I heard a suggestion from someone that if you don't like your first chapter, write the rest of the book and go back at the end. Since the more you write the better you get, and the more you write the story the better you understand the characters and events. The first chapter in my WIP is a wimpy little place holder, and now that I'm about 2/3 through my WIP I do feel like I have more insight into how to make it work better. But to top it all off, now I can pair what I already have, and my new ideas, with the stellar advice from this video. I'm actually not dreading it at all, which is exactly the feeling I like to have before rewriting a difficult chapter. :)
I know this might sound dumb but I am 10 years old and I love to write story’s. I want to be an author, and this video helped me a lot! I have like 20 pieces of papers with beginning pages that totally flopped. But this made my characters feel more genuine. This is such a helpful video and I’d like to see more 😄 Edit: Thank you guys for your support! Its been a while and I’m still writing the introduction to my book. With me taking my time I feel like I get better results with my work. Also, instead of using this, I’ve kinda come up with my own method for hooks that’s more suit to me. Anyways, have a good day❤️
I can freaking relate to you. I’m a young teen and I have more than 20 documents with failed beginnings, and I almost gave up when I realised my mistake and began to focus on my characters. And, don’t ever give up, all right? :)
I am 16 years old and I have 15 book ideas, all different plots. I am really glad that I found this channel, because I never know where to start. I'm like a newborn baby when it come to the writing world.
WhY dOeS yOuR StOrY mAtTeR? gOoD qUeStIoN wHaT iF i ToLd YoU tHaT tHeRe'S a ScIeNcE bEhInD eVeRy GrEaT sToRy? I dOn'T jUsT tEaCh YoU hOw To WrItE i TeAcH yOu HoW tO cHaNgE tHe WoRlD wItH yOuR sToRy AnD mAkE yOuR aUtHoR dReAmS cOmE tRuE ✨wRiTeR's LiFe WeDnEsDaYs✨ WiTh AbBiE eMmOnS
When Abbie mentions the part about rules not being constricting all I can think is: Rules are made to be broken. The apprentice learns the rules so they know why each rule is there. The master who knows all the rules knows which ones to break and how in order to accomplish the same goal the rule was in place for, but in a creative and different way.
I've discovered that the name of Chapter One can also make me want to read it more. Rick Riordan has mastered this, especially in Book One of Percy Jackson which is entitled: "I vaporized my pre-algebra teacher" This single sentence made me laugh so hard.
The only book I ever just randomly remember the first sentence of all the time, is book 5. "The end of the world started when a pegasus landed on the hood of my car." I also laughed at it lol
'Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.' Doesn't get any better than that. There are not many books whose first sentence is engraved in my mind.
Weird to make the hook all about getting us to sympathize with the internal conflict of Vernon Dursley's fear of losing normalcy/desire to maintain normalcy what that's not really that important to the book at all. The inciting incident in the Dursley's lives is the day Harry's parents are killed but this is all a prologue and backstory and not actually the inciting incident of this story. The real inciting incident is Harry being invited to attend Hogwarts and discovering there's a magical world.
I just LOVE your passion for writing and psychology, and I very much relate! I'm 15 and I just found your channel (and literally watched every single one of the 97 videos you have), and I like how all your videos are related to each other, and the fact that you're just teaching the same writing method starting simple, going into more details with every video! Your videos just gave me an understanding of literature and why I love the books that I love and hate the ones that I hate. You're such an INSPIRATION, Abbie and please never stop what you're doing. You deserve to be heard by all the writers out there, because everyone should learn from you!
Thank you so much for your kind words! They mean so much to me, and I am thrilled that the content I make encourages you to chase your dreams and make your story MATTER!
@@AbbieEmmons You { excellently } tell in your videos like you're a school teacher. { still can't get use to your voice & personality #NoOffence } . When telling your example with the Passenger movie , I'm disappointed you didn't mention about Jennifer Lawrence { Character } . No , by the way i haven't seen that movie. Also I love dogs. So I was hopeful while watching the video when you started mention of #Disney that you'd include a { visual } example of a live-action dog's movie { like " Homeward Bound " } . 👨💼42yrs 🤳🇦🇺🇳🇴
@@Icantread766 Same! I wanted to write some fanfiction but didn't know how and then I came across Abbie's channel accidentally and now i'm really motivated.
The Three-Act Structure This formula was used by ancient Greeks, and it’s one of Hollywood’s favorite ways to tell a story. It’s about as simple as you can get. Act I: The Set-Up Introduce your main characters and establish the setting. Brandon Sanderson, a popular fantasy writer, calls this the “inciting incident”- a problem that yanks the protagonist out of his comfort zone and establishes the direction of the story. Act II: The Confrontation Create a problem that appears small on the surface but becomes more complex. The more your protagonist tries to get what he wants, the more impossible it seems to solve the problem. Act III: The Resolution A good ending has: High stakes: your reader must feel that one more mistake will result in disaster for the protagonist. Challenges and growth: By the end, the protagonist needs to have grown as a person by overcoming myriad obstacles. A solution: All the trials and lessons your character has endured help him solve the problem. Suzanne Collins’s bestselling young adult trilogy, The Hunger Games, uses the three-act structure.
Thanks, what a nice summary! ... I mean i have heard about this countless times, but then there is always a nice more cutting through way of describing these elements of structure. Just as you did! now reading this gave me an idea that I should put my protagonist through more negative experiences to make him really chase the only treasure he can finally be satisfied with.
Your video just made me realize something about an old story of mine. I wrote it back in middle school and never really lost interest in it. I like the characters and the world. But the more I learned about writing, the more distant I grew. I tried to edit it, re-write it, even re-plan it, afraid of cliche and stuff and ended with a monster of a story that I felt was even worse then what I wrote way back. I never really got why. Because my craft definitly was getting better, my experiences had grown - I KNEW how to write technically at least. But with watching your video I realized one point: In trying to avoid cliche, I decided not to have my protagonist watch his father be murdered. But that what defined him. My middle grade story actually had a great hook with my protag awakening from a nightmare and remembering his father's dead. That he died to rescue him and his brother. That conflict - could he as a five-year old at that time, have prevented his father's dead if he behaved correctly - is what drives him from the very start of the story. It's what makes him accept the king's proposal to become an army officer and what leads him to take revenge on the man behind his father's murder. I kept the plot points in every iteration of the story. But I lost my protag's internal conflict COMPLETLY. Thanks for making me realize it - probably rescuing that old piece of my soul ^^
That's awesome!! This may be a bit too much, but if you ever publish it one day make sure to tell me the title so I can check out the first chapter and see if it hooks me!
The best advice I have heard about the blending plot and character came from Brandon Sanderson. He says you are a master when you can advance plot, character, and setting (worldbuilding) all in a single sentence. He gave credit to Ursula K. Le Guin for being able to do this marvelously.
I like Louis L'Amour's opening to Passin' Through. It implies the man you're reading about is a rough but capable character. A rowdy cowboy in rowdy country.
I've been trying to develop healthier sleep habits and yet I still stayed up way too late last night reading the first third of your book! How dare you! 😂
I am a 12 year old aspiring author, I am currently writing a novel and I watch your videos all the time!! They help me so much, so thank you for all your videos cause they help me so much :)
@@Eki_________ Yeah, I actually wrote a lullaby for my current WIP and I'm really happy with it. I may end up writing a more upbeat song for it too; a ballad maybe. It's a story about pirates so I feel like music fits quite well. :)
I think I wrote a good introductory hook for my debut novel (still in draft). A professional editor read the first 3000 words (for a charge of course), and she gave me a lot of great advice, critiques, etc. What I remember and loved is she said she cared about my main character and what is happening to him. She wants to learn more about his life and where it's going. That warmed my heart.
