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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
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 is perfect. Thanks. I often felt that my creative urge was being suppressed by trying to study and fit into one or more plot models. This video makes me feel like a weight has been lifted. Don't beat yourself up; write your creative story out of a bunch of mini-stories. I am a retired computer engineer. Every significant hardware problem or computer program is broken down into smaller, easy to handle pieces, and the complex result follows. Writing, painting, and sculpting benefit from the same breakdown. We just have to be aware of that. Thanks!!
Thank you! I'm glad this video could help so much! As an engineer you probably understand structure even better than I do! But that's my approach, too. Everything can be broken down into smaller pieces. Even conversations almost always have their own mini-arcs. Working with the smaller pieces is so much less overwhelming than trying to tackle the whole thing in one go. Thank you for watching!
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!
This is literally the best writing advice I have ever heard. Thank you so much. This gives me so much more direction and understanding and makes storytelling so much less overwhelming
Thank you! I actively pursue anything that can make the writing process less overwhelming... I'm glad this video could help you so much! Thank you for watching, and good luck with your writing!
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 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 video is helpful towards me as a writer. While a Formula can help with plotting something, it can make a story be more unoriginal and loses what makes it unique from other stories because the write follow others instead of what they want. For Mini-Arcs, It makes sense. A story is comprised out of several moments that could be interpreted as stories themselves. And they all have a beginning, middle, and end. And by making all these arcs connected to each other, it can make the story coherently sound and logical with its continuity. So again, I'm grateful for this video. Thank you for making this!
I completely agree. Formulas might seem helpful, but you pay for that with lack of originality and lack of a personal element. I'm glad my video could help you as you a writer. Good luck with your writing, and thank you for watching!
You have breathed new life into my writing. Every time I've tried to work on a big project I've gotten mired in structures and archetypes and all that jazz and it never fails to stall me completely. I have much to think about. Thank you!
I'm really glad I could help! Sometimes all your really need is to see the process from a different perspective. Thank you for watching! Good luck with your writing!
You described pacing beautifully. Pacing is now a progression of time which is relatively experienced and shared by characters and us not how much time has passed. It's not what we see but how we digest the scenes. Thank you for the insight.
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 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 with but your explanation beautifully lifted this mist that was clouding 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!
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 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.
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!!
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!
I've been really struggling with moving my plot forward because the structures that everyone is teaching don't work for me and I'm so glad I found your channel! Thank you so much for this insight.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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've been having so much trouble trying to figure out what happens in my book and finding none of the plot structures helped, if anything they made it worse for me to come up with anything that fit those beats. This is perfect! I feel like with this I can figure out what happens in the story and then compare it to plot beats AFTERWARDS. You're a genius! Subbed ❤❤
That approach makes so much sense to me. Analyzing your plot after you've put it together to see if it fits the frame you're going for. I think that's an excellent strategy! Good luck with your writing! Thank you for your support!
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!
WAIT the way you explained writing like an architect learning how to build based on principles was SOOOO helpful! I'm an artist, and I went to art school. We talk about the fundamental principles of design and we practice a lot of our "core skills". Now I feel like I can draw anything and everything I want to. I have a personal style that I tend to gravitate towards, but drawing for clients I can replicate really anything if I practice and try hard enough. For some reason, I never applied this same idea to my writing, even though it's also another art form. Thanks for putting that into perspective! :D
Exactly! Core skills, I love that! I believe that's the secret to almost any creative skill: you start by learning the core skills. And then you can study how those are used by masters and other professionals. Then you can draw your own blueprints, compose your own painting/design, or write whatever story you want to write. It was art that made this click for me, too. Thank you for watching! I'm glad my video could be helpful!
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. ❤
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this comment. I'm really glad that my video could be such a big help to you in your writing. I know what you mean about unconsciously knowing something. Sometimes it just takes hearing it phrased or described a certain way for it to finally click. Good luck with your writing! And thank you so much for your support!
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!
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
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.
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!
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.
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)!
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
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
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!
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!
