Reacting to Your Unpopular Writing Opinions (from Kate Cavanaugh!)

[@lindsey7467]

The unpopular opinion that got me was this idea that there's nothing to be learned about the craft of writing from authortube beyond industry insider information. As an amateur writer, channels like this one have been instrumental in teaching me the basics of good novel writing. From active voice, to the pros and cons of first vs third person, to tips on understanding story beats, genera, and the nuances of writing complex interesting characters. All of these things I first learned about here. Of course I read, and write to practice, and those will always be the most important things to improve with. But as someone who is isolated from other writing communities, this place has been an amazing resource to find answers to so many of the questions I have on the craft. Really this is just a roundabout way of me saying thank you to all authortubers for all the hours you pour out for our benefit for free!

[@sonder_12]

💯

[@pkhope5178]

Saw someone on Reddit day this and I thought it was such a good point; lots of people who say “I don’t read but I want to write” would probably *prefer* to be creating something in a different medium. They probably want to create stories for video games or movies or comics, but they don’t have the skill, money, or manpower to do that. The bar of entry to being able to write a book is extremely low. You only need a pen and paper, or perhaps an electronic device. Writers who hate reading are people who would rather be creating in a different medium, but can’t

[@evarchavex4800]

That's complete nonsense driven by a delusion. Writers that don't read don't do it because everything you gain from reading can be gained through another source. The reason people that shit on writers that spend their time writing rather than reading are likely doing so because their ego is so fragile that the idea of someone not reading books being a better writer than them would likely crush their spirit.

[@user-hf6fm1lo2b]

@@evarchavex4800 Okay, then answer me this: Why on earth would you want to create something you hate? Yes, you can master the elements of story through other media. But there's a reason why books are different, and that's because they paint pictures of a world from the viewpoint that the readers cannot physically see. They pour feeling into little marks on paper, something that other media cannot do. It's like describing a movie to someone, all the while trying to get them to feel the same feelings you felt while watching the movie. You have to make them cry, you have to make them laugh, you have to make them notice the tiny connections and not leave out any detail. They have to feel like they watched the movie right along with you, they have to obsess over the characters like you did. But you cannot show them anything, and you can't drone on and sound boring.

[@d.delgado4585]

If you don’t like reading novels, why are you even trying to write a novel? That’s such a bizarre opinion.

[@Gaywatch]

I kept waiting for her to say that. It's strange as hell, but there always seems to be a group of amateur writers who want to write a book but will do whatever they can to avoid reading them. Never understood it.

[@dirkspotproductions3834]

I have always thought the same. Like, it’s as if someone hates cooking but decided to become a chef or hates children but became an elementary school teacher or doesn’t watch movies but became an actor or filmmaker. It makes literally no sense. A lot of people I’ve talked to that hate reading or don’t necessarily read but write have only begun writing because they can’t visualize the story, only when they write they can visualize it. And I mean, yeah… I get that. I can’t visualize either. But I don’t hate reading. If I did, I wouldn’t be a writer. Some people just confuse me.

[@mophead_xu]

i don't remember any of the opinions state or even imply that they "don't like" reading novels. (on a side note, automatically assuming writing = novels is a bit funny to me.) some of those who put in their unpopular opinion might as well be fans of reading, too. we may never know. but the attitude/mindset that "you can't be a good writer if you don't read a lot" can be off putting for some people, even those who already read a lot to begin with. for starters, it disregard practice, skill building, and networking to get feedback. "you can't be a writer if you don't read" puts too much emphasis on the reading aspect and too little on the act of writing itself, imo. reading is definitely helpful for writers. but i also don't see enough of people explain _why_ it can be helpful. from my perspective at least, the way reading can help writers to be better at what they do is by learning how to structure a story (whether that's novel, short stories, serialised stories, etc), incorporate sensory descriptions to build atmosphere, setting the scene, etc. all those things require observation and actively analysing the thing you're reading. and THAT is the point that's missing. because a lot of people read for enjoyment, and people don't typically engage with their enjoyment _at that moment_ through critical lenses peeling back all the technical stuff that makes the finished product. it's like eating a cake to guess what ingredients it uses and how it's made. a lot of people eat cake just to eat it. so i can see why some people might feel like reading isn't a crucial requirement to be a writer (aside from the people simply put off by the saying, as i've explained on the second paragraph). if they began writing and reading solely for enjoyment, then it's easy to swap the reading part for any other types of enjoyment that still involves story. "you have to read to be a writer" isn't good enough if anyone wants to convince anyone to read more in order to be a (better) writer. they have to actually explain why and how reading can help build this other skill that's completely different.

[@musickel3718]

So I've never had this opinion that "good writers don't need to read" per se but for most of my life, I didn't enjoy reading. I found books to be unengaging and spent more time in my own head imagining my own stories. Evetually, I got to the point where I wanted to write about the worlds and crazy ideas pent up in my imagination. It wasn't until this year (when I got goodreads and started editing my book lol) that I actually got into reading. I am still highly selective of what I read and pretty much will only read what is recommended to me but it's a start. Though I 100% agree that good writers need to read well written books. Just thought I'd share my reason for writing even though I wasn't into books :)

[@dirkspotproductions3834]

@@musickel3718 I also wasn’t a big reader either. I loathed reading when I was young because I couldn’t (and still can’t) visualize it. But after I read one book, I loved it and became a reader and a writer. However, I’m not an avid reader. I wish I was, but realistically, I only read a small handful of books a year because I’m slow. I actually didn’t start reading more until I was 19-20 years old (just a few years).

[@MichaelRichardson36]

“You have to read to be a writer. End. Of. Story.” Preach!! 🙌

[@nicolefarmer2512]

Agreed. You should be a fan of reading to learn the craft of writing. Its like trying to be a professional chef without ever actually eating food....

[@oplawlz]

It's baffling that anyone could disagree with this. Also explains some of the terrible drafts I get from critique partners xD

[@alwaysapirateroninace443]

It is theoretically possible, of course. But as had already been said, it's like cooking without learning how to read a recipe or watching professional chefs cook & talk to them about cooking.

[@neilcognito]

I mean you can do anything without doing the pre-requisite - you don't HAVE to do anything to call yourself SOMETHING; The real quote could also be said as "You have to read to be a good/competent writer." You can write for a living which automatically make you a writer; but to understand, present and deliver information consistently, accurately and enjoyably, you have to read.

[@Matrim42]

You have to write to be a reader

[@Redbullluva]

I read a lot, but whenever I’m reading I find I have a lot of internalised ‘guilt’ that I’m ‘wasting time that I could be spending writing’. So I needed to hear that I should be reading. It’s the stupidest thing to punish myself over, but we’ve all got our faults.

[@dirkspotproductions3834]

I’ve had a very similar experience because I love both reading and writing and don’t always have time or the ability to do both. When I get the chance to write, I feel horrible that I didn’t read for the day. And when I read, I feel horrible that I didn’t get to write for the day. But I’ve come to learn that trying to balance it can help, like reading 20 pages and then writing a couple hundred words can help make me feel better and more productive.

[@e.calder_escritor]

Stephen King mentioned in an interview that he reads four hours a day, and write wour hours a day. he reads not only in his genre, but in many others.

