3 Great Writing Tips No One Ever Talks About

[@johnfinck288]

My best tip: when you come to a point in your story where you don't know what happens next, embrace that moment. If you don't know what happens next, neither will your readers. This adds tension and drama. Even if it goes against your outline or preconceived ideas, embrace this moment, and let the story unfold from there. I find that writing myself out of unexpected corners often makes my story much better than my original ideas.

[@seanbillington3287]

The writers on Breaking Bad did that constantly

[@wooserenitestressconfiance]

SO GREAT ! thank you for that good idea John !

[@rupadas515]

@@seanbillington3287 .

[@arianderson3863]

This is a great tip, probably the best I've heard for overcoming writers block. I've been stuck against a wall with my book for the past little while now, but this has been extraordinarily helpful. thanks for sharing.

[@naiitsadventures8113]

Wow this are few grate Tips

[@Wa7edmenalnass]

One great tip I received from a poet was: it's all right to have weak lines, people do remember a line or two from your poem that being said weak lines make the powerful ones stand out.

[@josephbongiorno9138]

Sort of like independent clauses occur when a dependent clause is weaker than the independent... Is that correct or not?

[@nehukybis]

Weirdly this works on everything... humor, action, what have you... except suspense and erotica. In suspense and (especially) erotica one misstep and you break the mood completely with unintentional comedy. Oh my!

[@stephanieanderson1924]

I hadn’t even thought about that. Thank you.

[@CNBlaze-qj7fg]

Just make sure the weak lines are not the most frequent. ;)

[@Wa7edmenalnass]

@@josephbongiorno9138 Yeah kinda of.

[@MrDrumGodsey]

Having a consistent writing routine was the key to me finishing my first draft. Writing has to be an almost compulsive habit. A routine makes writing become that habit!

[@Reedsy]

Very good advice!

[@rachy5384]

Great advice, at the minute I'm trying to establish a routine for myself in regards to my writing. Watching KZbin videos like this helps with the motivation :)

[@HeadHunterSix]

Gene Simmons (yes, the one from KISS) said that writing songs is like panning for gold. You won't find it every time, but if you don't go down to the river every day, you never will. It applies to writing, too. It's exercise for your mind.

[@camillepotter9580]

Good one. My oldest sister was an art teacher/educator and created art curriculums and wrote for museums, etc. I asked her how she got so much done. She told me she does about 30 minutes a day on this and 30 minutes a day on that, and so on with other things. That way, by the end of the week, she has a lot done on all of the projects. I still hear her words every day, while I am working on my book. Do something every day, whether its writing, researching, investigating publishing, watching book oriented youtube videos, creating illustrations, etc. Even when I do my exercises/dancing around the house to stay in shape over the winter, in the mornings, and I get ideas how to do this or that or plot ideas while moving around!. I love that!

[@Flame-rp6yq]

Here’s a quote by famous Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky “Inspiration is a guest that does not willingly visit the lazy”

[@jenniferdempsey6615]

Sharing

[@maryocecilyo3372]

Obrigado

[@harleykaruliscreativity7467]

So true, great quote

[@notreallydavid]

Great quote, but 'famous Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky' is a bit like 'famous English writer William Shakespeare' or 'famous army commander Napoleon'.

[@iloveowls90]

@@notreallydavid but its true?

[@andyweb7779]

I thought of a tip 🤔 if you're writing briefly about a character in a work place that you've no experience in then focus on the things you do have experience in, like colleague relationships, hirarchy etc. They can be similar everywhere. I used to work in a night club, then worked in an office. They're totally different environments but the way people get on is exactly the same.

[@Iwasonceanonionwithnolayers]

That's a good one

[@NIKONGUY1960]

I use white noise, such as rain storms, snow storms and the like. It keeps me focused and balanced and I get an amazing amount of work done. That and I keep a simple gate that I have where I write in the closed position so no one bothers me. Can't say that enough. Getting pulled off your flow is painful.

[@MagnetMagicGirl]

I like listening to typing asmr. Something about that clackity clack just gets me!

[@lemonnugget293]

There is literally nothing worse then getting pulled outta the flow...😭

[@erikthorsen240]

@@lemonnugget293 I think getting stabbed would be worse.

