4 Tips on Writing the Beginning of Your Story (So It Doesn't Suck)

In this video, we cover 4 tips for writing the beginning of your story so that the first chapters will hook your readers and keep your audience engaged!
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Chapters:
00:00 Importance of The Beginning
02:38 A BEAR IS AT MY DOOR!!!
04:13 Intermission
04:28 Get IN LATE and Get OUT EARLY
08:43 Closing the Circle
12:24 3 Things to Avoid
#writing #writingadvice #Wrestlingwithwordspodcast
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#authortube #writers #writingtips #motivation

[@wrestlingwithwords]

Thanks for watching! Check out some of these other videos: The Most Compelling Character Dynamic You Can Write: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mmScepl9qp6ios0 The Number 1 Thing Missing With Your Characters: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hHKQeWilbJ6HrpI

[@specialhiza]

we don't talk about the first page of berserk manga

[@TheAsylumCat]

Actually, there's a good anecdotal story there. For one, Miura did say that he'd change it if he could, but knowing how much a perfectionist he was, it was better to get the ball rolling. You can also compare/contrast the prototype chapter to get an understanding of how details can drastically change the narrative.

[@MrSilverfab]

​@@TheAsylumCattrue

[@lizxu322]

No it was perfect as is. I mean, it was an interesting choice, but hey it got you reading didn't it.

[@kakashihatake6176]

​@@lizxu322 is kind of weird in a first reading but the more you know about guts the more that scene feels out of character

[@leonmayne797]

Beginning of anime is great though.

[@Alexindiegamedev]

1st time viewer. One thing I learned from another KZbin writer is that, yes, start a story with the conflict but only introduce 2 - 4 characters at the start to not overwhelm the audience

[@wrestlingwithwords]

This is a good principle to go by. There are of course exceptions, but yes, immersing the audience and giving them a reason to care should be the primary goal here. Thank you also for watching and for your comment!! I really appreciate it!

[@heatherkline6766]

One story I am working on seems to do these fairly well; though my writing of it was bad. I begin with four of the ten or so characters, drop the conflict on my protagonist early, show some fast-paced action, resolve it in an unexpected way (a way in which better exemplifies the overall arc of my lead), and include key details that set up the whole of the rest of the story. I lay the groundwork for the actions of one antagonist, set up some important relationships, give a sense of my protagonist's compass for right/wrong, and highlight specific weaknesses of some characters. These first 4 individuals include my lead, an antagonist, a character who motivates my protagonist's actions even many years later, and an agent of change (even within himself).

[@wrestlingwithwords]

That’s great!! This shows a really good understanding of taking control of your story and its start!

[@trikebeatstrexnodiff]

I always use the tip of finishing the chapter with a different emotion than the emotion which covers the first pages of the chapter. It is interesting to start and end the chapter with the same emotion. I will give it a try. And I usually start my story with the main character having fun and being relaxed before introducing the threat which will force him to go out of their comfort zone. I know that's what nearly all writers do but most of the time they just write the status quo of the character; everyday life instead of giving them the best time of their lives. I think it is way better to start the story with characters having some fun since it will hit harder for them thus their reaction will be more believable, plus the readers are going to be invested in their reaction when the big threat (inciting incident) comes. However, there are also characters who are willing to go through the journey the inciting incident forces them to go. I wonder how can we pull this off? Since there won't be much conflict/tension in such situation for both the character and the reader... (Meaning, "A bear is at my door" won't be the case in that situation)

[@wrestlingwithwords]

I think as long as there is a reason for them to go on this journey, that can be your "bear at the door". Keep in mind, that the BatD doesn't have to be something external. It can be an internal drive too. Maybe your character feels like this is their one opportunity to go on this journey. Or maybe it is an embedded feature in their society that adventures must be undertaken... Or the inverse. Maybe the community looks down on this and this makes the character want to go on this adventure despite that. Thank you again for the comment and for sharing your thoughts and your work!

[@lauragranger9813]

I've been appreciating the pronoun use of 'we' and 'our' in your videos. It has been subconsciously much more engaging and welcoming. Not that the 'you' and 'your' of other instruction videos is at all alienating by any means, but I hadn't realised until I was listening to another one and the 'you could' 'you should' 'your writing' was being used and it struck me how much more pleasant and engaging and inclusive it was to be hearing your use of 'we/our'. So thankyou. I've been working though the videos on this channel after finding them only yesterday and they have already been very helpful. Thanks heaps!

[@wrestlingwithwords]

I'm glad people notice this! Yes, this is intentional for all the reasons you listed. A big part of my messaging is that WE are all writers and are in this TOGETHER. I don't pretend to have a vault of esoteric knowledge on story craft, and I don't pretend to be in a position to dictate or proclaim writers must do _these_ things. Language and being intentional with how we address each other (peers and audience members) should play a big role when it comes to this little part of the educational internet corner. I really appreciate you for watching and for your comment! I hope to hear more about your writing and progress!

[@JustClaude13]

The problem with "The Bear at the Door" is that it feels like a blunt force trauma. Thinking in those terms leads people to think a story should start with a life or death challenge. I think a writer should start with the main character confronting a problem, but I don't need it to be dramatic. My project starts with an orphan girl joining a caravan to reach a distant city where she can find work as a live-in maid. In the first few pages I establish that she's beaten down by recent events and afraid to push herself out. She likes animals but is patronizing toward the goblins (It's a fantasy) and she's nudged into action by the young man who will become her best friend through the rest of the book. The rest of the story is about her growth in confidence and leadership until she leads the effort to stop a goblin uprising.

