You've summarized in this sentence: 'The good news for the rest of us is that the more lazy writers rely on AI, the more stories written without AI will shine and stand out.' The reality of AI that none see. Creativity is an exercise; you lose it if you don't use it. Kudos!
Exactly! You lose it if you don't use it, well put. There's so much understandable worry and concern regarding AI in creative worlds. I think it's helpful to take a beat and remember that. Writers should just stay the course and constantly improve. It will be okay in the end. Creatively speaking, the exercised human mind will always be superior.
I use ChatGPT to bounce off ideas I have. It's like having a 2nd person around who can provide elements you wouldn't think of. ... However, ChatGPT is terribly generic and often too abstract. It works ok for some genres (like sci-fi), but sucks at others (like horror). I'm wondering how many current stories are relying on A.I..
“The story you write will either be terrible, or Indistinguishable from all the rest of the stories on the shelves these days-most of which are terrible.” Thank you for this honesty. So many folks who do this are AIMING to show writers HOW to do exactly this.
That's so great to hear! I'm so glad I could help in some way to break through the awful, dreaded Writer's Block. Good luck with your writing! And thank you for watching!
This video is essentially an unpacking of Dwight Swain's book Techniques of the Selling Writer, the single best writer's guide ever published. Do yourself a favor and check it out if you haven't. You can find a free digital copy online.
I'm new to this writing thing, but i have this feeling the more i try to look at those 3 act structures, heroe's journey guidelines, i find myself all the more lost in my storytelling. It doesn't feel organic anymore and the story loses its soul. I think this channel is the one I have been looking for. Thank you for this!
That's the biggest danger with all those formulas, in my opinion: the loss of soul. I hope this video helps as you get started on your journey. Hopefully my future videos will also be helpful! Thanks for watching and happy writing!
You better hope you have good instincts though cuz I’ve read so many early writers with just the worst writing in the world with no structure and I’m pretty certain they all followed their instincts too. I think a bad writer w structure is better than a bad writer w/o structure. And good artists don’t really need it but honestly when you look at the most famous, widely spread movies books etc, they typically fall into three acts, even if not planned that way.
I find it makes sense to study the structure models, then throw them away and make my plots. Then if I find any issues, like I have a sense that something is off, analyzing the structure can really help. Like, realizing that "oh, if I flip these scenes like this, I hit the right beats" or "the reason this scene isn't working is because it's supposed to functionally do A, but I'm doing Z."
I've seen thousands of lectures from professional authors on pacing, and yet none have been able to explain and articulate it as well as you have. I feel like I have just learned something invaluable, thank you.
Have you watched Sanderson's BYU lecture series? It sucks. Once you start listening to these people you quickly realize they have no idea how they do what they do. They just follow their instincts. If you want to be great, you have to do the same thing.
@@MaximilianReyCartwright ummm, I actually really like Sanderson's lectures. But I don't see how that has anything to do with this video. Keep your rude comment to yourself, please.
I thoroughly went through every story plotting formula, 3 act, 4 act, 8 part story circle, even found a thorough breakdown of the 3 act structure made into 29 chapters/steps. In the end, I went with my gut and wrote something wholly unique. I took inspiration from some of my favorite shows, books, games, etc, and formed a plot piece by piece with two seperate main POVs that intertwine towards each other by the middle. Currently on the 2nd round of revisions, and I'm in love with the characters and world I've crafted. Trust yourself, and look inward for the answers while drawing inspiration from your favorite arcs or moments elsewhere if you need it. Good luck, and great video! 👍
The rules of writing are like music theory: they're strategies and concepts conceived by observers trying to make sense of genius creatives. They're attempts at mapping the trails blazed by the greats. If you want to stand out, you have to blaze new trails, not walk the same ones millions already have before you.
@@MaximilianReyCartwright This is so true, I've been playing piano for over 25 years and you reach a point where you need to break the "rules" in order to get something very beautiful and unique. The rules are there for beginners so they can get started but once you reach certain level you just need to ignore them in order to improve.
You're definitely not wrong. I enjoy the process, too! But I do still have days when I feel like all I'm doing is banging my head on the keyboard... Thanks for watching!
This is a great video. Writing advice tends to be super abstract and attack the structure of a story at a very broad level, or hyperfocused on the style of a single scene. This hits the middle of these extremes in a way i rarely see, and really appreciate!
This makes so much sense. I'm a beginner writer and plotting stifles me. And I find discovery writing leads me to waffle. And I believe this is the missing piece for me. Would love more in depth videos on story techniques.
Plotting was really tricky for me for a long time, too. I always felt like I was groping in the dark and if I got it right it was just because I got lucky. Learning things like this helped me so much, I hope it can help you, too. I do want to make a lot more videos on plotting and more in-depth videos on building stories. Thank you so much for watching, and good luck with your writing!
Only 9 minutes in but this is genius! I always end up writing my own structure to fit the story I want for every single book because the typical structures cause so many limitations and issues with flow. I've never heard pacing talked about in this way. You're really onto something.
This video is INSANELY informative and helpful with actual practical advice that anyone can follow. I really hope your channel starts to take off because I am already loving the content here!
This was crystal clear and very helpful. I have been getting stuck and lost while planning my story, you showed me what to focus on and I don't feel so helpless anymore. Thanks a lot ! I hope the algorithm recognize your merits !
That's so wonderful to hear! I'm so happy I was able to help and I hope the writing goes smoothly now. Thank you very much for your supportive words, I really appreciate it. Happy writing!
I've been a writer for years, and this is probably the most helpful video I've ever watched on the topic of pacing and how to create "mini arcs" within the scope of the larger story arc. You've explained it so clearly with great examples. Please - PLEASE - do make more of these videos!! I'm watching.
Of all of the writing advice videos that I've watched (which is a lot) this is the first time I ever heard something like this and it makes sense! I have to say, this is the best writing advice I've received because it's not just general advice, like "5 Ways To Make A Good Magic Item." It's actual, actionable advice that can be executed and to actually help me get words to paper. A huge thank you.
This video is essentially an unpacking of Dwight Swain's book Techniques of the Selling Writer, the single greatest writer's guide ever published. Do yourself a favor and check it out. You can find a free digital copy online.
This is one of the best videos on storytelling (and creating in general) I've ever watched! I feel so lucky to have this recommended to me today! I've been writing on/off for about two years now because I was always trying to fit myself into these plot structures, and it has really robbed me of having fun and finishing anything. But no longer! Your take on pacing makes so much sense, and I feel excited to create again! Thank you for this, and do make more!
Imagine being an architect and saying "I won't need physics or engineering" that's what being an author and saying "I don't need a story structure" is like... 🙄
I follow Brandon Sanderson's advice. Map out the general structure of your story, outline the important events, set up sheets for your characters (longer and shorter depending on their importance) and then begin writing. This way you have clear story points A through Z but aren't basically writing the same thing twice. The journey between the points is still unknown to you and you have the freedom to change whatever you want as your story progresses. You don't fall into the George Martin trap of not knowing how to finish a story and you also get the benefit of a naturally flowing sequence of events. All that's left is to practice this.
I am not even through the whole video yet and I am already convinced that I will learn something valuable. By minute 4 you already outlined all my thoughts and problems. I'm going to watch the rest now, you have my full attention.
I've been devouring videos on BookTube looking for advice, guidance, tips, tricks, inspiration, knowledge...there are a lot of very useful & helpful folks out there. But I've been drawn back to this video multiple times since I found it two months ago. You so succinctly convey the importance of mini-arcs & put into words something I think I've unconsciously known, but could never name. Thank you. Truly. I've gotten myself unstuck from the rut I was in with my story. ❤
I just noticed that this is actually a quite small and new channel. I loved the advice given. I have been struggling a lot personallly because I wish I could create art and I have a rather warped and difficult relationship towards producing art. Long story. Anyway I tried to get into writing a few months ago in order to work on my self-worth and the related issues and found myself giving up in frustration after a few tries. Writing and art in general always felt like this mystical skill that some people just seem to be innately born woth but your explanation beautifully lifted this mist that was clousing me the whole time trying to write. It really motivated me to give it another try. If I hadn't found this video I probably would have given up for good.