[@lemonnugget293]

@@erikthorsen240 maybe but it's pretty close

[@jacket6213]

I heard of one great tip, it was pretty harsh but it was really good. "Dont take it to heart if your book doesnt get bought off the shelves. They're is a lot of great stories that dont do well in marketing. Some if not everyone would usually walk past them and not know they even existed, so be prepared for that and know that you accomplished something".

[@Reedsy]

Very true--the accomplishment is in writing itself, not just how much your book sells.

[@greedfox7842]

that's more life advice, than writing advice. if you've got a book, you're done with the writing part.

[@JacobPatrick1]

Also, how could someone take it personally, all those people not reading it, aren't judging the work itself, because they haven't read it. It's based on other factors as well.

[@captainnemo9742]

When asked, many authors admit to writing for an audience of one: themselves. Even if you have an eye on publication, if you're not satisfying that first reader, yourself, you are wasting your time.

[@sammomin8115]

Your grammar and spelling disturb me and more if no one else noticed.

[@pokemonfanthings4444]

I love how you are straight to the point and concise, humble, and those ideas are creative. I never heard those three before.

[@thereseember2800]

Thank you for your tips. I feel so proud of you-how confidently that you carry yourself. Tips: *Type direct dictation of how different people talk while they’re actually talking or relaying aspects of their own life story. Add dots for when they pause. Include when they laugh or when they get a lump in their throat...or when they’re close to tears... Study afterwards their cadence and how they weave their words together. How they hem and haw... Include different age groups, cultures, etc. This is an exercise to help dialogue. Read one paragraph from different people (aunts, uncles, grandparents, neighbors, strangers, the elderly, different professions, kids). Can others recognize who it is? Or do some sound too similar to perhaps be believable as a different character’s dialogue? Closely observe why their patterns are different. *Keep a notebook of solely words that you absolutely love the sounds of...that have a loving, peaceful, whimsical or blissful effect upon you. Then you can turn to this notebook when you’re searching for words or certain phrases.

[@pvara17]

This is great, thanks!

[@blueplague5911]

Oh. I didn't expect this to be the exact kind of helpful I wanted.

[@StephanieOplinger]

I love that first tip! I'd never heard of that one before either. One of my favorite writing tips for creating tension for a character both internally and plot-wise, is to make their (Maslow) heirarchy of needs conflict. An easy example is Titanic: Rose finds love and acceptance with Jack (a need on the hierarchy scale) but it directly conflicts with her social and familial acceptance (another need in the scale).

[@figueiroaloureiro...6736]

writing tip: "drink water" life saver

[@Reedsy]

Stay hydrated while writing, kids

[@greedfox7842]

should be "drink liquor"...

[@teerevevourdeminingo4274]

greed fox I was just slipping in here to tell R. F. Laurel that they are not really a writer. It’s wine or a good scotch. And a roach. Mushrooms when possible.

[@theofficialbigmood8180]

haha that was the first thing that crossed my mind when i saw at the start of the video when i saw that cup of tea/coffee. Water literally poped into my mind out of the blue

[@robertnussberger2028]

I cannot write when I have a buzz.

[@jonathanvilario5402]

"Only tell a plan that fails, never tell a plan that succeeds." One sets up expectations just to knock it down, the other surprises the audience with its success.

[@onen6942]

Regarding not clueing people into plans unless the plan fails, that’s an extension of another common piece of advice, “Don’t tell readers the same information twice, because it’s boring.” Still good advice to mention because a lot of people fall into that trap at least once, but it’s also good to know why.

[@adriang6259]

Writing tip. Watch these videos. Even if the subject is axiomatic. They're actually great motivation to smash through road blocks. So, thanks for posting.👍 (Most things are helpful though)

[@leif3925]

Thanks for the great writing tips : - ) My favorite tip *was* to read my draft aloud ... but *now* I find it much more efficient to let Word read it to me because even though it mispronounces my characters' names, it catches things I'm reading (and have subvocalized) incorrectly, like breath and breathe, et cetera.

[@Reedsy]

Word's speech to text is such a great feature!

[@Superkid33]

How do I make word read it out loud to me?

[@essentiallygone7590]

Listening to audio is a super underrated tip. Audiobooks are the only thing that consistently give me inspiration and ideas to write about. Listening to To Kill a Mockingbird for example, the descriptions of southern summer heat and the way Harper Lee builds the world and characters through observations and encounters. Same with The Bell Jar, the way Plath writes about thoughts and builds imagery, something about listening to that always makes me want to write.

