5 Mistakes New Writers Make (and how to avoid them)

[@VivienReis]

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[@christina_21700]

Vivien Reis what would be the best way to start a new scene in a chapter. I have a hard time with this. And would it be recommend using emoji to separate the scenes. Thanks. ☺️

[@christina_21700]

Star Super so when you click a story book icon you don’t get sent to the book? You get a link instead?

[@Faerieshimmer]

I just discovered your channel! I like your video! :) Just curious if you covered writer's block, world building, tenses to choose from (what is the easiest), discussion on different fantasy genre's and others. How to write from the opposite gende than you are (I think writing from a male perspective is difficult.) Do you discuss YA writing?

[@jatinbhatia3027]

make a video on the issue of how to stay in the zone and focused when writing because what usually happens is that you are thinking to much and every now and then your perspective towards your writing change and you want it to shift it to another direction that creates for a very messy outcome I want to know how to make a broad plot and then stick to it for a long period of time.

[@naynaynay324]

How about "how to find your audience?" In a foreword of a book by Vonnegut he mentioned how he found out he was writing to his sister (even if she was dead) and how that knowlegde was a driving force. So it's not only the commercial aspect of finding an audience, but also how writing can be a personal rooted experience. Another similar idea is to to use a dictaphone. At times it can be helpful the same way as when you read your text out loud to see how it flows. So you become your own audience and can practice various aspects of storytelling, even acting out some parts just to mix it up from typing. GL.

[@TheStargazer4000]

"I got glaaasses!" *5 seconds later glasses gone*

[@VivienReis]

They're for reading :)

[@TheStargazer4000]

Didn't think you'd actually reply but just wanted to say I discovered the channel a few days ago and I love it! Keep up the great advice.

[@VivienReis]

ElfKingthe1st Thank you!! Glad you're enjoying my channel!

[@person-ud4jz]

ElfKingthe1st lol same I lost my glasses months ago and I still dont have them....):

[@shefalilohar11]

Yes true

[@timyrakal7464]

I'm so glad a fellow writer took the time to EXPLAIN the wrongdoings instead of just flat out telling. I guess you could say. . .she showed instead of told?

[@person-ud4jz]

Nairosha Hyuuga wet us beh freindzzzXd

[@okradiowise]

This gave me an aneurism

[@shadowspector3611]

I think you mean "I'm so glad a fellow writer took the time to SHOW the wrongdoings instead of just flat out telling."

[@lilithblack7696]

Over 2 years later and still some of the best advice I've ever heard

[@mormonal]

She's talking about Supernatural isn't she?

[@jimkaragkounis4750]

it also happens in the vampire diaries

[@ambibambi6479]

I thought she was talking about PLL 😂

[@bookergirl9752]

Supernatural was the first thing to come to mind 😂😂

[@AdmiralSkyeAJ]

think so 😂

[@mcough]

what I thought!

[@JustMeJewel]

Oh I am incredibly guilty of changing my tenses 😩

[@VivienReis]

At least you know about it :) I still catch myself doing it!

[@alyssadavison4308]

I do it by accident all the time

[@liliacfury]

hahhaha.... me too

[@sohafarooki8827]

me too!

[@timfrank7461]

Ssssaaaaammmmmeeeeeee

[@DanKetchum007]

Back when I took fiction writing in college (you know, when people were still riding dinosaurs to work) my professor loved what he called "unnecessary details." These were things added to the story to create mood and atmosphere. They had nothing to do with the story or the plot as such.

[@angiemenapa]

"when people were still riding dinosaurs to work". Hahahaaaaaaaaa!!! I'm dying!

[@tfsg6658]

Dan Ketchum Hey, I understood that reference!

[@iwakeupandboomimarat]

is it bad that i love doing those?

[@mookamoka3]

I agree, if a writer can pull off that style it's amazing.

[@ol2312]

Yeah, back when I was reading Harry Potter for the first time I didn't care for the fight and action scenes as much as I cared about what Harry was having for dinner and what food was layed out on the tables. Anyone else?

