Dear Authors... What Readers Want To See
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- Опубликовано: 21 окт 2019
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DEAR AUTHORS!
If you're watching this, this is not meant to be a master list of what you should and shouldn't do. Keep in mind that what one reader likes may be totally different for the next. This is just meant to be a discussion among readers on what they enjoy seeing in books. For more opportunities to listen to readers, check out the community post - there were A LOT of good answers! And join the discussion in the comments!
Most authors are unknown so they are writing for themselves. But it seems your channel could assist in helping a author find an audience for their story if they look at the comments as taking the temperature of the market place.
Great video as always. I also want to thank you because you inspired me to continue writting my book. Greetings from Serbia, and a city of Sabac.
Thank you for this video as I am writing a fantasy novel where best friends are at the center of the novel. It is so important to know what readers like while also being true to your story
I really enjoyed this video
12:47 You're son is so incredibly adorable!
I wanted to add this to the community post, but... dear authors, could you please write more meaningful, healthy parent-child relationships? It seems that almost all fictional parents are either 1) dead, 2) abusive/toxic in some way, or 3) so unimportant to the story that they might as well not be there at all.
Check out my book Amaryllis by Justin M Freeland on Amazon. Let me know what you think.
@@Mongo-pw9vh Write more. I only see the one book and no author info on Amazon. Something you may not know... Brandon Sanderson wrote thirteen novels before his book Elantris was accepted. It was, iirc, the 8th book he wrote, but he kept writing after submitting it. Of course he had to edit it, but still writing that much is great practice. I can't get your book now, I have to wait probably until January (I hope I remember since you don't have author info on Amazon, I can't just follow you there) before I can fork over the 4 bucks to get it.
@@jchinckley you can follow me on Twitter and FB. I will update the info.
Here is the link to the book as well.
www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1696450543/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=&sr=
@@jchinckley it is my first novel. I am working on my second now.
@Rosalind McCollum (929RosMcCo) Sally is a very cool mom. Check out some Disney... all step-mothers are terribly evil ha ha 😎
It drives me crazy that female characters are either perfect in every way with no flaws, or just a throw away character. Let me see a woman with some flaws that is also amazing and strong.
Might I recommend watching Avatar: The Last Airbender?
Shallan from The Stormlight Archive!
rin from the poppy wars!! she's quite flawed but cleverly written imo
Ziva Silverman any Brandon Sanderson female character really. He’s a great author.
Steven Erikson. 'Nuff said.
Merphy: resurrection cheapens character deaths
Comics: I don't understand
The Lazarus pit would like a word with you
Marco Meijer I’m looking at you, Marvel.
Moi: *laughts in dragonball Z*
Pretty sure Rogue and Gambit "died" like 3 times each.
Comics actually handle the death sentence really well bc even though yes characters comes back to life regularly you don't really know if it's really them or if they actually came back to life. Or when they do die sometimes they don't come back at all. Comics handle it well bc they make the death sentence into mystery to to readers and use it as a plot tool, not a monkey wrench.
Really think the Bible was improved by the resurrection trope though...
Also Lotr
True. 😂😂
The Bible's an outlier though. It's actually a sequel/reimagining of a book not many people have read, and it's arguably an anthology.
lmfao
@@Morfeusm Does anyone actually like Gandalf coming back from presumed death? I don't feel like it actually added anything to the second half of the story.
As a writer, I feel that when I write a book my target audience is always going to be me, myself, and I. I want to enjoy what I write, and if others enjoy it too, cool! If not, I'm just not the author for you
That’s the best attitude to have. If you don’t like what you write, why bother?
Yes, me too! I'm just scared that I have really bad taste and, ergo, bad at writing books lol
Yup. I don't get the whole writing/editing books to suit the whims of others. (Beta readers, critique partners, agents, editors, publishers etc. or whatever) They don't know your story, or world, or characters even half as well as you, and yet we as writers are supposed to let them dictate the outcome?!
No.
I write what I feel is right. I write what I love. I write what makes sense to me. I write what I want to read. No one else dictates my content but me. If you like it, awesome. If you hate it, there are plenty more books in the library.
So yeah, I love these "dear author" videos because they inspire me. But I will still write what I want no matter what the masses say.
(And there will always be those who hate that. But they can write their own books if it means that much to them)
@@yasminealsaid9252 what? Unsure what that means....😅
@@yasminealsaid9252 oh. No I don't have that. It's not my kinda thing. I'm more the "write until you're happy with your story then get it pubbed" type than the "immediate release for free into the world" type.
Just a personal preference. 😅
Why did you ask, btw?
Katniss did not want a relationship because she feared for the future of her children in a world that forces children to fight to the death. it is no wonder she changes her mind when the circumstances/danger changes and the world is safer.
I think many things in The Hunger Games are misunderstood. That being an example.
I can understand that, but there's zero lead up to why she chose to marry and have kids with Peeta. Yes, they have a ton of character development together, but the actual transition is basically ""they won the day" and then years later a traumatized Katniss stares off into the distance as a kid calls her in for dinner.