I'm really glad you didn't give up. Writing can be wonderfully therapeutic and also very rewarding. I firmly believe that anyone can learn how to do anything. I struggled a lot when I was younger with largely esoteric or vague and abstract writing classes. I would love to be able to show people that writing is a skill you can learn. A skill anyone can learn. Thank you very much for watching!
John wick was not only sad for the death of his doggy but also because his puppy was a gift from his deceased wife making the dogs death heavier for his character.
That was a clear, understandable statement. So many forms/techs, but this clarifies structure and scene for me in a way I've been trying to extract from other presentations. Much appreciated!!
As a playwright who is transitioning to screenwriting, this segment has been important to me. It has given me rhythm and simplified everything in my transition journey. Thanks. From Kenya
Yes, please keep making more videos. If you can expound more on how mini-arcs can constitute an entire story in a satisfying way, that would help get this video's point across even more. I'm also curious about your take on character development/change and how it adds to a story.
Thank you for your support, it means a lot! I would like to make more videos in the future that go further into the concept of mini-arcs. There are a lot of interesting ways to use them. Character creation and development is a subject near and dear to my heart. In the future I intend to make quite a few videos on that topic. Thank you so much for the suggestion!
This is why I find most of Netflix Originals boring. Unless written by an actual writer-creator, it is mostly algorithm written. Not Ai necessarily, but algorithm driven in terms of plot points, elements, music, actors, direcror choices, etc., and the pacing is always stretched more than it has to be
Probably the most eye opening video on storytelling I've come across. Thank you so much for this, it's as if there had been blindfolds over my eyes that i didn't know were there, and now i know, thanks to you removing them.
Thank you for this! I have written several novels, but any time I tried to plot stories with formulaic story structures, the stories felt boring and uninspired. This mini-arc approach is something I've done instinctively, but having it vocalized had helped me understand why the times I strayed from this caused my books to fall apart.
Yeah I always felt like the 3 act story structure was so like restricting and makes you kind of force your story into a box - this video helped me a lot !! Thank you !!
I’m definitely following your channel, you’re explaining everything so well and take the pressure out of writing which most content and advice these days results in. Also love that you give examples, i’m not comprehending anything if do not have an example.
I have watched the whole video without skipping, the things u said, the advice u gave were making sense, your video pacing Was so engaging, this proves that u are a great story teller and a great teacher, thank you mam
The tip towards the end to use the "Therefore..." to connect mini-arcs - that was the eye-opener for me. Therefore, I'm going to pace my stories better from now on ;-)
This video reminded me of my school days, when a great teacher would explain something I’d never understood so clearly and at such a comfortable pace that I could almost feel my neurons connecting, building the pathways that finally satisfied my need to understand. Thank you!
This makes so much more sense to me than prescriptive plot structures, all of which invariably fail to match the story I'm trying to tell in some way (usually many ways)!
Dam, it's crazy that I've been doing this unconsciously. I am going to re-read my story for the 100 time and mark each mini arc. I am sure something interesting will come out of it.
I finally find out why my story pacing feels too fast! It's because I have multiple mini arcs going on at the same time. I can finally fix what I don't like, and whenever I want to create fast pacing, I now know how!
Out of all the writing videos I have watched this is unironically the best one I have seen, it really changes my mindset about writing stories and its so simple and to the point. This shouldve costed money.
You used my favorite movies that I've seen a million times, so I understood the mini arc plot plan. I'm going to look for it in the book I'm currently reading. I'm already remembering the "therefore's" from what I've read to this point. This will help me with my own novel moving forward. Thank you.
I love your approach! 💖 So refreshing! I'm so tired of the "copycating" everywhere. Cars, movies, all similar and soulless... Products and "content" . Thank you for pointing this out in literature.
Thank you so so much for this! I have been studying structure, and for the life of me, I absolutely could not get a good story full of life out of following the three acts. I was beginning to feel like I was just no good at this, but this video has given me so much hope. I can definitely study this and apply this. Seriously, thank you!!
Really helped me through my first book process in a series of books. Was following 3 - 4 Act Structure and becoming frustrated since it seemed I couldn't fit everything into the frame of that structure. It's a long journey and requires stop at many different places along the series so I needed a way to break it up and the mini arc is perfect for that. Thank you again, looking forward to your next video.
I already commented on this when I first saw it, but it seems to have disappeared. However, I keep thinking about this video and feel it's worth coming back to comment again. My degree is in screenwriting, and I've studied a LOT about story structure (in addition to all the videos I watch), and this was such a refreshing take. Too many supposed gurus present writing like it's a paint-by-numbers project. And that's perfectly fine for hobbyists or anyone who wants/needs to churn out a high volume of content. But I personally find it incredibly stifling creatively. I've been writing for almost 30 years now, and trying to force my stories into a rigid structure almost made me hate something I have loved for so long. I really appreciate this video. Not only was it crafted like someone who has been doing this for a long time, all your points were well thought out, logical, and presented in an understandable, relatable way. Instead of trying to shoehorn examples into a particular narrative, you showed exactly how what you are saying works. It really made me feel like yes, *this* is what I connect with. And as someone who writes primarily in short form, I also feel like this is something I can not only implement but actually embrace. Thank you. Instant follow with the bell. Hope you'll continue to make more. :)
That was exactly my sense as well, that it was all very creatively stifling. Even if I was excited about a story I was working on, when I sat down to plot it out according to "the rules," I would lose all enthusiasm. It became a chore, one I was loathe to finish. And if I did manage to finish, the resulting story was dull and lifeless. Thank you for this comment (twice! though I never saw your first, it really must've been swallowed), and for your support. All the support I've received on this video is tremendously encouraging. I am, as I type, working on my next video. I love making them (even if they do take some time), so I'll keep making them until everyone loses interest. Thank you again!
I loved listening to you. You lay things out so logically and so convincingly. I glommed onto the word "pacing" because I've heard Grisham discuss it in his work as the indispensable and adjustable ingredient that makes his stories so readable, so compulsively readable. My story has languished. You've lit a fire under my butt by your well thought out ideas and your clear, concise explanations. I didn't know how to proceed but now I do -- I've got a map in my back pocket, thanks to you.
Thank you for this comment! It really means a lot that my videos can help people find the joy in writing again, and also find a map to put in their back pockets. Thank you for watching, and for your support! Happy writing!
You are my goat. Ive been struggling even getting starded. it seemed too daunting of a task to plan out the whole story. The mini arc chart was a perfect visualization.
This is so wonderful to read! I'm so glad I was able to help you find a way to start. Getting over that first hurdle is big. Good luck going forward! Thanks for watching and happy writing!
I've watched tons of youtube videos about writing (mostly sci-fi, because that is my goal, I'm totally newbie) and this video, and your other about character building are the MOST USEFUL content so far about the topic. Big hug and thank you
Thank you so much for this comment! It means so much to me that others, especially new writers, find my videos helpful. This is a hard craft to learn but such a rewarding one. I wish you the best of luck and I hope that my videos can continue to help you! Thank you again!
man, i’m really torn on this one! on one hand, i think you’ve done a fantastic job explaining the concept of mini-arcs and how to keep a story engaging on a moment-to-moment basis. it’s extremely valuable advice and you deliver it clearly. i can see this video helping a ton of people with their writing, myself included! on the other hand, i don’t see how this is at all at odds with using other structures or formulas. story formulas (like all theories of art) are based on what has been proven to work for storytellers in the past and can be super helpful when you’re stuck plotting out your ideas! this exact idea of mini-arcs is even covered by a lot of the very same formulas that you say result in “terrible” writing. i don’t know much about architecture, but as a visual artist, part of my study includes doing copies and breakdowns of masterpieces. you could argue this is restrictive. but i don’t walk away from a michelangelo study thinking i have to draw buff naked white dudes and cherubs to be successful. instead i walk away with a stronger understanding of rendering, skin tones, anatomy, staging, etc., based on what has worked for someone else. all this to say, formulas/structures are tools, not rules, and rather than saying point blank that all formulas are bad, i would much rather encourage young artists to explore and find what works for them out of the multitude of resources out there. i would be sad if someone took away from this that they should never use any other formula or structure. hope this didn’t come off as overly harsh, overall this is very solid advice! just a little addendum based on what has helped me become a stronger storyteller. liked and subscribed.
