Writing Fiction with Emotional Honesty

[@digicraze]

Last book that made me feel intense emotions would be "I am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak because how hard it hit home. With the story being centered around Ed, a guy living a pointless life in the middle of nowhere, the epitome of ordinariness, who finally starts to change his life and feels happy living, it's really a story about how everyone can do something. And that something proves that people can live beyond what seem to be their capabilities. Don't know if that makes sense, but it was an eye opener for me.

[@jahnathanhyppolite2047]

This is my favorite book of all time. Read it going into high school and I’ve loved it ever since.

[@Circletwice]

I haven’t read A monster calls, but I watched the movie on the plane back from Japan. And I cried. So hard and so long that the stranger next to me pushed the assistance button. That’s one of the most embarrassing moments of my life, because by pushing that button, he told me that there was something wrong with my reaction - that I (or he) needed assistance from that moment. Because it needed to be fixed or changed. But because of that, I also will never forget it. Because if I was so moved by that story that I couldn’t stay within the social norm, then this fiction was truly powerful.

[@anaugustfirefly3236]

Hey thanks to you I came to know about that movie & Yesterday I watched Monster call. It was a really nice Movie...

[@reneahn5908]

There was nothing wrong with your reaction. The person next to you cannot look inside you. So, probably, he or she erred on the side of caution. It's the tragedy of Life that our inner lives are invisible. Don't take it personally. Sharing your story here is also an act of courage. Thank you. The more we share our inner being,, the better the world becomes. I hope you meet like-minded people that will enrich your Life!

[@crys_cornflakez]

Because of this comment I went to read the book this afternoon. I just finished all of it. Wow. That was. Wow.

[@Gumball-wi3er]

@@crys_cornflakez as well! Just read this comment and now I'm gonna download it to read, thanks stranger!

[@courtneykleefeld7717]

The Monster Calls is a brilliantly written story that tears off emotional bandaids and performs heart surgery.

[@robjvmedia260]

That piece about the figs...that's my regular Netflix experience.

[@YTEdy]

Netflix is a prune tree.

[@mishthemaverick8607]

Yes!!

[@stonecat676]

bruh

[@susanscott8653]

Netflix and KZbin and books and every hour, every day...

[@cjpreach]

"Story is truer than Fact. A fact happened once, but Story is always true." Madeleine L'Engle

[@francescopassero8369]

This left me speechless. It's all so true.

[@ZooDinghy]

This is a pretty pretentious claim that people like Jordan Peterson like to tell themselves. The quote itself screams "romaticization!!!" The cruel terror of war or the expierience of actually losing someone over the course of months are good examples that show that stories and reality are not the same thing. We expose ourself to horrible stimuli only because they are not real. If you would know that that lion actually broke that guys neck and ate him alive, it would freak the hell out of you. Stories abstract away the reality and we perceive reality differently. E.g., just because a woman likes extremely kinky stories doesn't mean that she actually approves of these actions or that she wants to be raped in real life. Jennifer Probst book is another good example. The story is a fictionalized what-if, a story of how we want the world to be and not the harsh truth.

[@theblindowl3828]

@@ZooDinghy Dr. Jordan Peterson said about quotes makes sense. Those quotes are sentimentalist and unrealistic. Mostly come from leftist mouths that don't believe in objective truth and believe in subjective truth and alternative truth. So with their logic everything can be true. Even verbally poetic words quotes that doesn't make sense.

[@ZooDinghy]

@@theblindowl3828 This has nothing to do with left and right and is a problem of stories in general. Stories portray reality to suit the world of the narrator and his or her societal norms and expectations. American mainstream is in the top league when it comes to romanticizing away the "truth." The German Heimatfilm probably topped it all. After WWII, people needed a distraction from reality. It was hard for them to cope with the loss, their wrongdoings, and their destroyed world. Out came shallow entertainment, much like most Hollywood films.

[@alexanerose4820]

@@ZooDinghy It's not so much pretention as it is narratives that have held true throughout human experience. The only thing we're missing is the narrative of the evil that wins since all we get are narratives of good always winning which when looking at history simply isn't true.

[@cjpreach]

"There's no secret about becoming a Writer. You read and you write." (Chaim Potok)

[@HillyVixen]

I needed that, thank you , blessing for you and your family 😊

[@kakarotwolf]

That entire paragraph of Plath, captured and encapsulates everything I feel all the time. It captures how precious and how little time we have and we want to enjoy and love life to its fullest but we aren't allowed, we get only this small little window.. just once. It's ironic how the love of life brings along with it a great sadness for it knowing how fleeing it is.