There's zero satisfaction in how that was delivered
@@braelockhart5747 Either there's no story there between the end of the "action" and the tie-up to the series, or perhaps the story of how that happened just doesn't interest Suzanne Collins as something she wants to write about. At least not yet. I had no problem with it because it seemed a natural thing to happen following all the events of the story and the fall of PanAm, I didn't need all the in between stuff to get me to accept it.
@@jchinckley
I honestly feel it's only "natural" that it would happen next because that's what society expects and relying on that for an ending is just lazy writing.
@@braelockhart5747 Read closer. The clues are there, iirc. Not just what society expects. It has to do with real psychology, I think.
Maybe I'm wrong.
The sad thing is, authors can tick all these boxers til they're blue in the face. But if the publishers aren't buying their books, then none of it matters. Publishers buy what they feel is safe for the market; things that capitalize on an existing trend, etc. It's rare they take chances. Let's hope that changes!
EXACTLY
Nail on head
@Bucket List we both know that is not that same as being traditionally published.
@Bucket List
I agree, the infamous After-book was first a self-published story too.
So what you're saying is that capitalism promotes boring stories
Most people: upset by characters' death.
Narnia fans: upset not all of their main characters died.
As an outsider can you please explain why would people be angry that there favourite character died in "Narnia"
@@randomserbianguy5677 Bit of an outsider since I haven't read the series in ages but if I'm remembering correctly the story ends with the main cast going to heaven after dying in a train crash expect one Character who stopped believing in Narnia.
@@RedEzelt Oh thank man! Really appreciated (I might even take a look)
@@randomserbianguy5677 You're welcome man!!
Random Serbian Guy
Yep, spoilers for the last book, but we follow some of the cast into the afterlife and some get left behind..... so you don’t know if they ever made it to a good place or not in the end :/
But I like when some characters dies, and resurrect but then they are not the same anymore.
Moon HanYeol몬 한열 and when maybe they have become dangerous to themselves and others and they have to sacrifice themselves for it
Like PET SEMATARY!!
I haven't seen that yet🤔
Marie Lu does this in her Young Elites series. Second book I believe.
Thinking of a certain character in A Song of Ice and Fire.
"Keep your characters dead."
*Everyone looks at Supernatural*
Buffy
I like that show XD
P a t t o n ?
@Blu Gaming
Hey Dad! How are you? I made cookies! 🍪🍪🥛
I’m supernatural fan I can attest that all the characters do die and come back.
Agreed! Strong female characters dont need to be unfeminine jeez!!
@@somethingsomething922 'Bella swan' lol I will use that.
'glances at the Mistborn Series'
My favorite feminine strong character is Elle Woods. The. Best. Also Regina George.
The protagonist of my dystopian story, Lucine, comes from the richer side of society and enjoys dressing up nicely, and keeps her feminine traits throughout the story, but changes her views after being affected by unfair laws and meeting poorer people affected.
This. "Strong female" does not mean "guy character in drag."
"This is all opinion based"
*gets out notepad*
- 100% necessary stuff
Alright, I'm ready
Exactly 😂
I want to write a book and I’m watching her videos for inspiration.
Okay but the sexual tension when they're enemies is so fun
XD
Ikr
Killing Eve tho ;) That tension is off the charts
even just ones that are obviously jokes, like obi-wan flirting with ventress in the clone wars. and while i’m on that topic, obi-wan and satine arguing/bickering
@celine Nah Draco tried killing one of the trio
I want to see more male characters (in everything, books, shows, video games, movies, etc) who allow emotions.
Like, I love seeing "macho masculine men" who cry when their best friend dies, or gets scared when their life is threatened, etc.
I feel like some people forget men feel emotions.
Anime. Hello there.
I liked how the macho guy from the second hunger games showed so much vulnerability. Reminded me of kyle reese for some reason
I feel like Aragorn in Lord of The Rings is best example. especially the scene where he thought Pippin and Merry got killed by the horse and Aragorn suddenly scream in agony and frustration since he feel like he failed to save them. especially if you think about the good bond of Aragorn with the two before they got taken by the Orcs. Tolkien is really good at writing an interesting male friendships.
@@jeant6502 Absolutely agree. And he also cried for Boromir and was very emotional at that time, but still strong. And they cried for Gandalf, and at the end for Frodo and Sam. Tolkien did a really good job.
Katniss didn’t want a relationship because the idea of having a child even on accident horrified her while the capital had control and could just TAKE your kid and make them fight to the death. She wasn’t able to entertain the idea of a relationship until she felt safe.
Plus, she didn’t have the “perfect ending” as she described, even the epilogue is still bittersweet but she can find even that spark of happiness which is all she needs.
I would add that I love it when authors make their antagonists relatable- people rarely wake up and go, "Whelp I am going to be evil today!"" Rather tell us what his or her motivations are and why they think or do what they are thinking or doing. Both Markus Zusak and Victor Hugo are good at this sort of thing.
Just remember that America is the bad guy to Russia, Britain was the bad guy to France during the 100 year war.... etc. Each side of a struggle views their opponents as the bad guy.
