@@emilyrln lmao! I hope you're being sincere. I mean I'm being hyperbolic but sometimes If feel like that's how I write. I'm over 100k on this rough draft and it's only halfway done and I'm asking myself "what the hell has even happened??" I will be sure to send it to you when it's done in 100 years ;)
Apply that same character - objective - stakes - obstacle format to your antagonist and see what happens. I always find it very helpful when I know what my villains want and how they're going to try to get it. It really rounds them out, instead of just "they're evil." At any rate, it helps to look at the story from a different POV.
I'm currently drafting the second book in my series and got a chuckle when I plugged in the story elements. Gerri wants to understand why she's a ghost because it doesn't seem to be a normal condition, but only being able to communicate through her living twin is getting in her way.
If you’re reading this, I’m guessing you like to write. You’ve figured out the power of words: they can make you laugh until you cry, suprise you so much your jaw drops open, or anger you enough to slam a book closed. When you write, you are harnessing this power. You get to affected how people feel and react to to words! If you’re like me, you probably can’t get enough of writing. Somtimes it’s hard for me to write. In my opinion the hardest thing to do in writing is getting the first sentence. When you’re facing a blank page, you just need to begin to write! Start with a word make it a sentence. See if you could add a few more sentences and complete just one measly paragraph. Don’t worry about what you’re saying just yet. You can even write “I don’t know what to write.” Why? Because by simply writing somthing anything you are warming up your brain imagination. - good luck in writing
A writer wants to write a good novel, one that might be meaningful to readers, because they don't want to feel ashamed for wasting their readers a few hours of their lives, but that writer is hindered by the fact that formulas and trends determine a work's chances to get published.
Eventually, the would-be writer realizes it's a hopeless pursuit, and decides their efforts are best utilized doing something more practical. They may have writing talent, but human talent is the cheapest commodity on the market. Nobody cares if it remains unfulfilled.
Thanks for the advice, Alyssa. My hope is to create strong, realistic characters and let them push the story forward... dragging me along for the ride! But your 3-point plotting structure seems like a solid and useful checklist, regardless of genre or story length.
I picked up Save the Cat based on one of your videos. Really helped nail down the idea of character goals and stakes. Too bad I found that book while in the fifth draft of my tenth novel. It would’ve really helped me twenty years ago.
@@Woanderer I cannot. Lots of scrolling through the channel. The title was something like, “five books to help with your writing” or something like that.
I appreciated this very much and subscribed to your newsletter. I usually write nonfiction essay, but found this a fun opportunity to also think about fiction.
Thanks for another insightful video. I will use these basic principles to review my plot even though my novel is complete. Seeing my plot more clearly will help me write a better pitch as I look for an agent. Your information has been so valuable to me this past year in the writing of my first novel.
This is genius! My reverse outline got a little muddled, but I saw this just the other day. I tried it out on a story idea I've had for a long time, and it works! I'm going to use it as the new format for my reverse outline.
My plot: Kai wants to become stronger because he wants to stop the Demon lord's army from reviving the evil dragon and taking over the realm but he quickly realizes that he can't do it without accepting magic and the help from the very people that he wants to protect and save.
Thank you,Alyssa I am writing a memoir and it meets the criteria for a novel so i think I am on the right track! Your videos have been so helpful, and I am grateful for you because you have given me insight into the publishing industry that was a mystery to me. Have a good day and see you next week ! First time commenting but a faithful watcher !
So I understand the value of identifying what your main character wants and making that clear to the reader as soon as possible, but I struggle to integrate that with another piece of advice on plot structure that I often hear: namely, that the inciting incident which kicks off the main plot shouldn't happen until ten to fifteen percent of the way into the narrative. Because to my view, it's not until THAT moment occurs that you can really talk about identifying the story goal. Take Katniss Everdeen. It's only *after* her sister's name is drawn in the reaping (and Katniss volunteers to take her place) that her true story goal crystallizes, which is to survive the hunger games. It is THAT want-slash-goal which will drive everything else that happens in the narrative. So then, here's my question: how can you make it clear what your protagonist wants from page one when by definition, the key moment from which their primary story goal-slash-want will emerge hasn't happened yet? And furthermore, how do you decide what your main character should be doing in the time before the inciting incident occurs?
Hey…I’m learning craft and have been exploring various sources of instruction about story structure and plotting and outlining etc. I just saw a video that might give you a different perspective about Hunger Games in particular and therefore might answer your question. So Hunger Games starts off showing Katniss’s regular life / status quo. She is taking care of her Mother and her little sister trying to keep them fed, and her sister emotionally anchored etc. She has stepped into her Mother’s role where her sister is concerned. Through her actions from the very start of the movie, we can infer that her primary goal in life is to survive in her dystopian world where people starve to death and via her own survival, to keep her family alive and protected from harm. We get foreshadowing about an event happening soon that seems to threaten that status quo: the Reaping. When Prim’s name is called at the Reaping, (inciting incident) this clashes with Katniss’s status quo and the story’s protagonist’s initial established goal: ensure her sister’s survival. This speaks to your question: at THAT point, immediately after the inciting incident, her goal remains what it was initially: to do whatever it took to ensure her family survived even if it required her own life. Her goal is NOT to win the Games yet. Remember, before she leaves she tries to reanimate her Mother to take care of Prim because she fully believes she’s not coming back…not because she’s convinced she couldn’t win, but because she doesn’t think she can manage to TRY to win. She’s refusing the Call of the Games - which is to ensure your own survival by killing all the other tributes. She just volunteered to take her sister’s place which is a continuation and escalated version of her initial goal from page one - to prolong and protect her family’s life in that dystopian society. We’re still in Act 1 and story structures vary; but this movie does incorporate a discernible Debate. Debate happens after the inciting incident but before the break into two. It’s important to note that after a refusal of the call, Katniss debates whether to reconsider and answer the call. How is that true when she has already volunteered as tribute? Because again, the Call issued is to WIN the Hunger Games and as Victor win food for your district. Katniss volunteering as tribute is not acceptance of the call to WIN. That’s an important distinction. We’re still in Act 1 when Katniss and Peta travel to the Games. Peta is 100% engaged with their mentor like ‘teach us what we need to know to give us a chance to win’. At this point however, Katniss has still not answered the call. She disengages from those conversations leaving the room. Because she has a moral compass that is completely at odds with the dystopia she lives in, she DEBATES with herself whether she can actually kill another person and/or whether she can do what’s necessary to be the last one standing. I infer her to still see herself as her sister’s best chance to survive day to day as she’s not 100% convinced her mother will step up. So her sister’s survival is STILL tied to her own and obviously she doesn’t want to die but she’s not a killer. This is internal conflict of the highest order. She eventually ends her debate and decides that she is going to try to survive the Games but by strategy and on her own terms. This is exemplified when she walks back into the room and hears the mentor say something like “No don’t do that. That will get you killed”. NOW Katniss’s initial goal shifts and drills down from general day to day survival to the specific STORY goal tied to the premise - to try to survive the Hunger Games. She then starts to engage with the mentor asking “What will get us killed?” Structurally, having made that conscious decision to try to survive The Games, she ticks off the first plot point or the answering the call to adventure beat or the break into Act two. Structurally from that point it’s first half of Act 2: fun and games, learning the new world, fish out of water, promise of the premise etc. Allies, enemies (career tributes) and tests etc. So back to your question, she does have a clear goal from page one - even if we have to infer it through being shown her detailed status quo via her normal day to day existence. The inciting incident happens TO the protagonist and is usually beyond their control and it disrupts the status quo and requires a reaction or response from the protagonist. That tracks with the calling of Prim’s name and Katniss immediately volunteering as tribute - which I look at as an instinctive and nonetheless genuinely selfless emotional reaction. It’s not the actual decision that sends us into Act 2. Maybe most importantly, I think it’s instant, compelling character development. From that point on, we the audience love her and we’ll forgive her anything pretty much because of her sacrifice and genuine selflessness. Immediate stakes and we care about her now. In this story, the fact that she debates whether she will try to win by killing other people establishes her morality and on top of her sacrifice to keep her sister out of the Games, we are locked in her corner behind her and totally vested in her survival even if she has to kill other people to be the last standing. I’ve gone off into the weeds but I too have come across what seems to be contradictory advice among the writing professionals. Some say there should only be one overarching story goal. If that’s true, maybe it’s simply to survive. At first it’s general survival of the dystopian conditions of being on the brink of starvation. Then it becomes more specifically to survive the Games. I think I subscribe to what Alyssa is saying: that sometimes the goals change throughout the story. I think this is especially true when you consider / acknowledge that each SCENE within the story should have its own goal as the POV character should always have something they are trying to achieve in the scene and the answer to whether they get it or not should set up what happens in the next scene or chapter as a result of cause and effect. If your plot has a “spine” that runs through the entire story, the smaller goals should naturally extend from it and therefore serve the overarching goal of the story. Human nature tends not to be how can I change my thoughts, fears and misbeliefs but instead what can I do to change my situation…but our reality is a function of our thoughts and decisions. Events=external=plot vs that internal journey that experiencing the plot should inspire. Addressing that false belief or fear is what allows the hero to change their lives in most stories - not just changing their external environment etc. This is what I’m gleaning from various sources of craft instruction. And then to your last point what should be happening before the inciting incident? Establish the everyday normal life. The status quo. But not an everyday kind of day. Something should be a little different than every other day. It should be like: every day the hero drives to work - that’s the status quo - but on the day that you begin the story , his car won’t start, so he has to ride the bus. And because he had to ride the bus that day, he sits down next to a woman who is set to leave town the next day; but wanted to take one last trip Downtown to the Museum. Inciting incident - Romance genre Meet Cute! She can’t leave the next day after all and so on. You should show how the current life is missing something (maybe the Protag misses his girlfriend that broke up with him a year ago) or how their day to day life is unfulfilled and how the protag’s needs aren’t being met and how they want something more even if they don’t know what it is that would make them happy but maybe they think they do. Then when the inciting incident happens, it should significantly interrupt or even shatter that every day normal in a way that’s going to give them a way to address what they are missing in their lives but it’s not going to be easy to take advantage of the opportunity presented - obstacles, opponents, plot events,internal conflict. Again, I’ve read the inciting incident is often something that happens TO the protag that is out of their control. Then as a separate beat, the protag should always be shown to DECIDE to enter the fray or answer the call to make him an active protagonist. That decision leads to all the plot events that unfold in Act 2. Hope this helps or at least gives you something to think about. 😀
@@nikkinewbie6014 I read a little bit of that, and I was going to say the same thing about "current life is missing something," but before that I was going to say to just show their daily life. There you go: advice from a writer of 0 novels.