I very much appreciate your comment! (And your support, thank you!) I do want to clarify, if I may, that I never said structure should be avoided. I said, I believe, that structure is crucial. My aim with this video is to teach people how to study and build their own structure. Aside from that, I think we more or less agree. The thing with formulas is that the deeper into them you study, the more restrictive they become. A person could argue that the three act formula merely states that all stories must have a beginning, middle, and end, which isn't restrictive at all. However, as I studied that I began to find that the more "advanced" the lesson, the more restrictive the story shape. There were certain plot developments that had to occur at certain points. The middle of the story had to include certain specific difficulties for the protagonist, which then had to be resolved at precisely these points, and so on. Your comparison to art is where formulas are, to some, very useful: as study. If you were to draw or paint a study of a Michelangelo, you would not then regard that as an original work of art that had come from your imagination, but rather as study, by which you do indeed learn a lot. The literary analog of that is to study the formulas -- if you want to -- that appear in certain stories. You could, if you wanted to, write a story following the exact story structure of The Godfather, as a way of studying it. However, the end result would not be an original work of your imagination, but a study carried out with the aim to learn. And that is a very good study method for a lot of people. My problem with that, and the only reason I hesitate to encourage other writers to study formulas, is this: If you study the Godfather deliberately seeking out the ways in which is fits into XYZ formula, your study will be flawed and biased. If, however, you merely study its structure without a thought for a specific formula you will absolutely learn more. Sure, formulas are used a lot and often to great effect. Most of the time the formulas simply manifested after the story was done and were not actually written following a formula, as is so often the case in literary analysis. A good story will have a distinct beginning, middle, and end. That doesn't mean that the writer accomplished that by strictly following the three act structure. Moreover, repeatedly studying and imitating the structure of other stories to a T will not magically instill in a person the ability to build their own structure. Just like repeatedly drawing the Mona Lisa will not magically teach an artist how to draw any face or any figure. Writers need to learn what pieces are being used to build the structures they're studying. To my mind, attempting to build a story by strictly following a specific formula is very similar to attempting to draw a picture by imitating the specific components of other drawings. This painting's hands, that painting's background, and so on. It teaches the young writer not that these are to be studied but that they are to be imitated and if perfect imitation isn't achieved, their own story is a failure. And maybe a writer trying to build their own structure will fail. But because they're learning the building blocks of stories, they can find the exact points of failure and learn from their mistakes. Mini-arcs are meant as a beginning. My aim with this is to help writers teach themselves how to build their own structures without relying on the increasingly strict formulas. Especially because a lot of teachers these days present these formulas as the only acceptable way to write a story. Which I think we both agree is patently false. However, if writers can gradually learn what building blocks are used to make up any story -- even those written with formulas -- and start to practice using them and study finding those blocks in literally any story used in an almost limitless variety of ways, their creativity and their structural awareness can grow concurrently. I hope you don't mind my continuing the conversation. I appreciate a conversation with someone who doesn't quite agree. I take it as an opportunity to learn, one way or the other! Thank you again for your support!
Thanks ma'am for affirming my sentiment that stories can't be borrowed or built from a template, the conventional writing advices would never allow someone to produce something beyond the inspiration or would lead to something transformative or ground breaking. I think great stories in times like ours when so many casts have already been moulded, can only be born by observing the world through one's own senses and mind and then manufactured from a first principled understanding of the world and its processes, its strifes and beauty, its reasonings and lack there of, premonitions and causality. Everything shall be questioned and answered in the writer's own unimpressioned thoughts. Thanks for opening our eyes!
This video is incredibly well written and valuable..I've had endless issues with story formulas and plotting without knowing why, so it feels like this was brought down from a holy mountain specifically to help me
Me too! And funnily enough, I've been trying to understand the three act structure in order to adapt my story to it and it's been really confusing for me. This video is so helpful because I understood it!
I found this video extremely helpful, and I hope you break down more fundamental principles in the future like you did here. I was able to understand everything, especially with all of the great examples and graphics that you used. Subbed. -someone who has never written anything, but has a cool idea (he thinks) P.S. That keyboard looks loud asf "KLAK KLAK KLAK" lol
I'm so glad it was helpful (and understandable! it's hard to know if I'm getting my idea across or not). Thank you for watching! (p.s. It used to be but it's not anymore! I customized it, it's very buttery. Otherwise I'd wake half the neighborhood at one in the morning with my thunderous turbo-typing)
Surprisingly informative video, most of the writing related channels I came across had too much filler to increase the length of the video and simply mentioning hero's journey and calling it a day. Learnt a lot from you, I appreciate it!
This was my favourite video on writing I've ever watched. Sounds a bit overdramatic to say but it's really the truth. Of every video I've ever watched this has brought me clarity beyond anything else. The mini arcs thing just clears up so much for me in terms of both writing a novel and also an episode based series. It makes so much sense! This insight is an absolute game changer for me!
I'm so glad it could be such a help to you! I hope it makes your writing go more smoothly. I know it helps me a lot in that regard. Thank you so much for watching and for commenting!
Your description of this principle really sparked the motivation pilot. I appreciate the comprehensive way you walked us through the relatable mistakes that every aspiring storyteller or wishful thinker (aka me) experience. It makes it feel like I can attempt this as well, despite my experience. Thank you for sharing this insight! I look forward to more of your videos! 🙌
Your breakdown of pacing is eye-opening. I've struggled with understanding exactly how to do that for some time now, and your breakdown is just the breakthrough I need to move my novel forward. Five stars!!!
I greatly appreciate how articulate flexible and concise you are in describing these principles. It's almost a relief. Tempo, Rhythm, logical progression of plot. Very very helpful and insightful thank you :)
I wanted to say thank you for making this video... Ive been chomping away at a book of my own for what feels like an eternity at a snails pace, but this video really set some things into stark relief for me. Some things i had been doing and some other things i needed to hear out loud. Writing is hard. Im glad there are others who can clear the fog a bit for guys like me. Thanks again
Thank you for this comment! It really means a lot when I learn that my video helped another writer. I wish you the best of luck in your writing endeavors! Thank you for watching, and happy writing!
One of the most direct and informative video on the importance of good pacing. Thank you for reminding us that formulas do not work! More videos please!
So... I'm not a plotter, but if I do ever plot instead of sort of "pantsing" my books, I think this is the way I'd do it. Just plan out each mini arc to get the overall arc accomplished. I almost despise actual outlining, (I know this is similar) but I feel like this would be different somehow. Thank you, ma'am 😊 By the way, i was shocked to see you only have 2 videos! You seemed so well-acquainted with speaking to a camera and so knowledgeable! Great job!
Fantastic breakdown and example. This helped solidify a concept that I've known about but never quite had a useful grasp on. I hope to see more content from you in the future.
i'm beyond grateful for this godsend of a video to reach my eyes. i've been stuck on how to write two stories for a good while, and learning about pacing helped me significantly. i always learn better with examples, so i really do appreciate the way you explain everything! i hope to see more videos like this!
I can’t express this enough, your message and delivery is so clear and concise. I’m immediately subscribed. I cannot wait to see more content from you. Absolutely incredible video
I want to learn more! Mini arcs sound like such a fun way to plot a story and ensure you are in control of your pacing as well. I have been a little intimidated by the whole idea of pacing and how to nail it right, but this video has shed some much needed light on the issue, for which I am grateful. I'll be watching this one again. 😊
They also sound like a formula. A useful one. That will produce boring, derivative writing if you just copy other mini arcs you've seen and add nothing of your own unique perspective- or can produce great writing in the opposite conditions. Which tells me it's not formulas that prodice boring writing- it's how you use them.
this was so helpful!! I always notice mini arcs in movies and books but for some reason never thought of formulating my story in that way. now I'm super inspired
Hilary's UA-cam post on story pacing is like a perfectly brewed cup of coffee-strong, invigorating, and guaranteed to keep you awake during those long writing sessions! She breaks down pacing with such finesse that even a tortoise would feel the need to pick up the pace. I laughed, I learned, and I may have even shed a tear when she revealed the secret to keeping readers on the edge of their seats-who knew it was just a sprinkle of suspense and a dash of cliffhangers? If story pacing were a dance, Hilary would be the choreographer, and I’d be the enthusiastic but slightly clumsy dancer trying to keep up. Overall, this video is a must-watch for anyone who wants their stories to flow smoother than a well-oiled plot twist!