[@wrestlingwithwords]

Thank you for your comment! However, I know I am not advocating for some sort of life-and-death situation. I really only talk about there being a clear problem/source of conflict that needs to be resolved/addressed or solved. I understand that the saying might give off the impression that there needs to be a life-and-death situation, but I don't think that is how the majority of writers interpret this. Again, thank you for your comment and perspective! I really appreciate you watching and sharing your thoughts.

[@capuchinosofia4771]

I have never taken more notes in a writing video than now. Honestly, its very helpful!

[@wrestlingwithwords]

I'm so glad! Thank you for watching!!

[@EmmaBennetAuthor]

The bear at the door is an great analogy.

[@wrestlingwithwords]

Isn’t it! If I ever feel like a scene is kinda dragging or I don’t know where the plot is going I try to think of this.

[@beebuzz959]

"Arguably" the opening is the "most important" is right, that it can be argued, but not that it's fact. It's the most important if you want a reader to read beyond your opening, which they can easily stop if it sucks. But if you want them to read more than just your opening, the rest has to be pretty good too.

[@wrestlingwithwords]

Yep. I hope it didn’t come off that I was disagreeing with this. The idea of “came for the opening, but stayed for the rest” is sort of what I am getting at. Thank you for your thoughts and for watching though!

[@jjhh320]

People talk about the ending of a story a lot more too. If it's known for its atrocious ending, people will know it mainly for that, no matter how good the.....first five seasons were or something.

[@wrestlingwithwords]

@@jjhh320 this is true, but I doubt people will ever get to that bad (or good) ending if they can’t get past the intro/start! Thank you for your comment and opinion, I appreciate it!

[@ChaseBuck]

Great video! I agree with your point on a potential negative of arriving late and leaving early and doing it too much. I notice it a lot in television at the moment to the point where it feels very disjointed scene to scene and next thing you know you've wrapped up a season with no in-world idea of how characters got to where they are (be that physically or emotionally)

[@wrestlingwithwords]

Thank you so much for watching! Yes, this is something that is really common I. Television and sometimes it can work, while others it just totally has the opposite effect. I remember a Netflix TV series that took place in Venice and followed some of the wealthy merchants. I could not get into it because of this very reason… too much jumping between plot points and conflict without any sort or reflection or buildup. Thank you again for your comment and for watching!

[@JoaoVictor-rg5ix]

Cool bruh. I am Brasilian and i heavvily influenced by Brasilian literature. Over here, our literature was deeply influenced by Realism and Neo - Realism. So its not always about the Conflict and problem solving. Its about the peopl, the chars, most of them greatly based on real life people and the cultural landscape of our country. Here are some classic writhers: Jorge Amado (Romantism) Clarisse Lispector (Modernism) Joao Cabral de Melo Neto (Great Poet, work on a Lot of Romantic novels) All of them teached that the Heart and the Soul need to be present in your story from the beginning. Great video bruh. Cheers. 🎉

[@wrestlingwithwords]

Thanks for watching and for the information! I really appreciate it!

[@SoRePeSi]

You can't recommend Brazilian authors and not include Machado de Assis in the list. Bring everybody into the Capitu argument. Actually, the book Dom Casmurro itself is a great example of this feature, I'd say. The entire "plot" is the narrator telling about his life and getting to his final conclusion, there's no great issues to be solved along the way. And it's considered one of, if not the best masterpiece of Brazilian literature. Can't recommend enough. This is something I struggle with when writing, because I think I've seen too many English-language advice videos, so I constantly think that the story I'm working on is not good because it lingers too much on characters' musings and thoughts, but then I have to remind myself that the average foreign fantasy story is not my goal here.

[@JoaoVictor-rg5ix]

@@SoRePeSi Damm. I actually forgot those classics while writhing this comment. Thanks Bruh.

[@wrestlingwithwords]

@@SoRePeSi I don't think there is anything wrong with lingering on a character's internal thoughts. And, to add (as one of those online writing advice educators), not all of our advice will apply to you. A good deal of writing rules, laws, principles, and concepts, is that they are meant to be understood but are not there to be applied without question. Some stories might break every rule there is and still be great--but those rules or principles are first understood and then broken intentionally. At the end of the day, if might not be a YOU problem, but it could be an US problem. Biggest thing to do is to keep writing and make sure you are vetting the advice you hear. I appreciate you watching my videos and for your comment!!

[@bricebutler6291]

Not even finished with the video yet but I can see how amazing the advice is! Definitely learning a lot from your videos!

[@wrestlingwithwords]

Thank you! I really appreciate you watching and commenting. I'm glad you found these helpful!

[@friedfish4415]

My book starts dark, literally and figuratively. The introduction. Is a sponge of emotion, imagery and pain the main character is dealing with. His issues are not a combat-action issue immediately however but are slower more heart wrenching. I love this style of advice and generally these principles are great! Thank you for the awesome video.

[@wrestlingwithwords]

Thank you so much for saying so! I am really happy that these videos are helpful. Thank you for your comment and for watching!

[@MichaelJaymesAuthor]

Fantastic video brother 😊

[@lunayousay6577]

I just found your channel and been loving all your tips so far

[@wrestlingwithwords]

Thank you for finding me! I am so grateful they are helping and that you are watching!

[@mk4345]

Thanks for this video! I think this advice is also perfect for writing a short story.

[@wrestlingwithwords]

You’re welcome! Thank you for watching!

[@nyxcole9879]

I write in all genres and i know how to create good momentum but contemporary is harder for me to judge between fun/funny exposition showcasing my characters perspective contrary to the norm and going overboard.

[@wrestlingwithwords]

Totally agree. That humor and 'fun' aspect is something that I found comes out better during revisions. That way you can set yourself up and see the entire narrative from an almost birds-eye view.