[@dakotaadams1432]

Stephen king says that most of his writing is a reflection of his favorite authors.. voice/style you improve with time, as long as you don't copy a book word from word then your not in the wrong

[@merisadura23]

it's got to be Supernatural, and also, thank you for the advice!

[@VivienReis]

You're welcome!

[@merisadura23]

+Vivien Reis omg wait you actually replied! Thank you so much! I've binge watched many of your videos and they honestly help so much! Great content, keep up the great work! ☺️

[@tiffa808]

I was thinking dbz, but yeah most likely it's supernatural

[@anothersoulintheuniverse]

I was thinking of the Vampire Diaries lol

[@elyhodzic3897]

it is nonthing wrong whit Supernatural (sorry for my bad english 😅)

[@scarecrow9868]

"most grammer rules can be learned naturally through reading" this is why I really want to get back into reading before I write my story. I always knew that before I wrote my story I'd have to read more books then I have in recent years. The last book I read was four years ago and it was for a project so I didn't pay attention to the grammer or structure of the story. I was simply reading the book for the information.

[@sophiawilson5618]

Did you end up writing your book?

[@negyt7665]

There's a house that blows up toward the end of my novel. Now I kinda want someone to be brushing their teeth nearby when they hear it.

[@WrathObssesed]

Supernatural. Gonna guess it was Supernatural. Every time my husband tells me someone has died I am like "No worries. I am sure they will be back."

[@bhavnapandey7664]

5 Mistakes to avoid 1 wasted words 2 Not enough voice/ Problem of voice ( feel of the voice) 3 Lack of conflict ( explosion difficult thing to happen otherwise boring) Balance to be maintained)) 4 Tenses don't switching tense several times past and past perfect 5 show verses tell ( real feel)

[@tjfryer2897]

1. Wasting words. Don’t over-explain. Ask “is this part really necessary?” 2. Not enough voice / problems with voice Read and write more to find your own unique voice. 3. Lack of conflict (or too much) Include at least one internal or external conflict in a chapter. Don’t go overboard. 4. Tenses. Using past and past perfect correctly. Google examples. 5. Show versus tell. Don’t ramble. Put the reader in the character’s body. Don’t just name emotions. Describe them.

[@jatstudios2510]

Instead of saying “He got dressed and went out the door.”, just say “He fumbled with his ___ shirt and pants, slid on the shoes, and ran out the door just in time to hop on the bus.”

[@compilations.xo4u]

This just screams trying to over explain. I’m not trying to be rude, but this sounds like a Wattpad story. Please don’t overuse words, I mean did you even watch the first segment of the video???

[@Lolee56]

@@compilations.xo4uwell excuse you, some people like to read that style of writing. I don’t see what’s wrong with Wattpad and I hope we progress past this childish insult. Most wattpad readers would probably find your writing boring.

[@compilations.xo4u]

@@Lolee56 loll…mk

[@senpintravelsandmore]

This is a video that did not waste my time, unlike .... Thank you. I plan to listen, watch, and learn more from you. I'll still watch the others and be like a moth attracted to light. Yours will feed me essentially.

[@samlo3798]

This is INSANELY helpful. In my book, I tend to over-describe and end up with 200 words just describing someone.

[@mahamo92]

You were so true about over writing and explaining the scenes, I did it that before and you're right about it 👏👏👏👏

[@SaintofM]

That TV show with the charecter deaths that you felt did little with them. Did it involve the phrase "Its Over 9000" in it?

[@vaishnavisamvedi5232]

Hi,I really find your videos helpful! Yes tenses do matter..and thank you for your tips! ♥️

[@elli-maifreeman4087]

I'm starting to write and these are really helpful!

[@VivienReis]

Awesome! Glad to hear :)

[@Inurwalls02]

elli-mai freeman Just wait until you get that horrible thing called writers block. It's like brain freeze, but with your fantasy world or creativity. And, my personal favorite, when you start a project and can't ever finish the god damn thing!

[@patricknull8767]

Your dog disappears and teleports around the room! :-) Great video. I so agree with you about the show, don't tell rule. Like I always tell people, you don't have to show all the time, and you don't have to tell all the time.

[@vigneshbabu1711]

A million thanks lady.