@@christopherrousseau1173 That is what makes making the motivations of the antagonists so important. In the case of generalized antagonists it doesn't irritate me half as badly I do admit however.
I agree, a relatable antagonist is my favorite aspect of a book if it's done right
I would go even further than that. I'd love it if they show the villain/antagonist do mundane things like read the newspaper in his/her bathrobe in the morning, feed his/her cat, buy groceries, clean the house, etc. Breaking Bad did this very well with every antagonist.
But don’t try to make us sympathize for them. It should be a look into his mind, not to justify their behavior
When a character dies, even if it's a secondary character AND IT MAKES SENSE, I automatically respect the author more
Read and Write with Monica for me, it makes me more affected by the story.
Kinda like Pet Sementary, people and animals come back to life but they really aren't the same. I watched the movie not read the book but I'm lookig up to find an Ebook of it.
It pisses me off when a character that didn't need to die or whose death didn't really make sense at all dies anyway. Like, if your only reason was to "create emotional impact" there are hundreds of other characters that fit the bill? Would the character have actually died this way (i.e. slipped and fell when they're normally very agile and rather physically resistant to blunt trauma), do characters mourn appropriately (i.e. do their closest friends actually mourn? Why would acquaintances be sadder than their love interest?) etc. Make it follow the logic you've set before already, OMG.
@@epicotakucherry5280 idk if you've read the maze runner series or not, but a major character dies in the last few pages of the last book and the main character doesn't even care, and 6 years later i'm still mad about it. It was a totally random death too. There was already a major character death earlier, which narratively made sense... but this one didn't. it just felt like a device to get them out of the way.
@@stephr5914 I haven't read them and I'm glad I didn't, wow. I'd already heard less than encouraging things about those books, but that's so infuriating. It kinda reminds me of what happened in the last few Maximum Ride series books.
In book 9 (I know, that's a lot, it didn't deserve it), there was some impending (ridiculous) apocalypse thing occurring and all of the main group characters (about 6 of them, plus some other secondary friends and family) were split up already because they were living their various lives but were unable to come back together to weather out the apocalypse thing (I think, it's been a while -- point was, they weren't together at the time).
The apocalypse event thing happened (some kind of explosion? Some kind of thing crashed into earth? Don't remember) and we only got to hear from or know what happened to half of the main characters in the aftermath.
The others? No mention, no nothing. Are they alive? Dead? Who tf knows or cares apparently??? They'd literally been together for their entire lives but when the world ends and you don't hear from them no one cares??? WTF? And that was supposed to be the last book, too (I'm pretty sure there was a few years since the book before this, too, I was surprised when I found #9 by accident). That was it, the end of the story.
The apocalypse that doesn't really make sense and half of the main characters move on with their lives apparently not overly concerned about their loved ones.
A few years later one MORE book was finally published that answers what happened to the other characters. I'll put money on the idea that the fandom was so pissed about the previous book's ending (the last couple books weren't good either, there was a lot to be angry about in this series) that the author just wrote that last one to satisfy them. Other than hearing that those other characters were okay and one of my ships got together, I remember absolutely nothing about that book. Nothing else mattered anyway. Couldn't even tell you what the general plot or ending was.
When heroes come back to life, nope. Ain't for that. But when a villain comes back to life? I'm strangely all for it!
Dio?..
The trick is to use the "uncertain death" mechanism. Yeah, he probably died, but we didn't actually find the body.
Occasionally it works, but for me, no.
When a villain comes back to life, often their plan is just a enhanced version of last time.
Besides, if the defeat of the enemy wasn't good enough last time, what makes it any good this time. The ending was so perfect, and now you're undoing it just to repeat what was already done (Palpatine).
I guess when it's part of the intended narrative it works, especially if the enemy is a long lost villain from the ancient past who returned, but to keep bringing back the same villain over and over again just to aim for the same goals, it just doesn't work for me.
maul
Any Star Wars villain.
Harry Potter does the friendship love very well.
Sure, everyone does couple up in the end, but the core of the story was always Harry, Ron, & Hermione (straight up the last line of Book 6)
I really think Harry & Hermione were one of the best friendships in a long time. Male & female friends with no dating? Almost unheard of.
Tito Tim Travels That’s why my main character is gay :)
Harry and Hermione's friendship is so pure
Harry should have died and Jenny should have died an old maid
which is why i think ron and hermione shouldn't have ended up together. it kind of broke the friendship.
Friends to Enemies arcs where they stay enemies until the bitter end.
Happened in Yakuza Kiwami
GOOD SHIT
Cirque du freak did that !
I know I'm late for the game but I still wanna play xD here is my entry : "Dear author, please write redemption arc that are nuanced. I know it's easier to make a character die sacrificing themself and gain redemption that way, but this is so unsatisfying. I would have them not having redemption at all rather than this resolution (or the exile one, that is kinda similar to me). Show us a redemption arc that is not linear, where the character struggle through his old/bad habit and flow, face the consequences of his actions and the resentment of the victim sometimes! And please do not force forgiveness on the said victim, it's okay that not every character forgive them, they can have a redemption without everyone forgiving them. They can have a stronger redemption even, and character development from this. And it also is less toxic to me than saying to the victim "be the bigger person" / "you can't be happy if you do not forgive them".
yes for not having to be forgiven instantly.
