I love well-done surprises that leave you thinking "wow, that puts a whole new complexion on those things that happened earlier" - and then you reread the book knowing what the surprise is and discover even more things that sit differently than the first time around and realise there was a lot more to it than you first realised. Subtle foreshadowing, events that seemed inconsequential when you first read it that take on a new significance in light of the story's revelation, not just the two or three things that stood out as significant when looking back the first time you read it. Basically, well enough written that the knowledge of the surprise actually makes it better on re-reading.
The bad surprises are “It was all a dream”, “nothing was real,” “it’s all been just a test for the bigger threat,” “ It was my evil twin all along,” and “my death has been greatly exaggerated.”
The "nothing of this was real" is done EXTREMELY well in Alice in Borderland. It doesn't leave you with the feeling of betrayal, but with "Oh, it all makes sense now! Wonder what happened to the rest." It ties in well with the plot and the theme (that's why I'm somewhat afraid for season 3...)
That’s actually an exemple of character not ONLY defined by trauma. Sure any batman story will have to remind you about his backstory, especially if it’s the first of a series, but he’s not entirely defined by it. Batman being a genius detective isn’t trauma-defined, his sense of moral, his no-kill policy, etc. Batman has many character traits that aren’t trauma-defined.
@shary0 Each of those stems from his trauma, though. His entire mission is born from trauma so anything in service to that mission is a result of it. Whether or not he is truly trauma-defined depends on who is writing him (a problem with analyzing a character like this is that he has had so many writers and interpretations that there are often inconsistencies). I think whether or not he is an interpretation based on trauma can be summed up by a debate among fans and writers that has been going on for years: "Is Bruce Wayne the mask?" The idea is that Bruce Wayne is *just* a fake playboy personality that Batman uses to serve as cover for his activities. The opposing argument is that both sides of his personality should be fleshed out in order to be a fully 3-dimensional character, and even if his mission remains important to him he should be able to find love and friendship and be actually happy in his personal life. That said, there are interesting storylines that come from Batman being trauma-defined, though they are often tragic themselves. The animated series Batman Beyond shows a futuristic setting where Gotham City is more dangerous than it has ever been and, at the start, Bruce Wayne is completely alone and unable to continue being Batman. The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller is a similarly bleak outcome for the character and setting. I commend the films by Christopher Nolan for attempting to give the character a completed arc where he is able to let go of his trauma and move on, it's something very rare.
@@nosotrosloslobosestamosreg4115 To be fair to some of those you seem to condemn, it could have never been real socialism. That would require far lower percentage of people who put themselves first.
yo! i usually don't subscribe easily but your vids have been FLOODING my page and so why not? This vid reallly does me confidence boost. Thank you for your time and effort!
Not a red flag: but I struggle with videos that excessively use the zoom in-out effect. It riles my autistic brain. It's like a writer over-using apostrophes!!!
Have just finished a book which, whilst mainly enjoyable, literally almost always referred to the main character as "the young..." and doing something "grimly", to the point it became quite laughable. "The young warrior, smiled grimly." "The young..., looked grimly" "The young... ate his crisps grimly" Okay the last one is mine, but you get the idea.
This is a common case of adverb abuse. Alongside the description of unnecessary reactions, repeating the content in both conversation and narrative, and the use of double, triple, quadruple adjectives for each noun... One can feel neurons die as the brain struggles to keep reading.
1. Backstory - I've learned to use it just like it is in anime - contextually, meaning if we need a backstory it is because we want to explain one current event or character's metamorphosis that might have taken place before the current timeline. One of my back stories is just a convo between those in the know and my main characters, that joins the group, other one is like a little investigation made in conjunction to one character's current behaviour that influences the character investigating, etc. So, if situation requires it - there will be back story. 2. Research - for me it 's like an iceberg: I research the whole damn thing, readers see the 20% most necessary stuff. I have one thing that I love for research, which is Pharaoh by Boleslaw Prus - it's so good I read it twice, even though it's a whole damn chapter with around 20 pages of a small print, but it's an exception to the rule. 3. Emotional telegraphic - never knew that it existed, I need to do research on that (the irony :D) 4. Abusive cliffhanger - cliffhangers are, for me, good within the book. When coming to the end of the book I'd rather dead the unsolved issue but not necessarily a cliffhanger, e.g. main character leaves town, although they have been saying forever how they are not going to leave and they finally do - end of the book - what is happening to them - I wanna know, but the book is okay even without me knowing it. It's just a literal new chapter in character's life. 5. For one trait characters - yup, the trap is real. :/ 6. My character's trauma is a starting point in my story, where she is trying to navigate the world from the point: okay, this happened, now what. 7. The consequence-free drama - oh my gosh.+, I might actually do the opposite - I always carefully reread previous scenes to fish out things I need to solve in the next scene (character A gave character B the money, what did the character B did with it, before leaving the room), etc. So I sometimes need to revise the scene because it's practically an excerpt from a programming code. :/ 8. Genuine surprise - my favourite thing to read. I know what will happen and I will anticipate it with fluttering heart every single time. That's a master writing and it's dificult to do. Wouldn't mind a video on the topic itself.
Sorry, but I think the way Anime presents backstories, especially in shonen, is an example of how it can really drag down the plot. Some fights are literally cut every other punch by entire episodes of very expository backstory. I get it, the villain isn't bad per se, just misunderstood by society and has a sensitive side. Can we get back to the fight now? And don't even get me started on the protagonist's brooding frenemy who leans towards darkness and evil, but in truth he's just misunderstood because he had a rough childhood/family *cue: 3 episodes backstory.