@@throughthoroughthought8064 I’m in that same zero novel boat. But that doesn’t render your opinion useless. If you are actively learning craft then you are accumulating knowledge and it’s fresh in your mind. It’s valid to share it I just always disclose I’m still learning so that no one fails to do their own due diligence 😂. Writing is so creative that there are hardly any hard and fast rules - just guidelines that can be extremely beneficial to follow and dine every journey is different I think we all have something to contribute to the furthering of story. But yes my comment was in tldr territory for sure. Thanks for your reply. I had forgotten this comment. 😂😂.
Also I saw an amazing interview of an authority on story structure on Film Courage who said that the initial story goal often changes at the midpoint. The example she gave was the parent of a kidnapped child has the goal of getting back their child unharmed. At the midpoint, it’s discovered the child has already been accidentally killed. The main story goal changes at that point: revenge and/or Justice for the killing of the child. You can see how it’s still connected to the initial goal while still sending the character on a different path with a different kind of internal conflict. Also, to touch base on what the protagonist was doing before the inciting incident of the kidnapping, you could show the normal routine - but with an important deviation. For instance, say that the parent normally drove the kid to school every day but on the day you start your story, the kid begged to walk to school like all his friends and the parent relents and lets them. That’s the day the kid gets kidnapped! But there should be a fear, a fatal flaw or a shortcoming or a misbelief of the protagonist (parent) that is hinted at in the status quo events to be resolved as part of the character’s arc. The importance that some place on a global story midpoint that “changes the game” is a whole other topic; but my point here is that I’m coming to believe that the main story goal can, often does and even should change from what it is in the beginning. I like that it could effectively combat the sag of the long second act by dividing it into two - before and after the midpoint where the story goal changes. I would also tend to think that the first half they chase what they think they WANT; but the second half they start realizing what they NEED. I gave a bad example for that approach but think Rom Com: first half they for want the hot guy but then second half they start to realize they need the nerdy guy. 😂😂 How are you coming along? I’m still collecting knowledge and am currently studying Story Grid. It’s heavy but I’m getting a lot out of studying those concepts. I’ve started to outline but nothing is written in stone. I’m hybriding structures and blending genres and calling on different story philosophies and experimenting but at this point I think I have to close the gate on learning additional structure models. I need to start writing! Anyway hope all is well with both of you here in this comment.
I title my work, write a very short summary and just write. I know wbat book is about before I even start writing. I know what takes place in my head. I don't take notes or anything so it can change with ease so the story can unfold itsekf ss it comes together.
I've seen a lot of books, videos, and conversations about writing, but most of them were couched in the language of 'Creative Writing" graduates, which is no help to those from other disciplines. This has been refreshingly different. Every field has its jargon, which professionals use to keep the hoi-polio at bay. This was instructive!
I'm a pantser I would say, as I basically just start, but not without some plotting. I have a rough idea , basically the core story it could be only a line or 2 or becomes more fleshed out as I write it out and get ideas. As I go along I write things down for later or decide something should happen or be exposed later or written differently. So I organically plot when I want to/as I go, rather than having a fleshed out document of plot and then filling it in by writing. But it is interesting to see the different methords and maybe pick up a tip or trick to help me.
You mention how a lot of writer's plots are way too vague and undefined. The writer isn't clear enough, or perhaps doesn't even know what they're trying to say. it reminds me of one of Michael Moorcock's novels (The Knight of the Swords). In the beginning, his hero, the Prince in the Scarlet Robe, is rather lackadasical, waiting a few days to finish his symphony before setting out on a mission for his father. But he encounters the race that is destroying his own poeple and wakes up. It is the tragedy of losing everything that galvanizes him to become the hero. And it seems to me that all too many of these writers are like Corum, they haven't had any real suffering in their life; their writing is not a matter of life or death to them. Hardship will make someone look at what they've written and wonder, "How could I have ever written such worthless, self-indulgent crap!"
I understand but alot of novels have amazing literature and symbolism something’s genuinely are missed I feel it’s a lot more complexities you overlooked.
This is very practical advice and something to keep in mind even as you plow your way through your first draft. For the fantasy novel, I've just started writing. Garashina wants to restore the Duke Dantic to power and restore the power structure that brought her a fulfilling life as his right-hand woman and almost lover, but the god Alzorha is intent on blocking the restoration. Yes, her goal will shift before the novel's done.
8:05: Adam wants to find a job because he doesn't want to live on the street, on the same level as a bum, and the overdue rent bills are piling on him like red summer ants. But his past, like him crashing into the car fence of his previous job, making him lose it, and the fact he got into a fight with some boys in the ub makes this difficult. That's not the whole story, just near the end of it, with many other problems all around my three main characters, Adam, Diana his wife, and Dylan, their son. Please tell me what you think and how to Improve on it if necessary.
Missing the character arc. This is effectively just the premise. The plot should be able to spur character development, and it requires more than just this.
@@billyb4790more like when they overcome the stakes. The character might overcome the obstacle or not, but a character arc is when the character changes their mind (I think, not too sure)
@@lidbel9352Depends on the story I think, usually you want some kind of growth, overcoming obstacles and emerging stronger (hero’s journey). But, there’s plenty of bestselling novels out there that don’t adhere to this and are primarily plot driven. For instance, James Bond, Jack Ryan or Sherlock Holmes. I’d argue that none of these characters significantly change or grow due to the events of the books, but the characters and the situations they find themselves in are compelling enough that character growth is not the primary focus of the story. Basically you’ve got to know what kind of story you are telling. If you aren’t going to have a hero’s journey, you’ve got to have a damn compelling plot and characters.
This isn’t strictly true. A character’s arc isn’t an inherent element of a plot, but rather an element of story. The plot isn’t the whole of the story, it’s the roadmap we follow characters on. It’s the EVENTS of a story. Character arc is a different storytelling tool all together that chronicles the effects of the plot and other story elements on the characters.
This is great deep important stuff for new authors. I'd like (and maybe there is already a video for this, idk) a video on good ideas vs not so good ideas. Thanks
1. I guess it’ll be like my favourite anime hxh where gon become a hunter to be like/want to find his dad but after the big incident he will want to defeat all bad in the world and find his dad even more to stop the evil and know why his dad did all this.. 😮 2. It’s his dad and his dad left without a trace and just gave him a camera, after the incident the characters feel guilty since the monster feed on negative energy and they were the main reason the energy was there so before it spreads to the other schools/the entire world, they feel it’s their fault and it will effect the world 3. an evil gang wants the world to be negative because they think it’s what the world deversed because of what the world done to them, there trying to stop them from “saving the world” and want them to join them in the after life to avoid the curse happening and the characters are trying to convince them that the world dosent deserve this but it dosent work but btw it’s not realized yet so far there just evil people. the human world will be destroyed because of the curse that will make human society hate each other to the point everyone died and the world is gone and every living species was killed. I kinda wanna add martial arts to this but idk if it’ll be cringe ? what shall i do
"Mavericks"- A teenage refugee wants to find his missing parents. He believes the authorities do not care or are trying hard enough so he turns to the world of the unseen, bargaining with a mysterious man to do so. Unfortunately magic doesn't make the path any easier, offering new truths and temptations. Can this wayward youth find his way?
thank you for the information. keeping it simple is better and this really puts things in a better perspective. this can also be applied to people that would like to write their own life story. very helpful.