[@josephdemaree8401]

When someone feels your pain, they speak your language. If they speak your language, you have found your critique partner

[@kingjulian9069]

holy cow! the first thing about the characters plan succeeding has literally opened my eyes to most action packed, dystopian, superhero and underdog movies where the character is always asked “so what’s the plan?” and it just cuts! you’re a genius! thank you! I’ll always keep an open eye for that now, so cool! I now know what to expect in movies heheh when me, my friends and family stop to discuss and theorize during a movie I’ll have so much power riding on the tip of my lips!

[@russellrecords6182]

When I have a complex plot with characters coming and going, I build a timeline to clue me if one part of the story depends on something like an event or a conversation that hasn’t yet happened.

[@bradleyharper6020]

I consider what emotion I want my reader to have when they close the book, and what image I think will create it. Then point my trajectory towards that final point.

[@lauralai9694]

Thank you for your tips! My writing tip: Don't have it perfect, just have it written! You have all the time and the tips in the world to make it perfect. Good luck! And happy writing! 🙂

[@markm4033]

I have two stories that I been writing for years. Both fiction, one set in the 1500s, and the other far far into the future, a sci fi world. In order for me to going, I listen to sci fi instrumentals or in the case of the older story, music that pertains to that time period. I liked how this video was presented and right to the point. You helped me to restart my story. Thank you.

[@classickidscartoonschannel4561]

Could this be the same book? The far past affects the future?

[@markm4033]

@@classickidscartoonschannel4561 interesting catch there, but no. Life events has forced me to halt my writing for now. That title sounds interesting.

[@classickidscartoonschannel4561]

@@markm4033 NaNoWriMo?

[@markm4033]

@@classickidscartoonschannel4561 huh?

[@nylamelody1307]

Wow, both your stories sound very compelling. I think they will be very good once they are done.

[@austincross3001]

In response to the second tip: I literally listened to the audio of the beginning of John Grisham's The Whistler one day and later that night, ended up writing the first chapter of a novel that I've been trying to write for the past year. I definitely recommend that tip.

[@douglashazelrigg4377]

A tip I like for developing overall story meaning involves answering the following question: "What is the lie that your main character believes?" Or alternately, "What is the lie that your main character is fighting against?"

[@thecolorfulmilkshake8926]

This was an ad in my recommended after I said, "Why can't I think something to write.".

[@kentshawn8986]

Love the first tip! A version of this is in a notebook I wrote when I was twelve. It all goes back to keeping the reader guessing!!!

[@Andoroid]

1:12 I feel like in lots of circumstances, even listening to music alone can help get the brain rolling I was suffering from massive writers block on a chapter for a story and couldn't figure out the tone I wanted to set it as. So I started looking around through my playlists and found a song that absolutely *nailed* the tone I wanted to the point where I could associate the emotion from the music to the emotion I wanted my character to be going through in that scene. It sometimes seems like if we give a fitting soundtrack to our ideas, it ends up pushing the idea further Great video! Very helpful

[@noomikay3852]

Should've watched this before watching Endgame...

[@alissagreene4363]

Noomi Kay I’m just happy I didn’t!

[@Icemansam44]

Tip: don’t be so hard on yourself. The first time you write it, it most likely won’t be perfect. Don’t stop and correct just keep going. Revising is for fixing things up later. Also find the end of your story. Write the entire thing first save it then go back and edit it. When you edit make a separate draft so you don’t loose the original spirit of your work!

[@imtheyoutubewanderer4672]

Nice tip! :D Thank you for this!

[@arminc4658]

Writing tip I've not heard as much is the importance of nuance in a character and smaller character details, especially in villains. Having little intricacies about a character known to the audience such as their preferences, their habits, their interests and even super specific stuff like their favourite drink, whether they like or dislike smoking, etc. Can contribute a lot to making a character more believable and immersive. I find this works especially well when done with villains (unless your villain's whole deal is mystery, then this won't help).

