How to Expand an Idea into a Story (Writing Advice)

Learn how to build a novel, screenplay, etc. from a simple idea.
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[@XY_BERSERK]

Who's here because they want to make their daydream come true?

[@Brii_xo]

Me 😭

[@DemonKiller-uv6qd]

me ....

[@MichealAnderson-wo9kn]

If you were here for a different reason, you're weird

[@XY_BERSERK]

@@MichealAnderson-wo9kn bro I'm not perverted

[@MichealAnderson-wo9kn]

@@XY_BERSERK I'm just saying if you have a different plan then you're weird

[@tannergarner8529]

6 Tips 1. Combine Two Unrelated Ideas (Romeo and Juliet + Titanic disaster) 2. Connect your idea to other story elements like character, plot, theme, and worldbuilding. (Jurassic Park = dinosaur theme park + park founder + scientists + conflict) 3. Create goals and conflict. 4. Add meaningful subplots in line with your theme. (Rocky, self-respect, + romantic subplot) 5. Active and Passive Research. 6. Shelve under-developed ideas until a new idea comes along to make it more interesting.

[@omegaminoseer4539]

I think that the greatest takeaway for my stories is going to be #3. I keep reaching unfulfilled ends to the story, since my conflicts are too easy for the characters to overcome. The idea of having progressively more intense situations, solves most of those issues with my story. I plan on making the script have more complications within the narrative, since they would help the story lengthen.

[@andreiasimov33]

@@omegaminoseer4539 Could you provide and example of some of the conflicts that you wrote to see if they are too easy for your character to overcome?

[@howto302]

Uranium is a good alternative to Cereal

[@Wacko-iy9vb]

Thank you ❤❤

[@LeoArronChester]

I made a stoty based on your examples A Titanic Romeo and Juliet In a world where the Titanic had never sunk, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet found themselves on a collision course, quite literally. Their families, bitter rivals in the shipping industry, had been engaged in a decades-long feud, their ships often locked in a battle for supremacy on the high seas. Romeo, a dashing young captain of the Montague liner, had always been drawn to the forbidden love of Juliet, the beautiful daughter of his family's arch-nemesis. But their star-crossed romance was doomed from the start. When their ships, the Montague and the Capulet, were scheduled to meet in the icy waters of the North Atlantic, tensions ran high. As the two ships approached, a fierce storm erupted, threatening to capsize both. In the chaos, Romeo and Juliet found themselves thrown together, their differences momentarily forgotten. They shared a passionate kiss, their love transcending the hatred between their families. But their happiness was short-lived. As the storm raged on, the Montague and the Capulet collided, their hulls tearing into each other. The ships began to sink, their passengers and crew trapped inside. Romeo and Juliet, clinging to a piece of wreckage, watched in horror as their families perished in the icy depths. Their love story, born amidst tragedy, was destined to end in tragedy. As the last lifeboat disappeared over the horizon, Romeo and Juliet, alone and adrift in the vast ocean, knew that their fate was sealed. They held each other tight, their love a beacon of hope in the darkness, as they faced the inevitable together.

[@7LeagueShoes]

Less than 500 words away from 90k for my first book. Almost done. Just wanted to say, your videos have really helped me figure things out.

[@WellWisdom.]

Congrats and share the title so we can give it a read when release.

[@kevinmurphy65]

Awesome and good luck!

[@RealMatthewWalker]

What’s the title? I’ll buy it when it comes out.

[@kurukshetrawar6680]

Good luck!

[@Echo17355]

Nice I already published a book it's a cool feeling once it's done

[@fransbuijs808]

Another indication that an idea is good is: if it doesn't let you go, if you keep coming back to it.

[@WriterBrandonMcNulty]

Great point. Wish I had included this at the start of the video

[@colorblockpoprocks6973]

"if it has a certain stickiness" some writers would say 😂

[@DevTheRay]

It's crazy how good your videos are

[@WriterBrandonMcNulty]

Thank you!

[@liz5754]

Right? Straight to the point, and you even get quick bullet points for notes.

[@venalleader2909]

without a doubt the best channel for writing advice

[@Army_Dog]

Fr, him and Closer Look made a video with the similar lesson and his was much easier to understand, well done Brandon

[@Lizard1582]

other channels are long-winded and repetitive. Brandon does very short videos and gets right to the point.

[@errantwinds-up8uu]

I've only ever written short stories. When I've tried anything longer I fizzle out, and I think it's because I go in with only half baked ideas, so thank you for this list! It should help next time I have an idea!

[@roscojenkins7451]

I have the same problem. How long do you make your short stories? I think I should try that but if I don't set a page limit I'll keep writing and expanding and writing and expanding until the eventual fizzle

[@tonyorobsky]

I probably should try short stories. My creative engine always stall when trying to write long ones.

[@b1bbscraz3y]

I think GRRM started with short stories, then wrote several related short stories, then wrote novels

[@Spongebrain97]

​ @b1bbscraz3y ironically now it seems like he would rather return to writing short stories than continue the novels

[@ssssssstssssssss]

Have you tried not giving up quickly? Most ideas start out half-baked. They seem good until you try to realize them. Then you notice all sorts of problems . It helps to agonize over them once you hit a wall. You will probably overcome it if you try enough

[@ajdndbdjbdj]

Bro I feel like you are sitting inside my head you always say things I think of, great content

[@WriterBrandonMcNulty]

Hahah thanks!

[@RodanX220]

@@caitlyncarvalho7637 I don't know man I always preferred bonnie and clyde love story

[@nashhinga]

@ajdndbjbdj ikr 😂😂 me too

[@jalahjava_]

I really appreciate these tips, especially for me as a just beginning author. Your advice has really pushed me forward on my journey and I don't have the words for quite how much it's helped. Thanks, Brandon!

[@WriterBrandonMcNulty]

Thrilled to hear that these videos are making a difference. Keep it up!