Hook in my short story: MC's desire: to be a part of someone's life, to have a meaning. MC's fear: that she is unimportant to the world, that no one actually cares whether or not she exists.
Finding Nemo does the same with backstory. From that, we understand why Marlin was overly protective of Nemo. He goes overboard with it without being out of character.
@@TomEyeTheSFMguy oh definitely. What I meant was that Marlin doesn’t get out of character, such as lying to how dangerous the ocean is or lying about a disease Nemo has in order to protect him. He is overly protective but knows that Nemo has to go to school which is why he had take him there.
Even when a book doesnt have a good hook, i still read on because possibly that author couldnt write it well and the rest is incredible. Ive heard my friends abandoning books because the first few lines werent interesting, and i picked up those books, read through them and they were amazing. (Though i do have a compelling need for closure so once i start reading i need to know the ending.)
Why am I only discovering your channel now? Your video gave me a lot of ideas and made me realize a lot of things about the story I'm currently writing. The other videos you suggested seem just as great, I'm going to watch them right now. +1 suscriber
Thank you so much for your kind words! They mean so much to me, and I am thrilled that the content I make encourages you to chase your dreams and make your story MATTER!
I have been watching Abbie ever since 2021 and her videos have completely changed the way I write my books. I used to be scared and intimidated by the three act structure, but the way she teaches you about it is absolutely perfect and I genuinely think because of Abbie, and her wonderful videos, I will finally write a book I am proud of
Sis, you're a LIFESAVER, and I mean it. Like seriously, can we take a moment to appreciate the efforts she has made to help us and become better writers? Keep it up, sis! You're amazing!✨ Your new subscriber here!❤
Imho "great" is a but of a liability here. It's good to have ambition nut at the same time "great" is hard to define and may push you into toxic comparison to others. I'd swap "great novel" for "a first draft I can appreciate on some level", for instance. Cause when you're starting from little, it's a lot more likely to complete and evaluate a palatable first draft than to directly end up in "great novel" territory.
Abbie, I have to say, you are probably my favourite UA-camr - across all areas. Your content is so well organised. It’s relevant, informative, and practical; and your delivery is the perfect amount of entertaining as well as to-the-point! You’re not only a writer but a natural teacher, too 👌🏼
My characters desire: To let someone in and prove that just because her father left her, doesn't mean everyone will. Her fear: That they'll leave her, too, and prove her right.
I met one of great story teller He told me something great He said " Every story can attract readers to it but you have to make sure you put your story in correct order or else even a best stories around world can be worst stories."
New note for storywriting: Figure out the protagonist's "I want" song even without an actual song. It's only as I'm watching this that I realized my character's external conflict is cemented but I haven't really thought about the internal conflict
People who are fundamentally opposed to prologues and backstories only tell "And Then" Stories Now: hiding a flashback within a story told by another character... that's the best of both worlds!
I've been writing stories since i knew how to and now me and my bsf are writing a 6 book series together! We're 12 and 13 and our dream is to be professional authors Your videos are LIFESAVERS FR!!!! I gave all our characters internal conflict and now im considering rewriting my first chapter or adding a new chapter just so i can show the starting protagonists' internal conflict.
I’m 14, I’ve been trying to write books since I was 6. I finished my first book as a 7 year old, but I can’t get an opening I’m proud of, no matter what. This has really helped end I’m hoping to get a book published by the time I’m 18 and this is one of the things that’s given me the ability to develop as a writer and has given me so much confidence in my writing. Thank you for giving me the ability to get this far.
Gosh dang, you've been writing books since 6 years of age? dang! You're SURE to become really successful! keep it up, im sure you're stories are AMAZING!
@@y7nic0re honestly they’re not that good mostly fantasy books and as I’ve got older most of them are based on DnD I can’t lie they’re not that good though
You explain what others couldn't. The books that bore me... now I know why. The books I love... now I know why. Thanks for putting so much effort into making these gem videos.
This may be weird, but I really like the first few pages. It’s really fun for me to just get my ideas on paper and start fresh! Now the second chapter, that’s what scares me 😅
After watching this video, only the second of Abbies that I’ve seen, I now understand why I was compelled to purchase a book after reading only the first page. Sentences 5 and 6 right out of the gate. “Some leader, getting split up from his boys like that. He should’ve been trying to get back, but...” Why his situation matters to him and the internal conflict within him in that moment. I’m going to love this channel.
I am checking out all your videos. You don't need to remind us constantly. I do it anyway and it interferes with what you're teaching, which I am craving to learn. I really want to READ your book to see the hook. That is a great example.
So basically I‘ve been watching your videos since a few days and I improved my story so much already. I really got to the point where I just stopped worldbuilding for a moment and took a breath, opened my laptop and began getting to know my characters. I was shocked by how LESS I knew about my protagonists and how much I relied on the few aspects I figured out about her in order to just make the world fitting and unique. Nevertheless I carried on working on my protagonist and I think I pretty much am finished with her. She is a regular person (almost haha), who I got to know. I am really confident about her, but still: I was SO struggling with my outline. I rewatched your video on the first Act of the book and managed myself through the different aspects. When the hook came up, I watched this video. When the character arc came up, I switched to the character building video. And so on. I think you got the pattern. But you know what I‘ve just realized? The reason I still struggle with the hook is not the well known „I don‘t know how to start my book“, it rather is the problem of me not knowing what the external problem is. I spent 3 days working on the internal conflict of ONE of my characters, but absolutely forgot about the external conflict, even though it was mentioned throughout every video I’ve watched! Here is the problem: I knew what I was going for when the story came into my mind. And I really was confident about the world, because I created it JUST the way it is. God, I even knew why I chose my protagonist to be just the way she is. And still, I forgot to outline the exact external conflict, so that I could actually have a proper setting for the internal conflict. Don‘t get me wrong, I do know what the story will be about, I just have to write in clear words, what I want the external conflict to be about. Like in detail. And hopefully, by the time I got that figured out, I can finally begin writing. Thank you so much for all the videos you filmed and published, Abbie! I really was so lost with my story, I stopped working on it. Not because I didn‘t like it anymore, but rather because I was just overwhelmed by the non-existent structure.
I like the idea of this series. I'm totally into lectures that follow up with daily intentions and homework. This helps me get back into the habit of heading back to school. I want to go back into school again. This time with style. I took a long break from deadlines. Slowly, I'm starting to incorporate with goal-setting, intentions, and deadlines... Thank you, Abbey
Thank you for this series. I ve studied and read a ton of books (including Lisa Cron’s Story Genius & Story Or Die and Wired For Story) taken screenwriting classes as well. Your series weaves together the elements of all I’ve learned in an incredibly comprehensive way and helps weave all that information together beautifully. Thank you for painting story with such pithy, clear examples. I really appreciate your work and your guidance. All the very best of success to you and all your audience
Watching this and trying to figure out my hook has helped me zone in on my internal conflict and I’m so happy I did because now I can figure out my hook better.
I had the same dream at your age and I am now 49. I let my fear and all the people saying "You can't" stop me. Work out when your 'one day' is, work out what you need to know to get there and don't let anyone deter you (especially yourself!). I'd say 'good luck' but what I mean is dream, plan, do - luck has very little to do with it.