[@DjKunra]

I always felt a little as Sylvia Plath described. I wrote for comfort, and now I write to live the lives I can't physically. I also connected with 'The Handmaid's Tale' as a woman and found it incredibly frightening and confronting. I have a lot to say about that, but it ignites a not particularly nice brand of anger within me, to be frank. I genuinely resent the term 'feminist', but not in the way you think ... I resent that it HAS to exist. I haven't read in a long time (I know, I should) but the last book that brought on strong emotions was the Warriors series by Erin Hunter I read as a kid. They were stories about cats living in warrior clans, but somehow, they were able to connect with me on a deeply emotional level. They were tales of friendship I could get behind as a quiet kid who didn't have many friends, and about watching parental figures having to go through struggles and being powerless to do much except offer your strength - that resonated strongly with me. I think about those books a lot and I want to read again to enjoy those feelings.

[@DalCecilRuno]

That's me. I include a lot from real life experiences disguised as fiction. I can't lie in my stories, even if writing the truth hurts sometimes. Thank you for this video.

[@kayhaych05]

I think I fell in love with writing because it’s my version of therapy. I’ve experienced panic attacks and so when it happens to a character of mine I understand how he’s feeling. When another character secretly loves his father but hates him at the same time I draw from my own experiences and it’s so cathartic. You feel like someone else can relate to you even though they’re just a part of your subconscious.

[@sonybluraydisk]

This is by far the best writing channel on KZbin. Superb quality. Thank you :)

[@marcialacroix9215]

Amen.

[@laurasukalac555]

The breadth of your literary knowledge never ceases to amaze me! You have a way of making deep, philosophical passages accessible, and keeps me wanting more. Another excellent video!

[@lmor4203]

I have a novel that I've written, rewritten, thrown out and written all over again and finally, I think it's ready. But here's my question; now what?

[@kristoffer2250]

Beta reader check then go to an editor. I'll be waiting for that novel to hit the book shelves.

[@QuotidianWriter]

Receiving feedback from readers and other writers would be a great step toward further polishing your work for submission. If you Google "writing critique groups," you'll find long lists of websites that might help you find good critique partners; there's also a Beta Readers group on Goodreads. Then, if you want to go the traditional publishing route, you can send a query letter to literary agents to see if they'll offer to represent your book to publishing houses. There are also small presses out there, and self-publishing is always an option. It all depends on your goals for that novel. Keep writing. :)

[@lmor4203]

@@QuotidianWriter Thank you very much, Diane. This has helped a lot. :)

[@beebuzz959]

Yes, beta reader's, then write a query and research publishers and agents to see what ones would be best suited for you to submit that query. Then doctor it to them, look to see if they have query samples, and then get feedback on your query again. Then send them out! And while you're waiting, get started on your next book.

[@Gumball-wi3er]

Hey 👋👋 any update ?

[@ko_ko_ko]

Circe, because the character deals with rejection from people you love, loneliness, depression however at the end letting go of past, and embrace you, who you are. On plus note, greek mythology, and fantasy characters, makes it more enchanting. I will never stop praising that book. Totally remarkable.

[@EDDIELANE]

writing with emotion is VERY cleansing to your spirit. Easpecially if you leave the feelings on the page.

[@rebeccaswinney8771]

That would be nice. For me, writing emotions is akin to wading through mud: not easily wiped off on sheets of paper.

[@EDDIELANE]

@@rebeccaswinney8771 something i sometimes do is write abstractly emotional things or scenes, or describe something that makes me especially sad or proud, or angry.

[@93midnightsunrise]

I don't know about the last book, but I can remember one of the first ones: What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones. It validated the emotions I was feeling at the time, and let me know it was ok to be an angsty teenager, that I wasn't 'bad' if I didn't flawlessly transition from 'perfect child' to 'competent adult' and that still resonates with me over a decade later.

[@QuotidianWriter]

I loved that book, too!

[@yapchunglabhutia9000]

Norwegian wood was the last book that made me feel something. In a way the girl he loved was death and the other girl, life. This narrative perspective swirled my mind into a total vortex

[@nightwing2461]

I often succumb to unaware self denial as I try to shun my deep emotions, but that often reflects itself on my thoughts and thus infects my actions, and that is especially hard when the last drop in that cup of buried burdened emotions falls on someone I love as I have no other way after I held on for too long but to crack and break, that may be the reason I'm not a good writer. In your videos you don't just teach me how to be a better writer, you also often pave a safer way for me to express in sincere thoughts how to be a better person, thank you so much, and for that you will always have my gratitude.

[@EricHrahsel]

Why tf did this video make me cry?

[@niobedragones6457]

This vid made my chest clench, do much truthful passion in every word. A rare site indeed.

[@EricHrahsel]

@@niobedragones6457 ikr. The narrator and the KZbinr are both a good artist. This video is so special to me.

[@jamesrichey]

"The fear of working a career for forty years only to discover you've wasted your entire life on meaningless paperwork." WAAAAHHHHH! Ah! The novels I could have written! UHHHHHH!

[@roxanartventures]

Haha! Not too late tho

[@bacchaed2430]

Never too late

[@uncertaintyunravelled8273]

Thank you for this video. It was... revealing and showed me just how much I was backing away from revealing my emotions in my stories. I'd always felt like it fell flat but this is the first time I have an idea why it felt like that.

