9 Tips for a Satisfying Plot | Writing Tips

[@marshm3llow467]

Summary: 1 Genre awareness 2 Change and growth 3 Set up and payoff 4 Unpredictable 5 Causality 6 Mystery and revelation 7 Suspense and snap 8 Emotional balance and cohesion 9 Unrest and resolution

[@wanderingteacherbooks]

Thank you. I was just trying to do this for my notes

[@kawaiineko2523]

Are you God?

[@cluejpg]

@@kawaiineko2523 perhaps

[@655bebeusgdbeueb4jdu]

thx

[@madhusmitasoren3227]

Thx you so much😭

[@PhoebeWritesFiction]

I love all of these suggestions. One way that I like to introduce unpredictability when plotting is to list out all the possible solutions to a plot question and pick the last option on the list. Usually you think of the most obvious solutions first and more creative ones last. BUT, sometimes the reason things occur first is not because they're predictable but because they fit your novel the best (they work in terms of causality and set up and payoff). So I guess the balancing act is always finding something unpredictable, but not so left of field that it will disrupt the shape of the whole.

[@ShaelinWrites]

That's so smart!

[@ClintLoweTube]

A successful screenwriter teachers your technique. He calls it Rule of 20. Thinks of 20 ways to do or make a scene, picks the best and most peculiar.

[@rodnewsom6995]

I don't usually come at unpredictability as a plot device but from character development. Characters in fiction (like people we know in life) are the centers of their own stories. They each have their own goals and dreams, likes and dislikes, etc. We've known people in our lives who have hit us with a left-handed monkey wrench right into left field (I figured if I was resorting to cliches I'd go all in; my apologies) because our wants and needs aren't theirs. Same with fiction: the protagonist/MC will come into contact with other characters who have agendas. We're reading a story about a professional dog-walker who has a date. She's running super late because she overbooked. She had to overbook because she had to hire a plumber when the waterlines broke. She's really looking forward to this date. It's a really nice guy she knows from small talk over coffee in the Commons but this is the first real date. And it'll be nice having a relaxed evening because all the dogs today have been either surly or hyperactive. So here she is with her last dog of the day (who's both surly and hyperactive). She decides that since this walk is near where she's supposed to meet this guy she can swing by and let him know why she's late. She doesn't want him thinking she's bailing on him. But foot traffic is terrible, the dog keeps pulling this way then that, and it gets so late. She reaches a point where she can see the food vendor cart where she told him they could meet. She actually sees him, his back anyway. He's looking down at his watch and his shoulders slump. She hurries, almost pulling the dog now. A bus pulls through the intersection and then the guy's not there. She's starting to feel really down because this isn't working out like she wanted. Her and her ward make it across the street. She looks in the direction she thought she saw him go. Nothing. She turns and the crowds part: there he stands, turning around. His face lights up seeing her. She walks towards him and opens her mouth when the dog comes. He sees the dog and his expression changes. His eyes widen, mouth forms a perfect "O" as he turns and walks quickly away. Because we know that he's afraid of dogs because he was bitten when he was just a kid. So I know that's kind of lame (maybe more, but don't judge me too harshly) but the point I'm attempting to make is that when we know the characters and let them be themselves they will do unpredictable things even when it looks like we're setting the reader up for something completely different. Okay, I've wasted enough of your time but that's just another perspective on the topic.

[@PhoebeWritesFiction]

I think you're absolutely right that characters should have secrets and that this should affect the events of the story. The method I describe can be applied in all kinds of ways, not just plot questions. For example, I might ask myself: What secret will keep this guy and girl apart? Then I make a list starting 1) His fear of commitment in relationships (this is a bit obvious and cliche). Later down the list I might get to 5) His fear of dogs (which I think is a pretty cool one!) The emphasis doesn't have to be on plot, the idea is just that whatever question you have about the story, you provide yourself with plenty of options to choose from.

[@rodnewsom6995]

I like your thoughts on this. These tips are very practical and smart. (And thank you for not hating my example.)

