Two Professional Writers React to Pixar's 22 Rules of Storytelling

[@WeRNotAlive]

DISNEY PIXAR'S SHREK BREAKS ALL THE RULES kzbin.info/www/bejne/fGWliWZsZtt8orM

[@CommissarMitch]

You have to -know- make the rules in order to break them.

[@carabe197]

Your comment on mangaka on 8 makes you sound extremely ignorant and inconsiderate. "just finish it" "do better next time". You know that lot of mangakas quit because their series aren't picked for publishing, as it might not be appealing to the audience and gets low ratings in weekly sales. Before Bleach, Kubo had several one shots and even a short series, but either they didn't do well or he had other ideas before he made his living by drawing Bleach. You think its easy just quit and hope the readers want to read your other manga, especially if its some other genre? Every Mangaka tries things before they can get a steady series to pay the bills, all have several one-shot mangas as they try to get readers interested in them, so dont talk like Chainsawmans creator is some rarity. Not to mention the 5-4 hours of sleep a day the weekly manga creators have, while they spend rest of the day drawing and planning for the next couple of weeks 17-19 pages, or how many have to have vacations because of the burnout or horrific back-pains they get for working every day of the week to pay their bills, while fearing the cancellation.

[@WeRNotAlive]

@@carabe197 I also think Kubo is a better writer for having done Bad Shield and Zombie Powder, etc. Would you argue that Bleach would be better if it was his first? Probably not. Everything else you said was a non-sequitur to paint us as saying “Fujimoto is the only mangaka who works hard” which is incorrect and not our position.

[@carabe197]

@@WeRNotAlive Its more like "Fujimoto is one that breaks the mold" and that's just how you come off to me. Your other video might give more context to what you are saying, so I dont know your full meaning.

[@WeRNotAlive]

@@carabe197 That’s how it came off to you, but that’s literally nowhere in what we said and neither did we mean it.

[@thereccher8746]

I don't believe that Andy was attached to his toys as an adult or that he was afraid to give them away. The scene with the girl at the end was Andy suddenly facing the hard truth that he wasn't a kid anymore, and the symbol of that reality was starring him in the face. I never got the sense that he was literally/canonically obssesing over his toys.

[@TuesdaysArt]

It feels weird that he'd go as far as to tell Bonnie how to play with the toys. So what if she wants Mr. Potato head to marry one of her other toys? She doesn't know they're alive and neither does Andy.

[@chansesturm7103]

@@TuesdaysArt Was that Andy telling Bonnie how to play with the toys, or just telling her some of the "lore" he made up for them when he was her age to communicate some of the sentimental value these toys hold to him? I legitimately cannot recall, it's been so long since I have seen that movie.

[@taylort3674]

Tbh when I watched which I'll admit has been awhile, I took it as Andy acknowledging toys are meant to be played with and he outgrew them. Which is to say the whole focus and theme across the 3 movies was how toys are meant to be played with. Sid didnt play with toys he destroyed them. A museum was a place woody would sit in a case being looked at but never played with. The toys were mostly excited to be played with by kids until they were being pulled apart and nearly broken. So when Andy was willingly giving them away it was supposed to be a good thing for him because he was doing it on his own terms and telling the person he gave them to how important these toys were. And for the toys it was good because they needed to go to someone who would play with them, which Andy just didnt do anymore.

[@SpiderandMosquito]

It does rely a bit too hard on emotional logic to buy as a thing that would happen in the way it did, but that is what it is going for, and emotional logic is a valid choice. It makes sense within the narrative they were telling, and I do agree with your comment overall.

[@kradeiz]

How I Met Your Mother is another good example where the writers knew the ending from the start but failed to modify it as the characters evolved.

[@debrachambers1304]

Something that helps with stealing- it feels less like stealing if you take from real life. You can still overborrow, but the borrowing will often feel more creative and organic that taking from other fiction. And if you borrow from real life things that aren't well known (ex: a character inspired by some weird guy from your church) there are way less people to call you out than if you borrowed from something famous or fictional. (a historical figure or another character) Edit: The Wire is basically a pastiche of real things, rearranged into poetry.

[@niicespiice]

almost half of my characters in my WIP game are just my friends but edited to fit the themes of the story

[@metawarp7446]

"Hey! You put something you saw irl into the story! You are copying elements from real life!"

[@TuesdaysArt]

RE: Rule #20 I'm sure y'all have heard of YanSim. It's a pretty infamous game and it doesn't have many elements I'd consider "salvageable". However, I really liked the idea of the cherry blossom tree being part of the mythology of the school and put that into my magical school concept. Somehow, this one neat element from a shitty game improved my concept so much. I changed the cherry tree to a hawthorn tree (since my story is inspired by Celtic lore and whatnot) and not only did I get an idea for a story (with the son of the headmaster being soul-bonded to the tree-if the tree is hurt, he gets hurt), but the magic school that went nameless for almost five years finally had a name. I also had a spring formal event in mind for a while, but the hawthorn tree tied everything together so well. Instead of confessing romantic feelings (my setting has a lot of arranged marriages so it's not really relevant), someone would ask another person (usually a boy asking a girl because Compulsory Heterosexuality) to the dance by the hawthorn tree. It's reserved for every Friday in the month of May, around sunrise. The tree could also serve other purposes, but those are just the main ones I can think of. Also-I don't really directly borrow as much from High Guardian Spice, but listening to other people critique it made me go "Oh shit, I need to develop my setting more." and I developed the world more in the past nine-ish months than I have in the past four years.