As a pantser, I start with an intriguing idea and play with it. I have tried plotting beforehand, but I always end up exchanging it for something better. I generally plot it after to help with the editing to help clean things up. I was playing with a character and was on the third chapter when I realized the story would have to be a romance. I don't particularly like romance novels so my thought was to torment and psychologically torture the couple until I figured out a way to resolve it. (I was just being evil, but my test readers love it)
Question for AAA: telling us considered 'bad' but at the same time I've heard many ppl say that the MC's objective/goal and thus the goal of the book must be clearly stated within the first few pages so that the reader knows what they're in for. What are your thoughts on this? Is it okay to plainly state the goal. For context: I'm writing a dystopian with a complicated goal that would be difficult to indirectly communicate. Thank you!
Silva, the strongest sorceress of an age, Is preparing mead and other supplies to help her people through a harsh winter ahead when her powers fail. Is her time on Andor at an end or is their another sorcerer meddling with her?
My protagonist along with her friends want to retirieve the gems of the 4 elemental guardians in order to maintain balance and peacee AND so that their world doesnt collapse, but the friend of the protagonist wants power more that peace.... this took a lot of time to figure out
Thanks for all your videos Alyssa! First-time commenter here trying to rework her first chapter, and this video was a very good come-to-jesus moment! I'm writing a memoir now, which I'm working to sound like a novel so this fully applies. Here goes: Annie wants to understand her low-income family because as a child of Chinese immigrants she needs to know her history and identity to feel like she belongs in society, and to eventually support her family financially as the first generation in America, but she is not fluent in any of the Chinese languages her parents speak, her parents don't speak English, which is the language she needs to learn to survive and succeed in America, and her parents are reticent to tell her anything about her family history. She feels helpless until she finds out at 13 she's related to someone who is very important in American history and begins to search for her family history in English.
Runa wants to expand her home goods business because she has fun crafting and brewing things, she likes it when other people compliment her goods but certain crops are tricky to acquire since the local spirits don't sell those seeds that easily.
Mine has multiple plots, but let me try to wrap it up. "Vik wants to reunite her family because it will bring her closer to discover herself, but a dream corporation (that seeks to release the darkness) is getting in her way.
My protagonist wants to be strong enough to control the goblins when she becomes queen. The stakes are whether the kingdom falls into rebellion if the goblins rise up. The obstacle is that she doesn't understand her own strengths, so she tries to emulate other people's strength, leading to mistakes that cause a goblin uprising.
My plot Aaron wants to go out with because his friends will call him coward cupid for a year but his rival also has crush on aarons crush is getting in his way
This is a story that been very long in my mind and always felt fearfull if it was to complex for a novel (series), but it does help thank you. I feel like it still vague cause it was once meant for a long term dnd game but this story became to dear me for just that: Thirteen WANTS to gain control over her powers BECAUSE otherwise one of the 13 warrior can take over her body and mind l, BUT the 13 warriors in her head are getting in her way.
Alyssa, The knowledge you share is incredibly helpful. Thank you! You had a video where you discussed three different ways to revise. I can *not* find it. Can you share which video that was? Thank you! 🙂
My issue I'm having is my character is going on her heroes journey. But I don't know what to fill in the middle with. There are gonna be obstacles of course but I have no clue what they're gonna be or how to form them ugh.
If it's a story series, does the main character have to reach their goal or have solid answers by the first or second book, or can the answer to the main question come at the 3nd of the third book?
No expert writer, but I feel it needs to be tied up enough to not feel like you got nowhere, but loose enough that more can be add. No expert, so here are some examples that come to mind (I chose them as they are examples of a first book leading into a series on the same adventure/world and famous enough that you may have read them) Warning spoilers of 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher'/sorcerer's Stone', 'The Golden compass/Northern lights' and 'The Lion, he Witch and The Wardrobe' Sorry if I misremember any of the endings. Point is many series start with a book that could stand alone , while some have cliff hangers. I feel the basic question of the adventure should be answered , so it feels somewhat satisfying and conclusive to finish, with room for more to be answered and achieved 🤷♀ But feel free to disagree. His Dark Materials (' Northern lights'/ ' The Golden Compass') by Philip pullman- that adventure is over, but they set of on a new one, after there best friends death, resolute that the dust they once thought evil isn't. This sets up the next book and is kind of a cliff hanger, but the main adventure of that book is wrapped up. Harry potter (The Philosopher'/ sorcerer's stone) by J.K Rowling- The answer to how harry was saved is explained here as love and kind of Voldemort (for now) killed on the back of Quirrell's head + the philosophers stone are wrapped up. The villain is not actually dead and there are still questions and a world to explore if you read on Narnia by C.S Lewis (The lion, The Witch and The wardrobe)-first part- good triumphs over evil , second part- the children grow up and become royalty and then go back to England and are kids again. Still more to discover and they are kids again who can participate in the world, but the battle of that book is wrapped up.
Bacca wants to find out the origin of the golden lamp because it was the only thing he inherited from his parents, but Anul is getting in the way. Anul wants to save his father's soul. oops, I added something extra :)
Franny the fairy wants to protect her Forrest because she loves her fellow forest creatures and there’s a dragon egg that needs saving, but obstacles like the leprechaun town elders, and a goblin named grizzle gets in her way.❤
Ana Lumia is a young cleric who is visiting the town of Ravenbell to learn from an elder High Priest of her God, The Lightbringer. On her first day in town, she hears the Priest discuss that a young boy must be exiled, as he is marked as a cursed child that has brought darkness upon the town by way of murders and kidnappings of the town's children. Ana has devoted herself to the path of light, and believes it is her duty to clear this child's name, and make a positive impact on an increasingly dark world. However, her high priest does not approve of her involvement in the case, and other forces are not content with seeing her try to uncover the truth behind the murders of Ravenbell. What truths will she uncover? Will she prevail against all odds? Welcome to "The Stages of Grief, Book 1: The Accursed Child", my first Dark Fantasy novel.
I wonder if doing a short story changes this equation much? I imagine there may be more flexibility in some ways - maybe the shorter format means readers expect you to be concise to the point of confusing sometimes? I'm a little stalled on a heist short story at present, though I have the main outline. Protagonist needs to solve case for the money, the kudos, respect in the eyes of her dad, and to shove her success in the face of the guy who refused to promote her at her last job. If she fails this time that may be the death knell for her PI agency, and proof to the sexist prevailing opinion that women shouldn't be PIs. Obstacles are the brilliance of the villains, and the fact her "intern" is actually on the villains' side...
Can someone help. I'm struggling to figure out my MC's main objective. Idk if I'm over thinking it but what if my MC's goal doesn't have much to do with the plot. Like, say she's living her normal life, not expecting anything then something happens that changes her life. So the plot isn't necessarily driven by her goal. So is it really relevant in this case?
Hi there - it's hard to answer specific questions like this without reading the manuscript, but I do have another video that goes into more detail about character objectives that I think you might like: ruclips.net/video/G59iclZRCCU/видео.html I hope that helps!
my character is a boy who is sheltered from the world and has lots of pressure,he wants to be his own person because their parents control them but he doesnt know how because he has never left the island
This was a great video, what do you do next ones you have all the information gathered? how do I put it together to make a cohesive story? I am a new writer and any information would be greatly appreciated, Thanks
U know what's interesting I'm going by the films not books But the first harry potter film harry doesn't actually have a goal He's basically being propelled by the plot And what draws us in is the whimsical nature of the world and the fact that he's a sympathetic character But he doesn't have a true goal in the first film in my opinion He doesn't wanna be the greatest wizard of all time he doesn't try to find out about his parents He doesn't even know what he wants to do with his schooling We don't even know he wants to work with positions until like the third film If I'm wrong let me know but....idk
[Character] wants [objective] because [stakes], but [obstacle] is getting in the way. Chrysantha wants Asimikéras because he belongs to a noble family and can provide for her, but the man seems to be more interested in Erythrantha.