[@BookBFF]

I liked what you said about causality. When writing my first draft I didn’t know what I was doing so I just was like “let me add a scene with the villain now”. But as I’m editing, I’m making sure the scenes influence or cause the next scenes so it isn’t just like “the villain is popping up to make a mess for no reason”. I think it really is important and I haven’t seen many writing advice books/channels that talk about it!

[@amouramarie]

YES YES. I just outlined a whole short story with the tips from a couple of her videos and this was INCREDIBLY helpful. I'd find myself adding a scene, then going... No. How can I make this scene come about specifically from what happened in the last scene. And it works much better. Nothing is happening by accident and things automatically make more logical sense. I'm so glad I found this channel. XD

[@popcornbag7897]

"I'm going to tell you what to do but not how to do it." School in a nutshell.

[@jean7464]

@@fakename7423 same xD

[@larperdixon723]

how else do you learn

[@elpretender1357]

@@larperdixon723 With proper explanations from people who have done it right. You just don't tell a kid to change a lightbulb and expect them to do it because you explained them how the light bulb works, you have to either teach them as they see you doing it or tell them the steps to archieve it and what to avoid

[@freestyleentertainment821]

El Pretender I got a Bachelor of science in pre-education and I can confidently say you have no idea what you’re talking about. You know nothing about how people learn, how people grow... teachers aren’t supposed to just give you the information and have you memorize it. They’re there to guide you to figure it out for yourself. That’s education 101.

[@elpretender1357]

@@freestyleentertainment821 I never said that "eachers are supposed to just give you the information and have you memorize it", someone asked how else do you learn if not by being told what to do but not how to, to which I offered my suggestion. I dont know you, but at least whenever a professor has given me explanations, examples of how people who had done it right succeded and the conventional steps to reach a goal I've learned better than with profs that just tell me what to do and not how to. That was my point.

[@Jay-fj9eq]

I love the short hair!! (And I like the tapestries too)

[@justagerman140]

Not trying to hate but I liked the long hair and the bookshelf better

[@xtonibx5770]

The short hair suits her so well.

[@ginge641]

A story is essentially a tapestry.

[@ShaelinWrites]

TRUE

[@EmilynWood]

There's a bookseries that uses this metaphor! It's called the Auralia Thread series. The first book is Auralia's Colors (the Red Strand) and it's my favorite book in the world.

[@HMJenn]

gurl you slay short hair!

[@maxgraybooks471]

"Suspense is waiting for the jumpscare, snap is the jumpscare" this is really clever !! this entire video is super helpful, I took notes on it for the fic I'm outlining xD I never would have thought of "snap" but it's a really effective way of putting it

[@kaceynm]

Alfred Hitchcock once said that suspense is achieved by giving the adhere information that the characters don't have. Basically, suspense is achieved when you know that something is going to happen, but you don't know when so you're waiting for it.

[@Nope2022HugeTheWarningFan]

I think I know what you're getting at, even though I have no idea what the word "adhere" means. And such is why I don't like suspense in most horror movies; they show the character's reaction to something quite often first. It doesn't work for me. While watching House of the Devil by Ti West, the protagonist sees something horrible in the tub, then we're given the knowledge as to what it is. I thought a much better way of doing the scene would be to have a cut out tub, have the camera slowly descend to the rim where you see what's within it, then have the protagonist turn to find what we already are aware of. It would have been so much better. This is why I LOVE the movie Hereditary!

[@Youcifer]

That's also the definition of dramatic irony - "...giving the adhere [sic] information that the characters don't have."

[@r.i.p.4485]

on unpredictability. Make a predictable story, then put in a character (preferably your mains) and make them unpredictable. They make choices which are not present in the "multiple choice answers" which a problem gives. A warship is hit, the ship is sinking, the enemy is approaching, the character has two choices presented to them, save himself or attack the enemy in an attempt to save the crew, unpredictable character chooses to save the crew by forcing the enemy to save the crew by broadcasting a message to non existent allies that the enemy spy they uncovered, who has highly sensitive military information, is on the ship. Of course the message is a blind attempt to fool the enemy into believing someone on his ship is one of their spies and he has information that they will want. Now the enemy ship stops firing and attempts to save as many of the crew as they can, who are abandoning ship, since they don't know exactly who the spy is. Of course this is a lie, but it gives the character a chance to sabotage the enemy ship. Now your story has taken an unpredicted turn because of a character using an unpredictable choice.