[@robonerd6925]

As a person who is a toy collector the bit talking about toy story three felt just slightly insensitive to someone like me who does have a lot of sentimental value in there childhood toys because as a person on the spectrum those were my comfort/stim objects and had seen a lot. Also as absurd as it may sound toys are absolutely a gateway into telling yourself and creating stories. They can be a very good and healthy way to promote creativity and imagination. I know it wasn't the intent but it felt like something I should point out

[@TuesdaysArt]

If they're sentimental, why not keep them? It's not like Andy had to sell them to afford room and board or whatever.

[@robonerd6925]

I mean I have a lot of problems with you story three the emotional manipulation tactics being a key one this comment was more aimed at the comments related to people who still have there childhood toys in college

[@TuesdaysArt]

@@robonerd6925 I still sleep while cuddling my stuffed beagle, I can definitely relate to that.

[@Hel1mutt]

Also just children at heart you know, i have a lot sentimental feelings towards my childhood toys and stuffed animals and Toy Story 3 made me feel both happy and sad for my childhood. What they said definitely rubbed me the wrong way

[@crazyminegamer2339]

@@TuesdaysArt Some people just grow out of things that hold a lot of sentimental value to them. I wouldn’t be surprised if giving the toys up was more-so because he felt he had to as an adult. They definitely meant a lot to him, but giving them away meant giving them to another child who could create new, happy memories for them.

[@hohurnham7583]

02:22 1. You admire characters for trying more than for success 07:36 2. You gotta keep in mind what's interesting to you as an audience, not what's fun to do as a writer. They can be very different. 11:10 3. Trying for theme is important, but you won't see what the story is actually about until the end, now rewrite. 14:45 4. Once upon a time there was _, every day _, one day _, because of that _, and because of that _, until finally _. 20:31 5. Simplify, focus, combine characters, Hop over detours. You'll feel like you're losing valuable stuff but it sets you free. 23:44 6. What is your character good at? Comfortable with? Throw the opposite at them, challenge them, how do they feel? 29:13 7. come up with an ending before you figure out your middle 32:06 8. Finish your story, let go even if it is not perfect. Move on, do better next time. 37:22 9. When you're stuck, make a list of what you wouldn't want to happen next. 39:37 10. pull apart the stories you like, what you like in them is a part of you. Recognize that before you can use it. 43:27 11. Putting it on paper lets you start fixing it. If it stays in your head, a perfect idea, you'll never share it with anyone. 43:29 12. Discount the first thing that comes to mind, and 2nd, 3rd, 4th- get the obvious out of the way. Surprise yourself. 45:09 13. Give your characters opinions, audiences don't fw passive/malleable. 50:09 14. Why must you tell THIS story? What's the belief burning within you that your story feeds off of? That's the heart of it. 52:10 15. If you were your character in this situation, how would you feel?Honesty lends credibility to unbelievable situations. 53:27 16. What are the stakes? Give us a reason to root for the character. What happens if they don't succeed? Stack the odds against. 55:13 17. No work is ever wasted. If it's not working, let go and move on- it'll come back around to be useful later. 56:06 18. You have to know yourself. The difference between doing your best and fussing, story is testing not refining. 58:06 19. Coincidences to get characters into trouble are great, coincidences to get them out of it are cheating. 59:25 20. Take building blocks of things you dislike and rearrange them into something you like as an exercise. 01:01:00 21. Identify with the situations of your characters, can't just write "cool", what would make YOU act that way? 01:02:30 22. what is the essence of your story? Most economical telling of it? If you know that, you can build out from there.

[@StarMechV]

Ya know it's nice to have one of these videos where the person giving these tips are not misguided or crazy people. Feels nice

[@evan.f1738]

Yeah, I find that as much as internet media criticism has improved its still stuck with a lot of elements from its past, where a lot of creators just list their own opinions rather then try to figure out how this works.

[@FaustianBargainBin]

i thought for a second "oh but i like some characters with no opinions" then i thought about for .5 seconds and realized no. i like characters whos opinion is that they should have no opinions. and who hold many other opinions they are constantly trying to hold deep enough under the water that it looks like a still pond.

[@TuesdaysArt]

RE: Tip #7 1) Honestly, middles are harder for me than endings. I usually know where I want to start and where I want to end, but getting from Point A to Point B in a way that's satisfying (trying to get enough character development without accidentally padding the story with unnecessary scenes I added because I thought it would be cute) is a HUGE pain. 2) I'm at 30:18 so maybe y'all will mention it and I'll feel silly, but what Henry said about GoT gave me HUGE HIYM vibes. They planned to have Ted get with Robin, then the show went in a completely different direction and the writers completely broke everything to get Ted and Robin together. It's one of the most universally hated endings of all time.