[@Iwasonceanonionwithnolayers]

Here's mine: write a 0 draft of your dialogue that has no subtext or subtlety, where everyone just says exactly what they think and feel and are far more self-aware than they should be. Rework it to be in-voice, then rework it to be in-character, cutting out what certain characters don't understand about themselves or each other or would never admit. Revise it until it flows naturally but keep the breath of the truth behind every word. This is how I'm getting my dialogue to be layered and three dimensional and rife with tension. Sometimes it's hard to write subtext and keep everything that's influencing the words each person says in you're head. Much easier to edit it in.

[@pauligrossinoz]

That's 3 perfect tips - I loved them! I am moving time in my novel by switching the location and the accompanying POVs. The reader then follows along a parallel, but related, thread of the story from different perspective, so when I pick up the story again at the original location, it feels perfectly natural to the reader that time has passed there without me having to narrate it passing. I'm trying to use the same type of constant switching of locations in the Lord of the Rings between Frodo+Sam, Gandalf+Pippin, Eowyn+Merry and Aragorn+Gimli+Legolas. I hope it actually works for the reader the way I want it to work.

[@dannymarz3269]

I'm in the process of writing a novel and the third tip really resonated with me. I think it's a great rule of thumb & it instantly sparked an internal reminder for me to remember when alternating between scene and narrative will be most effective. Thank you. Great video. 👍

[@janelienert1670]

Wow! I love these super helpful tips! But what I love most is how you summed up these tips in a three minute video! Time is everything thank you!

[@Liflowcbd]

Sounds like someone who is working on their craft and killing it. Great tips.

[@jcanivan]

Choose 10 words and write a short story with them...

[@TheWaynos73]

I’m writing a fantasy novel and I’m literally using multi sided dice to get some interesting plot tangents happening - for example in the second act of a the story for each character in my story I will make a roll of a fate with a 20 sided dice and each number will have an assigned fate for that character ie love, death, betrayal, murder, etc. - you get some very interesting variations going on and some unexpected events that really work.

[@writingandself-publishingw4051]

Those are all great tips. Readings can be great for inspiration. It's so important to refill your creative well. Also, writing is such a solitary thing that going out and being around other people can remind you how big the writing community truly is.

[@101sounder]

Thanks for the tips. It was a great title for your post I clicked on it immediately because I want to hear tips that no one else is giving. Here is my tip and it’s more of a style than a tip: I go to the Notes part on my iPhone and I talk into my phone. I find when I speak words part of my brain is stimulated and I discovered things and I discover what my characters are actually like by speaking words in their voice. Then I send these notes to Google Docs. This works for me because of the way my brain works and also because I’m a lousy typist and my penmanship is substandard.

[@TrueGritProductions]

Nice tips. I use the audiobook one to dust the cobwebs. I unconsciously shift from scene to narrative when the details are mundane and need to pass time without boring the reader. I like the idea of only revealing the plan if it will fail, builds false suspense. Will keep it in mind for the halfway point false hope approach.

[@phillipcampbell843]

This was EXCELLENT. I am used to these sorts of videos being click bait-ish but this was fantastic. Very grateful and subscribed : )

[@peterkingsmill6875]

Really enjoyed this! (Especially the first tip - an "aha" moment!)

[@maximk9964]

The first one about the untold plan succeeding and told plan failing, I noticed a long time ago because every TV show and cartoon use this approach. I was watching something tense recently, and as soon as I realized that the main characters started to do things they didn't discuss beforehand I actually relaxed a little. So to really mess with your audience have an untold plan fail every once in while.

[@CNBlaze-qj7fg]

I'm writing, forever writing and learning, and it is glorious to see the lesser tips spoken.

[@rcschmidt668]

I wrote my characters into a corner in one of my stories. They did not know how to get past the challenge, and I did not have enough experience with the subject to make it sound good no matter what I tried. I got through it by having the main character fail, and in so doing, I found a way out that allowed someone else to come in and allow the story to continue. Don’t be afraid to fail in the story. The best characters are not perfect.

[@okeekpagha2126]

"Ruin TV for you." Haha. I only watch Game of Thrones.

[@summergirl4567]

How did that work out for you?