Your videos have transformed my writing process and I find myself thrilled to sit down and work. You turned on a light in my brain and everything I've studied finally clicked with the way you explain things. Thank you!!
I came across your videos by chance, looking for info on Scrivener. I am a disabled 50 year old. was looking for something to do with my time. i love to read. so i thought, lets right a book. i did not know where to even start. but your videos have inspired me that it is possible with a little 101 knowledge, and some time researching i can do this. so thank you.
I had a hook but I wasn't sure if it fit my character and how they think so this was a video that helped me feel more confident with myself and my writing. Thanks, Abbie!
Wow, I am so excited for this series!! I literally feel like you've fixed the idea of the 3-act story structure in my head permanently from the past videos of it, but it's still never enough. Looking forward to the next video.😊
Your video helped me in an unexpected way. It helped me to understand what I already wrote, to sort out everything in my head, the internal and external conflicts of my MC and the story. My story starts with a 20 page prolog that summarizes the childhood and the teen years of my MC. Also I'm not a native English speaker so don't judge my story because of how I wright this comment, my book isn't written in English) So the prolog is divided in three parts: the events when MC was 5, 12 and 17. At the beginning there is a little dialog from the future to establish that there is something more going on than shown in the prolog until the external conflict kicks in by the end of it. Than a short exposition that there is a small village on the outscores of some kingdom and there is a small church where the prolog takes place. The reader than gets introduced to by now five years old MC. I'm gonna give just a rough summarize of the context cuz it's a comment section and not the first draft. For now the only thing the reader and the MC know about him is that he was left at the doorstep of the church (basically abandoned). He was actually divided from his family because plot and they play an important role in the story (not some royal family though but definitely not farmers), but for now all we have other than MC is other orphans and the priest of the church. The MC puts up an act that he doesn't care about that everyone are having fun together except him and that having friends is stupid, but than a new girl a little younger than him shows up cuz she lost her parents and with a little push from the oldest girl in church he approaches this new girl and greets her, making his first step to learn how to form bonds with other people. By the age of twelve the MC, this girl and other important character form a trio of friends but not really, cuz MC still can't except that he allowed himself to get attached to someone even though I made sure through his actions that he does care. The point is that ever since the MC was kid, he was afraid to get attached because of the possibility of loosing ones he cares about which is surprisingly mature thought, almost like someone planted it into kids mind HMMMM. Anyway MCs internal conflict is that he is afraid to get attached and form bonds because of the pain of loosing them, and his inability to except it, so instead he puts a facade of not caring about everyone around. Throughout the prolog the MC is learning to face this fear, connect with the people and form meaningful bonds with them, gets stronger to protect everyone he cares about, and all of it just for the external conflict to kick in and brake the MC by taking one of the most important people in his life, thus proving that his fears were right all along) And there goes the beginning of his story, where MC leaves everything behind and sets himself almost impossible goal to find this specific individual in this entire kingdom to avenge person MC lost, learns from scratch to get attached yet again, understands that fear isn't a justification to overburden loved ones with overprotection, finely breaks once again loosing someone he cared about, once more being proved that distancing himself from everyone else was the right decision. And all of that only to understand by the middle of the story, after all those loses and all the horrible things MC committed afterwards, that he just convinced himself that he left for revenge, when actually he just used it as excuse to run away. Welp that's a lot of exposition. Thought I promised a rough summarize, but it is what it is. Hope there is anyone out there ready to sacrifice a good chunk of their time to read this)
Abbie, Please promise all aspiring authors that you will keep teaching the craft. I’ve learned more in watching 5 of your videos than in years of “wandering through the darkness.” You are an asset to the literary world!
Also, as a Disney nerd, when you said imagine frozen without do you want to build a snowman, but it was almost excluded they decided really near the end of creating to include it
you're giving me so much inspiration ;_; thank you i literally was scared of starting but now i feel like maybe i will be able to finally write something
Hi Abbie. Thanks for all you've done to help authors write compelling stories. I was inspired by many of your videos in writing my first book, and now that I'm back at the keyboard continuing to tell my story, I'm back looking to be inspired again. :)
Cracks me up how you just call the male lead in Passengers Chris Pratt instead of his actual name or whatever. Lol. Your videos are amazing!! I'm using this series to outline my novel right now, and now that I have my protagonist's desire, fear, and misbelief ALL set in stone, I really get it and I'm making so much progress! Thanks for your teaching and advice!!
Just came across this channel 2 days ago, have watched a few videos, and already have discovered so much about my characters that I didn't even know I knew! I always find that when I try to write I struggle with where to start and with what's actually important to the audience. I feel like all of my ideas are just abstract thoughts floating around and that I can't piece together to make them coherent. Your videos have really helped me to organise some of these thoughts, and for the first time in a long time I've actually started to take action on an idea I have, I'm finally writing again! So thank you, you've definitely gained a lifelong subscriber.
I'm pretty nervous about writing my novel, but each video I watch in this series gives me a better outlook and even more ideas I had before. Thank you!
Literally 2 minutes in and I'm like this is oddly well produced and I'm enjoying it LOL sorry to be so specific but this helped with my writing as well because I'm actually writing a story for an RPG for D&D but it basically applies the same way.
It’s been two years since posted, but absorbed a few good points. Even though ALL the advice was about female protagonists. Not just the Disney video clips, but the ‘her her her’ with no ‘him him him’. Doesn’t really matter except it kept distracting me. So most importantly, thanks! Was great.
I knew I absolutely loved the work you’ve done on this channel and in your books, but 12:01-12:40 really sealed the deal. My current issue is that I’m having trouble giving my readers a reason to have a connection with my character in the first five minutes of reading. The story starts off with her in a nightmare, and in the nightmare nobody can see her as she watches the events of her past unfold. She does not know this is her past, how she became and orphan, but the way I’m starting the story isn’t really displaying that well. It’s both a flashback and foreshadowing… she doesn’t know that nightmare was and IS her past. I also have this issue with being overly action based when it comes to writing. It’s hard to give characters a natural voice that flows well with the visual parts of the story without it sounding out of place. For example, “I placed the doll back on the shelf. I never liked dolls.” Doesn’t that sound so…. Nothing? So bland, and straight to the point. It barely even has a voice in my opinion. FYI that’s not an actual excerpt from my novel, it’s just an example of my disliked writing style that I want to stray as far away from as possible.
Every time Abbie says "subscribe" I go to do it and then realize I did it ages ago. If only I could do it over and over again!! For real, though: I think I've figured out why I like your videos so much? I'm pretty much strictly a fantasy writer--swords, magic, go easy on the dragons... and I feel like the fantasy field is kind of recovering from all the years of info-dumping and "I'm gonna tell you not show you" exposition, and all the paragraphs describing a landscape that most of us skimmed through because we wanted to get back to the characters, etc etc... Pretty much a melting pot of all the things people say you shouldn't do (go team). My point is I think that somewhere in the recovery process, writers were like "JUST DON'T DO THESE THINGS" when really, now that we have acknowledged the edge of that blade, the right context/formula means we could learn to use the blade instead of cut our stories and readers to pieces with it. Does that make sense? I think we are going to be entering an age of writers who are going to learn from the "mistakes" of writers before them, with a certain sense of awareness and a peculiar connection to their works. Backstory? Exposition? Flashbacks? A heap of other things people warn you not to do? I think (lol) that it's important to remember that writing is as dynamic as we are. Whether it's the argument about showing versus telling, or if it's the flashback "demon" coming for you, or whatever it is... I don't really know if I like when people call them mistakes anymore, or things "not do to," because I feel like that lobs off half of the writing process we get to explore. Omg, I'm sorry for the rant?? Basically, your videos (and you) are amazing because I feel like you are one of the writer's with a grown mindset, and I super appreciate you dedicating your time and energy to sharing that with the world. Thank you, Abbie!