@@danilonascimento9866 You're probably right. I didn't narrow it down either to sports or slice of life anime. Obviously the genre will influence how flashbacks are made, sports anime and slice of life usually have their flashbacks moderately made. For example Bungou Stray Dogs made a great flashback on one of the characters - simple, and in correlation to what was happening currently. I don't watch too much of fighting anime like Dragon Ball or Naruto, so maybe flashbacks there (esp. they are long series) is more, however, there are other anime that introduce flashbacks very much to the point of when the action takes place.
Clear, concise, excellent! And a bit funny here and there. I really like how you address deeper level issues, with clear examples and without strong bias. Passing this one along. :) P.S. I like your lamp.
Consequence-free drama: Do a timeline of major drama and events ... a romance novelist did this and discovered that her lead had been pregnant for 14 months between the big 1-night stand scene and the delivery of the baby during another major event.
I enjoyed the beginning of Hawaii. I loved the way Michener made it exciting to see a land forming. My most disappointing show was "Lost". It had many of your red flags
John's writing videos are the most trustable out there. Zero doubt about any of the facts he presents--and he has a sense of humor, to boot. I'm saving my money so I can hire him as my editor.
CLIFF HANGERS: So now having solved these set of problems our band of adventures press on in they're ongoing journey towards finding they're way back home. Ya' know, a lot can be learned from Gilligan's Island. They did resolve they're present short term issues before starting a new episode. Yet, kept the viewer anticipating in suspense eager to press forward in the broader long term scheme of things. Fantasy Island, Love boat, Bionic Man-Woman, Starskey & Hutch, Planet of the Apes, Space 1999, Stargate, Land of the lost. Even Scooby Doo did that. Thank You, & HappyThanksgiving. I left with a few nuggets of knowledge and wisdom today. 😮 Very good Chaka. The Sleastak acknowledged.
I would say a good surprise doesn't let you re-read the story in spite of it, but because of it.. I rewatched Shutter Island several times because I look forward to the reveal. Whenever I rewatch a season of Thunderbolt Fantasy, I rewatch just the parts that lead to the big twist and the twist itself. Nothing in-between. I think this is the power of a good twist. A decent one lets you re-read the story without minding to know the ending. And a bad one leaves you feel betrayed.
When I was in elementary school, my teacher insisted that I had to use emotional telegraphing. I was (still am) used to narrate things that can be objectively observed, as if I was describing a movie scene. My teacher insisted that I explicitly mentioned how the characters felt emotionally because "You're not a robot! How are readers supposed to know what to feel if you don't tell them?"
7:19 Okay, but what if the protagonist DOES do mostly everything due to trauma? My main character has CPTSD and Borderline Personality Disorder, so it's... literally who they are. They start off extremely toxic and throughout story, they have to learn accountability and grow past those abusive behaviors. That doesn't mean every word of dialogue is "This guy made fun of me so fuck you", but internally, stuff like that guides his motivations.
Maybe give your character a hobby/ "coping mechanism"? It can be something like making art, going to the gym, or listening to music. It can still be slightly related; maybe they go to the gym only to use the punching bag or listen to metal music because the screaming drowns out their internal thoughts. Something like that.
Your videos have inspired me to try out fiction writing for the first time. My first goal is a 4,000- to 5,000-word short story. I'm currently at 1,515 words.
Could you do a video on mysterious Main Characters? Like characters who are closed off and mysterious to the reader but the reader doesn't feel alienated from them or unconnected?
Another good one Bookfox! Definitely reinforces my gameplan to keep a notebook during my second draft. Specifically to look for which character knows what when & unresolved plot items ( or reresolved plot items 😅).
I got a good laugh when you said you couldn't find a good example of a trauma-defined character in published works. Said all that needed to be said there.
About the backstory dump: I feel like backstory should be used to introduce the character's inner conflict. If this can be done without the backstory then it probably doesn't need to be in there, but for some characters backstory is the best way to set up inner conflict.
I feel like the best "trauma characters" are characters where you somehow just know some sort of trauma stuff is going on, but you're never told what it actually is. Like Nolans Joker. Or Dr. House. You keep asking yourself "WTF made this character that way?" but you never get the iceberg below its tip and the characters stays a mystery.
Many of Michener’s books are like that - from geological history to today. It’s his thing and he does it well. When he does it, I would argue it’s not back story, it is the story.
The Clan of the Cave Bear books have way too many research info dumps. I understand what the author is trying to do, but they frequently feel like filler that slows down the story.
Yes. That was my first thought too. I'm a massive nerd so I found most of it fascinating but holy moly even I got put off. Some of the descriptions of the landscapes lasted for pages.
Well, going on some of the things being said about Cormac McCarthy of late, re-writing his work is the least of it. The fact he's not here to defend himself is the usual deal with these sorts of things.
A good example of a single-trait character is Kristin Booth's Sam in Foolproof the movie. A good cliffhanger can show the protag not achieving his or her goal, wisely rejecting it because they have grown and are not willing to accept major compromises: the dream job with big ethical question marks, the attractive partner with too many strikes against them. I don't like happy endings. They tend to be too neat and somewhat sentimental. Do you have a video on how to wrap it up?
For me major red flag is author introducing overpowered plot devices late in the story. Like time travel. Or multiverse. Or magic. "You thought this was a pure sci-fi story? Well guess what. Time travel was possible this whole time! Oh, and I guess magic is a thing too". This sort of thing just makes my eyes roll.