I write literary fiction and, although I do understand where you're coming from, I hope and believe literature can be, and is, much more than what this video makes it out to be. I guess the allure of reading works outlined after the structure explained in this video is revelling in the idea and catharisis of finite outcomes within recognizable/relatable realities; especially given the premise of our own - where there is only one finite outcome, and none of our actions can prevent its finality. What I often find lacking in such works as you describe is a truthful depiction of the irrationality of man in his totality and even depravity. A perfectly formulated plot can't capture that, but literature still can, and when it does, I know of no other experience that can be more profound: to find yourself on a page, completely, as you are.
I agree that the basic plot model outlined here doesn't apply to lit fic, which is strange and unweildy and adheres closer to what lives are actually like. But I still think this is a useful model for nascent writers who are new to plotting. Lit fic is interesting in that it leverages storytelling tools to bring someone on a strange journey that also leverages what our actual lives are like, so what we get with lit fic is something that is very familiar because we live it, but also surprising, because it lives inside the turns of a story.
Two books do it better than almost any other and they are plot-light. Animal Farm and The Martian. Both of those books move forward relentlessly. There is no waste, every motion moves plot or character forward and every but of fat is trimmed off. Keep moving forward. As soon as you decide to relax into a scene and start indulging yourself as a writer and not servicing the story, that is the same time I am likely to put the book down.
Here’s my question. My story is a historical fiction. Set in first century Roman Empire, there are well-known events like the rise of Christianity and the Jewish Revolt. Specifically, the first installment is set during Jesus’ public ministry, culminating in his crucifixion. there are obvious spoilers, given the historical setting. My character, Claudia, is a young Roman girl exiled in Jerusalem because of something called the Treason Trials. She wants to restore her father’s honor (I know, that sounds old-fashioned and outdated). For Romans, honor was extremely important. Could that be a personal stake? or is that too broad?
I'm drafting my first ever novel! My main character is a 16 yr old who's living in Europe during WW2. She wants to be a fierce protector for war torn people because she once failed to save her twin brother from being dragged into war and her conscience kills her, which makes her want to prove herself. But, her fear of failing again and hurting her loved ones is getting in her way. Would love to know what y'all feel about this!
What a cool excercise! Gave me some order. Heres my take on that sentence: Cisco wants to achieve digital immortality after proving AI is capable of running the world on its own, because humans are bad at it, but, AI becomes TOO GOOD
Might be too beefy of a plot. A streamlined version might be: Cisco wants to prove his tech is capable of running the world on its own better than people, because humanity is bad at it, but, his tech proves TOO GOOD
If anyone here is interesting more about plotting or wants to understand the importance of an internal conflict, I DO recommens Three Act Story Structure -video series by Abbie Emmons. You can find in on RUclips.
It's like you knew I was just about to plot my next book...because I needed to watch this before I start tomorrow! I will say, though, I LOVE throwing all sorts of obstacles at my main characters. I think of Will Smith's character in "The Pursuit of Happyness" where conflict is relentless, constantly barraging the protagonist to simply survive another day. Here's mine: Audrey wants to finally do her highly prestigious job because she's never been able to do it in the first place, but she's never received training, guidance, or formal coaching to get the job done.
Alyssa, hi... I have difficulty plotting my story. My manuscript was written rather impulsively. I need help in plotting it. Could you help please? I am with Jericho writers but I have not found the right person yet. A developmental edit revealed my lack of plot.Do you have a website? How to contact you?
Hi there - thanks for your interest! My website is www.alyssamatesic.com/. You can learn more about my services and the genres I edit and reach out via the form on my site if you think we might be a good fit!
@@AlyssaMatesic Thanks, Alyssa. I am in India visiting family. I have a 125 thousand word manuscript but editing cannot improve it. I need to rewrite giving my character a clearer purose, and with a clearer plot. When I return home to Switzerland, I will get in touch again. Thanks once again for responding. Best wishes Mathew
At the start of the novel Mira is a half-human, half-jinn who doesn't know her heritage or that she has a magical power. She starts seeing hallucinations and is convinced she has a mental disorder because that, or the possibility of a brain tumor, are the only kinds of explanations she is willing to consider - she doesn't believe in the supernatural. Having established that: Mira wants to understand why she is hallucinating because she feels like if she loses her grasp on reality she will not be able to make friends and stop being so lonely but she is afraid of sharing her secret because she thinks that she will be rejected and possibly put in an insane asylum.
my character wants to go home because she misses her father and the human world, but having a bargain with a faerie lord and finding out she’s over a hundred years old is getting in the way from escaping her safe little bubble in the Otherworld. Oh, and she’d definitely get eaten/killed if she did escape anyway. But desperation is desperation, and being 120 years old, well- what does she have left to lose?
Baylin wants to get married to a rich man (Morgan) because her mother lost her job and can no longer take care of their family, but Morgan wants to court Bayin's sister, Tandy, who isn't interested in him at all.
1st POV: Pip, the non-magical knowledge keeper of her tribe, wants to stop her people from losing their magic because she wants to prove her tribal worth, but magical entities and her feelings of self doubt get in the way. 2nd POV: Alba Wren, an ice guide outcastes because of their dangerously powerful abilities, wants to stop their mentor from stealing magic from tribes because they know personally how harmful powerful abilities can be, but magical entitites and feelings of shame get in their way.
I liked a lot of this video but I disagree on the point about specific objectives - they boiled down to the bad objective, which you gave "finding love" as example. the specific goals the character has in each scene still comes from that larger goal, so I don't understand why it was labelled as bad. If main character goes on dates, that's an action that stems from the goal of finding love, doesn't it? I agree that the character should have concrete goals in each scene, but the overall goal/need of finding love would still be at the core of all their actions.
It’s not that finding love is bad, it’s just very vague. In the example given they want to find love sure, but another reason is because everyone else has been on dates and they want to go on one too.
@@sergel02 It's only vague because you build up plot elements around that theme - but finding love is ultimately the core of romance stories. You have to give characters things to do in a story, but sometimes stories can simply be "I want to get with this person but something is standing in my way" whether that's personal or outside forces. The plot and actions the character takes to reach love, all kind of service that ultimate goal.
Aeromond wants to reform The Council of Warriors so he can depose his treacherous brother as king of Havara but his brother's plans and the geopolitical landscape of his world keep getting in the way. It's a fantasy novel if that wasn't obvious. Lol! Giants, pirates, talking dragons, a demon-possessed army of otherwise unwilling conscripts... You know, the usual.
Kylie Waters wants to meet her father her whole life and ask him one simple question did you ever love me but her mother step family is one of the most villainous mafia families ever when she finds out her life is put to endanger many times over.
My plot: once upon a time there were tons of characters who I like and they all sat around talking to each other.
its called seinfeld
Perhaps the most relatable thing anyone has ever said
@@jsistheshadowbrooooo😂
Honestly, if I liked the chemistry, I would read the heck out of this 😂
@@emilyrln lmao! I hope you're being sincere. I mean I'm being hyperbolic but sometimes If feel like that's how I write. I'm over 100k on this rough draft and it's only halfway done and I'm asking myself "what the hell has even happened??" I will be sure to send it to you when it's done in 100 years ;)
Apply that same character - objective - stakes - obstacle format to your antagonist and see what happens. I always find it very helpful when I know what my villains want and how they're going to try to get it. It really rounds them out, instead of just "they're evil." At any rate, it helps to look at the story from a different POV.
Great tip! You're right - this is so important if you want to write a more complex, believable antagonist.
This tips are easier to understand and orginized. So helpful tips, and I thank you too much.
Excellent tip. Thanks ❤
That makes sense. In that case I wonder if it would be a good practice to do this for all the important characters in a story.
I'm applying it to all of my major characters in my current story. It's super helpful to figure out how everyone would react to certain big events
8:05 for easy copy/paste: wants because , but is getting in their way.
Hey thanks
That's really helpful, thank you!
2:23 is where she actually starts
thank you!!
@@F4IRY_F0R3V3R ofc!!
Thanks! The plot had a slow start...
Thanks😂
Thanks!!!
I'm currently drafting the second book in my series and got a chuckle when I plugged in the story elements. Gerri wants to understand why she's a ghost because it doesn't seem to be a normal condition, but only being able to communicate through her living twin is getting in her way.
Wow that's actually interesting
You've reminded me that it really doesn't need to be complicated, or hit "beats" by a certain point. This gives me something to work from thank you!!
This might just be one of the best writing videos I’ve ever seen
If you’re reading this, I’m guessing you like to write. You’ve figured out the power of words: they can make you laugh until you cry, suprise you so much your jaw drops open, or anger you enough to slam a book closed. When you write, you are harnessing this power. You get to affected how people feel and react to to words! If you’re like me, you probably can’t get enough of writing. Somtimes it’s hard for me to write. In my opinion the hardest thing to do in writing is getting the first sentence. When you’re facing a blank page, you just need to begin to write! Start with a word make it a sentence. See if you could add a few more sentences and complete just one measly paragraph. Don’t worry about what you’re saying just yet. You can even write “I don’t know what to write.” Why? Because by simply writing somthing anything you are warming up your brain imagination.