[@hashimishfaq6069]

Far be it from anyone to make reading a chore but I think it helps to formulate notes on the books you have read. Like notes on plot structure, new ideas you’ve seen, interesting use of speech or description etc. Trust me you can learn so much from doing this, even to a limited extent. The genius of any literary work lies in the nitty gritty of its structure, trope and how it flows together. But we miss a lot of these gems subconsciously as we read.

[@joanderson4860]

I wasn't aware people genuinely believed you could write good books without reading. I just had to sit down for a minute and pause the video to process this. I have so many questions but the only one I can verbally express is... huh?

[@juliaduquette7927]

I see this opinion a lot in writer groups. And when those ppl post samples it's clear that they don't actually care about the craft, they aren't in it to be good writers usually. It's usually more of a bucket list or they think it's easy money. I'm sure there's some authors that maybe can do this, but I haven't seen one.

[@alexanderthegreat1270]

“I want to be a musician, but I hate listening to music”

[@dekxu6673]

Like you can improve your skills from watching shows/movies with subtitles on (which tbh still requires reading) but that only gets you so far

[@evarchavex4800]

My god. We don't know what's more surprising. The fact you're so low functioning that you need to actually process the fact that you can gain everything from sources other than reading, or the fact you can't even put into word one single question. So much for reading making you a better writer if you can't even put to word one of those many questions.

[@BeadleJuce]

I hate the only-plotters-are-real/good-writers mentality that seems to be all over authortube. It honestly is most of the reason I haven't watched terribly many channels. And one of the reasons I'm relieved to have found this one. Outlining books at the start of the process KILLS projects for me. It gives me intense levels of anxiety and saps all the fun out of writing. Don't get me wrong, I am perfectly capable of making an outline - even a super detailed one - but I have never in my life finished anything that was outlined beforehand. I just wind up burnt-out on the project and throw it out.

[@JRoseBooks]

I’m with you!! Total pantser. I experimented though and I developed a process where I do story dreaming/brainstorming beforehand, and then just do a core structural outline. Then I run it past my editor, so I create a cleaner draft. :)

[@mjfleming319]

I feel the same...outlining - or telling someone else about the plot - makes me feel like my story has even told, and then I feel like my work is done and up I lose motivation. I don’t tell other people about the plot ideas anymore.

[@RachelBateman]

I am a hardcore plotter, and I totally agree with you! I will always suggest a person try outlining first IF they’ve always tried pantsing but have never been able to finish a book. Then, sure, try plotting first - I even have a series of how I do it if someone wants to try. But if a person knows they work better as a panther, that’s great! They are just as good/valid/serious of an author as any plotter out there. It doesn’t matter how we write the book as long as we do.

[@asf8648]

I like the term "Adventurer" for those who write by just writing the damn thing and editing on round two. Literally some of the best writing I've done is by just following a random idea down the rabbit hole.

[@nicolefarmer2512]

I like to Outline. I feel like it's a roadmap directing me to where I'm supposed to go...Doesn't always mean that I will follow that map to the tee though. Sometimes I'll take a right when I was supposed to turn left. I'll make a U-turn in places because...maybe I missed something, maybe I ran a red light and wound up running from the cops! Killed a couple of pedestrians along the way and pissed off a biker gang! I don't know! I was just exploring and wound up somewhere in the deep swamps of Mississippi when I was supposed to be going to Houston!! But, regardless of where I ended up going, I had fun along the way and hope all those riding in the car with me enjoyed themselves as well...Even though I probably should have taken that left at Albuquerque....

[@xxxnightsky14]

The dis on authors who want their book to be adapted to movie or tv is so weird to me. You never hear people dissing readers who are excited about book to screen adaptations of their favorite book (at least I never see it in my circles). You don't see people calling fan artists "not real book fans" because they like to draw their favorite characters. It's all different artistic mediums and it's fun to see a work translated in different ways

[@radrose4864]

Yeah! It’s like, sorry I want to be successful in my chosen career?! Sorry I want to get paid for the years of hard work that go into writing?! What a ridiculous “accusation” to make.

[@ArtemisMS]

Yeah I was surprised that people thought an author would be eager to see their work on film just because they want notoriety. I would LOVE to see my characters on the big screen! But in all honesty, I'd prefer people never know I'm the author because I prefer to remain anonymous lol

[@Starburst514]

Yeah like...that's a pretty convoluted way to get into the film and tv industry by writing a book first like....

[@hardnewstakenharder]

@@Starburst514 it's actually not far fetched tho. You can tell when a lot of writers are trying to go the Hunger Games route right off the bat. They write basic draft novels with "cool" concepts like your standard YA dystopia with the clear intention of having it be made into a movie. At least, that's what my many years in the workshop business have been like.

[@DesperationLasts]

Unpopular opinion maybe? The whole idea of having to brand yourself in order to be a published author is a major deterrent for a lot of aspiring authors who don't want to have to do social media to sell books.

[@crazybookcanary8941]

I hate it too, a lot of aspiring authors like their privacy and don't want to be on social media. However if they do I suggest sticking to KZbin and do not ever go on twitter. Twitter is a toxic cesspool.

[@crazybookcanary8941]

@Kylee Ollivierre yes I do agree as well. However if one needs to do social media to publish their book stay the hell away from Twitter.

[@crazybookcanary8941]

@Kylee Ollivierre yes yes yes, I have seen the latest on a few videos and just the toxicity is just wow. If one values thier sanity they stay away from Twitter. Glad I’m not the only one who knows this.🤣

[@EmilynWood]

Something that is helping me is that I realized I don't have to be on social media in order to sell books, I can just make ads that will advertise the book for me. It does cost money but I've heard it works well for lots of self-published authors.

[@paulapoetry]

Great video. In terms of movies, it's perfectly healthy to aspire to having a movie made from our novels. Why not? Movies reach audiences who may not be readers, and are also fun for readers who happen to appreciate movies, too. Same goes for TV adaptations. It's a worthy dream to want more people to enjoy your story. I want it. 😀❤

[@nicolefarmer2512]

I would absolutely LOVE to write something that gets adapted to film...The only trouble I would have with that is the characters I envision would never look like the actors I casted originally to play them. Quite frankly, most of the time when I cast for character inspirations, I'm either using the younger versions of my favorite Hollywood heartthrobs that are now over 50 LOL or they are Sims (EA Games Sims 3 4ever!!!)

[@RyanStorey1231]

@@nicolefarmer2512 You know what's funny? I do not care whatsoever if my books get adapted into movies or TV shows, but I do think it would be cool to get a comic book or graphic novel adaptation because I can't draw whatsoever.

[@nicolefarmer2512]

@@RyanStorey1231 i tend to think and draft in movie mode anyway... Is it time consuming to spend hours making a Sim to look like who my character is??? Create their house and neighborhood, friends, support characters? Magic systems? All in Sims 3 then when i sit down to actually write, 4 months have trailed by... I should probably get back to drafting rather than picking out custom content for my game lol 🤣 procrastination at its finest

[@shante3]

Definitely agree that some people can be good teachers of craft without being ... great writers. I've followed one author for years and read their book and was not impressed. 😅 I especially see a lot of super newbie authors (who aren't even published yet) giving out advice like they're experts. Maybe it's just me, but I see more advice from newbies than seasoned authors.

