CHARACTERIZATION - Terrible Writing Advice

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Just like being a person of character will get you nowhere in life, having great characterization will get you nowhere in writing stories. Learn to avoid the biggest pitfalls of having great and interesting characters that will emotionally invest the audience in the story so instead a writer can focus on what’s really important which is padding everything out in order to maximize the potential of the franchise.
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[@wessmoore7894]

“Why does the protagonist want to leave their comfortable life and go on dangerous adventures? Because the plot knows where they live and will BURN DOWN THEIR HOUSE if they don’t get moving.” That’s actually a pretty accurate way to put it.

[@mandisaw]

This is actually the reason I've steered mostly clear of teenage/YA protagonists for nearly 10-15yrs. It's pretty easy to get an adolescent to run off to see the world, no savior/chosen-one plot required. I want more stories where characters have genuine ties to the community/home, and are deeply vested in fighting for it. There've been some pretty good SF/F books, and some excellent anime/manga in that vein, but you've got to really look out for it.

[@synflwr]

@@mandisaw In a story I'm writing, the MC is a 12 year old boy from New York City who gets teleported to a magical island and goes to school there etc etc. He's an average student with no special powers, except he makes friends with this girl who was (forced to be) on the dark side and follows her to some meeting in the forest out of curiosity. He got discovered then and had a massive duel which he would have probably died in if it hadn't been for that other girl. That's when his story starts. He wasn't the "chosen one," he brought his dangerous destiny on himself, mainly out of curiosity and being adventurous. What do you think of that?

[@mandisaw]

@@synflwr It sounds cool, it just isn't for me at this stage of my life. But 8-12yo me loved those "kid with agency seeks - and finds - action" stories.

[@nomobobby]

I want to see a story where everyone is trying to get the chosen one to take the journey but he/she is in the rebellious phase. So they spend the first book fighting the town & running away like a delinquent.

[@elanorpuppydoggowoofles2147]

Wess Moore Or they're bored.

[@kayhaych05]

Characterisation? Didn’t you mean giving my protagonist purple eyes and calling her Violet? What do you mean this isn’t characterisation??

[@germanvisitor2]

How about making her father a heavy drinker and giving her the nickname Violet? That is still no characterisation but it gives you some foundation for that.

[@fantasyshadows3207]

Why does my character have purple hair and is called Violet?

[@pinkcatgamertv7572]

@@germanvisitor2 The mom should also either be a saint who died or be a backless manipulative jerk

[@morrishellgrn]

*Wattpad would like to know your location*

[@morrishellgrn]

Not enough? Make her half wolf, half angel and then the rest of the characters are a bunch of mixed up breeds of generic fictional species like demons and elves

[@SehaChan]

Just say the character is super intelligent, while never actually showing them possessing any wit, wisdom or intuition, that will definetely be believable!

[@nippusimmer9028]

SehaChan OMG YES! However, keep in mind, people mistake being smart with being educated.

[@navysteel]

Surround the character with lots of musty old books.

[@ahniandfriends123]

Well that did work back in the 90s when you can say something like talking plants and (non-anthropomorphic) animals are "super intelligent" and "highly advanced" to hide away how unrealistic they are in a realistic environment. That and living in an environment similar to humans but with impossible physics. Bonus points if it took place in an educational game.

[@thnkng]

Genius! We can do that with any character! The villain is a powerful warrior but haven't won a single fight present in the story? Just create a bunch that you only hear about and have people say he's strong! That creates risk without having your character be a fallible human being, which is a big no-no!

[@dougdimmadomeownerofthedim2918]

Or say the character is super intelligent but then dumb down all the other characters so that a plan, statement, or solution to a problem is seen as a stroke of a genius even though it could be made by anyone with a functioning brain. In the story it will seem like the most impressive thing in the world but the truth is, it isn't.

[@MoonPatch]

"Clumsy" The character flaw that only applies for comedic scenes, a clumsy character will NEVER be clumsy or butter-fingered during important moments, unless that too is to make the scene "funny"

[@fantasyshadows3207]

Jokes on you! One of my characters is a butterfingers and several times dropped the powerful macguffin, slipped and fell off ledges, and repeated dropped the main protagonist because he can’t alway catch properly

[@schwellenangst1605]

@@fantasyshadows3207 I'm sure that everyone on his team is planning to murder his aqua goddess-like useless ass

[@rocketupduck7678]

Fluffy Fluff l

[@7thheaven601]

You just explaining it is funny

[@-cocomilk-1453]

@Keerthana Vasan I know right

[@JoCat]

and always remember, if the audience interprets your character differently from how you intended to portray them, it's not your fault for how you may have mischaracterized them through their actions, dialogue, or lack thereof. it's the audience's fault for misinterpreting your intentions!

[@ufukcangencoglu2279]

Okay,the audience could have mis-understood for real. There is a difference between the writer mis-charactizing and the audience being unable to understand.

[@lordofdarkness4204]

JoCat yeah and to clear up any fuss you have to right a tweet explaining that character “properly”. This includes their sexuality, appearance and overall usefulness in the series.

[@robokill387]

@@ufukcangencoglu2279 the point is, a good writer is able to communicate their intent effectively, and only leave things ambiguous when it's intentional.

[@panlis6243]

@@ufukcangencoglu2279 It's like when people shield from any critisism calling everybody who doesn't like their work a "hater". If nobody except some college professors says something is wrong, something is probably wrong

[@panlis6243]

@@lordofdarkness4204 Han Solo had intense relationship with Waluigi

[@Percival917]

Confidence and insecurity can quite easily coexist in a narcissist. So, yeah, Mary Sue is a narcissist.

[@polyhymnia701]

Percival917 Most Mary Sues are. You ever read Throne of Glass? The MC in that has an ego the size of Neptune.

[@spookyrosev6467]

Seems about right

[@synflwr]

Does this make me a narcissist then?

[@Pyxis10]

You mean he accidently gave a character a deeper personality!? That is disgusting and must be purged immediatly.

[@icecreamhero2375]

Putting on a confedence mask isn't really the same as being confident.

