Two Professional Writers Are So Over
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- Опубліковано 5 лют 2025
- It has never been more Gojo-ver. Gus and Henry return to lay the smackdown on the most deserving writing tips of all... their own from four years ago?
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Finally, We Are Not Alive takes on those hacks at the Diregentleman channel
Yeah these guys suck, WANA should sue them
I heard they even claim to be better than the writer of mice and men.
Now that's a deep cut.
@@christianlangdon3766
Man, I sure do hope that lil John Steinbeck is doing well for himself now after the exposure these chumps gave to him.
This is just like that recent Abigail Thorn video where she debates Philosophy Tube
@@lemonlordminecraft She finally took on that firestarter
"We don't want better writers, we want more writers" kinda feels in the same vein as "I want shorter games with worse graphics, made by people who are paid more"
Isn't that technically the opposite sentiment?
and I’m NOT joking
I literally want shorter games with worse graphics made by who are paid more to work less.
And I'm not kidding.
You said the second like is a bad thing.
Mistaking lack of quality for indie is, indeed, a bad thing@@Nightmare704RY
Honestly I just thought it’s ending because they’re no longer professional writers because they got fired
they just changed positions, now it's two professional publishers
Rule 5 was definitely a response to Lily Orchard's weird ass takes on media, and her close mindedness about genre.
Yeah, like as someone who’s been keeping up with her insanity, a lot of these silly or obvious rules are specifically a response to her lunacy.
So was the one about villain backstories that brought up "Freudian excuses".
Okay here’s a story:
Act 1:
The chicken crosses the road.
Act 2:
The chicken thinks about crossing the road again. She has an intense dilemma over the road. For every second you cross a road, there is always a second passing in which a car gets closer. The chicken reflects upon her previous journey upon the concept of jaywalking. She’ll take a mere step only to look back and forth. She retreats again because her internal matrix has landed that staying on one side of the road opens her options compared to committing the action of “crossing the road” itself. She continues to introspect about her choices. She has crossed the road, hasn’t she? For what? To get to the other side? Anyone can cross a road to get to where they desire but “the other side” may just be another transition between another “the other side”. Aren’t we all passing “other side”s to get to more “other side”s? This does not make the chicken’s experience unique but a universal experience. Crossing a road, then another road, then another road. Maybe you will find other sights while crossing your roads but there is a much higher likelihood you will just cross more roads after. There is no time to settle down. You can’t wait for a road forever but the road will always wait for you. And what are you waiting for? Whether you cross a road or not, the universal experience of crossing to get the other side will always happen. The chicken is a mortal being and if she were to stand at the other side of the road from the moment she first crossed to the day she dies: she’ll have gotten to the other side. Though, this is an option, the chicken wants to have hope she can cross the road she wants to cross; not the road she needs to cross. And even though these needed roads are long and tedious, they are necessary nonetheless. These roads ultimately contribute to the chicken’s goals. It’s only a matter of when she decides to cross the road and not why she crosses the road; contrary to her own beliefs of what matters.
Act 3:
Uhh fuck it I dunno Gojo appears.
When in doubt, Domain Expansion: Unlimited Void
"Throughout the coop and the barn. I alone am the feathered one. Imaginary Technique: Hollow Peck." - Gojo Clucktoru
Passes the Bechdel test and is therefore objectively good
It should only have to worry about the Bechoru Gojo test, which it passed
Nah I'd cross
the reason i like the lily orchard video is not because of the dunking aspect, or the writing aspect, but because it is simply my favorite type of WANA video: the gang slowly loses their minds. spongebob boys, movie reviews, troper fails. same follows for the wendig video, the peterson video, the whedon video. its not about the dunking for me, and i think others might feel the same. slowly succumbing to the absurdity of the task one has set for oneself is somehow just a very good video format for some reason. all i can say is that im a better writer than i was when your 50 tips video came out, but i dont know whether or not any of the 2 professional writers videos actually helped, so the point is moot.
edit: i wrote this comment like 20 minutes into the video. i did not know this *was* one of those types of videos i was talking about. bravo.
YES the slow, gradual loss pf sanity is either horrifying or hilarious. Turns out, for horror comedy writers, it is both
EIGHT WHOLE HOURS OF CHUCK WENDIG
I think that's a great way to describe it. My favorite WANA videos are basically documentaries of the gang interacting with the online equivalent of a cursed object steadily losing their minds as they pull back the layers of whatever it is today until they're insensate at the end
what the duck is a wana
WANA: West Asia North Africa. It refers to the countries, cultures, and peoples of places like the Arabian peninsula as well as the Caucasus, Anatolia, Greater Iran, and of course North Africa.
I can’t believe that the Two Professional Writers…WERE TWIST VILLAINS!
It was THEM! *THEY were vagueposting THE WHOLE TIME!*
Admittedly all of these rules were written in response to lily's rules... sort of a telephone game of advice at that point. The original video did help me gain the confidence I needed to start writing for fun.