[@leech1355]

Imo the validity of advice doesn’t have anything to do with how many books the person giving said advice has had published. Publication isn’t a credential to know things about writing

[@ahmadabdullah9338]

Pretty sure you are talking about Daniel Greene

[@Meinhilde]

@@ahmadabdullah9338 I was thinking Jenna Moreci

[@HiHello-dn7fj]

I definitely have the theory that more experienced or skilled writers are more hesitant to give out writing advice, especially prescriptive writing rules, because they know how difficult it is to give truly good writing advice…with nearly everything having a caveat or exception. And they don’t want that mess. Newbie writers are a little less likely to see the nuance around all those “rules” and more apt to throw out writing advice like good writing can be assembled like a piece of IKEA furniture if you only follow the directions. Pretty much the only straightforward writing advice that you can depend on without opening a huge discussion/debate is that writing a lot and reading a lot help you grow as a writer. And that’s pretty much what I see the most experienced writers say, without parroting a lot of the different writing “rules” you see litter so many craft discussions.

[@shante3]

@@leech1355 Totally agree! I just think it’s interesting that less experienced writers are more likely to give advice online than more experienced writers. I’ve written 12 books and none have been published. I could give advice to new authors writing their first books, but would they rather get their advice from me or Alexa, who’s published multiple books? 🤣 Not necessarily a criticism, just an observation. ☺️

[@vykiknighthadley]

I started writing fanfiction on Wattpad during lockdown, because I wanted to learn a new skill but have a framework/ universe to work within. Now I've got a point where I am thinking about ideas I want to put into my own original story, but want to finish the fanfic so I can wind it up and move on, but don't want to leave my story in limbo. Even though not that many have read it, I just feel I must finish it.

[@MeredithPhillipsWrites]

Oh my goodness the reader vs. writer thing 🙃 I think the bigger question is: if you don't read, why would you want to write a book?? If you're more inspired by movies/TV then write a screenplay! Are there big name authors who have come out and said they don't read? 100% agree with you that a writer needs to be a reader.

[@WulfLovelace]

I want to give a different take on this, I am a person with ADHD, and a lot of books are not written in a way that engages and keeps my ADHD brain focused on the material enough. I am a writer, I read graphic novels, and comic books, more often than I read big novels, but I am also inspired by movies, anime, and video games. I think there is a way in the writing craft to combine what makes those mediums engaging in writing format for the writing format. I don't necessarily always agree that just because someone is inspired by movies or video games that they should write a screenplay. I think that some ideas are universal and as a writer with ADHD I want to make books that are engaging to a reading audience who desperately wants to read a book, but the book is not geared towards the way their brain latches onto things.

[@yuu_rei]

@@WulfLovelace I relate to you on this. Although I don't have ADHD, I have been diagnosed with chronic depression and PTSD, and consequently, my brain and body work a lot slower and just differently now than it did back in my childhood and teen years when I was an avid reader. I still try to get as much reading done as I can (using audiobooks, mostly), but it's significantly lesser compared to how much I write. It's not that I dislike reading, I love it and if I could, I would love to become my old reader self again. But I still want to write books (not screenplays) for myself because I still have a vast imagination and years of accumulated trauma that I want to unfurl and surrender to blank pages. I don't think that's a very taboo thing authortube puts it as. And I do feel that even in today's time, authortube isn't very inclusive of different people, especially the mentally disabled ones. So yeah, I agree with you wholeheartedly. Do your thing, wishing you all the success and good luck!

[@RyanStorey1231]

@@yuu_rei And to add to this: I see a lot of filmmakers and actors who don't actually watch a lot of movies because they're so busy being consumed by their own projects that they simply don't have time. Or musicians who don't listen to a lot of music in their downtime because they're too caught up in writing their own music. Or even KZbinrs who don't watch a lot of KZbin. It's not that they don't have passion for those mediums, but once you become a creator in a certain medium, you're so enthralled in your own work that it leaves very little time to recreationally enjoy the thing in your spare time.

[@TuesdaysArt]

@@RyanStorey1231 @k @Jene Clyde All three of you have captured reasons why I don't read as much as I used to and I thought I was just making excuses. I would like to start reading again, but I don't think I could ever read more than I create. My hyperfixation causes me to zero in on my own world/characters, so investing time into other people's characters (especially given how distressed I get when a character I'm attached to is suffering and I can't do anything about it) is incredibly difficult for me. I get being able to understand how other authors utilize words, but I feel like authortube can be really elitist with how harsh people are towards writers who don't have time/energy to read.

[@Gaywatch]

​@@RyanStorey1231That phase typically comes once you have career going, to get there you need to learn from and consume the art you want create (while practicing ofc).

[@shockmethodx]

I'm usually a coffee guy, but I'll sip the tea~

[@socksy5660]

I feel like the people who criticize templates as "bad" either just don't know how to make it work for them, and so come to the conclusion that it's bad, or it comes from a place of elitism. As for the fanfiction vs traditional writing issue, I believe they're two different skillsets. Fanfiction, you have to know how to take someone ELSE'S world and characters and make them consistent with the original creator's intention. Traditional writing, you have to come up with all of that yourself, which can be easier in some ways and harder in others. You'll have a better idea how to make the characters consistent and true to themselves, for example, because you made those characters - but making them is a challenge in of itself.

[@rocketaxxonu]

So true, fanfiction can be a great way to learn skills that can be useful in original writing, but at the same time there's a certain element where the challenges of each are just different. (We all know that being a good fanfiction writer that connects with an audience won't necessarily translate to being a strong/popular original writer, but the reverse can also be true. There's a certain beauty and art in making something within rules or limitations that were set up by someone else, and that's a skillset separate from playing within a world you build yourself.)

[@drillsargenttay3960]

Very late to this conversation, but I’m currently writing a fan-fiction, however I’m writing it more as an olive branch from the original work rather than reworking what’s already been established? I hope that helps some way in being a fan while also trying to hone in plenty of skill!

[@LeahRummel]

Thank you for the spice 👏🏻 my brain cannot comprehend how you “don’t have to read” to be a writer. Literally in every single industry, wether or not it’s in the arts, you have to study the thing you’re trying to do or produce that’s just common sense 😂

[@kloerose2474]

Fanfic writers are able to effectively create more believable content for already existing shows and often either expand the world building or even create their own worlds through an AU. They've managed to analyze characters and expand on their thoughts and feeling even when they're not shown in canon. They do all this while (hopefully) staying on a schedule, often all when their young teens. I get your concern but fanfics can maintain my attention and are easy and cheaper to find than novels, very few of which can keep my attention for more than 30 pages. And I mean very few. I don't know how often you read fanfiction today, but there's a reason AO3's gotten awards for best-associated works. I've read legitimately 100s of fics on there that are better than some novels I've read. I think you are low-balling your opinion in whether they're as good as a regular novel author.