[@urkhmullerbach4595]

i'm really starting to wonder just how many bad books he has to be reading on a regular basis to make these videos... i mean, it's one thing to often listen to bad music or watch bad movies for videos, but books take a lot of time and dedication, especially if they're boring respect dude

[@legrandliseurtri7495]

For me it's faster to read a book. But I do read 210% faster than average according to a test I took.

[@Tommy50377]

You don't have to read a bad book to know how to make bad stories. All you have to know is what makes a good story, and do the opposite of that.

[@emilyrose3490]

Or just read fanfictions on wattpad or ao3. Some are good, a lot of them are bad

[@SobiTheRobot]

It's not hard to find bad books. But most people would rather read something *good* so finding good books (especially new titles) is an immense burden.

[@dumbbass8867]

Pretty much any big budget film nowadays is filled to the brim with content unfortunately

[@Wolfphototech]

*"The protagonist is a plastic spoon ."* *Sooooooo............ Toy story 4 .*

[@bastion8804]

@@ZLunas Too bad they're bought by Disney.

[@Tommedian]

It's a spork thank you very much

[@Wolfphototech]

@@Tommedian I was going with what was said in the video .

[@repulsethemonkey1396]

"Rob Schneider is... a spoon!"

[@ghostofcoolidge245]

@@ZLunas Pixar's M O L E C U L E S Soon they're going to make animated films about lotion bottles not enjoying bacteria.

[@alastairblake]

Generic protagonist...Favorite flavor: vanilla. Subtle.

[@suspecm6316]

Turns out, I'm a generic protagonist

[@HORSESNDOGS9]

Chocolate trinity, all the way! 😊😁

[@omegabet3912]

It turns out I like cotton candy flavored ice cream...

[@HORSESNDOGS9]

@@omegabet3912 but isn't cotton candy just strait sugar? Lol. You do you friend, but I just find that kinda funny

[@nomobobby]

@@HORSESNDOGS9 and a little coloring. Throw into a machine to bellow a bunch of hot air into it. Much like our protagonist come to think of it.

[@bradleyhandsonjoehallschro5419]

I know you don't take requests, but can we get a terrible writing advice on flashbacks??? I know it's a topic a lot of people are interested in and it's something that's often very easy for writers to mess up on.

[@Archon3960]

I'm expecting a lot of useless flashbacks. Or even better : have the same flashback, only in different flavors - looking at you, Naruto Shippuden ! x)

[@JoshTigerheart]

Do like a book I read called War of Honor, where you go into flashbacks to explain some little thing said and, in those flashbacks, do more flashbacks to explain stuff in them and, in those, go even deeper for more explanation! And when you're finally out of flashbackception, go another paragraph and then do it again.

[@Archon3960]

@@JoshTigerheart , is it basically flashbackception ? x)

[@JoshTigerheart]

@@Archon3960 Pretty much. It was a big, confusing mess and I totally got lost in what was actually going on or where I was in the plot. I put that book down after about ten chapters and never returned to it.

[@maadtee6281]

@@JoshTigerheart so basically Naruto

[@SigmaSyndicate]

Pro Tip: When writing a character for a story, you'll want to answer three questions to get a feel of who they are. 1. How does the character see themselves? 2. How do other people see the character? 3. What kind of person does the character want to become? With bad characters, these questions are either not answered at all, or overlap with each other. It's not perfect, but it's a really simple way to get a feel for who they are without having to fill out vague traits on a character profile.

[@MegaGlassguy]

1. The character sees himself as ordinary. 2. The other people see the character as the wisest, strongest and most incredible person to have ever existed. 3. The character just wants to become everyone's friend. There, all questions answered, now to write the best story ever! Jokes aside, those are good questions you should ask yourself, the first two in particular, when establishing the characters and their relationship without having to rely on an exposition dump. However, like anything, that alone doesn't make good characters.

[@mintimin8707]

Thank you!

[@SheonEver]

1. weak 2. strong 3. strong I feel it's a pretty strong story already, but I think it'll really shine as an ongoing anime series.

[@prophetofwatersheep8100]

@@SheonEver that's like 40 percent of anime

[@findekano1981]

1.weak and very useless She is happy to die if it's for a good cause or for people she loves Actually everyone,cause everyone is better than her (In her mind) 2. It's difficult Strong : Children, they see her as strong and brave They tend to copy her suicidal moves Respect : they respect her because they know she is strong but they are scared of her tendency to put her life on a plate. 3. More strong, she want to protect her loved one at each cost, if this cause death Well death is

[@rogerswab2131]

I laughed WAY TOO HARD at "Love Triangle Victim."

[@catinthewater7969]

That was almost as good as “pair the spares” in the love interest video😄

[@thatonegaminglatias4345]

200th like.

[@unregisteredassaultbutterk1185]

"Do you have a moment to talk about our lord and savior Cthulu?" "I don't give to charities."

[@marcocappelli2236]

How dare you miswrite the name of our lord and savior, Cthulhu??

[@christophereichor5615]

'Ph'nglu' mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'yleh, Wgah'nagl f'tagn!!

[@ConnanTheCivilized]

@@marcocappelli2236 I thought it was properly spelt as “immigrants?” lol

[@granienasniadanie8322]

That's characterization! You can't do that!

[@exquisitecorpse4917]

And remember: If someone accuses you of failing to have deep or interesting characters, be sure to say "These are eternal archetypes used in storytelling since the dawn of time!!! If you don't like these characters, you don't like Greek mythology or Shakespeare!"

[@Mortablunt]

Kathleen Kennedy when abusing Star Wars characters.

[@Ajehy]

Yeah... it’s not like Shakespeare’s characters were notably complex and developed over the course of the plays in human and believable ways...

[@megashark1013]

@@Ajehy Yeah, I mean Hamlet definitely wasn't complex at all! And he never changed over the course of the story!

[@TheDisney_Kidd]

....what if........i don't.