As someone who found you guys through the original Lily Orchard video, I can tell this is gonna be surreal and strange and I cannot wait to see it!
Edit: "It's good to stay hydrated, it's bad to drown" is my new favorite phrase. Thanks Henry!
Edit 2: Ooh, another good phrase - this one from Gus! "Voyeuristic obsession with failure." "If you observe the most train wrecks, you will become the most brilliant conductor."
34:12 "cringe! this makes me cringe! there is no other word for it!" - the little Dan Olson living in our head
the little Dan Olson that we do not know living in our heads
You know it's interesting, because some of the best writing advice I have gotten has been from you guys, but not actually in your writing advice episodes. One of the things that has helped me most in the past year was something Henry mentioned in the Sierra Blanca video. He went on an aside where he said "by the way, you're not better." And then y'all talked about how flawed the idea of the lonely auteur is and realizing you do, in fact, just have to do your time in the mines to be in this field. Meg also mentioned their struggles with handling criticism in the past, and said something about how doing art is always good even if it's"bad art", and that helped me overcome some pretty severe writers block. I recently joined a small press, and the mantra "you're not better" has been immensely helpful in making friends and connections through them. I should mention I'm making this comment before watching this whole video so I have yet to hear y'all roast yourselves, but I want y'all to know that you've still helped me become a better writer, editor and collaborator with my creative peers
What a great finale. Feels so surreal to have "grown up" with you guys while I transitioned from college to the working world as a creative. I always understood the caveat of "You can use this... if it works for you" and never saw your advice as fully prescriptive. I didn't come for the bashing or for the advice; I'm not even a writer. I tuned in for hours of great laughs and insightful perspectives, and I even took away a lot of great creative advice in the abstract as a visual artist: "Just make it. Go on walks. Revisit your draft after a break. Engage with the world around you. Broaden your palette. To create, you need to live. You can make it with friends. DON'T DROP YOUR SPAGHETTI." So much stuff that feels obvious in retrospect, but was really encouraging to me at a time when I really needed it, to have any kind of confidence in what I made. Coming back, with all I've learned now on my own, to you guys extrapolating the decent and timeless parts of your content, and laughing/cringing at everything else, feels so full circle. Here's to you, me, and every other creative this channel has touched to keep moving forward, to learn what we don't know, to worship Gojo, and to keep creating.
It truly is a crime this video is not titled "This Is (Not) Writing Advice"
...I forgot all the comment prompts, I'm just glad to be here
henry i'm gonna start writing the script of my visual novel RIGHT NOW because of what you said, i've been planning and preparing and now i'm going to start actually writing it for real
GOOD!
Looking at Henry's portrait, i can't unsee his mouth as a really big closed mouth smile, how have i never thought of this before
every time they're like "who needs to be told this?" I think we all need to remember who these tips were originally in response to
I know that their opinions have changed and now they are into encouraging newcomers, but I do like the period of them specifically because it was the source of them gearing their advice to people in general and becoming less prescriptive (even if they now do whatever to rules that have a reason).
@@iantaakalla8180 I cannot decipher this sentence
I liked when they were starting out reacting to writing advice because it marked the start of shifting their writing advice to what it is now, especially since the first was reacting to Lily Orchard who had such binary preferences they had to make snappy absolute rules.
@@iantaakalla8180 cool thx
As a rule of thumb, your advice will change as you gain experience. Your experience as a writer will change what you see as important to writing. The best writing advice considers the writing goals of the recipient and tries to give practical advice to reaching that goal, even if it's to admit that asking someone else would yield better results.
I struggle with writing. I crave to create things so badly. I have so many ideas that I want to make real, but for some reason, it's like I just... forget about that whenever I actually have the time to work on things. I can't muster the drive to write or draw for myself. I want so badly to make things. I want to write fanfics, draw my characters, make podcasts or video games or even write a novel. I have so many things, and I work on none of them.
I used to write and draw for myself all the time back in college. I'd spit out a full story in like a day and post it without a second thought, or I'd crudely draw out an idea in MS Paint. Over time I've gotten better at writing and drawing, but I've also done it less and less, though the desire to create has not gone away.
I don't know why I just can't push myself to put in the effort for myself. If I'm doing a gift for a friend or a commission from someone who enjoys my stuff enough to pay for it, I can work on it no problem. I am very motivated by working for other people. I don't know why I can't motivate myself to do things for myself.
I know that I'm on the autism spectrum. Beginning to wonder if I might have inattentive ADHD as well. I'm considering seeing a counselor of some sort for these issues, because no methods I've tried in my day to day life have helped with this.
You should definitely give counseling a shot if you think it will help. Speaking as myself (Gus), I've got ADHD and am on the spectrum and there are definitely times where I have to force myself to start or plan ahead for a specific time in the day to write. If you're motivated to create for other people, then make something for them! Experience is experience!