[@dekxu6673]

People always say this but I genuinely want to know what titles you’re reading because every fanfiction I’ve ever read a03 or otherwise was bad, mediocre, or good for a fanfiction. I never read a fanfiction that was better than I book I currently have

[@kloerose2474]

@@dekxu6673 personally I find the MXTX fandoms to have some of the best written fics. I wouldn't say they're all better than the og content but the quality is 10/10 of some of them. And they're long too. I have lists of 100k+ fics that I've reread. If you've read SVSSS, TGCF, or MDZS I'd be happy to give recs

[@dekxu6673]

@@kloerose2474 I’m not into the fandom but I looked up some fics and I must say the quality is impressive. I see why people say this now lols

[@elyssaduran]

I'm about 30,000 words into my novel. Hoping to finish my first draft by January. The first chapter is always a struggle. For anyone else out there writing, DON'T OBSESS AND PICK AT YOUR WORK UNTIL IT'S COMPLETE. JUST GET IT ON PAPER AND WRITE THE DAMN BOOK!

[@PomegranateStaindGrn]

"Don’t shit on other people’s writing process." Enough said. That sums up my opinion of all of the unpopular opinions. (How many prize-winning and/or classic books have been written in first person vs third? Just sayin’)

[@KrisMF]

omg Kate's video was sooo spicy lol I'm glad you also reacted to some of the opinions from it because a few of them had me DEAD, including the "you don't have to read" one 😭also on the topic of advice hypocrisy: i agree with you that there are some people who have a good understanding of craft and writing concepts--and even teach it well--despite not being a published author, or despite not having a writing style that i find particularly stellar. tbh (and maybe this is an unpopular opinion itself) i don't need to adore someone's prose to find value in their advice. if it's advice that works for me, then yay. if it's not, i forget it and move on. plus publishing and writing are two *different things*. i've met amazingly talented writers who haven't been published/don't want to be for various reasons!

[@steventate651]

Dear Ms. Donne: as a former screenwriter who is now a novelist, I can tell you there were two reasons I turned to writing novels. 1 - a finished novel is completely my vision, with improvements of course from editors...while a screenplay is a blueprint for the director's vision. Screenplays often go through several writers, meaning my original idea might get lost in the final product...which brings me to #2: a screen adaptation of a novel stands a better chance of retaining the author's vision than an original screenplay. Fans of the original book won't tolerate the studio monkeying too much with a novel...while a director or studio can do with a screenplay what they wish. So there is actually a very strong argument for retaining artistic vision why screenwriters gravitate toward doing novels...

[@NancyChen53]

I can't roll my eyes fast enough at people who say they don't read but want to write. It's like someone saying "I don't watch movies but I want to make one" or "I don't want to study but I'm going to perform brain surgery." These people have their heads in the sand.

[@evarchavex4800]

It's not anything like either of those two situations you described and you'd have to be pretty fucking stupid and not understand writing as a concept to think they were. Everything you can gain from reading you can gain from another source. No matter how much you want to prove you're a snobby bitch that's deluded themselves into thinking they're better than a group of people, that fact won't change.

[@HiHello-dn7fj]

On the pantser versus plotter…having done both to the extreme, both methods have value. For me, when I outline, I’m often too zoomed out to really know everything that needs to happen in the moment, and so I end up diverting from my outline anyway. Yet if I don’t outline and just kind of go with the flow, I inevitably end up losing a sense of direction in the writing. I think both methods have their own value for different kinds of projects, and I do wonder if we were really honest, if most writers kind of end up using a bit of both to finish projects.

[@chrissyd4241]

I love it when two of my favorite authortubers support and watch each other. I am happy you did a video on this because I was wondering your thoughts after watching Kate’s video.

[@RainbowFishSaysHello]

When I heard “read more than you write” I assumed it meant time wise, not number of words. I think spending more time writing than reading is totally viable.

[@jhouserwrites]

I cringe at the idea of having my books turned into movies or a show, just because I'd be afraid they'd tarnish what I slaved over and love, lol. Then again, I can see how even the bad movies drive sales, like you said. "Read the book. It was better!" It would come down to creative control, which I suppose is why my debut is indie pub, despite my goals of being hybrid.

[@crazybookcanary8941]

If you ever decide to go hybrid many writers keep an eye out on contracts and hire lawyers to help with such contracts in order to keep creative control over their work when they may purpose in the future doing a movie or tv show out of said book. If you publish make sure that is in the contract from the start, that way a producer cannot come in and take advantages of loopholes. Don't be afraid to be a B*tch or a** when it comes to contracts and your work. if a publisher isn't willing to accept the terms, move on, their not the right one for you. Good luck on your book!!!

[@ArtemisMS]

I think you might've missed the point the fanfic opinion person was making. They weren't saying that all fanfic is as good as all published fiction. They were just saying that SOME fanfictions ARE better than SOME published novels, and THAT is true. Yes, there are legitimately bad writing habits that are "somewhat" accepted in fanfiction, but indulging in those habits would by definition make your fanfic "not as good" as the crème de la crème fanfics the person is talking about. Writing fanfiction is pretty much equivalent to self-publishing. (In fact, it literally IS self-publishing, just without any profit whatsoever). You have to self-edit, self-market, the whole nine yards. But all of that aside, is the quality of writing in any given fanfic equal to or even better than the quality of writing in any given published book? Sure. EDIT: I hope this doesn't come off as mean; I love your channel!! I just had some thoughts 😅

[@Daisyjackson17]

Hi! I’m actually the one who submitted the opinion on fanfics, and I really appreciate what you’ve said. I definitely don’t think I worded my opinion right, so whilst I completely understand Alexa’s point of view on this, it wasn’t exactly what I was going for. What you’ve said is basically my exact thoughts lol, and my opinion was mostly coming from a position of being ridiculed for writing fanfic when I put a lot of effort into it. Of course, no shade to Alexa, and thanks again for this comment! ☺️

[@jonathanbaumler]

Stephen King said that he likes to unravel a story as he’s writing it. I’m not the biggest King fan, but I heard that after I had already started writing and it has always stuck with me. When I first got started I didn’t outline anything, and loved to create as I went.. pulling at the thread, and then seeing where it leads. After writing my first manuscript and a bunch of short stories, I’ve noticed I don’t outline. It just seems counter-productive (FOR ME). I have a basic idea of what my story is going to be, the main or even side characters I want in, some scenarios I want/need to happen and I get started. There’s something about writing and literally creating as you go, that is very exciting and definitely seems to help me. I think we all have our individual process that works for us and it’s okay to embrace that. 🙂 I hope everyone has a great weekend!

[@kanashiiookami6537]

Love the point about reading more than you write and how, along with reading, "other mediums can help you with story". That last bit I love because you can use great actors as reference for beats between dialogue. The emphasis they have on words, mannerisms and such that you can't quite get from books. (Because not all authors think it's worth it to describe those parts. Despite how much it brings to the characters)

[@therealannataylor]

I have outlined AND pantsed books and I can tell ya that both ways have their major struggle. When I outline deeply, I feel very prepared and my first draft is much cleaner but it is a lot of work. Pantsing is easier on the up front work, BUT revising is a much bigger beast. It’s sort of a pick your poison situation. On the formula of plot: this one bugged me because yes, the story is going to come out formulaic UNTIL the writer has enough practice and experience is writing stories to make the story an organic story. I haven’t read save the cat, BUT I am a newbie writer who needs the formula to give me the basics so that I can tell the story the right way.

[@RachelBateman]

Slow, steady writing = cleaner writing, and fast drafting = messier writing is the biggest load of shit the writing community tries to feed us. Both can create clean drafts, and both can create messy drafts.