[@lordfabulous6198]

I've established 18 chapters in my book, a project that I've written on and off since I was 14. I'm 23 now. It is my only book, and unfortunately I made it way more complicated than an amateur author can normally handle. It started with one main character, and now has five, all with individual subplots after splitting up in chapter 9. While I believe it's necessary in order to make the story the most compelling, it also left me stumped in how I can develop those subplots. Currently, my characters are in the following scenario: 1. Zoran: recovering from torture after getting caught by the enemy in chapter 7. His story will be focused on learning who their true enemy is, and how to kill them, as well as challenging his nihilistic perception of mortality and human nature. He will eventually take the place of an immortal being, and save the villain who was corrupted by the true villain - in death. 2. Theodren: after losing his brother, Zoran, he struggles to see purpose outside one day finding him. He ends up kidnapped by a group of rebels, is by circumstance given the chance to lead the group despite opposition, and now is on a mission to expand their army and find a way to weaken the villain (who now controls their kingdom). He is also meant to learn to respect his previous rival (Armand Malrick) whom he battled with words on many occassions when the previous king permitted him to lead armies (a prior part of the story). Lastly, he gains perspective about the rebels, and the nobility. The rebels were once his enemy in the prior war, but not the greedy nobles that fought for their own selfish interests. They were peasants that sought opportunity to improve their lives (think French revolution), a group which he wasn't aware he was fighting against back then. He lost his parents to the rebels from the past, so this helps him explore that trauma and learn to grow from it. He also learns the perspective of the nobles that refuse the villain's reign, having to find a way to make the two groups work together despite opposing interests. 3. Valora: suffering from a condition that was believed cured in a prior chapter, she was sent to her father to address it (who she left due to his controlling nature, and that she wanted to fulfill the goals of her dead mother - to help humans and elves not hate each other). She eventually escapes with the help of a servant girl who displays what she would've been had she stayed: without purpose, isolated from others. They return to the mainland to find her friends, but is caught by the enemy, now leaving her to find a way both to find her friends, but also to ensure the servant girl doesn't die because of her. She also serves to add perspective to the enemy, to their true nature. She also is meant to learn to love her father again, and he to her, much as he remains a source of trauma for much of her story. 4. Carrion: trying to make amends for sending Valora away, and now stopping her from preventing Theodren from leaving them in pursuit of his brother, he sought for them, gaining perspective of how life is after the villain conquered the kingdom, and ends up fighting a shapeshifter (human/dragon), loses, and is now living in a cave with an immortal being who was cursed by (essentially) the devil. His past is also to unravel, showing how he felt he abandoned his mother (she died from an illness and was buried in an unmarked grave at his return). He is a member of Drakon, a group like witchers (but without supernatural enhancements) trained to fight all beasts and man in every circumstance, and adapt to survival regardless of the place and time. The same is true for all three above. Anyways, he is meant to befriend the shapeshifter, learn the true nature of the beasts he once fought. This brings an added layer to the climax that involves dragons working with the villain to take revenge on the humans and return the territory that humans took from them centuries before. He is also meant to develop a romance with a mother surviving in this new kingdom along with her little daughter, learning to accept what happened to his mother and to make up for it through helping this mother survive in this new world, giving a reason to live beyond the needs of his friends. He also is meant to provide perspective to the tortured cursed immortal man, and the true villain. 5. Sven: a basic courier accidentally went on a journey with the group of characters above, leaves them after Drakonstead falls (their home) going north to escape the villain's reign, only to find out that the northern nation is welcoming the villain, seeking alliance in their pursuit of conquest. His story is fairly cliche: the son of the previous king, exiled and never learned of his past, and is weak but must find a way to become a leader to prevent the northern kingdom from falling to the villain's influence, a fall which would ensure the villain couldn't be stopped, but could if he rallies them to HIS side. He is joined by an x secret service-type character that was both a spy, assassin, and diplomat, and must find a way to convince his nation to fight with him. This ultimately leads to a battle involving the opposing sides, with another mentor figure in his story secretly playing both sides and wanting to make Sven his pawn, and if not, to manipulate the villain into serving his needs instead. The mentor betrays him, not convinced his side will win, and thus Sven must find a way to prove them wrong. He wins, though at great cost, and uses his remaining forces to join the rebel cause south against the villain (a nation that was once at war with them, making the two nations find a semblance of peace with each other). Finding a way to develop his story has been the greatest challenge of the five. Any tips for all five would be amazing.

[@johnnyrico707]

Yes, a great tip for Sven is to make him a big ol' goofy reindeer that loves carrots. And has a pal named Kristof

[@NamaiWalterHeins-re4nu]

Hey @lordfabulous6198 since you've been writing on and off from you're 14th. You probably have more experience then I have in writing. Please can you explain what is the difference between good and too complicated for amateur author. And when you know the difference between amateur author and professional one? Obviously a professional writer has a better publisher and better marketing. Besides that, what writing skills defines a good author from a amateur one? Would love to read you expertise opinion on this. 🤗

[@silverstarlightproductions1292]

I once wrote a short story for my creative writing class about a Vestal Virgin who falls in love with a Christian gladiator in Ancient Rome. I started to develop it into a screenplay, but I've been hung up on the middle act for about 3 years. I know I'll finish this story one day though because as you mentioned in your video it's an idea that refuses to leave my mind.

[@spiderlegs157]

I'd pay money to watch that.

[@silverstarlightproductions1292]

@@spiderlegs157 Thanks! That's really encouraging to hear. 🙂

[@spiderlegs157]

@@silverstarlightproductions1292 of course! Keep on going!

[@RevengeOfIjapa]

​@@silverstarlightproductions1292 I'd also pay good money to read/watch that. Please make it happen!

[@SyoDraws]

That sounds quite interesting 😊

[@electamike]

Longest story I've ever written was 249 pages long, around 47000 words, for a game I've been developing for the past 2.5 years. I do have another story idea that I hope to turn into a full TV series someday. Thanks for the advice!