- good luck in writing
This is great advice that really helped me. Thank you ❤
The extremely to-the-point/succinct plotting question, at the end, was very helpful. Put it all into perspective.
A writer wants to write a good novel, one that might be meaningful to readers, because they don't want to feel ashamed for wasting their readers a few hours of their lives, but that writer is hindered by the fact that formulas and trends determine a work's chances to get published.
Eventually, the would-be writer realizes it's a hopeless pursuit, and decides their efforts are best utilized doing something more practical. They may have writing talent, but human talent is the cheapest commodity on the market. Nobody cares if it remains unfulfilled.
You've just explained why the Firefly show was cancelled after 11 episodes broadcast. 😪
Thanks for the advice, Alyssa.
My hope is to create strong, realistic characters and let them push the story forward... dragging me along for the ride! But your 3-point plotting structure seems like a solid and useful checklist, regardless of genre or story length.
Thank you for keeping this under 10 minutes.
I picked up Save the Cat based on one of your videos. Really helped nail down the idea of character goals and stakes. Too bad I found that book while in the fifth draft of my tenth novel. It would’ve really helped me twenty years ago.
Can you link the video where she talked about Save the Cat method?
@@Woanderer I cannot. Lots of scrolling through the channel. The title was something like, “five books to help with your writing” or something like that.
@@MrDanroche that's helping me a lot! Thx Danroche^^
I appreciated this very much and subscribed to your newsletter. I usually write nonfiction essay, but found this a fun opportunity to also think about fiction.
Thanks for another insightful video. I will use these basic principles to review my plot even though my novel is complete. Seeing my plot more clearly will help me write a better pitch as I look for an agent. Your information has been so valuable to me this past year in the writing of my first novel.
I needed help with this. Thanks. I’ve never written fiction before so it’s been difficult to focus on plot.
This is genius! My reverse outline got a little muddled, but I saw this just the other day. I tried it out on a story idea I've had for a long time, and it works! I'm going to use it as the new format for my reverse outline.
My plot: Kai wants to become stronger because he wants to stop the Demon lord's army from reviving the evil dragon and taking over the realm but he quickly realizes that he can't do it without accepting magic and the help from the very people that he wants to protect and save.
Thank you,Alyssa
I am writing a memoir and it meets the criteria for a novel so i think I am on the right track!
Your videos have been so helpful, and I am grateful for you because you have given me insight into the publishing industry that was a mystery to me.
Have a good day and see you next week !
First time commenting but a faithful watcher !
Im using this for my d&d sessions as well🤙
Bro thats why I am here as well hahahahaha
So I understand the value of identifying what your main character wants and making that clear to the reader as soon as possible, but I struggle to integrate that with another piece of advice on plot structure that I often hear: namely, that the inciting incident which kicks off the main plot shouldn't happen until ten to fifteen percent of the way into the narrative.
Because to my view, it's not until THAT moment occurs that you can really talk about identifying the story goal. Take Katniss Everdeen. It's only *after* her sister's name is drawn in the reaping (and Katniss volunteers to take her place) that her true story goal crystallizes, which is to survive the hunger games. It is THAT want-slash-goal which will drive everything else that happens in the narrative.
So then, here's my question: how can you make it clear what your protagonist wants from page one when by definition, the key moment from which their primary story goal-slash-want will emerge hasn't happened yet?
And furthermore, how do you decide what your main character should be doing in the time before the inciting incident occurs?
Hey…I’m learning craft and have been exploring various sources of instruction about story structure and plotting and outlining etc. I just saw a video that might give you a different perspective about Hunger Games in particular and therefore might answer your question.
So Hunger Games starts off showing Katniss’s regular life / status quo. She is taking care of her Mother and her little sister trying to keep them fed, and her sister emotionally anchored etc. She has stepped into her Mother’s role where her sister is concerned.
Through her actions from the very start of the movie, we can infer that her primary goal in life is to survive in her dystopian world where people starve to death and via her own survival, to keep her family alive and protected from harm. We get foreshadowing about an event happening soon that seems to threaten that status quo: the Reaping.
When Prim’s name is called at the Reaping, (inciting incident) this clashes with Katniss’s status quo and the story’s protagonist’s initial established goal: ensure her sister’s survival.
This speaks to your question: at THAT point, immediately after the inciting incident, her goal remains what it was initially: to do whatever it took to ensure her family survived even if it required her own life. Her goal is NOT to win the Games yet. Remember, before she leaves she tries to reanimate her Mother to take care of Prim because she fully believes she’s not coming back…not because she’s convinced she couldn’t win, but because she doesn’t think she can manage to TRY to win.
She’s refusing the Call of the Games - which is to ensure your own survival by killing all the other tributes. She just volunteered to take her sister’s place which is a continuation and escalated version of her initial goal from page one - to prolong and protect her family’s life in that dystopian society.
We’re still in Act 1 and story structures vary; but this movie does incorporate a discernible Debate. Debate happens after the inciting incident but before the break into two. It’s important to note that after a refusal of the call, Katniss debates whether to reconsider and answer the call. How is that true when she has already volunteered as tribute? Because again, the Call issued is to WIN the Hunger Games and as Victor win food for your district. Katniss volunteering as tribute is not acceptance of the call to WIN. That’s an important distinction.
We’re still in Act 1 when Katniss and Peta travel to the Games. Peta is 100% engaged with their mentor like ‘teach us what we need to know to give us a chance to win’. At this point however, Katniss has still not answered the call. She disengages from those conversations leaving the room.
Because she has a moral compass that is completely at odds with the dystopia she lives in, she DEBATES with herself whether she can actually kill another person and/or whether she can do what’s necessary to be the last one standing. I infer her to still see herself as her sister’s best chance to survive day to day as she’s not 100% convinced her mother will step up. So her sister’s survival is STILL tied to her own and obviously she doesn’t want to die but she’s not a killer. This is internal conflict of the highest order.
She eventually ends her debate and decides that she is going to try to survive the Games but by strategy and on her own terms. This is exemplified when she walks back into the room and hears the mentor say something like “No don’t do that. That will get you killed”.
NOW Katniss’s initial goal shifts and drills down from general day to day survival to the specific STORY goal tied to the premise - to try to survive the Hunger Games. She then starts to engage with the mentor asking “What will get us killed?”
Structurally, having made that conscious decision to try to survive The Games, she ticks off the first plot point or the answering the call to adventure beat or the break into Act two.
Structurally from that point it’s first half of Act 2: fun and games, learning the new world, fish out of water, promise of the premise etc. Allies, enemies (career tributes) and tests etc.
So back to your question, she does have a clear goal from page one - even if we have to infer it through being shown her detailed status quo via her normal day to day existence.
The inciting incident happens TO the protagonist and is usually beyond their control and it disrupts the status quo and requires a reaction or response from the protagonist. That tracks with the calling of Prim’s name and Katniss immediately volunteering as tribute - which I look at as an instinctive and nonetheless genuinely selfless emotional reaction. It’s not the actual decision that sends us into Act 2.
Maybe most importantly, I think it’s instant, compelling character development. From that point on, we the audience love her and we’ll forgive her anything pretty much because of her sacrifice and genuine selflessness. Immediate stakes and we care about her now.
In this story, the fact that she debates whether she will try to win by killing other people establishes her morality and on top of her sacrifice to keep her sister out of the Games, we are locked in her corner behind her and totally vested in her survival even if she has to kill other people to be the last standing.
I’ve gone off into the weeds but I too have come across what seems to be contradictory advice among the writing professionals. Some say there should only be one overarching story goal. If that’s true, maybe it’s simply to survive. At first it’s general survival of the dystopian conditions of being on the brink of starvation. Then it becomes more specifically to survive the Games.
I think I subscribe to what Alyssa is saying: that sometimes the goals change throughout the story. I think this is especially true when you consider / acknowledge that each SCENE within the story should have its own goal as the POV character should always have something they are trying to achieve in the scene and the answer to whether they get it or not should set up what happens in the next scene or chapter as a result of cause and effect.
If your plot has a “spine” that runs through the entire story, the smaller goals should naturally extend from it and therefore serve the overarching goal of the story.
Human nature tends not to be how can I change my thoughts, fears and misbeliefs but instead what can I do to change my situation…but our reality is a function of our thoughts and decisions. Events=external=plot vs that internal journey that experiencing the plot should inspire. Addressing that false belief or fear is what allows the hero to change their lives in most stories - not just changing their external environment etc. This is what I’m gleaning from various sources of craft instruction.