[@talktidy7523]

I see where you are coming from on the matter of fanfic writing, because there have been writers I thought the world of, only for a subsequent assessment to reveal limitations in their craft. Nevertheless, there are fanfic writers, who do hold up to scrutiny and they are gems to be cherished.

[@DaisyXMachina]

There are certainly good writers who give bad advice -- Heinlein's advice (whether you like him or not he sold a ton of books) was to "refrain from rewriting" (i.e., don't edit your work!).

[@ChrisWilliamsDallas]

I was wondering if you were going to do a react video! BTW, I just got my paperback of my first self published fiction, and I wouldn't have done it if it wasn't for AuthorTube channels like yours and Kate's giving such great advice and perspectives. Thank you.

[@skypaw1373]

For the "you have to read to be a good writer"... Yes, but: not necessarily novels. It's not about the number of books you've read, or even the number of words. It's about gaining experience in the medium in which you're writing, and you'll gain experience through reading short fiction and creative nonfiction as well. I just don't like being judged in the writing community for not having read many novels. Do keep in mind that "writer" does not refer solely to novelists. Screenplay writers, game scripters, poets, and short fiction writers all exist and are part of the same community watching the same videos about writing tips. If you're writing a novel, you should read novels, sure. But don't call someone a bad writer generally just because they haven't read many novels. Not every writer is a novelist. (This wasn't even a criticism of the video, lol. I agree with everything Alexa said-- this is just a related opinion I had and the assumption that all writers are writing a novel is EVERYWHERE)

[@itakru]

As someone with ADHD, I struggle with outlining *so much*. I write every day, but writing any kind of outline beyond a basic "start is X, middle is Y, end is Z" is unbelievably difficult because of how my brain forms ideas versus how I was taught to outline and take notes. The dissonance creates so much anxiety nothing gets done, so it's better for me to just dive in and get shit done, and then worry about ordering and restructuring things later. I don't know why I can't just apply this to outlining, too, but it's just never worked for me.

[@annakarlien1952]

"Authortube is one of the only youtube communities where it is more about the aesthetic of doing the activity than the actual activity itself" I mean I'm usually on booktube and not on authortube but there it's DEFINITELY worse, and I think every community on youtube has this :') I mean, make-up... like come on now

[@Lasikukka]

The person who made that original comment of aesthetic over activity definitely has not been on the planner side of youtube... :'D

[@PhysiqueQuantique]

@@Lasikukka I was thinking exactly the same thing!

[@MikaylaKennedy]

I don't get it....if you don't like reading why do you want to write???

[@evarchavex4800]

How do you not get it? because writing is a skill that one can improve through hard work. Reading is not. Are you really unable to understand why some want to write but not read? Which, by the way, there isn't a single detail you can get from reading that you can't get from somewhere else.

[@LaurArt_UK]

"First person narrative is lazy" - I don't know if they're a literary snob, but it came from my English teacher. It's only more recently that I've revisited the style, and I LOVE writing first person now, especially present tense. I tried it out again after reading some really good examples of how to use it well. It's challenging but allows for the character's voice to be more pronounced internally, (their thoughts, introspection etc). I think the real question is whether it suits the tone and genre etc. I'm writing my current novel in third person because there are far too many points of view to switch between first person perspectives, but if I just had 1 protagonist, I would totally use first person.

[@Rose-tw8rp]

Ugh, the outlining one.... I did that once. Big old poster board, tons of post-it notes. Hit every plot beat. Then, went to write it and the discovery writer in me found better tracks to take. I can go into a scene with one idea, and as my characters work and interact and their reactions to things can drastically change what I had in mind. There are those who argue "your characters aren't real. you're the author. YOU decide what happens in your book." Yes, to a degree. My characters don't really have agency. But, if you're a good writer, your job is to write realistic reactions to things that happen. I often discover those reactions as I'm writing and don't necessarily know it before. I can have an idea going into it, but if I'm wrong and it feels more natural and realistic to deviate from my outline, I'm going to do what I feel is the authentic response of my characters, who the reader is supposed to believe is real (at least real enough to care about the story). If I don't believe they're a little bit real, how can I convince a reader of that? No shade to outliners. I think it's great if you can. But I have personally discovered that discovery writing is more me. I CAN outline. I CAN'T stick to an outline. And because I know that about myself, I no longer bother to outline.

[@emilyhughes5903]

Thank you for that last point… This young aspiring author really doesn’t want to have to self-publish in order to be successful 😅

[@LastMinuteGuess]

Unpopular opinion related to "you can tell if a book will be good based on the 1st chapter": A book will rarely be good if it has a weak first chapter. All of my favorite books had excellent first chapters while many beloved and popular reads whose first chapters I did not enjoy failed to grab my attention for the rest of the story. It's like the reverse of people who think endings are super important.

[@AJDunnReads]

I question anyone who is writing a book if they don't like to read......WHY ARE THEY WRITING A BOOK?

[@meg4461]

The whole you need to be a reader to be a writer thing... I think there is an important element to it that hasn't been discussed. In my childhood, I read many great novels that taught me the foundations for character, story planning, structure, and other elements that are still with me today. This means I don't read a lot anymore as an adult because I use most of my time to put what I've learned to practice (plus I don't like a lot of mainstream topics/behaviors in books today, anyway). Do I have times where I brush up on new or old writing techniques? Of course. Do I have my work critically examined? Yep. But I certainly don't believe that if I'm not chasing the next book, my work is poorly affected.

[@Unti1tmrw]

I honestly agree that you don’t have to read to be a writer… to some extent, I don’t think you should be reading 24/7 I just think you need to read to understand how to write and what works. I’m someone who fell in love with writing having only read textbooks for school and thought I wanna write books one day. I of course read novels now, not a lot but enough to see what works and how to get better at writing and I would say my writing has gotten much better because of it. I’m friends with people who are readers and non-readers and all my friends agree that I am a good writer despite my age(I’m still a teenager) and my friends who don’t read started reading after I shared a short story with them that I wrote and now read. But you don’t need to read an insane amount like everyone says.

[@brindlebucker4741]

Very first point, spot on. Imagine you're Michael Crichton and you write Jurassic Park. Who wouldn't want to see Spielberg make that into a movie? This was excellent content by the way. So much to chew on and think about. Beats a top 10 list any day. And you look great!

[@shaunaisazombie]

First person is such an incredibly difficult POV to write. I just finished my MFA and when I rewrote my entire thesis from first to third person, both of my mentors were like "Oh thank god." I'm just not good at it and I had some really, really stellar mentors. It's really weird but I just can't get into the head of a first person narrator! I pull too far back on emotions, I overthink how she would actually narrate herself and the world around her, I worry that I'm burdening my readers with too much melodrama. But I'm not afraid to emphasize those things in 3rd person. I think you have to be so incredibly confident in your character voice to write in first person successfully.

[@shaunaisazombie]

As a side note, I think the "first person is lazy writing" comes from old fanfiction customs pre-AO3/Wattpad. It was almost a taboo POV to write in and I saw more people tackle second person than first. Maybe because it felt weird for a character that was already written in third person or came from a visual medium where the audience is detached.