[@cvampaul]

Best of luck!

[@pioussutherland]

Nice! If you don’t mind me asking, what’s the game about? How far along is the progress? Would you be releasing it publicly?

[@ze_darku_magician5504]

I'm also under way writing a story for a game but I haven't gotten very far as of yet. I've had about 15 pages of very rough ideas for what happens in which order but I partly scrapped that because it just didn't really work out for me. I feel like I have a bunch of interesting concepts/ideas that could work really well if executed correctly but it feels more of a thin and rather loosely connected web of ideas for plot points rather than a cohesive story. I need to find a way to fill in the gaps without making it sound like complete bs.

[@kayyyyooo6946]

i hate writing but i freaking love watching your videos, i could never lol

[@WriterBrandonMcNulty]

Hahaha I think it was Hemingway who described the writing process as "just sit there and bleed"

[@magmakaktus5867]

I love this channel. I am 15 years old and I am into writing. I found this channel a while ago and it fills all the gaps I have about storytelling and gives me all the answers for my questions. Thank you, you are a big help!

[@WriterBrandonMcNulty]

Thanks for the kind words! Best of luck on your writing journey. Stay persistent and good things will happen.

[@bannles]

I really love this type of content. I am still in high school and would like to become an author or storyteller of some kind one day, and your advice across all your videos has really given me a lot of motivation to pursue my goals. So thank you for inspiring me and helping me understand more about storytelling.

[@VNightmoon]

The longest story I've written was a fanfic that clocked in at over 235k words. It started as a way of coping with a death in the family and giving myself something to focus on. A major overarching theme was loss, grief, and acceptance, as all of the main characters lost someone important to them, and they never came back. Alive, anyway. XP For context, the fandom was Five Nights at Freddy's. My original plan was to have a relative short (read: under 20k words) story that showed Mike Schmidt going through the five nights, with the twist at the end being he was already dead and re-living his last week alive. Note that this was back when there only like four games, so a lot of the newer FNAF lore (like "Mike Schmidt" simply being an alias) didn't apply, and I had a lot more leeway to interpret the lore however I wanted. That changed when I came up with his best friend, Vanna. Her original concept was to be someone who noticed Mike was missing, and would be the *actual* security guard in the office looking for him, but as I wrote her, she basically took on a life of her own and birthed three more subplots. The original idea I had became a subplot for a completely different character, with the main plot shifting focus to Mike trying to solve the mystery of his brother's disappearance, with a subplot of Vanna still providing assistance, but also trying to get closure on losing her sister as a child, another subplot with a mysterious janitor who knew far more than he let on, another one about who the killer was and what his motives were, the animatronics and their roles over the years, and how a lot of this tied to the previous owners of the establishment. I am working on a new original project to top this. One of the core ideas for it is, "a carnival run by the bogeyman." I already had a lot of fun ideas in this ballpark of fun and spooky, with numerous monster characters and their stories, but this concept alone has added a ton of lore to my overall universe, as a lot of the ways this carnival works tie very deeply into other characters and concepts, adds explanations to things I didn't expect, and honestly, a lot of things about the carnival are so deeply entwined with the overall universe that the carnival story is a massive spoiler all on its own. I have a series planned out, and this one would chronologically be the third or fourth book, but a good chunk of it is just foreshadowing for things I have planned (and in some cases, written) for much later down the line, and provides more context for events prior to it. So far, this project alone is ~65k words, and that's not counting what I wrote for the rest of this universe. I know I've surpassed my FNAF fic in terms of word count overall, from short stories, to partially-done novels, to segments I don't know where to put yet. I jump around, but all I care about right now is getting ideas down and just having fun with it.

[@LoopBuddy]

When I was but a lad, I too tried to write a fan-fic of my own. Not at all for any reason but because I was bored, but wow, that would be a chill way to cope. Sorry- Off topic-- Recently, I found the file, and I had got 16 chapters in! I read, and cringed out to death, the speed of the story was a bit wanky and quick at places, and some parts just made me question it all. Though, ignoring the flaws, it has a very interesting plot. And I can still remember where I wanted to go with it, if that tells you how deep I was into it, lol. But god dang, 235k words???? That HAS to be a new record 🏆

[@LightCyrus]

Your Channel is like the Jeremy Jahns of writing channels. Every video is a quick, concise, quality presentation with no filler or fluff. It's easy to understand and easy to like.

[@lukemauerman3734]

My 2nd book was 738 pages; a quarter of a million words. At the finishing touches I could not believe I had a quarter of a million words in my head; I pictured them as a great silo in front of me and I could shift things around, pluck an idea from later and insert it in near the beginning.... It was an almost out of body experience. Now, 2 years later, I don't remember much of it, I have to go back and look at what I did. As a self-published author I didn't move nearly as many copies as I wanted to, but my reviews were AWESOME. It was amazing!

[@Maddolis]

Nearing 100k subs! Premature congratulations Brandon, every Thursday night (my time) I look forward to watching your videos, may you continue to have great ideas for videos and keep putting out this quality!

[@WriterBrandonMcNulty]

Thank you so much! Back in January I had hoped to hit 10k or maybe 15k by year’s end. What happened from May onward was/is ridiculous, and I’m grateful for the support I’ve gotten from you and many others. Best of luck with your writing!

[@Maddolis]

@@WriterBrandonMcNulty Well earned! Thanks man!

[@road_king_dude]

Slow to mid-tempo music, often without lyrics also gets the ball rolling for me.

[@mattsager914]

I have learned way more about Civil War neurology than I ever expected to...

[@qpfox]

Longest stony I've ever completed was a single page short story based on a recurring nightmare I used to have about me and my 6 year old autistic son (now 14) drowning in the ocean together. Never had the nightmare again after I wrote the story.

[@chris.awilliams7138]

At 27K into a draft I realised i had changed my mind about so much I had to restart. Longest thing I'd ever written and it did discourage me a bit. But the story still lives.