[@WhitneyDahlin]

‼️Yep I completely agree! LOST, pretty little Liars, Bendy and the Ink Machine, FNAF ALL of these had amazing concepts, fantastic, unique ideas.....and no idea how they were going to end it or solve the mystery. So they just made it up as they went along. The thing is YOU CANT LEAVE CLUES AND FORESHADOWING IF YOU DONT KNOW HOW IT ENDS!!!! Nothing is more middle school, amateur hour than publishing the beginning of the story before you've written the whole thing. You can't just make it up as you go along! That's fine for a FIRST DRAFT ONLY. It shouldn't ever be done for the final product. It NEVER works. It just makes me so angry that some of the best characters and best concepts and the most unique and interesting ideas, were wasted on people who didn't know how to write!!

[@nomukun1138]

27:40 TTRPGS include social elements that make them a completely different animal from solo story creation. Being nice to the people you play with is absolutely essential, while being nice to your characters is usually a bad idea.

[@NightoftheLivingcookies10]

In regards to number 6, there’s a strategy I’ve been using for my OCs to challenge them I list what their talents are and what they like/are good at. Then I imagine them in a school scenario and try to figure out what subjects they would SUCK at. Usually it helps me find a good flaw that’s a contrast to their passions (like if someone is a terrible cook or sucks at sports)

[@icecreamhero2375]

When I read that I saw terrible cook but good at sports. Person 1: I got cupcakes for the team other guy: Please tell me you didn't make them Person 1: Relax my Mom did.😒

[@Zelnyair]

I think there may be something you can say for "You can lose more than you win, but you can win where it counts most".

[@nomukun1138]

Sacrifice the plum tree to preserve the peach tree. Mm, peach preserves. Delicious. Sorry what were we talking about?

[@Zelnyair]

@@nomukun1138 I think if you have a story, it could be interesting if you make someone lose more than they win. This is because not every win or loss is of equal consequence in the first place, although even if you give them equal weight, I just think it would definitely play around with expectations.

[@ThatGreenMach1ne]

Fun fact I got into a CALarts summer intensive class called High Touch Animation. And my story teacher worked on Toy Story 1. Edit: he's super nice! Edit2: the part about getting out of your head is something that I am learning in my class right now funnily enough.

[@johnynoway9127]

how high did he touch?

[@ringer1324]

That’s super cool

[@Shnyak]

What I personally love about podcasts is at a certain point hosts naturally evolve their conversation from discussing writing advice to dissing on Toy Story 3 to telling high school stories about making Screwdriver out of orange juice and "New Amsterdam" vodka and then back to writing advice.

[@edelsys]

in my dream last night I was rewatching breaking bad and I was so shocked to discover that I'd completely forgotten that the main antagonist of an entire season was The Dire Gentleman. your name was always a breaking bad reference and I'd never realized. I haven't watched the video yet I just thought I should share this

[@darrinroot6924]

Thought Pixar only had one rule? Rule 1 If there's a mom or a female it needs to be dummy thicc

[@Ashtonyss]

That's not a rule. That's the law!

[@Santisima_Trinidad]

And they must be murdered at some point.

[@troyjardine5850]

Actually two rules, Rule 2 if villain is in story it MUST be a twist

[@ActuallySatan]

@@troyjardine5850 We found the Schaffrillas Productions fan

[@doovin1827]

"whenever you make something creative you are bearing your soul" is literally the main theme and reason why i'm writing my current story, which is incredibly meta

[@raikaschieck1634]

In my current story, I rewrote an entire chapter. Then, I realised it was worse, so I took the old chapter and just changed two or three senteces. So, you can make something worse by working too much on it.

[@KittyThaliaX23]

My Two Professional Writers sense is tingling!

[@KittyThaliaX23]

Having finally finished this video as someone who loves diregentleman more than my job but still has a job, I wanted to say thank you to you guys for giving your two cents to people and allowing people to realize that no matter what you were taught, it’s always good to learn. Keep an open mind, experiment, execute, learn. I’m really glad this series wasn’t as polarizing as others and Pixar did a fairly good job of make broad gestures without feeling incredibly cemented in What Should Be (a la Toy Story 3 as y’all mentioned) there isn’t ever a perfect formulaic way to create a story, because once you e achieved formula, readers/listeners/watchers have too and want to see someone twist, bend, and break their expectations.

[@bladelaw4200]

23:48 when they were talking about point 6, I couldn't stop thinking about the devil is a part-timer. where, the devil, king of the world's night creatures ends up working part-time at Mc Donalds. and how leading an army of demons and flipping burgers are so very different. However, his ambition to reach the top and the leadership skills he has still carry over and allow him to succeed in this entirely new situation.