My story Desire: that he wants to live a perfectly normal life without anyone dying, anything going wrong, without anything being his fault Wants everything he has to stay with him. His fear: that his life is destined for him to always have nothing. And that he can’t change it.
I have a hook that basically starts as an older version of my main character reflecting on the story “I still remember the day I fell off the grid, with little trace. The day my life got ripped to pieces and my plans thrown down the drain. How it all started, what part I played and how I was thrown out to brave the wilderness of forests and city streets at the age of seventeen to survive somehow, barely an adult, barely graduated, barely prepared for the awful events leading up to that fateful day.” I feel like it’s okay, but this book is going to full of some tense moments, and I wanted the reader to feel like they were just as unsure about the mc’s safety as he is, but with the “I remember..” bit, it makes me feel like it will give readers a sense of reassurance about it all. Which is not the greatest, since the book is about fear and survival, as well as finding peace in difficult situations. I think it’s good, but kinda counterproductive of what I’m trying to accomplish.
I think it’s great! And your book sounds exciting! Don’t know if you’re still writing it or not, but to tense it up a bit, you should change fell to something more extreme and worrying. To kinda like make the audience worry about whether if your mc is okay or not, even after the event. To say how horrible it was. And I suggest saying “I will always remember the day...”, I feel like it gives you this cautious feeling of importance or something. You know? Idk, that’s usually how I make the readers feel something. I heard you’re supposed to catch they’re attention. Don’t know if this is gonna help or if this is just stupid logic.
My character's desire: To know the truth behind the beginning of everything Her fear: The truth itself because what if it isn't what she wanted it to be and everything spirals out of control when she knows it?
Hi Abbie love your videos, they are so useful and uplifting/motivating. I was wondering- are you thinking about doing a video about writing short stories? This would be really useful. p.s. I loved your book :-)
Thank you so much for your kind words! They mean so much to me, and I am thrilled that the content I make encourages you to chase your dreams and make your story MATTER!
This is amazing. I have ideas for how my novel is going to pan out, but I suck at planning and outlining and these videos help me flesh out the little details. I thought it would be obvious to write a story with all these things such as the opening hook and pinch points, since they're all present in the books we love, yet I found myself surprised at how little I know and how helpful these videos are. There is indeed a structure to every story and it's not just plain characters and info dumped out on a page, there must be a reason for every character to be there, goals, conflicts, which make the story come alive. Many beginner writers such as myself miss these obvious steps. That's why it's important to accept criticism and study the story structure.
I haven't seen your videos in almost two years and you are STILL killin' it. While I will disagree with you that the 3 act structure is the best structure (I'm a fan of Dan Harmon's character structure), your videos always give me something to chew on. Thank you for reiterating your points so much! I forgot all of them hahah. Great video!
Because of you, I started thinking about stories with an internal conflict in mind, not the plot. I'd let the plot revolve around the internal conflict and it makes writing a lot simpler actually and interesting too.
I heard a suggestion from someone that if you don't like your first chapter, write the rest of the book and go back at the end. Since the more you write the better you get, and the more you write the story the better you understand the characters and events. The first chapter in my WIP is a wimpy little place holder, and now that I'm about 2/3 through my WIP I do feel like I have more insight into how to make it work better. But to top it all off, now I can pair what I already have, and my new ideas, with the stellar advice from this video. I'm actually not dreading it at all, which is exactly the feeling I like to have before rewriting a difficult chapter. :)
yeah.. my friend was reading harry potter and he *HATED* it so bad. crazy right?!
This is one of the best pieces of advice!
@@gachandre317 what does that have to do with anything?
@@tuopsy What does what have to do with anything? Elaborate please.
@@AucklandNZ1 the comment i replied to...?
What does every disney movie have in common to make you care about the character from the beginning?
Me: dead parents?
Me at first: O my god!
Me after I realized: *silence
Please, we all know it's the singing.
@@SimpleRainbow-g2n true, true
Some have both parents still alive but absent, like Aurora and Rapunzel.
My answer was the singing 😂
Abby: "There's a secret ingredient to Disney movies, come on what is it?"
Me: "MONEY!!!"
Me: "The main character is an orphan."
@Domenic Buffaloe no one cares
@@absolutelyabbie3510 It was kind of funny
“NOW GET ME SOME GOD DAMN MONEY!!!!” - South Park Mickey mouse
Money! Money! Money! Money! Money! Money!
I know this might sound dumb but I am 10 years old and I love to write story’s. I want to be an author, and this video helped me a lot! I have like 20 pieces of papers with beginning pages that totally flopped. But this made my characters feel more genuine. This is such a helpful video and I’d like to see more 😄
Edit: Thank you guys for your support! Its been a while and I’m still writing the introduction to my book. With me taking my time I feel like I get better results with my work. Also, instead of using this, I’ve kinda come up with my own method for hooks that’s more suit to me. Anyways, have a good day❤️
I can freaking relate to you. I’m a young teen and I have more than 20 documents with failed beginnings, and I almost gave up when I realised my mistake and began to focus on my characters. And, don’t ever give up, all right? :)
Good luck! I know I found my passion for writing at the age of 8 :)
@@turquoisermain I know right! I had some good ideas but didn’t plan them out and ended up with lots of three page documents..
Nothing dumb about it. Keep going, you'll get there.
Hey, don’t feel bad. I’m 12 and have a good skill in writing for my age and I write novels even at this age.
I am 16 years old and I have 15 book ideas, all different plots. I am really glad that I found this channel, because I never know where to start. I'm like a newborn baby when it come to the writing world.
Im 18 and I also have many book ideas. And I keep finding new ideas.
Gosh I feel you. Most of my friends like to write too, and I'm still known as the person who attempts six stories at once. 😂
@@halleematthews5670 are we crazy? 😂
@@hadim_mc Absolutely! But that's the fun of it! 😂
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I honestly thought an ad started playing at 1:49 because of how it sounded... Geez that's how you know this is professional level quality.
Same. I had my mind prepared for “Skip Ad” 🙂
WhY dOeS yOuR StOrY mAtTeR?
gOoD qUeStIoN
wHaT iF i ToLd YoU tHaT tHeRe'S a ScIeNcE bEhInD eVeRy GrEaT sToRy?
I dOn'T jUsT tEaCh YoU hOw To WrItE
i TeAcH yOu HoW tO cHaNgE tHe WoRlD wItH yOuR sToRy
AnD mAkE yOuR aUtHoR dReAmS cOmE tRuE
✨wRiTeR's LiFe WeDnEsDaYs✨
WiTh AbBiE eMmOnS
When Abbie mentions the part about rules not being constricting all I can think is: Rules are made to be broken. The apprentice learns the rules so they know why each rule is there. The master who knows all the rules knows which ones to break and how in order to accomplish the same goal the rule was in place for, but in a creative and different way.
I am in writer heaven right now - I have been crossing my fingers for a series like this :D Thnx! You're a real inspiration to me :)
i know right
How's your boom coming up?
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I misread and thought that said “I am a writer in heaven right now.” I had to do a double-take lol.
