Learn the Dark Arts of Writing (8 Sneaky Techniques)

[@Ashes-and-Shards]

I appreciate you referencing books instead of movies

[@Bookfox]

I think KZbin videos are generally better when I can add movies as B-roll, and I think movies are better known than most books, but I’ll try to change it up and provide a variety.

[@SNOWT5]

Since most people watched more movies than read books (guilty here...), I think that while the different approaches for books and movies can cause confusion, as long as the movie examples are just a very on-point illustration, it does become easier to grasp. Having said that, because the approaches are different, I agree to use more books. Perhaps a good idea would be to use a combination: one book and one movie, all the time.

[@TheMogul23]

Using clips from movie adaptations as visual signifiers when describing books is perfectly valid, as is using the visual arts as a medium when discussing writing techniques (those things are written too, just not as prose.) However, if you are claiming to be discussing a piece of prose writing you should make sure not to mix it up with it's adaptation. The character of Frank Underwood does not appear anywhere in Michael Dobbs novel House of Cards. He was an invention for the American remake of the British television adaptation of the book. The protagonist in the book is named Francis Urquhart and his actions are different from those portrayed in the show (although both would be valid examples of a Machiavellian protagonist).

[@Speed202]

Same...I appreciate the books. If I see one more video referencing the Dark Knight and the Joker again, I'm going to hurl chunks.

[@emilypearson5484]

Shoutout from that one person who genuinely enjoyed reading The Unconsoled. I guess it was the aesthetic excitement of seeing a writer succeed at such a drawn-out surreal experiment.

[@Bookfox]

Ha ha, so YOU'RE the one! It was truly a weird experiment.

[@annewoodborne1254]

No he's not the only one. I was drawn into the surreal complexity of the narrative because it reminded me of Escher's stair painting. Stairways going off at different tangents.The Unconsoled also reminded me of Ishiguro' s Never Let Me Go which requires a leap of imagination from the reader .

[@Elhaam-o6i]

Actually, this was really helpful. I hate it when everyone the main character hates is always evil. And I always wanted to do the unreliable narrator trope but didn't know how. Great job.

[@jefftitterington7600]

Agatha Christie's The Man In The Brown Suit is a good example of unreliable narrator.

[@blossoming190]

Please do a part 2 of this. It's so insightful!

[@BlackMasterJoe89]

You're like Mad-Eye Moody teaching me the forbidden curses in class. And I'm secretly loving it.

[@Poodle_Gun]

I think Neville was the boy who lived and Snape was Harry's plot armor. The first thing Neville talks about is how he bounced when thrown out of a window: plot armor. The subtle gaslighting and red herrings are the best part of this series. That one off-handed comment Snape made about the hundreds of kids "I was able to save." But most people have the reading comprehension of a rock, so it's not worth trying to explain it to them. There's so much going on in the background that doesn't get talked about. It's so good.

[@AlienSpaceCat123]

Ugh, I would love to have a whole class on this!

[@JuancharroVlogs]

This is phenomenal. I love how dedicated you are to your content. It must not be easy. Many thanks!

[@Bookfox]

My pleasure!

[@Logomdshsk]

6:36 like when nobara was away for ages and she appeared at the end of the manga

[@IntuitiveYakOfAllTrades]

I’m already left handed. I don’t think there’s anything more sinister than that.

[@denofpigs2575]

Best comment on this video tbh 😂😂

[@vesanus5600]

Oh you should watch fightclub again & try to figure out how many characters are truly misrepresented by the protagonist. for example keep actively in mind that tyler said "Self-improvement is masturbation." and look when the protagonist is doing self-improvement like reading. Fight club is a film which had a story so deep and a plot-twist so big and a narrator so unreliable that even today most people only get a small fragment of the twist. Great content like always man!

[@Bookfox]

Yes, very true. Everyone highlights Fight Club's big twist as the unreliability, but you're right, there's plenty of other misrepresentations, too.

[@westcrosby]

Nice! Glad I found your channel. Thanks!

[@Bookfox]

Thanks for the sub!

[@stevensandersauthor]

This was terrific. Thank you.

[@reinotsurugi]

the Shadow Over Innsmouth is the masterclass IMO.

[@theq6797]

Two things I got from this story and why it was made: 1. Racism of Lovecraft was so high that it could be seen as comedic (if not of wacky adventures of germans in 1933-1945). 2. Lovecraft was a very disturbed and insane person. Mountains of Madness was good, most of his stuff when he didn't wrote about his racist delusions were good. Wouldn't call it masterclass. Good with great ideas.

[@reinotsurugi]

@@theq6797 From the looks of it, the postmodern mind-virus and leftist propaganda has turned you into a disturbed and insane person.

[@SchwarzerWolf1000]

Yeah, I really going to use the second one

[@LucianoCantabruel]

Great stuff as always.