[@dronovbiotex]

Awesome tips, thanks a lot! I am personally very interested on building good character parties and how they are affecting each other, and the chemistry that is going on between them

[@wrestlingwithwords]

Awesome! Characters are oftentimes the first thing an audience falls in love with. I am sure I will visit character chemistry in the future, but you should check out my video on the 'Family of Choice'! Thank you for watching and for your comment!

[@Fw_Usil]

Great video many thanks🤟🏽👍🏽

[@wrestlingwithwords]

Of course! Thanks for watching!

[@Iso20227]

I’m wrestling with my fist few chapters because I was too focused on getting to the action in an environment that did not welcome action. The story starts weakly with the protagonist monologuing to himself about his life for exposition. It’s not an info dump, it’s basically just “I’m Yuen Vigil, I was born into slavery on a farmstead, I live here with my family”, but that’s still weak. I guess it was mainly an outline for myself, but I need to fix that. Second, the pacing is all over the place, and it’s not even structured all that well. For a first draft, it is definitely a first draft. I will need to fix it, and this gave me a lot of ideas on how to do so.

[@wrestlingwithwords]

Since you're still on the first draft I would suggest just getting those words on the page, no matter how info-dumpy or how wacky the pacing is. Just get those words on the page so that way the story is there. Writing is all about revisions!

[@lethaldream50]

WTW already gave you the best advice. an experiment you could do is write a one page prologue that acts as the story hook depicting the tension right before your first action scene. then you contrast it with the opening chapter about Yuen's life. There is a lot of tension in characters born into slavery, i know it's been repeated to death but you could focus on showing not telling parts of Yuen's life that made him who he is now, traumatic things. fortunate things, etc. And show us how he responded to them. Then you don't have so much exposition as well.

[@Iso20227]

@@wrestlingwithwords that’s what I was originally planning to do, but I feel so bad leaving the first three chapters as bad as they are. And that’s not the classic “an artist hates their art” mentality, it was quite objectively badly written. I will make it better before it gets published, no worries there. Thanks for the help. 👍

[@Iso20227]

@@lethaldream50 I do have a prologue, but it isn’t about Yuen, it’s about his predecessor. Little bit of exposition, the main cause of the events of the story is the soul of the founder of Magic who lived in ancient times who reincarnates every 1,000 years. He does not replace the soul of the individual he inhabits, but their souls do fuse into one soul, granting the “host” the same powers as the founder of Magic. The prologue is about what the previous host did to set in motion events that caused the events of the main story. But still, I might have to change that. I don’t need to use the prologue to convey that information, so I could use it instead to introduce Yuen, his family, and explain his lack of father figure at the start of the story. Thanks for the advice.

[@lethaldream50]

@@Iso20227 honestly i think that's a really cool idea for a story, it's the type of trope i love to read in books cause i'm really into a variety of magic and fantasy genres. the core idea is great but presentation order is something i also have been struggling with and practicing in constructing my stories, it feels like sometimes you need to swap around parts like puzzle pieces to get the correct flow and pace. although i think all writers should take joy in writing for themselves however they like sometimes, to make something readable and interesting to others, we have to reassess what we thought were the core important things and often take them apart, rearrange them, and put them back together again. you should experiment with changing the prologue! after all if you don't like the change you can go back to the old draft or try a new approach. good luck!

[@user-xl3ip1kh8o]

Thank you for this useful video❤ Now, I have some knowledge to rewrite for gripping opening 😊😊

[@wrestlingwithwords]

Thank you for watching and for your comment! Good luck with your story, and happy writing!

[@jemskid7]

Hello! Thanks for posting this video! It’s exactly what I needed to watch in regard to the story I’ve been wanting to tell. The story will be told in episodes. I was struggling with how I wanted my pilot episode to introduce the audience to my story. I’ve seen MANY pilots on KZbin and while I enjoy them and the animation, I’ve always found myself only 50% interested in watching the rest of the series or confused… Either too many characters are introduced (and over shadow the main character) or there are so many plots going on at once that you’re confused as to which one is the main one (even better, the sub plots are more interesting than the main one). I don’t want to see this happen to me. I believe this video will help me and many more writers create incredible openings and pilots and keep our audience ensnared. Thanks again for posting it! I look forward to hearing more advice from you!

[@araoren]

Incredibly helpful video!

[@wrestlingwithwords]

Thank you for watching! I’m so glad it was helpful!

[@destroyerinazuma96]

Small addendum: the problem can be something the uninitiated may find obscure, as long as the protag explains it asap. You can begin with a lawyer facing a tricky motion provided they succintly explain why it matters to them and their client.

[@wrestlingwithwords]

Yeah, that can be the case too. Thank you for your comment and for watching!

[@dejareve5288]

Thank You.

[@joshuawilliams7734]

I'm so glad I found your channel @wrestlingwithwords I really need to get my novel written I have a problem with my novel where I know the beginning and the ending but the journey is what I'm struggling with really can you perhaps do a video in how you muster the confidence to tackle slow-pacing or or something to do with figuring out your journey in writing a story from beginning to end that would really be helpful I have subscribed and I look forward to more of your content soon 👍😊

[@wrestlingwithwords]

Thank you for your comment and for subscribing! Pacing is something that I am working on a script for now, actually! If you check out my video on intros/story beginnings, I do (kind of) talk about this, but I plan to go into more depth soon! Thank you again for watching and for talking about your writing process.

[@noahray6582]

Im currently outline a graphic novel/traditional novel that ive had the idea for since I was in high school. Your videos are very insightful and you are very entertaining to listen to! Thank you for the videos

[@wrestlingwithwords]

Thank you so much for watching and for your comment. Keep us posted on your progress!

[@noahray6582]

@@wrestlingwithwords sure thing man!! I love listening to your videos in the background while I write and absorbing the information through osmosis lol. Have a good day!