[@okeekpagha2126]

@@summergirl4567 😭

[@lueysixty-six7300]

summergirl4567 Hahahahababahaha - Hill-air!😌

[@houstonluc]

Nice tips! Thank you

[@nathanjones704]

Thank you very informative! you have wisdom. thank you for taking the time to make these videos 🥰

[@XX-sp3tt]

0:43 The problem is that this becomes signaling to savvy readers. Alternates include: Explain the plan as it's happening, or explain the plan.. then skip to it having succeeded.

[@marialuisaassuncao8929]

montage with voiceover is pretty common i think

[@rubenvasquez3660]

After I've written a story and it is edited to the best of my ability.... i run it through my word processor. I run it through where the voice is read aloud by a male... Then... I have it read aloud by a female I have found that I can tweak my story by listening to the voices... some how my mind picks up things I've not heard before.... hey it works for me

[@deannamiller8882]

I love your videos so much that I watch them every day all day

[@jinchoung]

really nice! the last one is basically an articulation of when and why to "tell" vs "show" and gives lie to the notion that you should ALWAYS show and not tell (which is essentially impossible anyway unless you're a mad man).

[@thesuperfluousone2537]

In regard to telling the reader the plan or not, a mix is often best. Imagine the characters discuss their plan, then it fails, but it turns out the failure was part of the plan, and the reader doesn't know until after.

[@paristhalheimer]

I read Winesburg, Ohio, by Sherwood Anderson. One of the things I noticed he did was put it in very small sub stories in the middle of his story which were barely connected. It was a nice touch and gave the story a homespun story teller feel. I use it on occasion.

[@lesliehall2210]

I really liked these, and they're not tips that appear on every list. Here's another tip: Use dialogue intentionally for specific purposes--e.g., develop character, introduce conflict, accelerate the plot, etc.

[@teshafreeman4019]

I know how to start a break in a scene, *** say a character is in a store, then you want to show what is happening across the street from the store, but how do you end a dinkus, like you want to go back to the in store scene? Do you end a dinkus with *** too then go back into the store? .

[@christinetaylor6694]

Some things I do to help improve my writing: While watching movie/ tv show rewrite the scene on paper or in your head. Try to find ways to describe what you see. Tip: if your chapter/character doesn't feel like it belongs, if probably doesn't and you might need to take it out.

[@Reedsy]

Those are both great tips!

[@anirudhprasad8763]

Ok, this blew my mind. I literally just wrote a scene where my characters are discussing the plan that is going to succeed. Now I know what to do. Thanks, Reedsy!

[@Reggie2000]

Either one, omit that chapter or rewrite it, or two, have the heist fail, or three, have the heist almost fail, which in many cases, it should anyway for tension reasons, or three, have it seem to fail, but really succeed, because there was information that you did not provide to other characters, ergo, the readers.

[@anirudhprasad8763]

@@Reggie2000 Thanks, man. I really appreciate the tips. I'll be sure to reference them in the future. :) But you're 11 months late. That chapter is long gone. XD

[@Reggie2000]

@@anirudhprasad8763 I know. I and I thought about pre acknowledging that with, "This is more for others", but for whatever reason, didn't. But glad to hear you worked through it. Soooo, what did you do?

[@anirudhprasad8763]

@@Reggie2000 I've halted the project for 5 years. I've come to realize that I'm not skilled enough to write an intricate and complex story. Actually, the story-according to me-is too good to be made into a poorly written book filled with cliché, predictable scenes and bland characters. I'm focusing on short stories right now. Starting with short stories is actually a great tip. I believe it would help me in polishing my writing skills. And after 5 years, I would be able to start the project again. That book is my dream and I wanna make it close to perfect if not perfect ;)

[@nomindcombat4165]

I love these tips on writing: 1. Write, write, and write. a. start at the endgame then move to beginning. and the middle works it way out. b. Use loose leaf college spaced paper so you can physically move your pages and ideas around. c. Don't worry about naming places and people. Just write and imagine yourself in that world interacting with the characters and surroundings. d. Finish the whole script. beginning to end, no matter how stinky you thing it is. The script will develop fully in the rewrites. e. Organize your loose leaf papers in the order of which scene is which and according to Acts. Type out the hand written script on your favorite screenwriter program. f. Reread and rewrite a few times asking yourself does this scene add to the story, dynamic of the film, does it move the story along as well as the overall pace? If not cut it. g. Lastly, Hand pick friends and send them a copy of script. Ask them: - Do you relate to the story? - Do you relate to the characters? - How is the pace of the read? - Is this story believable? That's how I write.