[@scottmantooth8785]

*and then you call the critic a racist and block them from ever commenting on your post again for life*

[@guicaldo7164]

You forgot about the archetypal meaningless character development scene (in fact, it probably would be a good idea to make a follow-up video about that). There are several versions of this scene, most prominently: 1. The protagonist is angsty because they don't think they can do this. A side character tells them that they can do this. The protagonist accepts it and never mentions it again. 2. The protagonist blames themselves for something that couldn't possibly be their fault. Another character tells them that it indeed wasn't their fault, the protagonist accepts it and never mentions it again.

[@peanutgallery4]

Every episode in every CW show...

[@guicaldo7164]

@@peanutgallery4 CW? As in, Clone Wars!?

[@synflwr]

The other character has to be an extremely beautiful but unpopular girl who has brown hair and doesn't realise how pretty she is. This girl has to be the main love interest no matter the story.

[@MartianManHunter2258]

@Gui Caldo No, the CW channel

[@synflwr]

Unqiue Keys Nah, it’s just every “high school drama” story ever. Don’t forget, she’s not like the other girls because she doesn’t care about her looks, reads and plays video games.

[@cjboyo]

Characterization? That's what the character looks like, right? Easy, toss in a mirror gaze scene and I'm done!

[@tedarcher9120]

*harry potter

[@LendriMujina]

How to turn “clumsy” into a a *proper* flaw: realize it’s a *symptom* of other traits and not a trait in itself. *Why* is Mary Sue clumsy? Is she generally *inattentive* or *easily distracted?* Does she have *bad habits* that compromise her sense of coordination and/or physical strength in some way? And how does this effect how she performs in a pivotal scene? By definition, clumsiness generally comes with having awful reflexes. She’s probably not going to get out of a fight unscathed or succeed in a plan that requires precise timing. It’s all about the implications everything has on everything else.

[@nippusimmer9028]

Baffle Blend Look at Episode 1 of Goblin Slayer. REALLY SHOWS HOW CLUMSYNESS CAN BE BAD!

[@olafgurke4699]

I agree with this. But as a clumsy person myself, I'd like to know the cause as well. It's not necessarily bad coordination or reflexes, as they can both be on point. And other times I choke on air or stumble over my feet.

[@lenaalt2387]

i mean, balance literally has its own part in the brain, so it doesn't necessarily have to connect to anything else 😅

[@lenaalt2387]

@@olafgurke4699 many things can cause clumsiness

[@travissmith2848]

Watch the whole series and you too can be a staff writer for "Teen Titans GO!" today.

[@lydia1157]

yeah-wait explain

[@travissmith2848]

@@lydia1157 TT-GO seems to hit all of the worst tropes on the head, repeatedly. Fun as a parody, but not an example of stellar writing.

[@ginogatash4030]

can we stop the "TTG is the worst cartoon ever" bandwagon already? it's not meant to be anything more than a parody of the original Teen Titans aimed to really young audiences, yet it gets shit all the time, while shows like Steven Universe get praise despite bad animation, story telling, and generally unpleasent characterization.

[@cooliostarstache5474]

@@ginogatash4030 Well, I love Teen Titans Go, but SU is meh to me. Guess I'm just childish

[@ginogatash4030]

@@cooliostarstache5474 TTG at least is competent at what it's trying to be, a childish parody, while Steven Universe fails to be an action-art driven series.

[@NimanWielder01]

Hey, not all inner monologues have to be banal! Some of them can be preachy extensions of the writer's own beliefs! There's an important difference!

[@ghostofcoolidge245]

Oreimo intensifies

[@Whatismusic123]

And of course you have to make the characters be extremely nationalistic and always shit on america *cough* wuxia novels *cough*

[@scottmantooth8785]

*inner monologues are always more dramatic if they have their own exclusive soundtrack ...very useful during flashback scenes*

[@scottmantooth8785]

*yes that is very true but what about when the internal monologues have their own compartmentalized monologues that go off on their own wild unrelated tangents about “strangely proportioned women" that take tremendous effort for the primary monologue to reign in return to the main story arc?*

[@kittywitch6334]

Yeah! Ones edgy, drawn out, and annoying, and the other is the exact same but condescending.

[@ChaosRayZero]

The best way to characterize a tsundere is to have her say, _in these exact words,_ *"Don't get the wrong idea! It's not like [insert suspiciously specific denial] or anything,"* followed by an insult (most frequently a synonym for "foolish person", the translation of "baka"), and possibly an unbelievably flimsy excuse. Bonus points if she's blushing and stammering. It's not like I want to help you because I like you or anything, idiot! Helping you just happened to be convenient for me. Don't ask how! It's not like you're my only friend or anything, you dummy! I have loads of friends- just be grateful I decided to hang out with you today instead of any of them. It's not like I went out of my way to hand-make Valentine's Day chocolates for you or anything, stupid. I just happened to have this extra chocolate lying around and decided this would be a good way to get rid of it. See? Isn't this just perfect waifu material?

[@nervousyoungman6764]

Don't get the wrong idea! It's not like I particpate in betting in my best friends illegal exotic animal fighting ring for fun or anything. It's just that malnourished endangered species just so happen to wander in our apartment and fight to the death. Stupid. Did I get it right? Am I waifu material?

[@shaeby8123]

Better yet, just have her assault the person who she is talking to. Cause nothing screams "I'm waifu material" then psychotic outbursts of violence.

[@ChaosRayZero]

@@shaeby8123 True, although yanderes are pretty good at the "psychotic outbursts of violence" thing, too.

[@BazzyBaka]

Wouldn’t it be cool to see a character who makes fun of this trope and is self-aware of how cliche and annoying it is?

[@archivist_13]

@@BazzyBaka the only time I've seen this level of self awareness was in ASMR roleplay

[@randomcoyote8807]

"This is a cardboard cut-out generic protagonist!" "No, no, he's an 'Everyman'!"

[@smersmer1855]

I have a solution, guys! Have no characters!

[@tach5884]

As someone with social anxiety, so much yes.

[@NoNameAtAll2]

This is a story about Rock He sits in a River. The end

[@lilestfozzy]

Papa Stalin approves of this message!