[@promethful]

This channel is a rare treasure. Thank you.

[@ExploreImagineDefineCreate]

1:04 why is this so me. 1:41 it's so beautifully visualized. I wish I would've come up with this. The thing is, I know I can become almost anything I want if I try... but why only one 😥 This was so revealing and uplifting for me. Thank you. I didn't know how much I needed to know that I needed others to know me... if that makes sense 😅 I'll try my best from now on.

[@aishaarshadalam3412]

But why do you think you're only limited to one? You can be as many things as you want if you try hard enough for them. Who said it should be limited to one?

[@ExploreImagineDefineCreate]

@@aishaarshadalam3412 Everyone. Have you seen many people out there with multiple Majors, high-end careers, or great economic standing with more than two jobs? It's just not very likely. To truly do something well you must not only put effort, but lots and lots of time into mastery. For as much as I wish I could be an excellent game developer, I can't do that without spending at least 15+ years. I'm not a prodigy, I'm not a genius, and I'm not a quick learner. I also want to be an artist. To be at the level I wish to achieve this again will take many years of practice and dedication. Writer. Sound designer. Comic creator. Animator. I want to do all of this. I've experimented with each of these and fell in love with them. But then there's the very things that inspired me to want to create: Video games, movies, tv shows, anime, graphic novels, books, and much more. I don't want to abandon these things because I'm too busy. Even now as I'm still deciding what to do I feel like I've barely touched a book or watched a show. I'm trying my hand at what I think will work fastest and best. Things that will give me results sooner rather than later. I just hope I'm doing the right thing.

[@aishaarshadalam3412]

@@ExploreImagineDefineCreate Actually I do know quite a few people who are the things you mentioned. And if you can combine what you love to do in one job then that's even better. Maybe I'm just a different personality type but it seems like maybe some people are indecisive and that's the actual issue. Good luck with whatever you decide on.

[@ExploreImagineDefineCreate]

@@aishaarshadalam3412 Thanks. I am Definitely an indecisive person. I doubt myself and hesitate all the time. But the problem is that I'm just not surrounded by much opportunities. I'm an immigrant from a low-income household and no contacts to people with influence. I'm not the best at socializing, and I haven't even decided what to focus on first. Either way, I've decided to try and take on art first. It seems to always be on demand and one can almost always find at least one person willing to pay for your work. It's not easier than anything else, but it does seem that it will give results faster (even if smaller) and has a low barrier to entry. All that is needed is pencil, paper, and a computer. Luckily I found a cheap drawing tablet, so things are looking good. I hope to start of slow and steady, and overtime grow better. Thank you for the kind words. I hope everything work out for you as well.

[@swine13]

@@ExploreImagineDefineCreate dont do art, oh lordy... well not unless you wanna be either poor, stressed or both. If youre bothered by being low income with no contacts, why aren't you networking and learning a skill? Its not enough to say "I dont know anyone and I come from nothing" because so did a bunch of very successful people. Do you _hate_ the fact that you're low socio economic status? If so, that's your answer: do something about it. If it doesn't, why are you worried about it? Just do something that you can use in a job, like take a course in digital media or something. Cause having a job isn't like school - people won't just give you money for doodling in a sketchbook (trust me i found out the hard way), its a highly competitive and volatile production business that depends on your own ability and talent for 100% of its market demand. Whats worse, its completely non-essential, which I feel is a poor choice while covid is making things so difficult. Please... unless art is your life or your greatest talent, I would highly recommend you do something more boring and routine first as a safety net. Even something easy like statistics because that will help you put regular money in your pockets and then you can chip away at the art business in your own time. Pursuing a self-managed career in art while also suffering from chronic adhd, depression, anxiety, and PTSD was the most useless thing I ever did. I made no more than a couple of hundred dollars, worked insanely hard, exposed myself to "people" (including abuse, which is what i was afraid of), spent countless nights hoping it'd kick off soon and even more doubting my entire value as a person. My work did improve, but I was never keeping up with some of the most talented people - being 27 and seeing 16 year olds smash everything you've ever made with a 15min sketch because they're so insanely talented.... feels bad once, but after the 10th time you're like "ok I get it" I dunno i don't want to be negative, but I do want to be realistic and your current potential plan is the same one I had and it did NOT work for me. So make of that what you will. Maybe you're way better than I was and you've already got 15-20k subs on instagram or whatever.. 🤷‍♂️ What art would you even do? When you say its "in demand" what are you referring to? Are you prepared to have no time to do your own art because youre spending all your time doing what people want, instead?

[@mageprometheus]

Someone made a comment they were surprised that you didn't have more subs. Perhaps it's your emotional intelligence that frightens those who are still in self hiding. Much love.

[@whitedynamite9763]

1984: When Winston got the note that said: I love you. It struck me powerfully because Julia showed not even a hint of her true feelings toward him. It got me wondering if there might be a Julia in my life, pretending, hiding, waiting for just the right moment to show me her note.