Wow. Fellow man on the spectrum….this speaks to me like you wouldn’t believe.
ADHD can definitely affect executive function!
if it helps for you, these are words that helped for me. They may totally not work for you at all, but as someone who is very likely AuDHD, these are ideas i really meshed with.
0. Overarching idea: The less pressure you put on yourself, the easier it is to do anything creative.
1. You do not need to be consistent. Especially if you have ADHD, and you don't need to rely on your art for work, you might work better with huge binges of high interest creative output between long periods of not very much stuff. As an hobbyist myself, I find that trying and failing to do a "daily" thing when you're not someone for whom daily routines really work is much more damaging to my soul in the long run.
2. Use the in-between times to build up excitement and interest yourself up about a specific interest or idea. For me, it really helps when it is a singular, highly-specific plot/idea/cast of characters/essay etc. Actively research, become interested in, and think about something that inspires you to create. If you need to, write a note somewhere that'll help you remember "during my free-time, i really wanna think about fleshing out this idea". Keep yourself from doing anything to create with this idea - definitely prevent yourself from talking about it to others - until it feels like the desire to create just floods over.
3. Ride that wave until it peters out and be okay when it's gone. The creativity hasn't been exhausted from your soul, you're just not working on it right now. There's nothing more harmful to your long term creativity than beating yourself up about not being creative enough. You're not done, you're just taking a break.
Sorry if this doesn't work for you, and good luck!
54:43 I'm sorry, no, "It's good to stay hydrated; it's bad to drown" is absolute GOLD.
Two professional writters end their carrers by criticizing the two professional writers no one expected them to critique... themselves!!! (DUN DUN DUNNNN *Dramatic reverb*)
Every time this channel gets an upload it lights up the same light in my brain as seeing a Jacob Geller or Breadsword upload
Mood
The end of an era. It’s never been more joever
I do hope to see more long-as-heck-form discussions as writing from you two, mostly because hearing the two of you talk about something you are so deeply passionate about whilst also losing your shared mind makes me feel very happy.
We are not gojo and girth.
Only at Tip #2, but from having lurked the 'writing advice' space for a long while, I have observed a heartening trend towards the idea that 'Do what works for you' instead of attempting to create prescriptive declarations about how to write/create. I'm not sure what has caused this, be it the general democratization of content creation, and the opening of it to a wider audience, but the overall broad tenor of advice for creatives has been shifting further and further away from the idea that there is a single prescribed method of writing (when I was a kid, this went eh way of create an outline, follow the outline so help you god), to an understanding that it's best to take the things that work from any given pool of advice, and amalgamate them into a unique form that works for how you do, so I think it may be that this is less of a 'you were trying to do the youtube Gymastics' and more just the tenor and style of advice of the time, and a shifting of times?
i actualy think 'take risks with your writing' is great advice. The first book of mine to actualy be published was an experimental neo giallo poetic prose novella. my second was a book where youre just having a suicidal guy describe a horror movie to you. i have another one coming out that has two stories hapoenibg simutaeneously using the same words. Any time i try to write something normal people dont wanna touch it. I spent every moment of those books thinking i was being the most self indulgent asshole ever and people would hate it, but here we are
I'm glad to hear, as an author who also struggles with conventional stories, that there's an audience for the weird stuff!
2:14:02 - Will Wood (Gloru be Satoru but it's hallucinatoru and it's sure to be a storu we can tell in Purgatoru)
Unironically writing a story about a secret underground of mime assassins at war because one of them killed another's dog sounds really fun. But it will never be good enough because we are not Gojo, only he can write very good stories about mimes.
That is true. Throughout heaven and Earth, only he can write the honored stories that people recognize as classics.
You guys live rent free in my head. I've spent the past year writing and this channek has been instrumental to that. The most important thing ive learned in this endeavor is that one of my characters is in fact capable of trapping their enemies in a psionic mind prison and I cant escape that fact.
It worked for satoru gojo
Damn deep cut
the past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.
As someone who watched the tips you put out while I was still in high school, I think the best thing they did was just pull a number of people (including me) into realizing how BS a lot of the advice on youtube was. The overly utilitarian tips are definitely somewhat amusing to look back on, but considering just how much of the youtube writing ecosystem is people who give fluff tips based on their own personal desires for a story, and all of the people who never write but just collect the rules of their favourite personalities, it was a massive breath of fresh air at the time. For me specifically, even though I wouldn't say I ended up following a lot of your rules in what I do write now, just the sentiment of those tips helped a lot. The framework of "actually create something, not just something to our tastes" was a very important one. It's easy to look back at old work and cringe, but for what it was at the time, I think the first video was probably the catalyst for a lot of people actually creating stuff.
I will make no comment on the villains video, though.
I don't think "if you could abstain from writing for a long time you're not a writer" is exactly correct. I feel like I'm a pretty multifaceted artist so I'd just switch over to something else. I don't write that consistently, because I always have a "the thing" I'm doing which can be writing, but can also be a variety of other things like drawing, coding games, etc. Then again, with art there is always kind of a story, so in that way your point still stands.