[@miketacos9034]

Dude I wanna keep reading this 😆

[@akeelahbruce1821]

@@miketacos9034 same

[@gamewriteeye769]

-That's how you don't write a character arc but ok.- Hisoka from HunterxHunter is a good example of a character who constantly changes what they want or don't want, which serves as a way to make an unpredictable plot from his choices as a character.

[@gamewriteeye769]

@Nes Ally Ok. When I initially read this top comment, I was aware of the idea he's explaining because it only gives an example on the inner workings of what's going on to make an unpredictable plot. And what does it revolve around? Character. Character arcs shape the plot around how they act, and if you want an unpredictable plot, you'll need to know how to manipulate inner and external conflict in a way that fits. It'd be too long for a comment to explain though so take it how you will.

[@hayden3774]

I would also say that being open to new ideas in your plot is a good strategy too. Maybe you planned out a lot of stuff, but you realize it's too linear. Reveal a crazy secret that can relate to the beginning or tie some reason a character is a certain way, for example. It's more of an art than a science. But you can get better at art with practice!

[@darkdragonblade1157]

3:06 reminded me of the quote “Change is not always growth, but growth is often rooted in change.” - Drizzt Do’Urden

[@williamkeohane9964]

A fellow Drizzt fan!

[@QueenCloveroftheice]

I always have to watch your videos twice because the first time around, I have to keep pausing and breaking up your sentences to go into my files and make a note of changes I have to make to my manuscript lol

[@ClintLoweTube]

That's dedicated.

[@aimeepartain1248]

I have to watch twice cause the first time I'm reading comments and not listening

[@stantheroyman]

I'm here from a video posted from 5months ago that just found me and figured I'd go back even further. I appreciate the growth in knowledge

[@hmmmok1924]

I'm writing a short story and I'm about three-quarters done, it was immensely satisfying to see that all of these things are already in my story or are coming up! This is really well done and helpful video. (Also you're gorgeous 👀)

[@theimmaculateloaf2152]

honestly what i love about stories is the set up and payoffs with things that you wouldn't even realize like "what?? that plant pot in the background that the main character put his/her shoes by is a big part of the story?? i wouldn't of ever even thought of it" or things that start out at the beginning of the story and you almost forget about until they just, boom, pop up as a big part of the story i love it

[@tmichica145]

I like the “suspense vs. snap”! It also makes sense if you think how suspense is like tension, and the “snap” is like a break in the tension, like a twig snapping.

[@cwfcwfcwf]

You're brilliant Shaelin. Love the new hair cut. :)

[@scottsenecal7155]

In a college class of mine we learned of two different types of suspense: proairetic and hermeneutic. Proairetic is when you ask yourself “where is this going?” If you have a character going down a dark ally you ask yourself “will they be attacked?” Hermeneutic is when you ask yourself “how did we get here?” And it’s basically when you show the end of a situation before showing the beginning and middle. We see the character get killed in the ally but then ask “how’d they get to this point?”

[@destinyationluv]

:0

[@blastermaster5009]

She's officially embraced the meme.

[@overallaverage8546]

I had a dream last night and realized it would make a really interesting story. Just gotta make it longer and with more unpredictability.