Logically, I knew about mini-arcs before, but the way you explained this with examples really hammered things in. I have been struggling with plotting for longer stories for a while(I do well with one-shots), I have looked at story structures for help but it only served to confuse me more. So, your video has been a godsend, thank you for making this! Now, I can go back to my novel and actually start working on it.
Glad to see someone frame pacing as less about the amount of words and more about the feeling you get when plot progresses. Having a "mini-arc" helps create faster beginning-middle-end cycles that make it feel like things are moving quickly. Setting up conflict, being challenged by it, and resolving a win-lose helps increase or decrease pacing so much more than just "how many words to describe something" Like sure, using lots of words to describe a scene vs few makes you read it faster but if nothing is really happening it doesn't matter how short your sentences are or how few adjectives you use...nothing is still happening. You can use a lot of words but accomplish a ton of plot within those words by the nature of what is happening and it feel fast. I also think a lot of people are too afraid to use narrative summary to help with pacing. A lot of YA and the things a lot of writers use to form their own idea of writing can get stuck in always using scene writing and nothing else. In this format you have to have extreme things going on to "improve pacing" because the thing happening has to be something that can be introduced and resolved in a short "timeframe" within the narrative timeline. The resolution has to be something that can happen in a few minutes and therefor it limits what can be introduced to help pacing. So I think a lot of people only using scene struggle with pacing because it can bog down events if you aren't making every scene some insane situation with a quick resolution. The more I've mixed in narrative summary the more I feel pacing improves, obviously if everything is in narrative summary it can feel disconnected. Using it to push the plot along and get us more into the meat quicker instead of filling the void between big moments with "stuff" was a big moment for me to figure out how to get better pacing.
Exactly! An argument could be made, too, that if a well-paced scene is still written with a very high word count, the fact that we find ourselves desperately trying to read it faster could make it feel shorter. It is quite an arbitrary metric for "pace." And very much solely stylistic. I haven't read much YA, but I do agree with you that there seems to be a heavy emphasis on making something major happen in every scene. Done well, it's fine, not ideal, but fine. Done poorly, it results in a story that feels episodic and disconnected. Which is the same reason I dislike artificial tension and conflict. They are, as you said, "stuff" meant to fill the void between big moments. Thank you very much for your comment! And for watching!
I wish this video had existed last year 😭 first of all, you’re a goddamn saint. This video is so easy to understand! And I feel like I was just given a holy grail to finally figuring out how to plot out a game I’ve been writing for almost 7 years. Thank you so much!
Oh, my goodness. This is one of those 'aha', key-in-lock pieces of advice that expresses EXACTLY what I'd been thinking, but didn't feel confident enough to trust. I've always had a strong aversion to the 3-act structure and the Hero's Journey because it always gave off generic Hollywood movie when that was never my goal. Those formulas are reliable, but a lot of my favorite medias don't follow them, like The Thing or Hunter X Hunter. This is so, so, so, so, so much clearer and jives way better. You have no idea how much this has validated and motivated me to write now! Thank you so much! You've earned an instant fan!
Amazing video. I agree with your points. Most advice say to follow a formula which leads to a very predictable story. They all seem to prioritize the outlining method which simply doesn't work for everyone. So thanks a lot for showing incredible tips. This process helps me to figure out the "bulk" of my story; as you said, a singular goal or concept spread through an entire story is boring, you need smaller goals building up to the climax. It reminds me of composing music, you have small beats that lead up to a crescendo and these beats are crucial even if they're small. I'm currently writing a story and your video came at the right time. Focusing on mini arcs makes it easier to see my story on a microscopic view as well as a grand bird's eye view. I can also make the plot more varied and interesting rather than have one concept that I'm trying to explore.
The traditional story structures/formulas never really helped me because they are just too generalized. This way of breaking down the story structure into bite-sized pieces is extremely helpful!
I think I really needed to hear that break from the 3-act structure. I heard it everywhere on other videos and was so upset my stories didn't seem to fit! Thank you!
Congratulations. I now dub this approach the mini-arc formula disguised as not being a formula. LOL. 😂 Just practicing my plot twist chops. 🙄 Haha this was really good, though, thank you!
Am I glad to finally find someone that agreed with me about all these formulas. Like most students, I was encouraged to read and study these theories: Christopher Vogler’s Heroes Journey, Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat, John Truby’s 21 Steps, etc. I felt lost. I felt it inorganic, unhelpful and some blatantly disrespectful to the art of story, especially save the cat, (citing exact page counts for events etc). But I was surprised by the fact that the overwhelming majority of the online screenwriting sphere praised these works, meanwhile (sometimes) bashing books that suggest other solutions. Finally a breath of fresh air.
That's a good description. I also felt so lost when I first started trying to learn all those writing theories. They seemed logical until I tried to actually make a story with them. Thank you for watching!
This was such an inspiration! I was struggling with my story for a while but seeing it from little arc perspective made it really "writable"! Thank you so much!
I really like the simplicity of this approach. It reminds me of the Lessons from the Screenplay video on defining an act. That video's author, Michael, tries to come to a more useful understanding of what makes an act. In the end, what he comes to is "Think of an act as the dramatic question it introduces to the story, persisting until the question is answered, and the protagonist has made a choice that sends them in a new direction." He treats acts much like you do these mini arcs. What I think is particularly helpful in both cases is that by seeing these arcs or acts as discrete elements with their own function and logic, you as the author are able to flexibly add as many as are appropriate for the story you are telling, without concerning yourself with hitting a predetermined number based on someone else's existing idea of structure.
Yes, that's exactly what I love so much about this approach, the flexibility! Not only can you do exactly what your story needs, you have a lot more freedom building a more unique story. Thank you for watching!
You've summarized in this sentence: 'The good news for the rest of us is that the more lazy writers rely on AI, the more stories written without AI will shine and stand out.' The reality of AI that none see. Creativity is an exercise; you lose it if you don't use it. Kudos!
Exactly! You lose it if you don't use it, well put. There's so much understandable worry and concern regarding AI in creative worlds. I think it's helpful to take a beat and remember that. Writers should just stay the course and constantly improve. It will be okay in the end. Creatively speaking, the exercised human mind will always be superior.
correct ..
I use ChatGPT to bounce off ideas I have. It's like having a 2nd person around who can provide elements you wouldn't think of. ... However, ChatGPT is terribly generic and often too abstract.
It works ok for some genres (like sci-fi), but sucks at others (like horror).
I'm wondering how many current stories are relying on A.I..
The problem is that is diffcult even for AI to reach the abyss of modern writers.
It is ok to let Ai Rate you story and tell you about the weaknesses of the story so that you can fix it.
“The story you write will either be terrible, or Indistinguishable from all the rest of the stories on the shelves these days-most of which are terrible.”
Thank you for this honesty. So many folks who do this are AIMING to show writers HOW to do exactly this.
The mini arc break down was what I needed to hear and has blasted the writers block I’ve been suffering Tysm
That's so great to hear! I'm so glad I could help in some way to break through the awful, dreaded Writer's Block. Good luck with your writing! And thank you for watching!
This video is essentially an unpacking of Dwight Swain's book Techniques of the Selling Writer, the single best writer's guide ever published. Do yourself a favor and check it out if you haven't. You can find a free digital copy online.
I'm new to this writing thing, but i have this feeling the more i try to look at those 3 act structures, heroe's journey guidelines, i find myself all the more lost in my storytelling. It doesn't feel organic anymore and the story loses its soul. I think this channel is the one I have been looking for. Thank you for this!
That's the biggest danger with all those formulas, in my opinion: the loss of soul. I hope this video helps as you get started on your journey. Hopefully my future videos will also be helpful! Thanks for watching and happy writing!
Yes, trust your writing instincts.