[@TDFuhringer]

Question re: "You don't have to read to write books." What if a person has read a mountain of books in the past, but doesn't enjoy reading as much anymore? In the first 40 years of my life I read well in excess of 3000 novels ( I still own over a thousand of them, and have read every book in my current library at least once). Problem is I went through some extreme stress (multiple deaths in the family + aftermath) that left me in a place where I just don't enjoy reading as often as I used to. I've read almost nothing during the pandemic. In the past decade I've read less than 50 novels. But I still write. I've been feeling like a fraud though because I don't enjoy reading anymore. Thoughts?

[@crazybookcanary8941]

I understand how you feel but your not a fraud, please know that. Plenty of people stopped reading during the pandemic and especially when life altering events happen. This past year and a half was no joke. Plenty of booktubers and author tubers and every youtuber out there and those just like you and me have stopped reading a lot of books. Theirs no shame in taking a break or not wanting to read as much, not having the money, or we are focusing on something else in our lives. I have a huge library of my own and I don't read as much as I used too like you, but that's okay. Also it's no ones damn business to make you feel like a fraud for not reading as much, It's asinine, They suck, just keep being you. As for the question you don't have to read to write books, no you don't have to read but it sure helps. Many author out there have never picked up a book in their lives and they've written amazing stories, If you want to write it should not matter at all how much you read.

[@nannasskrivehjrne9494]

I think the whole outliner vs. pantser "battle" is so stupid at this point. If both methods produce a book in the end, then does it really matter which approach was used to produce it?

[@Amy_Mi6]

Kate and Abbie Emmons absolutely use their channels to teach the “how” (while also offering support and encouragement) and I’ve learned a TON from them. And I would consider you to be somewhat among the “how-to” group in some respects - I’ve learned a lot from you too (in addition to be sufficiently entertained lol) So, yes, “how-to” channels definitely exist in the AuthorTube community but the vlog/aesthetic driven ones seem to outweigh them for some reason.

[@WTdinosaur]

Abbie and Kate's channels are absolutely wonderful and incredibly helpful, full of information. Def my favs.

[@Amy_Mi6]

Same! 🤘🤙

[@tathoiclassicalindianbollywood]

I pantsed my first novel and then in my dev edit, I made the outline which is my one-stop bible for the world of my book (I also have character briefs, location briefs etc). For my second book, I decided o try outlining, but half-way down the outline process, I was already losing my creative enjoyment. I still planned it as I don't want to lose the energy but need to revise my first book. What I realised from the process is that I don't need to outline as long as I have made my playlist as music sets the mood for me for each scene, and that is enough for me to write the story

[@Iradeza]

I wonder if people who are good teachers, but don't write, are avid readers. I think people who read a ton are probably able to identify what makes an engaging book.

[@kimberlymiller566]

I agree, I think it's the coach/player distinction - knowing how to recognize what needs to happen on the field is one skillset, actually playing it out on the field is another. Same with those who recognize what needs to happen to make good writing/storytelling vs those who can do it themselves.

[@HERway-sk2mb]

Today, I was once again reminded of why I love the awesome teachings of Ms. Alexa Donne. Nice analysis👍👍. And I would love to hear your opinion on talent vs. perseverance. I do believe that true talent, must also include perseverance.

[@ninimeggie4771]

On the fanfic point... I think it should be regarded as highly not due to their quality but because of the enjoyment people get from the stories. I'd rather read fanfic than published work quite often. They're enjoyable, they're easy to access, they're free. Those writers are doing so much for us readers... for really no return other than some praise and self-enjoyment of writing itself

[@Daisyjackson17]

Hi! I’m the person who submitted the opinion about fanfics lol and I don’t think I worded it write, so whilst I completely agree with what Alexa is saying, I really appreciate your thoughts on this! I’m not saying all fanfic writers are in the same league as original writers, but I think the effort put into them should definitely be respected. Thanks again for your thoughts on this ☺️

[@e.calder_escritor]

Stephen King is a declared Pantser, he says that if he knows how the end, he gets bored with the story and does not finish it. People's brains work in different ways, and authors can be in different parts of the Pantser-Planner scale. Brandon Sanderson (a declared planner) mentions that the difference between pantesrs and planners is in when most of the work will be done. Planners will do the heavy lifting while planning, while pantsers will have to work on the first revision.

[@raelynteaguewrites]

I am a very, very, /very/ extensive outliner, yet there are few things that grind my gears more in the writing community than hearing fellow outliners discredit or put down pantsing. I'm sorry that happens so much. I may not understand your pantsing, unicorn ways, but I'm here for ya! I also wish more people would talk about the money and privilege needed for self publishing. It's also one of the major reasons I'm on the trad pub path. But those money obstacles are sneaking more and more into trad pub too. It's the biggest reason I have mixed feelings about sensitivity readers. Love the idea. I also have no problems with sensitivity readers being compensated for their work, especially since they very well may end up being asked to read triggering material. But more and more I see hiring sensitivity readers becoming an expectation placed on the authors before they even seek an agent, and sensitvity readers can be a simply insurmountable financial obstacle to people with lower incomes. If we're saying authors need to write more diversely (and at least certain corners of the reading/writing community are), and if we're saying diversely written books MUST be sensitivity read, then, so long as this expectation is placed on authors before they even get a book deal, the third thing we're leaving unsaid is that writers are only allowed to be published authors if they come from certain socio-economic classes. Especially when you consider that marginalized and diverse people are far more likely to be lower income earners, it makes me wonder how much diversity readers and publishers are really pushing for when we gatekeep poor people out of the industry. I mean, it's not like they aren't already more likely to have other time, resource, or financial obstacles barring them from publication as it is. None at all, I'm sure. :/

[@cheemerthelizard]

For that first opinion, I have to admit, I’m mostly writing because it’s the one medium of storytelling that I’m both good at and enjoy. Once I learn game design, I’m going to start telling my stories through my games instead.

[@TDFuhringer]

"Don't shit on someone else's process!" - Alexa Donne, 2021 :D

[@AScreenwritersJourney]

Fun video! I hope Kate makes a part 2 so that you can as well. Last week I finished BRIGHTLY BURNING, and I think it would make a great movie. Have you or your agent explored this avenue?

[@AlexaDonne]

I have a film agent at UTA who shopped BB, but no dice on getting it optioned. She's shopping The Ivies currently.

[@AScreenwritersJourney]

@@AlexaDonne Well, then I guess I'll have a shot at optioning Brightly Burning in the future! (I imagine it in the vein of a German Expressionistic film.) Good luck with The Ivies!

[@lavetha27]

As for first person...I definitely wouldn't call it lazy, but I generally hate first person (both writing and reading). I find it MORE difficult to write in, bc you constantly have to be in the mind of your character and consider what they cannot perceive, yet it is also more confining.

[@user-cp9yo4jk9b]

It's crucial to keep in mind that what is meant by fanfic writer is not the same as the broadest category of writers that can fit that definition. If you did away with fanfiction you'd be doing away with Shakespeare Disney Dante's inferno Paradise Lost, Arthurian legend, and a good chunk of things that are considered good literature these days. With this in mind it's hard to say confidently that original works can live up to fan fiction at all in terms of effect on culture or in terms of status as high literature. Some people even consider stories in the Bible, which is without doubt the most influential work of literature in our language, to simply be retellings of older stories.