[@Bookfox]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@utsavsharma7541]

I found the book 'The silent patient' uses some of these techniques very well. I dont want to spoil the book, but i immediately yhought of it as soon as i saw #7 and #8

[@yejunrealgf]

Oh my god same!!! I love that book ❤

[@gingerpixel55]

This book has one of the best plot twists I’ve ever read ❤

[@PantherBRolex]

Thanks very much.

[@robertrdbrooks7658]

Thank You. You just gave me an idea. 😏🤔

[@lisev415]

3:00 RIGHT!!! The reason why I cannot eatch this again. I ran out of excuses to justify all the things Walt did

[@jamesandersonfoster3024]

I *loved* Laurus so much - one of my absolutely favorite narrations.

[@Bookfox]

Glad you enjoyed it! It's a great book.

[@jamesandersonfoster3024]

@@Bookfox - it really is, and it was tricky to narrate precisely *because* of the "Dark art" you mentioned. Trying to capture what the author was portraying with their writing.

[@ZeljanaMiljevic]

No 2 made me think of Baelish.

[@ZehraBoga-qo2ib]

For 2 nightcrawler is a good example. well at least for me

[@n.a.t.swithstan1135]

Little finger from Game of Thrones?

[@kristopherhayes1957]

Is there a general story arc or plot structure towards emotional blackmail and gaslighting? I know about corruption arcs and fall arcs but it is hard to do these other things unsettling tactics within a narrative.

[@ArchdukeWoolhamingtonIII]

The Lightbringer series by Brent Weeks is a great example of gaslighting.

[@williamtaylor9790]

Fairly new writer here: Could you explain #8 again? Would the narrator just outright explain at some point they have been lying to the reader? I might have missed something, but really want to understand. Such a thing never crossed this writers mind. Thanks for your patience with my question. : )

[@Bookfox]

At some point the reader realizes that what the narrator has told them is false, yes. They could explain it or a situation could arise that makes it clear.

[@shaifunnessa7816]

What is mature themes themes styles element explained please make video

[@mitchbray6637]

Joker was a great example of the unrealiable narrator. There weer moments when I thought Arthur was telling me the truth, but to this day, I wonder what was real what was fiction.

[@frizzyrascal1493]

Wish they would’ve just let the movie be a standalone.

[@mitchbray6637]

@@frizzyrascal1493 amen!

[@taoofgravity]

Okay. 😅 So, what do we do when we have a true story that's all emotional trigger points?

[@Bookfox]

Write it! Sounds great.

[@ga4667]

Quietly takes Wetland out on Libby...

[@Bookfox]

Oh boy. You are in for a ride...

[@calmit23]

Most agents nowadays shy away from basic horror like dead babies and an animal getting hurt hard to find I want old school agents

[@oldguyinstanton]

Counterphobic? Does thinking up a horrific execution method count? Gaslighting. I thin a great example of this is the Illuminatus Trilogy by Shea and Wilson.

[@eyeamthei1801]

"Things they wish to do", because there are the laws and they fear from the consequences unlike machiavellian characters... That's what you wanted to say.

[@tellmeaboutyourgame314]

I've never mastered cheering for reprehensible characters. Just can't do it. I stop reading, or stop watching.

[@anthonyphan702]

My current project is based on the unreliable narrator...three unreliable narrators who are actually one who is unable to process trauma without splitting her perspective into three. This gives me hope that if I wrap up the threads tightly, it won't be contrived.

[@markovichamp]

Hmm, matches the top eight reasons I've tossed a book aside.

[@Bookfox]

They can be done badly, absolutely.

[@janiceboling]

You need a trigger warning. I don't do horror at all and now I am stuck with several horrible images in my head. I have been binge watching your videos but will skip this one. (It came up automatically.)

[@MichaelJPartyka]

G-D-MN "HOUSE OF CARDS" SPOILERS!!!!

[@ladyjatheist2763]

I enjoy your content but for the love of gawd.... learn how to pronounce Machiavellian.... it's not MOCK..... had to skip it. All else.... great points. Thank you .

[@jamie4271]

this is a bit dramatic

[@ladyjatheist2763]

@@jamie4271 it's a horrible offshoot of my misophonia, like people who suck their teeth or smack their lips... more often than not I just cut away to a different channel, but I really wanted to hear his points. It was worth skipping that one little chapter. I'm glad the vid was broken down so well!

[@beckycheruiyot6471]

​@@ladyjatheist2763oh it's the pronunciation police

[@ladyjatheist2763]

@@beckycheruiyot6471 on a personal level I'd rather be corrected than to sound ignorant.

[@citrus3603]

I have misophonia too but this is just ridiculous and nitpicky.

[@AnaGuillenBachs]

When we can see the draw and the winners of this challenge: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nn7Ml4Oqp651pposi=WVsubw58SF2Lu33E. ?!?!?!?!?!