Agreed
You better hope you have good instincts though cuz I’ve read so many early writers with just the worst writing in the world with no structure and I’m pretty certain they all followed their instincts too. I think a bad writer w structure is better than a bad writer w/o structure. And good artists don’t really need it but honestly when you look at the most famous, widely spread movies books etc, they typically fall into three acts, even if not planned that way.
I find it makes sense to study the structure models, then throw them away and make my plots. Then if I find any issues, like I have a sense that something is off, analyzing the structure can really help. Like, realizing that "oh, if I flip these scenes like this, I hit the right beats" or "the reason this scene isn't working is because it's supposed to functionally do A, but I'm doing Z."
I've seen thousands of lectures from professional authors on pacing, and yet none have been able to explain and articulate it as well as you have. I feel like I have just learned something invaluable, thank you.
Have you watched Sanderson's BYU lecture series? It sucks. Once you start listening to these people you quickly realize they have no idea how they do what they do. They just follow their instincts. If you want to be great, you have to do the same thing.
@@MaximilianReyCartwright ummm, I actually really like Sanderson's lectures. But I don't see how that has anything to do with this video. Keep your rude comment to yourself, please.
@@solfolgarait3745 Saying a lecture series sucks is rude, but telling someone to shut up isn't? Get off your high horse, you ninny.
I thoroughly went through every story plotting formula, 3 act, 4 act, 8 part story circle, even found a thorough breakdown of the 3 act structure made into 29 chapters/steps. In the end, I went with my gut and wrote something wholly unique. I took inspiration from some of my favorite shows, books, games, etc, and formed a plot piece by piece with two seperate main POVs that intertwine towards each other by the middle. Currently on the 2nd round of revisions, and I'm in love with the characters and world I've crafted. Trust yourself, and look inward for the answers while drawing inspiration from your favorite arcs or moments elsewhere if you need it. Good luck, and great video! 👍
My story has 5 Acts I didn't choose it it just happened.😂
LET US READ IT
The rules of writing are like music theory: they're strategies and concepts conceived by observers trying to make sense of genius creatives. They're attempts at mapping the trails blazed by the greats. If you want to stand out, you have to blaze new trails, not walk the same ones millions already have before you.
@@MaximilianReyCartwright This is so true, I've been playing piano for over 25 years and you reach a point where you need to break the "rules" in order to get something very beautiful and unique. The rules are there for
beginners so they can get started but once you reach certain level you just need to ignore them in order to improve.
You had me at “there are no formulas.” But … endless thankless hard work? Personally, I’m having a blast.
You're definitely not wrong. I enjoy the process, too! But I do still have days when I feel like all I'm doing is banging my head on the keyboard... Thanks for watching!
i think this just broke through a wall in my head between myself and figuring out the finer plot details of my current project - thank you!
That's wonderful! I hope the plotting and planning continues to go smoothly for you now. And thank you for watching! Happy writing!
This is a great video. Writing advice tends to be super abstract and attack the structure of a story at a very broad level, or hyperfocused on the style of a single scene. This hits the middle of these extremes in a way i rarely see, and really appreciate!
This makes so much sense. I'm a beginner writer and plotting stifles me. And I find discovery writing leads me to waffle. And I believe this is the missing piece for me. Would love more in depth videos on story techniques.
Plotting was really tricky for me for a long time, too. I always felt like I was groping in the dark and if I got it right it was just because I got lucky. Learning things like this helped me so much, I hope it can help you, too. I do want to make a lot more videos on plotting and more in-depth videos on building stories. Thank you so much for watching, and good luck with your writing!
Only 9 minutes in but this is genius! I always end up writing my own structure to fit the story I want for every single book because the typical structures cause so many limitations and issues with flow. I've never heard pacing talked about in this way. You're really onto something.
This video is INSANELY informative and helpful with actual practical advice that anyone can follow. I really hope your channel starts to take off because I am already loving the content here!
This was crystal clear and very helpful. I have been getting stuck and lost while planning my story, you showed me what to focus on and I don't feel so helpless anymore.
Thanks a lot ! I hope the algorithm recognize your merits !
That's so wonderful to hear! I'm so happy I was able to help and I hope the writing goes smoothly now. Thank you very much for your supportive words, I really appreciate it. Happy writing!
@@The-Second-Story Thanks ! 🌼
I've been a writer for years, and this is probably the most helpful video I've ever watched on the topic of pacing and how to create "mini arcs" within the scope of the larger story arc. You've explained it so clearly with great examples. Please - PLEASE - do make more of these videos!! I'm watching.
Of all of the writing advice videos that I've watched (which is a lot) this is the first time I ever heard something like this and it makes sense! I have to say, this is the best writing advice I've received because it's not just general advice, like "5 Ways To Make A Good Magic Item." It's actual, actionable advice that can be executed and to actually help me get words to paper. A huge thank you.
This video is essentially an unpacking of Dwight Swain's book Techniques of the Selling Writer, the single greatest writer's guide ever published. Do yourself a favor and check it out. You can find a free digital copy online.
This is one of the best videos on storytelling (and creating in general) I've ever watched! I feel so lucky to have this recommended to me today! I've been writing on/off for about two years now because I was always trying to fit myself into these plot structures, and it has really robbed me of having fun and finishing anything. But no longer! Your take on pacing makes so much sense, and I feel excited to create again! Thank you for this, and do make more!
You did in one video what over a year of watching writers explain writing couldn't. Mahalo
the architect analogy was so good 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼
Imagine being an architect and saying "I won't need physics or engineering" that's what being an author and saying "I don't need a story structure" is like... 🙄
@@blobymcblobfaceguys he didn’t say that “The Second Story” is saying it, no need to feed it.
I follow Brandon Sanderson's advice. Map out the general structure of your story, outline the important events, set up sheets for your characters (longer and shorter depending on their importance) and then begin writing.
This way you have clear story points A through Z but aren't basically writing the same thing twice. The journey between the points is still unknown to you and you have the freedom to change whatever you want as your story progresses.
You don't fall into the George Martin trap of not knowing how to finish a story and you also get the benefit of a naturally flowing sequence of events.
All that's left is to practice this.
this!!!!!
@vesuvius3333 Thank you
I am not even through the whole video yet and I am already convinced that I will learn something valuable. By minute 4 you already outlined all my thoughts and problems. I'm going to watch the rest now, you have my full attention.
as soon as she said it's techniques not fomulas, i hit sub
I was enthralled by the halfway point when we've already encountered 4 mini arcs.
Agreed.
Two minutes in and I'm subscribed and thinking
"Oh, I'm saving this to listen to at work".
I've been devouring videos on BookTube looking for advice, guidance, tips, tricks, inspiration, knowledge...there are a lot of very useful & helpful folks out there.
But I've been drawn back to this video multiple times since I found it two months ago. You so succinctly convey the importance of mini-arcs & put into words something I think I've unconsciously known, but could never name.
Thank you. Truly. I've gotten myself unstuck from the rut I was in with my story. ❤
I’ve never thought of this. Now the plotting of The Hangover makes sense. Each piece of the puzzle as to where Doug is is a mini-arc.
I just noticed that this is actually a quite small and new channel. I loved the advice given. I have been struggling a lot personallly because I wish I could create art and I have a rather warped and difficult relationship towards producing art. Long story. Anyway I tried to get into writing a few months ago in order to work on my self-worth and the related issues and found myself giving up in frustration after a few tries. Writing and art in general always felt like this mystical skill that some people just seem to be innately born woth but your explanation beautifully lifted this mist that was clousing me the whole time trying to write. It really motivated me to give it another try. If I hadn't found this video I probably would have given up for good.
I'm really glad you didn't give up. Writing can be wonderfully therapeutic and also very rewarding. I firmly believe that anyone can learn how to do anything. I struggled a lot when I was younger with largely esoteric or vague and abstract writing classes. I would love to be able to show people that writing is a skill you can learn. A skill anyone can learn.
Thank you very much for watching!
John wick was not only sad for the death of his doggy but also because his puppy was a gift from his deceased wife making the dogs death heavier for his character.
That was a clear, understandable statement. So many forms/techs, but this clarifies structure and scene for me in a way I've been trying to extract from other presentations. Much appreciated!!
How wonderfully thoughtful you are. This was a meaningful contribution--thank you!