The End(not) of Two Professional Writers
_I know, I know I've let you down_
*I’ve been a fool to myself*
Ok on 34: I like writing, I like talking about writing, I really like the process.
I have also had periods of *intense* writer's block that I have had to push through, often writing stuff I'm not as happy with as a warm up before I get to the thing I actually wanted to write.
Writing *is* going to be hard sometimes! And it feels very one size fits all about writers to go "if you're not feeling in withdrawal about writing after one week of not, maybe this isnt for you." It also makes me think of people who get discouraged from other arts because there is a learning curve, as there is with any skill, so not giving yourself grace as you try something new is how you end up with so many people who go "i can't do x" because of how fast they give up.
And yes, it *also* is feeling uncomfortably close to tortured artist bs.
i do think you guys are a little harsh on the "obvious" tips, a lot of the best advice I've received has been reminding me of something I already knew that for whatever reason I wasn't thinking of at the time.
Ever line should 'accomplish something', but what they never tell you is that the lines that do jack shit for the plot can also accomplish setting the tone or establishing characters.
"A Long Time Ago in a Galaxy Far, Far, Away" is 100% unnecessary.
It only tells you that it's a space thing and then you immediately open in space on a spaceship battle, it does nothing for the plot. But it also sets up the title stinger, establishes the fantasy vibe of the story, and just generally helps flavor what this movie is going to be.
I think that the real meaning of the rule is that as a writer, ideally you should have some intention behind every line, if not every word. Whether those intentions are good or bad, I think will be a manner of skill, technique, current trends, and subjectiveness, but the real point is you are giving lines thought, both in the moment (why a character would say this in that moment, the general pacing of a given scene, etc.), and in building up to something (what does this establish about a character that we see built upon, does this set the tone of the world/work, etc.).
But I don't think it's healthy to take it literally. Like yeah you can wave around some empty banter as just building up to more meaningful stuff having proper punch but sometimes, especially on a schedule or in a bigger production, you do need to fill time, and as long as your audience is invested in other aspects already, it's not going to ruin the whole thing. It'll only piss off people that already hated a work anyway. Even just making sure a line DOESN'T break something later is good enough sometimes.
@@CleaveTheDragon Oh yeah, it's mostly just to get you thinking. Like, not every line is going to be super deep or have a specific meaning, it's basically just saying "Be aware of what you're doing and erase unneeded filler text".
I remember commenting on your writing tips video and asking if it was okay that I barely thought at all when I was writing, that I just got a feeling that I was ready to add more to the story and just unleashed a storm of fingers on my keyboard without consciously focusing on much at all. I'm pretty sure you guys reassured me it was normal, and I'm thankful for that. I've always been a really fast reader/writer and that made teachers question whether or not I really understood what I consumed all the way up to high school, so that sort of "am I actually doing things right?" insecurity stuck with me. You guys continue to be very good voices on writing and storytelling, but I probably won't end up finishing this video because ironically your past videos already have given me a sense of security that I know what I'm doing when I'm writing, and the sort of "you do you" style in your 50 rules helped especially, since I really don't do things the "normal" way a lot of the time when it comes to anything. Keep on doing good shit! I'll check out the patreon now cuz I totally forgot you guys had one lol
Should’ve seen this coming after your tangent in the Johnny & Clyde podcast, but if there was ever a way to see this series off, this was it. Here’s to greener pastures!
And remember, We Are Not Gojo, but we do have girth!
EDIT: As it turns out, those greener pastures were riddled with yet more writing advice 😂 The more things change, as they say…
I appreciate this video so much. Y'all's original Lily Orchard reaction video is a comfort video for me, because it is SO entertaining to watch two guys slowly lose their minds over a chronically online person's increasingly batshit takes. But it's important to acknowledge one's own chronically online tendencies. 2:24:49 is something I really needed to hear, and really solidified that I'm done endlessly searching for writing advice. I have a feeling this will be my new comfort video now.
your willingness to revisit and challenge your own advice is *almost* as admirable as the sheer dedication to inserting gojo into as many points as possible
I'm so glad you guys went back to those villain tips, because I remember listening to that when you came out with those and being disappointed because y'all are better than that. I don't think I even got all the way through the original. Anyway, I enjoyed hearing you both equally baffled by the choices of your past selves. It's nice that you can laugh at yourselves.
I really love your conclusion at the end of this video. It's definitely what I've found to be true. I spent a lot of time writing before I started writing things I was happy with, and I never would have gotten there if I did not start.
Also, just a side note. But the idea of a story about a tornado that loves his wife and kids and just needs to get home for Christmas amuses me greatly.