[@SuperHappyNotMerry]

The thing that bugs me about the whole "you don't need to be a reader to be a writer" thing is that it diminishes the novel as a valid format of art. It isn't just about storytelling, novels offer many aspects that are specific to novels that you could only know _if you read novels_ . You rarely hear people say that you don't actually need to watch movies to be a movie director, and in fact directors are often admired for how many movies they know. Why would it be different for novels?? 🙄🙄🙄

[@evarchavex4800]

So what? There are other ways to improve in writing than reading. Oh yeah? Then list them. it's different for novels because novels are not constrained by the format like a movie this and it relies on the writers ability to understand plot, characters, and their language skills. All of which can be obtained through numerous different ways.

[@faemance1832]

I literally cannot stand the one where you don't need to read... YES YOU DO. Especially in the genre you want to write in

[@faemance1832]

@Nina yeah I mean it's like saying I'm a musician but all music is 🗑 Is it really that hard to read though 😆

[@alibird7924]

I watched this and Kate’s video (love both of your channels ❤️). I think something not mentioned with the fanfic question is writer voice and style. As someone who reads a lot of fanfic and published work, there are some fanfic authors that have such a great writing style or particular voice that I love so much! And since *cough *cough (lol) the fanfics have a lot of sex scenes or maybe even questionable content. These authors might not be “publishable”. But, their writing style is one of those things that just can’t be taught. And I read a lot of published work that maybe the writing voice is a little boring or not the most creative. I also kind of like some of the raw-maybe rough around the edges choices in fanfic. It makes them more surprising or unique. When more conventional work might be more predictable. (I’m also in an older fandom that I think attracts a lot of adult writers and not teens. No offense to younger audiences). I also think the problem with high word counts (I’m my opinion) is when they become detrimental. Even though I do watch some of the 10,000 word or other extreme writing challenges (because they are entertaining) I do sometimes think…is it really helpful when it’s the middle of the night, and it’s hour 24, already thousands of words and the writer is out of gas. I think those words just must be gibberish at that point or so crazy it’s probably a nightmare to edit. Something that’s not mentioned with high word counts is editing. It takes me three times as long to edit than to write. I shutter to think how long it takes to make sense of those 10,000 words.

[@brianedwards7142]

My HS art teacher said, "those who can do, those who cannot teach and those who can do neither become critics."

[@baplummer7210]

Great feedback to the comments!!! It’s always good to get the input and opinions of published authors who have been there and have a much more experienced viewpoint. Keep going, Alexa Donne!!! 👍🏻

[@marinawolf]

Regarding the first chapter, I just read two consecutive books which had phenomenal first chapters, and then fizzled into "meh".

[@marumae]

For me conversely I've read books where the first chapter dragged and the rest was amazing (I usually give books a 4 chapter limit to catch my interest).

[@lesleybarklay798]

I agree with what you're saying in the quality vs quantity debate. I personally think word count goals can be helpful to a certain extent. Events like NaNoWriMo, where you have to get down a lot of words in a short period of time, frees you from the need for perfection. That being said, in one of my writing groups, I feel like people take it to the extreme - shooting for double (100,000) or triple (150,000) wins in a month, turning their font to white, refusing to edit or delete anything as they go. Someone posted a paragraph that they had written, and I literally couldn't read it. There needs to be a balance between readability, and speed. It's fine to set word count goals, and say that you're not going to edit as you write, but writing gibberish quickly helps no one. At that point, I have to wonder what's the point. I recently finished a first draft of a book (95,000) that took me three months to finish (which I consider to be fast). I know it needs a lot of work as I go back, in terms of world building, and constancy in my characters, but every sentence actually makes sense as a unit. I can work with that.

[@deannascorner8112]

Thank you for my lunchtime viewing pleasure ❤️ (makes notes for own video ideas… learned so much from watching you!)

[@thiadesg]

I think a lot of writing advice suffer from not specifying the phase of a project. A word count goal doesn't make sense when you are revising for plot holes (if you need to add/cut to get to a certain length, it's great), but it can be great to form a habit of writing every day for someone who is writing the first draft of something new. There are many other examples where I feel the context is key.

[@BrittanyArtPoetry]

I don’t have daily word count goals, but instead daily scene count goals. Like I want to reach this plot point or finish this interaction today, that might be 500 words or 3000 words. I’m more a plotter than a pantser, so I usually have an idea what I want to accomplish in a given scene or chapter, and that tends to be the benchmark I work off of.

[@bluebellbeatnik4945]

Why do people always find it hard to understand that you can LOVE writing and ENJOY writing but hate reading? Creating is enjoyable. Consuming is tedious.

[@RadiantBard]

Something that I've been surprised to find that's a pretty unpopular opinion is that audiobooks are just as valid as print. I also find that opinions that spit on audiobooks smack of ableism. I have ADHD, so reading with my own eyes is very difficult. It has to be something that really sucks me in immediately and that's pretty rare. People rarely think of us when they argue back and forth about this, and can be dismissive when we bring it up.

[@Amy_Mi6]

“please don’t ‘yuk’ my ‘yum’”… THANK YOU, YES!

[@kayleighbrown459]

I'm honestly glad there are other people who don't really follow the "You don't have to read to write" mentality because it's kinda a huge insecurity for me because I don't tent to read books. Not that I have never read a book before, but I'm kinda neuro divergent and when I'm confronted witha huge wall of text by brain just shuts off completely. Seriously, it can take me around 10 minutes to get through one page sometimes. It's that bad. It's weird as hell, I know, but I literally can write faster than I can read and it has ALWAYS put me off writing because I always figure there's no point. So...I get that you need to learn the craft of how books are written and all that stuff but for a lot of us who just really like making things and can't really focus on anything else, this mentality is kinda what keeps us motivated. IMO.

[@Astralmystique]

Wanting to write a novel but not being keen on reading novels is the equivalent of wanting to be a chef but not finding eating pleasurable.

[@evarchavex4800]

If you think that's the case, then congrats, because you're an idiot that doesn't understand the vast differences between writing and reading, and cooking and eating. You need to know what tastes good to be a good chef, and the ONLY way to do that is by eating. You need to know how to write good prose (Language skills), write good characters (Study people) and write good plots (Take in any good story). You can get all that from numerous other sources. Assuming you're not an idiot.

[@blueowl3474]

Lmao I loved the way you absolutely destroyed that hot take about reading (esp the mean girls reference). Also I fully agree, I've been an avid reader since I was a kid and it has definitely helped me a lot in my craft. It helps you improve your vocabulary/actual ability to come up with sentences and such (you're constantly exposed to other people's writing styles), it helps you see what's popular in the genre you're writing in, etc. It's the best way to know and understand the craft besides actually taking part in it

[@als2480]

I I want a book to be a movie. It would mean that it's loved enough to be adapted and more people get to experience the story. I used to not be able to outline, my adhd said no. I started watching Jenna Moreci and she suggested milinote and OMG it's so visual and easy to use and navigate. It's a great place to go in a grand even just throw up ideas so you don't forget before you get there.