[@GeneralPenguinIsCool]

OK so... i had an idea today, for a story, and i needed this a lot. Thank you so much Brandon!

[@FawnTheCreator]

I got a simple idea after watching a Film Theory video. I have decided to turn it into an eight trilogy series.

[@WriterBrandonMcNulty]

Eight trilogies is never too many

[@tolula9927]

​@@WriterBrandonMcNulty😆

[@t3amtomahawk]

​@@tolula9927He really told them "COOK" 💀

[@premium_chicken_nuggy]

Tip #5 is super slept on! I'm writing a dark fantasy comic, and one of my villains is inspired by the narrator from the They Will Kill You channel. I think that when you create a new character, you should think about which actors match their personality. This will help give your new character a voice, which can act as a reference point/template for their dialogue style. P.S. I just finished Entry Wounds and it blew me away, dude! I really liked how you described each scene (i.e. Soward's office; the jar of scissors (like sharks beneath the surface), so good!) I listened to it on Audible and every time the narrator did Soward's voice, I died laughing. Great book!

[@jaydenjewett3796]

Im considering making a story driven video game about death but I wasn't sure how to evolve my idea into a story. Thanks to you ive decided to take a step back and write a story about death before importing it to a video game form.

[@sohrabroozbahani4700]

Sempai is right. Imagine yourself an empty jar with your idea sitting at the bottom, then just fill the jar, give it time until it fills up and overflows, the overflow is when you start writing. It will happen eventually, my own experience is, about ten years ago I formed the idea to write a power fantasy, but i was just not able, so i started absorbing, and here i am, ten years later, a world built around it, a timeline set, ten stories conceptualised, five of them have full character set, three have main plot ready, two are being developed in details, fueling the rest in the line as their story expands, now I'm just doing the same game on cyberpunk... no ready yet, but I absorb until i can... give it a try, and I believe you be sharper than me not needing a decade to figure it out 😅 good luck. PS. I have a trilogy collectively 1.5 million words in length... i would sell ot as space adventure military soft scifi... but it is kinda a first person shooter too...😉

[@bignapolean3068]

My longest story, to date is around 62,000 words.

[@fanlmao6644]

Shocked af 😳

[@citrusblast4372]

And whats it about

[@bignapolean3068]

@@citrusblast4372 It's a fantasy novel. The main character returns home, to find his village destroyed and everyone dead. Everyone except his grandpa, who's been kidnapped. So, he helps two of the baddest, meanest criminals escape prison, to help him recover his grandpa. They stumble on a secret invasion of thier homeland, by the same people who destroyed the mc's village. They're the only one's who can stop it because who's going to believe a trio of criminals?

[@WriterBrandonMcNulty]

What's the longest story you've written (either by page count or word count)? Let us know!

[@LordBaktor]

I think the longest text I've written is an 8 page backstory for an RPG character because the GM had told me to justify via backstory some unusual elements about my character.

[@agamemnonahb]

Mine? About 180k words.

[@Cobalt004]

My only book published right now is around 75K words. It’s a fantasy book taking place in center of Africa before colonization. (It’s the first of a seven book serie) 😊 Thanks for your videos. They’re really helpful. ☺️

[@stephenm.5121]

Love your content. Good stuff. My longest story has to be my first novel (SFF) at 225,000 words. I since whittled it down to 186k.

[@ShinGallon]

The longest story I've written has been my graphic novel (though I suppose you could call it a webcomic now rather than a graphic novel). It's not finished yet but I'm working on page 180 right now and it will easily hit 200 before this story/arc is finished. It's funny to me that it started as a short 8-10 page thing because I wanted to do a little something with a D&D character I'd just created for a game, and the more I drew the more story formed in my head. Then I decided to also have the main character meet another of my D&D characters and suddenly I couldn't stop, and the whole thing snowballed. So now it's a story about how these two (one of whom doesn't like the other at first and is actually afraid of her) become friends as well as save a city from being destroyed. I kept writing and drawing more because I fell in love with these characters and want to tell their stories. I now have plans for at least 3 sequels, and several little short stories with them that will bridge the major arcs.

[@siegfriedmordrake3229]

My longest story is a series in 6 books (initially 3 but I decided to cut each in half for editing purposes) called The Songs of Asgard, and it's something like 400 000 words. Funny part is that this whole saga initially started as a very short novel of about 50 pages that I felt I had to expand. Now that short novel is only the first plot of the whole thing

[@foreverdjango5869]

Damn man, I struggle with 3k stories 😅

[@siegfriedmordrake3229]

@@foreverdjango5869 like I said, it started as a very short story - in fact too short for what I had to tell. As long as you have starting material you always have room to expand over time :) but longer doesn't necessarily mean better

[@KAR4MB1T]

I wrote a book during middle school that spanned over 300 pages long, I planned for it to go even further but my inexperience middle school self lead to poor structuring of the story overtime and I eventually dropped it. Some decent ideas came from it though, which is something I’ve learned throughout writing in my childhood, though there were of course bad story structuring, the ideas themselves were either decent to good

[@mattt9278]

I just started writing the second season of my podcast/radio drama and right now I'm looking for the cast to get the first season underway! Eleven hour long episodes so far and still going strong. Many thanks to you and your channel as it has helped me a great deal in making a dream get much closer to being a reality!

[@mickbrown7793]

My longest story was 348,000 words - and it was an idea I outlined only to come back to a few years later to write a story from the outline. My current story is 325,000 words and only around 3/4ths done... and it's a combination of two different ideas I'd been considering. All of which backs the advice given in this video.