[@soniachauhan4459]

One of the best video essays on writing here on KZbin. So glad I stumbled upon this.

[@QuotidianWriter]

Thank you so much for the high praise, Sonia! Keep writing! :)

[@letsplaywithlife3063]

The last book blew me away with emotional sentences - "Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and his years of pilgrimage" by Haruki Murakami. Our Childhood best friends far apart from our lives. What is left inside you is a strange feeling all the time. How can you pass it? Sometimes it seems like there's no way you can overcome it. You have to go back to the past and find out what was wrong with you. There's no other way. If you run away from the monster, the monster grew more evilly and follows you for the rest of your life...

[@aiyanales1416]

I’m not even 10 mins in this video and I already feel so inspired. This is an amazing video thank you for sharing❤️

[@ssghosh7728]

Goosebumps with every single word. This video was awesome.

[@0kecske0]

Carsten Jensen: We the drowned I never had any emotional connection with the places where i lived. Always just a city or a small village, never my town, never cared about the people, and never felt that i had something in common with them. But after reading We the drowned, i feel like i have lived in Marstal, and it is my hometown.

[@edenmckinley3472]

I'm a very emotional person, so I naturally delve deep into the emotions of my characters, until I'm worried that I'm making the text too emotional. Not melodramatic, just emotional. One of my characters appears to be a classic fantasy hero on the outside: strong, handsome, selfless, has magic powers, doesn't know who his real parents are. But underneath, he suffers from depression, loneliness, self-loathing, and many other problems. He is most afraid of harming his loved ones and being left alone with the guilt, but at the same time, he feels he has no choice in what he becomes. Writing him unearthed some very deep wounds I didn't know I had. I never knew I was so afraid of being alone, or of growing up and leaving my happy home life behind. I never knew I was so terrified of becoming something I do not want to be. I didn't know that I harbor insecurities about being a burden on others or giving up my agency because I am a people pleaser. And yet, writing this character showed me all of that. It hurts. It hurts whenever I write him, because many of these things I struggle with are made manifest in him. But I love him as much as I love myself. This video was really fantastic, and it explains why I made such a connection with him. I have failed to put as much punch in my other characters, and I think this might be why.

[@Conmaan]

“Speaker for the Dead” by Orson Scott Card was the last book I read that made my feel intense emotions. Novinha in particular is extremely frustrating to read about, but I think predominantly because her character is very relatable to me. Beyond that, there are also some incredibly powerful, emotionally charged scenes between characters. For anyone who hasn’t read the series, I definitely recommend it.

[@AsifHassan]

All my stories are about being held back by family, society, personal belief, being told what you want is impossible and that you're better off following others. I guess I've always been writing what scares me.

[@christinekaye6393]

The book that made me feel the most intensely and is my all-time favorite is The Sparrow. I've lost track of how many times I've read it--at least five. I have written two novels, both unpublished at the moment. The second one delves deep into the nature of hope, how it feels to believe the last ember of hope has gone out, how tenacious hope is, and how desperate our minds are to accept the smallest spark that will rekindle our hope. This video is beautiful, thought provoking, and inspiring. Thank you. I am looking forward to watching more of your talks.

[@Hermit_mouse]

I have read Train Dreams by Denis Johnson around a dozen times. I listen to Will Paton read it on audible when I can't sleep at night. It's about a simple man who lives through some deeply tragic life events. He spends much of his life alone with his dog in a cabin in the mountains. At night he howls with the coyotes and dreams of the lost memories of his childhood. It does something to my heart that I can't really explain with words, but maybe more than anything I feel less alone when I read it.

[@lenasthy4146]

To me, it was Jane Eyre. Helen Burn's death was so predictable, but that just hurt me more, as I knew she'd be going to heaven eventually. It hit home deeply. Another amazing one is Song Of Achilles! The journey's just....I love books.

[@JohnInTheShelter]

The best writing-related video I've seen this year, maybe ever.

[@aname4700]

This video deserves to have hundreds of thousands views ❤️

[@cadecollins9932]

The last book that made me feel intense emotion is C.S. Lewis' 'A Grief Observed'. I cannot describe the intense fear of mortality that came with reading that book, as well as the acceptance of being resigned to such a fate. But most of all, the raw emotional lines about his wife that left me teary-eyed for a good while after. One of my favourite lines was when he was describing his wife on her death bed: "she cried out 'and there was so much to live for!' Happiness had not come to her early in life" it's so tragic and captures the contradiction that comes with facing death of finally realising the actions you should have taken.