Even if it isn't the totality of the character, I see far too many characters built around past trauma, especially when it is used to make things unnecessarily difficult. To me, it feels lazy, and I'm really not interested anyway. I don't want to read pages and pages about your divorce, childhood assault, or alcoholism.
One culprit is the romance genre's "this is why I can't trust love" trope and that the wound is healed through love. Another culprit is fanfic. I have written plenty of it myself. Calling back to the trauma's in the source material, ruminating on the events of the source material, etc. can train a writer such that original works follow a similar pattern. Except that backstory has to be explained to the reader in detail to explain why it's so often referenced in the present.
About research showcase, just make it flow together with the actual story, demonstrating things that flows within actual story would be much better, but most of the history would be gone though, yes, it would be simplified, but as much as i said it, you can just make it flow together with the actual storyline, you can have two characters talking to each other about the whole history of the certain thing, which demonstrates the whole thing without stopping the flow of the actual story, and best if you only include the critical infos, that's everything that any readers will ever need.
The McCarthy quote is interesting. Your 'first' one is Blood Meridian. The second one is the more developed McCarthy. Blood Meridian is always an amazing read, but going back and studying parts line by line? Can be a bit too much. His later writing is so much more in so much less.
Number 2 the research showcase - for me it was The Da Vinci Code. I know the art and artifacts were part of the plot but there was so much! A great book but it actually just kept pulling me out of the story. I kept thinking to myself 'ok, ok, you did lots of research'. Just my opinion.
The backstory dump made me struggle with one book. There was a whole scene in play, on a council meeting, author introduces a character in the audience asking a question. there was then a page and a half of backstory, and...none of that served a purpose to support the scene in play. Not a chapter later. Not two chapters later. It completely bucked the flow. All of that info would've been best served as slow reveals, as support for not only character development and surprises, but for supporting later scenes and giving further context to different moments in an interesting way.
These are all applicable to screenwriting as well, except for the "Flanderization". Those are often called string characters and serve only a single purpose. Now, if you do it to you Main Character or a Supporting role, you're in trouble.
I think the most egregious example of Flanderization on screen is the whole Scooby Doo gang. Ironically the episodic writing got better, but character writing got significantly worse. Compare Shaggy, for example, in the 1969 version vs any other. He is so much more well-rounded, not just a perpetually scared glutton. Or Freddy, who went from a great leader to just someone who told the rest what to do and made traps. Always bothered me, regardless of liking the later Scooby Doo installations they just never felt the same.
Yup, once again I instinctively avoid these mistakes and still can't get a deal. I think it's the literary agent equivalent of the ambulance chasing lawyer. Except it's not an ambulance, it's fad social issues. They don't seem to want a general audience grade, average people type of comedy. You know, non-polarized. Just funny. A multimedia vehicle with proven elements and structure which is new yet familiar...and still deals with a serious contemporary issue. GEEZ! Ok, shameless rant and sale pitch over. Thank you for your support, we're all in it together!
My backstories would mostly be on my main character and main antagonist, i made it so they have the most banger backstories ever with much information needed as to why they are who they are, backstories are important, but dumping too much like filling too much backstories with no necessary info that's actually needed by the readers are the ones that are boring as fu-, if you want backstories, do it so that it will inform readers about that character, not just fill those with absolute no reason at all, all backstories has to be relevant with the actual story or else it's borderline useless and that would push away people from reading the story ALOT.
Beta readers. If the backstory is good on its own and is interesting for the reader you know it's okay. Also, a good backstory will hint at the present - explain some behaviours, change in the character, etc.
What @marikothecheetah9342 said is the most important criteria for a compelling backstory. Now, if you could (in theory; you don't have to) write a compelling spinoff novella from the back- or side story, then you've struck gold.
My novel has a lot of characters. On backstory, I decided to have a book part devoted *just* to their backstories... but where the section also serves as vehicle to communicate some things (physical and conversational) between characters, and some ethical quandaries to readers. My thought here was that, with most of the backstories confined to one part of the book, hurried readers could just skip that section. Though I have buried a few reader goodies in the backstories, they aren't needed for an appreciation of the main story (but they will, imho, embellish that appreciation. So, their loss).
Bad idea. Some readers will just skip it (if they have enough interest to figure out where that part ends by skipping ahead and backtracking to it) but most will just feel like they've been slapped in the face with a wet towel. You could put that stuff into an introduction or you could write it in. But really it sounds like you're trying to cram together several stories that just don't fit together, or would need a whole series to say it all.
While you of course have artistic control over your work, I'm telling you that that will feel like an info dump and readers will put it down before proceeding to the rest of the book. Not to mention, some of that backstory could effectively serve a purpose to propel the story forward if woven into the narrative. What you're describing is fuel for spinoff novellas. Why waste them in the novel if they could be future moneymakers on their own? Please reconsider, my friend.
I'm doing that but putting it in it's own little book of sidestories. They're complete stories on their own for the characters I fleshed out in the novel, but only told parts of their story. That way if my readers wondered why one of my guys was lonely and depressed they could read it if they wished, but his characters contribution to the story is complete in itself.
@@j.munday7913 Ah. When you said, "book part" I envisioned a chunk *within* the novel that interrupted the rest of it. My bad. Still...spinoff novellas *are* really hot right now. Just saying.
Everything by Umberto Ecco has way too much research. I read “The Name of the Rose”, I tried reading “Foucault’s Pendulum”…got bogged down in research that didn’t advance the story, it all read as if Ecco was trying to let the reader know that he knows a lot about history.