As a playwright who is transitioning to screenwriting, this segment has been important to me. It has given me rhythm and simplified everything in my transition journey. Thanks. From Kenya
Where have you been???? It’s like I’ve had the body of storytelling but not the heart to pump the blood. THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS GOLD!
I hope now you can pump all the blood you need! Thank you for watching and for your comment! I wish you the best of luck with your storytelling!
Yes, please keep making more videos. If you can expound more on how mini-arcs can constitute an entire story in a satisfying way, that would help get this video's point across even more.
I'm also curious about your take on character development/change and how it adds to a story.
Thank you for your support, it means a lot! I would like to make more videos in the future that go further into the concept of mini-arcs. There are a lot of interesting ways to use them.
Character creation and development is a subject near and dear to my heart. In the future I intend to make quite a few videos on that topic. Thank you so much for the suggestion!
This is why I find most of Netflix Originals boring. Unless written by an actual writer-creator, it is mostly algorithm written. Not Ai necessarily, but algorithm driven in terms of plot points, elements, music, actors, direcror choices, etc., and the pacing is always stretched more than it has to be
Very true
Probably the most eye opening video on storytelling I've come across. Thank you so much for this, it's as if there had been blindfolds over my eyes that i didn't know were there, and now i know, thanks to you removing them.
Thank you for this! I have written several novels, but any time I tried to plot stories with formulaic story structures, the stories felt boring and uninspired.
This mini-arc approach is something I've done instinctively, but having it vocalized had helped me understand why the times I strayed from this caused my books to fall apart.
Yeah I always felt like the 3 act story structure was so like restricting and makes you kind of force your story into a box - this video helped me a lot !! Thank you !!
I’m definitely following your channel, you’re explaining everything so well and take the pressure out of writing which most content and advice these days results in. Also love that you give examples, i’m not comprehending anything if do not have an example.
I have watched the whole video without skipping, the things u said, the advice u gave were making sense, your video pacing
Was so engaging, this proves that u are a great story teller and a great teacher, thank you mam
The tip towards the end to use the "Therefore..." to connect mini-arcs - that was the eye-opener for me. Therefore, I'm going to pace my stories better from now on ;-)
This video reminded me of my school days, when a great teacher would explain something I’d never understood so clearly and at such a comfortable pace that I could almost feel my neurons connecting, building the pathways that finally satisfied my need to understand.
Thank you!
Thank you, I'm so glad it was such a help! And thank you for watching and for taking the time to comment!
This makes so much more sense to me than prescriptive plot structures, all of which invariably fail to match the story I'm trying to tell in some way (usually many ways)!
Dam, it's crazy that I've been doing this unconsciously. I am going to re-read my story for the 100 time and mark each mini arc. I am sure something interesting will come out of it.
I finally find out why my story pacing feels too fast! It's because I have multiple mini arcs going on at the same time.
I can finally fix what I don't like, and whenever I want to create fast pacing, I now know how!
Out of all the writing videos I have watched this is unironically the best one I have seen, it really changes my mindset about writing stories and its so simple and to the point. This shouldve costed money.
You used my favorite movies that I've seen a million times, so I understood the mini arc plot plan. I'm going to look for it in the book I'm currently reading. I'm already remembering the "therefore's" from what I've read to this point. This will help me with my own novel moving forward. Thank you.
They are really, really good movies. I'm glad I was able to help you! Thank you for watching and happy writing!
This is the single best piece of advice I have heard. I write for fun and luckily this is how I naturally break it up. Thanks for the encouragement.
No one has ever explained a subject to me so perfectly as this lady
I love your approach! 💖 So refreshing! I'm so tired of the "copycating" everywhere. Cars, movies, all similar and soulless... Products and "content" . Thank you for pointing this out in literature.
That is exactly how it feels when so many writers use the same pre-made formulas over and over, like copies. Thank you very much for watching!
Thank you so so much for this! I have been studying structure, and for the life of me, I absolutely could not get a good story full of life out of following the three acts. I was beginning to feel like I was just no good at this, but this video has given me so much hope. I can definitely study this and apply this. Seriously, thank you!!
Really helped me through my first book process in a series of books. Was following 3 - 4 Act Structure and becoming frustrated since it seemed I couldn't fit everything into the frame of that structure. It's a long journey and requires stop at many different places along the series so I needed a way to break it up and the mini arc is perfect for that.
Thank you again, looking forward to your next video.
I already commented on this when I first saw it, but it seems to have disappeared. However, I keep thinking about this video and feel it's worth coming back to comment again.
My degree is in screenwriting, and I've studied a LOT about story structure (in addition to all the videos I watch), and this was such a refreshing take. Too many supposed gurus present writing like it's a paint-by-numbers project. And that's perfectly fine for hobbyists or anyone who wants/needs to churn out a high volume of content. But I personally find it incredibly stifling creatively.
I've been writing for almost 30 years now, and trying to force my stories into a rigid structure almost made me hate something I have loved for so long.
I really appreciate this video. Not only was it crafted like someone who has been doing this for a long time, all your points were well thought out, logical, and presented in an understandable, relatable way. Instead of trying to shoehorn examples into a particular narrative, you showed exactly how what you are saying works. It really made me feel like yes, *this* is what I connect with. And as someone who writes primarily in short form, I also feel like this is something I can not only implement but actually embrace.
Thank you. Instant follow with the bell. Hope you'll continue to make more. :)
That was exactly my sense as well, that it was all very creatively stifling. Even if I was excited about a story I was working on, when I sat down to plot it out according to "the rules," I would lose all enthusiasm. It became a chore, one I was loathe to finish. And if I did manage to finish, the resulting story was dull and lifeless.
Thank you for this comment (twice! though I never saw your first, it really must've been swallowed), and for your support. All the support I've received on this video is tremendously encouraging. I am, as I type, working on my next video. I love making them (even if they do take some time), so I'll keep making them until everyone loses interest. Thank you again!
I loved listening to you. You lay things out so logically and so convincingly. I glommed onto the word "pacing" because I've heard Grisham discuss it in his work as the indispensable and adjustable ingredient that makes his stories so readable, so compulsively readable. My story has languished. You've lit a fire under my butt by your well thought out ideas and your clear, concise explanations. I didn't know how to proceed but now I do -- I've got a map in my back pocket, thanks to you.
Thank you for this comment! It really means a lot that my videos can help people find the joy in writing again, and also find a map to put in their back pockets. Thank you for watching, and for your support! Happy writing!
Screw it, I'll write a second comment. This needs to be taught in schools.
You are my goat. Ive been struggling even getting starded. it seemed too daunting of a task to plan out the whole story. The mini arc chart was a perfect visualization.
This is so wonderful to read! I'm so glad I was able to help you find a way to start. Getting over that first hurdle is big. Good luck going forward! Thanks for watching and happy writing!
I've watched tons of youtube videos about writing (mostly sci-fi, because that is my goal, I'm totally newbie) and this video, and your other about character building are the MOST USEFUL content so far about the topic. Big hug and thank you
Thank you so much for this comment! It means so much to me that others, especially new writers, find my videos helpful. This is a hard craft to learn but such a rewarding one. I wish you the best of luck and I hope that my videos can continue to help you! Thank you again!
man, i’m really torn on this one!
on one hand, i think you’ve done a fantastic job explaining the concept of mini-arcs and how to keep a story engaging on a moment-to-moment basis. it’s extremely valuable advice and you deliver it clearly. i can see this video helping a ton of people with their writing, myself included!
on the other hand, i don’t see how this is at all at odds with using other structures or formulas. story formulas (like all theories of art) are based on what has been proven to work for storytellers in the past and can be super helpful when you’re stuck plotting out your ideas! this exact idea of mini-arcs is even covered by a lot of the very same formulas that you say result in “terrible” writing.
i don’t know much about architecture, but as a visual artist, part of my study includes doing copies and breakdowns of masterpieces. you could argue this is restrictive. but i don’t walk away from a michelangelo study thinking i have to draw buff naked white dudes and cherubs to be successful. instead i walk away with a stronger understanding of rendering, skin tones, anatomy, staging, etc., based on what has worked for someone else.
all this to say, formulas/structures are tools, not rules, and rather than saying point blank that all formulas are bad, i would much rather encourage young artists to explore and find what works for them out of the multitude of resources out there. i would be sad if someone took away from this that they should never use any other formula or structure.
hope this didn’t come off as overly harsh, overall this is very solid advice! just a little addendum based on what has helped me become a stronger storyteller. liked and subscribed.
