Damn it, Man!! What a great book series, and it falls squarely into exactly what you're talking about here.
Before Sunrise is one of my favorite films and stories of all time because of how simple it is. It’s an American man and Frenchwoman who meet on a train and explore Vienna together, having conversations about their past and current worldview until a romance blossoms. The inciting incident is Jesse asking Celine to get off the train with him to explore the town. That’s it. As simple as it is, you want these characters to keep talking because of their natural chemistry. If Celine refused, Jesse could’ve been just a random stranger she had a very interesting conversation with. Instead, she’s charmed into it and they become the love of each others lives.
Hi Abbie, this thought hit me yesterday. I finished a first draft of a novel during nanowrimo, and planned to continue with a second draft and do revisions. But then I thought, maybe I shouldn't. It's not a book I'm very proud of or would ever publish, so I don't know if it's worth putting so much time into it, or if I should just move on to a new story. I realize that in the end it comes down to what I want to do, but I'm just curious what you think. Love your videos, they help a lot 💓💓
Remember why it matters...and let that fuel your decision of whether or not to continue.
No matter what it was worth writing it! What you accomplished is HUGE, and it's good for your psyche, helped to form some useful habits, you did it for yourself, it's good practice, and you can come back to it later.
If it's worth it to you, come back to it. If not and you keep running into this, go more into some of what Abbie talks about in this and previous lessons, like seeing what's internally important to your characters and why, and that might bring out your passion.
I love The Beautiful Fantastic!! such a great movie and I think it i an excellent example! Keep up the good work, Abbie! I am learning so much from your videos.
this was so incredibly helpful because i've been struggling with this, thank you sm
Omg just watched this Beautiful Fantastic, what a wonderful movie...
right?! So glad you enjoyed it!
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone, when Hagrid comes to the hut and rescues him from the Dursleys.
I started tearing up during The Greatest Showman section of this video and not Divergent. That's a testament to the power of its inciting incident.
Wow I actually loved divergent so much but you broke it down in a way that made so much sense
Thank you… if I remember correctly it took me a while to get into divergent and this is probably why…
I know I'm super late, but could you please do a case study on The Ballade Of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins? It's my favourite book, and i personally think that it's a great example of a book that nails the three-act story structure. It's about an 18-year-old, selfish, caculating and self-centred student who is barely making ends meet along with his older cousin and grandma'am. Without any money, his only chance of becoming successful is to suck up to his teachers and keep his grades up, which he is pretty good at. When the top students of his academy are chosen to become mentors for the tributes of the 10th hunger games, he scores the worst tribute possible: a 16-year-old girl from the smallest and poorest district, who has virtually no chance of winning and bringing him glory and fame. Please do this book, i love it so much and want to know what you think of it!
Thank you Abbie for introducing me to “this beautiful fantastic”, I watched it as soon as you recommended it and it totally illustrated what you were saying . I loved it 😊
I love that you are putting words to how I feel about movies and books. The internal and how the characters feel and react to it is the only reason I like things. I end up finding movies like divergent or those with a lot of just action really boring.
I love The Greatest Showman
Hi Abbie! I love absolutely your content and can relate to the thought process (mindset) it involves so well. One bit of a doubt that i have regarding your explanation of Divergent is, Beatrice did have a desire to be a Dauntless (although the author just hinted, didn't make it too obvious at the beginning), she had the fear of leaving her family and she had a choice to make which involved her fear and desire. I don't see how she doesn't go through an internal conflict. Can you explain?
It wasn't shown or explained, only hinted. You can gawk at people jumping from a train without also wanting to jump from a train
I feel like the book explained it whole lot more than the movie did
God I am obsessed with this UA-cam channel!! I finally feel capable of writing a story with this beautifully crafted formulaic approach!
I love the fact that this is funny and informative
Abbie, it would be great if you made a few videos about how you would change these plot points to show how you would improve the inciting incidents. It would be interesting to hear your thoughts on what you would change or improve on to make the inciting incidents better. I find myself agreeing with you and it makes total sense so it kind of baffles my mind why they didn't think of these things when they were working on the script for Divergent.
"But reality, and his future father-in-law, slaps him in the face." Haha, You are a gem Abbie! Love your content, so insightful.
A beautiful fantastic IS AN AMAZING EXAMPLE. the story telling is supreme.
10:39 That graveyard in the background slowly appearing from behind the building was very symbolic :>
I'd love a comparison between a good coming of age story vs a bad one (divergent lol) because now I'm curious if they ask suffer from the ambiguous goal. Usually in those stories, the person doesn't know what they want so it's a story about self discovery
This was the funniest thing to watch in co-con. While I was chuckling at Divergents stupidity Piper was screaming about how amazing the books are.