1) Your point #3 is very similar to the lesson of my comic book-related video "The One Thing You *Don't* Tell Your Audience": ua-cam.com/video/YXbJAaS5O54/v-deo.html 2) There was no need to reveal the secret of "Fight Club" here -- just say, "The gimmick in 'Fight Club' will get you to think more deeply about mental health." *(Somewhere* there are people who haven't seen a famous movie yet or heard of its gimmick. Don't ruin things for them!)
In my current project, it seems like everyone has trauma. The hero was badly injured in an accident and has to overcome the trauma to defeat the villain. Spoiler: He doesn't, but he does learn to control his reactions well enough to win anyway. On the other hand, he's a skilled swordsman, loyal to his friends and really loves his sister. Who, for her part, was traumatized by the arson fire that killed a lot of her friends. And she's autistic, and has trouble processing emotions. But again, she loves her brother and will fight to protect the friends she's made. And she's a highly skilled sorceress. The sidekick doesn't seem to have any real trauma, beyond being fired from a job because everyone around him was stupid, and more politically connected, so he got the blame for what they did. He's a really skilled bureaucrat, which is what they need most to win the battle.
4:27 I do not see this - at least in your specific example - as telling the reader to feel. I took it as the POV of the character at the moment who had the POV.
Tv shows killing off characters being gimmicky made me think of why I stopped watching The Walking Dead. Used to love that show... had no idea who most of the characters were anymore when I stopped watching.
Is being a comic-relief an acceptable exception of a one-trait character? Like if a muscle character is reminding us every other scene of his muscle training and thinks of every situation as a situation than can be solved by force, but every time he does it is comically timed and non-serious.
Good video. I feel like all of these except #7 describes the work of Joe Abercrombie and the only reason #7 doesn't apply is because he never misses a chance to write more and more. About research, I think that the last few James Ellroy books have a little of that Research Showcase thing going on. I understand he hires researches and I guess he wants to get his money's worth, but it hasn't helped the books at all, rather, it's made his work a little stodgy and sluggish. James Ellroy stodgy and sluggish! It's madness.
I HATE #3 (emotional telegraphing) as a reader so I avoid it like the plague in my writing. I feel that if you write well overall the reader will invoke their own emotions and does not want to be told how to feel.
Is there an instance where it would be okay to you? Like someone processing something? I'm not saying spending a bunch of time on it, but that's my exception
I disagree with your point on the crossfit guy or vegan characters. They will as per reality always mention either crossfit or being a vegan in EVERY single scene whether it's relevant or not.
George Martin, sorry, but you have entered in the realm of the abusive cliffhanger. When I read it, I couldn't care less wether Jon Snow was really dead or not.
As always, it doesn't matter what you do or do not write. Without marketing, coin, connections, crews, clout, computer code, control, corporate communities, and opulent opportunities... you ain't *nothin'.* That's the reality, suckahz. 💪😎✌️ #copium
I wouldn't worry too much about it. A lot of comments (unwittingly) highlight a lot of great works flouting these tips. None of it is absolute. Everything can be fixed during the editing process.
Me picking up the pen is a major red flag
Use crayons like the rest of us u fool
Real
Do it! Make that mistake!
@@TheZetaKaiJumping off the storytelling cliff chronically petrifies many writers. Baffles my mind, frankly.
@@5Gburn honestly- I couldn’t stop writing if I tried.
I once wrote a story about the Soviet Union. Now THAT was full of red flags.
If I could applaud I would
@@sabikikasuko6636 Ayyy! 😎👉👉
was it happening is Soviet Union or literally about it?
Just like my story about the soccer player who kept committing offenses.
Shall we expect a sequel about China?
I love well-done surprises that leave you thinking "wow, that puts a whole new complexion on those things that happened earlier" - and then you reread the book knowing what the surprise is and discover even more things that sit differently than the first time around and realise there was a lot more to it than you first realised. Subtle foreshadowing, events that seemed inconsequential when you first read it that take on a new significance in light of the story's revelation, not just the two or three things that stood out as significant when looking back the first time you read it.
Basically, well enough written that the knowledge of the surprise actually makes it better on re-reading.
Reader after a good cliffhanger: "I can't wait to see what happens next!"
Reader after a bad cliffhanger: "I still don't know what happened."
The bad surprises are “It was all a dream”, “nothing was real,” “it’s all been just a test for the bigger threat,” “ It was my evil twin all along,” and “my death has been greatly exaggerated.”
Followed by: "So...! You're that punk I've heard about..."
Don't forget the "The people who sent you on the mission are colluding with the antagonist and it's all a charade." Looking at you, Kojima-Sama.
The "nothing of this was real" is done EXTREMELY well in Alice in Borderland. It doesn't leave you with the feeling of betrayal, but with "Oh, it all makes sense now! Wonder what happened to the rest." It ties in well with the plot and the theme (that's why I'm somewhat afraid for season 3...)
When I was a high-school teacher, I actually had a student with an evil twin. He had to move away to escape.
Just make them all at once! It's so bad it leaps straight ironic territory
[Trauma-defined character]
My first thought: Batman.
That’s actually an exemple of character not ONLY defined by trauma. Sure any batman story will have to remind you about his backstory, especially if it’s the first of a series, but he’s not entirely defined by it. Batman being a genius detective isn’t trauma-defined, his sense of moral, his no-kill policy, etc. Batman has many character traits that aren’t trauma-defined.