[@Ouvii]

That last point really makes me think. Usually people say "show don't tell" because it more effectively gets you invested in what the character is feeling. If your character is in an extreme circumstance where they aren't feeling anything, there might not be much to show, so telling would be the only option and would fittingly not convey emotion. Either way, I really appreciate your insightful videos. Thanks!

[@casaroccafamilyking]

You do these videos so well. Thank you for making them.

[@patrickreuman3123]

I'm here to say "I bet that show is Supernatural. lol

[@mwangole7257]

Its not supernatural, it has to be Dragonball

[@HentaiSweetie]

Lucky Nando THANK YOU!

[@antereaw6178]

Lmao Goku dying ass

[@mohamstaz3618]

I was thinking Once Upon A Time. lol But Dragonball....yeah. They some ball-wishin' muhfuckas.

[@vividlantern8854]

Goku died three times. Twice in Z and temporarily in Super. Krillin died once in Dragon Ball to Tambourine, and again to Frieza, also to Dabura's stone spit, and AGAIN to Super Buu. Piccolo died protecting Kid Gohan, and got hit by Dabura's stone spit. To be fair, Super Buu killed nearly every single human, even the human Z fighters. Except for *THE GREAT HERCULE!*

[@lbdj9367]

Lmao 😂😂

[@ambermarie144]

Everyone's talking about the TV show she wouldn't mention! LOL! Great tips. (I think it's vampire diaries btw)

[@danielshaver4517]

Oh, I thought it was LOST.

[@hernanmartinez1258]

I thought it was Dragon Ball Z :(

[@Spamster3212]

I thought it was BBC News

[@kylancarter9351]

I think its Supernatural.

[@saminatariq561]

Hernán Martínez me too

[@unclerat2131]

Hi. I started to follow you with this video and will try to use you as a basic resource as I write. This one is from six years ago, so it might have some updated information and corrections later, so I won't say much until I get used to how you present your work, but I will make one suggestion. Don't make grammar the enemy. A lot of people will not write simply because they have no confidence in their grammar. It is a problem to writing that math is to the sciences. Grammar is a great guide for consistency and clarity. Thanks for the tips, by the way. I like your glasses too. 🤗

[@fighterofbees9374]

Thank you so much! I watched this forever ago and I use all of these tips today. I recently stumbled upon this video again and I forgot that I ever even watched this, yet the tips still stuck! Thanks again. I watch alot of your videos and it has really improved my writing skills!

[@bookingwithkage2348]

I need to keep these tips in mind while writing my NaNo novel. Definitely guilty of telling far too much than showing. Thanks for the tips!

[@VivienReis]

You're welcome! I made this video, and I'm *still* guilty of not showing enough. We're all a work in progress :)

[@lizzychrome7630]

I really appreciate your natural delivery, and how specific your tips are. Not mimicking someone else's voice is definitely something I have a problem with. I'm fine, and then all of a sudden I'm a lame imitation of Neal Stephenson.

[@Pohnpeibabii]

I sent this to a friend of mine who wants to start a book and she said that it really helped so thank you!

[@shayliemeyer5248]

This actually helped me a lot. Thank you! and that show has to be Supernatural. I agree with that. still love it though lol

[@VivienReis]

I'm glad it was helpful! And I haven't actually watched Supernatural, but everyone keeps guessing it. I don't know if it makes me want to watch it haha

[@crystaljones1998]

First, I just want to say how much I appreciate you making these writing videos! Thank you for making them! And second, I wanted to ask, could you do a video on naming chapters? Thanks!

[@charmingbutterfly382]

Newbie here! Loving your channel. Thanks for sharing good content.👍

[@astridcreates1843]

Great advice on writing and also WHAT A CUTE PUPPY IN THE BACKGROUND!!! OMG!!!!

[@CalebSmedra]

Thanks so much for the great tips! Just found your channel and am eagerly devouring everything you have to offer! Keep the great writing content coming!!

[@VivienReis]

I'm so glad you're enjoying my channel!!

[@iamjwang]

Such a great video, thank you! Subconsciously adopting voice plagued me for so long...it is so hard and definitely something I'm trying hard to mold during revision!