I know this is not a book but... Zuko’s redemption arc from Avatar.
@@mangalover0149 yes and i like how he didn't change for a girl and put the burden on her. He changed for himself
The Second Coming of Gluttony is kinda like that. Where MC was garbage at the beginning of the story and hurt people close to him so that when he is trying to redeem himself people don't forgive him instantly. It is a Korean novel and it is still being translated so I don't know how it ends yet, but yeah.
@@mangalover0149 wanted to mention that :D
Counterpoint for the resurrection trope: it is FUN if it's used by one character as a party trick! But then one of the things does actually kill them, and everybody is like _"wait... WAIT NO"_
(aka Balder in Norse Mythology)
Finally, someone who likes Norse mythology.
The mistletoe thing right?
@@klaraottosson1461 Loki and his weird concept of a dart
Well said Murphy, people sacrifice themselves for things outside romantic love all the time. For friendship, comradery, kinship, duty …
Dear authors, please write more fantasy books set in a historical setting that don’t have the ”Every female character is either a prostitute or a tracigally dead mother/love interest” -syndrome. If the book can have dragons it can also have gender equality.
Especially if there is magic in the world. If a woman can turn an obnoxious man into a pair of smoking shoes with the flick of her finger, the ladies are going to have equal rights by default.
YES!!!
In my book, there are female twins and only *one* is a love interest, and my betas hated that apparently.
I fell like you don’t read much modern fantasy.
Ugh I agree. Give me some female blacksmiths and warriors and shit. You can’t say historically accurate when there’s fucking magic.
„I like love."
- Merphy Napier, 2019
"Terry *loves* love!"
-Terry Crews
When a character is resurrected, I prefer it when there is always a consequence. Bringing something back to life after death is a very rare thing and I guess you could say it’s kinda unnatural like it’s not supposed to happen. Every action has a reaction and everything with value has a price. When someone is resurrected either they comeback 50-75% not like their original self. And/or the protagonist doin the resurrecting should go through a long, torturous trial to bring them back; where protag becomes a new person that the now resurrected won’t relate to anymore.
Totally agree. The Pet Cemetary and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina did this well.
Doctor Who is probably the only thing that has (mostly) nailed the resurrection trope
Agreed
True😌
Don’t forget the Bible ;)
Dragon Ball, maybe?
BSG
exploring characters psychologically is my favourite thing!
Normally I like it when characters stay dead, but I recently came by a really good resurrection arc for a character.
She wasn't an important character at first I just happened to like her a lot.
And just when her life seemed to be heading to a better place she dies, I genuinly thought she was dead because their would be no point planning the fake death of a minor character.
But she managed to return back to life(as a spirit this is a fantasy world)
It wasn't just a cheap death, her death was exactly what she needed, suddenly she had the freedom to do what she wanted and now she plays a super important role in the story.
Soooooo inspiring.
Lily Pond What’s the name of the story and by whom? If you don’t mind me asking 😃
@@stasysandoval1426 It's a Chinese online noval so I'm afraid it's not available in english (^_^;)
But I can say the book title is really cheesy, translated it's called
Xian world is the fantasy world the story is set in.
I was looking for some light reading so I picked it up.
But it turns out it's an exiting epic story with interesting side characters.
The title is called that because in this fantasy world you can ubtain a long life span so the main character has gone through many relationships -_-#
Lily Pond Awesome 😎 Sounds like a novel I’d be interested. What other languages does it exist in. I speak Spanish too, and if it’s not available in other languages than I’ll make it my goal to learn Chinese when I get the chance 😄
@@stasysandoval1426 It's only in Chinese I'm sorry, and it isn't finished yet too lol.
If you want more reading materiel learning Chinese is a good choice btw(many authors)
Lily Pond Thank you very much for the recommendations 😄🙏I’ll listen to your advise to learn Chinese because I do ultimately want to master more languages as it will allow me to read more books/ novels and explore my choices in reading. May you continue to have an amazing day 😆
I love resurrection tropes~ 💖 As someone has experienced painful deaths in my life, I love not being anxious about characters dying when I read a fantasy. I enjoy reading about “high stakes” that aren’t “everyone’s going to die”.
Logically, I do understand why there should be the threat of harm in these kinds of narratives, but personally, I like to feel less anxious when I read, not more anxious 😂
I was so happy to hear about the more dialogue. I write with a lot of dialogue and was getting a tad self conscious about it. But I absolutely agree with the sentiment so that's what I write; more interaction and relationship building between the characters.
Unfortunately, this sounds like an additional "what not to do" rather than "these things were unexpected and super cool." Still a good video, just not what I was hoping to find from this specific one after watching the "what not to do" one.
Agreed.