And then to your last point what should be happening before the inciting incident? Establish the everyday normal life. The status quo. But not an everyday kind of day. Something should be a little different than every other day.
It should be like: every day the hero drives to work - that’s the status quo - but on the day that you begin the story , his car won’t start, so he has to ride the bus.
And because he had to ride the bus that day, he sits down next to a woman who is set to leave town the next day; but wanted to take one last trip Downtown to the Museum. Inciting incident - Romance genre Meet Cute! She can’t leave the next day after all and so on.
You should show how the current life is missing something (maybe the Protag misses his girlfriend that broke up with him a year ago) or how their day to day life is unfulfilled and how the protag’s needs aren’t being met and how they want something more even if they don’t know what it is that would make them happy but maybe they think they do.
Then when the inciting incident happens, it should significantly interrupt or even shatter that every day normal in a way that’s going to give them a way to address what they are missing in their lives but it’s not going to be easy to take advantage of the opportunity presented - obstacles, opponents, plot events,internal conflict.
Again, I’ve read the inciting incident is often something that happens TO the protag that is out of their control. Then as a separate beat, the protag should always be shown to DECIDE to enter the fray or answer the call to make him an active protagonist. That decision leads to all the plot events that unfold in Act 2.
Hope this helps or at least gives you something to think about. 😀
@nikkinewbie6014 this was amazing and I took several things from it so thank you!
@@nikkinewbie6014 I read a little bit of that, and I was going to say the same thing about "current life is missing something," but before that I was going to say to just show their daily life.
There you go: advice from a writer of 0 novels.
@@throughthoroughthought8064 I’m in that same zero novel boat. But that doesn’t render your opinion useless. If you are actively learning craft then you are accumulating knowledge and it’s fresh in your mind. It’s valid to share it
I just always disclose I’m still learning so that no one fails to do their own due diligence 😂. Writing is so creative that there are hardly any hard and fast rules - just guidelines that can be extremely beneficial to follow and dine every journey is different I think we all have something to contribute to the furthering of story.
But yes my comment was in tldr territory for sure.
Thanks for your reply. I had forgotten this comment. 😂😂.
Also I saw an amazing interview of an authority on story structure on Film Courage who said that the initial story goal often changes at the midpoint. The example she gave was the parent of a kidnapped child has the goal of getting back their child unharmed. At the midpoint, it’s discovered the child has already been accidentally killed. The main story goal changes at that point: revenge and/or Justice for the killing of the child.
You can see how it’s still connected to the initial goal while still sending the character on a different path with a different kind of internal conflict. Also, to touch base on what the protagonist was doing before the inciting incident of the kidnapping, you could show the normal routine - but with an important deviation.
For instance, say that the parent normally drove the kid to school every day but on the day you start your story, the kid begged to walk to school like all his friends and the parent relents and lets them. That’s the day the kid gets kidnapped!
But there should be a fear, a fatal flaw or a shortcoming or a misbelief of the protagonist (parent) that is hinted at in the status quo events to be resolved as part of the character’s arc.
The importance that some place on a global story midpoint that “changes the game” is a whole other topic; but my point here is that I’m coming to believe that the main story goal can, often does and even should change from what it is in the beginning.
I like that it could effectively combat the sag of the long second act by dividing it into two - before and after the midpoint where the story goal changes. I would also tend to think that the first half they chase what they think they WANT; but the second half they start realizing what they NEED.
I gave a bad example for that approach but think Rom Com: first half they for want the hot guy but then second half they start to realize they need the nerdy guy. 😂😂
How are you coming along? I’m still collecting knowledge and am currently studying Story Grid. It’s heavy but I’m getting a lot out of studying those concepts. I’ve started to outline but nothing is written in stone.
I’m hybriding structures and blending genres and calling on different story philosophies and experimenting but at this point I think I have to close the gate on learning additional structure models. I need to start writing!
Anyway hope all is well with both of you here in this comment.
I title my work, write a very short summary and just write. I know wbat book is about before I even start writing. I know what takes place in my head. I don't take notes or anything so it can change with ease so the story can unfold itsekf ss it comes together.
I've seen a lot of books, videos, and conversations about writing, but most of them were couched in the language of 'Creative Writing" graduates, which is no help to those from other disciplines. This has been refreshingly different. Every field has its jargon, which professionals use to keep the hoi-polio at bay. This was instructive!
I'm a pantser I would say, as I basically just start, but not without some plotting. I have a rough idea , basically the core story it could be only a line or 2 or becomes more fleshed out as I write it out and get ideas. As I go along I write things down for later or decide something should happen or be exposed later or written differently. So I organically plot when I want to/as I go, rather than having a fleshed out document of plot and then filling it in by writing.
But it is interesting to see the different methords and maybe pick up a tip or trick to help me.
Everyone has their own unique way .keep going you got this
I just used your template and it worked.
You mention how a lot of writer's plots are way too vague and undefined. The writer isn't clear enough, or perhaps doesn't even know what they're trying to say. it reminds me of one of Michael Moorcock's novels (The Knight of the Swords). In the beginning, his hero, the Prince in the Scarlet Robe, is rather lackadasical, waiting a few days to finish his symphony before setting out on a mission for his father. But he encounters the race that is destroying his own poeple and wakes up. It is the tragedy of losing everything that galvanizes him to become the hero. And it seems to me that all too many of these writers are like Corum, they haven't had any real suffering in their life; their writing is not a matter of life or death to them. Hardship will make someone look at what they've written and wonder, "How could I have ever written such worthless, self-indulgent crap!"
I understand but alot of novels have amazing literature and symbolism something’s genuinely are missed I feel it’s a lot more complexities you overlooked.
This is very practical advice and something to keep in mind even as you plow your way through your first draft. For the fantasy novel, I've just started writing. Garashina wants to restore the Duke Dantic to power and restore the power structure that brought her a fulfilling life as his right-hand woman and almost lover, but the god Alzorha is intent on blocking the restoration. Yes, her goal will shift before the novel's done.
Seriously good stuff. Thank you for posting.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks! This really helped me strengthen my outline for my debut fiction novel! I appreciate your channel very much!😊
Thank you so much this was a video where I finally understood how to create a plot.
8:05: Adam wants to find a job because he doesn't want to live on the street, on the same level as a bum, and the overdue rent bills are piling on him like red summer ants. But his past, like him crashing into the car fence of his previous job, making him lose it, and the fact he got into a fight with some boys in the ub makes this difficult.
That's not the whole story, just near the end of it, with many other problems all around my three main characters, Adam, Diana his wife, and Dylan, their son.
Please tell me what you think and how to Improve on it if necessary.
Missing the character arc. This is effectively just the premise. The plot should be able to spur character development, and it requires more than just this.
but isn't the arc when they overcome the obstacles?
@@billyb4790more like when they overcome the stakes. The character might overcome the obstacle or not, but a character arc is when the character changes their mind (I think, not too sure)
@@lidbel9352Depends on the story I think, usually you want some kind of growth, overcoming obstacles and emerging stronger (hero’s journey). But, there’s plenty of bestselling novels out there that don’t adhere to this and are primarily plot driven. For instance, James Bond, Jack Ryan or Sherlock Holmes. I’d argue that none of these characters significantly change or grow due to the events of the books, but the characters and the situations they find themselves in are compelling enough that character growth is not the primary focus of the story. Basically you’ve got to know what kind of story you are telling. If you aren’t going to have a hero’s journey, you’ve got to have a damn compelling plot and characters.
This isn’t strictly true. A character’s arc isn’t an inherent element of a plot, but rather an element of story. The plot isn’t the whole of the story, it’s the roadmap we follow characters on. It’s the EVENTS of a story. Character arc is a different storytelling tool all together that chronicles the effects of the plot and other story elements on the characters.
love the video, excellent breakdown of plot
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for commenting!
This is great deep important stuff for new authors. I'd like (and maybe there is already a video for this, idk) a video on good ideas vs not so good ideas. Thanks
1. I guess it’ll be like my favourite anime hxh where gon become a hunter to be like/want to find his dad but after the big incident he will want to defeat all bad in the world and find his dad even more to stop the evil and know why his dad did all this.. 😮
2. It’s his dad and his dad left without a trace and just gave him a camera, after the incident the characters feel guilty since the monster feed on negative energy and they were the main reason the energy was there so before it spreads to the other schools/the entire world, they feel it’s their fault and it will effect the world
3. an evil gang wants the world to be negative because they think it’s what the world deversed because of what the world done to them, there trying to stop them from “saving the world” and want them to join them in the after life to avoid the curse happening and the characters are trying to convince them that the world dosent deserve this but it dosent work but btw it’s not realized yet so far there just evil people. the human world will be destroyed because of the curse that will make human society hate each other to the point everyone died and the world is gone and every living species was killed. I kinda wanna add martial arts to this but idk if it’ll be cringe ? what shall i do
"Mavericks"- A teenage refugee wants to find his missing parents. He believes the authorities do not care or are trying hard enough so he turns to the world of the unseen, bargaining with a mysterious man to do so. Unfortunately magic doesn't make the path any easier, offering new truths and temptations. Can this wayward youth find his way?
thank you for the information. keeping it simple is better and this really puts things in a better perspective. this can also be applied to people that would like to write their own life story. very helpful.