[@alanbarlow5136]

Beautiful, eloquent and knowledgeable, thank you so much

[@mariahspalace3782]

I'm actually thinking she's talking about, Pretty Little Liars! They did this… A LOT!!!

[@alexagallagher9787]

Oh thank goodness I'm not the only one who thinks that!

[@MiniMeags]

who came back to life more than once after they actually died though.... fake deaths are different lol

[@MichaelDavis-fb8bp]

Bruh! I needed this so much about the detail part... Thank you so much for this. I have a bad habit of trying to be someone's else's voice and not my own... That's probably why I'm in the slump I'm in...

[@VivienReis]

I'm glad this was helpful! Try taking a break from your normal writing project and Google some writing prompts. Pick one and just write whatever you feel like, without concern of quality. Get back to the enjoyment of writing a story - to see where it ends without the pressure of someone else ever reading it. Be proud of everything that you write, because something is always better than nothing. Happy writing :)

[@MichaelDavis-fb8bp]

Hmm... That does sound helpful. Probably would work too... I've never done a writing prompt before. Thank you for basically taking away the pressure. That really helps a lot... Thinking about the quality and the readers of my stories for the past few days has overwhelmed my mind and made me feel less than a writer. Thanks so much. You're an awesome help! BTW - I've been reading some of your book on your website! It's so awesome! I can't wait for the full book!

[@VivienReis]

Ohh, thank you for checking it out! And you're most welcome :) I'm so glad my tips helped you out. Thank you so much for watching!

[@jarrodg70]

Magical dog appears & disappears at will throughout latter part of video, witchcraft confirmed!!!

[@VivienReis]

MUAHAHA

[@blazemordly9746]

Vivien Reis Vivien-illuminati ties confirmed!

[@inevitableunicornpress8206]

Awesome cast Vivien good advice on writing about description, voice and so on. Good hook. Keep producing your videos.

[@heartsamess7715]

I'm not gonna name names, but... "LOST"! I'd know **that** particular complaint anywhere, as I did my fair share of complaining about it too. You CAN'T keep killing the same characters off over and over again like that, whether you're doing it in literature or on screen. You can't do it with an *ensemble* of characters, either- even if each character you do it to only gets one "death"/ "miraculous comeback" each. The reason, in my opinion, that it ruins a story is just this simple: you can only kill someone off and bring them back so many times before your readers/ audience lose their ability to truly CARE what happens next. Seeing a character come back like that... it just really takes away from the emotional weight of their entire story. It SLAPS YOU IN THE FACE for allowing yourself to "grieve the loss" in the first place, and makes it difficult to take anything else that happens seriously. At some point, it stops being a "plot twist" and devolves into schtick.

[@DawnKlinefht]

Love these videos and love your husky! I'm a husky mom too! Seriously, though as a novice writer, I really appreciate your spot on tips! Keep em coming!

[@a.montero4310]

Thanks for the information on simple past and past perfect. I've been told I get it wrong a lot, and hearing you describe the difference with your own words really helped.

[@VivienReis]

+A. Montero Awesome! Glad it helped :) It was definitely something I needed to take the time to learn about..it was probably my biggest error before that

[@sabrinalocke2846]

Thank you so much. This helps me a lot. I love writing so much.... but I only do best writing shorter stories... and I have trouble at times developing certain characters....

[@Hecatonicosachoron]

On tenses, is there not a choice of switching the narrative time when alternating between, say, third-person impersonal with third-person subjective, or two different point-of-view characters? This can enable frequent switching between the tenses, even between past and present. I think it's ok when done consciously to create a particular texture. There are other cases of changing tense as well, e.g. in dialogue or reporting to exact thoughts of a character, where you can change both the person and the tense.

[@bluegreen4430]

Thank you very much I'm 32 and working on a fantasy/modern novel. I attempted one 4years ago but it had no feeling and once the goosebumps movie came out well that was it. I have subscribed and are very keen to follow more suggestions. My skills are improving and my wife is helping me on the journey keeping the mystery alive hopefully one day published in 2018 or 2019

[@crvrkppr]

I really love the amount of information that you include into your presentations! You rock Vivien!