I've discovered that the name of Chapter One can also make me want to read it more. Rick Riordan has mastered this, especially in Book One of Percy Jackson which is entitled:
"I vaporized my pre-algebra teacher"
This single sentence made me laugh so hard.
The only book I ever just randomly remember the first sentence of all the time, is book 5. "The end of the world started when a pegasus landed on the hood of my car." I also laughed at it lol
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lol
Yea, and in book 3 when a chapter was called: Grover gets a Lamborghini
LOLLL
'Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.' Doesn't get any better than that. There are not many books whose first sentence is engraved in my mind.
Potterhead for life!
Weird to make the hook all about getting us to sympathize with the internal conflict of Vernon Dursley's fear of losing normalcy/desire to maintain normalcy what that's not really that important to the book at all. The inciting incident in the Dursley's lives is the day Harry's parents are killed but this is all a prologue and backstory and not actually the inciting incident of this story. The real inciting incident is Harry being invited to attend Hogwarts and discovering there's a magical world.
As much of a potterhead I am too, my fav and imo the best one I came across was:
"Sophie had waited all her life to be kidnapped."
"Look, I didn't want to be a half-blood." caught me good. (Speaking as a Potterhead myself, and a Percy Jackson fan as well.)
@@zoeotaku5608 Oh yeah that was good
I just LOVE your passion for writing and psychology, and I very much relate! I'm 15 and I just found your channel (and literally watched every single one of the 97 videos you have), and I like how all your videos are related to each other, and the fact that you're just teaching the same writing method starting simple, going into more details with every video! Your videos just gave me an understanding of literature and why I love the books that I love and hate the ones that I hate. You're such an INSPIRATION, Abbie and please never stop what you're doing. You deserve to be heard by all the writers out there, because everyone should learn from you!
Thank you so much for your kind words! They mean so much to me, and I am thrilled that the content I make encourages you to chase your dreams and make your story MATTER!
@@AbbieEmmons You { excellently } tell in your videos like you're a school teacher. { still can't get use to your voice & personality #NoOffence } . When telling your example with the Passenger movie , I'm disappointed you didn't mention about Jennifer Lawrence { Character } . No , by the way i haven't seen that movie. Also I love dogs. So I was hopeful while watching the video when you started mention of #Disney that you'd include a { visual } example of a live-action dog's movie { like " Homeward Bound " } . 👨💼42yrs 🤳🇦🇺🇳🇴
I'm 13 and I was thinking of writing a fanfiction for fun and this inspired me to go through with it :)
@@Icantread766 Same! I wanted to write some fanfiction but didn't know how and then I came across Abbie's channel accidentally and now i'm really motivated.
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The Three-Act Structure
This formula was used by ancient Greeks, and it’s one of Hollywood’s favorite ways to tell a story.
It’s about as simple as you can get.
Act I: The Set-Up
Introduce your main characters and establish the setting.
Brandon Sanderson, a popular fantasy writer, calls this the “inciting incident”- a problem that yanks the protagonist out of his comfort zone and establishes the direction of the story.
Act II: The Confrontation
Create a problem that appears small on the surface but becomes more complex. The more your protagonist tries to get what he wants, the more impossible it seems to solve the problem.
Act III: The Resolution
A good ending has:
High stakes: your reader must feel that one more mistake will result in disaster for the protagonist.
Challenges and growth: By the end, the protagonist needs to have grown as a person by overcoming myriad obstacles.
A solution: All the trials and lessons your character has endured help him solve the problem.
Suzanne Collins’s bestselling young adult trilogy, The Hunger Games, uses the three-act structure.
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Thanks, what a nice summary! ... I mean i have heard about this countless times, but then there is always a nice more cutting through way of describing these elements of structure. Just as you did! now reading this gave me an idea that I should put my protagonist through more negative experiences to make him really chase the only treasure he can finally be satisfied with.
Your video just made me realize something about an old story of mine. I wrote it back in middle school and never really lost interest in it. I like the characters and the world. But the more I learned about writing, the more distant I grew. I tried to edit it, re-write it, even re-plan it, afraid of cliche and stuff and ended with a monster of a story that I felt was even worse then what I wrote way back. I never really got why. Because my craft definitly was getting better, my experiences had grown - I KNEW how to write technically at least.
But with watching your video I realized one point: In trying to avoid cliche, I decided not to have my protagonist watch his father be murdered. But that what defined him. My middle grade story actually had a great hook with my protag awakening from a nightmare and remembering his father's dead. That he died to rescue him and his brother. That conflict - could he as a five-year old at that time, have prevented his father's dead if he behaved correctly - is what drives him from the very start of the story. It's what makes him accept the king's proposal to become an army officer and what leads him to take revenge on the man behind his father's murder. I kept the plot points in every iteration of the story. But I lost my protag's internal conflict COMPLETLY. Thanks for making me realize it - probably rescuing that old piece of my soul ^^
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That's awesome!! This may be a bit too much, but if you ever publish it one day make sure to tell me the title so I can check out the first chapter and see if it hooks me!
Very similar to the opening of Renegades! Good trilogy by the way
The best advice I have heard about the blending plot and character came from Brandon Sanderson. He says you are a master when you can advance plot, character, and setting (worldbuilding) all in a single sentence. He gave credit to Ursula K. Le Guin for being able to do this marvelously.
did he give examples???
Like the opening of The Gunslinger
@@jpjordan90 Yes. It is such a simple opening line but by the end of the, you realize just how important it is.
I like Louis L'Amour's opening to Passin' Through. It implies the man you're reading about is a rough but capable character. A rowdy cowboy in rowdy country.
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"Rules? I've always thought of them more like guidelines anyway"
That’s what I always say! I’m glad someone else knows it.
I just watched the movie and saw this, are you a witch?
This wins the internet!
@@kristine95660 Aww, thank you!!
And how many copies of your book have you sold so far?
I've been trying to develop healthier sleep habits and yet I still stayed up way too late last night reading the first third of your book! How dare you! 😂
Relatable....
I once stayed up until like 3 or 4 a.m. Reading Cinder by Marissa Meyer.
@@syberyah Ohmygod CINDER?!?
It's so good
I like to think of the first chapter as a short story with an open ending.
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Ooh, that's an interesting way to look at it!
I am a 12 year old aspiring author, I am currently writing a novel and I watch your videos all the time!! They help me so much, so thank you for all your videos cause they help me so much :)
I’m going to implement this into my music
That's actually really interesting. I'm curious how you plan to go about that.
I love how I'm the opposite. I try to incorporate musical composition in my story lol.
@@Eki_________ Yeah, I actually wrote a lullaby for my current WIP and I'm really happy with it. I may end up writing a more upbeat song for it too; a ballad maybe. It's a story about pirates so I feel like music fits quite well. :)
Bold call. I hear the hook brings you back.
DUDE that's so cool!
I think I wrote a good introductory hook for my debut novel (still in draft). A professional editor read the first 3000 words (for a charge of course), and she gave me a lot of great advice, critiques, etc. What I remember and loved is she said she cared about my main character and what is happening to him. She wants to learn more about his life and where it's going. That warmed my heart.
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I pay my editor with muffins.
That's wonderful news! Keep it up.
@@trilobite3120, I need to try this. I bake Portuguese Custard Tarts. I bet I could attract great editors with them. :)
@@earthstuart, thank you. 😊
Hook in my short story:
MC's desire: to be a part of someone's life, to have a meaning.
MC's fear: that she is unimportant to the world, that no one actually cares whether or not she exists.