[@wrestlingwithwords]

I'm so glad to hear that! Well, there should be a new video coming out tonight or tomorrow! Thank you for watching (or listening) :)!

[@noahray6582]

@@wrestlingwithwords will be tuning in

[@Drudenfusz]

I can see the appeal of closing the circle, but I prefer spirals. The ouroboros of the tale eating its own tail eels for me usually like just a repetition, an eternal pendulum of yin and yang that leads nowhere. I find that very dissatisfying, and looking how the monomyth or the story circle which are so popular usually do not bring real change but are destined to set up just another loop and thus provided us in recent years with hollow myths. But again, it might be popular for a reason, it is just not or me.

[@Iron-Bridge]

Time is a flat circle ⭕.

[@samwallaceart288]

I like spirals. There's an analogy in psychiatry that recovery isn't a straight line, it's a spiral; you _will_ revisit the same headspace again and again; but it doesn't need to be a relapse, rather, it's you coming upon the same trauma but seeing it from a higher level above. The pain is still where you left it, but you have more perspective and understanding of it each time you pass over it, until it becomes a neutral aspect of your personality that you step over like it's nothing. This actually tracks onto the "return to the regular world with the elixir" analogy in writing. You're back home, but it's different, you have more perspective and you aren't the same person you were last time you were here.

[@wrestlingwithwords]

@iron-Bridge Alright-alright-alright.

[@wrestlingwithwords]

It's funny because I think the spiral idea and the circle can go together (and is often how I think about it). When one circle is closed, a very common product is a question being answered, with another one(s) being opened up. This video was (somewhat) about structuring a scene, but mostly talking about structuring an opening. In this regard, and on a small scale, the "closing the circle" idea can be really powerful and build trust with your audience. Also, generally, I agree with you in your sentiment. However, in some cases, this sort of structure, or even a mono-myth, can fit perfectly. It all depends on the story being told.

[@wrestlingwithwords]

Well said! That "revisitation" is a narrative element I LOVE to include. And, it can find a place in all kinds of arcs. Deeper Understanding/Actualization=(can be) positive arcs... Reinforced Position/Belief=Flat Arc... Madness/Obsession/Degredation=Negative Arc.

[@aSnailCyclopsNamedSteve]

Lots of information in a brief format - great. I really like the chapter as short story advice, which I fear will be misunderstood (due to different formats) but it is a really good technique for procrastinating writers to help tackle the overwhelming task of a whole book. I haven't seen a posting on the topic. So, it would be a good topic for a future posting. But you know me. The only complaint is you lost the bear. It was a great example. You should have used it throughout as a single sentence examples of each point. Like the bear had something around its neck. Was this a sign it had been in custody or a reminder of a previous adventure? The protagonist or antagonist was too shocked to properly identify the object. It introduces the character of the bear and provides intrigue for a future chapter, while taking up very little space in the first chapter. I can understand your advice because I have been working on this project for a while and thus studying, but I fear that I would not have understood it as well in the beginning of my journey. Concrete examples using the bear would have helped without bulking up the text.

[@wrestlingwithwords]

I've been really working on condensing my videos or at least if they are going to be longer, that they are justified in being so. These video 'podcast' episodes I think are a good way for me to reframe my approach and have a more natural flow of information, as opposed to a video essay script. Thanks for the suggestions, I hope you're doing well and I appreciate you watching!

[@aSnailCyclopsNamedSteve]

@@wrestlingwithwords With my health, being alive is healthy enough. I have about 5 projects going simultaneously and so getting little done. Since I am an underdescriber, I am trying to improve the visuals in the story, which is like pulling teeth. I am also trying to increase the tension as currently it is more of a language lover's feast than a story with tension for any reader.

[@kenmellott3365]

Great advice!

[@wrestlingwithwords]

Thank you! And thanks for watching!

[@glutstern4792]

I personally still love an Prologue out of Antagonist POV or close to the Antagonist POV (like in asoiaf or Eragon).

[@wrestlingwithwords]

I'm curious to hear why that is? What about those prologues do you like most? Also, thank you for the comment and for watching!

[@PoppoYoppo]

Alright i started writing my first chapter after spending months thinking about it, and i think im on a pretty good track based on what i heard here.

[@wrestlingwithwords]

That’s Awesome! Thank you so much for watching and for your comment.

[@fulldivemedia]

Hi, great content as always, I have a suggestion, for new writers it's harder to get a good understanding on different subjects, so I think if you pout more examples in the video, it can help. And even putting examples of movies are more helpful, because most of us seen most movies and you can do a bad start VS good start by showing two different movies, or good dialog VS bad dialog.....

[@wrestlingwithwords]

Yep. Good suggestion. Thank you for the feedback and for watching!!

[@SGTIvan921]

5:12 "...start the story the moment right before that conflict is first going to kick off."

[@twenty-fifth420]

So taking up writing after a long break for learning how to code to...publish my writings (so meta!); I think the hard force is POV. I used to write in Third Person Limited, because of how it is somewhat the standard for 'Epic Fantasy', adjacent stories. I however am experimenting with Omni for this project, so uhh 'fingers crossed'! It is because this version of the world looks like a parallel of the Americas but 'sideways', and culturally is Mesoamerican/Native-adjacent. Alot of languages, cultural norms and expressions. I also can be somewhat of an underwriter although that was before I medicated my depression/anxiety. Since this would be my first published work, going to try and keep chapters under 3k. Subscribed, look forward to sharing this as well! 💜

[@wrestlingwithwords]

That is awesome to hear! Thank you for sharing some details about your work, it sounds very interesting. Also, thank you for watching and subscribing :).