@shary0
Each of those stems from his trauma, though. His entire mission is born from trauma so anything in service to that mission is a result of it.
Whether or not he is truly trauma-defined depends on who is writing him (a problem with analyzing a character like this is that he has had so many writers and interpretations that there are often inconsistencies). I think whether or not he is an interpretation based on trauma can be summed up by a debate among fans and writers that has been going on for years: "Is Bruce Wayne the mask?" The idea is that Bruce Wayne is *just* a fake playboy personality that Batman uses to serve as cover for his activities. The opposing argument is that both sides of his personality should be fleshed out in order to be a fully 3-dimensional character, and even if his mission remains important to him he should be able to find love and friendship and be actually happy in his personal life.
That said, there are interesting storylines that come from Batman being trauma-defined, though they are often tragic themselves. The animated series Batman Beyond shows a futuristic setting where Gotham City is more dangerous than it has ever been and, at the start, Bruce Wayne is completely alone and unable to continue being Batman. The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller is a similarly bleak outcome for the character and setting. I commend the films by Christopher Nolan for attempting to give the character a completed arc where he is able to let go of his trauma and move on, it's something very rare.
Okay but the character mentioning crossfit every scene is actually just accurate to real life.
Or gluten free, vegetarian, vegan, Trump cultist, Ayn Randist, sports fan…
@@BooksForever or "diverse", "queer", "on the right side of history", "it was cult of personality", "that wasn't real socialism"...
I mean, if you want a character to be shallow and annoying, then go for it. It's all about being aware and writing with intent.
90% of real life "humans" are hideously written characters
@@nosotrosloslobosestamosreg4115 To be fair to some of those you seem to condemn, it could have never been real socialism. That would require far lower percentage of people who put themselves first.
yo! i usually don't subscribe easily but your vids have been FLOODING my page and so why not? This vid reallly does me confidence boost. Thank you for your time and effort!
You're welcome! Thanks for subscribing.
Not a red flag: but I struggle with videos that excessively use the zoom in-out effect. It riles my autistic brain. It's like a writer over-using apostrophes!!!
These are good thoughts to have in mind as I go through my last edit before I send my developmental editor.
These are absolute thing to watch out for during the editing process. And this video is just a ready to-do list.
GLHF
Have just finished a book which, whilst mainly enjoyable, literally almost always referred to the main character as "the young..." and doing something "grimly", to the point it became quite laughable.
"The young warrior, smiled grimly."
"The young..., looked grimly"
"The young... ate his crisps grimly"
Okay the last one is mine, but you get the idea.
"I'll take a potato chip... AND EAT IT!"
@@KineticManiac ...grimly
This is a common case of adverb abuse. Alongside the description of unnecessary reactions, repeating the content in both conversation and narrative, and the use of double, triple, quadruple adjectives for each noun... One can feel neurons die as the brain struggles to keep reading.
1. Backstory - I've learned to use it just like it is in anime - contextually, meaning if we need a backstory it is because we want to explain one current event or character's metamorphosis that might have taken place before the current timeline. One of my back stories is just a convo between those in the know and my main characters, that joins the group, other one is like a little investigation made in conjunction to one character's current behaviour that influences the character investigating, etc. So, if situation requires it - there will be back story.
2. Research - for me it 's like an iceberg: I research the whole damn thing, readers see the 20% most necessary stuff. I have one thing that I love for research, which is Pharaoh by Boleslaw Prus - it's so good I read it twice, even though it's a whole damn chapter with around 20 pages of a small print, but it's an exception to the rule.
3. Emotional telegraphic - never knew that it existed, I need to do research on that (the irony :D)
4. Abusive cliffhanger - cliffhangers are, for me, good within the book. When coming to the end of the book I'd rather dead the unsolved issue but not necessarily a cliffhanger, e.g. main character leaves town, although they have been saying forever how they are not going to leave and they finally do - end of the book - what is happening to them - I wanna know, but the book is okay even without me knowing it. It's just a literal new chapter in character's life.
5. For one trait characters - yup, the trap is real. :/
6. My character's trauma is a starting point in my story, where she is trying to navigate the world from the point: okay, this happened, now what.
7. The consequence-free drama - oh my gosh.+, I might actually do the opposite - I always carefully reread previous scenes to fish out things I need to solve in the next scene (character A gave character B the money, what did the character B did with it, before leaving the room), etc. So I sometimes need to revise the scene because it's practically an excerpt from a programming code. :/
8. Genuine surprise - my favourite thing to read. I know what will happen and I will anticipate it with fluttering heart every single time. That's a master writing and it's dificult to do. Wouldn't mind a video on the topic itself.
Sorry, but I think the way Anime presents backstories, especially in shonen, is an example of how it can really drag down the plot. Some fights are literally cut every other punch by entire episodes of very expository backstory. I get it, the villain isn't bad per se, just misunderstood by society and has a sensitive side. Can we get back to the fight now? And don't even get me started on the protagonist's brooding frenemy who leans towards darkness and evil, but in truth he's just misunderstood because he had a rough childhood/family *cue: 3 episodes backstory.
@@danilonascimento9866 You're probably right. I didn't narrow it down either to sports or slice of life anime.
Obviously the genre will influence how flashbacks are made, sports anime and slice of life usually have their flashbacks moderately made.
For example Bungou Stray Dogs made a great flashback on one of the characters - simple, and in correlation to what was happening currently.
I don't watch too much of fighting anime like Dragon Ball or Naruto, so maybe flashbacks there (esp. they are long series) is more, however, there are other anime that introduce flashbacks very much to the point of when the action takes place.