[@CourtRobGray]

Here’s my idea for a story thanks to you. Hope you like it. Main idea: crazed lunatic who’s disguised as a dog and goes on a murderous rampage just to make his owner happy. Combined ideas: (I don’t have any ideas) Other story elements connected: when there’s a dog, there’s an owner, and the owner can get the dog because he’s trying to recover the loss of a previous dog, and the owner can live at an apartment so the dog could kill a lot of people nearby, and those deaths get the alert of the police, who think it’s the owner since how the deaths are tied to him, which could mean the deaths are people that are close to the owner, like a best friend or girlfriend or family member. Goals and conflicts: The dog wants their owner to be happy even if the way they do it is the main problem, the owner wants to get with a girl, but the events that are happening are driving him insane, further dragging them apart, the best friend wants to be a horrible friend and steal the owner’s belongings, but there’s a killer dog in the house. Meaningful subplots: The main theme is things aren’t as they appear, like since the dog is a guy in a suit, or his best friend isn’t actually a good person. Lets have some creepy scenes where some guy is creepily stalking the owner and his dog, with him even stalking them at night. But the truth is, the man isn’t a creep, but the dog’s previous owner, who knows the dog’s background, and is trying to look out for the owner, making sure he doesn’t end up dying. Active & passive research: research about dogs. So overall, the story’s about a man who wants to overcome the loss of his dog, so he gets a new one, but isn’t aware that this dog is actually a man in a dog suit who is thirsty for murder, and would kill anyone who stands in the owner’s way. He kills people, like his best friend, who likes to steal some of the owner’s items, neighbours, and the landlord. The owner goes out with this one girl he found on Tinder, and the two are getting along, but the deaths that are occurring are driving him insane, and it makes the girl less attracted to him. Will the owner find out the truth, or will he be taken away by the police since the deaths all tie into him.

[@dawidwidera1819]

Longest I wrote was 80something pages i think. I write short horror/weird fiction stories, so I usually don't develop much subplot to not water down emotions.

[@benjaminhelton4597]

Loving these videos. I'm more of an academic writer, but I use a lot of metaphors when I think about how to create a meaningful research paper. For example, I teach students to never forget their "main character" (i.e. core topic/concept) and to make sure all "supporting characters" (i.e. sub topics) interact with and have a clear relationship with the main character. It's funny how well certain "creative" writing tips transfer to dry, academic writing.

[@sarahsander785]

The longest story so far is a 120k word first ddraft of a fantasy time travel mystery. Drafting was pretty fun, but making this monstrosity work is a whole other animal *laughs*. Plus, given I tend to underwrite severly in my first drafts (they are just a little bit meatier than stage dramas) the word count will probably double in the end.

[@tonyorobsky]

I have fun drafting stories. 95% of them remain drafts.

[@horrortopia]

Great as always Brandon. thank you for the tips.

[@WriterBrandonMcNulty]

Late on the reply, but thanks!

[@johnhughes2653]

93k for my first attempt at a novel. I've set it aside for a while as I know it still needs some work. I've found your videos very useful along the way, but was happy to find that I was already doing a lot of things you suggest.

[@liljoestudiosofficial]

The longest story I have written has got to be the one I am working on now. It's at 157 pages (18 chapters) and there's still 2 more chapters to write!

[@ludovico6890]

The longest story I've written is the novel I've been working on. I started writing a short story a while ago, something involving money laundering inspired by things I had read on the news and a conversation I had heard in a bar in Montreal between two drug users. I had combined the two to write a pretty solid story, which I found out had one serious flaw: once I finish it I found it was way too long for a short story. So I'm now working on it and developing it into a novel.

[@robertpetrovich6776]

My longest was 24 pages about a timid, routine-attached vampire in a world where vampires went public in the 1950s, blood is sold in grocery stores, and direct feeding is illegal (although common). She accidentally ends up first on the scene of a brutal attack on a young woman. I didn't like how I ended it, and AU exposition was harder than I expected.

[@Guitar994]

I wasn't even planing on writting a book (I still don't, at least for now who knows maybe in the future some day) but the thing is I love to imagine a lot. At first it was only short stories and scenarios but eventualy those stories turned into a biger plot that could fill a preatty complex novel with lot of subplots that fit the story perfectly. I wasn't even trying it just happened, ideas would come to my head while in the bus, wasing dishes or just simply before falling asleep. I love doing that, thinking about how could I expand my world, my story, all the characters to make them deeper and more diverse. It's fascinating how different ideas are connecting together especially if you're not stressed about it instead you just take your time.

[@evelynjoy4466]

My longest story is about 300,000 words, making up the first drafts of books 1 and 2 combined. I had a vision of a cynical girl living in a dangerous forest and a boy with a terrible curse that I slammed together for fun and told myself I’d only work on until I got bored. That was nearly 3 years ago and I am still as obsessed with this story as I was when I first came up with the idea. Never got bored

[@CJ_1406]

Thanks for the great videos as always. I really hope you cover the topic of alternate routes. Basically, what if this happened instead of that. I've recently discovered that manga is the only form of literature that contain alternate routes, where readers choose which route they prefer. Of course, it doesn't have to be a full-fledged branching narratives with endings. They can still have the same ending, just with a minor difference.

[@joshuaachorn1672]

I once wrote an epic fantasy story that was approximately 333,000 words and 850 pages. Only to find out I don't like writing epic fantasy and scrapped it. The novel I'm writing is a crime thriller that'll be about the same length page & word count-wise.

[@celambor]

Thank you for each and every video you make I sometimes get my creative juice drying, and most of the time your videos help me go back to writing

[@gregorwalton]

My first book was 80k, the second 120k and the current book is looking like it will be 140 to 150k. But I'm writing fantasy fanfic, so those are not such big numbers as they seem. I'm retired so I'm writing about 100k of finished words a year over the past three years - and making audiobook versions as well

[@Army_Dog]

I love Dexter, I gained so much respect for you after learning you do too

[@stormwind7768]

I'm still writing my science fiction novel and it's the longest story I ever created. Right now it's around 52000 words. But probably I'm going to change something, because I saw that my reaserch was lacking at some points. Just first I want to finish first draft and then check it all. It's my first novel and that's why I'm struggle with editing. I always change something during writing and that's my bad habit. Your advice helped me while writing it. Thanks.