I very much appreciate your comment! (And your support, thank you!) I do want to clarify, if I may, that I never said structure should be avoided. I said, I believe, that structure is crucial. My aim with this video is to teach people how to study and build their own structure. Aside from that, I think we more or less agree.
The thing with formulas is that the deeper into them you study, the more restrictive they become. A person could argue that the three act formula merely states that all stories must have a beginning, middle, and end, which isn't restrictive at all. However, as I studied that I began to find that the more "advanced" the lesson, the more restrictive the story shape. There were certain plot developments that had to occur at certain points. The middle of the story had to include certain specific difficulties for the protagonist, which then had to be resolved at precisely these points, and so on.
Your comparison to art is where formulas are, to some, very useful: as study. If you were to draw or paint a study of a Michelangelo, you would not then regard that as an original work of art that had come from your imagination, but rather as study, by which you do indeed learn a lot. The literary analog of that is to study the formulas -- if you want to -- that appear in certain stories. You could, if you wanted to, write a story following the exact story structure of The Godfather, as a way of studying it. However, the end result would not be an original work of your imagination, but a study carried out with the aim to learn. And that is a very good study method for a lot of people.
My problem with that, and the only reason I hesitate to encourage other writers to study formulas, is this: If you study the Godfather deliberately seeking out the ways in which is fits into XYZ formula, your study will be flawed and biased. If, however, you merely study its structure without a thought for a specific formula you will absolutely learn more. Sure, formulas are used a lot and often to great effect. Most of the time the formulas simply manifested after the story was done and were not actually written following a formula, as is so often the case in literary analysis. A good story will have a distinct beginning, middle, and end. That doesn't mean that the writer accomplished that by strictly following the three act structure. Moreover, repeatedly studying and imitating the structure of other stories to a T will not magically instill in a person the ability to build their own structure. Just like repeatedly drawing the Mona Lisa will not magically teach an artist how to draw any face or any figure. Writers need to learn what pieces are being used to build the structures they're studying.
To my mind, attempting to build a story by strictly following a specific formula is very similar to attempting to draw a picture by imitating the specific components of other drawings. This painting's hands, that painting's background, and so on. It teaches the young writer not that these are to be studied but that they are to be imitated and if perfect imitation isn't achieved, their own story is a failure. And maybe a writer trying to build their own structure will fail. But because they're learning the building blocks of stories, they can find the exact points of failure and learn from their mistakes.
Mini-arcs are meant as a beginning. My aim with this is to help writers teach themselves how to build their own structures without relying on the increasingly strict formulas. Especially because a lot of teachers these days present these formulas as the only acceptable way to write a story. Which I think we both agree is patently false. However, if writers can gradually learn what building blocks are used to make up any story -- even those written with formulas -- and start to practice using them and study finding those blocks in literally any story used in an almost limitless variety of ways, their creativity and their structural awareness can grow concurrently.
I hope you don't mind my continuing the conversation. I appreciate a conversation with someone who doesn't quite agree. I take it as an opportunity to learn, one way or the other!
Thank you again for your support!
Thanks ma'am for affirming my sentiment that stories can't be borrowed or built from a template, the conventional writing advices would never allow someone to produce something beyond the inspiration or would lead to something transformative or ground breaking. I think great stories in times like ours when so many casts have already been moulded, can only be born by observing the world through one's own senses and mind and then manufactured from a first principled understanding of the world and its processes, its strifes and beauty, its reasonings and lack there of, premonitions and causality. Everything shall be questioned and answered in the writer's own unimpressioned thoughts. Thanks for opening our eyes!
This one video just fixed a huge writing hurdle ive been having for weeks THANK YOU
This video is incredibly well written and valuable..I've had endless issues with story formulas and plotting without knowing why, so it feels like this was brought down from a holy mountain specifically to help me
One of the most clear and substantive videos on writing craft I've seen in a good while, you're sorely needed in this space.
This came just in time for me to write my first full length novel!
Me too! And funnily enough, I've been trying to understand the three act structure in order to adapt my story to it and it's been really confusing for me. This video is so helpful because I understood it!
I found this video extremely helpful, and I hope you break down more fundamental principles in the future like you did here. I was able to understand everything, especially with all of the great examples and graphics that you used. Subbed.
-someone who has never written anything, but has a cool idea (he thinks)
P.S. That keyboard looks loud asf "KLAK KLAK KLAK" lol
I'm so glad it was helpful (and understandable! it's hard to know if I'm getting my idea across or not). Thank you for watching!
(p.s. It used to be but it's not anymore! I customized it, it's very buttery. Otherwise I'd wake half the neighborhood at one in the morning with my thunderous turbo-typing)
Surprisingly informative video, most of the writing related channels I came across had too much filler to increase the length of the video and simply mentioning hero's journey and calling it a day. Learnt a lot from you, I appreciate it!
THANK YOU. You've succeeded in articulately explaining, that which 99%, of people have failed.
This was my favourite video on writing I've ever watched. Sounds a bit overdramatic to say but it's really the truth. Of every video I've ever watched this has brought me clarity beyond anything else. The mini arcs thing just clears up so much for me in terms of both writing a novel and also an episode based series. It makes so much sense! This insight is an absolute game changer for me!
I'm so glad it could be such a help to you! I hope it makes your writing go more smoothly. I know it helps me a lot in that regard. Thank you so much for watching and for commenting!
Your description of this principle really sparked the motivation pilot. I appreciate the comprehensive way you walked us through the relatable mistakes that every aspiring storyteller or wishful thinker (aka me) experience. It makes it feel like I can attempt this as well, despite my experience. Thank you for sharing this insight! I look forward to more of your videos! 🙌
Somehow this makes so much more sense than, ‘your characters should want something in every scene.’ I like this every scene has a climax 👍
This is a remarkably clear, thoughtful, actionable, and applicable video that cuts through all the BS of the “guides” out there. Well done
Your breakdown of pacing is eye-opening. I've struggled with understanding exactly how to do that for some time now, and your breakdown is just the breakthrough I need to move my novel forward. Five stars!!!
Thanks for this video! First time in my life i understand how the story structure actually works
I greatly appreciate how articulate flexible and concise you are in describing these principles. It's almost a relief. Tempo, Rhythm, logical progression of plot. Very very helpful and insightful thank you :)
I wanted to say thank you for making this video... Ive been chomping away at a book of my own for what feels like an eternity at a snails pace, but this video really set some things into stark relief for me. Some things i had been doing and some other things i needed to hear out loud.
Writing is hard. Im glad there are others who can clear the fog a bit for guys like me.
Thanks again
Thank you for this comment! It really means a lot when I learn that my video helped another writer. I wish you the best of luck in your writing endeavors!
Thank you for watching, and happy writing!
IMMEDIATE sub. This is amazing writing advice. You give favorite english teacher vibes. Thank you
One of the most direct and informative video on the importance of good pacing. Thank you for reminding us that formulas do not work! More videos please!
So... I'm not a plotter, but if I do ever plot instead of sort of "pantsing" my books, I think this is the way I'd do it. Just plan out each mini arc to get the overall arc accomplished. I almost despise actual outlining, (I know this is similar) but I feel like this would be different somehow. Thank you, ma'am 😊
By the way, i was shocked to see you only have 2 videos! You seemed so well-acquainted with speaking to a camera and so knowledgeable! Great job!
Fantastic breakdown and example. This helped solidify a concept that I've known about but never quite had a useful grasp on. I hope to see more content from you in the future.
This is an extremely helpful principle! Thanks for explaining it with examples, I totally wrapped my head around it now.
Great video, especially the mini arcs building up to the big arc. Thank you.
So helpful thanks for this! I was trying to follow Save the Cat structure and getting stuck!
i'm beyond grateful for this godsend of a video to reach my eyes. i've been stuck on how to write two stories for a good while, and learning about pacing helped me significantly. i always learn better with examples, so i really do appreciate the way you explain everything! i hope to see more videos like this!
i am obsessed with fundamental everything. thanks for the video
this was the most helpful video on writing I've watched so far! thank you, and I would love to see more advice from you!