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 want to thank you so so much for this video. I'm autistic and have struggled with the actual writing of a story (especially a longer one) despite getting through Creative Writing classes in university, an MA in Creative Writing, and studying the field a lot by reading, watching lectures and videos, and participating in online courses. I felt there was always something far too reductive about story structures, and no matter how much I tried to map out my story ideas onto them, they didn't help me exactly with the problem you describe at the start of the video: there is always an inevitable point at which I know where the characters should get to next, but I have no idea how to get them there (especially in a non-boring way). I am definitely going to try working on one of my stories with this new mini-arc method!
22:00 Saw the South Park writers talk about this once. I didn’t fully get it at first, but I think the longer explanation given in this video helped me understand it.
I've just started researching how to write the books that have been living in my head for years and out of all the research I've done so far your methods have been the most intuitive and helpful. Please keep uploading! (Or more regularly) I need all the info on your perspective of it as yours makes the most sense to me 😅
I thought this was a really good explanation. There are endless 'explanations' of story structure on UA-cam, that often last 2 1/2 hours and it's all theoretical. You explain it succinctly "and bring receipts" as the latest fashionable phrase has it. ( Nothing dates a film more than the inclusion of a once trendy phrase that someone thought looked good in the script + Of course, I've done the same thing here, but let's overlook that!). A story is organic, a by-numbers approach leads to mechanical storytelling, and yes, each scene must be dynamic in itself or else what's the point? But I also think that you must attend to the step by step progress of the story, the planning, so to speak. It's hard work bur actually more important, in my opinion, than a clever line or lovingly crafted prose. A story must _WORK_ or you shortchange the reader. You're taking them on a journey and you have to deliver satisfaction. Or else, they're thinking "What was the point of that?" I'm working on graphic novels, so visuals also carry narrative weight, not just words, but the outcome must still satisfy the reader. Thanks for a great explication!
Thank you for watching! And thank you for your comment. I couldn't agree more. While I love good prose as much as the next reader, nothing is more important than the story. Nothing! If a writer learns nothing else, it must be how to tell a story well. Thanks again, and happy writing!
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 ;-)
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)
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!
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!
I'm so very glad you made this video, and by watching your video and by reading the comments, to have found like-minded people on this topic. I don't understand why it is so verboten to think like this and reject the paint-by-numbers approach so often shoved down aspiring writers throats. To be fair to them, I think a lot of it is to do with bleed-over advice from other mediums (looking at screenwriters with their tight time constraints *shakes fist*), and then it just gets amplified by social media and people who mean well. I've gone through your video several times taking notes, it has set my mind ablaze with ideas and different ways to use it, but also the connections it has with other great advice I've come across. It's like the great ideas are out there in a masquerade ball, dressed up in different clothes, but still the same at their core. You've asked about the next topic to cover. I'd love to hear about description and prose. Those are two topics I don't think get enough attention and are treated somewhat wishy-washy without any firm principles behind them. In practicing I've come across a few, like reaching beyond the surface level (other wise known as describing the description / exploring the implications: She wore a yellow hat, a great big sunhat with flowers on it that made the children stop and gawk. It was so garish, is she so desperate for attention?), and also to only describe things that stand out from the ordinary (instead of micro-managing the reader's imagination): The man had a freakishly long nose pointing out over a walrus mustache. I'd be very curious to head other people's approaches and techniques, and would love to see a video on it.
Thank you for your comment! I'm so glad my video was able to help and inspire you! I definitely want to talk about prose and description in the future. It's a fantastic suggestion. Though a tricky, slightly subjective topic, I think there's a lot to explore there. Thank you for watching, and happy writing!
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.
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 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 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!!
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
Finally someone says what people mean when they *actually see pacing issues.* The amount of videos that say that "nuh uh, it's actually this arbitrary writing thing that is not really anything to do with story progression!" Thank you for saying it straight because *this* is the thing that i do for the most part when planning out my narrative, and why most people who write by the seat of their pants exclusively *are not very good writers* (honestly I am tired of getting called out by people who don't try to plan anything out at all before they've started their narrative and just start writing with no goals for their characters)
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!