[@lapersianaperta]

I can see stuff about my fears and beliefs in my ideas and characters, but I live happier without going deep about it. I can't read anymore and I can't write powerfully because I feel too bad about it. When I go deep, it affects me for days. I like crying on a story, I don't need just butterflies, but sadness is one thing and regretting my whole life for a week for just one good paragraph is another. Good emotional books are maybe the best expression of our human identity, but I'm starting to think that not all humans really need that

[@0Metatron]

It has to be crime and punishment for me. It writes from the perspective of that inner person and anxiety that goes on inside all of us that most of us build a wall of defences around, and most of us think it’s just our own personal weirdness but this book shows in exceptional detail that we all have these messed up feelings going on inside

[@katevenhorst1723]

“It’s sometimes difficult to separate external reality form the internal processing of reality.” Wow. Yes.

[@stephaniebyard3958]

This is SO inspiring! Although I’ve never attempted suicide, as a young teenager, I was depressed, wondered why I was ever born, & why I just couldn’t start over. I think every teen struggles with this at some level. So I aged my protagonist to 19 and took it further to her death. But as she hangs between death & being revived, she changes her mind and the novel follows her evolution into a life full of incredible things peppered with fascinating beings. This morning, I’m struggling with opening the novel with her suicide attempt. I want to start her at rock bottom. But, is this right? Is it too much? Will someone be too affected by this & do the unimaginable? Will people miss the message? What am I doing? Should I go clean the house? Your post here has inspired me to continue and expand on my character’s reasons for lying in the snow on Christmas Day, welcoming Death, but meeting someone else instead. Thank you so very much.

[@rachelmccannandcarnalecho7753]

When you mentioned Sylvia Plath, I knew immediately that you were going to the passage about the fig tree. I still remember that passage from reading it 30 years ago -- in college, at the age where it struck me to my soul. My favorite passage is from The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers, where Mick, a young, poor girl who longs to create music, sneaks away from her sad family life at night to a wealthy subdivision and writes "Mosart" in red grease pencil on a wall stud in a house under construction. To leave a piece of your heart in a place where it will be covered up forever was such a powerful image.

[@katherine1304]

when i was in college i went through a tough break up with the first love of my life, which had always been long distance. i spent almost every night in one particular room of an apartment sickeningly heartbroken and alone, and it also made me realize that i’d always had depression, which came with its own set of difficulties during such a hard time of getting doctors appointments and therapy sessions to get me on the right medication, all while juggling side effects, emotional breaks and dealing with the loss of the best friend that was my ex. it all got so bad that i had to change rooms within the unit because being in the same perpetually dimly lit room where so many painful conversations and suffocating nights was getting the better of me. when i moved out of that room i wrote our initials in thick dust on the storage counter over the toilet where i knew no one would ever clean. it’s not as permanent but it was my way to leaving a physical mark in the place where such real and intense emotional pain happened, so that the apartment might still remember it for a few years to come. i’m better now in my life so don’t worry lol. this comment just reminded me of when I did that. there’s something so cathartic in marking the thing that hurt you with something that once made you feel alive. even if that thing in turn also hurt you. it’s like a reminder that it was real. i almost wish i’d done it in sharpie, now that i think about it

[@ahmadreza.T]

@@katherine1304 wow I have to do something like this. And I'll carve them. ;)

[@haku1145]

I'm not much of a reader yet, which often makes me feel inadequate around people who have entire bookshelves behind them. Nevertheless, one of the few books I've read is called 'Moon Palace', by Paul Auster. It made me feel amazed at times, with the way Paul described what his protagonist was going through. It also made me feel quite sad, as if one's always doomed to be lost in their search for identity. During those times--on a somewhat unrelated note--I like to picture Alan Watts sitting on the beach, drinking a piña colada, telling me to not take life so seriously.

[@kitpup1017]

I keep planning this book and nitpicking the little things each character does because I'm stalling. I literally watched this video to feel like I'm doing something about it when I'm not. I was surprised to find there was a term for the type of book that's based on parts of a person's life, because that's what I've been planning to do. If fear makes a book good, then this is gonna be the greatest book ever ig. The last book that really made me feel emotional was All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. It was about mental illness and dealing with the loss of a loved one, the message was about how important it is to find a reason to keep going when you're dealing with difficult periods of your life. It also has a ton of amazing quotes from 'The Waves'.

[@quillakiller]

Wow, I just had to skim my book shelf, and reread my book list to find a recent book that hit me as hard as you describe. All the examples you gave were so powerful. It immediately became apparent the last couple of months have been very cerebral books (really awesome, like Zen and the Art of Motor Cycle Maintanence, or even Dracula and the Alchemist were just distant enough for the story not to feel raw). I would say, "It Does Not Die," by Indian poet Maitreyi Devi is about as real as it gets. Its the story of coming to terms with a long lost adolescent love, decades later, yet one day having all those emotions stirred up again because that lover happens to be a famous writer and wrote some famous book about you -- so, having received the signal, you seek him out. The prose, gosh, even now months after reading it, I can open it to a random page, and reread a line I had underlined at the time -- and a funny thing happens. I dont even remember reading the line or underlining it, and so it hits me as if for the first time. Raw emotion, like raw pain, that never gets old, always feels immediate, and "does not die" even when it disappears. Because it comes back.