"Seeing characters who are willing to die for one another for love--for pure platonic love--is so powerful and beautiful, and does. Not. Get enough page time." Two characters: Fitzchivalry Farseer and The Fool. Three trilogies, all of bookstop length. And I "loved" every page. I highly recommend Robin Hobb's Realm of the Elderlings, Merphy. Sounds like it would be right up your alley. (First time comment, fairly longtime fan now, btw. Keep up the good work.)
Yes. So true. Unfortunately though, I feel like many people can take this and try to make it romantic. I've seen this in both books & films. We'll have 2 characters who would do anything/die for each other but are strictly platonic yet people will say they HAVE to have feelings for each other because they are willing to sacrifice themselves for each other. And yes, I understand that you can ship whoever you want; but being willing to do anything for someone does not always have to come from a place of romantic feelings.
That one about letting strong female characters cry and such, 100% agree!!!
*Being feminine/girly does not equal being weak.*
GOD I love seeing Momtubers going with the flow when their kid cuts into frame!! Like, they don't edit that part out and apologize, nor do they get carried away with them for those sweet sweet minutes. Also, I'm subbing.
Here's one for Merphy:
"Dear Author:
Please just stick with one love interest, because people have an enough a crazy love triangle that involves with sweet childhood friend and an abusive boyfriend."
I don't known why famous authors had chose the abusive boyfriend than the sweet childhood friend. I think that's so stupid. 😒
I've been reading the Throne of Glass series and the way the author writes C's romance with individual 1, 2, 3, and 4 (Not done with the series, so I don't know if there's anymore lol) is really nice in my opinion. Individual 1 is dead before the story begins, then 2 and 3 kind of happen side by side until she ditches 2 because she understands she doesn't feel that way. Then ditches 3 because of a betrayal and slowly just falls out of love with them. It was refreshing to read that like "Okay this isn't the classic love triangle that makes me want to gag." Considering I 100% thought she was going to end up with individual 2 only for her to be like "Oh shit, this person is really just a friend."
@@shaelynmartin1996 That's the only time I was okay with the love triangle trope. It was hard for me until we got to 3 and they explained why she broke up with two, and I LOVED that all of them continued to be friends throughout the whole thing. 2 and 3 were long-time friends and loved each other dearly (platonically), and I would've been so pissed if they couldn't reconcile because one got the girl and the other didn't.
And there's a 4th? New books published without me noticing so I knew I need to go back and reread the first few books (which is going to be irritating because I have to go through the beginnings of the love triangle again and the first few chapters wax poetic about her perfect not-like-other-girls-ness) but now I'm worried about wtf that betrayal was, and who 4 is. Interesting...
@@epicotakucherry5280 Her "not-like-other-girls-ness" is kind of refreshing though in a way because the author focuses more on her wit. Sure, she's a badass assassin but she's not the *only* badass assassin. She's not the *only* badass female. Hell, her best friend N is a badass too. What makes C stand out is her wit and her ability to adapt to her surroundings. Plus, I love how this is a strong female character who actually likes pretty things. Most "strong female warriors" would refuse things like finery and dresses because "gotta have that male strength." C is more like "Yeah, fighting is easier in pants. BUT THIS DRESS IS MAKING ME SALIVATE I WANT."
what about a love hexahedron?
@@shaelynmartin1996 It wasn't the first time reading a "not-like-other-girls" story for me and while it was refreshing how physically talented she was, it was irritated how they had to spend like the whole first few chapters bragging about it. It felt like, a constant, arrogant, one-upping that didn't stop for a while. Like when you describe and anime or video game character that's OP and you keep just listing all the things they're perfect at to show how everyone else sucks but your character is so perfect and amazing and it irritated me. I had enough of that OP bullshit from the anime shounen fandom, I didn't need that in my books, too.
Having her try to escape at the beginning was why I actually pushed through those first few chapters because I felt she was genuinely really clever in how she did it and I wanted to see how someone like this would lead the story and how the story would go, considering she didn't want anything to do with her setting in the first place.
It was nice how she actually enjoyed more feminine stuff even as a fighter. That was definitely something I hadn't really seen and I appreciated it.
how bout depicting a perfectly healthy relationship in progress? all I seem to see is the initial bumbling romance phase or relations that are going up in flame faster than the hindenburg. Where are the 'I am happily married thank you' depictions!
The only ones who fall into that category are parents, which says something about society perceptions: when a couple gets married, with a well established home and life, it's immediately expected for them to have children. In real life, couples who don't want to have children are seen with disdain by others. There's more than a billion humans in the planet right now, so procreating more doesn't seem like an urgent necessity, but the idea of "all oficial couples must have children" has been so embedded in our collective brains that people can't seem to understand it isn't necessary in the time we're in right now, when instead there's TOO many people
Good morning.... I’m dying😂😭😭😭😭. The only book where I accept character resurrection is Pet Sematary because it’s basically the whole book and even thought they are back they still aren’t really BACK.
The only book where I accept character resurrection is the Books of Pelinor by Alison Croggon. But I'm not going to tell you who dies and gets resurrected because EVERYONE should read this book series. SO good.