[@frances6091]

I wanna add something about Causality. I think that it's fine if a scene could've very well occurred without the previous scene, but I think it's bad if this scene does not cause the next scene, or change the story in some way. Like, what if the protagonist was really stressed out about the main plot, and then their friends decided to surprise them with a cake on the birthday that they thought they didn't have time to celebrate? And then maybe something happens during this birthday scene, like a significant conversation with a friend, or interaction that reveals more about side characters. Or maybe this causes the protagonist to change their beliefs and realize that their friends are there for them. It's true that a birthday surprise can happen in any novel and isn't caused by the protagonist's actions, but it can also affect later scenes and become one of the most well loved scenes in the story. Just make sure that these scenes have an impact on *something,* like character attitude or setting. An actual real book example could be in the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry goes to Hogwarts' Hallowe'en feast. Not only does this feast establish the tone of the book, the setting, and provide an opportunity for characters to mingle, but it also sets up the next scene in which Harry faces a troll. That Hallowe'en feast could've occurred a few scenes before, but was still an enjoyable subplot. (I love your channel and the advice!)

[@onlyfrog]

off topic but your voice is sooo satisfying and calm, i can't explain??

[@ThomasGHouse]

I was getting Danganronpa flashbacks from the amount of times you said hope and despair in 30 seconds. Great video, though. :)

[@karl6657]

Are you one of those stupid weebs who binge watch stupid anime and read mangas marketed for the braindead? Hope you've grown up and don't get those kind of flashbacks anymore!

[@CassTeaElle]

Your videos are always so well thought out. You could write a book about writing books! You've got a lot of really great knowledge. Thanks for passing it along

[@rueroxanne972]

I haven’t even started watching this video but I love your hair! And you!

[@didihuch]

Thank you for this fantastic lesson! I feel prepared to answer the illusive plot dissonance that so often arises in my writing process

[@donaldaribam]

I love your tapestry. I personally think it’s the best background ever.

[@amyleofficial1682]

This helped me more Than school teaching me things repeatedly for 3 years

[@homeyman1917]

I think one way to make your story unpredictable is draw from your own life experiences. Many of us go through similar events, but we often experience them in different ways and draw different conclusions

[@3polygons]

So glad I found (very randomly, YT suggestion) this channel. As a comic artist who actually writes (or tries to) his own stories (and without English being my first language) , this is really useful. I think I am going to write down these points, and try to see if I can apply them to my future stories, to see if it helps to build them better. In the end, art in a comic is nothing without good story telling... :) Subscribed!

[@劉炎-p9z]

Love your channel. Best I've watch on this site so far. My only regret is not finding this channel 2 years ago. Some of your tips, techniques may not work so well in non-English writing （Chinese in my case）, but I think revising my novel based on what I learnt on this channel increased it quality by two times. You just made some huge impact on my writing.Even some of my friends I sent my drifts to for test reading pointed out that there is some notable inconsistence in their styles. So I decide to rewrite some earlier parts of the novel. The struggle I have right now is exactly the part didn't get answered though, which is kind of a bummer, no saying it in an offensive way. I'm writing a suspense horror story . Which is actually a huge challenge for me because I'm not really gifted in writing twists. It's really hard for me to control the amount of information I intented to give before the twists. Sometimes I gave too much infomation, which made it too predictable and there wasn't much of a twist any more; then I decided to withhold some information, plant some decoys and the twists became too far-fetched. It's like I just pulled things out of the thin air just for the sole purpose of rationalizing the twist. I wonder if I need to find more creative ways to present informations.

[@captainrick4513]

I'm in the process of trying to make a story, and I feel like this kind of helped. I feel like the thing I'm best at is looking at all sorts of ideas from different stories, whether TV Show, anime, movie, videogame, or book, and find what I think is cool, and come up with something similar, yet still my own thing. Something that could be seen as a mix of Venom, Ogichi, Mr. Hyde, and Brainiac, yet something completely different. And I also really like "right under your nose" kind of stuff. Such as two people arguing in the background which you don't think of too much, but way later you find out they were important to the story long before the protagonist was even born.

[@Ideophagous]

Your videos make me appreciate one of my favorite stories, Attack on Titan, even more. I also started working on a novel, and I find your tips quite useful. Thank you!

[@Valentina-xv9cs]

That's so detailed and so structured, I absolutely love these tips. Thank you!!