[@mystbunnygaming1449]

I really only have experience writing short stories. The one that excited and inspired me the most was one I put aside for later due to a technical issue where I had lost my files, and everything I had written on it and had to start over. When I came back to it, I was even more inspired and excited and ended up with 10,000 words, which is about double what my short stories tend to be. It involved a large scale space battle and I had fun with one particular scene where the gravity control was hit and pilots were floating around the launch bay and trying to find a way to get to their fighters.

[@ellennewth6305]

Awesome job explaining this, Brandon! I believe that a great novel starts with a great story. Your characters, location, era, and circumstances are somewhat interchangeable, but you MUST have a riveting plot. You MUST have conflict, motivations and challenges. My first novel was a whopping 170,000 words. It should have been 2 separate projects but no one told me LESS IS MORE. My second book (which I am now submitting to publishers) is a mere 80,254.

[@shikishinobi]

These are indeed a help. Writing a series of short stories needs elements running through both the individual stories and some overarching and reoccurring as the stories unfold. I’ve found some good inspirations in things like the original Scooby Doo series, books I have read and other subjects I have studied. As for excellent writing, I am deep into Entry Wounds (chapter 28, book 46% complete) and I am seeing and understanding a lot of your writing tips as I continue reading. I’m seeing a few “Chekhov’s Gun” (pun not intended but works) plot points rolling along, and mentally made notes/bets. Am looking forward to seeing the climaxes and resolves of all this. Wondering if my ideas will be the end results. Have certainly mentally drafted a few outcomes.

[@canaanarinda]

This is LITERALLY the most helpful video on the entire KZbin 😮

[@WriterBrandonMcNulty]

Thank you!

[@nurabsal0x018c]

I have a lot of ideas that end up being variants of, “What if X, but Y” with two different ideas I just don’t have enough meat on to make into an interesting idea. I like sort of writing one genre, as if it’s another genre… especially when one of them isn’t really my thing.

[@roscojenkins7451]

I had started writing a neo noir style grimy story only to have the banter between the main character and his buddy bartender devolve into basically a buddy cop comedy

[@omeysalvi]

This was really helpful. Thank you. Biggest story I've written is a novella of 28k words

[@Kadukunahaluu]

Writing sounds so fun but intimidating.

[@CaseFace981]

Great video! I loved your comment in the end about reworking an existing story idea. I recently rewrote and self-published a short story idea I came up with years ago. As far as longest story goes, I started a story during NaNoWriMo in 2020 and after a few months (post-event) I ended up with over 100k words. To this date it's the longest thing I've ever written, and far longer than anything I've ever published.

[@Thathumanoverthere1701]

You may have noticed a bump up in views. I believe I've watched your entire video catalog twice. You shaved months off of my writing, and these videos are outstanding. Subscribed, shared and got myself Entry Wounds to enjoy.

[@WriterBrandonMcNulty]

Super late reply, but thanks for the kind words. Hope you enjoyed Entry Wounds!

[@SuperRamtin]

Brandon, you are magical. You upload about the same question I have in my mind and at the right time when I'm free or when I wanna eat while watching KZbin 😭 wow.

[@PhoenixCrown]

I'm revising my 130K word count, first novel! Epic fantasy having a blast writing it! Mine came to me just as my own play on timeless human stories like revolution and class hierarchies. And magic makes everything better =)

[@seriliz00]

I had a dream while napping and now I'm trying to turn it into a real story. Wish me luck!

[@super-luckabsol4834]

I've forgotten countless ideas that could have served as a story or poem's premise because I failed to preserve the moment's magic by jotting it in a safe, immutable form. Documenting what comes to mind and a thought process helps keep ideas straight, structured, and stratified, especially when they need to be revisited or revised. I have an idea journal at home, and I always keep a small handbook and pencil with me to stay prepared for a spontaneous observation, learning new details, nagging curiosity, or burst of whims (it's easier than typing on a phone).

[@UncleBashface1]

Longest story I’ve written is a fantasy novel I’ve been working on. 460 pages and 190,000 words. Hopefully I can share it once I finish doing personal edits

[@DLTyrus]

I just want to say that "its okay to put your story aside and come back later" is very good advice. As someone who got into the idea of creative writing a little over a year ago, my initial idea excited me and I did a ton of learning and research and stuff, and began trying to expand the idea into a full plot. And then I hit a wall. I had a lot of ideas I liked, but I couldn't seem to bring them together into one cohesive narrative that felt satisfying. I kept changing my mind in a variety of ways, from fiddling with small details to considering scrapping entire broad concepts. And there didn't seem any real logical reason to go in one direction or another. I put the idea aside as I got frustrated with it, and didn't even look much at anything creative writing related for several months. Then recently I came across a video about Theme (not the one on this channel, but the one on this channel is good too!) and suddenly everything clicked. The video described exactly the situation I was in; having an interesting *topic* to write about, and lots of ideas for scenes, characters, plot points, but nothing to guide you on understanding which of those ideas are actually worth including. The answer turned out to be Theme. The Theme of the story helps you understand which ideas are actually relevant and which aren't. After watching the video and looking back at my story ideas, I realised I had absolutely no clue what my Theme was. And so I had no foundation on which to decide what ideas were relevant and what were fluff, or indeed what ideas my story was yet missing. Now that I (think) I have settled on a central theme for my story, I feel like I actually have a proper foundation to work from and suddenly my motivation for getting started on it is returning.

[@beyondthecamera333]

I love this channel so darn much. I don’t always agree, and I have a very different process and philosophy regarding storytelling, yet I still learn something and take in new perspectives everytime. Looking forward to checking out your novels

[@WriterBrandonMcNulty]

Great to hear that the videos are helping! Hope you enjoy my books

[@Hepheat75]

A friend and I are working on a light novel series based off of Mushokou Tensei, GOT, RWBY, and Cyberpunk. We've got the first volume done and already starting on the first chapter of volume 2. My friend and I have so many ideas flowing in our heads. These videos have been helping me a lot, so thanks!