[@ThatGuy-jj3kz]

@@NoNameAtAll2 *The Rock

[@funninoriginal6054]

@@NoNameAtAll2 This is an story about Tree. He sits on dirt and eats light and water. Thats all, folks.

[@Netherwolf6100]

JP felt so genuinely jaded during this video. Either way dude, you're quickly becoming my favorite youtuber and I'm truly reevaluating my creative writing process listening to you.

[@navysteel]

Theses videos are awesome with modern writing advice.

[@PossumReviews]

John Truby talks about turning character strengths into weaknesses in _The Anatomy of Story._ As an example, imagine you have a character who's really smart. This can enable them to solve problems, but it can also make it difficult for them to identify with other people. They might be arrogant, or just unable to relate to the average person, which makes it difficult for them to make friends. Or maybe you have a character who's too nice, and they get along with most people, but also let others walk all over them.

[@randyrichmondiii3415]

Fax

[@hyzmarie]

Lol I have one whose defining trait is that she is curiosity. She can’t let any mystery go unsolved, no matter how much danger it puts her in. She drives her love interest crazy with that.

[@DistinguishedSeal]

YOOOOOO POSSUM

[@ernie39]

Don’t forget having your character describe their personality in the first couple chapters of your story through internal monologue without giving them the opportunity to show those traits through decisions or interactions throughout the story! It’s extremely important; how else will I know what a character is like unless I’m spoon fed the information like the first grader I am?

[@francisthompson3772]

Yeah, this is a trap I tend to fall in. So I keep telling myself I can trust the readers!

[@ernie39]

I know right? It’s difficult to figure out the happy medium between giving enough info so readers aren’t Extremely Confused, but also not baby-ing them. I’m still terrible at it.

[@ChaosRayZero]

@@ernie39 I think even professional writers probably feel terrible at this too. It's one of those tightropes that's difficult to balance on, especially since how much your audience needs to be "babied" depends on who your audience is (and how old they are) too.

[@IdiotinGlans]

You murdered a lot of harem/isekai anime with this video.

[@Newfiecat]

@Sohan Kopparapu I really miss when anime was good. RIP anime.

[@samuelhadjaissa5201]

@@Newfiecat there are some good anime here and there,however its getting harder to find with the overabundance of the Isekai genre

[@wakawakawakawaka8804]

@@ZLunas I think what they mean is digital art makes it easy to make more anime than how it use to be.

[@anna.owo.]

There many good anime.. Fma is my favorite but I like my hero academia, attack on titan, promise no neverland etc

[@anna.owo.]

@Sohan Kopparapu à real good anime of thèse season is demon slayer I recommend to you

[@tyronechillifoot5573]

I always thought what made a good character was the little stuff their mannerisms even how someone walks could be used as a method of characterization

[@DoctorLazers]

Ehhhhh...? Sometimes. More often than not, those small details aren't particularly interesting. They can be used to add a bit of flesh to the bones but they're just dressing, not the main attraction. Character traits become interesting to readers when they inform actions which then drive the story.

[@dragonofsomething2820]

Tyrone Chillifoot That’s dependent on the medium. Something like a character’s walk would be more effective in animation or film over print media like books and comics. And even then, like the other dude said, it’s really only the dressing. A good introduction into ur char’s core traits (confident, insecure, flirtatious, etc) but you have to keep building from there.

[@canaisyoung3601]

Not in this day and age. While you can rebel and go that route, be prepared for people who hate and/or don't understand it, because school doesn't teach reading fundamentals anymore.

Did Steven Hillenburg not say such a thing once?

[@vyor8837]

@@canaisyoung3601 ah yes, the way a man walks informs why he's a threat. Wait no, other way around.

[@pinecone9619]

Finally, a KZbin channel that makes its sponsorship plugs fun and enjoyable!

[@johnathonhaney8291]

They really do, don't they? Any other channel, I just do a total tune-out.

[@ThreeBeeHDb]

Ikr...they should some tips from this guy

[@TheBlackLantern34]

The Supermega Podcast also makes their plugs really fun, if you enjoy their type of humor. I'm honestly surprised they still get sponsored given the context of their jokes surrounding the plug.

[@μαριοςΚαπετανοπουλος]

Look tier list he makes also really fluid transitions to adds

[@maizhang2384]

OverSimplified and ProZD.

[@DarkPhaaze]

I love how you have so many images to throw in the intro that it looks like a delightful trainwreck from the very start.

[@serbianslav5494]

Terrible Writing Advice superior, other writing advice channels inferior.

[@ShibuNub3305]

@SerbianSlav thanks for stealing my joke mate.

[@serbianslav5494]

@@ShibuNub3305, what?

[@ShibuNub3305]

@SerbianSlav I was going to make that, joke, then I saw your comment and decided to leave a cheeky remark on how you “stole my joke”

[@barleysixseventwo6665]

Having your protagonist blast a problem away with super magic tech powers is a great way to characterize an inflexible, stubborn, or uncreative character.

[@fatfish2066]

Real

[@dereenaldoambun9158]

Saitama: Lemme solve this problem with only one punch.

[@neontangle11]

Yeah yeah yeah, and their arc could be based around the fact that some(most) problems can't be hyper-blasted away. Edit:corrected a spelling error

[@notoriouswhitemoth]

For once, you've overlooked the single most important aspect of terrible characterization advice - the only dilemma that matters, the only emotional conflict that should even be acknowledged in terrible writing: pointless love triangles, where an empty puppet is forced to choose between a cardboard cutout and blank slate, based solely on the marketability of the actors you compare them to! :P

[@JayExci]

2:54 I see you also have seen Captain Marvel

[@AJPzaworld]

Hey, Jay, nice to see you here, you lovable turnip you! Wish this wasn’t eight months late, but, eh; as the saying goes: better late than never.

[@RelativelyBest]

Can I just point out, a character flaw isn't necessarily a negative personality trait. It can be any trait that causes trouble for the character and thus generates conflict. This includes traditionally positive ones. "Loves everyone too much" _is_ in fact a legit flaw, because "too much" implies it's going to be a problem. It doesn't even have to be a flaw all the time, it can be very contextual.