[@Cappuccino_Rabbit]

I agree with he beginning being important, that being said i'd also like to add how much as important the ending is, if not more important than the beginning. Because most of the time, depending how you execute it, the audience will mostly remember the ending more than the rest of the experience, for better or for worse. In the best scenario you have stories like the original Planet of the apes, Amnesia a machine for pigs and Halo Reach In the worst scenario you have stories like Mass Effect 3, Game of Thrones and Star Wars episode 9

[@wrestlingwithwords]

As much as I agree that the end is important, I will say that your reader or audience will never get to the end if they can't get past the beginning. Each part of the story is important to carry a person from one part to the next, but the ending is worthless if they aren't sold on your start. Also, great examples and thank you so much for watching and for your comment! I really appreciate you!

[@bals1036]

I need help for some suggestions, my book literally started with the MC having a normal, mundane day, like a really normal, happy day for the MC, while also introducing a few characters before the conflicts happened My point is, I've heard readers like the first page or chapter to be a conflict right away, but idk about that kind of ideas because then we will not know much about the characters? Well unless if its comic we can spoil the conflict at the first page to build pacing, but idk how will that work for a novel?

[@wrestlingwithwords]

Usually there needs to be some kind of hook that will give the reader a reason to keep reading. Conflict is normally and most often a very effective hook. Keep in mind too, we can learn about the characters while conflict is happening. Both of these things don’t have to occur in separate instances. I would suggest trying to incorporate some kind of conflict into your start. It doesn’t have to be the main conflict but there should be some sort of conflict happening while you are introducing and getting the reader familiar with your characters. Conflict + Characters = Story

[@mehakverma7043]

I like how in the Alchemist, the main character buys a big fat book because it makes for a better pillow. But he was complaining that there were too many characters introduced at the start and too many names to remember.

[@wrestlingwithwords]

I'm glad someone brought that up!

[@georgiprenatt8270]

Here a question for writing fantasy novellas; is it better to introduce the main character first and then provide world-building, or to open with some world-building and then introduce the main character?

[@wrestlingwithwords]

Usually, you want to introduce the characters first. One thing to think about is this: What would you relate to first? A person or a place? This is a very simplified question, but most readers/audience members initially come for the characters and then end up staying for the world when it comes to fantasy. (there are exceptions of course)

[@georgiprenatt8270]

@@wrestlingwithwords Thanks a bunch! That is really good advice, I’ll remember it when I write.

[@gabrieleriva_bboykappside]

I have the bad habit of creating way too many characters and growing so attached to them I never want to ditch them. That's how the main group around the character only was originally comprised of a whopping ten characters and my mistake is I wanted to give them equal importance. Now I know that if I don't want to eliminate them I simply have to 1. introduce them slowly 2. giving them only the importance given by what my mind built around them so far 3. not all at the same time, for the sake of realism. Other characters appearing in the future will be organized in different arcs. It does help that in one of the very first drafts when I had this cluster of characters altogether I already planned who the founders of the crew were, four characters I had more development of at the time and will be relevant for the future, the main character being part of the quartet. I have a question though. I wanted to start the story with the introduction of the mc and his internal conflict, why he is torn between choosing one side of society or the other one (which has implications on how the world behaves with you), while he ran away from it so far and it didn't touch him yet. The question is: even if the title does not talk about the struggle the mc has to face, but the name of the crew founded by those four people, does it make sense or does it give a sense of confusion to a potential reader? Additional informations: the sides to choose are rebellion or repression (he chooses the former) and the crew is about dancing, a big passion of the protagonist that will spark his conflict. There will be a lot of hip hop culture which repression does not like

[@wrestlingwithwords]

I think it is important that your main character (or protagonist) has a clear goal or problem that they are trying to overcome. Now, this does not have to be flat-out stated, but it should be clear on its implication. What you can do with your cast is give them all a shared goal (or want). This way, you can play around with how the group chooses/debates/agrees/argues over how to tackle this problem. This is just a suggestion that I oftentimes give as a way to re-think the source of your story's tension (at least during one point or another. This doesn't need to be the main source for the whole story). Having there be tension and conflict within the group, coupled with an external threat can be a useful way to build a sense of urgency in your narrative. Really good question and I hope this helped! Thank you for watching and for your comment. I really appreciate it.

[@gabrieleriva_bboykappside]

@@wrestlingwithwords thank you so much for the kind response! Yes, I actually planned a main theme that would be repeated throughout the story through the different characters and their choices. The villain has good intent, but uses unacceptable methods to reach that goal, as much as the protagonist is convinced sticking to a side would make him have to protect it at every cost and be his main objective in life, distracting him from what he likes the most. The project is mainly about self-realization prevailing on being constricted by what your side says, because stressing that too much would only lead to extremism, destruction or forgetting about self realization. I would also explore how a rightful dream of perfect peace and coexistence cannot exist as long as people have their own views. Those who stick so much to that dream will want that at every cost, because they think it's the right thing, it is perfection. Ironically, they will end up wanting to destroy that side who doesn't agree with their methods.

[@samwallaceart288]

Similar challenge with my project about 9 android sisters trying to get their lives under control. Basically how I'm going about it is the story is in 3 major sections; Arc 1 has the middle sisters super active driving the story, while the eldest and youngest trios are sort of in the background just being set up low key, representing the status quo of the group that the active characters are contrasted against. Then in Arc 2, the middle sisters get lost in action and suddenly the youngest trio realize they're gonna have to take things seriously and think for themselves. Then the last section is the eldest trio being brought to task and needing to answer all the questions that have been lingering all story. So at different points, each group of characters is either the main character in their own story, or serve as the foil / setup to someone else's story, and it's shifting back and forth as each character improves / relapses into bad habits. And even then, they're not all equal; two of them only have like 3 big scenes in the whole story, and the story really centers around the one middle sister (whether that's the plot being driven by her action, or the other plots being motivated to look for her/help her). Even though 9 characters is a lot, hopefully by breaking them up into sub-groups, (the elders VS the middles VS the little ones), giving each of them varied focus throughout the story, and making sure each one serves a unique purpose in the story, even if it's only 2 scenes; hopefully its all readable enough and adding more than it takes.