As a pantser, I start with an intriguing idea and play with it. I have tried plotting beforehand, but I always end up exchanging it for something better. I generally plot it after to help with the editing to help clean things up. I was playing with a character and was on the third chapter when I realized the story would have to be a romance. I don't particularly like romance novels so my thought was to torment and psychologically torture the couple until I figured out a way to resolve it. (I was just being evil, but my test readers love it)
Can we chat on email
Plotting can be the hardest part for me, especially in YA - everything needs to move so fast!
I love pairing your information with Ellen Brock's!
Thanks for your video!!! It was very useful to my project.
But alien spaceships do occur in realistic contemporary worlds
Question for AAA: telling us considered 'bad' but at the same time I've heard many ppl say that the MC's objective/goal and thus the goal of the book must be clearly stated within the first few pages so that the reader knows what they're in for. What are your thoughts on this? Is it okay to plainly state the goal. For context: I'm writing a dystopian with a complicated goal that would be difficult to indirectly communicate. Thank you!
I have the beginning and the ending. BUT I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO PUT IN BETWEEN!!! I’m going to pop
Do you also give tips about selling or marketing our books once they're complete?
Silva, the strongest sorceress of an age, Is preparing mead and other supplies to help her people through a harsh winter ahead when her powers fail. Is her time on Andor at an end or is their another sorcerer meddling with her?
My protagonist's clear objective is to not get eaten.
I always recommend your channel to my friends.
My protagonist along with her friends want to retirieve the gems of the 4 elemental guardians in order to maintain balance and peacee AND so that their world doesnt collapse, but the friend of the protagonist wants power more that peace.... this took a lot of time to figure out
Thanks for all your videos Alyssa! First-time commenter here trying to rework her first chapter, and this video was a very good come-to-jesus moment! I'm writing a memoir now, which I'm working to sound like a novel so this fully applies. Here goes: Annie wants to understand her low-income family because as a child of Chinese immigrants she needs to know her history and identity to feel like she belongs in society, and to eventually support her family financially as the first generation in America, but she is not fluent in any of the Chinese languages her parents speak, her parents don't speak English, which is the language she needs to learn to survive and succeed in America, and her parents are reticent to tell her anything about her family history. She feels helpless until she finds out at 13 she's related to someone who is very important in American history and begins to search for her family history in English.
Runa wants to expand her home goods business because she has fun crafting and brewing things, she likes it when other people compliment her goods but certain crops are tricky to acquire since the local spirits don't sell those seeds that easily.
Super helpful. Thank you!
Mine has multiple plots, but let me try to wrap it up. "Vik wants to reunite her family because it will bring her closer to discover herself, but a dream corporation (that seeks to release the darkness) is getting in her way.
My protagonist wants to be strong enough to control the goblins when she becomes queen. The stakes are whether the kingdom falls into rebellion if the goblins rise up. The obstacle is that she doesn't understand her own strengths, so she tries to emulate other people's strength, leading to mistakes that cause a goblin uprising.
Thanks a lot. I found this really helpful. Thank you so, so much.
My plot
Aaron wants to go out with because his friends will call him coward cupid for a year but his rival also has crush on aarons crush is getting in his way
This is a story that been very long in my mind and always felt fearfull if it was to complex for a novel (series), but it does help thank you. I feel like it still vague cause it was once meant for a long term dnd game but this story became to dear me for just that: Thirteen WANTS to gain control over her powers BECAUSE otherwise one of the 13 warrior can take over her body and mind l, BUT the 13 warriors in her head are getting in her way.
Thank you for sharing, I wish you the best!
Alyssa, The knowledge you share is incredibly helpful. Thank you!
You had a video where you discussed three different ways to revise. I can *not* find it. Can you share which video that was? Thank you! 🙂
P.S. Use this information to evaluate your current W.I.P. It's a great tool for finding plot problems and correcting them.
thank you so much for the tips!
My issue I'm having is my character is going on her heroes journey. But I don't know what to fill in the middle with. There are gonna be obstacles of course but I have no clue what they're gonna be or how to form them ugh.
If it's a story series, does the main character have to reach their goal or have solid answers by the first or second book, or can the answer to the main question come at the 3nd of the third book?
No expert writer, but I feel it needs to be tied up enough to not feel like you got nowhere, but loose enough that more can be add.
No expert, so here are some examples that come to mind (I chose them as they are examples of a first book leading into a series on the same adventure/world and famous enough that you may have read them) Warning spoilers of 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher'/sorcerer's Stone', 'The Golden compass/Northern lights' and 'The Lion, he Witch and The Wardrobe'
Sorry if I misremember any of the endings. Point is many series start with a book that could stand alone , while some have cliff hangers. I feel the basic question of the adventure should be answered , so it feels somewhat satisfying and conclusive to finish, with room for more to be answered and achieved 🤷♀ But feel free to disagree.
His Dark Materials (' Northern lights'/ ' The Golden Compass') by Philip pullman- that adventure is over, but they set of on a new one, after there best friends death, resolute that the dust they once thought evil isn't. This sets up the next book and is kind of a cliff hanger, but the main adventure of that book is wrapped up.
Harry potter (The Philosopher'/ sorcerer's stone) by J.K Rowling- The answer to how harry was saved is explained here as love and kind of Voldemort (for now) killed on the back of Quirrell's head + the philosophers stone are wrapped up. The villain is not actually dead and there are still questions and a world to explore if you read on
Narnia by C.S Lewis (The lion, The Witch and The wardrobe)-first part- good triumphs over evil , second part- the children grow up and become royalty and then go back to England and are kids again. Still more to discover and they are kids again who can participate in the world, but the battle of that book is wrapped up.
Bacca wants to find out the origin of the golden lamp because it was the only thing he inherited from his parents, but Anul is getting in the way. Anul wants to save his father's soul.
oops, I added something extra :)
Franny the fairy wants to protect her Forrest because she loves her fellow forest creatures and there’s a dragon egg that needs saving, but obstacles like the leprechaun town elders, and a goblin named grizzle gets in her way.❤
Ana Lumia is a young cleric who is visiting the town of Ravenbell to learn from an elder High Priest of her God, The Lightbringer. On her first day in town, she hears the Priest discuss that a young boy must be exiled, as he is marked as a cursed child that has brought darkness upon the town by way of murders and kidnappings of the town's children. Ana has devoted herself to the path of light, and believes it is her duty to clear this child's name, and make a positive impact on an increasingly dark world. However, her high priest does not approve of her involvement in the case, and other forces are not content with seeing her try to uncover the truth behind the murders of Ravenbell. What truths will she uncover? Will she prevail against all odds? Welcome to "The Stages of Grief, Book 1: The Accursed Child", my first Dark Fantasy novel.
I wonder if doing a short story changes this equation much? I imagine there may be more flexibility in some ways - maybe the shorter format means readers expect you to be concise to the point of confusing sometimes?
I'm a little stalled on a heist short story at present, though I have the main outline. Protagonist needs to solve case for the money, the kudos, respect in the eyes of her dad, and to shove her success in the face of the guy who refused to promote her at her last job. If she fails this time that may be the death knell for her PI agency, and proof to the sexist prevailing opinion that women shouldn't be PIs. Obstacles are the brilliance of the villains, and the fact her "intern" is actually on the villains' side...
Is Kylie meeting her father a good plot point
Can someone help. I'm struggling to figure out my MC's main objective. Idk if I'm over thinking it but what if my MC's goal doesn't have much to do with the plot. Like, say she's living her normal life, not expecting anything then something happens that changes her life.
So the plot isn't necessarily driven by her goal. So is it really relevant in this case?
Hi there - it's hard to answer specific questions like this without reading the manuscript, but I do have another video that goes into more detail about character objectives that I think you might like: ruclips.net/video/G59iclZRCCU/видео.html I hope that helps!
my character is a boy who is sheltered from the world and has lots of pressure,he wants to be his own person because their parents control them but he doesnt know how because he has never left the island
I found this video just now and it helped me unlock a clearer view of my novel. Thank you! I just subscribed!