What a fantastic video; the advice, laying it out, the graphics, every detail so well laid out. Your instructional storytelling is second to none! Please make more videos.
Thank you! Your comment is very encouraging! These videos can be a lot of work and it's nice to know that the work is worth something to others. I do have a couple more videos about writing on my channel. And I'm working on my next one now. Hopefully it will be done soon. In the meantime, thank you for watching, and thank you for your support!
@The-Second-Story I'm considering starting a channel (not a writing channel) and I find your graphics and style of video so compelling and elegant I would love to get some video crafting tips from you, if you were interested in making a little course on the topic.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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! 🙌
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
Adored this learning mini-arc. The analogy is often given that a well-told story is like music, that it has an engaging rhythm, and your discussion makes clear this is essentially the same thing as story pacing. So, standing ovation. This was so helpful to me. I am musical, my story does ramble, but it feels good to me, like each of the successive waves follows from what came before. I started out trying to build it on a raw plot formula, hero's journey, with romance beats, but I had a complete collapse in the effort a few years ago. It just seemed impossible to find a way forward. I was too tangled up in the wires and beams of the scaffolding. So I backed away, and started just building forward, one scene at a time, one musical phrase at a time, and found a new path through. Your discussion has helped me see that perhaps I am not a failure after all, but instead stumbled into an intuitive sense of pacing. So I am grateful to you for that. I did have a question. My story has been evolving over a long period of time. I started it as a novel, but when I was trying to sort out that mess in the middle, I decided to convert it to a screenplay, so I could think about it in an explicitly cinematic framework, and it did help a lot. That's when I finally got a better handle on pacing. But there is so much content. I tried to cut it back to fit into standard feature film length, but every time I got rid of or minimized a scene that had developed organically from this process, it seemed to kill the story logic. There was just too much I couldn't get rid of. I could not 'kill my darlings.' So I have surrendered and unrolled it to a limited series. I don't want to reduce the content. I want to tell the whole story. Is this a reflection of me just being a novice? The narcissism of the new writer? Shouldn't I be able to find a way to make it fit the packaging requirements of my chosen art form? Is it me?
I absolutely love the musical approach! I took piano for years and remember learning complicated pieces measure by measure. I think you did stumble into an intuitive sense of pacing. Your musical background probably conditioned your mind to detect this rhythm in other creative endeavors. I'm really glad I could help you understand this intuition a little better. As far as your question, I'm not sure what phase you're in with the writing process. First draft, etc. It's hard to answer completely without being familiar with your work. But until you have the story perfect, according to your opinions and tastes, you shouldn't bother thinking about length. Writers these days hear all the time that things have to be short and tight to be palatable. And while that's helpful advice, it is not true that short always equals quality. Perhaps you need all that information that you're cutting but you merely need to find a way to convey it faster, in fewer scenes. Maybe some scenes can be layered with others. Think of John Wick layering the second set of arcs. I think you should write the whole story without thinking about length and then take a step back and see if there are places where you can tighten it without sacrificing information. Maybe there aren't. Some things need to be longer. I don't believe in making things fit package requirements. If you shorten something that needs to be long it will feel rushed and unpleasant. If it's too long you'll be able to tell that content is repetitive or drags on too long. Just assess it honestly. But only after you've got the whole, uncut story on paper. I hope some of that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. Good luck and happy writing!
@@The-Second-Story Hi! Thanks for the response. To fill in some of the gaps, my story is currently broken down into a seven part mini-series. The final draft of the screenplay is almost complete, I've hired voice actors to perform it, a composer to do a sound track, and a storyboard artist. So you could say I'm fully committed to the project. I'm just not sure if I'll ever get it picked up for a live action version. Though I am going to pitch it to whoever will give me a listen. The story itself is a young adult time travel romance, a high school senior is determined to escape her tragically dysfunctional family through music, but her life is turned upside down when she gets dragged into rescuing a mysterious stranger from drowning in the local lake. When he regains consciousness, he only speaks Latin. Her kid brother thinks he's an alien. Her mom is convinced he's an angel sent from heaven. But she is convinced he's a con artist, and the only way to get her life back is to prove it. There are also villains. Anyway, as you can see, I've gone ahead with the whole story. I don't think there are any wasted or unduly repetitive elements. It's just a rather big story with a lot going on. But I am plagued by doubt. Which is why I appreciate your response so much. It gives me some hope that I'm not totally lost in the wilderness. Thanks.