[@quillakiller]

PS: Thank you, Diane, for another mind-blowing video.

[@courtneykleefeld7717]

“Writing Irresistible KidLit” is a great writing craft book. I highly recommend it to writers.

[@KatSchlitz]

Thank you!

[@varying999]

Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane shook me to the core..it was so familiar, yet so alien-the mental illnesses, the helplessness, the tragedy. I always found myself reading it whenever I was alone. It was almost an involuntary action. Switching on my blackberry, opening that pdf and start reading..It almost mesmerized me.

[@Otherwise88]

This video provided a breakthrough in my novel. The subject always touched on my fear but I had been allowing myself to skid the surface. You video forced me to look my fear in the eye and recognize its name. Thank you.

[@musicsweet2833]

Another Country by James Baldwin. He made me bawl my eyes out in heartache. And in the tender, precious places, he made me smile with pure gladness.

[@resistancepublishing]

I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the work you put into your videos. I just started writing my first graphic novel a year ago and now it’s completed. I’ve gotten some great feedback from editors, friends and other professional writers. I’ve watched all of your videos, some of them several times over and each time I’ve learned something new. The information you provide is priceless and the comfort of your voice helps to absorb it all effortlessly. I want to be selfish and say I need more of your content (only because the videos are so good) but we all have lives to live. Being a new writer, I used to doubt my writing but I’ve put all of that doubt aside and now trust in my characters and the writing process I’ve learned from you and many others. My writing weak points are horror and comedy but in my next project I plan to dive head first into both genres. You’ve helped me grow so much as a writer. Thank you again and never stop doing what you do.

[@QuotidianWriter]

Thank you so much for your incredibly kind words! I truly appreciate your support, and I'm overjoyed to hear my videos have inspired you. Keep writing, my friend. :)

[@resistancepublishing]

Diane Callahan - Quotidian Writer you’re very welcome. Keep up the good work. You have a subscriber and viewer for as long as you upload videos

[@e_n_hand]

Little Women has always stuck with me. There have been moments when I hate it for how relatable I find it but at the end of the day it will always be one of my favorite stories. I grew up wanting to be just like Jo, and not just being a writer. I wanted to have her confidence her ability to unabashedly be herself and not care how it might come across to others. But I as I have grown older I realize I have a lot more in common with Amy.

[@ljonheart]

your videos are so helpful and insightful! it's always exciting when i get a notification from your channel! thank you so much

[@sethkeown5965]

It makes me a little sad to say this, but the last time i felt intense emotion from reading was in one of the twighlight books. In the segment where bella fell into depression after edward left. a few chapters were a page long and listed only month names. The sourse of my depression wasnt a break up but i knew the feeling of time slipping by with nothing happening within.

[@rocknroll909]

Absolutely amazing video, thank you so much.

[@DimkaSulegnaa]

The part you play involving the monster hit a little too home. I might need to give it a listen. Actually, I might give a listen to quite a few of the books you’ve mentioned. I’ve read only a handful of books, mostly ranging from two YA book series and whatever came up for school. The book I recall hitting emotionally hard last being Night by Elie Wiesel. I still remember the vibe of the hanging that is described within the book. There was another book that I can’t recall the name that stuck out as well. It was about a kid that ran away from home. There was a scene where a supporting male character brought the MC to see a prostitute for life advice. Later the MC went back to see her to find out that she passed away. Sorry if that’s not enough info to potentially figure out what the book might’ve been.

[@oORiseAboveOo]

HellsInfernalRage The second book sounds like Catcher in the Rye, but it’s been many years since I read it.

[@Themoment888]

Night was so emotional

[@magnusruben9646]

You should have 5 billion subs

[@overlex]

Me it was Oscar Wylde’s “The Happy Prince” Dear lord, That story was Pure brilliance! I knew it had homosexual undertones, reminiscent of Wylde’s sexuality, but I didn’t expect the floodgates to crumble. I mean, I don’t think I’ve ever sobbed and cried SO HARD at a short story’s end 😢 Love and death are something we can all relate to, and the ending to me was religious

[@anthemofink]

Thanks for the kick in the pants to keep writing. Your videos are an inspiration as always.

[@coffeecreateconnect]

It's been ages since I bought a book, I've been so busy working on my own, but I just bought two of the ones you mentioned. I love a book that makes me forget I'm reading a book about characters, and allows me to enter a world with real people.

[@QuotidianWriter]

I hope you enjoy them! Keep writing (and reading). :)

[@Yours_sincerely_thedreamer]

My book is so close to my own experience, I even wrote parts of my journal into it. I was ashamed of that until now, because I thought it was kind of egocentric to make the book about me. But thanks to your beautiful video I understand now: It’s true. And that is all that matters.