[@Nope-en9bo]

True. Shirou Emiya whose flaw is “Heroic” is an example. Heroic in a sense that you break yourself because of it.

[@yaruyaru]

@@Nope-en9bo An heroic character can also be seen as someone who sacrifices too much for those alongside him, or someone that worries too much about other people's opinions or worries and oversees his own person.

[@ChaosRayZero]

Megaman 7, Megaman X4, and Megaman X Command Mission were all very clear about the protagonist's fatal flaw being "he's too quick to trust people." **Spoiler warning** In Megaman 8 and Megaman X Command Mission, this resulted in new friends who were very helpful, but in all 3 games mentioned at the top, _it also resulted in being backstabbed, more than once in Command Mission,_ **/spoilers** and verbally called out for being "too trusting" or "so naive." I mean, on paper, *"he trusts people"* _doesn't look like a bad trait at all._ Yes, I'm aware Megaman Classic and X are two different characters, but they have very similar personalities, and according to the cases I brought up, _the same character flaw._

[@RelativelyBest]

@@ChaosRayZero Naivete is a very common one, come to think of it.

[@hyzmarie]

Yes! Take their good points and turn them into flaws! One of my characters is curious… to the point that she’ll leap into danger because she has to know what’s on the other side.

[@seanmurphy3430]

Stay tuned for the next thrilling installment, in which our hero confronts his greatest source of doubt: the possibility that vanilla is JUST OKAY.

[@caleblangley1948]

Never!!!!

[@scottmantooth8785]

*(ish)*

[@thatonestormtrooper2760]

I prefer the berserk style of motive. You dont have to worry about why your protagonist leaves his comfortable life if you never let your character have a comfortable life.

[@keykirby45]

Since we just covered Characterization, can you please cover Flanderization next? I just think it would be a good time since flanderizing a character seems like a good transition off how to characterize.

[@stephenskinner7207]

The only issue I can see with that is that flanderization is a phenomenon that typically occurs over long running series whereas this channel is (supposedly) advice geared towards aspiring writers. If you were to do a video on flanderization it would have to take the context of talking to a writer who's already been successful for a significant amount of time and already written good characters, and that would make for an awkward tone.

[@newdawnhorizon9879]

beastars,radiant, hell warden, chainsaw man and soukyuu no araidne are good shonen also you forgot the promised neverland, one piece, kimetsu no yaiba and fire force

[@marcocappelli2236]

What about Liechtensteinazation?

[@ahniandfriends123]

@@marcocappelli2236 what's that?

[@marcocappelli2236]

@@ahniandfriends123 Flanders is a region in Europe, more specifically Belgium. Liechtenstein is another.

[@lfamvs5520]

"The only character trait of the protagonist is that they're the protagonist". I live by this quote now XD

[@therulerofthelastcentury871]

Sounds like superman XD

[@jazzybee_s]

"character *flaws* are the flipside of character *strengths* and these two components form a character *trait*" that's actually a really good way of putting it

[@ConnanTheCivilized]

I’m embarrassed to admit this had never occurred to me before. Probably because school and college teach people not to think critically and to just stick to tradition, otherwise you fail.

[@MechanizedAngelz]

Terrible Writing Advice: "Well, then we give our character some character traits!" Me: Oh..? Terrible Writing Advice: "Let's make Mary Sue... clumsy, that's a trait right?" Me: *Shakes head in disagreement* Mmmh... Terrible Writing Advice: "Hey, we can even count that as a flaw!" Me: *"DeviantArt" PTSD kicks in* Oh, god why?

[@kittywitch6334]

*Twilight intensifies*

[@notproductiveproductions3504]

I got a terrible writing tip for fight scenes: making it the same as an action scene.

[@raptorlord8496]

NOT PRODUCTIVE PRODUCTIONS I like this

[@notproductiveproductions3504]

BladeManEXE take a look at Jackie Chan’s final fight scene in Drunken Master 2. There’s some progression and story beats as he tries to fight sober and gets rekt until he realizes he has to let out that drunken fury. Compare that to Rush Hour where it’s mostly situational things mixing up the choreography (like the priceless artifacts).

[@scottmantooth8785]

*replace realistic foley sound effects with Wacky™ over the top Slap Stick sound effects and a out of sync voice and laugh track...* *the results will be....Magical™*

[@XLuxiosfantasyX]

Ok. This one actually did slap me across the face. I gotta go back to re-write some stuff, thanks

[@viperblitz11]

I think you accidentally made an entire universe thanks to this channel. Can we get some TWA lore? I need my fix of non-functional paper-thin copies of real life countries, battles against the dark lord ripped straight from Tolkien, cookie-cutter characters, macguffins, and power-scaling. Complete with MegaCorp, Mary-Sue, Antihero, the Cult, the Noble Houses, Dark Lord, and the Evil Empire. Oh, and in shit grammar.

[@hareema4442]

You forgot to mention the love triangle!

[@viperblitz11]

@@hareema4442 How could I forget? It needs to be jammed everywhere.

[@this_username_is_taken7004]

And sarcasm! No story is complete without sarcasm to go where the characterisation should be

[@stephysteph8558]

I think the best way to avoid characterization is to just make sure to include as much exposition as possible in every dialog exchange. For example, if the characters are fleeing for their lives, make sure that they hash out with each other exactly what type of transportation and security they should use at each stage so that they won't have time to voice their fear and anxiety. Also, you should make sure you have one designated exposition character who knows everything. Then you don't have to figure out who should come up with next idea. One person can convey all the information and everyone else can simply acknowledge what was stated or ask a simple question that prompts the next infodump. When you're including as many random details as possible, you just won't have the space for them to do anything else. Who cares about how the character feels about leaving their life behind when we need to clarify the color and make of the escape car?

[@pionoplayer9617]

Methinks JP had actual examples he had to try very hard not to call out on this one. A fair number of these lines felt like they were delivered with a subtext of "you know who you are. FIX IT"

[@kimifw58]

That's every video.