That's really exciting! I hope everything goes well! I read somewhere once that the moments of self doubt before the end are like the final test. A lot of people give up at that point. You just have to power through and see what the result is in the end. Good luck!
Wow thank you so much, I was having so much trouble with how to fill the story in and you explained this so well that it's a lot clearer now. I'll study some stories and see what I can cook up for my own
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!
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!
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!!!
This is so helpful, thank you. The existing story structure formulas have made writing more difficult than it has to be for me. This has simplified it greatly and helped me understand how to fix existing issues.
You came along at the perfect time this is the most digestible set of techniques that I’ve found so far really helped me in my story ive recently started writing
I do find that looking at the structure of a story like this, in buildable pieces, is very helpful and makes the whole process seem less overwhelming. I'm glad it could help you, too! Thank you for watching!
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!
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.
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.
@@DavidMorales-s8dtotally agree! You need to know the rules to play the game and then you realize how and when break them to create something dynamic.
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 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!
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!
Writing can be fun. Don't let that get around, or everyone will want to do it!
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!
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.
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 is perfect. Thanks. I often felt that my creative urge was being suppressed by trying to study and fit into one or more plot models. This video makes me feel like a weight has been lifted. Don't beat yourself up; write your creative story out of a bunch of mini-stories. I am a retired computer engineer. Every significant hardware problem or computer program is broken down into smaller, easy to handle pieces, and the complex result follows. Writing, painting, and sculpting benefit from the same breakdown. We just have to be aware of that. Thanks!!
Thank you! I'm glad this video could help so much! As an engineer you probably understand structure even better than I do! But that's my approach, too. Everything can be broken down into smaller pieces. Even conversations almost always have their own mini-arcs. Working with the smaller pieces is so much less overwhelming than trying to tackle the whole thing in one go.
Thank you for watching!
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 ! 🌼
This is literally the best writing advice I have ever heard. Thank you so much. This gives me so much more direction and understanding and makes storytelling so much less overwhelming
Thank you! I actively pursue anything that can make the writing process less overwhelming... I'm glad this video could help you so much! Thank you for watching, and good luck with your writing!
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!
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 video is helpful towards me as a writer. While a Formula can help with plotting something, it can make a story be more unoriginal and loses what makes it unique from other stories because the write follow others instead of what they want.
For Mini-Arcs, It makes sense. A story is comprised out of several moments that could be interpreted as stories themselves. And they all have a beginning, middle, and end. And by making all these arcs connected to each other, it can make the story coherently sound and logical with its continuity.
So again, I'm grateful for this video. Thank you for making this!
I completely agree. Formulas might seem helpful, but you pay for that with lack of originality and lack of a personal element. I'm glad my video could help you as you a writer. Good luck with your writing, and thank you for watching!
You have breathed new life into my writing. Every time I've tried to work on a big project I've gotten mired in structures and archetypes and all that jazz and it never fails to stall me completely.
I have much to think about. Thank you!
I'm really glad I could help! Sometimes all your really need is to see the process from a different perspective. Thank you for watching! Good luck with your writing!
You described pacing beautifully. Pacing is now a progression of time which is relatively experienced and shared by characters and us not how much time has passed. It's not what we see but how we digest the scenes. Thank you for the insight.
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 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 with but your explanation beautifully lifted this mist that was clouding 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!
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!
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 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".
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!!
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!
How wonderfully thoughtful you are. This was a meaningful contribution--thank you!
I've been really struggling with moving my plot forward because the structures that everyone is teaching don't work for me and I'm so glad I found your channel! Thank you so much for this insight.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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!