[@gabrieleriva_bboykappside]

@@samwallaceart288 true. You read really well into my intentions. Maybe I could set up a mini-arc that is relevant to the plot, with a character in need for help, and different personalities / wants /needs might shine. As you said, different characters come with different "screentimes" so obviously someone would be less shown

[@samwallaceart288]

@@gabrieleriva_bboykappside I think the challenge with the big ensemble sort of stories is figuring out what type of story you want it to be. The 5 formats I notice are 1. The Squad Mission; 1~3 main characters lead a larger group of eclectic side-characters on a shared goal (Saving Private Ryan, Ocean's Eleven) 2. Branching Quest; starts as 1~3 characters who fan out and recruit new POV characters, who further fan out into more POVs until you have 12+ main characters (Lord of the Rings, Star Wars) 3. Converging Storm; starts as 12+ disparate POVs with their own goals who collapse into each other one by one until in the end there's only a handful of main characters on one conflict and everyone else is either submissive or killed off (Song of Ice and Fire, Shōgun) 4. True Anthology; 3+ completely separate main characters on equal plotlines that happen to coexist in the same world and cameo in each other's stories. (Love Actually, Pulp Fiction) 5. True Ensemble Situational; follows the same cast of characters from start to finish, centered on an internal conflict with each character dynamic being its own ground to unpack and explore (Little Miss Sunshine, The Family Stone) Basically, if it's more that 4 main characters and they're all introduced at the same time as one big group, it's probably a chick-flick that doesn't know it's a chick-flick. Low-key having the whole Ensemble on one internal conflict is the hardest format to nail; a good chick-flick is quite a work.

[@xdrawesome314x4]

Literally your 1000th like...

[@wrestlingwithwords]

Love that! Thank you!

[@grafinlady6524]

its my first time watching your videos and i cant focus because u look like robert pattison :))))

[@wrestlingwithwords]

Haha well I haven’t heard that before, but thank you for at least attempting to watch them!

[@khydo]

simialr theme

[@sarahsander785]

There is a problem that I - as an underwriter - have with "Get in late, get out early". It's a style choice more than a writing tip and as a style choice you have to know what your doing and how your doing it. As I said, I'm an underwriter, so I tend to focus on nothing but the immediate action of my scenes in the first, second and sometimes even third version of my story. I definitly get in late and get out early. Which leaves my readers confused and the pacing extremly rushed. You should always give at least a short description at the beginning of a scene or at least at the beginning of the story of where womething happens to whom, I've learned. The emphasis is on short, a paragraph at most. This doesn't necessarily mean that this paragraph has no conlfict whatsoever, too. Here is where word choice matters the most. That said, I know that 99,9% of writing tips gear towards either inexperienced writers or overwriters (or both combined), and in that case I still think it's a good tip. It is easier to add things to a story than to remove them, at least for a lot of people.

[@ticijevish]

So I'm writing a cyberpunk story and I start it with what I hope is a smooth introduction to the world. I'm going for a wider audience and every time I talk cyberpunk with people who aren't already fans of it, they complain that it doesn't make sense to them how the world came to be a dystopia, what the tech does, etc. My protagonist is woken up by holographic cartoons, smoothly showing the tech level and availability, then he goes to make breakfast for his baby sister whose legal guardian he is. During this he listens to a pirate radio which succintly shows the corporate dystopia the future has become. The baby sister comes in and the hero advises her on her history test, allowing for a brief rundown of how the dystopian world of the future came to be, and then they have some bratty interactions, as a result of which I get to expo the fact that he is a hacker and that his hacking society/confederation communicates with codes hidden in common, everyday things. (this bit is actually hidden foreshadowing of a major plot point later on, but it works smoothly as exposition) It's only after I spend a dozen pages on this introduction, that the inciting incident comes crashing through the front door - a cop hellbent on recruiting the hacker into taking down a corporate executive that's running a human trafficking ring and has corrupted the local security corporation (police) to the point that they will not go after him and his goons at all. And the cop has dirt on the hacker, making it an offer he can't refuse. Does this sound good to you, or would you cut some of the intro and move it to later in the story? The hero kinda needs to be distracted by the sister's bratty behavior and the secret code to allow the cop to barge in, otherwise the hero's maxim is "it's not paranoia if they're really out to get you".

[@wrestlingwithwords]

Usually what I normally suggest is to start with that cop breaking down the door (kind of). Only give us enough information to CARE about the main character/protagonist for the intro. Try to withhold those worldbuilding element at the start. I know some of the feedback you’ve gotten has been that people don’t understand the world/tech, but I would argue/suggest is that the audience just needs to be interested, rather than understand. This is of course me suggesting something without reading your pages and your work haha, so take it with a grain of salt. I hope this is helpful!! And really good question!

[@ticijevish]

@@wrestlingwithwords thanks for your advice, I'll take it into consideration!

[@kupertabk]

Just give the bear the door, why escalate the conflict?

[@ekurisona663]

what anime is that from 5:05 - 5:10? ty

[@wrestlingwithwords]

Bersek! I believe the 1997-1998 TV series

[@ekurisona663]

@@wrestlingwithwords ty - really enjoying your channel - just found it this year! : )

[@wrestlingwithwords]

Then you found me right on time! Only been on here for a little over a year. Thanks for watching I really appreciate it :D.

[@ekurisona663]

@@wrestlingwithwords I just watched the first 10 minutes of Berserk! I LOVE that! Looks like it comes from an EPIC manga series! On my list!!