[@greyrifterrellik5837]

"When in doubt, blow up half your characters" Homestuck, is that you?

[@AkhierDragonheart]

With point seven, plan your story like the weather channel predicts a hurricane's path and be ready for it to completely break your expectations.

[@troyjardine5850]

36:00 When talking about filmmakers that never could match their early peak, M. Night Shamalan also comes to mind. "The Sixth Sense" and "Unbreakable" are legitimately great movies, it's been all down hill since then for "The Next Spielberg".

[@alexwahoff8767]

Ah yes, procrastinating from writing by watching videos about writing advice, only to be called out for not writing Perfection

[@The7thDraconian]

20:54 Same. With so many people online assuming they know a lot about writing cause they consume a lot of stories, good writing advice like this is a breath of fresh air cause it’s coming from people who have hands on experience with story craft, and quite a lot of it too.

[@kingaram5163]

Watching you guys videos is honestly more fulfilling for me bc my creative writing prof would never use spongebob as a good writing example.

[@confettiveda2460]

"Have some trajectory." My trajectory is literally a big gay winter wedding and nothing else. Okay maybe some allegories about racial injustice, but I'm _really_ egging for that wedding.

[@Kirsten4260]

I love this so much

[@unicefpenny4158]

44:21 The Minute Hour plays in my head on repeat 24/7.

[@diabolickevin]

this series is actually inspiring me to get into writing, i cant wait to graduate so i will have time to do so. its also nice to like.. have some advice from people who know what they are talking about, because i used to write as a kid and only thibg i got was "this is too out there" which just made me stop writing

[@sharkjumpingwalrus6744]

The problem with me and tragedies is that my mind tends to default to misery porn. Which is to say the purest form of a character being put in a bad situation or a situation that invokes sorrow in me. I have been working on having a character that feels more like someone trying to live in spite of harsh circumstances than a caricature who happens to have bad stuff happening in their life. Edit: The problem with write the stupid version, is that if I go doing that, that is what my brain will hyperfixate on. It's good advice to write the things you don't want to happen, but going for the dumbest possible way a scene can pan out will just distract me.

[@Haverlock]

"Being a hack isn't an incurable disease" I don't know Henry. have you seen David Cage?

[@ringer1324]

Ew only 22 rules? What a joke Pixar come back to me when they have written 1001 tips like big man chuck wending

[@helenn6551]

For number 7, I think it's fair to say to know your ending so you know where your characters are going to but to be willing to change it if the characters alter on the journey of writing. Otherwise you get infamous endings like How I Met Your Mother that feel kinda forced

[@rainyrouge5123]

Moral of the story: Getting writing advice from people who have created some of the most successful and critical acclaimed animated films of all time is a good idea. Wow, I'm shocked.

[@MattTOB618]

37:46 - 38:18 I was actually stuck on a story I was writing recently, where three characters were about to fight. It wasn't until I wrote an April Fool's chapter where they all fell in love that I figured out what was actually going to happen, and I finished the story.

[@cortomaltese5206]

Tbf on Tarantino, he seems to be way nicer nowadays than he was in the 90s and the 2000s. Doesnt excuse his past dids but he seems way less of an edgelord (must admit Im a bit biased lol)

[@johnynoway9127]

deeds

[@troyjardine5850]

I think its a matter of "getting it out of your system". See also, James Gunn is a much better director and person now then when his filmography started. "Edgelord" working through his masculine insecurities feels like an overriding them of his works.

[@starmaker75]

I like these writing advice series, it nice to see if they good advice or if Gus and Henry would loose there guso

[@neonlemurs4865]

Andy didn't play with his toys at 17, they were stashed in his toy box

[@Pr0jectFM]

That fucking Pop Quiz Hotshot joke at the beginning hits hard

[@avivastudios2311]

I think this and you're Lily Orchard video are the best writing advice videos. Everything you said was perfect.

[@Joey245]

"Come up with your ending before you figure out your middle." *Mass Effect flashbacks intensify.* Also, I was one of those people who bawled unashamedly at Toy Story 3, because I was (and still am) one of those folks with an almost-unhealthy attachment to toys. LEGOs, Transformers, stuffed animals, action figures...I can look around my room right now and see everyone from the old Toa to Optimus Prime to plushies of Team RWBY staring back at me, and I love them all. Seeing toys get broken or lost in movies or cartoons always breaks my heart, and giving anything away feels like losing a piece of myself. So yeah...Toy Story 3 (and that one part in 2, you know the one) put me through the emotional wringer. I know most people aren't like this, but I just wanted to give my piece about that. (There was no reason for Toy Story 4 to exist, though.)

[@Hel1mutt]

I understand that feeling as well

[@squidcultist0022]

46:09 this is probably why I like metal gear rising so much. The characters all have ideals and convictions, noone really feels like a flat character, noones evil for no reason. The whole game is ultimately Raiden finding his actual ideals as his own views are challenged or strengthened with each encounter.