I hope you're not really dying.😊
Dear authors, continue to push the boundaries and limits of what we consider a novel to be because I am tired of formulaic fiction.
Can you explain what you are looking for? How out of the box would you be willing to expect?
How do you feel about a main character that doesn't change much?
JuggernautRedSue flat character arc. I think it could work, like The Last Wish.
@@Air_Serpent It's interesting to me because what if they don't need to change to accomplish anything and it's the world around them, or their small circle that changes instead? I don't know. It could have legs.
JuggernautRedSue from The Last Wish, it’s the latter. But in other mediums I’ve seen that the other characters change either because of the flat character or the flat character simply witnesses it and may or may not help out. The only example I can think of is the Devil May Cry anime for the second option. The first option would be The Last Wish.
When a comic book character dies, I’m always thinking, “How long before he/she comes back? Probably in two issues. Three if the writer wants to add some realism.” LOLOLOLOL
There are precious few books out there that contain friendship relationships that are strong and lasting between/among adults. It seems that apparently we are supposed ot grow up and no longer care about nurturing our friendships, but only our romantic relationships. In a lot of books with adult friendships there is either a friend's betrayal or it transitions (as said in this video) to romance or one of the friends finds a romantic partner and seems to just dump their friends, who disappear from the narrative entirely. I would love ot see this change in literature. I think friendships are some of the most important relationships we have throughout life and our literature and culture should be showing us characters that value and nurture their friendship.
Also, hard agree with the person who wanted more dialog and less description of every single detail of every item in a room...regardless of whether the item is of any importance to the plot or the character development. I'd rather hear two characters talking to one another than the description of a chair...unless later in the book someone uses the chair to beat someone to death. In that case, by all means describe the chair/murder weapon. If it's just a chair, then please forgo it for something happening between/among the characters.
3:04 immediately thought about the ending of Harry Potter.
I mean EVERYBODY gets married and has children.
You can be happy without marriage or kids.
That's what happened with Charlie Weasley, Dumbledore, McGonagal, Snape, Hagrid. A lot of characters were single and childless.
The thing that frustrated me about the ending to Harry Potter was that when J K Rowling said that she had written the last chapter well in advance, I imagined it to be the culmination of the final battle between Harry and Voldemort not a tacked on epilogue. It felt out of place more than anything.
@@idontwanttohearitidont4792 Dumbledore and Snape are Dead.
So...
@@idontwanttohearitidont4792 Also Sirius.
@@aceoflights. They died as adults so had years/decades to choose to marry/have kids.
“Have you met my friends Locke and Jean?”, why yes, yes I have. And their friendship is legendary. I’m still sad about the Sanzas.
me too, friend. Me too.
I am struggling through Gentlemen’s Bastard series... Why Am I not enjoying this what is wrong with me?!
@@Morfeusm it's a little slow in the beginning. You should love it by halfway through the first book.
I am so lucky that I just read that chapter and didn't get it spoiled for me.
@@Darm0k Actually I am in the book 2 now. First book was for me exactly as you were saying.
"Let me introduce you to my friend ..." Lawd I felt that. That's exactly how I think about some characters, especially after I've finished a book - as old friends, old friends that I have gone through hell with sometimes.
2:35 I will say, I like the sadistic approach to this trope. Magnus Chase, Characters die but not really in a Hotel and do all kinds of fun activities till death but comes back minutes later. Its so funny.
Oh my goooood your kid is so cuuuteee
Agreed!!!
I’ll keep these in mind when I publish my debut novel :)
Well, BEFORE that... :P
What kind of novel are you writing?
The thing you said about women in books always being "strong" on the account of being stronger than the men in the story REALLY spiked me... I never thought of it that way and didn't even know that it bothers me... But oh my does it!
Pipak Pipak This has forever bugged me. Especially with new wave of feminism and extreme feminists.
It isn’t a book but instead a Korean TV drama I watched called six flying dragons and one of the main Characters you’re introduced to early on is basically the perfect strong female character I like. She’s not super strong or a killer or anything. She’s very soft and kind hearted but she has the determination and sight of what she needs to do but she doesn’t rely on guys to help her (because it’s a historical drama where it’s a rather patriarchal society) but that doesn’t mean she can beat a person in a fight. Instead it’s the opposite but she’s still loved and respected by her townsfolk. And she isn’t someone with lots of money or power/fame. She isn’t even like super smart bookworm or anything either. She is rather a normal average person for the time setting. Some may say she is a bland or uninteresting character compared to some of the other characters in the drama (which is 50 episodes long) but I absolutely love her. She’s the strong female character type which I wish there was more of. And she didn’t even marry or anything at the end. She was such a unique character for me. Not weak but not physically strong either.
Hunter x Hunter has the platonic friendship love on lock (:
yesss
killuaxgon best bromance
Feeling the relationship call out. I love when characters can find happiness and resolution without a relationship! The Hunger Games romance was completely unnecessary, the Harry Potter epilogue was unnecessary ... I'm so over it! That said, I'm also not a big romance reader unless it's a classic, and even then ... I just don't find romance to usually be that interesting? That sounds worse than I mean it too.