Finding Nemo does the same with backstory. From that, we understand why Marlin was overly protective of Nemo. He goes overboard with it without being out of character.
Well, it is in character for him to go overboard.
@@TomEyeTheSFMguy oh definitely. What I meant was that Marlin doesn’t get out of character, such as lying to how dangerous the ocean is or lying about a disease Nemo has in order to protect him. He is overly protective but knows that Nemo has to go to school which is why he had take him there.
@@jacindaellison3363 I see.
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This was the best explanation of a story hook I've ever heard! I get it FINALLY. Internal conflict.
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Even when a book doesnt have a good hook, i still read on because possibly that author couldnt write it well and the rest is incredible. Ive heard my friends abandoning books because the first few lines werent interesting, and i picked up those books, read through them and they were amazing.
(Though i do have a compelling need for closure so once i start reading i need to know the ending.)
Why am I only discovering your channel now? Your video gave me a lot of ideas and made me realize a lot of things about the story I'm currently writing. The other videos you suggested seem just as great, I'm going to watch them right now. +1 suscriber
Thank you so much for your kind words! They mean so much to me, and I am thrilled that the content I make encourages you to chase your dreams and make your story MATTER!
I know right? I've been watching author tube videos for YEARS. Found the channel yesterday. Pick up your game UA-cam recommendations!
@@AbbieEmmons Love your videos
I have been watching Abbie ever since 2021 and her videos have completely changed the way I write my books. I used to be scared and intimidated by the three act structure, but the way she teaches you about it is absolutely perfect and I genuinely think because of Abbie, and her wonderful videos, I will finally write a book I am proud of
7:25 my head snapped up when you said “genre” because it sounded too much like my name (Shandra) 😅😂😂😂
Aaaah I like that name!
Sis, you're a LIFESAVER, and I mean it. Like seriously, can we take a moment to appreciate the efforts she has made to help us and become better writers? Keep it up, sis! You're amazing!✨
Your new subscriber here!❤
Dang, I was just editing my Prologue when this popped up on my phone.
😂
Well, you're in luck 😂😊.
My desire: wants to write a great novel
My fear: didn't know how to make it good
That's right, all hoomans in earth have internal conflict, even me
@Ana Geike Ooh, thank you for the idea! :D
Same
Imho "great" is a but of a liability here. It's good to have ambition nut at the same time "great" is hard to define and may push you into toxic comparison to others. I'd swap "great novel" for "a first draft I can appreciate on some level", for instance. Cause when you're starting from little, it's a lot more likely to complete and evaluate a palatable first draft than to directly end up in "great novel" territory.
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( new inspiration unlocked)
Abbie, I have to say, you are probably my favourite UA-camr - across all areas. Your content is so well organised. It’s relevant, informative, and practical; and your delivery is the perfect amount of entertaining as well as to-the-point! You’re not only a writer but a natural teacher, too 👌🏼
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My characters desire:
To let someone in and prove that just because her father left her, doesn't mean everyone will.
Her fear:
That they'll leave her, too, and prove her right.
Wow, that's good 👏🏻.
Nice, but isn't it "prove her wrong" tho? Sry for being a perfectionist lol
this is a very good example!
Nice 👌🏼
this is literally me in a comment!!!
You glow like a writing princess/guru/superhuman! I LOVED your examples--I need to go watch Passengers now tbh, and I'm so excited for this series!
I met one of great story teller
He told me something great
He said
" Every story can attract readers to it but you have to make sure you put your story in correct order or else even a best stories around world can be worst stories."
New note for storywriting: Figure out the protagonist's "I want" song even without an actual song.
It's only as I'm watching this that I realized my character's external conflict is cemented but I haven't really thought about the internal conflict
People who are fundamentally opposed to prologues and backstories only tell "And Then" Stories
Now: hiding a flashback within a story told by another character... that's the best of both worlds!
You are providing a great service for people who actually want to write a novel, or any kind of story. I salute you for that.
I've been writing stories since i knew how to and now me and my bsf are writing a 6 book series together! We're 12 and 13 and our dream is to be professional authors
Your videos are LIFESAVERS FR!!!! I gave all our characters internal conflict and now im considering rewriting my first chapter or adding a new chapter just so i can show the starting protagonists' internal conflict.
I’m 14, I’ve been trying to write books since I was 6. I finished my first book as a 7 year old, but I can’t get an opening I’m proud of, no matter what. This has really helped end I’m hoping to get a book published by the time I’m 18 and this is one of the things that’s given me the ability to develop as a writer and has given me so much confidence in my writing. Thank you for giving me the ability to get this far.
Gosh dang, you've been writing books since 6 years of age? dang! You're SURE to become really successful! keep it up, im sure you're stories are AMAZING!
@@y7nic0re honestly they’re not that good mostly fantasy books and as I’ve got older most of them are based on DnD I can’t lie they’re not that good though
@@Psy560 Fantasy books are good! I don't know what DnD is but it feels like something i should be aware of, but im sure you're books are good!
@@y7nic0re dungeons and dragons it’s a fantasy role playing game
@@Psy560 that's a good game! you should be proud of yourself!
You explain what others couldn't. The books that bore me... now I know why. The books I love... now I know why. Thanks for putting so much effort into making these gem videos.
This may be weird, but I really like the first few pages. It’s really fun for me to just get my ideas on paper and start fresh! Now the second chapter, that’s what scares me 😅
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After watching this video, only the second of Abbies that I’ve seen, I now understand why I was compelled to purchase a book after reading only the first page.
Sentences 5 and 6 right out of the gate. “Some leader, getting split up from his boys like that. He should’ve been trying to get back, but...” Why his situation matters to him and the internal conflict within him in that moment.
I’m going to love this channel.
You were exactly what I needed. I'm in love with this series. Your energy and passion is amazing.
I am checking out all your videos. You don't need to remind us constantly. I do it anyway and it interferes with what you're teaching, which I am craving to learn. I really want to READ your book to see the hook. That is a great example.
So basically I‘ve been watching your videos since a few days and I improved my story so much already. I really got to the point where I just stopped worldbuilding for a moment and took a breath, opened my laptop and began getting to know my characters. I was shocked by how LESS I knew about my protagonists and how much I relied on the few aspects I figured out about her in order to just make the world fitting and unique.
Nevertheless I carried on working on my protagonist and I think I pretty much am finished with her. She is a regular person (almost haha), who I got to know. I am really confident about her, but still: I was SO struggling with my outline. I rewatched your video on the first Act of the book and managed myself through the different aspects. When the hook came up, I watched this video. When the character arc came up, I switched to the character building video. And so on. I think you got the pattern.
But you know what I‘ve just realized? The reason I still struggle with the hook is not the well known „I don‘t know how to start my book“, it rather is the problem of me not knowing what the external problem is. I spent 3 days working on the internal conflict of ONE of my characters, but absolutely forgot about the external conflict, even though it was mentioned throughout every video I’ve watched!
Here is the problem: I knew what I was going for when the story came into my mind. And I really was confident about the world, because I created it JUST the way it is. God, I even knew why I chose my protagonist to be just the way she is. And still, I forgot to outline the exact external conflict, so that I could actually have a proper setting for the internal conflict.
Don‘t get me wrong, I do know what the story will be about, I just have to write in clear words, what I want the external conflict to be about. Like in detail.
And hopefully, by the time I got that figured out, I can finally begin writing.
Thank you so much for all the videos you filmed and published, Abbie! I really was so lost with my story, I stopped working on it. Not because I didn‘t like it anymore, but rather because I was just overwhelmed by the non-existent structure.