My favorite thing about this series is that y'all make me want to create stuff. I have perfectionistic tendencies and that often stops me from actually doing anything creative. A lot of videos, even those made by writers, are often too concerned with the numbered list "Dos and don'ts" type of video that their advice ends up coming off as quite restrictive, like there's a good way to write and a bad way to write and that's unchanging. Your videos, even when some of your advice was a bit "dogmatic" so to speak, are often still underlined with this approach to creativity that encourages flexibility and there's nothing more encouraging to me than that. The phrase "If that works for you" kneecaps my perfectionism every time I say it to myself, and this channel, this series, is where I heard it first. Thank you.
EDIT: Ok, the tip 34 thing is kinda... Idk. What does it mean for my life to be "complete"? Should I even view my life as something that has to be completed? When you gave that hypothetical about not writing for a week, my immediate thought was "I can draw a story". My life doesn't stay the same and therefore, neither do the things that make me feel like my life is "complete", so maybe it's not great to think of it as "My life doesn't feel complete if I don't write". I love my life, and writing makes me love my life more, but it's not required for me to feel like my life is complete.
And with that, Gus and Henry rode off into the sunset. Only to promptly come back to make more episodes of Spongebob boys.
A nice girthy video, roasting those diregentlemen hacks...Somethingsomething Gojo hole...Gole
Parts of this video made me kinda sad, because back in 2021 I was waffling a lot about writing. I had been working on the same project on and off for years, but I really wanted to be a writer, I started looking for writing and motivation tips. I eventually stumbled across the Lily Orchard video (I didn't know anything about her other then she made the video about Steven Universe I didn't watch) and I really loved hearing from professional writers who still sounded down to earth and realistic about their advice. It was incredibly helpful, especially to hear things like 'there is not stone, don't worry about other people's stones because there is no stone' and 'do what works best for you and your story' because I was trying to hard to take every single piece of advice and cram it into my story, and it made it all the worse.
Being told I had creative freedom and I didn't need to make a wishy-washy plain toast story for everyone to enjoy wasn't necessary but something I really needed at the time. Now I've finished 2 novels, one died in query and the other is in a beta session. I'm also starting a third one, with some of the advice I took away from this show and others.
While it's super sad to see it end, it's not like you're deleting the videos and I can rewatch them for the lols. AND I promise I'm writing!!! I promise I've done something with these tips!!!! These were not a fruitless effort I swear
I'd argue that your writing tips are for two types of people:
The people who poke holes in writing tips because they have no capacity to make things and only have a desire to destroy things like the little hobgoblins they are (not that everyone is like that who pokes hole in things, but yea sometimes it feels like they don't particularly want to make/enjoy things)
The newest writers who don't even understand the beginning of rules and such. I recommend some of your tips to newer writers who are like "I wanna make my first thing" and they're asking how to start and other things. It's useful to have tips and have people like you who can examine other tip lists and point out how those tips work and how they don't. It's useful to have someone who can teach the ability to critically examine the validity of tips and offer "you don't have to trust every single piece of advice you encounter" and "decide what tips work for you"
Rule number seven rings true, still. My friends and family ask me why I know so much useless trivia, but if I'm writing something set in the eighties and I use a god-damned beeper, how am I NOT supposed to look up what was the code for "See you there", "Wait for me" and somesuch? I think it's great to have that sort of curiosity!
I watched We Are Not Alive's "Two Professional Writers Are So Over" video and all I got was "W.A.N.G." & "GIRTH!!!"
Overly Sarcastic Productions mentioned! I think you mean the Zelda Tears of the Kingdom Lonely Sky video, you said Wind Waker which is a more than 20 years old game, it does have Miyazaki inspirations too like every Zelda game. Much like your channel I could listen to them talk for hours.
Edit: Nevermind they did make a Wind Waker Video while I was gone for two weeks for conscription (aren't dictatorships fun/s ) well I know what I'm watching after this. Thank You :3
This video came up at an incredibly useful time for me, so I wanted to thank you both for that - the simple but entirely correct advice of "whatever gets words on a page works for you" is definirely more important than trying to produce something that's 10/10 flawless first time around. Thinking like an editor is definitely something that's hurt my ability to write at all sometimes (particularly fiction) and sometimes it's a frustrating process, so I really do try to curb the part of my brain that overanalyses the things I write IMMEDIATELY. I wouldn't do that when drawing - the rough sketch will look kind of bad but it's there as my basis to make something better - so doing it with writing isn't helpful either.
Being able to reflect and revisit on old advice is definitely a sign of growth as creatives too. The fact this is 2 hours of funny commentary while showing that was great! Truly a video full of girth.
50:28 Act 1: Two writers make a list of writing tips. On the mental plane, they battle against two shadow opponents who specifically look for writing tips in order to poke holes in them
Act 2: Two writers make a UA-cam video about Lily Orchard's list of writing tips, which gets a lot of views and comments, causing them to search out other writing advice to turn into UA-cam commentary videos
Act 3: Two writers find a list of their own past writing advice and turn it into a UA-cam video for content. The scene flashes back to the two writers in the past. The shadowy figures they were battling against emerge into the light, and the two writers recoil in horror as they recognize their own faces
TWO HOURS OF CONTENT BABYYYYYYYYY
These guys are gonna be so devastated when they hear about this. Owned
I mean, they sounds devastated when they hear their past advice which is very basic and stuff.