[@nvwest]

Always happy when you upload. :) love the hair ❤️ very adult Edit: that’s why I love this channel. You always don’t just tell us what to do, but you always give us a method of how to do it. Really useful. The most helpful tip ever was skipping unnecessary words. ‘She saw a man standing across the street’ would become ‘a man was standing acrossthe street’ Sentence level tips like that are hard to find.

[@ShaelinWrites]

Thanks so much!

[@wrightfamily7381]

@@ShaelinWriteshello I’m vary grateful for your tips and advice I’m writing a spy thriller like no other and it deals with my main character wanting to find his mom because she had to leave and his partner and him are connected, but they have no recollection of why they are important to each other and there’s a love story slowly budding romance between two old friends one is my main lead who is 17 young and naïve but kind hearted he falls for his friend he hasn’t seen since they were both 5 and her dad pays for the academy they go to so they see her as a rich daddy’s girl how do I make that work

[@andrewclegg2221]

"unpredictability is one of the most obvious ones" lol

[@TheMusicscotty]

My favorite author channel on all of KZbin. No frills or noise, but amazing content. Bravo!

[@albertross2456]

Instant fan. Love you face!!! And point of view of course. Great advice!

[@raymondraymond3207]

You teach me so much Shaelin. Thank you for all your hard work.

[@gamewriteeye769]

6:23 To write an unpredictable plot in its simplest form, what you need to do is change what a character Wants in a scene at the flip of a coin(or change their scene goal). This means that whatever is typically a proactive or reactive scene has another element of a proactive or reactive moment laced into it, even if the outcome is the same or different as a result(unpredictable characters make the unexpected choice in deciding what to do). I hope this makes sense in a nutshell. Edit: There are crucial elements to this involving plot/character patterns, but it involves writing terms I came up with to convey what structure you're going for. What this comment originally talked about above is “right” to a certain extent. Because you can have scene “Motivations” with its first ingredient being a scene goal/Want, the first step toward the character striving toward their endgoal Want(something tangible to achieve by the plot's Climax). *But* the outcome of the plot may not change as a result after the scene if the character's plot “Motivation”(yes, what they go on) does not change in the long run of the scene's outcome. To further explain, every scene's “Motivation”/personality/belief system all contain conflict ingredients that create a basic “Causal Chain” for the conflict of the story, and after each one, characters go on what's called “Shifts”, and these are the “effects” of those conflict ingredients. Some Shifts might be Static for example, and that depends if your character is not changing and/or not undergoing a Flat/No Change character arc. Being _Static_ means the character does not change after the scene, but another type of Shift may change specific conflict ingredients thereafter and cause a change in the character's Motivation/personality/belief system while still being Static in their other conflict ingredients. Confused yet? 😝 This is what creating an unpredictable plot looks like(eventually I'll have something written explaining all this, so look forward to that) but it does essentially boil down to: Character Type, Character Arc(which dictates change in the Character Type and what type of Shift), and Plot Structure itself(what scene structure is formulated from their plot beats, such as Three Act Story Structure or Save The Cat).

[@cait5819]

Girl I LIVE for your videos

[@manufacturedrainbows1229]

This was very helpful!! I'm currently outlining and I needed a bit of guidance, especially when it comes to causality. I'll be sure to keep this stuff in mind! Thanks!! ❤

[@nitzans]

your hair looks fab!

[@victoriannecastle]

Whoa. When I see the vid from my recommendation I didn't recognize you. And then I saw your name under. And I thought that maybe you have given up writing and became a spiritual guru. Those people who talked about five dimensions. Btw, you're having an evolution on your channel. As someone who has been here since you just had 2k subs, I witnessed your growth with every video you upload. Keep it up. :)

[@ShaelinWrites]

Wow, you've been here so long! I've been seeing you comments since the start, thanks so much for the ongoing support!

[@adysandilldine3683]

This helped a lot and got me an A in my Honours language arts class!!

[@ilyas_elouchihi]

Very very useful, simple a d straight to the point.. thank you infinitely

[@headfulloftrees4071]

Both the new hair and the new background are amazing! And the little drawing of you in the end omg it's so cute! ❤️ Thank you for those tips I feel like they are exactly what I've been needing.