[@laurenallen2867]

I'm working on editing my longest book so far right now, coming up on 80k words! I had this idea: what would the classic sleeping beauty story be like without magic? No witch, no curse, still following the basic storyline, but adding unique subplots and themes to it. I 've been watching a lot of your videos throughout the writing and editing processes and have been using your advice to make my character, plot, dialogue, and writing in general better, so thank you so much for all your help! I'm hoping to self-publish on Amazon, and it'll be my first book that I actually put out there, which is terrifying. I'm nervous, but I guess we'll see what happens.

[@gerardmijares2098]

I always love how helpful and concise your vids are and this vid came to me at the right time, as I’m currently conceptualizing a fantasy novel I want to write. Also the longest story I’ve ever written is a screenplay with 203 pages and 45,000+ words and it’s still ongoing hahahaha (it’s meant to be the length of a TV series). I’m not ashamed to admit that it’s a Star Wars fanfic either but one that I’m very proud of and hoping to post online in the future, maybe send it to Disney and Lucasfilm if I’m feeling ballsy hehe.

[@nathancrossen2224]

The longest story I've written is a screenplay called the Serpent and the Hand. It came out at 138 pages.

[@Melleanah]

Personally, sometimes when I have issues with an idea and can’t come up with story for it, I ask a friend what they think. Pass it by them to see if they have any insight or ideas.

[@lunarshadow5584]

A lot of what I heard here is what I did so I guess my story has a good foundation. Started with an idea that I read from another story with that idea "a single consciousness with amnesia simultaneously controls two forms, a male and female." That started the ideas but what made me start writing was the next part which is the reason, the trigger that created the situation of "one consciousness in two forms." The trigger also became the goal as they don't remember what happened to them with the conflict being them having to survive in their new forms and identities. Subplots are abundant as the side characters I write as "characters of their own stories" with the MC being involved in different ways during the search for hints to their identity.

[@jojogodtier]

I always wondered. I will appreciate a comment or video. You don't have to respond at all though. My question is,how does killing a main character work in a 1st person story? Do they announce their own death? Idk

[@WriterBrandonMcNulty]

Have the story abruptly end. Then jump to another character's POV. IIRC this happens in Joe Abercrombie's book The Heroes.

[@jojogodtier]

@@WriterBrandonMcNulty thank you

[@BeeWhistler]

I actually have a serial fanfic that has more words than Lord of the Rings (847,630) and counting. I don’t think I could have managed that with anything but a serial. I can do your smaller drawing room style stories and even a slightly grander multi-chapter plot but I struggle with large scale, complex story making. Fortunately, this channel is helping and I hope to be able to flesh out more of my original stories in time. Fan fiction, meanwhile, is a good way to practice writing and it’s helped me get past my fear of just jumping in and writing, as well as made me more easy with the editing process. I can also comfortably enter into a full re-write of a chapter or section and throw out useless material that isn’t helping the story. So don’t let people piss on your writing hobbies. That’s how you sharpen skills in a safe (or at least not money related) environment. Just cover your tracks if you decide to write raunchy stuff. I don’t do that myself.

[@verifried]

My first book was just short of 700 pages, and is about a dream inducing device that has been invented, with which people can select and compose the content and nature of their dreams. Someone starts hacking this device, turning the users' dreams into personalised nightmares made out of their deepest fears. People start dying of unexplained heart attacks and busted aneurysm, police are trying to find the culprit, yadda yadda. Just starting the second chapter of my new novel now, and I have to say, Brandon, your tips are spot on. Even if they are about something I already know or do, your cohesive way of presenting them makes me be more aware of them and utilising them more selectively, like tools. And of course they are confidence - boosters. Thank you very much for your videos, keep up thee good work. Also I have to say that entry wounds is smashing it. Bad parts is next on my list

[@patrickwoods1521]

Glad this popped up on my feed. Now I know what I need to do to flesh out my story. I already had the main plot and two subplots that would connect the story. Thanks.

[@london169]

This has been one of the best videos, you break down things so simply in concise but the true value of each element is not diminished. Thank you so much, god bless you in your writing and endeavors of creativity. You now have a subscriber.

[@firzen1e]

150k words, currently revisioning. Your videos are immensely helpful.

[@modestfirerpu]

Hahahahah “…gun stuck to his hand and there was a lot of shootouts but nothing else” this was so funny for some reason. I love the point when a story is just one single idea and eventually becomes a living journey. I can imagine your process, “okay he has this gun and goes to a coffee shop and there is a misunderstanding and then the barista accidentally gets shot…naw that’s not it. Okay maybe he’s a hard criminal trying to go straight and the cops rush him and he defends himself…naw….ummmm” then the light comes on “haunted gun has to kill 6 people to put it down, BOOM!” This channel is helping me refine a lot of my script and other story.

[@YuYuAkuRyo]

So helpful. The way you teach makes things really easy to digest and understand, thank you!! :) ❤️

[@WriterBrandonMcNulty]

Glad it was helpful!

[@brianvadgardritter1242]

My current story: 175k and counting. Probably gonna end up 200k. And that's just the first book in a trilogy. Actually, I wrote the 2nd book first (170k words). Finishing it I had a moment of inspiration: I could turn it into a completely different book without changing a single word, but by revealing a tiny detail. So I build a complete story around that tiny detail. And so I just had to write that first part, which is almost done. So now - if you read the 2nd book by itself, it's "just" a family survival drama set in a low-scale "postapocalyptic" society, - as intended when I first wrote it. But read the first book, and that 2nd book suddenly turns into a thriller/horror story where some of their actions (that made perfect sense before), suddenly become quite horrific acts. And then I had to plan a 3rd book, so the characters have a chance to discover what they've truly done - and because the aftermath really deserved a great telling. Hope to get it published. Right now I'm about to publish something quite different (due August, so it's ready for stores in November) about a Nisse (In the US it would be an Elf) who hates x-mas; his life and everything in it. First, he tries to sabotage the whole thing. Failing that, he gets high on x-mas-spirits and.... well has to find his true purpose in life. That one was really fun to write. And even better when I found a publisher who loved it :)

[@iceyflowergamer4474]

Not sure if this counts but the longest thing I’ve written is at 61K words and still ongoing. It’s a Persona 4 crackfic where it’s main goal is to be as insane as possible to make a name for itself.