I like the idea of this series. I'm totally into lectures that follow up with daily intentions and homework. This helps me get back into the habit of heading back to school. I want to go back into school again. This time with style. I took a long break from deadlines. Slowly, I'm starting to incorporate with goal-setting, intentions, and deadlines... Thank you, Abbey
The quality of these videos is blowing my mind, and your clever and charming! Instant sub!
Thank you for this series. I ve studied and read a ton of books (including Lisa Cron’s Story Genius & Story Or Die and Wired For Story) taken screenwriting classes as well. Your series weaves together the elements of all I’ve learned in an incredibly comprehensive way and helps weave all that information together beautifully.
Thank you for painting story with such pithy, clear examples.
I really appreciate your work and your guidance.
All the very best of success to you and all your audience
Watching this and trying to figure out my hook has helped me zone in on my internal conflict and I’m so happy I did because now I can figure out my hook better.
So glad this video helped!
Not even 4 minutes in I got the AHA moment of what my hook is! Been struggling for a while with that. Thank you! 💕
6 mins in has cleared up a huge question about how to structure my timeline of events. You are brilliant!
im 10 but i really want to be a writer. i sometimes sit down and write stories on google docs. i hope one day i can publish a book.
I had the same dream at your age and I am now 49. I let my fear and all the people saying "You can't" stop me. Work out when your 'one day' is, work out what you need to know to get there and don't let anyone deter you (especially yourself!). I'd say 'good luck' but what I mean is dream, plan, do - luck has very little to do with it.
PS: Abbie's videos seem like a good place to start!
It hurts me that it's taken 4 years for me to see this video. I needed it 😭
i've been consuming storytelling content on YT for quite a while and i just found your channel. OMG your format is amazing! congrats!
At like 1:40 i thought a ad came on, i was thinking "ughhhh!! I'm already watching a writing video!!!" 😂👍so great opening!!!
I didn't understand at first, but then when u showed the Disney princess scenes I was shocked.
Yes that was so helpful (and funny)!
As an emerging writer I have to say “Thank you!” You explain in a simple way and has a great voice and screen presence. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Okay, I’m convinced. Abbie is a genius.
Your videos have transformed my writing process and I find myself thrilled to sit down and work. You turned on a light in my brain and everything I've studied finally clicked with the way you explain things. Thank you!!
I write screenplays; no inkling to write books. But your videos are so incredibly helpful for any format of writing!
I came across your videos by chance, looking for info on Scrivener. I am a disabled 50 year old. was looking for something to do with my time. i love to read. so i thought, lets right a book. i did not know where to even start. but your videos have inspired me that it is possible with a little 101 knowledge, and some time researching i can do this. so thank you.
I had a hook but I wasn't sure if it fit my character and how they think so this was a video that helped me feel more confident with myself and my writing. Thanks, Abbie!
I'm so glad!
@@AbbieEmmons
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You are awesome, Abbie. I love you being so natural and sharing all those gems. Thank you!
Wow, I am so excited for this series!! I literally feel like you've fixed the idea of the 3-act story structure in my head permanently from the past videos of it, but it's still never enough. Looking forward to the next video.😊
Your video helped me in an unexpected way. It helped me to understand what I already wrote, to sort out everything in my head, the internal and external conflicts of my MC and the story.
My story starts with a 20 page prolog that summarizes the childhood and the teen years of my MC. Also I'm not a native English speaker so don't judge my story because of how I wright this comment, my book isn't written in English)
So the prolog is divided in three parts: the events when MC was 5, 12 and 17. At the beginning there is a little dialog from the future to establish that there is something more going on than shown in the prolog until the external conflict kicks in by the end of it. Than a short exposition that there is a small village on the outscores of some kingdom and there is a small church where the prolog takes place. The reader than gets introduced to by now five years old MC. I'm gonna give just a rough summarize of the context cuz it's a comment section and not the first draft.
For now the only thing the reader and the MC know about him is that he was left at the doorstep of the church (basically abandoned). He was actually divided from his family because plot and they play an important role in the story (not some royal family though but definitely not farmers), but for now all we have other than MC is other orphans and the priest of the church. The MC puts up an act that he doesn't care about that everyone are having fun together except him and that having friends is stupid, but than a new girl a little younger than him shows up cuz she lost her parents and with a little push from the oldest girl in church he approaches this new girl and greets her, making his first step to learn how to form bonds with other people.
By the age of twelve the MC, this girl and other important character form a trio of friends but not really, cuz MC still can't except that he allowed himself to get attached to someone even though I made sure through his actions that he does care. The point is that ever since the MC was kid, he was afraid to get attached because of the possibility of loosing ones he cares about which is surprisingly mature thought, almost like someone planted it into kids mind HMMMM. Anyway MCs internal conflict is that he is afraid to get attached and form bonds because of the pain of loosing them, and his inability to except it, so instead he puts a facade of not caring about everyone around. Throughout the prolog the MC is learning to face this fear, connect with the people and form meaningful bonds with them, gets stronger to protect everyone he cares about, and all of it just for the external conflict to kick in and brake the MC by taking one of the most important people in his life, thus proving that his fears were right all along)
And there goes the beginning of his story, where MC leaves everything behind and sets himself almost impossible goal to find this specific individual in this entire kingdom to avenge person MC lost, learns from scratch to get attached yet again, understands that fear isn't a justification to overburden loved ones with overprotection, finely breaks once again loosing someone he cared about, once more being proved that distancing himself from everyone else was the right decision. And all of that only to understand by the middle of the story, after all those loses and all the horrible things MC committed afterwards, that he just convinced himself that he left for revenge, when actually he just used it as excuse to run away.
Welp that's a lot of exposition. Thought I promised a rough summarize, but it is what it is. Hope there is anyone out there ready to sacrifice a good chunk of their time to read this)
Abbie, Please promise all aspiring authors that you will keep teaching the craft. I’ve learned more in watching 5 of your videos than in years of “wandering through the darkness.” You are an asset to the literary world!
Also, as a Disney nerd, when you said imagine frozen without do you want to build a snowman, but it was almost excluded they decided really near the end of creating to include it
you're giving me so much inspiration ;_; thank you i literally was scared of starting but now i feel like maybe i will be able to finally write something
I should rewatch this every time I begin a new story. I was 7,000 words in & still hadn’t solidified my hook…until I watched this. Thank you ❤
"what can everyone relate to"
Me: anxiety
Hi Abbie. Thanks for all you've done to help authors write compelling stories. I was inspired by many of your videos in writing my first book, and now that I'm back at the keyboard continuing to tell my story, I'm back looking to be inspired again. :)
Cracks me up how you just call the male lead in Passengers Chris Pratt instead of his actual name or whatever. Lol. Your videos are amazing!! I'm using this series to outline my novel right now, and now that I have my protagonist's desire, fear, and misbelief ALL set in stone, I really get it and I'm making so much progress! Thanks for your teaching and advice!!
Just came across this channel 2 days ago, have watched a few videos, and already have discovered so much about my characters that I didn't even know I knew! I always find that when I try to write I struggle with where to start and with what's actually important to the audience. I feel like all of my ideas are just abstract thoughts floating around and that I can't piece together to make them coherent. Your videos have really helped me to organise some of these thoughts, and for the first time in a long time I've actually started to take action on an idea I have, I'm finally writing again! So thank you, you've definitely gained a lifelong subscriber.