As somebody who horribly writes for fun, watching you makes my brain spark like a broken machine
A worthwhile story in the format of a UA-cam comment
Commenting on the Chocolate Spaghetti principle - I actually put a tiny little teaspoonful of cocoa powder in my spaghetti, and it tastes really really nice, actually. Like, it works shockingly well. There's probably a metaphor I can construct about this about "borrowing just a tiny bit from unexpected genres can heighten the one that you're working within", but I'm too lazy to write it.
I have a problem of just studying and studying how to write stories, but not able to physically write that much, I might ADD. Like I have an idea of 5 characters of 5 years writing 5 albums, planned out a loose outline, have a self made wiki in my head. I think I should consider voice activated typing, or at least get medication
one of the biggest things that gets me unstuck is either making a typed note or voice note on my phone. def feel you with the story rattling around in your head. best of luck!
Kinda in the same camp. I'm honestly very interested in how stories work, and cool ideas in stories, but not really interested in telling stories myself (at least right now). And even though they call me out in 50:48 , I don't think I'm necessarily doing myself any disservice
Anyways, I'm right now getting myself checked for ADHD (maybe ADD, maybe also ASD) because of various issues... (every day, procrastination city!)
I wish you good luck :)
@@metawarp7446 have you read writing books for fun, I did on vacation, I'm fascinated with storytelling,I really desperate to make something new and amazing, if I can get the right conditions I can make my heavy metal superhero shojo sci Fi Anarchist masterpiece, Got something that Gen Alpha gonna freak, their parents will hate it, my legacy will be secured.... If I can get meds
2:14:12 Love the reference there! Nice retrospective of these past tips, love the video!
Currently writing my fanfic as im listening, thanks for the 4 years of inspiration
also, GOJO GIRTH
WANAbes >>>>> Diregentlemen
Seriously though, happy this series is back, keep being awesome!
Holy shit this 17:00 like... I lack the words to describe this advice. This is like the final piece of knowledge I need to finish my novel. Like it's literally what I needed to hear. The last piece of the puzzle Holy shit
I've had my main project on pause for too long-- your ribbing and taunting is (as fucked up as it is) the kick to the balls I needed to get back into it. I appreciate you guys.
To be fair your Lily Orchard response hasn't aged a day, especially if you've peeked at any of her original works.
And I am in favor of using WANG as your acronym going forward. Cuz we as a society need to acknowledge the fact that we, are in fact, not Gojo
next time, you should force Chuck Wendig to react to his own writing advice
One of my favorite people to listen to interviews with is Chuck Palahniuk, even though I haven't read any of his work yet.
His process is about taking in anecdotes from all sorts of people and looking for common threads in human experiences, then sharing them to get more anecdotes, and he'll weave together very different seeming stories and find a unifying concept for them.
This 9 or so minutes clip is a good general introduction to that:
ua-cam.com/video/cKE3KCMwyhc/v-deo.htmlsi=ht4CUYFctPMSpzbW
people rip on palahniuk way too much imo. like sure criticisms i'm sure are valid, but just dismiss his writing out of hand. i read haunted as a 14yo and it was fundamental to me a) understanding that the world can be fucked up (like, it wasnt my fault and it wasnt unspeakable) and b) realizing my interest in horror
The sudden Xiaolin Showdown reference was so unexpected
The gojo segment is unironically how I started making friends at college, someone walked into the smash club and decided she would start acting like Gojo to pretend to have more confidence.
It worked, and the rest of us cry. For she is Gojo, and we are not Gojo.
Can't wait for the follow-up video to the follow-up video in another 3 years
Henry, I dare you and Gus to do Meg’s magic system advice now. Are you brave enough?
Then again, maybe it would just be:
Isn't this advice great? Man, the person who said this must have been super smart and funny. Man, I love this person…I mean, their writing.
I can understand why you decided to stand by point 33. But I think this point only really applies to stories where the characters have enough agency that they are not caught in the wake of larger forces. If you take a war story for instance, where both sides are fairly grey, having 2 soldiers on opposing sides simply having the goal of living through the war without losing their live to either the enemy or as punishment for desertion will have a far greater "war is hell" message than it would otherwise have.
It's funny you should use war as an example, as it made me think of Catch-22 which has kind of the inverse setup. The protagonist and antagonists are all fighting for the US in WWII, but the antagonists are the malicious, selfish, incompetent generals and bureaucrats (in effect, the "larger forces") with completely amoral priorities while the protagonist is, as you say, just trying to survive. And it's the most war-is-hell book I've ever read.