[@CRUELLANDER]

I recently came up with an idea that would be a mix of comedy, romance, drama, adventure, action, and a thriller. Plot: a man who becomes very interested and later obsessed with Blonde women so he decides to build an Empire of Blondes and Blonde Lovers, and take over the world. Blonde women being praised as Goddess, and Sacred beings of the world. I find it so exciting about the concept, being mainly a romance, adventure, drama, and comedy. Something new and different.

[@DavidCaissy]

Almost 100K subscribers, congratulations!

[@mhz6687]

The issue i got with my story is that the elements make it compatible with alot of themes(philosophical conflicts). And all of em are close to my heart. So i get settled with one and i end up thinking its not good enough and its back to square 1

[@Alina-Butterfly753]

This video helped me out a lot and I love how organized and detailed it was to understand, thank you so much for making this video and congrats cause you just earned yourself a knew sub💜❤💖

[@WriterBrandonMcNulty]

Thrilled to hear this! Thanks for watching

[@Alina-Butterfly753]

@@WriterBrandonMcNulty your welcome, thanks for helping me out🙂💜❤💖

[@asquirrelplays]

my mans how about to hit that big 100k subs! WOO! Well-deserved in my opinion. I'll be at your Silver Play Button award party. I think points 1 and 6 are super important (technically they all are). Always keep your ideas written down somewhere. I've pulled from my bucket multiple times years later and combined them into something. Sometimes they get lumped together and create a character, sometimes a whole plotline, sometimes a conflict, you just never know. But that also rolls into point 6. It it just isn't working at the moment, write down what you can and put it on the shelf. You never know when you'll dust it off and get to use it in something else, or you might have found that one thing from your idea bucket that it's missing. I had to shelf a story recently. Just couldn't fully "get it", so I wrote down everything I could and went to the next project. It'll wait for me, I promise you lol To answer the question: Longest thing I wrote was JUST under 130k words. I think it was like 129,600 something. Was super close.

[@themolechannel9082]

Thank you for these videos, they are quite helpful and succinct. I wondered if you might do one on old films and their remakes, esp. remakes that don't work and why they fall flat. Pink Panther with Steve Martin comes to mind.

[@EdgeGxd667]

My longest story is 0, because I’ve spent so much time over-researching, over-planning, overthinking my story for so long during lockdown, that not only did I forget the most important step - to just start - but also I literally went insane cuz of it. My main characters haunted my mind for years. And calling me a perfectionist would have been a massive understatement. The sad part is that i couldn’t even start if i wanted to cuz ofc…burnout. And I’d argue it still lingers to this day. But it’s been a while, I’ve come up with other ideas since, and now my mind is more clear, I wanna try again. I KNOW i have that creativity, guess i just need something new/refreshing, be it a tip, skill or an idea.

[@theaprentice6437]

This makes me feel so much relief. I’m trying to write my first book and I feel I hit every single point in the video.

[@TheTreemuss]

I'm at 105k words with my first, but it's sequel is also 100k. There's a plan for it to be 6 books long, and I'm now 20k into rewriting the first one after some great advice from my partner that there is something missing from the start 😪 but I feel like I'll get the first book to 150k this time! I hope I get this rewrite more on the mark cause editing sucks 😂

[@gregsky01]

I can't stress enough how important tip 5 has been to me in my writing process. Had an idea to write a western after getting really into old spaghetti westerns during lockdown. So I watched as many movies in the genre as I could, found other books and stories in the same genre, really got an understanding of the tropes and archetypes but I also wanted to bring that sense of realism to the story that's often missing in a lot of these stories so I started reading about the time period. What the fashion was like, what the economy was like, what laws were in place, what were the socio-political issues at the time, what weapons would be used etc. As a result I have a story that I'm very happy with and can't wait to put the finishing touches on so I can get it out there. Good call putting that on here

[@mashafalkov]

I wrote a graphic novel that was about 125 pages long. I’m writing the story to an indie video game right now. It’s a totally different experience. because the story has to be supported by game mechanics and vice versa. Your videos are really helping me recognize what the important sections are and how to create better flow!

[@matheusmariani3108]

The best advice for me is, in most cases, not caring much about word count. In the past, I blew some stories away because I wanted them to fit the general novel word count mark, 45k to 50k. This lead to a lot of filler moments and dialogue and it makes me cringe just to think about it. But then, in my last one, I looked at the word counter and said "screw you!" I hid it and just worked on it until the end, writing what I wanted to tell. After I finished my second draft and the third polishing, I finally stopped and looked at the word counter again: a few words away from 62k. That was amazing! Not saying that word counting shouldn't be considered, but not focus on it more than the actual story.

[@thepredman9lol266]

The last tip was so good. Thank you!

[@WriterBrandonMcNulty]

Glad it helped!

[@MaggieMiller1]

100,000 words. Doing the rewrite now. Love these videos.

[@Macketiplasiman]

Fantastic advice. Also CONGRATS ON 100k!

[@HammerUnleashed]

Ty for the tips. They have helped me with developing my novels.

[@adamreynolds3863]

i learn so much from your videos!

[@AnyaC.Rawlins-vz3dl]

Longest written is a Rise of the Guardians fanfic that I have yet to finish. Some concepts, like my original characters in that story I plan to use I another comic when I finish Page by Page.