This was a great video, what do you do next ones you have all the information gathered? how do I put it together to make a cohesive story? I am a new writer and any information would be greatly appreciated, Thanks
U know what's interesting I'm going by the films not books
But the first harry potter film harry doesn't actually have a goal
He's basically being propelled by the plot
And what draws us in is the whimsical nature of the world and the fact that he's a sympathetic character
But he doesn't have a true goal in the first film in my opinion
He doesn't wanna be the greatest wizard of all time he doesn't try to find out about his parents
He doesn't even know what he wants to do with his schooling
We don't even know he wants to work with positions until like the third film
If I'm wrong let me know but....idk
[Character] wants [objective] because [stakes], but [obstacle] is getting in the way.
Chrysantha wants Asimikéras because he belongs to a noble family and can provide for her, but the man seems to be more interested in Erythrantha.
Once upon a time, there were a bunch of people who wanted different things, some stuff happened, and they lived happily ever after. The end.
This is the actual story of humanity, except for the end.
@@hiplessboy I should have siad: "Some of them got what they wanted. And they lived happily ever after."
is this video about helping people to plot, or to self promote the youtuber?
Congrats on 20k!
I write literary fiction and, although I do understand where you're coming from, I hope and believe literature can be, and is, much more than what this video makes it out to be. I guess the allure of reading works outlined after the structure explained in this video is revelling in the idea and catharisis of finite outcomes within recognizable/relatable realities; especially given the premise of our own - where there is only one finite outcome, and none of our actions can prevent its finality.
What I often find lacking in such works as you describe is a truthful depiction of the irrationality of man in his totality and even depravity. A perfectly formulated plot can't capture that, but literature still can, and when it does, I know of no other experience that can be more profound: to find yourself on a page, completely, as you are.
I agree that the basic plot model outlined here doesn't apply to lit fic, which is strange and unweildy and adheres closer to what lives are actually like. But I still think this is a useful model for nascent writers who are new to plotting. Lit fic is interesting in that it leverages storytelling tools to bring someone on a strange journey that also leverages what our actual lives are like, so what we get with lit fic is something that is very familiar because we live it, but also surprising, because it lives inside the turns of a story.
Two books do it better than almost any other and they are plot-light. Animal Farm and The Martian. Both of those books move forward relentlessly. There is no waste, every motion moves plot or character forward and every but of fat is trimmed off. Keep moving forward. As soon as you decide to relax into a scene and start indulging yourself as a writer and not servicing the story, that is the same time I am likely to put the book down.
Here’s my question. My story is a historical fiction. Set in first century Roman Empire, there are well-known events like the rise of Christianity and the Jewish Revolt. Specifically, the first installment is set during Jesus’ public ministry, culminating in his crucifixion. there are obvious spoilers, given the historical setting. My character, Claudia, is a young Roman girl exiled in Jerusalem because of something called the Treason Trials. She wants to restore her father’s honor (I know, that sounds old-fashioned and outdated). For Romans, honor was extremely important. Could that be a personal stake? or is that too broad?
If you’re writing from various perspectives, do I need to do this for everyone?
Thank you !
I'm drafting my first ever novel! My main character is a 16 yr old who's living in Europe during WW2. She wants to be a fierce protector for war torn people because she once failed to save her twin brother from being dragged into war and her conscience kills her, which makes her want to prove herself. But, her fear of failing again and hurting her loved ones is getting in her way. Would love to know what y'all feel about this!
Please let me know once you publish it.
Aye this is perfect but I was thinking her reason for war need to be more grave? looking forward to the book.
Haha thankyou for the support still in the writing process fingers crossed! @@flo7654
@@flo7654 Sure, Thanks for the support! Still in the writing stage, fingers crossed!
@@Activemagic_ Thankyou! I'll definitely work on your suggestion.
What a cool excercise! Gave me some order. Heres my take on that sentence: Cisco wants to achieve digital immortality after proving AI is capable of running the world on its own, because humans are bad at it, but, AI becomes TOO GOOD
Might be too beefy of a plot. A streamlined version might be: Cisco wants to prove his tech is capable of running the world on its own better than people, because humanity is bad at it, but, his tech proves TOO GOOD
Super helpful
Good video
If anyone here is interesting more about plotting or wants to understand the importance of an internal conflict, I DO recommens Three Act Story Structure -video series by Abbie Emmons. You can find in on RUclips.
It's like you knew I was just about to plot my next book...because I needed to watch this before I start tomorrow! I will say, though, I LOVE throwing all sorts of obstacles at my main characters. I think of Will Smith's character in "The Pursuit of Happyness" where conflict is relentless, constantly barraging the protagonist to simply survive another day.
Here's mine: Audrey wants to finally do her highly prestigious job because she's never been able to do it in the first place, but she's never received training, guidance, or formal coaching to get the job done.
Wow, your novel sounds a whole lot like real life. Good luck with it!
@@andyclark3530 thank you so much, but believe it or not, it’s a fairytale 🤓
@@mrplatink Does it start with “once upon a time there was a poor struggling middle manager?”
@@andyclark3530 🤣🤣🤣 I invented my own “Once Upon A Time” and it starts with Audrey closing the door to opportunity
Alyssa, hi... I have difficulty plotting my story. My manuscript was written rather impulsively. I need help in plotting it. Could you help please? I am with Jericho writers but I have not found the right person yet. A developmental edit revealed my lack of plot.Do you have a website? How to contact you?
Hi there - thanks for your interest! My website is www.alyssamatesic.com/. You can learn more about my services and the genres I edit and reach out via the form on my site if you think we might be a good fit!
@@AlyssaMatesic Thanks, Alyssa. I am in India visiting family. I have a 125 thousand word manuscript but editing cannot improve it. I need to rewrite giving my character a clearer purose, and with a clearer plot. When I return home to Switzerland, I will get in touch again. Thanks once again for responding.
Best wishes
Mathew
At the start of the novel Mira is a half-human, half-jinn who doesn't know her heritage or that she has a magical power. She starts seeing hallucinations and is convinced she has a mental disorder because that, or the possibility of a brain tumor, are the only kinds of explanations she is willing to consider - she doesn't believe in the supernatural. Having established that:
Mira wants to understand why she is hallucinating because she feels like if she loses her grasp on reality she will not be able to make friends and stop being so lonely but she is afraid of sharing her secret because she thinks that she will be rejected and possibly put in an insane asylum.
my character wants to go home because she misses her father and the human world, but having a bargain with a faerie lord and finding out she’s over a hundred years old is getting in the way from escaping her safe little bubble in the Otherworld. Oh, and she’d definitely get eaten/killed if she did escape anyway. But desperation is desperation, and being 120 years old, well- what does she have left to lose?
Baylin wants to get married to a rich man (Morgan) because her mother lost her job and can no longer take care of their family, but Morgan wants to court Bayin's sister, Tandy, who isn't interested in him at all.
1st POV: Pip, the non-magical knowledge keeper of her tribe, wants to stop her people from losing their magic because she wants to prove her tribal worth, but magical entities and her feelings of self doubt get in the way.
2nd POV: Alba Wren, an ice guide outcastes because of their dangerously powerful abilities, wants to stop their mentor from stealing magic from tribes because they know personally how harmful powerful abilities can be, but magical entitites and feelings of shame get in their way.
Purnama wants to get money to pay his debts because.... yes, that's the problem, I can't write it out. Thank you!
I liked a lot of this video but I disagree on the point about specific objectives - they boiled down to the bad objective, which you gave "finding love" as example. the specific goals the character has in each scene still comes from that larger goal, so I don't understand why it was labelled as bad. If main character goes on dates, that's an action that stems from the goal of finding love, doesn't it?
I agree that the character should have concrete goals in each scene, but the overall goal/need of finding love would still be at the core of all their actions.
It’s not that finding love is bad, it’s just very vague. In the example given they want to find love sure, but another reason is because everyone else has been on dates and they want to go on one too.
@@sergel02 It's only vague because you build up plot elements around that theme - but finding love is ultimately the core of romance stories. You have to give characters things to do in a story, but sometimes stories can simply be "I want to get with this person but something is standing in my way" whether that's personal or outside forces. The plot and actions the character takes to reach love, all kind of service that ultimate goal.
Hillary is Hazel’s hostess.
Aeromond wants to reform The Council of Warriors so he can depose his treacherous brother as king of Havara but his brother's plans and the geopolitical landscape of his world keep getting in the way.
It's a fantasy novel if that wasn't obvious. Lol! Giants, pirates, talking dragons, a demon-possessed army of otherwise unwilling conscripts... You know, the usual.
Kylie Waters wants to meet her father her whole life and ask him one simple question did you ever love me but her mother step family is one of the most villainous mafia families ever when she finds out her life is put to endanger many times over.
How is this? MC wants to write a memoir with her lost loves before Alzheimers steals all her memories.
wants because , but