When I'm sat(oru) in my room and can't think of anything to write, I always go(jo) out somehwere to get a fresher mind
John truby the anatomy of a story was critical for one of the best youtube essays about how squidward is the ultimate antagonist
Oh, how the mighty have fallen…
Question related to the comment you made about Todd, do you stand by your work on Less is morgue? Do you think it holds up?
I for one still very much enjoy as I’m relistening to it right now on my daily commute
@@jeffscrungle6179 I'm proud of the work we did on LiM, just a bit of a self-deprecating joke on my part
@@henrygalley2831 hiya, so random question kind of completely unrelated to the video I've been a fan of the channel for some time now and you guys have referenced the clan of wizards existing in the same world as a planet eater multiple times and for some reason after all the videos I've watched I've never come across the original one where what you guys were referencing first showed up, if you knew the video name or if it was a patreon exclusive, I would really appreciate it, other than that love work, thanks for reading
Now i wonder how many "acts" House of Leaves has after that first one
"Demonetized! Please join the patreon."
- Henry, just before an ad was played
1:27:50 I think it’s a real good tool to genuinely not get too in your own head. I think passively consuming media whilst you create media can be a good method
1:04:20 My favorite character for seasons 3 and 4 of Castlevania was Isaac BECAUSE of the slow talky bits! I just really loved seeing how much he changes over the course of his journey by having these slow philosophical/theological conversations with the people he meets on his way. I actually have a hard time focusing on long action sequences so I think the people who increase the action and cut the "boring" parts are very misguided lol.
That's just my two cents, I mostly just love gushing about Castlevania.
Isaac was probably the only character that remained interesting across all seasons. Everyone else I feel they peaked on season 2.
We are not alive Domain Expansion: UNLIMITED GOJO
As Gus so wisely said in the Lily Orchard video: These aren't WRITING tips, these are WRONGING tips!
Counter example to #13:
You are a sadist making horror content to terrify others because that gives you pleasure, but you don't like scary things yourself so you don't experience your own work.
as i see it "Make every line count" isnt only for plot. A story is also world and character building. "i like girls like jennifer Lawrence" builds character. So use every line to build plot, world or character
A friend of mine says something to the effect of 'there's three things you need to be doing: advancing plot, advancing character, and advancing setting. You always need to be doing at least two.'
42:00 gus meant to say pack it up here but was thinking too much abt gojos aforementioned hole
Loved getting to see how your thinking has moved on! I did want to touch on the point you made about how writing isn't for you if you don't get joy out of doing it: How does one tell the difference between (prolonged) burnout and it just not being the career for you? I realize this can be a thorny topic and there's a lot of different causes, but I want to learn how to love creating again and I'd appreciate some outside perspective. (But I also totally understand that it's not your guys' call or your responsibility to Solve The Creative Process™, just something I would personally like to see if you're up for it!)
When it comes to people’s subjective experience, there’s no definitive right answer. That being said the “don’t give up” and “be fine with sucking if it means producing drafts” clauses are in full effect for people who just need to get out of their heads and do it.
Wait, so you’re saying if I send a really bad script to Henry’s email, he’ll show it around to the we are not alive extended universe?? Ferb, I know what we’re doing today
Girth!
Wasn't expecting a Will Wood reference lol
Wait when?
@@xx_isabel_the_wolf_xx3869 2:14:10
@@xx_isabel_the_wolf_xx3869 about 2:14:00
thanks for including the last bit. i get so stuck with perfectionism and anxiety that i just end up wanting to compile ideas and advice, with real hopes to make something i can be proud of, but yall are right, the solution is to just start writing. i am scared, but im more scared of dying without having created anything
#WeAreNotGirthjo
1:06:15 Conservatives make the gayest media completely unintentionally, like Mr. Birchum.
if pulp fiction was a tight utilitarian script would i be able to annoy all my friends by asking if they know what they call a quarter pounder with cheese in france?
Rule 34 is a lot differrnt than I remembered.
Looking back at past you and cringing is always a great sign of improving.
Re. rule 33:
I think if you have enemies without opposing philosophies or approaches, there's straight up no reason for them not to work together, because the impossibility of working together is in essence what makes them enemies. If prot. hates ant.'s haircut, and is disgusted by working with them because if that, then the story becomes about that disagreement.
Conversely, if you have two characters with opposing philosophies who aren't enemies, you straight up don't have a conflict between them, but a disagreement.
I just think once we narrow in on what "Enemies" means, there really can't be any other way for a story to be.
What if the point of the story was that the two people did have the same philosophy and goals, but they thought they did not, so they hate each other because they think they are diametrically opposed to each other?
I'll watch this later. (perhaps tomorrow) at work, and friends come over after work. Hope it's good.
things i learnt:
- gojo is hot ?
- two professional writers were a certain funny c word. [based word]
- how to write better and to apply it to my own works.