[@DarkExcalibur42]

Veteran GM here with over a decade of experience. Yes, you should put your players up against challenges where they're allowed to show off their skills. But you absolutely can and should give them a challenge based on their weaknesses, and treat it with the exact same level of seriousness... even if that means it's a low stakes battle of bureaucracy in a guild hall, where none of the heroes know how to navigate the paperwork or social networking. It can be absolutely hilarious. One of my players recently was pushed into role-playing her shy introverted fighter pilot forced to attend a diplomatic dinner where her knowledge of military tactics was essential... even though it drew on her knowledge, being social was one of her character's weakest areas of expertise. That was every bit as scary as an actual fight, and succeeding was just as dramatic.

[@BubblingBrooke]

Number 17 is such a good one to apply to other things as well! Years ago a group of friends and I were going to do a live play space themed dnd podcast. We ended up losing a session because i was the only one doing a group recording and i messed up. While that project fell through, it instilled in me to make sure that everyone recorded separately and now I'm working on a star wars 5e actual play podcast and the editing side is a breeze because separate audio tracks makes my life so much easier. I still do a master recording just in case and to help sync everything, but i will no longer have the same issues as before and it makes for a better product and project.

[@StellarRetribution]

Life’s a collection of strong writing tips and then you’re a Story

[@Sparkling34]

I was a big Toy Story kid as a child and my favorite was always Toy Story 3 which was most definitely just because it came out during my life time.

[@SoVidushi]

Love this series!!

[@exos9913]

I love how you guys sometime say stuff like ''the most beloved Movie/anime/series'' and I have absolutely no clue what Movie/anime/series you're talking about. Shows me there's a lot more to look at

[@rileyovertherainebow]

38:44-39:28 it has been almost 8 months since this video has come out and this purposefully stupid and objectively terrible joke still manages to pop into my head at random times and instantly make me laugh uncontrollably

[@sugoiuseismoeabuse4058]

I have to talk more about the abed. The problem for me wasn't really the boring, was the idea that Abed couldn't comprehend the idea that someone can outsmart him. Like Abed you seriously cannot tell me that you didn't know smart horror villains who can cut the power, set the house on fire, trick/kill the cops mess with your inherent mental hangups.

[@krystalhuntress6795]

30:03 How I Met Your Mother ending

[@LilyoftheLake14]

Regarding the roast at 1:04:12 when "The Good Dinosaur," got called out as, "The Good Dinosaur: That is Not Very Good™," 😧 I don't think Pixar will ever truly recover from such an intense burn that was said in this video lol. I think another alternate title could be, "The Not Good Dino-snore!: Pixar Really Shit the Bed on this One™."

[@bnuuyliker]

I think rule 18 might be about knowing when to stop editing? “Know yourself,” as in, be honest with yourself about whether you’re making substantial changes to your work vs. messing around. Just a guess

[@neonlemurs4865]

In defense of tip 22, in game dev we have minimal viable product, which is basically having a prototype of the game that has basically trhe pure backbone of what the game needs to be itself. reminds me of that.

[@kradeiz]

Irt Rule #2: It can also help after you’ve finished writing something to put it aside for awhile, work on something else, and then return to it later. Because it’s easier to look at your own work more objectively after some time has passed and it doesn’t feel quite as personal. Obviously this can be harder to do if this is a major project with a time crunch you have to deal with, but where possible I think it helps a lot.

[@mahrinui18]

I really love Toy Story 4 because of how much existential philosophy they crammed in it

[@mophead_xu]

i wholeheartedly disagree with the "if you're going to write about a struggle, then it'll have to be something you've personally experienced" advice. imo it borders on too close to "write what you know" advice, which is another thing that i personally, not only disagree with, but reject completely. the point about being a misery tourist is true and is definitely often a problem in creators trying to tell a story (particularly that of a struggle) they've never had direct experience with, but i think the problem stems from their lack of respect to both the issue and the people or community impacted by the issue. if we're going to gatekeep certain stories or topics, reserving them to the "right kinds of people" so to speak, the consequence of that is some stories may just never be told at all, or only told by a handful of people, especially stories about people that're part of minority groups. because not everyone is a storyteller (or at least, storytellers who are willing to share with the broader public), nor should everyone aspire to be one. also, there was an oversight issue with that advice which is: telling people that they're only "allowed" to tell stories about struggles they've experienced, is often what leads to creators of various mediums often get harassed because they're deemed as not the right kind of people. this is the stuff about, particularly in the west, mixed-racial people gatekept from telling their own cultural story because they're perceived as only one side of their lineage, or closeted creators being forced to out themselves, or abuse victims having to relive their trauma by publicly recounting it. i know these might seem like quite the extreme examples, but all of these have also happen time and time again precisely because people think people shouldn't tell stories they have no direct experience with. overall, i just think it's a bad bad bad advice. what we need is a more actively engaged and thorough research with empathetic and compassionate approach. direct experiences provide a deeper layer of understanding, sure; but never having gone through something doesn't make it impossible for you to understand _on some level._ not to mention, some experiences may have overlaps with other, unrelated experiences: e.g., someone who's mostly left alone and isolated may be able to relate to the feeling of alienation a person who had been bullied may feel. i think a respectful handling of the matter, with open-eared consideration towards the voices of people with those experiences, will go a farther way than just "writing about struggles you've experienced." if you only write what you know, including about struggles, eventually you'll run out of things to write about. if you write what you don't know, when done well, not only will there be an infinite amount of things you can write about, you'll also be able to expand your knowledge and grow both as a person and a creator. that's my take on that.