[@wrestlingwithwords]

It's one of my all time favorites. You are in for a treat! the Manga is pretty hardcore too.

[@Dongfang_Qingcang]

One tip: Look directly at the camera.

[@TrinityUser]

Good content. Be advised, your 'ex-pecially's are distracting.

[@wrestlingwithwords]

So I’ve been told lol. Thank you for watching and for your feedback :).

[@GreenFeatherGuy]

I need an honest opinion on my beginning: a psychopath (main character) argues philosophy with a random general, then proceeds to beat up an entire army only to die 5 seconds after. Yea that about sums it up

[@wrestlingwithwords]

It's hard to tell without actually reading your work, but on its surface, a big question to ask is if this progresses the story and why the reader cares about these two characters? The second is more important than the first, I would say. But, to that question, what will compel your audience to care or feel invested in these characters and this scene? These are hard things to analyze without reading what you've written, and "conceptually" anything can work if written in a compelling and interesting way. Thank you for your comment and for watching!

[@GreenFeatherGuy]

@@wrestlingwithwords thanks for even responding btw :) anyway, it does indeed progress the story. And for caring about these characters, I’m still struggling a little bit with it, but I thought I’d start with making the protagonist just likeable/charismatic whatever enough to not instantly hate reading about him, as well as make him raise some what I hope are interesting questions to the reader. I’d say it can be hard writing about a genuinely bad guy for main protagonist, but I think I’ll manage as long as I stick to advice of channels like yours.

[@noelwz]

you only watch this video after finishing the beginning of your story.

[@ggldriv9261]

The mic 🎙️ is tooooo Loud.

[@firegaltw.steller4717]

my story, plot and world building are great but… goddamn i suck with dialogue 😩😅 heeeelp!

[@firegaltw.steller4717]

my dialogue feels like completely out of place, flat and info dumping 😅 especially in action scenes

[@samwallaceart288]

#1: Write the entire scene with ZERO dialogue, and then only where it's absolutely necessary, re-insert the dialogue that only THAT character would say, e.g. obvious facts that everyone can already see are off-limits. Example: Lord of the Rings, Gimli calls a flock of birds "nothing, just a wisp of cloud"; Legolas calls them out by their exact name "Crebain from Dunland" super urgently because he knows that means they're spies, even if everyone else doesn't know what he means exactly; but neither of them call it "a flock of birds we should hide from", that part we can figure out by looking and by their reaction. The scene could play out exactly the same with LEGO grunts but the dialogue there is part of how those characters would react. 2# For every line of dialogue, write a 2nd layer over it where the character tries to bend what they mean to better suit the situation. Basically, "what they actually want" VS "what they think they can get away with saying/what they want the other person to think of them" Example: 12 Angry Men, after one guy gets too riled up and nearly punches the MC, he goes aside with the smart guy on his team kind of embarrassed. Layer 1 is "I looked bad, didn't I? But it's not my fault, he made me get mad and now I'm on the hook for his manipulation. So really, it's not bad at all, it makes HIM look bad, help me out here buddy" VS Smart guy's "You DID embarrass yourself. You were no help at all to our side of the argument and I'm about done letting you drag me down. I still agree with your side but I should do the talking from now on." Layer 2, the part they actually say out loud is angry guy (trying to lighten the mood and act like things are still ok) "Things got pretty heated back there, eh? But you see the man was TRYING to get a rise outta me. . ." (embarrassed smile) Other guy: (thoroughly annoyed with his teammate's sloppiness but trying to remain civil about it) "Looks like he succeeded." #3: As far as info dumps, watch The Matrix (just the first one) and take detailed notes on every piece of sci-fi tech / worldbuilding that ISN'T explained directly. We never find out who invented the anti-electric guns; they just appear and it immediately makes sense that anti-robot folk would have electricity weapons on hand. We never find out what the deal with the belly-bug-sucker machine is, it's just something they have and use as a matter of course. As far as the stuff that is explained directly, they do it one of two ways-- Introduce it incrementally, or let it be a building mystery over the course of scenes that is finally explained as _an answer to the question we already wanted._ Like everything being a simulation; right from the beginning of the film we're drip-fed hints that something's not real here. Right down to Neo getting real-time instructions to escape his office cubicle; at the time we can chalk it up to Morpheus just having hella security cam access, but together with the wonky physics, the lapses in continuity, and increasingly magical-seeming events, it all piles up to the point that when Morpheus clarifies that the baby-chamber is the real world and everything before that was actually fake, he can convince us in a lot fewer words. Then there's other things like the fight simulations and skill-downloads that are introduced incrementally based on what we already know. Instead of "I invented this cool neural-link that trains you skills and it was invented years begot the machine war and uses its own special hardware" etc etc; instead, it's a simple "well you already know about the Matrix; this is just that but a local lobby we hacked re-using all the systems and plugs you already know" boom, done. Then it's just a matter of starting small then working big; if you can simulate a room you can simulate training; if you can simulate yourself, you can simulate a whole crowd of enemies to fight. And CRUCIAL to this topic, IT REQUIRES WAY LESS DIALOGUE. You're not explaining every little thing's 20 years of history each and every time. If you structure the unfolding of events to be self-explanatory, the dialogue you do write will mostly character-based, not because the plot needs a lifeline. Gimme some context examples for specifics, I like questions like this.