[@christinamoriarty6989]

College spaced paper is too narrow and confining; it leaves no room to insert words and phrases. I recommend lined paper with the wider spacing.

[@arsenmanson567]

Thank You. Be Healthy and Happy!!!

[@savaialaddams6273]

Tip given to me by an author of a few books- Avoid passive voice. For example, "She was afraid to commit, in any sense, one choice or another." That became more active if expressed like this- "Experience taught Mary that commitment led to the very cement of what commitment meant; no way out."

[@savacook3368]

Hey look, it’s an ad that I think is actually cool and want to see! Keep up the good work, never thought of these, the first one is so good.

[@ashleyfleckenstein346]

Thank you for these legitimately unique and helpful tips! Just subscribed.

[@luckychery8917]

Thank You Very Much For Your Tips. It's Very Useful

[@SaveMoreThanHoneyBees]

today was a great day for the book community

[@Swordsman1425]

A good bit about the "Don't explain the plan unless it's going to fail" is that you can really play with it. The show Leverage did it very well by showing what the plan was going to be, it falling apart, but then at the end showing that it was actually all part of a secret backup plan put into place. Works really well for heist/spy stories.

[@mollymccarthy5151]

Fun tips! I 100% agree that listening to someone read their own writing inspires ones own creativity. I really like your added idea of specifically listening to writers read their own poetry; I'll give that a try. Thanks!

[@tfp3163]

Your first point reminded me of someone’s analysis of heist movies/stories. The stories usually involving amassing a group of characters that are all recruited based on their highly specialized skills to tackle very specific tasks/problems they plan to encounter during the heist. The plan is usually laid out before the heist through and exposition monologue that states who does what and why it’s important so the audience understands the stakes of each problem to be solved. And most of the tension and fun throughout the story is driven from seeing how each of those problems either fail or have unforeseen circumstances (such as tools breaking or extra security, etc) and how the group improvises and overcomes these obstacles.

[@bradfoster8292]

Just found this - thank you, great tips! A perfect example of the first tip is the movie "A Simple Plan" (I haven't read the book yet but the movie is great).

[@Writing-With-Dyslexia]

Tip number 2 helped my writing improve so much. Listening to what I have written on a Text-to-Speech app helps me pick up mistakes as well

[@Isaiah4ii]

Great video!!! That first tip is definitely golden!! Love it!! All the best!!

[@paristhalheimer]

Loved writing tip 3.

[@rogersjgregory]

My tip, sometimes going off script can be rewarding. If a character says or does something that you hadn’t anticipated or planned, let it play out and see where it takes you.

[@Socasmx]

The narrative tip is very good. I just read a best seller where almost all of it was narrative and only some other. Lines of lines of dialogue without a single action. I forced myself to finish the book.

[@sirchronicle]

Listening to poetry that's comparable to your scenework is something I've always loved, breaks up brain fog like no other. That and looking up specific localized lore/proverbs for conversational pieces.

[@krisjordan989]

Great tips - yes they are different - deep and thoughtful. Thanks for sharing!

[@imagomundiful]

#2: yes!!! I started writing thanks to getting bored during audiobooks 😅

[@stevem6856]

some of my best tips are. 1.) avoid making a "perfect" or unrealistically moral character. you want the audience to connect with and basically love the character. throw in some imperfections. 2.) don't protect your main/favorite character from hardship, setbacks, or even lasting trauma. tragedy adds weight to a story and will suck the reader in making them anxious for the solution. and 3.) before i start writing i come up with my favorite scenes. important dialect, intense moments, huge reveals i usually write those first so i have direction.

[@HeadHunterSix]

Lee Child has basically subverted the first tip, but only because of an excessive amount of the second. He has always conceived of Jack Reacher as "the protagonist that always wins", but he gets knocked around _a lot_ in the process. So it's OK to have the unbeatable character, as long as they earn the victory.

[@johnjordan211]

Nobody likes imperfections

[@shojodraws3399]

I dont know how common this one is but I like to write a "skeleton" or just everything I want to say and happen in a given chapter then add the meat n stuff. It allows me to set an atmosphere for the chapter and makes it less daunting. If you have something already there, you can work from there

[@ladybird491]

These three things I have known and you are right they are not talked about. I am a writing genius so I knew these things, but most people seem to not. lol

[@ladybird491]

People don't talk about creating a plot twisted in the revision of the novel, so for example you write the novel, what comes to you, then return to the piece and edit things to be opposite or add a plot twist that no one really saw coming.