[@avivastudios2311]

I never understood why people don't like the 'write what you know' advice. A part of what makes me a writer is the experiences that I have. I wouldn't be able to write about friendship if I didn't have a friend. Now there's always going to be things that I'll have to research in order for a story to work but I truly believe that the less research necessary, the better the work will be.

[@hatchetfieldharpie3276]

Love this comment. A few thoughts in return: As someone that’s puts my trauma into my work, I do fear being put in the position where I feel it a necessity to lay bare my struggles when that’s something that can bring me a lot more harm I think writing exclusively from one’s first hand experience would make for boring worlds of redundant characters that reinforce homogeny and by necessity aschew diversity. Generally speaking, don’t want a male writer to write only male characters or an able bodied writer to forget about disability in their world building. It takes work to do representation right, but it’s worthy work. Also, there’s value in recognizing not everyone recognizes their experiences for what they are *before* working through them in their art. You might be drawn to writing queer stories before you even come out to yourself. You might write a story of overcoming abuse before you’ve admitted that’s what’s happening to you. You might code a character autistic before your diagnosis goes through. Humans are messy, and so is our art, and that’s beautiful. I think putting in the work to appropriately represent experiences - even ones you’ve had (we’re all only one data point, and even people within a community can perpetuate harm against it) - is crucial. If you’re a writer, get diverse beta readers. Talk to people with those experiences. Ask them how to represent it. If you should represent it. Get feedback across cultural lines, and then take that feedback and improve. Hire sensitivity readers if you can. Research the experiences in depth. Listen to voices sharing those experiences, including what lines you should not cross in representing their lives. We should guide ourselves via compassion. And finally I recommend sharing your own experiences in a similar way where you feel comfortable with other creatives. My fellow creatives and I swap not just techniques and strategies, but experiences, outlooks and insights. Honestly loved your take so much it inspired me to give some of my own thoughts. Hope I didn’t drone on too long. This isn’t a new video, so maybe no one will ever see this, but if anyone does I hope it can be helpful

[@GarnetHeartIllustrations]

The part about passive/malleable characters just reminded me of when I used to watch Riverdale, and how the show would get like "oh, Jughead is joining that gang! Look at all this drama!" But the drama is barely there bc there's no conflict about it. The characters weren't given any ideals or principles for the story to challenge and push to possible breaking points, so when the characters make risky or dramatic choices, like joining a gang that was made out to be dangerous, there's literally no tension bc Jughead had no strong feelings about that choice before making it. It just played out like the characters were being stupid and just doing whatever, but to music that tried to frame the choice as a dramatic twist. Characters need opinions, values, ideals, etc. Those need to be challenged by the situations they find themselves in, and that's where that shock and drama comes from when the character does something risky or counter to what the narrative suggests is their expected course of action. (God Riverdale was a mess from season 1, and that mystery in season 1 was the only compelling part of it imo)

[@Dragonborne223]

The best series in KZbin

[@vitalitydoesstuff3603]

I’ve always loved your guys writing, I hope we get to see more of it when Less is Morgue is finally back! Stay safe

[@kradeiz]

SfDebris had a really good video called Homage vs Ripoff that went into the difference between stealing and inspiration.

[@prophetkat]

"There is no stone" Have you been to a Stew Leonard's?

[@psychedelicsees1895]

Oh man thanks for number 3, I'm super new to writing and keep psyching myself out thinking I *need* to think of a theme before I even start writing 😥

[@AgmaSchwa]

plot twist, Wendigoon is secretly Chuck Wendig in disguise

[@ThatGreenMach1ne]

DO NOT DARE COMPARE OUR KING TO THAT TROGLODYTE

[@eyeballz5970]

came jogging briskly when i saw this upload

[@Ronin11111111]

Rule 13: a fantasy webnovel I really enjoy has a main character who is pretty wishy-washy in the beggining, but it works because one of his big moments is him finally commiting to his own morals which is followed in the next arc by him taking contol of his own destiny and starting to drive the story forward much much more actively.

[@wyrmoffastring]

I almost dropped my spaghet while listening u-u

[@sonicthehedgegod]

when you were talking about "the dumb version" RE: rule 9, it just kinda made me cackle thinking about, for instance, Dr. Strangelove, and what happens when the writer is just like "you know what? fuck it. i like the dumb version better. this is the story now."