Clear, concise, excellent! And a bit funny here and there. I really like how you address deeper level issues, with clear examples and without strong bias. Passing this one along. :) P.S. I like your lamp.
The best practical writing channel on youtube. Cheers, mate.
Consequence-free drama: Do a timeline of major drama and events ... a romance novelist did this and discovered that her lead had been pregnant for 14 months between the big 1-night stand scene and the delivery of the baby during another major event.
I enjoyed the beginning of Hawaii. I loved the way Michener made it exciting to see a land forming. My most disappointing show was "Lost". It had many of your red flags
I appreciate that these were genuine points and were not too subjective or non-issues that are commonly shared as facts.
John's writing videos are the most trustable out there. Zero doubt about any of the facts he presents--and he has a sense of humor, to boot. I'm saving my money so I can hire him as my editor.
@5Gburn Thank you, that's good to know, there's only a few channel's I can think of that are so trustworthy. Do you mind telling me about your novel?
"Flanderization" Yeah I definitely thought of flandization when I heard "single character trait"
Very good and straightforward distinction between bad and good cliffhangers! Also, I'm lovin' the big volume of content!
CLIFF HANGERS:
So now having solved these set of problems our band of adventures press on in they're ongoing journey towards finding they're way back home. Ya' know, a lot can be learned from Gilligan's Island. They did resolve they're present short term issues before starting a new episode. Yet, kept the viewer anticipating in suspense eager to press forward in the broader long term scheme of things. Fantasy Island, Love boat, Bionic Man-Woman, Starskey & Hutch, Planet of the Apes, Space 1999, Stargate, Land of the lost. Even Scooby Doo did that. Thank You, & HappyThanksgiving. I left with a few nuggets of knowledge and wisdom today.
😮 Very good Chaka. The Sleastak acknowledged.
You have a new lamp in the background and it works perfectly to create an interesting set.
Thank you for making writing feel accessible. So excited when I saw a new video dropped. Always love your content :)
Glad you like them!
Currently I only write fanfics, but I gotta say your videos help me out a lot!! I’ve seen major improvement, so thanks!
Bro is on grind making them videos HAHAHAHA
And grindr 😜
I would say a good surprise doesn't let you re-read the story in spite of it, but because of it.. I rewatched Shutter Island several times because I look forward to the reveal. Whenever I rewatch a season of Thunderbolt Fantasy, I rewatch just the parts that lead to the big twist and the twist itself. Nothing in-between. I think this is the power of a good twist. A decent one lets you re-read the story without minding to know the ending. And a bad one leaves you feel betrayed.
When I was in elementary school, my teacher insisted that I had to use emotional telegraphing. I was (still am) used to narrate things that can be objectively observed, as if I was describing a movie scene. My teacher insisted that I explicitly mentioned how the characters felt emotionally because "You're not a robot! How are readers supposed to know what to feel if you don't tell them?"
7:19 Okay, but what if the protagonist DOES do mostly everything due to trauma? My main character has CPTSD and Borderline Personality Disorder, so it's... literally who they are. They start off extremely toxic and throughout story, they have to learn accountability and grow past those abusive behaviors. That doesn't mean every word of dialogue is "This guy made fun of me so fuck you", but internally, stuff like that guides his motivations.
Maybe give your character a hobby/ "coping mechanism"? It can be something like making art, going to the gym, or listening to music. It can still be slightly related; maybe they go to the gym only to use the punching bag or listen to metal music because the screaming drowns out their internal thoughts. Something like that.
Came for the comments. You made me proud.
Your videos have inspired me to try out fiction writing for the first time. My first goal is a 4,000- to 5,000-word short story. I'm currently at 1,515 words.
Could you do a video on mysterious Main Characters? Like characters who are closed off and mysterious to the reader but the reader doesn't feel alienated from them or unconnected?
Another good one Bookfox! Definitely reinforces my gameplan to keep a notebook during my second draft. Specifically to look for which character knows what when & unresolved plot items ( or reresolved plot items 😅).
Sometimes you take 3 pages to talk about the history of sword making and it's great (Beowulf) other times it's boring (Melville).
I got a good laugh when you said you couldn't find a good example of a trauma-defined character in published works. Said all that needed to be said there.
I really like the advice you put together and the way you deliver it 😊
About the backstory dump: I feel like backstory should be used to introduce the character's inner conflict. If this can be done without the backstory then it probably doesn't need to be in there, but for some characters backstory is the best way to set up inner conflict.
I feel like the best "trauma characters" are characters where you somehow just know some sort of trauma stuff is going on, but you're never told what it actually is. Like Nolans Joker. Or Dr. House. You keep asking yourself "WTF made this character that way?" but you never get the iceberg below its tip and the characters stays a mystery.
i love your videos so much 😭🙏
Many of Michener’s books are like that - from geological history to today. It’s his thing and he does it well. When he does it, I would argue it’s not back story, it is the story.
The Clan of the Cave Bear books have way too many research info dumps. I understand what the author is trying to do, but they frequently feel like filler that slows down the story.
And the Mother's Song repeated how many times? Editors today would've pushed back hard on that one.
Yes. That was my first thought too. I'm a massive nerd so I found most of it fascinating but holy moly even I got put off. Some of the descriptions of the landscapes lasted for pages.
... To be fair, IRL, Crossfit IS the single, incessantly-mentioned trait of Crossfit bros. They're like vegans and Mormons in that.
Another banger!! Thanks.