[@VivienReis]

Aww, thank you thank you! I worry all the time about not including enough but don't want my videos to be super long haha

[@jananstunes]

I really appreciate your videos. I've only ever read about my own personal life, but I would really like to pursue writing other stories, maybe even a nonfiction, and I Want to go to the right channels and take the right steps to writing intentionally instead Of just for leisure. I subscribed yesterday because you are awesome!

[@rolirolster]

Amazing tips, especially the simple past/past perfect tense switch tip. Very nice! :-)

[@ValkMyda]

And also i will start reading your book tonight so i can know what's a new novel will look like and what feel does it gives

[@wesrodriguez566]

Thanks for the tips on past perfect. I wrote a chapter that has a flashback. And that flashback goes further into the past. I love that chapter. I think is the best chapter i've written so far. Just something to tweek during editing.

[@shaynabruner4149]

Thank you for all of the wonderful advise!

[@SoniCido]

I always come back to your videos when I'm stuck

[@FaylunaRaRa]

I sometimes hear people say that using adverbs as opposed to just verbs is bad, but really I just really like using adverbs... Wouldn't use them every time, of course, but I uee them quite frequently... I feel like frequently using them makes the times that I don't use them stand out in a way I like... Like saying "His head fell to the ground." stands out unlike if it was like everything else and I put something like "His head horrifically fell to the ground."

[@AuthorKristenMartin]

This is such great advice that I'm tweeting the link to this video right meow :)

[@VivienReis]

+Author Kristen Martin Woo! Thank you so much!

[@edensxgarden]

Lol I liked the way you wrote meow instead of now ^^

[@lexicast2608]

Furry detected

[@franziska9260]

Lexi Cast MEOW

[@NiranjanKumar-fi2dv]

Your beautiful

[@nusratkhan7696]

thanks for the advice! it will really help me when I'm older

[@lululu7643]

at 7:01 your dog came in ;) it looked really weird because the fur was next to you in a matter of seconds :)) SUPERFAST DOG1!!!~I LOVE your videos

[@nusratkhan7696]

I love reading and I just read the night huntress series which gave me sooo much inspiration

[@sugawithmytae9708]

Thanks so much for the great advice!! This was really helpful 😁

[@rachelthompson9324]

Show what is important, like critical moments, fine details that characterize, plot related movers, and character's emotions,-- tell to get from one point to another point in time and place.

[@stellbz2347]

This was so helpful! Thank you for being an amazing human!

[@indie2512]

I love your channel so much!😍 you are so helpful xx

[@littleblu33]

I love writing voices on the verge of purple prose... like, using superfluous words, but not quite too much? One of my favorite writers is Walter Moers. So good. Read Rumo & His Miraculous Adventures please.

[@nusratkhan7696]

I started writing and I didn't have trouble with any of these things because I got the idea and wrote it down and I was inspired by many books so I can't really copy many authors

[@kayciejones5239]

Great advice! Also, your dog is so cute!

[@Dogietheracer]

iv been studying up about fiction writing. your giving writer advice? Subscribed!

[@Σελκούθια]

Thank you for the advice!

[@welcometomymind]

Great video, very informative and and funny at the same time. I liked the way you choose to explain the mistakes and the whole tone of your video.

[@kimiready]

I already know while I'm writing that I'm going to have to do some major tense revisions, so I'm just pushing through it for now. Yikes!

[@talkabout2892]

This was great, thank you so much....😊

[@drraj2085]

I love your videos. You are so inspiring and absolutely adorable!

[@ReishaTerrin]

Voice huh? This is hard I think. Cause i feel like my voice is dull or boring, like maybe i'm not picking my words right. Any tip on how to maybe improve?

[@prabhjotbhatia9478]

I am amazed at someone so young giving good advice on writing. BTW you look good in those new specs.

[@tabitharhys3298]

Wish I had watched the portion show vs. tell a long time ago :) Many struggles were had & much time wasted in my misguided mission to tell NOTHING, show EVERYTHING.

[@Amber-gn6iq]

I am the QUEEN of adding too many words to everything that I write. Thanks for this advice.

[@gstylesoshay4359]

Love watching your vids! Thanks for all the great tips! Such a cutie!!!