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've been having so much trouble trying to figure out what happens in my book and finding none of the plot structures helped, if anything they made it worse for me to come up with anything that fit those beats. This is perfect! I feel like with this I can figure out what happens in the story and then compare it to plot beats AFTERWARDS. You're a genius! Subbed ❤❤
That approach makes so much sense to me. Analyzing your plot after you've put it together to see if it fits the frame you're going for. I think that's an excellent strategy! Good luck with your writing! Thank you for your support!
The way you think and structure your thoughts is like water for my soul. Thank you so much.
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!
WAIT the way you explained writing like an architect learning how to build based on principles was SOOOO helpful!
I'm an artist, and I went to art school. We talk about the fundamental principles of design and we practice a lot of our "core skills". Now I feel like I can draw anything and everything I want to. I have a personal style that I tend to gravitate towards, but drawing for clients I can replicate really anything if I practice and try hard enough.
For some reason, I never applied this same idea to my writing, even though it's also another art form. Thanks for putting that into perspective! :D
Exactly! Core skills, I love that! I believe that's the secret to almost any creative skill: you start by learning the core skills. And then you can study how those are used by masters and other professionals. Then you can draw your own blueprints, compose your own painting/design, or write whatever story you want to write. It was art that made this click for me, too.
Thank you for watching! I'm glad my video could be helpful!
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. ❤
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this comment. I'm really glad that my video could be such a big help to you in your writing. I know what you mean about unconsciously knowing something. Sometimes it just takes hearing it phrased or described a certain way for it to finally click.
Good luck with your writing! And thank you so much for your support!
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!
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
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.
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!
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!
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)!
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
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
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!
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!
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 want to thank you so so much for this video. I'm autistic and have struggled with the actual writing of a story (especially a longer one) despite getting through Creative Writing classes in university, an MA in Creative Writing, and studying the field a lot by reading, watching lectures and videos, and participating in online courses. I felt there was always something far too reductive about story structures, and no matter how much I tried to map out my story ideas onto them, they didn't help me exactly with the problem you describe at the start of the video: there is always an inevitable point at which I know where the characters should get to next, but I have no idea how to get them there (especially in a non-boring way). I am definitely going to try working on one of my stories with this new mini-arc method!
22:00 Saw the South Park writers talk about this once. I didn’t fully get it at first, but I think the longer explanation given in this video helped me understand it.
I was gonna comment “someone watched the South Park cameo on that MTV show” lol
I've just started researching how to write the books that have been living in my head for years and out of all the research I've done so far your methods have been the most intuitive and helpful. Please keep uploading! (Or more regularly) I need all the info on your perspective of it as yours makes the most sense to me 😅
IMMEDIATE sub. This is amazing writing advice. You give favorite english teacher vibes. Thank you
The way you presented this subject is brilliant and clear, with precise details and examples. Thanks
I thought this was a really good explanation.
There are endless 'explanations' of story structure on UA-cam, that often last 2 1/2 hours and it's all theoretical.
You explain it succinctly "and bring receipts" as the latest fashionable phrase has it. ( Nothing dates a film more than the inclusion of a once trendy phrase that someone thought looked good in the script + Of course, I've done the same thing here, but let's overlook that!).
A story is organic, a by-numbers approach leads to mechanical storytelling, and yes, each scene must be dynamic in itself or else what's the point? But I also think that you must attend to the step by step progress of the story, the planning, so to speak. It's hard work bur actually more important, in my opinion, than a clever line or lovingly crafted prose. A story must _WORK_ or you shortchange the reader. You're taking them on a journey and you have to deliver satisfaction. Or else, they're thinking "What was the point of that?"
I'm working on graphic novels, so visuals also carry narrative weight, not just words, but the outcome must still satisfy the reader.
Thanks for a great explication!
Thank you for watching! And thank you for your comment. I couldn't agree more. While I love good prose as much as the next reader, nothing is more important than the story. Nothing! If a writer learns nothing else, it must be how to tell a story well. Thanks again, and happy writing!