[@evan.f1738]

39:05 Do write that, that’s basically the trailer shot for the Wario Movie Trilogy

[@nathandavis435]

51:08: My only objection to the point you raise is that if you don't have that sort of experience into what you're writing about, then seek out the help of someone who has. Or at the very least, do some detailed research into the subject. That way, you can be as genuine as you possibly can be, even if you haven't personally experienced, say, racism or gang culture or the struggle of a war veteran or whatever other subject you want to write about.

[@johnynoway9127]

cant escape the Amwrican racism wars even if i tried... im an European and yt loves shoving American politics in my face

[@nathandavis435]

@@johnynoway9127 My intention wasn't to shove American politics into your face, and I apologize if such happened. I simply wanted to provide some examples of topics, many of which are sensitive, that a large enough majority of writers wouldn't have much experience with, and would thus need to put in extra effort into researching to not come off as misery tourists.

[@TuesdaysArt]

I agree! This is why it's good to have sensitivity readers that can look over your work to make sure your portrayal is accurate.

[@johnynoway9127]

@@TuesdaysArt eh sometimes acuracy ruins the whole book

[@TuesdaysArt]

@@johnynoway9127 In what way?

[@kat8559]

Some good lil nugs of wisdom here already (30 min in)

[@kat8559]

I will say that I think How I Met Your Mother is a better example of being inflexible (edit:with your ending). I'm not sure we can say for sure what the process was like writing GoT after the red wedding unless you know more than I do, which is entirely possible.

[@bluecat1462]

I’ve been trying to figure out the soil composition of my DND character’s home, and honestly I’m feeling so attacked right now.

[@CommissarMitch]

In my first ever "published" short story (self published on a fanfic site. No you can not read it) I did have a vague idea how it was gonna end. I was an edgy teen and thus wrote an edgy ending. I realised later that ending was horrible and since then I have modified it a lot to make it make sense.

[@CommissarMitch]

There is however one line I will never change from this story; "If John was straight, this would be paradise."

[@YggdrasilAudio]

The fracking conversation sounds like something from Oneyplays.

[@sabojude]

Examples of flat character arcs also include Nightcrawler and Paddington bears. The idea behind a good flat character arc is that the character changes the world around them for the better or worse. Also Goku was more interesting before Z, the reason his arc is flat there is because it's practically over. OG Goku was all about personal growth and such. Not saying he's the epitome of good character writing by any stretch, but you can make an interesting story as long as change is happening, and the protagonist doesn't need to change themselves as long as they inspire meaningful change in others. I'd argue buzz in toy story 2 has a flat character arc and he invokes a positive arc in the other buzz. Not exactly genius, but it's fun and it works.

[@alexries3650]

A good video, though I still dont really understand the Wendig beef :P

[@ponypublications]

I think #18 means "Tell the best story you can but don't be a perfectionist"?

[@evan.f1738]

Could anyone refresh me on where “Planet Eater and a clan of Wizzards can coexist” originates from?

[@psychedelicsees1895]

Also, with rule eight! there's this term ive heard a few artists use called "turd polishing" which is when you add a bunch of fancy lighting and like effects etc to a drawing that is just like fundementally not so great, which doesn't fix it and just wastes your time. Useful term even though its gross (apologies if it was mentioned I might've tuned it out lol)

[@Big_Man_Enjoyer]

I finished the video and I’m wondering if I’m just too soft to be a real writer It’s hard for me to make cuts to stuff I’m proud of or make changes I’m sure just practicing it will make it easier but… it’s harder than this list makes it seem, especially if you’re kinda a sentimental sap like me lol

[@TuesdaysArt]

If it helps, you don't have to view it as killing your darlings. Rather, you can save the bits that don't work for your story and put them in another story where they'd be better utilized. Writing involves a lot of reusing and recycling lol

[@mixxuie]

I’m a fellow sap lol, what has helped me is remembering that my writing, tho it COMES from me, IS NOT me. We are creative beings; if we put ourselves to it we can make more, so trimming the fat to make it better isn’t really a loss! All art forms do it, visual artists normally don’t leave their sketches visible in a fully rendered piece. If the sketch is good it makes the end piece easier to make, and the sketch is compelling by itself but the fully rendered piece is more polished. And an important lesson I’ve learned as a visual artist is to not over complicate a piece with details that draw the eye away from where I want people to look… I believe in us! I’ve gotten a bit better by having writing buddies (and digital art buddies) so find people you trust!

[@footh1013]

I am also really sentimental with my writing. I've had to (and still have to) make major changes to my stories because things just weren't working. It felt like the hardest writing choices I've ever made at the time, but I did them because my characters needed me to make those choices. One thing that helps me is to cut and save all of my deleted scenes/defunct information into a separate document. That way I'm not "actually" deleting anything, but I can still trim the fat in my stories.

[@gem9535]

Copy paste the unnecessary parts and see if you can fit them in somewhere else in the finished product. You can keep everything you want in there, but also be open to criticism when people say they think one part of the other is unnecessary.