Well, going on some of the things being said about Cormac McCarthy of late, re-writing his work is the least of it. The fact he's not here to defend himself is the usual deal with these sorts of things.
A good example of a single-trait character is Kristin Booth's Sam in Foolproof the movie. A good cliffhanger can show the protag not achieving his or her goal, wisely rejecting it because they have grown and are not willing to accept major compromises: the dream job with big ethical question marks, the attractive partner with too many strikes against them. I don't like happy endings. They tend to be too neat and somewhat sentimental. Do you have a video on how to wrap it up?
For me major red flag is author introducing overpowered plot devices late in the story. Like time travel. Or multiverse. Or magic. "You thought this was a pure sci-fi story? Well guess what. Time travel was possible this whole time! Oh, and I guess magic is a thing too". This sort of thing just makes my eyes roll.
It‘s lazy writing and throws the reader off due to the lack of a proper buildup.
Even if it isn't the totality of the character, I see far too many characters built around past trauma, especially when it is used to make things unnecessarily difficult. To me, it feels lazy, and I'm really not interested anyway. I don't want to read pages and pages about your divorce, childhood assault, or alcoholism.
One culprit is the romance genre's "this is why I can't trust love" trope and that the wound is healed through love. Another culprit is fanfic. I have written plenty of it myself. Calling back to the trauma's in the source material, ruminating on the events of the source material, etc. can train a writer such that original works follow a similar pattern. Except that backstory has to be explained to the reader in detail to explain why it's so often referenced in the present.
About research showcase, just make it flow together with the actual story, demonstrating things that flows within actual story would be much better, but most of the history would be gone though, yes, it would be simplified, but as much as i said it, you can just make it flow together with the actual storyline, you can have two characters talking to each other about the whole history of the certain thing, which demonstrates the whole thing without stopping the flow of the actual story, and best if you only include the critical infos, that's everything that any readers will ever need.
The McCarthy quote is interesting. Your 'first' one is Blood Meridian. The second one is the more developed McCarthy. Blood Meridian is always an amazing read, but going back and studying parts line by line? Can be a bit too much. His later writing is so much more in so much less.
Number 2 the research showcase - for me it was The Da Vinci Code. I know the art and artifacts were part of the plot but there was so much! A great book but it actually just kept pulling me out of the story. I kept thinking to myself 'ok, ok, you did lots of research'. Just my opinion.
The backstory dump made me struggle with one book. There was a whole scene in play, on a council meeting, author introduces a character in the audience asking a question. there was then a page and a half of backstory, and...none of that served a purpose to support the scene in play. Not a chapter later. Not two chapters later. It completely bucked the flow. All of that info would've been best served as slow reveals, as support for not only character development and surprises, but for supporting later scenes and giving further context to different moments in an interesting way.
These are all applicable to screenwriting as well, except for the "Flanderization". Those are often called string characters and serve only a single purpose. Now, if you do it to you Main Character or a Supporting role, you're in trouble.
Good use of research: Project Hail Mary.
Bad use of research: The Ministry for the Future.
I think the most egregious example of Flanderization on screen is the whole Scooby Doo gang. Ironically the episodic writing got better, but character writing got significantly worse. Compare Shaggy, for example, in the 1969 version vs any other. He is so much more well-rounded, not just a perpetually scared glutton. Or Freddy, who went from a great leader to just someone who told the rest what to do and made traps. Always bothered me, regardless of liking the later Scooby Doo installations they just never felt the same.
Neal Stephenson... love sci-fi but I don't think I'll ever finish Seveneves cuz it's such a research showcase
Are there any other author-tubers that you recommend so I'll have more to watch between your releases?
The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo is a major chapter cliffhanger abuser as was the TV show 24.
Greatest twist (not gimmicky) in creation: ending of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
Yup, once again I instinctively avoid these mistakes and still can't get a deal. I think it's the literary agent equivalent of the ambulance chasing lawyer. Except it's not an ambulance, it's fad social issues. They don't seem to want a general audience grade, average people type of comedy. You know, non-polarized. Just funny. A multimedia vehicle with proven elements and structure which is new yet familiar...and still deals with a serious contemporary issue. GEEZ! Ok, shameless rant and sale pitch over. Thank you for your support, we're all in it together!
Please make a video on fantasy setting/worldbuilding
can you make a video about writing in book ajacent media (like comics for example)
Good video
My backstories would mostly be on my main character and main antagonist, i made it so they have the most banger backstories ever with much information needed as to why they are who they are, backstories are important, but dumping too much like filling too much backstories with no necessary info that's actually needed by the readers are the ones that are boring as fu-, if you want backstories, do it so that it will inform readers about that character, not just fill those with absolute no reason at all, all backstories has to be relevant with the actual story or else it's borderline useless and that would push away people from reading the story ALOT.
How do i know if the backstory is exciting? I mean, it might be for me but is it for my readers?
Beta readers. If the backstory is good on its own and is interesting for the reader you know it's okay. Also, a good backstory will hint at the present - explain some behaviours, change in the character, etc.
What @marikothecheetah9342 said is the most important criteria for a compelling backstory. Now, if you could (in theory; you don't have to) write a compelling spinoff novella from the back- or side story, then you've struck gold.
@@5Gburn thank you so much for your kind words.
Yeah, very guilty of #4 & #6. I think that's what's sunk my book as a whole at this point. :(
My novel has a lot of characters. On backstory, I decided to have a book part devoted *just* to their backstories... but where the section also serves as vehicle to communicate some things (physical and conversational) between characters, and some ethical quandaries to readers. My thought here was that, with most of the backstories confined to one part of the book, hurried readers could just skip that section. Though I have buried a few reader goodies in the backstories, they aren't needed for an appreciation of the main story (but they will, imho, embellish that appreciation. So, their loss).