[@HuogoFuri]

The last book that made me feel intense emotion was, more of a series, I finally got around to reading the original 3 Mistborn books this year. Reflecting back on the moments I found the most meaningful and realized it was spread out over all 3 but I had binged through all of them. I could identify a great deal with the growth of all the characters: when Vin and Elend struggling to find how they fit into each others' lives as well as their place in the world, Sazed struggling with the loss of Tindwyl, and Spook struggling with his self-identity and his strong desire to be helpful to his friends in some way. Going to have to rewatch the video though, because I ended up losing track of the information you shared finding an answer to that question. The growth they all experienced though, challenged and answered a lot of questions I've been struggling with myself this year, and ultimately when the ending of the original trilogy came I cried in a mix of sadness, joy, and catharsis, for everything that happened and even though it felt a little hand-wavy, it felt right and to me, a satisfying end.

[@singularityawaits9298]

As many videos about writting I have seen thr past year I feel this one made me go into the next level as a writter.

[@thelettre7954]

There is a webfiction online called the Wandering Inn it has been going for years in this massive work there is one chapter that is so full of emotion that it makes me cry it's the climax of a certain part of the story I've read it through more than a dozen times and each time... I've had tears in my eyes

[@RattledEditor]

D- I want you to know how much your videos, teachings, and even vocal delivery are not only appreciated and enlightening but wildly valuable! THANK YOU!

[@Dashingdiva73]

I have been binging your videos for the past few days, this one made me cry. As I sit and write my story, tears started to spill from my eyes. This is very inspiring.

[@hpwdesigns]

Omg. I have been looking for this type of video essay forever. This is so well done. Subscribed!

[@hawkfeather5408]

I came here to figure out how to write my stories with emotions my readers could pull from. And now I'm here, standing at a bus stop to ride to work, crying over my dead dog and consequently being unable to say goodbye at his final moments. Which lead me to grieving over my grandmothers and being unable to know them because of either language barrier or mental illness. I think I'll make a story about that. If only to get it out of my head and let me walk around without randomly crying at work.

[@QuotidianWriter]

That sounds like a beautiful way to honor your dog and your grandmothers. You clearly loved them very much and have happy memories of them. I wish you all the best in life and in your writing.

[@Legui1231]

The last book that made me feel intense emotions was "A Storm of Sword" Thanks for the video! I love your work

[@leylalaw1299]

I have to say that “An Unquiet Mind” is a book that stirs up my emotions. The author conveys her mania with an air of contagion. Then, she wraps you in the muck of her depression. It’s a powerful story.

[@gsmiley7449]

God. What a voice! Sun, Sand and Stars, by Antoine de Saint-Éxupéry. I sob everytime I read it.

[@ghostcaty]

I'm reading that now. So amazing

[@OzzyAndrews]

This has been incredible. Thank you so much 😁

[@QuotidianWriter]

Hi there, viewers! An adapted text version of this video is now available on Medium: quotidianwriter.medium.com/writing-fiction-with-emotion-1ee07e44c96c You can check out my behind-the-scenes notes for this video on my Ko-fi page! www.ko-fi.com/post/Behind-the-Scenes-Writing-Fiction-with-Emotional-B0B71KZ36

[@phooter-boy6157]

Come to think of it? I admit a good Writer has to be Pure-Hearted. in order to build up emotion for the Readers..

[@marcusgingell3585]

Diane Callahan, I watch most of the writing feeds on utube and I can take away from most of them, but I feel your influence goes straight into my mind and then on to the paper, I think it’s the literature excerpt’s and your generally calm tone and lack of tricks just solid advice. Not trying to blow smoke up your butt, just want to give credit where it’s due. 👍

[@dtdwin]

Thanks to you, I have acknowledged what is holding me back from writing a realistic story, I always avoided my true feelings and wrote in a way that I think it should be. If you can't even let your true self be immersed in your own story, who will be then? Love the collection of so many great books you put in the video. I fall for both the aesthetics of their covers and their touching contents. Like my soul was pulled inside out for 28:46 minutes straight when you read those excerpts. Please keep up with your amazing work. I love your channel and your advices always work for me. (English is not my first language, so pls ignore my grammar mistakes ~)

[@fournerdsreview8452]

Your videos are so well made. I play them when I'm stuck on my writing. So I just wanted to say thank you for the help.

[@_fitz5566]

This is probably my favorite video of yours. I come back to it when I'm feeling disinterested with my own writing. It speaks to what I've always hoped I could do with my work. It's the stories with emotional honesty that stick with me and made me want to write in the first place. I have a ton of respect for authors who can translate their personal experiences and inner world into a story that elicits empathy and engaged understanding from a reader. "Hot-making" in writing is capable of changing the reader, but it can be cathartic for the writer.

[@QuotidianWriter]

Thank you so much for your kind words and thoughtful comment! I love how you phrased the importance of stories with emotional honesty. Keep writing. :)

[@NinaNiterose86]

2:29 I can feel this in my core. It's everywhere, a thousand choices every day and millions every year. It's frustrating, your energy gets sucked out of you entirely before you even manage to do anything. Hello Depression! Nice to meet you...again.