[@bangaloreshydrohome8003]

I watched few videos of yours and they are wonderful.

[@mancaomersa7470]

When she was talking about that TV show, I just thought of The Vampire Diaries. I mean, the main character kept dying and coming back...

[@ReddCrystal]

For that detail one, my characters have a very specific wardrobe. This may make avoiding this hard. How do you generalize a white and pink vertical striped shirt, purple overalls, black pants, a purple suit, and a red violet hamburg. HOW DO YOU GENERALIZE THAT.

[@ashnikfield4224]

This is awesome advice! I just got into writing maybe 3 weeks ago! I wrote ten thousand words for my YA novel so far and it’s actually real good so far but of course needs a lot of things added and a lot of things cut out.

[@aaroncarrington9517]

1 great video the only thing I would add is that the preparation phase of writing is key. outlining chapters, developing story and characters arcs, etc can all help you avoid writing a pointless and stagnant ending you can also try the method I use which is coming up with the ending first though I would only recommend this if your writing a series or saga 2 I completely agree with you about the supernatural thing at first I thought you meant game of thrones but they just kill characters off for shock value or they get some sick pleasure of coming up with gruesome deaths either way great video even though

[@aetheraels5752]

Vivian you probably won’t see this... But have you red Heartless by Marissa Meyer? It is my favourite book of all and very inspirational!

[@VivienReis]

I have! I love Marissa Meyer!!

[@aetheraels5752]

Thank you very much for helping me with all your writing tips, I think you’ve definitely helped me a lot since I began writing years ago and I really hope that one day my hard work pays off! ❤️

[@nfernandes1765]

great advice, Vivien, thank you!! Also you have gorgeous eyes

[@vernalviolante]

Well, this isn't related to writing, but I had to comment on your gorgeous fuzzy one. I've had Siberians for over 26 years. I even had a red female I named, Kira (which sounded like what you called your dog in the video).

[@VivienReis]

Aww, I originally wanted a red husky! Keira has a bit of sable/red on her hind legs and that's enough for me. She's my baby and I wouldn't change a thing about her now :) Husky are the best!

[@steampowereddreams8330]

Great video, Vivien!

[@dee-ellennathinge5597]

That was extremely helpful. Thank you very much

[@VivienReis]

Thank *you* for watching! Glad it was helpful :)

[@HxneyViolet]

You look pretty as usual, but especially pretty in glasses 😊 they're so stylish, great video too! lol

[@crvrkppr]

Absolutely not too long and love your glasses. I am an older fan ....sorry 53 and retiring soon .....hope to start writing late in life.

[@VivienReis]

It's never too late to write! I think that's one of the amazing things about writing :) And it's funny we were talking about the length of my videos...I've got one sitting at 20 min and I have no idea what to do about it!

[@Ivyfigueroa44]

I feel she's talking about the show Supernatural. I was pretty numbed by dean and Sam dying.

[@RavenVanDrace]

Thanks for the video, though I have to disagree on imitating another's voice: You should not do it on anything you may want to sell, but to get self concious about voice and style it can be tramendously helpful as an exercice to deliberatly copy different voices, get the same feel! I never understood why as a writer that's so looked down upon. I mean, a comic artist will copy other artist's styles before he's found his own. Most musicians don't immediatly create their album, but rather cover other people's songs. So what's wrong about a writer copying someone's style, trying to immitate it, in order to learn his craft? And that's what writing is in the end: It's still a craft!

[@kaiileyx0]

Super helpful!! Thankyou!!!

[@whyjordie]

Your voice is so pretty and soothing :)

[@abrahamochoa3522]

This is dope, thanks for the help

[@viktorwolfe7341]

Very informative, and true! Reading someone else's tense blunders, OMG. lol. You seem like an informative writer. I'll definitely have to watch more of your videos. Have you seen any of Jenna Moreci's youtube videos? Very funny.

[@iZumba247]

That’s amazing. I got nearly every single thing on the list. Back to the drawing board

[@rednemesis88]

That thing she said about a TV show that constantly resurrected characters sounds like the remake of "Battlestar Galactica".