Same, not my genre at all. I don't mind a little bit of romance here and there, but usually there's so much of it that the whole book/series gets ruined for me.
And like you said, Hunger Games was unfortunately one of those series for me. This sounds wrong, but I wanted more child murder and less melodramatic love triangles lmao.
I agree with the HG, but I actually liked the HP-epilogue.
There was nothing romantic in the epilogue. We just got a bittersweet tease into the futures of Harry and Co. It was more about him becoming a father, forgiving Snape and Dumbledore, finding peace after war and a family after childhood abuse. It was not about the romantic side of Harry's relationship with Ginny.
The Harry Potter epilogue was necessary because you saw those relationships build over the course of the books. It wasn't shoehorned in at the end.
@@robertgronewold3326 The Harry Potter epilogue had Harry become an auror instead of the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts, so for that it's shoehorned in.
Yes Harry always wanted to be an auror, but that was a childhood dream, and he genuinely loves teaching (see Order of the Phoenix). He should have been a teacher.
Yes totally agree some characters should stay single!
I read a book series where a lot of characters kept getting revived, and at the start of the last three books, Fate basically appeared to the healer who revives everyone, telling her that Fate and Death would no longer allow her to revive anyone. Then lots of people got whacked. It was an interesting take.
Love these videos! New video idea: dear booktubers.....
The Two Princesses of Bamarre is such a good little story by the author of Ella Enchanted. Pretty sure its a "kids book" but the characters are great and it's about two sisters that are complete opposites, one is super strong physically and she loves to sword fight while the other is, I believe, more into books and is not very physically strong. The strong sister gets sick from the Black Death and the nerdy sister is the one who goes out to find the cure for her sister even though she is scared. Super good sister relationship and such a good adventure story.
I mean, the best romances are those where the friendship is the strongest. My husband is my best friend and I feel as much love as I feel friendship towards him. I've always been confused at the distinction. Like. Wait. You're *not* friends with your SO?
The distinction comes from the 2 main tropes in romance/friendships in films, books, and TV shows. To summarize, two things will generally occur. One a boy meets girl situation. They find a connection and fall in love. There's no steps in-between or even friendship. 9/10 times the main male lead always gets in a strict romantic relationship with dating, engagement and marriage. The 2nd type is the trope of the best friends. In this case, one best friend (more often than not the female) has a crush on the other friend. They eventually fall in love and get married. I am over simplifying a bit but those are the two most likely outcomes in media for a male-female bond.
Now then, if we look at male-male and female-female bonds, it's always friendship. You can hopefully now see the problem. 90% of male-female bonds will always go down the romance route in most media. It implies that you can't just have a friend who happens to be the opposite sex. It's either you fell in love with your best friend or you feel in love with a person you just meet. In both situations, the implication is they can't just be friends. There's no room in media for friendship only romance, romance, and romance. If you're a male, you are always going to get a woman to hold your arm. If you're a girl, your whole life will get centered around the male in some shape or other to 'fix' your life. It implies that romance relationships are both the natural and only good relationships between two people of opposite sexes that happen to be available and not related to one another.
I get where you're coming from and that's a wonderful thing. However, the problem is that most romances in media nowadays skip becoming friends and go into full-blown romance with no middle ground. And, that friendship is kind of missing because all the focus is centered on the physical aspects of a relationship, not anything mental or metaphysical. I think romance is fine in some cases but most of the time it's an on-off switch and treated as though its the only possible outcome. Plus, whenever a guy or girl is friend-zoned, the medium will usually treat it like it's a bad thing instead of the natural and only way to progress a relationship. Healthy normal friendships (without romantic undertones) are not used in media much between different sexes. Instead, it is romance or bust. I apologize if that's a bit repetitive but I hope that helps clarify the problem.
@@fridaylambda3494 thank you for taking the time to respond so politely lol to be clear, I do agree with you 100% and I share your view point (since forever, since I was able to read). One of the biggest reasons that slash (for mlm and wlw specifically) is so popular, is because those friendships between same sex couples are usually so defined and strong. That's what I meant when I said that the best romances are those based around the best friendships (I was particularly thinking of steve rogers x bucky barnes hahaha). I also feel as though we need to stop erasing friendship once two (or more) people move more towards romance. I think that was my thought behind my original comment; my husband and I are married, but we are also definitely friends- we gossip about as much as one can do. Just because I am romantically involved with him it doesn't mean he is not my friend anymore sort of thing. I don't know if any of that made sense.
Since you mentioned realism in fiction, let me introduce you to my good friend: immersion.
Immersion is the right word for that context. A fantasy world can feel like it could be real when it has good consistency, actual danger, … that's immersion.
I agree with all of this, especially these two:
- Platonic relationships: Yes! There are some books where I'm a thousand times more interested in the friendship more than the romance. For example, Letters To The Lost is a beautiful book that is about coping. But I'm deeply more invested in the friendship between two boys way more than the romance. I find it incredibly sweet that the two boys understood each other without having to say much. I find it incredibly endearing that one would show up to the other boy's house unannounced in the middle of the night to seek some form of comfort and a place to sleep. The bond that they have showed how deep and meaningful it is. I love it!