All in all great video
-Alex
Great concrete examples! I really get what you're talking about. Thanks.
u are so good, i will be best writer cuz of u
This brought back all the intense feelings of watching and reading Divergent.
She has such a heart for dauntless. It is so potent its like trying to breath honey. But she is afraid of rejecting her family.
It's heartbreaking when she has to choose.
Then the story is about whether she can make it as dauntless. Is her step into the brave world of following her heart going to be thrown in her face? Will she be kicked out of dauntless because she simply isn't dauntless enough? Because she is too Abnegation.
She feels terrible for rejecting her abnegation family to choose her light as a dauntless. So, what is the external conflict? What else but a literal playing out of her internal struggle.
The Dauntless are being manipulated into killing the Abnegation, just like she rejected Abnegation and therefor her family, to join Dauntless. If she wasn't a special Divergent, the external plot situation would have her literally killing her family, which would be the ultimate salt in her emotional wound.
Abbie did you game us to make us think for ourselves and spot the internal journey ourselves? If so, it was genius. If not, it was still a really good video. Maybe it just seems that way to people who love Divergent, (it's one of my favorite books,) but haven't seen the other two movies.
The inciting incident was poorly done in divergent. You're allowed to like the book of course, but still acknowledge the weaknesses. Personally, I found the ending and main bad guy plot awful and dumb as well, but that's just my opinion. Every story has weaknesses and divergent has quite a lot of them , sorry
Thank you very much for the work you're doing.
As someone who just finished college and still didn't know where I should go, I can relate myself to Tris (who doesn't know where she would go, too). I think it's also scary of not knowing what you want in a world where people around you figured out their lives already. Abnegation is a faction where people should be selfless--- to do things for others without any hesitation. In that kind of environment, it's really hard to know what you should want. It was like living with parents who controls your life.
The internal conflict was there, it's just not emphasized that much in the movie, at least for me hehehehe since I'm reading the book right now.
But I agree with you that it would be much better if Tris had an idea about being Divergent and on how the leader of Erudite (the short-haired girl, I forgot her name) kills every one of them. It will scare the sheet (pun intended XD) out of her and will choose a faction outside her comfort zone with less pain.
Anyway, I love your videos huhuhu such a life-saver for a girl with a chaotic mind like me. XD More videos to come!! I'm improving my writing skills because of this. Thank you so much!! 😍😍💖💖
This video was super helpful! And I have to say that I loved the divergent movies and couldn’t even finished The Greatest Showman 🙈 But that’s just because I’m an action movie junkie and can sustain disbelief.
Same lol I absolutely am obsessed with divergent and it kinda hurts to see everyone hating on it lol
Abbie you remind me of the song used for the Disney short "Paperman"!
Infighting, lighting, good feels! Thank you you all this help and perspective from a human psychology/reasonable glare!
Holy crap! I just love this amazing woman, Abbie! I'm hoping she'll become like a Pulitzer-winning writer in the future! Will rewatch this vid again & again! ✨💓✨
So I have two books I'm writing. Both seem to be like nothings really happening, but the beginning is building up to the juicy twists that happen in the middle/end. As a reader myself, I'm obsessed with what I'm writing, and want to read it when I'm done 🥺🤣
In the first book of the "Inheritance Cycle" by Christopher Paolini, "Eragon", the titular main character arguably has TWO Inciting Incidents. The first is when Saphira's (the dragon) egg first appears before him while he's out hunting. He doesn't HAVE to take the egg (what he thinks is a stone at first) and he severely debates it because there's a long standing fear of anything magic in the people of his village. *Technically* this is also a hook, but I feel that it's also an Inciting Incident in part due to the consequences he incurs for the decision.
The second and main Inciting Incident is after the death of his uncle, the man who raised him, and his choice to join Brom (the local storyteller with knowledge of magic and dragons, there's more to him but spoilers) to hunt down his uncle's killers, leaving behind his destroyed home, his village, his cousin, everything that he's ever known, all to get revenge and to save others from suffering as he has.
I just found you bc I'm in the revision trenches and the inciting incident is haunting me. Your explanation really helps. Reminding me it doesn't have to be done big huge thing. I love The Beautiful Fantastic. Mainly because I love the MC from Downton & pretty much everything she's in. But it's a perfect example and mentor text for my novel. Thank you. I subscribed and can't wait to binge more from you! Happy Learning in Deed!
I love your case studies! Hope you'll do more of them, cause I think I actually learn a lot from those!