[@mikroraptor]

AAAAA i saw your short hair in the thumbnail and it looks s t u n n i n g

[@superZEROKID]

As everyone else is saying, I love your short hair! And great advice! You framed things nicely (except maybe for that unexpected plot part, which is understandable lol). It's given me so many ideas, thanks.

[@mohammaddanyalfaridi7056]

One way you could look at unpredictability, is a need for plot twist, but measured pot twist that shake things up and not overturn the status quo. Some twists are so shocking and, by its nature, pull the rug out completely from the readers feet, leaving them lost of any sure footing whatsoever. BTW, Lovely Lectures! Keep up the good work and you are a tremendous help!

[@pizzospages354]

This is an excellent explanation of plot elements a story needs! Thank you!

[@kailamichelle6126]

THE MOTHER SLAYS!!😍😭

[@sevinm6261]

I was so sad that your hair had grown back because short hair looks so good on you and now the length is just so beautiful again :D

[@jelliebombshell2159]

Thank you for your writing tips. I like that you are natural and intelligent. A refreshing change!

[@TaraHeroWide]

Great tips as always! I'd like to leave how I view suspense in stories; unlike mystery elements that leaves a question unanswered for the reader, suspense is often achieved the opposite way. For example: you as a reader might know that one of the characters are hiding information from the other and you are waiting for the how the other character will react to the information, or if they will ever be informed. For me suspense means to wait for a reaction.

[@ZPrince]

Soooo Suspense & Snap is basically the Bend & Snap from Legally Blonde, right? Cool cool 👌

[@erikrault]

Just wanted to throw out how much I appreciate this info it’s so useful!

[@AriDelgato]

I really love your hair! It looks so cute!

[@fatimazahrah3995]

This is the best video I've watched about writing a satisfying plot. Thank you!

[@ashirahelat4749]

Love your genius mind

[@corinadelbarro2110]

Your hair cut is wonderful, but then again you’re always looking great. Thank you for your nugget of knowledge.

[@nikagorsic4514]

I literally love you!!! Because of you my book will be 100% better! Thanks Shaelin and keep on doing what u doing!

[@SuperShiki666]

Just as I was going to change the plot of my novel, glad i found your channel

[@tserrant3784]

Thanks for your help and the vast knowledge of writing a book.

[@gwenminor9244]

I'd like to add something on unpredictabilty as well. Have a plot that is quite predictable at first, but add surpising elements and/or twists

[@BrianaMorganBooks]

These are some great tips! I also love the tapestries and the short hair-it really suits you :)

[@BowTieWriter]

Thank you for sharing! These are some super useful ways to help articulate some of the resonant bits of plot. I really liked your discussion of "Suspense" and "Snap"!

[@deriznohappehquite]

You can't avoid using tropes. If you somehow manage to do something new, all you've done is create a new trope. Tropes are not cliches, tropes are tools. Any sort of storytelling idea is a trope. It would be nearly impossible to completely avoid using tropes. Per TV-Tropes: "You can't have a hero or a villain. Not a deal-breaker so far, there have been works that did that. But then it hits you: those two storytelling elements having been used by other stories means that they're tropes of their own, so you can't not have a hero or villain. As you think about this, you continue gathering tropes and realize: You can't have an Action Guy or a Non-Action Guy, nor can you have only men or only women. You can't write about anything you like. That might be fixable if you just write about what you hate-No, wait! You can't do that, either. You will not go overboard with your descriptions, but you can't limit those descriptions, either. You will not have a narrative in your story. That means no Dialogue, no Conflict, no Characters, no Plot. Your story will be about the purely abstract, maybe even nothingness. Just a page or two describing the non-existent scenery that is uTropia. Or maybe just describing nothingness. Aww, nuts, that won't work either... You should avert all tropes, but you cannot use Averted Trope, either. Sound like some sort of Logic Bomb? Well, you have to avert that now too. It's at this point that your head explodes from the sheer number of paradoxes that have arisen from trying to create a Tropeless Tale. Your spirit rises out of your body into the clouds, where Trope-tan, goddess of tropes, is waiting for you. Incensed, you say to her, "Is this some kind of cosmic prank you're pulling? I'm sure there has to be a way to write a story without tropes!" Trope-tan shakes her head and answers: "Even if you actually accomplish it somehow, despite all the other issues you encountered, even if you manage to create a story that is well and truly tropeless, what happens if other people decide they like your ideas enough to copy them in their stories? Then your tale would no longer be tropeless, but instead be the Trope Maker for an entirely new set of tropes, because that's what a trope is: a pattern of elements meant to convey meaning." You stare in silence for several seconds. Finally, Trope-tan asks you, "So what did you learn?" And you reply, "I learned two things:" 1) "I can't write a story without tropes, and that's OK." 2) "Trying to write a story without tropes will make your head explode.""