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 ;-)
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)
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!
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!
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.
I'm so very glad you made this video, and by watching your video and by reading the comments, to have found like-minded people on this topic. I don't understand why it is so verboten to think like this and reject the paint-by-numbers approach so often shoved down aspiring writers throats.
To be fair to them, I think a lot of it is to do with bleed-over advice from other mediums (looking at screenwriters with their tight time constraints *shakes fist*), and then it just gets amplified by social media and people who mean well.
I've gone through your video several times taking notes, it has set my mind ablaze with ideas and different ways to use it, but also the connections it has with other great advice I've come across. It's like the great ideas are out there in a masquerade ball, dressed up in different clothes, but still the same at their core.
You've asked about the next topic to cover. I'd love to hear about description and prose. Those are two topics I don't think get enough attention and are treated somewhat wishy-washy without any firm principles behind them. In practicing I've come across a few, like reaching beyond the surface level (other wise known as describing the description / exploring the implications: She wore a yellow hat, a great big sunhat with flowers on it that made the children stop and gawk. It was so garish, is she so desperate for attention?), and also to only describe things that stand out from the ordinary (instead of micro-managing the reader's imagination): The man had a freakishly long nose pointing out over a walrus mustache.
I'd be very curious to head other people's approaches and techniques, and would love to see a video on it.
Thank you for your comment! I'm so glad my video was able to help and inspire you!
I definitely want to talk about prose and description in the future. It's a fantastic suggestion. Though a tricky, slightly subjective topic, I think there's a lot to explore there.
Thank you for watching, and happy writing!
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.
Somehow this makes so much more sense than, ‘your characters should want something in every scene.’ I like this every scene has a climax 👍
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 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!
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!!
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
Finally someone says what people mean when they *actually see pacing issues.* The amount of videos that say that "nuh uh, it's actually this arbitrary writing thing that is not really anything to do with story progression!" Thank you for saying it straight because *this* is the thing that i do for the most part when planning out my narrative, and why most people who write by the seat of their pants exclusively *are not very good writers* (honestly I am tired of getting called out by people who don't try to plan anything out at all before they've started their narrative and just start writing with no goals for their characters)
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!
What a fantastic video; the advice, laying it out, the graphics, every detail so well laid out. Your instructional storytelling is second to none! Please make more videos.
Thank you! Your comment is very encouraging! These videos can be a lot of work and it's nice to know that the work is worth something to others. I do have a couple more videos about writing on my channel. And I'm working on my next one now. Hopefully it will be done soon. In the meantime, thank you for watching, and thank you for your support!
@The-Second-Story I'm considering starting a channel (not a writing channel) and I find your graphics and style of video so compelling and elegant I would love to get some video crafting tips from you, if you were interested in making a little course on the topic.
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!
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.
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.
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!
Thanks!
Thank you so much for your support!
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! 🙌
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
Adored this learning mini-arc. The analogy is often given that a well-told story is like music, that it has an engaging rhythm, and your discussion makes clear this is essentially the same thing as story pacing. So, standing ovation. This was so helpful to me. I am musical, my story does ramble, but it feels good to me, like each of the successive waves follows from what came before. I started out trying to build it on a raw plot formula, hero's journey, with romance beats, but I had a complete collapse in the effort a few years ago. It just seemed impossible to find a way forward. I was too tangled up in the wires and beams of the scaffolding. So I backed away, and started just building forward, one scene at a time, one musical phrase at a time, and found a new path through. Your discussion has helped me see that perhaps I am not a failure after all, but instead stumbled into an intuitive sense of pacing. So I am grateful to you for that.
I did have a question. My story has been evolving over a long period of time. I started it as a novel, but when I was trying to sort out that mess in the middle, I decided to convert it to a screenplay, so I could think about it in an explicitly cinematic framework, and it did help a lot. That's when I finally got a better handle on pacing. But there is so much content. I tried to cut it back to fit into standard feature film length, but every time I got rid of or minimized a scene that had developed organically from this process, it seemed to kill the story logic. There was just too much I couldn't get rid of. I could not 'kill my darlings.' So I have surrendered and unrolled it to a limited series. I don't want to reduce the content. I want to tell the whole story. Is this a reflection of me just being a novice? The narcissism of the new writer? Shouldn't I be able to find a way to make it fit the packaging requirements of my chosen art form? Is it me?