Frozen is really the best example for making the audience hook and care about the character
I'm pretty nervous about writing my novel, but each video I watch in this series gives me a better outlook and even more ideas I had before. Thank you!
The perfect hook literally hit me as I was watching this! Thank you!!❤❤
Just created the whole hook with amazing internal conflict while watching this video in 19:35 min. Thanks 😄
Excellent information, & I loved the Disney montage. Thanks for sharing.
Literally 2 minutes in and I'm like this is oddly well produced and I'm enjoying it LOL sorry to be so specific but this helped with my writing as well because I'm actually writing a story for an RPG for D&D but it basically applies the same way.
Me: already has a really strong hook
Also me: watches this video
Some extra tips never hurt, right 😂? I mean: unless I were doing it wrong the whole time, then I would panic...
sierra johnson always room to better yourself 😊
Same 😹
It’s been two years since posted, but absorbed a few good points. Even though ALL the advice was about female protagonists. Not just the Disney video clips, but the ‘her her her’ with no ‘him him him’. Doesn’t really matter except it kept distracting me. So most importantly, thanks! Was great.
I love this series already. Thank you, Abbie!
I knew I absolutely loved the work you’ve done on this channel and in your books, but 12:01-12:40 really sealed the deal. My current issue is that I’m having trouble giving my readers a reason to have a connection with my character in the first five minutes of reading. The story starts off with her in a nightmare, and in the nightmare nobody can see her as she watches the events of her past unfold. She does not know this is her past, how she became and orphan, but the way I’m starting the story isn’t really displaying that well. It’s both a flashback and foreshadowing… she doesn’t know that nightmare was and IS her past. I also have this issue with being overly action based when it comes to writing. It’s hard to give characters a natural voice that flows well with the visual parts of the story without it sounding out of place. For example, “I placed the doll back on the shelf. I never liked dolls.” Doesn’t that sound so…. Nothing? So bland, and straight to the point. It barely even has a voice in my opinion. FYI that’s not an actual excerpt from my novel, it’s just an example of my disliked writing style that I want to stray as far away from as possible.
Ahahahhaha i honostly laughed at your disney montage, the little texts!
I think this is my favourite video of yours LOL....the Disney movie captions are BRILLIANT and had me giggling like I was reading a Tara Sivec books
Every time Abbie says "subscribe" I go to do it and then realize I did it ages ago. If only I could do it over and over again!!
For real, though: I think I've figured out why I like your videos so much? I'm pretty much strictly a fantasy writer--swords, magic, go easy on the dragons... and I feel like the fantasy field is kind of recovering from all the years of info-dumping and "I'm gonna tell you not show you" exposition, and all the paragraphs describing a landscape that most of us skimmed through because we wanted to get back to the characters, etc etc... Pretty much a melting pot of all the things people say you shouldn't do (go team). My point is I think that somewhere in the recovery process, writers were like "JUST DON'T DO THESE THINGS" when really, now that we have acknowledged the edge of that blade, the right context/formula means we could learn to use the blade instead of cut our stories and readers to pieces with it. Does that make sense? I think we are going to be entering an age of writers who are going to learn from the "mistakes" of writers before them, with a certain sense of awareness and a peculiar connection to their works. Backstory? Exposition? Flashbacks? A heap of other things people warn you not to do? I think (lol) that it's important to remember that writing is as dynamic as we are. Whether it's the argument about showing versus telling, or if it's the flashback "demon" coming for you, or whatever it is... I don't really know if I like when people call them mistakes anymore, or things "not do to," because I feel like that lobs off half of the writing process we get to explore.
Omg, I'm sorry for the rant?? Basically, your videos (and you) are amazing because I feel like you are one of the writer's with a grown mindset, and I super appreciate you dedicating your time and energy to sharing that with the world. Thank you, Abbie!
Oof i know right. Her explanations make so much sense. And other people don't for me or it's just stuff I already know😂 she helps alot
God the more I look into advice regarding hooks and first chapters the more and more I fall in love with My Hero Academia.
My story
Desire: that he wants to live a perfectly normal life without anyone dying, anything going wrong, without anything being his fault
Wants everything he has to stay with him.
His fear: that his life is destined for him to always have nothing. And that he can’t change it.
Huh, all of the videos I watched so far, Abbie starts with the same welcoming, energy. *What's up, my friends?!*.... I just smile
Thanks, I was freaking about my first chapter when this popped up
Abbie you are a national treasure, you are simply the best
I have a hook that basically starts as an older version of my main character reflecting on the story
“I still remember the day I fell off the grid, with little trace. The day my life got ripped to pieces and my plans thrown down the drain. How it all started, what part I played and how I was thrown out to brave the wilderness of forests and city streets at the age of seventeen to survive somehow, barely an adult, barely graduated, barely prepared for the awful events leading up to that fateful day.”
I feel like it’s okay, but this book is going to full of some tense moments, and I wanted the reader to feel like they were just as unsure about the mc’s safety as he is, but with the “I remember..” bit, it makes me feel like it will give readers a sense of reassurance about it all. Which is not the greatest, since the book is about fear and survival, as well as finding peace in difficult situations. I think it’s good, but kinda counterproductive of what I’m trying to accomplish.
I think it’s great! And your book sounds exciting! Don’t know if you’re still writing it or not, but to tense it up a bit, you should change fell to something more extreme and worrying. To kinda like make the audience worry about whether if your mc is okay or not, even after the event. To say how horrible it was. And I suggest saying “I will always remember the day...”, I feel like it gives you this cautious feeling of importance or something. You know? Idk, that’s usually how I make the readers feel something. I heard you’re supposed to catch they’re attention. Don’t know if this is gonna help or if this is just stupid logic.
Abbie is so good at producing her videos and her eyebrows are fire. Just had to put that out there.
My character's desire: To know the truth behind the beginning of everything
Her fear: The truth itself because what if it isn't what she wanted it to be and everything spirals out of control when she knows it?
Ooooh, that sounds great! How is the book coming along?
Amazing
We have the same internal conflict but the problem is we have to be very detailed about it. And that's the writing process itself.
Your videos are changing my writing and making me dig deeper! Thank you!
Hi Abbie love your videos, they are so useful and uplifting/motivating. I was wondering- are you thinking about doing a video about writing short stories? This would be really useful. p.s. I loved your book :-)
Thank you so much for your kind words! They mean so much to me, and I am thrilled that the content I make encourages you to chase your dreams and make your story MATTER!
This is amazing. I have ideas for how my novel is going to pan out, but I suck at planning and outlining and these videos help me flesh out the little details. I thought it would be obvious to write a story with all these things such as the opening hook and pinch points, since they're all present in the books we love, yet I found myself surprised at how little I know and how helpful these videos are. There is indeed a structure to every story and it's not just plain characters and info dumped out on a page, there must be a reason for every character to be there, goals, conflicts, which make the story come alive. Many beginner writers such as myself miss these obvious steps. That's why it's important to accept criticism and study the story structure.
This is such a great video! Thank you for posting this, I needed this one this week! So helpful
I haven't seen your videos in almost two years and you are STILL killin' it. While I will disagree with you that the 3 act structure is the best structure (I'm a fan of Dan Harmon's character structure), your videos always give me something to chew on. Thank you for reiterating your points so much! I forgot all of them hahah. Great video!
The best hook I ever read /saw was Anne with an E and Anne of Green Gables
Because of you, I started thinking about stories with an internal conflict in mind, not the plot. I'd let the plot revolve around the internal conflict and it makes writing a lot simpler actually and interesting too.