I'm so glad it was helpful! I'm already working on more videos, so I hope they can prove helpful, too. Thanks so much for watching!
@@The-Second-Story great to hear! I'm sure they'll be just as helpful.
This is one of the best writing videos I have ever seen, and I consume a lot of content. Thank you!!!!!
I can’t express this enough, your message and delivery is so clear and concise. I’m immediately subscribed. I cannot wait to see more content from you. Absolutely incredible video
I want to learn more! Mini arcs sound like such a fun way to plot a story and ensure you are in control of your pacing as well. I have been a little intimidated by the whole idea of pacing and how to nail it right, but this video has shed some much needed light on the issue, for which I am grateful. I'll be watching this one again. 😊
They also sound like a formula. A useful one. That will produce boring, derivative writing if you just copy other mini arcs you've seen and add nothing of your own unique perspective- or can produce great writing in the opposite conditions. Which tells me it's not formulas that prodice boring writing- it's how you use them.
this was so helpful!! I always notice mini arcs in movies and books but for some reason never thought of formulating my story in that way. now I'm super inspired
Hilary's UA-cam post on story pacing is like a perfectly brewed cup of coffee-strong, invigorating, and guaranteed to keep you awake during those long writing sessions! She breaks down pacing with such finesse that even a tortoise would feel the need to pick up the pace. I laughed, I learned, and I may have even shed a tear when she revealed the secret to keeping readers on the edge of their seats-who knew it was just a sprinkle of suspense and a dash of cliffhangers? If story pacing were a dance, Hilary would be the choreographer, and I’d be the enthusiastic but slightly clumsy dancer trying to keep up. Overall, this video is a must-watch for anyone who wants their stories to flow smoother than a well-oiled plot twist!
Logically, I knew about mini-arcs before, but the way you explained this with examples really hammered things in. I have been struggling with plotting for longer stories for a while(I do well with one-shots), I have looked at story structures for help but it only served to confuse me more. So, your video has been a godsend, thank you for making this!
Now, I can go back to my novel and actually start working on it.
Thank you. I'm convinced that there are so many bad movies now because so many screenwriters have grown up on the books and formulas.
Glad to see someone frame pacing as less about the amount of words and more about the feeling you get when plot progresses. Having a "mini-arc" helps create faster beginning-middle-end cycles that make it feel like things are moving quickly. Setting up conflict, being challenged by it, and resolving a win-lose helps increase or decrease pacing so much more than just "how many words to describe something"
Like sure, using lots of words to describe a scene vs few makes you read it faster but if nothing is really happening it doesn't matter how short your sentences are or how few adjectives you use...nothing is still happening. You can use a lot of words but accomplish a ton of plot within those words by the nature of what is happening and it feel fast.
I also think a lot of people are too afraid to use narrative summary to help with pacing. A lot of YA and the things a lot of writers use to form their own idea of writing can get stuck in always using scene writing and nothing else. In this format you have to have extreme things going on to "improve pacing" because the thing happening has to be something that can be introduced and resolved in a short "timeframe" within the narrative timeline. The resolution has to be something that can happen in a few minutes and therefor it limits what can be introduced to help pacing. So I think a lot of people only using scene struggle with pacing because it can bog down events if you aren't making every scene some insane situation with a quick resolution.
The more I've mixed in narrative summary the more I feel pacing improves, obviously if everything is in narrative summary it can feel disconnected. Using it to push the plot along and get us more into the meat quicker instead of filling the void between big moments with "stuff" was a big moment for me to figure out how to get better pacing.
Exactly! An argument could be made, too, that if a well-paced scene is still written with a very high word count, the fact that we find ourselves desperately trying to read it faster could make it feel shorter. It is quite an arbitrary metric for "pace." And very much solely stylistic.
I haven't read much YA, but I do agree with you that there seems to be a heavy emphasis on making something major happen in every scene. Done well, it's fine, not ideal, but fine. Done poorly, it results in a story that feels episodic and disconnected. Which is the same reason I dislike artificial tension and conflict. They are, as you said, "stuff" meant to fill the void between big moments.
Thank you very much for your comment! And for watching!
This was literally the best and most helpful video on storytelling I've seen. Thank you so much, it has really made so much clear to me now.
I wish this video had existed last year 😭 first of all, you’re a goddamn saint. This video is so easy to understand! And I feel like I was just given a holy grail to finally figuring out how to plot out a game I’ve been writing for almost 7 years. Thank you so much!
Really good explanation. Mini-arcs is actually a really good way to put it. Thanks!
This seems so obvious but I’ve never heard it stated so plainly or framed in such a helpful way. Thank you!
Oh, my goodness. This is one of those 'aha', key-in-lock pieces of advice that expresses EXACTLY what I'd been thinking, but didn't feel confident enough to trust. I've always had a strong aversion to the 3-act structure and the Hero's Journey because it always gave off generic Hollywood movie when that was never my goal. Those formulas are reliable, but a lot of my favorite medias don't follow them, like The Thing or Hunter X Hunter. This is so, so, so, so, so much clearer and jives way better. You have no idea how much this has validated and motivated me to write now! Thank you so much! You've earned an instant fan!
Amazing video. I agree with your points. Most advice say to follow a formula which leads to a very predictable story. They all seem to prioritize the outlining method which simply doesn't work for everyone. So thanks a lot for showing incredible tips. This process helps me to figure out the "bulk" of my story; as you said, a singular goal or concept spread through an entire story is boring, you need smaller goals building up to the climax. It reminds me of composing music, you have small beats that lead up to a crescendo and these beats are crucial even if they're small.
I'm currently writing a story and your video came at the right time. Focusing on mini arcs makes it easier to see my story on a microscopic view as well as a grand bird's eye view. I can also make the plot more varied and interesting rather than have one concept that I'm trying to explore.
The traditional story structures/formulas never really helped me because they are just too generalized. This way of breaking down the story structure into bite-sized pieces is extremely helpful!
I think I really needed to hear that break from the 3-act structure. I heard it everywhere on other videos and was so upset my stories didn't seem to fit! Thank you!
Great video! I do this instinctually, I used to worry that things didn’t fit formally etc, and it’s so nice to see it explicitly detailed. Thank you!
Congratulations. I now dub this approach the mini-arc formula disguised as not being a formula. LOL. 😂 Just practicing my plot twist chops. 🙄 Haha this was really good, though, thank you!
Of all the videos I've watched about pacing, this one clicked with me the most!
Am I glad to finally find someone that agreed with me about all these formulas.
Like most students, I was encouraged to read and study these theories: Christopher Vogler’s Heroes Journey, Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat, John Truby’s 21 Steps, etc. I felt lost.
I felt it inorganic, unhelpful and some blatantly disrespectful to the art of story, especially save the cat, (citing exact page counts for events etc).
But I was surprised by the fact that the overwhelming majority of the online screenwriting sphere praised these works, meanwhile (sometimes) bashing books that suggest other solutions.
Finally a breath of fresh air.
That's a good description. I also felt so lost when I first started trying to learn all those writing theories. They seemed logical until I tried to actually make a story with them.
Thank you for watching!
This was such an inspiration! I was struggling with my story for a while but seeing it from little arc perspective made it really "writable"! Thank you so much!
I really like the simplicity of this approach. It reminds me of the Lessons from the Screenplay video on defining an act. That video's author, Michael, tries to come to a more useful understanding of what makes an act. In the end, what he comes to is "Think of an act as the dramatic question it introduces to the story, persisting until the question is answered, and the protagonist has made a choice that sends them in a new direction." He treats acts much like you do these mini arcs. What I think is particularly helpful in both cases is that by seeing these arcs or acts as discrete elements with their own function and logic, you as the author are able to flexibly add as many as are appropriate for the story you are telling, without concerning yourself with hitting a predetermined number based on someone else's existing idea of structure.
Yes, that's exactly what I love so much about this approach, the flexibility! Not only can you do exactly what your story needs, you have a lot more freedom building a more unique story. Thank you for watching!