I absolutely love the musical approach! I took piano for years and remember learning complicated pieces measure by measure. I think you did stumble into an intuitive sense of pacing. Your musical background probably conditioned your mind to detect this rhythm in other creative endeavors. I'm really glad I could help you understand this intuition a little better.
As far as your question, I'm not sure what phase you're in with the writing process. First draft, etc. It's hard to answer completely without being familiar with your work. But until you have the story perfect, according to your opinions and tastes, you shouldn't bother thinking about length. Writers these days hear all the time that things have to be short and tight to be palatable. And while that's helpful advice, it is not true that short always equals quality. Perhaps you need all that information that you're cutting but you merely need to find a way to convey it faster, in fewer scenes. Maybe some scenes can be layered with others. Think of John Wick layering the second set of arcs. I think you should write the whole story without thinking about length and then take a step back and see if there are places where you can tighten it without sacrificing information. Maybe there aren't. Some things need to be longer. I don't believe in making things fit package requirements. If you shorten something that needs to be long it will feel rushed and unpleasant. If it's too long you'll be able to tell that content is repetitive or drags on too long. Just assess it honestly. But only after you've got the whole, uncut story on paper. I hope some of that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. Good luck and happy writing!
@@The-Second-Story Hi! Thanks for the response. To fill in some of the gaps, my story is currently broken down into a seven part mini-series. The final draft of the screenplay is almost complete, I've hired voice actors to perform it, a composer to do a sound track, and a storyboard artist. So you could say I'm fully committed to the project. I'm just not sure if I'll ever get it picked up for a live action version. Though I am going to pitch it to whoever will give me a listen.
The story itself is a young adult time travel romance, a high school senior is determined to escape her tragically dysfunctional family through music, but her life is turned upside down when she gets dragged into rescuing a mysterious stranger from drowning in the local lake. When he regains consciousness, he only speaks Latin. Her kid brother thinks he's an alien. Her mom is convinced he's an angel sent from heaven. But she is convinced he's a con artist, and the only way to get her life back is to prove it. There are also villains.
Anyway, as you can see, I've gone ahead with the whole story. I don't think there are any wasted or unduly repetitive elements. It's just a rather big story with a lot going on. But I am plagued by doubt. Which is why I appreciate your response so much. It gives me some hope that I'm not totally lost in the wilderness. Thanks.
That's really exciting! I hope everything goes well!
I read somewhere once that the moments of self doubt before the end are like the final test. A lot of people give up at that point. You just have to power through and see what the result is in the end. Good luck!
this was awesome - explained something that I couldn't put a finger on in such a clean and digestible way - thank you!
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.
Wow thank you so much, I was having so much trouble with how to fill the story in and you explained this so well that it's a lot clearer now. I'll study some stories and see what I can cook up for my own
I'm glad this could help you! Good luck with your writing and thank you for watching!
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!
Wow! The content and visuals are so good. Subscribed, looking forward to more of your content.
This is a remarkably clear, thoughtful, actionable, and applicable video that cuts through all the BS of the “guides” out there. Well done
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!
This is one of the best writing videos I have ever seen, and I consume a lot of content. Thank you!!!!!
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!!!
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 is so helpful, thank you. The existing story structure formulas have made writing more difficult than it has to be for me. This has simplified it greatly and helped me understand how to fix existing issues.
You came along at the perfect time this is the most digestible set of techniques that I’ve found so far really helped me in my story ive recently started writing
Thank you so much! Figuring out what happens next is always challenging, but seeing the cause and effect relationship between arcs is very helpful.
I do find that looking at the structure of a story like this, in buildable pieces, is very helpful and makes the whole process seem less overwhelming. I'm glad it could help you, too! Thank you for watching!
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!