[@hotplotsandsynonyms]

Man this video makes me wish I had an authortube platform just so I could respond to some of these! The pantser thing? Ugh! I hate people who hate pantsers! WHY? What did we do to you?!? Yes, some people are lazy, don't outline despite being natural outliners, and then claim to be pantsers. But they AREN'T pantsers. Also, many pantsers I've met are entirely capable of outlining after the draft is done and use those outlines as editing tools. Does that count? I still say "I can't outline" and I mean it, even though I definitely use outlines after I'm done drafting. The one about telling if a book is good from the first chapter...I've even found books that are really, really good if you get past the first chapter or two where the author was inexperienced and info-dumped everything before starting the story! And I'm only halfway through...

[@hotplotsandsynonyms]

Man the structure one, too.... As a pantser who often doesn't even know character names when I start writing, I DO use structures. I mark chapters that start at the approximate word count numbers when plot shifts should happen based on my structure and go into pantsing that chapter knowing there should be a turning point there. No idea what that turning point IS (until I finish the draft), but it always happens.

[@caitlyncannon7859]

The more I want to write, the more reading other people's books makes me inspired to write my own. I want my stories to get out there! So YES read books! I was such a big reader when I was a kid. It got a lot harder in college but I still try my best. I only started getting the urge to really write and publish when I felt like I had something to say and stories to tell that weren't necessarily getting published (mostly queer stuff, but that's been on the rise for the last several years, thank goodness). Also, the fanfiction one got me a little heated too lol. You're right, they're two different beasts. I follow a fanfic writer who also self publishes original work and its just as good, if not better! Her fanfic tends to expand so much on the existing property that she has mountains of her own lore she's insterted, so there was no deficit of creativity or worldbuilding skills there. Its a great space to practice, to develop story telling with existing characters, explore characters themselves... so good. But different. I wish people would stop equating them, they both have their niches

[@eleanormaddocks1834]

For the first one- I love stories. My favourite way to consume them is through tv shows, because it engages more of the senses and allows me to become more easily immersed, as well as having more time to flesh out, play and explore the world and the characters than other media. My favourite way to tell stories is to write them in a novel format because that’s the way I find easiest to portray what’s in my head. If I was to publish a book, of course I’d want to see it turned into a tv show because it would then be in my two favourite formats, the one I love to tell and the one I love to be told.

[@lauraaraujo3552]

The thing I don't understand is: WHY would anyone want to become a writer (of books) and not want to read books? Are those the people who just want to White books as a "shortcut" to Hollywood? I don't get it...

[@evarchavex4800]

How do you not get it? because writing is a skill that one can improve through hard work. Reading is not. Are you really unable to understand why some want to write but not read? Which, by the way, there isn't a single detail you can get from reading that you can't get from somewhere else.

[@addy6543]

I prefer to write in 1st person POV because it forms a stronger bond between the reader and the protagonist, and to add to that, I also feel it makes the protagonist and their problems much more relatable to the reader. Yes, I know third person limited exists, but I feel like first person makes the reader relate to the main character more.

[@jennifervoigt2631]

As a new writer word count goals has been a huge help! When I get into competition of writing it is work count based. Yes some of it garbage but for me most of it has been useable.

[@gib6099]

I'm halfway through and I'm finding your comments enjoyable, your enthusiasm contagious and adorable and your bookcase intimidating!

[@bhsprinkle]

Yes. I think these are legit responses to this. Tv/movie deals for your book could be great press for the novel and gain potential new sales. KZbin would take away from my writing so maybe not do that but some others might not be effected because of their more structured schedules. It's probably helpful in communicating with others just like yourself. A way to bond over common interests.

[@SensibleSoulHealing]

I always love watching all of your videos. Been watching for several years now. This video was packed with so much yumminess. The word count conversation was interesting to me. I didn't realize there were people upset about making word count goals. As someone who enjoys setting my own goals and deadline, I'm honestly taken aback at the visceral reaction some people have about trying to set goals for yourself.

[@lazylunarwitch]

I agreed with so many of these but the you don’t have to be a reader one really got me. Could you imagine if someone said they wanted to write screenplays but never watched movies? There’s no way people wouldn’t find that strange. So why is it a thing for authors.

[@evarchavex4800]

It's not strange if you're actually smart enough to realize you can get everything you need to write a good book from sources other than reading. But hey, that'd require being smart, and god knows a KZbin comment section doesn't fall under that.

[@shadesofazalea]

When it comes to writing novels, you need to read novels. If you only read comics, WRITE COMICS. If you only watch movies, WRITE SCREENPLAYS. I knew a girl from a book club who aspired to be a screenplay writer, and she'd sometimes disregard our books to read screenplays. She was a great screenplay writer, not a novelist!

[@bblodeuwedd]

The "I don't have to read to write" argument is almost exclusive to books, too, and is laughable for any other medium. Imagine someone saying they wanted to be a musician but don't ever listen to music.

[@Laura_DiNunno]

After stepping back from self-publishing, I have finally realized that to do indie well one must have $$, at least nowadays. In the beginning, it was somewhat easier to have that organic growth we all want, but things have changed. (generally speaking)

[@eblackwell]

Thank you, this helped with things I've heard about publishing. Majority of people in my writing group give writers who want traditional publishing a hard time. Gets me going too

[@SDHegyes]

I loved Kate's video about this, and I've really enjoyed your take on this as well. Kate's as a hybrid-aiming author and you as a trad-pubbed author. I have too many thoughts and opinions, but YESSS! I had a lot of similar thoughts to you and Kate about various things-most of them falling under the "yes and no" category. And agreed. AuthorTube is not dying. Already did a whole video about that melodrama. *rolls eyes* Loved this video!

[@maia_gaia]

The adaptation one sounds like the kind of person who looks down on fans who got into something through the adaptation.

[@sarah106rap]

There are agents and managers in Hollywood telling budding screenwriters to write a book first if they want to be able to pitch their original screenplay idea. But most screenwriters I’ve talked to about this say they don’t want to write a novel, so…. Point taken! Haha

[@vCoralSandsv]

I feel weird to not start reading a new book each day. If I start a book, I'm gonna finish it bc I need to know how it ends. But I'm trying not to read as much as it takes away from my writing. When I'm writing more, I read less. I also write what I love to read. I'm def a procrastinator bc I'd rather read when I have a block to try to push through that block.

[@beateadriana]

1st person isn't lazy writing, it's just far too easy to fall into the woe-is-me navel-gazing whiny trap. Too easy and happens too much. Which is why *I* prefer to read 3rd person. As for authortube and skill building. Tips and tricks. They why of things. I think that's what most new writers are looking for. Why is having an arc important? How do you make a reader care about the characters you're writing? Etc.

[@thepsychoticempress03]

16:16 Not every writer is an avid reader. Though i used to love buying and binging books, after my onset of OCD, concentrating on a complex narrative became really hard. On the contrary, I have completed and am querying 1 and am currently writing 9 books. 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

[@gloomhavenmusic]

The word of the day is "unilateral" 😉 Great points, Alexa. I think discussions like these are really beneficial for prospective writers to hear-and also for authortube and booktube as a whole.

[@joanderson4860]

Take a shot every time Alexa says "yes and no"

[@AlexaDonne]

Drink responsibly

[@NixLaLoupe]

I don't think I've ever had a 10k word day. I've gotten close though and I'm proud of myself. It was a lot of work lol I like to push through first drafts because I start getting jazzed about edits when I'm still in the third act. If I hit a delay in my draft, the disappointment that I have to delay edits can put me in a slump 😅