[@firegaltw.steller4717]

@@samwallaceart288 well, thank you 😅 some example could be in a fight where a character would want to say something but it ends up with a cliché « haha you´re stuck freakin cyborg » or « haha no, your attacks are useless on me » it doesn’t fit’s the character really well and seems out of place, but i feel like it needs some dialogue because if not the scene would not be complete… and i can’t find the right words for my character to tell 😅

[@firegaltw.steller4717]

@@samwallaceart288 and for info dumping i sometimes fall into a character having a power so complex he has to explain it, but yeah you’re right it sometimes doesn’t needs as much explanation 😅

[@samwallaceart288]

@@firegaltw.steller4717 With stuff like that, try making the line a reference to something from the beginning of the scene. This can be cheesy or subtle, but still work well if you set it up. In one of the early James Bonds there's a scene he's kissing a lady who just got outta the bath-tub, and she asks him to take off his gun, which he does. Then from behind them a guy waiting in the room comes up with a knife; she sees the guy and keeps kissing Bond to keep him distracted so the guy can kill him; Bond looks at her and sees the reflection of the knife in her eye. On a dime Bond spins and wrestles the guy across the room, gets the knife off him, and kicks him into the bath-tub that's still full. The assassin sees Bond's gun and tries to get it out of the holster but he can't quite reach it, he's stuck in the tub. Bond improvises and throws the room lamp into the tub water, electrocuting the man. Bond gets his gun and coat back on, looks at the tub and just says ". . . Shocking." He then looks at the lady he thought liked him, cowering on the ground, her plan thwarted; Bond repeats, but this time talking about her, _"positively_ shocking. . ." and walks out. It's cheesy af, but the line has more than just one meaning and it makes you remember how the scene started, giving it that "full circle end scene" satisfaction. And it isn't _just_ making Bond seem witty; the underlying truth to his quip is he's genuinely disappointed that lady just another assassin; he actually liked her; but he says it as a dumb joke instead of saying it. So the line is about how the guy died of electricity AND a glimpse into how Bond feels about the fight emotionally. The bad dialogue here would instead be "That's why no one knows your name, and YOU, you're a piece of work lady", it wouldn't work half as well because it has _nothing_ to do with the scene we just watched, it would feel like a new writer walked in and just wrote generic Bond lines not knowing or caring what the scene was actually about.

[@zeviolett]

oh nooo this is making me realize my intro is too long …

[@SteveJubs]

Yummy

[@gianenci]

I love these content and tips but I have to say ONE thing i dislike about this otherwise perfect videos: i find distracting that you don’t look at the camera but i feel like you keep staring at my boobs/chest agile you talk Because of you looking down and not to my “eyes”/camera 😅

[@wrestlingwithwords]

Thanks for the comment and feedback. Sorry about the distraction. This video has been the only one where someone has brought this up so I'll see what might be the issue. I don't have the most sophisticated set up so I'll try to rearrange things! Thank you again for watching.

[@nombre4138]

I did'nt understand not even a single word

[@bertwesler1181]

One good thing to d would be to stop saying a word that you mispronounce over an over again, Xspecially that one.

[@wrestlingwithwords]

Thanks for the feedback. We all have our "isms", mine just get to be on display for everyone... I appreciate you watching, thanks.

[@shyer6646]

Ekspecially isn’t a word

[@kylben]

It drives me nuts every time you say "ekspecially". Is that a regionalism?

[@wrestlingwithwords]

Sorry about that. Thank you though for watching, I appreciate it very much.

[@kylben]

@@wrestlingwithwords Your stuff is great. I've recommended it in a writing forum I'm in. It's just that one thing, it grates on me. To me, that's signalling that someone is very uneducated, which is obviously not the case for you.That's why I asked if it is a regionalism. I'm genuinely wondering, for one, because if so, it's a regional detail that could find it's way into my writing some day. It shouldn't take away from the quality of what you're saying, but I can't help my brain hitching every time I hear it.

[@wrestlingwithwords]

@@kylben wow I really appreciate that you have recommended my channel and that you find it helpful :)! Honestly though, it could be. But it also is probably just an “ism” that no one has ever pointed out to me. From this video a few people have mentioned that word and the way I was saying it. It’s one of the drawbacks (and benefits as well) to making content online. All the imperfections, quarks, and “isms” are on display for people to see and point out. And again though, I really appreciate you watching and sharing my content!

[@kylben]

@@wrestlingwithwords If the worst thing people have to complain about is a trivial quirk of speech, you're doing great.

[@wrestlingwithwords]

@@kylben good point!

[@KootFloris]

What are you looking at? Not us it seems. You make points, but reading a text, or watching yourself on camera is distracting.

[@wrestlingwithwords]

Thanks for the feedback. This is the fist time someone has brought this up so for the next video I'll try to see if I notice this and fix it for the future. Thanks for watching, though, I appreciate it.

[@KootFloris]

@@wrestlingwithwords You're welcome.

[@DreamsOfFire]

Just found your channel! I can tell a lot of hard work goes into your videos. I love the formatting and movie/anime examples. Thanks for this! 🎉 I've been struggling so much with the opening to my current novel. 🫠 Mostly because the story really calls for a prolouge (and I know how much agents hate those, so I have been trying to avoid it!). If you haven't done a video on prolouges yet, those are always a great subject! 😁

[@wrestlingwithwords]

Thank you for watching and I am glad they have been helpful!! When is comes to prologues, I have mixed feelings… I did a video on them a while back that you can check out, but the biggest thing to consider is making sure it is serving a purpose. This is a subject I will revisit again, but for the time being, write it! Then look for beta readers/critique partners and get their perspective on it. Don’t get hung up on “should I, or shouldn’t I”. Just write it for the time being!

[@DreamsOfFire]

@@wrestlingwithwords thank you! I'll seek that video out!😊 And I'll definitely get my critique partners to suffer through helping me fix the beginning once the book is done--no matter how much it makes them suffer. 😂 I always thought story beginnings were the easy part! But then this dang book idea broke my brain with the whole prolouge thing! 😳

[@wrestlingwithwords]

Keep at it!