[@llamasmeowing2061]

Your story seems similar to “The devil is a part timer”! You guys would break the internet if you teamed up with he channel “Terrible Writing Advice”

[@Dracosfire14]

Can we also stop making people feel guilty for liking things? If you don't like The Boys, that's fine. There's plenty to dislike about it. But can we stop making everyone who sees passed that feel like shit for enjoying a fun show? Just one example I bring up cause you guys said it, but seriously everyone, just let people enjoy things

[@WeRNotAlive]

WHAT? We were entirely positive on The Boys in this. We like the show????

[@Dracosfire14]

@@WeRNotAlive No, no, I meant the general "you" because you seemed to feel the need to defend bringing it up before you did and that sort of shame, even to yourself, is an attitude I've been noticing more and more on KZbin recently, and I think it's unhealthy

[@WeRNotAlive]

@@Dracosfire14 Nah, we are critical of everything we like, not just The Boys. Rick and Morty though I am actually ashamed of liking.

[@Dracosfire14]

@@WeRNotAlive criticizing yourself isn't criticizing the work

[@WeRNotAlive]

@@Dracosfire14 Who said it was? XD

[@Ronin11111111]

In every video I wonder why my likes/dislikes in stories, and sometimes oppinions on certain works and what makes a good story, differ so much from the guys. Like the random, unmotivated outbursts against anime. My best guess so far is that I don't value movies as a medium particularly highly.

[@TigerDragon1001]

I’m actually losing it, I added Henry on Letterboxd and we have two of the same favourite films 🤝 feel vindicated in my taste (I’m TheCydork)

[@TheAnonyomusGuy]

Be careful bringing up stone tablets you might trigger people from Georgia

[@superboyok_]

I think you should try Owl House Season 2, it reminds of Wonder Over Yonder in its twisting of the original themes... also its gay AF and we need more support

[@---rm8do]

So I double checked, and I think the sourdough starter metaphor might have been in the reddit advice one. At the very least, it's not in tumblr 1. Also Henry audio omegalul

[@salsathemonkey22]

You write for a podcast lmao

[@dissonanceparadiddle]

It's not that Mabel was selfish that bugs me it's that not only does she not learn or pay for it in any way but that even bill points it out and lampshades it and then it's just swept under the rug

[@WeRNotAlive]

She gives up literal paradise to risk her life and face the apocalypse head on. You’re just braindead.

[@dissonanceparadiddle]

@@WeRNotAlive yeah there's that. Good point

[@dissonanceparadiddle]

@@WeRNotAlive hopefully being subbed and watching the writing advice videos you have I'll get less braindead

[@WeRNotAlive]

Hopefully haha

[@faye8236]

“value yourself more” i thought this was writing advice stop making me think about my life 🙄

[@SASardonic]

"Corrollary" Bruh, it's corr-a-lary

[@YggdrasilAudio]

No, no, no, no. The Departed is a remake of Internal Affairs. Reservoir Dogs is a remake of City on Fire.

[@pienoaji]

FINISH COUNT CHUCK-ULA'S BOOK YOU COWARDS

[@alpaczka6078]

29:50 come on, GoT snide is bit of low blow. Last season changed writers and both it's ideology and pencraft just went to incoherent shit.

[@WeRNotAlive]

Ideology?? Pencraft??

[@alpaczka6078]

@@WeRNotAlive ​ @Diregentleman Okay, so here's what i mean. Okay, so we all know the universal problem with writing in the final season, mostly making smart characters idiots, and being unable to pay off any setups. Danearys army of slavery abolishers is resolved by PTSD. Dragons can be shot by balistas, but they don't appear in the final siege. Al Gore becomes president, because patricidal traitor says he gets the best words. the ideological problem lies in the liberal mindrot, that every problem will resolve itself into becoming a democracy, because it's natural state of goverment. States become democracy not because current aparatus is stretched too thin, , not because calcified dynasties have problems with rallying the troops, and need to chip down their power by privledging the knights to do that. Westeros became noblemen democracy because jumping girl teleports from "last week at GoT" and stabs real good. This is an ideological choice. Putting most reluctant character on the throne can't be explained any other way than "I'm a lib and no one who waged war or did any dirty politics can win in my story".

[@pridemoth_]

The three seasons before that were already pretty bad, actually

[@coolsenjoyer]

@@pridemoth_ Right?! And people even say shit like "they did pretty good for seasons 5 and 6 considering they ran out of source material by then" when it's like, no they didn't. They just refused to adapt Feast and Dance

[@pridemoth_]

@@coolsenjoyer RIGHT????? I mean they also cut out the set up for later plotlines out of the first 4 seasons which really left them empty-handed but like. That was entirely self-inflicted.

[@Bizarro69]

I don't get what's funny about the vodka part.

[@parangaricutirimicuaro2067]

Aooohojo

[@animefreak8535]

Again someone mention Toy Story 2 being great I stand on the opposite going ok but I still do not like it and that goes for NGE too I hope when One Piece is done Oda Sensei say bye everyone love you

[@ilikethecokev2]

Well, Goku DOES change. But only aesthetically.