[@agafiabowden8670]

"Where the Crawdads Sing" is very emotional and raw

[@johnraffensperger]

This video conveys the most important lesson for writers. “Writing 101” should start here. Thank you for the outstanding tutorial.

[@patrickwebb7311]

I don’t have any insightful thing to add tbh. I just want to say thank you for the excellent video.

[@Nobody91021]

Always a treat to watch your videos, you definitely deserve more views. You should try reading the wandering inn it’s a webnovel completely different to any genre even different compared to wattpad’s novels. It has a world that in my opinion can rival game of thrones, the witcher or harry potter.

[@chloeledean3999]

I just found this channel and my creative life will never be the same!!! 🎉 thank you!!

[@scardavinci]

I really needed this. Thank you.

[@anasbencheikhahmed478]

Make a video about classics please, I really love them. Thank you.

[@abishekraj9785]

I have never experienced such filling through any videos on KZbin ! It was awesome ❣️

[@pixireads]

Thanks for this! I have been struggling with the characters in my WIP. This helped inspire some questions to ask myself about the characters and get a better understanding of their motivations. This came up as a suggested video and I am now a subscriber. :-)

[@tommy7743]

Thank you so much for this video. I cried a couple times listening to it. I am a first time writer, and this helped me so much in writing my story that I am currently working on. THANK YOU! ❤ ✍

[@miammajor]

I’m literally obsessed with your channel. Great material.

[@QuotidianWriter]

Thank you so much for watching and for your kind words! Keep writing! :)

[@miammajor]

@@QuotidianWriter Thanks so much! You inspire me to write more. You’re doing the Lords work. I will definitely keep writing .

[@imagerson]

Thank you for all the videos you've done! I stumbled upon this channel when the video on showing vs telling popped up on my feed, and since then I've seen almost all of them. They have helped me a lot! ❤

[@mx.olivia]

Wow, I’m so glad I found your channel, the way you curate and present your info is stunning and I just found a bunch of new books to read! Thank you!

[@arlet101]

This is not only a wonderful video but I got so many book recommendations from it, thank you ☺️💖

[@oracleofaltoona]

Only four minutes in and this is amazing . . . Subscribed! 😎

[@chelseastudios]

Your videos are soooo good! Please never ever stop making them xoxo

[@jerlinej3516]

Stories that always make me cry every time are those of Khaled Hosseini like The Kite Runner, A Thousand Splendid Suns, And the Mountains Echoed. It could also just be a matter of taste because when I tried getting into epic fantasy it wasn't *enough* for me. And it made me feel like I was boring for preferring realistic fiction. If I could find a book that combines those two things I would be satisfied because I do like me a tiny bit of mysticism.

[@jaredengland1955]

I wish I could double like your videos! So easy to understand

[@Bellasaurus]

Mark Zuzak’s The Book Thief. It was about death and the beauty of life and how they both coexist with each other. It was a Holocaust story but from the view of a German girl. They take in a Jewish man and have to hide him; although that sounds like a really cliché plot, I cried at the end of the book, because I had gotten attached to the characters, and they felt real and it’s what finally made me really understand how much of a tragedy WWII was for *everyone*. Not just the Jewish. The world was suffering and in the end they suffered with it. It was a really, really good book.

[@the_eternal_darkness_8436]

The book that really impacted me was Unbroken. It was a biography of Louie Zamoerini. He was a ww2 vet and an Olympian. He took up running at first as a hobby but soon he became really good at it and soon went to the Olympics (where he met hitler strangely enough). Moving past that, awhile later he went on to join the Air Force (I believe, it’s been years since I’ve read it) and he got shot out of the sky and was stranded at sea before being “rescued” and sent to a Japanese POW camp where he was singled out and tortured by a man he dubbed the Bird. I just really felt his struggle and as someone who was reading this for school in the 8th grade I didn’t think it would impact me as much as it did. To this day it is probably one of the only, if not the only non fiction books I have actually enjoyed and it’s one of my favorites. I was also really sad when I found out he died awhile before I read the book to it’s completion because I really wanted to meet him.

[@QuotidianWriter]

I haven't read the biography, but the movie based on it (Unbroken) was very inspiring. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

[@wildernessshareyouradventu9948]

Great video! Taught me so much about an upcoming project

[@sandythompson1551]

The video contains amazing information. Thank you.

[@nataliabrasil931]

Last book that really marked me was Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage, by Murakami. It's about a person trying to cope with unfinished business from his past - it hit so personally, I was finally able to start making amends with things that happened to me many years ago.

[@FurbytheFlareon]

On the stage, I was a singer, a dancer, a musician, and a magician. This was my theatre that everyone came to. That everyone wanted to see. "What will the boy perform today?" I hear the audience ponder. Yes… this is who they wanted to see. Just me, and not the other boy. The one behind the curtain. Silent, but always crying. Sitting, while listening to his tears. Angry, or perhaps afraid. That other boy is also me.