[@me-zs7tr]

The audience seems so excited about your chopped hair. I'm a new follower, and I watched the videos with long hair and bookshelf background first! :P

[@readerturnedwriter]

This was the perfect topic for me right now, I'm just starting an outline! Thanks for this :)

[@maou7222]

I love you Shaelin!

[@baxterjaye3984]

I'd say to make an unpredictable story, obscure the motivations of the other characters to the protagonist. If the readers aren't always aware of what everyone wants, they won't know how to predict how the characters will affect the MC. That doesn't mean keep them COMPLETELY unsaid, or don't give them a motivation at all, but stave off revealing it for as long as possible to keep the readers and protagonist on their toes.

[@neanderthalshenanigans]

No thumbs down, because everyone likes this video. It's sooo helpful! Shaelin, I just discovered your channel, but I think I'll be watching a lot more of your videos from now on. Subscribed.

[@xXDemkaBelikovXx]

I love the hair!! Lobs are amazing and easy to maintain!!

[@jasongretencord3326]

That background is reminiscent of the Dr. Strange movie.

[@jacksonjack7838]

Youre saying shes Sorcerer Supreme...

[@adolphaselrah9506]

Jackson Jack Shhh! She’s in hiding.

[@thentheric6361]

Idea for romance suspense & snap: There is a form of romantic tension, e.g. missing confession or awkward setup, which then gets concluded through a comedic relief (subversion), a sincere confession (triumph) or a conflict-inducing blunder (despair). The latter two contribute to causality, the first is more of a cop-out, like when "just the cat" is the jumpscare. It relieves immediate tension but instills latent angst (it could have gone bad).

[@hams2410]

I love your background ❤️ Nice tips!

[@mackdebruin999]

I've been wanting to mold a story around a group of detectives who have to solve a series of cases in a relatively short amount of time. The ending idea being that all the cases are later revealed to be linked in some way. Is there a good story structure for a novel that might be episodic like this?

[@siroisab]

I like the backdrop it sets you appart.

[@160p2GHz]

I personally think trying to write a good horror/suspense novel, no matter what genre you prefer is a good practice. Helped me learn so much about pacing, that suspense and snap, what information to withhold and how to convey what I want to give, and descriptions... oh lawd the descriptions...

[@siobhanm9690]

ugh shaelin i love your hair

[@petermendez7654]

I just discovered your channel and judging by your content I can guarantee that your channel will be very helpful with my writing.

[@SSSoto17]

Bae you look sO FRIGGIN CUTE WITH YOUR NEW HAIR AAAAAHHHH

[@ShaelinWrites]

THANKS BAE

[@keypointstutorials3833]

You are so beautiful . I can easily sit and see and listen to you whole day for life and do nothing. All the best . God bless

[@growingoaks]

I love your tapestry. This one looks similar to the flower of life!