[@wittyson4522]

I want to see a book, and I do not mean a short story, but a full fledged book that contains ALL of the flaws in these videos. It could be called "The Terribly Written Book," and almost be spectacular in its rigidness. In a attempt to make the book the most terrible thing ever, it will make it beautiful on how clunky it connects terrible things together! Now we just need a really good title...

[@newdawnhorizon9879]

yahtzee made a joke just like this

[@ahniandfriends123]

Atlanta Nights?

[@fantasyshadows3207]

The Chronicles of Clicheria: Book One-Terribelldrum Book Two-Riffrting Book Three-Advaciase

[@olafgurke4699]

Please, it's definitely going to be "Best Story Ever!"

[@Someone2aswell]

Good tip: make everyone the good guy even the villian and see who gets annoyed and murder the other good guy first

[@kimifw58]

If they're all good guys, they won't kill each other. They'll just hang out, and it'll become a slice-of-life or sitcom.

[@vonneely1977]

The best villains believe themselves to be heroes.

[@ConnanTheCivilized]

@@kimifw58 Not if they are good in the sense of being ‘heroes.’ Put ‘perfect,’ zealous characters in the same environment and they would rant about their ideals and drive each other mad for our amusement. Slice of life implies the author can write characters who have perspective and won’t try to “fix” the world by themselves.

[@ImpKnt80]

"People don't read stories for interesting characters, they read stories purely to watch cardboard cutouts fight over MacGuffins/[Mystery boxes]". Been studying at the clown-sized foot of Jar Jar Abrams, have we?

[@thebeltcameback1553]

Characterization is purely optional! Your audience will just _know_ that the defining character trait of that librarian over there is curiosity, especially if you never ever demonstrate their enthusiasm for knowledge! Because that's how communication works!

[@js66613]

The average female character: A convenient "shy", "nice", klutz who is exceptionally pretty and "unique" while thinking herself ugly, and considering herself not like other girls even when she is completely like other girls to the point where other girls would like to be more like her. And if that's not enough character flaws, she's naive without actually ever showing any naivete unless it's done for comedic/cuteness purposes. The average male character: Abs.

[@rockingtundra2830]

Well, now I know I’m not the average male character.

[@angelofthedeath2433]

Or Ass if it's BL

[@TheNN]

TWA has a toothpick collection. This is canon. That is now something he has IRL.

[@feonixrizen4960]

Is it weird that I used this to help build my dnd character? He turned out really well to lol. It's great advice if you just do the opposite

[@alberthodges2091]

Course not. That is the point of these videos silly

[@TreetopCanopy]

This felt like point-for-point breakdown on why The Last Jedi is my favorite so far

[@emblemblade9245]

Joseph Engelhardt Hm?

[@francisthompson3772]

(If your comment was a joke, I'm sorry) -Rey -Finn (A few hundred of kilometers away...) -Characterization Like the Last jedi is basically an example of how to not do characterization.

[@andreworders7305]

There also accidental indirect characterization

[@Neumonics429]

I know that this is satire, and the point is the general bad habits of writing. But, while I don't use them, I think that character profiles can be a great way for a author to develop a character, although I personally find it the biggest trap I can fall into. Because, I get too obsessed with filing in the blanks rather than actually filling in the plot.

[@kiadimundi8348]

What about the droid attack on the Wookiees?

[@thefloofartist1908]

Hello there

[@thefloofartist1908]

@crazystairs712 You are a bold one

[@tarmairon431]

But what about dragons?

[@josesosa3337]

This is where the fun begins.

[@funninoriginal6054]

I dont like sand.

[@MinunRobotnik4]

I for some reason am now invested in the fate of the Dark Lord. I want to see him pull a surprise victory out of all this.

[@kaitlynkitty1917]

I'd love to see a Terrible Writing Advice expanded universe.

[@crapporoniandchezze8338]

Remember, even momentary characterization of insignificant characters can be very impactful. So never do that. For instance, if you're writing a story about a horrific and violent war which is being fought primarily by conscripted soldiers, make sure that soldiers on the opposing side are never humanized AT ALL. In fact, they shouldn't even express a human emotion as simple as fear. Just briefly describe them firing at the protagonist so that you can justify them being torn to shreds!

[@SoniaSephia]

You just summed up every problem with anime character "development."

[@nippusimmer9028]

GalaxyEspeon but alot of shows make up for it with creative gimmicks.

[@egoalter1276]

Well, if you watch trash, then yes, expect rash writing.

[@spencerpayton5401]

I’m guessing this is a subtle jab at the MCU, because even the fans are complaining that all the heroes are interchangeable with the same jokester personality, and have no real drive and motivation besides stopping the bad guys and finding the Macguffin.

[@kimzhal8958]

I think a video on character design would be a good idea. Like how to convey some traits of a character visually, but not in a cliche way like "The man is dressed in black. indicating he's a shady figure"

[@unabashedlyanne4527]

“That means they’ll really identify with a protagonist whose charisma could be rivaled by a plastic spoon.” This is my favorite comparison😂😂

[@alexanderkorol677]

When are we getting our episode on villains?

[@teddyn240]

What kind of villain, he already did a video on evil empires, mega corporations and dark lords.

[@alexanderkorol677]

@@teddyn240 every other type of villain

[@teddyn240]

Alexander Korol Like what exactly, bullies, mad scientists, terrorists etc.

[@alexanderkorol677]

@@teddyn240 yes

[@teddyn240]

Alexander Korol personally I prefer those to be their own videos.

[@chloej1611]

Confidence and insecurity are in fact not mutually exclusive. This _can_ manifest as confidence in some areas and insecurity in other areas, but as someone who is both at the same time, I can attest to the fact that they can coexist without such a separation. A character can be confident in their magical powers to get the job done, but they can still feel insecure about themselves, feeling somehow inadequate while still knowing that they're talented. This is because confidence is tied to how one feels about their _abilities,_ while insecurity is tied to how one feels about _themself._

[@DynoKea]

I'd love to see your advice on superhero stories. Also the sponsor side stories are amazing. When people actually want to hang around to listen to the ad, that's when you know you're advertising right.