My dad died three days ago thank yall for the 2 hours of distraction
I’m terribly sorry about your father, I wish peace and time for grieving for you and your family
@@henrygalley2831 thank you so much I really appreciate that, have a blessed day💜💜💜
I think it’s interesting you guys talk about how efficiency isn’t always a good thing, bc one of my main gripes with the first How To Train Your Dragon movie is that it is too efficient. It focuses solely on the relationship between hiccup and toothless that it misses character building moments that would’ve been useful for setting up the sequel.
I watched your writing tips videos about two months ago. Feels surreal to listen to retrospective commentary so soon afterward. I am a time traveler.
Edit: I will make a nitpick. As someone with massive ADHD, sometimes writing is hard and feels like work and I don't want to. A lot of time, actually. But when I do, when I force myself to write at least a few hundred words every weekday, I feel more confident and happy with myself. For some of us, all work is hard and I could probably live my whole life without writing. When I got to the end though, I would regret that I didn't do it.
In conclusion, the vore forum had the best writing advice.
I feel like that makes sense in hindsight? Vore is a very niche topic to write about. You either make a very good story that uses vore or you make very good vore. Otherwise, it will not fly for the audience you write for.
51:23 here goes nothing:
In the quiet corner of a dead end road, there lived an old man. He kept to himself, to the point where even his neighbors hadn't seen him in person. He spent his days living in his rotting plaid couch, watching his television. It was a flat window into a world he no longer understood, but he tolerated it long enough to wait for "vintage" reruns that would jolt him with nostalgia like electricity to a dying heart.
But when the reruns did come, he couldn't focus on the charming monochromatic faces of those likely long dead. His eyes drifted to his wife. She had been burned into ash and contained in a once-chrome vase.
"Oh Violet..." he said to the air.
Regrets. That's all he had these days- every mistake etched in his mind. He had memorized a rerun of his own- one where he had his head out of his ass long enough to stop himself from ruining his life and more importantly, Violet's.
The obnoxious trill of the doorbell scared the shit out of him. He nearly fell off the chair, clutching his chest. But the bell didn't seem to notice as whoever on the other side kept pressing it over and over like a greedy child on Halloween night.
The old man opened to door to meet the hollow grin of a much younger salesman.
"Fairfield residence?"
The boy reminded him of himself at a younger age- in the least charitable way possible. He rambled on and on from a mental script about...water heaters or something. The old man couldn't focus due to the chilling realization that the pain in his chest hadn't stopped. In fact, his arm had grown numb.
The telltale sign of:
A heart attack.
*I don't want to die alone*
"How about you come inside?"
The old man said. Before he could finish his sentence the boy had wormed his way inside.
The house resembled more a landfill that anywhere humans were meant to live. Violet was the one who cared about making the place presentable but when she left so was his last fuck to give. So he couldn't blame the boy for not wanting to sit on anything.
"Did you know that with-"
"Cut the shit."
The boy pursed his lips. The room was silent for what felt like eternity.
"..sorry.."
Great. Now he felt like an asshole.
"What's your name, kid?"
"Miles...Miles Hirschman."
"You've got a girlfriend Miles?"
"No."
"...boyfriend?" The old man's cheeks flushed slightly; a remnant of his upbringing.
"I don't date. I mean I want to but-"
"You're a hard person to love." The old man responded, as if certain he had read his mind.
"...busy. I'm too busy for love." Miles tried and failed to not sound insulted.
The old man rolled his eyes, trying to ignore that he had projected a little too much onto him.
"Busy? Pah! You don't find time, Miles. You make ti-"
He visibly winced at the sharp reminder he didn’t have much *time* to make. Miles sat next to the old man as it became clear he was in pain.
" oh my god, are you okay sir?"
"Odie."
"What?"
"My name is Odie. Technically it's *Odysseus* but nobody ever calls me that."
"Odie, do you need me to call an ambulance?"
"Nah. I've lived long enough, Miles. Just- hold my hand; will ya?"
Miles nodded and wrapped his hand around his- squeezing gently. With nothing left to do, their eyes glanced at the television. A black and white girl was singing to her little fluffy dog. An unseen crowd responded by roaring with laughter.
"Violet loved this show" Odie said before closing his eyes for a final time.
The End.
About two and half years ago I decided to write everyday. A year ago I found a community that was writing some of the most niche stories I'd come across. The combination of these has resulted in me finishing more stuff, and I've grown as a writer. I'd expand on it, but the girth of my intended comment cannot be written seeing as I have covid :(.
On number 33 (and maybe a few others): The path is the goal. How the characters want to achieve the goal is more important than the idealized goal itself.
But "you and I aren't so different" can backfire so BEAUTIFULLY when the hero says, "you're right. That's why I'm gonna fight just as dirty as you!"
I also have a spot in a story where there's this "You and I can rule together." And the hero says "Yes."
Read a lot, write a lot. don't delete your old stuff. have creative friends. the 4 things that have genuinely improved my craft and nothing else.