[@XxShade_FrostxX]

My favourite story tip are take ideas from dreams. Like I had this very odd dream with soul mates, kingdoms and in depth characters and when I woke up, I just wanted to go back to sleep just to finish that dream. It's really good for ideas and story plot.

[@markrodriguez9442]

Use scene when your character is active. Never thought of it. And writing out character's failures. Hmm!

[@emilyedwards1819]

Stumbled across this video a just as I was planning the climax to my story. Rule one saved me from making a faux pas I never would have caught! Thanks! 🖋️

[@tombomb47]

I clicked on this ad expecting that it would be about getting my money but it's actually a good video, i subscribed

[@awiggins47]

This was great! Thank you

[@CS-ol7wo]

I've not heard THOSE spoken before, but I heard one very similar to the last pointer: Use narrative summary to speed thru a "boring" scene (like when not much is happening) and action when you want to focus in on the drama of a moment more. This speaks more toward the pacing aspect, but I think it largely has the same effect.

[@natedoggsaidit]

That was quite helpful, thanks for uploading this. 🙏🏾

[@laughingdaisies]

Great info!!! Super fast and concise...thanks!

[@godofthecripples1237]

What's underrated is a plan being revealed _as_ it unfolds, step-by-step. Not perfect for all situations but it does circumvent the obvious problem. Likewise, revealing a plan ahead of time, only for it to fail, and then reveal another part of the plan we weren't told so it might succeed.

[@whatzause]

“…knowing this is going to ruin TV for you…” -a very insightful truth, Shaelin, but still that tip is very worth knowing. Love it. I had also noticed another thing watching Tv and movies: when a character says “Be careful not to do such and such because this terrible thing will happen,” then you can KNOW the person is going to do that -they always do. And I figured out that the warning wouldn’t have been put into the script if it were not going to happen!

[@dennisvance4004]

My best tip and dealing with writers block is to write the most interesting part of the story, regardless of whether it is at the beginning, middle or end. It will often give you the enthusiasm and energy to write the rest of it. I first did this as an experiment; I wasn’t writing anything. So I wrote a middle chapter of a book I had thought about writing. So far the story is hey series of four books, as yet and published. It was supposed to be a short story. I’m still going on the strength of that first experiment.

[@cmreidlovegirl25]

My writing tip is say as much as possible with as FEW words as possible. It reminds me to be descriptive and cut unnecessary things

[@thereseember2800]

cmreidlovegirl25: That’s a gift.

[@issi99]

these are so insightful! it was refreshing to hear advice that wasn't just the old recycled "show don't tell" stuff :)

[@Trekkie46]

Explaining the plan. I kinda figured this one out a while back. Movies have gotten so formulaic and copy-pasted that stuff sticks out big time.

[@Elbow_Jumper]

What terrific, simple yet well-constructed tips! These tips are going to be ALL OVER my first draft process for 2020! Thanks, Reedsy!

[@tonybounds1069]

My writing tip: Use letters to form words, words to construct sentences, sentences to build paragraphs, paragraphs to construct scenes, scenes to make chapters, chapters to form a story. Just some basics. Hope this helps.

[@madisonestes6124]

I don't think the plan has to fail after you tell the reader about it. Just having an unexpected setback or having the events not go according to plan works just as well. i.e. Prison Break. Michael tells several people his plans and he always has to adjust his plans due to setbacks, but he almost never fails. Knowing something is not going according to a character's plan is intense regardless of whether the character ultimately succeeds or fails.

[@beebuzz959]

I agree, and sure there could be exceptions, and though I've never seen that show, what you described sounds somewhat like a failed plan. But it's also kind of semantics.

[@HeadHunterSix]

These are great tips. Have a sub! One of the tips I've begun to use is with first-person narrative: cut out most of the cerebral or sensory self-dialogue that doesn't represent an active purpose. ""He must have gone down the stairs," I thought" works just as well without the last part. I don't know if I put that into the best words, but I hope I conveyed the idea.