[@piguyalamode164]

(Terrible writing tip): If you do (accidentally) establish a characterization for any character, especially if the fans like them, make sure to have the character do something that completely goes against whatever characterization you have (accidentally) established and try to make the audience feel stupid for liking them(or thinking your book/series/movie/tv show/thingy would be good)

[@toasturhztoastbunz896]

At first, I thought the whole, burning down the protagonists home was a joke....... Until I remember that the reasons why many protagonists endure dangerous journeys is because the villains usually destroy their home or do something else coniving to their lives.

[@jonathanwells223]

7:54 that's cruel and unusual even for the megacorp CEO!

[@schwarzerritter5724]

"Lord Killington the Third." I wonder what happened to the first and second one.

[@Jessie_Helms]

3:50 Um... they’re not mutually exclusive. The most confident people are often secretly the most insecure.

[@Firguy_the_Foot_Fetishist]

Confidence should not be confused with pompousness.

[@Jessie_Helms]

Vainglory 2KW8Ω giving an air of confidence isn’t pompousness. There is a difference. Just like it isn’t pride.

[@immikeurnot]

@@Jessie_Helms Giving an air of confidence while being insecure isn't confidence, pompousness is closer being "excessive self-esteem or exaggerated dignity."

[@francisthompson3772]

That's narcissisme you're thinking of. People who act confident and humialte others in order to comfort their ego.

[@Jessie_Helms]

Francis Thompson you described narcissism, but that’s not what I described.

[@alucard347]

Okay: The Dark Lord should escape, read a bit LOTR and the Silmarilion, learn how a dark lord suppose to act, and then do the Numenor on that company. I REALLY want that to happen, with the dark lord actually learn how to properly play his character archetype and suddenlly steamroll everyone, using his proper characterization. Also, it would be hilarious if he were to beat up all of them, after learning about proper characterization, by simply picking holes in their terribly made characters and concepts. Like, we would have the evil company's head laughing about how he would buy the dark lord, and DL would just be like "and how did you even achieved the money to do so?", and whatever answer the would be, the DL would be like "it makes no sense, this business model would fall apart faster then gollum dropped into the volcano. By any means this company shouldn't be able to stand". Immediately afterwards, we find out the company fell apart completely. Same thing with the rest of them. I would LOVE seeing it happens

[@lucasworth5903]

“Why does the protagonist want to leave their comfortable life and go on dangerous adventures? Because the plot knows where they live and will BURN DOWN THEIR HOUSE if they don’t get moving.” Reminds me of star wars fr

[@knju1monsterhunt656]

I really wish you could update these more often!

[@artcase8936]

Same!

[@adrianpetyt9167]

Oddly "Killington" is an actual village in England. My parents live there, but although it has a local hall, I don't think there's a Lord Killington. Also, writers who have done their homework would tell you it's "The Third Lord Killington", only monarchs and Americans named after their father and grandfather get the roman numeral at the end of the name thing.

[@HxH2011DRA]

I see RWBY has been taking notes in recent volumes

[@thefloofartist1908]

Not just RWBY, every single one of RoosterTeeth's shows have suffered from everything TWA brings up in this video. None of their characters have any goals or motivations.

[@HxH2011DRA]

@@thefloofartist1908 OOF

[@kaiosamatlj4031]

That's not the first time someone mentioned RWBY in the comment section of a TWA video, which seems to say a lot about the overall quality of RWBY.

[@thefloofartist1908]

@@kaiosamatlj4031 I left a comment or two on some of his other videos regarding just how similarly he describes the trope/writer's device compared to the mess that is RWBY.

[@diegokaqui60]

@@thefloofartist1908 Which one...i don t get it. I have seen the show and it s pretty allright....yeah there are some problems like what they did to adam(that was shit) but apart from that it hasn t done anything awful.

[@FairyTalesAgain_]

About the protagonist dealing with external conflict, he’s not entirely right. A protagonist just blasting away problems is not necessarily a bad thing if that itself is part of their characterization. For example, an insecure character that has suddenly been gifted with amazing powers may just rely on those powers for a crutch because they don’t believe they are smart enough to think their way through problems. Then, this decision should have negative consequences for them such as they are now hunted by imperial forces because they destroyed that tax booth. Constantly blasting their way out of situations and having that lead to negative consequences could lead to an all-is-lost-moment where they must either accept themselves for who they are and become a better person, or actively choose to continue on the way they have been going which could propel them into becoming a bad person. My point is you can have a character do (possibly) anything as long as your characterization is consistent and they’re not just doing something because you’re too lazy to think of anything else. 😉 I agree with everything else you said here, JP, but I just wanted to clarify this. Love your videos!!

[@loturzelrestaurant]

Like TWA? Try Hello Future Me, Krimson Rogue (at least his Roasts of Onision and Empress-Theresa) and Hbomberguy.

[@Moonstar79]

For all you writers out there: There's this characterization thing that's really helpful for making sure you have solid, interesting characters. Basically, you take your protagonist and side characters or group of protagonists and match them up with a collection of things that match their personality. For example, if you have seven MCs, you could compare them to the seven deadly sins. Keep in mind that you don't have to stick life-and-limb to the comparison; that makes for flat characters anyway. If done right and with subtlety, though, this can be really useful for having a colorful and diverse cast of characters.

[@ConnanTheCivilized]

Cool idea! However, in my experience this is never executed believably. I do think as long as writers prioritize making the characters behave like real people, it could actually be engaging.

[@wraitheory]

Sometimes it is SO worth it to pause the video and read the hilarity. Also, "love-triangle-victim". LOLS!

[@gentryquattlebaum372]

This is why aspiring charcter writers should do some psychology study, a intro to psych can really help make your characters lifelike and reasonable.

[@ConnanTheCivilized]

Psychology is about comparing people to one’s self and would still give a biased and limited point of view on what people are like (based on whatever author wrote their textbook and coupled with their own experiences.) For example my experience is that edgy writers think everyone who doesn’t think act exactly the same as them are always stupid, and many people think all fictional couples are poorly written, without even reading the story for context. A writer can use psychology or take writing classes, but their opinion of media can still differ from that of others, and thus fail to learn from other writers’ example. I actually agree psych classes can be useful, but experience reading and discussing works is more important.