Bad idea. Some readers will just skip it (if they have enough interest to figure out where that part ends by skipping ahead and backtracking to it) but most will just feel like they've been slapped in the face with a wet towel. You could put that stuff into an introduction or you could write it in. But really it sounds like you're trying to cram together several stories that just don't fit together, or would need a whole series to say it all.
While you of course have artistic control over your work, I'm telling you that that will feel like an info dump and readers will put it down before proceeding to the rest of the book. Not to mention, some of that backstory could effectively serve a purpose to propel the story forward if woven into the narrative. What you're describing is fuel for spinoff novellas. Why waste them in the novel if they could be future moneymakers on their own? Please reconsider, my friend.
I'm doing that but putting it in it's own little book of sidestories. They're complete stories on their own for the characters I fleshed out in the novel, but only told parts of their story. That way if my readers wondered why one of my guys was lonely and depressed they could read it if they wished, but his characters contribution to the story is complete in itself.
@@j.munday7913 Ah. When you said, "book part" I envisioned a chunk *within* the novel that interrupted the rest of it. My bad. Still...spinoff novellas *are* really hot right now. Just saying.
Miscommunication and characters not telling each other vital facts. To some extent it makes sense and can drive a plot, but it is so often overused.
Everything by Umberto Ecco has way too much research. I read “The Name of the Rose”, I tried reading “Foucault’s Pendulum”…got bogged down in research that didn’t advance the story, it all read as if Ecco was trying to let the reader know that he knows a lot about history.
1) Your point #3 is very similar to the lesson of my comic book-related video "The One Thing You *Don't* Tell Your Audience": ua-cam.com/video/YXbJAaS5O54/v-deo.html
2) There was no need to reveal the secret of "Fight Club" here -- just say, "The gimmick in 'Fight Club' will get you to think more deeply about mental health." *(Somewhere* there are people who haven't seen a famous movie yet or heard of its gimmick. Don't ruin things for them!)
In my current project, it seems like everyone has trauma. The hero was badly injured in an accident and has to overcome the trauma to defeat the villain. Spoiler: He doesn't, but he does learn to control his reactions well enough to win anyway.
On the other hand, he's a skilled swordsman, loyal to his friends and really loves his sister.
Who, for her part, was traumatized by the arson fire that killed a lot of her friends. And she's autistic, and has trouble processing emotions. But again, she loves her brother and will fight to protect the friends she's made. And she's a highly skilled sorceress.
The sidekick doesn't seem to have any real trauma, beyond being fired from a job because everyone around him was stupid, and more politically connected, so he got the blame for what they did. He's a really skilled bureaucrat, which is what they need most to win the battle.
4:27 I do not see this - at least in your specific example - as telling the reader to feel. I took it as the POV of the character at the moment who had the POV.
Tv shows killing off characters being gimmicky made me think of why I stopped watching The Walking Dead. Used to love that show... had no idea who most of the characters were anymore when I stopped watching.
use a story map to track everything in your story, so you dont forget things as the book progresses
Is being a comic-relief an acceptable exception of a one-trait character? Like if a muscle character is reminding us every other scene of his muscle training and thinks of every situation as a situation than can be solved by force, but every time he does it is comically timed and non-serious.
Good video. I feel like all of these except #7 describes the work of Joe Abercrombie and the only reason #7 doesn't apply is because he never misses a chance to write more and more. About research, I think that the last few James Ellroy books have a little of that Research Showcase thing going on. I understand he hires researches and I guess he wants to get his money's worth, but it hasn't helped the books at all, rather, it's made his work a little stodgy and sluggish. James Ellroy stodgy and sluggish! It's madness.
I HATE #3 (emotional telegraphing) as a reader so I avoid it like the plague in my writing. I feel that if you write well overall the reader will invoke their own emotions and does not want to be told how to feel.
Is there an instance where it would be okay to you? Like someone processing something? I'm not saying spending a bunch of time on it, but that's my exception
I'm a hack but I certainly have it in my head that conclusion needs resolution to follow.
#2 I call punishing the reader for your research.
Umberto Eco's novels are books with WAAAY TOO MUCH research
I disagree with your point on the crossfit guy or vegan characters. They will as per reality always mention either crossfit or being a vegan in EVERY single scene whether it's relevant or not.
George Martin, sorry, but you have entered in the realm of the abusive cliffhanger. When I read it, I couldn't care less wether Jon Snow was really dead or not.
Dont make the character about the trauma, but if the story is expressing trauma, that's okay, no need to minimize. And dont glorify.
As always, it doesn't matter what you do or do not write. Without marketing, coin, connections, crews, clout, computer code, control, corporate communities, and opulent opportunities... you ain't *nothin'.* That's the reality, suckahz. 💪😎✌️ #copium
research showcase ugh
This video just made me a lot less confident lol
This is a good sign. It means you're open to learning!
I wouldn't worry too much about it. A lot of comments (unwittingly) highlight a lot of great works flouting these tips. None of it is absolute. Everything can be fixed during the editing process.
109
Dan Brown is notorious for trying to show off his research, but all it does is come across kind of like conspiracy theories.
😀👍
This is good information but the presenter needs to stop for breath once in a while. Speaks too quickly without pausing once
First comment
saying first comment on a writing video is… something