[@phanisundarssimages]

Well compiled, nicely presented. Thanks for putting them together

[@Torthrodhel]

I hate how the conceit of Chekov's Gun is framed, though. It's as if to say there's no such thing as a red herring, and no such thing as atmospheric setting dressing. There could absolutely be a gun that doesn't go off, in a world where it makes sense for there to be a gun that doesn't go off, or perhaps a tale where you actually want some tension over whether or not it will and you know your readers are used to normal writing techniques. I understand the general principle, but I don't myself subscribe to the hyper-efficiency idea. Sometimes there really can just be ornaments. Same thing goes for causality. It's valuable in general, but I think an overconcentration can eliminate some of the magic and weirdness to a thing.

[@williamkeohane9964]

Maybe he should update it where if a gun is placed on a table in act one, the gun should have at least some very minor importance by act 3.

[@Torthrodhel]

@@williamkeohane9964 hmm, it's still a maybe for me though. It could have none at all. It could still have major importance by act 1. Who knows, the point is to be most effective, it shouldn't be predictable.

[@williamkeohane9964]

@@Torthrodhel good point. Perhaps I should rephrase it a little more: the gun should have enough importance that an English teacher could find ‘hidden meaning’ to it lol. Or maybe that the action itself should serve some incredibly minor purpose. For instance, setting a gun on a table in general could be to show somebody is trusting others in that room. It could be used as a threat. Maybe it is for Russian roulette and it shows that the gun owner is a man of risks or that he cheats. Every action somebody does should show their character, though by this point the law is so watered down it no longer has its original meaning. Either way, you are right when you say that that law has some flaws.

[@Torthrodhel]

@@williamkeohane9964 cool thinking :)

[@Classroomdecorsuperstore]

Thanks for all your tips and videos. I just discovered them and all of them have been helpful! Thanks 🙏🏼

[@brendawilliams7145]

I absolutely love your teaching videos. Keep up the good work.

[@beetlethebard7110]

I feel like J.K. Rowling and the Harry Potter series was great at doing the Set Up & Payoff.

[@shelbytheis6111]

That's exactly what came to mind for me when she talked about that one, so well done!

[@phoenixsweet1697]

Yeah. Too bad she's a horrible person.

[@skeletoninyourbody9896]

Nope

[@anushkabhowmik2746]

​@@phoenixsweet1697 She might have some horrible opinions, but those horrible opinions don't make her a horrible person. A person is too complex to be defined by just bad opinions. Also, the definition of a good person and a bad person is not definite. Neither is the definition of good or bad opinions, not that I think that what she said was good in any way at all.

[@jenniferariesta6635]

Yes, one of the best!

[@Ihsaan_ASMR]

Thank you very much this is very helpful

[@irritation_at_the_nightclu1016]

no one: writers: s p a c e d o u t w o r d s jk i do it to

[@Bella-lz9ij]

your hair cut is so cuteee

[@annenaan1786]

That hair style looks amazing😍😍

[@lilyraine6819]

I love your channel! You have taught me more about writing than my English teacher. I really want to become a writer or a director when I graduate high school. You inspire me to get better at writing! I also want to say that you are beautiful. Keep on writing! (:

[@noutsakh.2135]

Gurl, your eyebrows are on fleek! Great video as usual. keep it up 🙏 I like the tapestry background 💜

[@hedgelord0]

Damn, I wish you were my English teacher. This helped out a ton. I feel like I'm starting to know what I'm doing

[@luckywithpaint7773]

Unpredictability is done in remembering a famous quote: There are 2 ways to be fooled one is to believe something is true. The other is to believe something isn't true. - that sounds stupid. Basicly what it means is if you think something in the book is going to happen, but the characters and people keep giving evidence against this. Or if you think two people arent the same person, but they are. This is used in plot twists, but can be used on a smaller scale as well. Also if your character is on a farm, it is hard for someone to imagine they will be riding a dragon 3 chapters later. We all think our life will go a certain way by what information we have. I dont know a dragon. The palace has invited me before, it doesnt mean anything. Or maybe it does.

[@daniellezykowska981]

Thank you for this video. You have helped me gain clarity with my thought's ! Useful tips 😃

[@alexdavidson4037]

Your cardigan is beautiful!!