[@christophercook9693]

I just love it how there's totally a side plot going on with the bad guys stealing each others sponserships

[@dbsommers1]

you just described everything about Ready Player One. Thank you. I wondered who wrote that caracture of a movie.

[@navysteel]

It had great visuals but wasn't very fun to watch.

[@dragomight8851]

I may not be original in this thought, but damn do I want a story about a main character who actually runs from the plot, who is currently burning down their house, for the whole thing. Within, they could tell their reason being that they knows they'll be thrust into a magically and life changing adventure or stop some magic demon warlord, and they just doesn't want that. The MC may feel their life is content, hopefully their old enough for that. They has a spouse, a steady job, a happy relationship with their parents, and maybe even good friends. But the problem and their major flaw is that they believe they've fulfilled their life, as if they've reached an invisible end to their life. Why let some physical plot of some movie or TV show drag them into something they've already done? But by the end of their chase, which I hope is as self aware as it should be, they learn that no matter where in life, you can always learn more and grow more as a person. If people in their 70s can fulfill their life long dreams, then why can't a content person be thrusted into some mindless magical adventure. They then accept the deal of the flamethrower wielding plot...to then reach the end of the first movie for the sequel. Who knows. Maybe that'll ruin it, but it'll take some thinking and imagination to get this kind of comedy right.

[@AshaAshleyWrites]

I would love to “learn” how to add mystery to my stories. Dear TWA, Make this happen! 😊

[@teddyn240]

Do videos on the following: Zombie apocalypse, historical fiction, martial arts, biographies and writing for animated films and tv shows.

[@knju1monsterhunt656]

Plot Twist: The skull in the thumbnail belongs to the lady he stabbed in the back (figuratively and literally) after being her beta reader.

[@firockfinion3326]

Now we need a TWA on cliff hangers.

[@thekaticorn99]

Lord Killington is killing a lot of people and that's bad.

[@MWSin1]

I'd honestly like to see door-to-door missionaries from a lovecraftian cult.

[@MWSin1]

Have you heard the bad news?

[@maximusmedia8412]

I was just talking about bad fan fiction right when you uploaded

[@lettylunasical4766]

I don't mind the existence of bad fanfic. It's usually by kids and is free. Bad published work pisses me off. Because those people went through the entire process and got paid for the mess they threw together.

[@brond3616]

Watching the bit about how the protagonist’s only trait was being the protagonist reminded me of how I used to write back in early high school. Every story was told through the eyes of a protagonist that had no traits of their own and was just observing what another more interesting character was doing. They were like a narrator that was just walking around except they weren’t even narrating. They just existed so that I didn’t have to tell the story from the more interesting character’s perspective, which let me add more ~mystery~ lol

[@Firguy_the_Foot_Fetishist]

That's not a bad point-of-view to write from.

[@brond3616]

Vainglory 2KW8Ω not necessarily but I did this same thing with every story I wrote. And these characters had such little characterization to them that I couldn’t even write you a paragraph about who they were

[@Firguy_the_Foot_Fetishist]

@@brond3616 I see. So I suppose you're saying that your stories weren't no Moby Dick, huh?

[@cosmicandy4620]

This makes me think that a story where the plot is self-aware and intentionally forcing the protagonist to leave their safe life would be interesting.

[@kaylasilverstein4137]

Why has nobody ever made this???

[@hyzmarie]

Discworld.

[@RealKipper1324]

I love how this whole series is like an actual writing tutorial, but with reverse psychology.

[@jeffkealy5951]

Remember, any female character MUST be special and depressed, with a plaster of anxiety.

[@thexalon]

Only 3 characters are needed: 1. The hero, who is obviously perfect and fulfills every power fantasy ever conceived of. 2. The villain, who is evil because they've always been evil, and stop asking for reasons OK? 3. And of course, the hypotenuse of the LOVE TRIANGLE, who just happens to be the author's idea of what sexy is, and could be equally replaced with a blow-up doll for all the personality they have.

[@kasper7203]

I typically find it annoying when story tellers have awkward moments for characterisation at unrealistic times. Like the hero cracking a joke in a life or death struggle is so unrealistic that it jerks me out of immersion.

[@oomsou5018]

Is it awesome that he is actually making the sponsor lore bits really fun to watch and actually be funny as hell?

[@theangryteddy7941]

Do you think you could do a video on traitors or plot twists. In bad stories they often make absolutely no sense and just come out of nowhere. If a side character who was not originally supposed to be a traitor even slightly questions one of the protagonists decisions they are immediately first on the list of possible surprise traitors, even for something as trivial as not agreeing with the protagonists favourite potato chip brand. If the character is meant to be a traitor from the beginning than their evil ways will often be incredibly obvious but the protagonist will not notice this until they specifically reveal that they are the traitor. In fact not a single character should be able to identify the traitor no matter how incredibly incompetent he is. Traitors also usually don’t have very good motivation and it often boils down to not liking the protagonist or just being evil. Once the traitor reveals themselves they will be effortlessly beaten despite traveling with the protagonist for years and knowing all of their techniques. Once a traitor is beaten they will completely disappear from the story and never be seen or heard from again, so having a traitor did not even matter in the first place.

[@ConnanTheCivilized]

A good tie-in would be how when the traitor/corrupt official/mastermind etc. is discovered, the main character is instantly believed by their antagonists and general public to such a degree no due process is necessary, despite having no evidence other than their own biased interpretation of events. Hmm, that wouldn’t break suspension of disbelief at all!

[@ConnanTheCivilized]

To be fair, traitors that are obvious in hindsight and easily stopped do exist (Benedict Arnold.) The problem is (as always in storytelling) the execution.

[@Reactor89]

Sending Tweets....... THE BEST WAY TO STOP A SUPER EVIL!

[@nasserfirelordarts6574]

The 2 dislikes are by people who don't get sarcasm...

[@hannahc3317]

Love interests: rapidly approaching singularity (3:31) Moments like these are why I pause your videos.