- Strength in women: Just like you said, women do not have to be physically strong to be strong. I know this isn't a book but I loved Joyce Byers in Stranger Things. (I'll keep it spoiler free just in case.) I didn't care for her in the first few episodes because I thought she would be just another overly protective, annoying mother. But, boy, was I wrong. She quickly became one of my all time favorite characters because of her love and dedication to her sons. She wasn't super human, she wasn't perfect, and she definitely doesn't know everything. But she's trying to make it work. Her determination and efforts is the reason that I love her so much. I wish to see more characters like her.
omg your hair looks so beautiful!!!
Personally, i feel like so many authors have gone against the "chosen one who naturally is good at everything" trope to the point that "person who has to struggle to be good at things but perserveres" plot type has now itself become even more of a trope. I usually like books that arent as black and white when they use these- harry potter I think might be a good example. sure hes kind of a "chosen one" and naturally excels in some areas like flying (or later defense against the dark arts but that was more bc he had more practice/experience and i think less bc it was something he was just instantly good at) but at the same time hes not good at all magic, and most of the time he's pretty much on a level playing field in regards to learning something as the rest of the classmates of the year he is in. Like there are plenty of classes where hermoine excels way more than he does bc shes more of a bookworm and educational over achiever type and because, even being a sort of chosen one, harry is still just a regular student too
Poor Gandalf.
Philia love is the term you’re looking for
No joke, I forgot about the discussion video when I saw her kid in the background and was like "Baby!" 😍🤗😊😂
I love these videos! As an author, this is the primary reason I watch videos about tropes and book reviews and things people love to see in books or don't like to see. It's such a valuable tool for me to see what readers are responding well to, and vice versa. Thanks for this!
I like watching these videos, they help me figure out what I should do with a story, especially when I'm stuck in my writing.
Good thing to note, no romance in the end of my current story.
I appreciated that comment about writing about other races. In my book one main character is Hispanic and the other indigenous Native american, and I am neither of those. So Ill make sure to find a beta reader of those ethnicity's!
Agreed. In my book there's someone of Italian descent, someone of Irish descent and someone from an unnamed Arabic country. So going to find beta readers of those origins.
What's the name of the book and are you going to post it, I'm now inclined to read it. To both comentor and replier.
@@rac1equalsbestgame853 well mine I'm currently writing. So it wont be out for a while lol
@@JixieDyeAuthor that's funny. I'm italian and my main character is Italian so I've actually got that down lol
@@lucaleone4331 Good luck with it!
Leave ur characters dead when they die.
Supernatural I'm looking at you
yo imma be honest, having practically every character come back to life and then my favorite character being one of the only ones who didn't suuuucked xD
@@tehribbons1192 aww dude that's sad
:( BUT who's ur favourite?
@@athxxvs2337 Benny ;-;
Thank you for all the inspiration and ideas! :)
I love all the points you get on a rant about, I can relate with everything you're passionate about in this video! Love it
Dear Readers...
Thank you so much for this gold! Now tell it to the literary agents, editors, and publishers. (a.k.a The Gatekeepers) ❤️
Signed An Author who has written some of what you want to see but struggles to get representation because this is not what The Gatekeepers believe you will buy. Or so I’ve been told. ☺️
My WIP fulfills most of these points-makes me feel like I'm doing something right!
This is EXTREMELY helpful. Thank you so much.
These videos are so helpful as I'm editing. Thank you for asking and posting!
"...please have your characters STRUGGLE to learn new skills." I hope Rian Johnson and Kathleen Kennedy caught this video.
oh quit it already
My character struggles to learn new skills and even when she learns it she's not the best at it. There are others much better at it than her.
@@SS-rr7by No. No one other than the author likes Mary Sue characters. No one. It's arrogant and off-putting. And that is exactly what Rey is - a Mary Sue. OP characters should never make it past the author's teen years, much less be coming from professionals like the two people related to Disney's Star Wars franchise that were mentioned.
Let me clarify. Characters that can do insanely cool/powerful/OP things with no explanation other than "just because - that's who they are" with no window into the past showing how they happen to be able to do those things are uninteresting bores. Especially if they seem to have no flaws. The author comes off as though bragging in a childish competition to have the best characters. If you don't stomp on that kind of writing behavior those authors will never get the idea of what's wrong with their writing. They will just quit because no one watches their shows or reads (buys) their books.
I always think of Darth Bane's training in Path of Destruction. It took much so time, effort and dedication even with dedicated formal instruction. It irritates me with all the "Learn the Force in 10 easy steps" stuff. I would even consider Luke's training to be rather abbreviated.
Oh please, as if you watch SW to see them practicing with the lightsaber
I mean, technically speaking, Ep8 and Ep9 were actually the most we ever saw of saber training
Characters staying dead would force the comics industry to come up with new characters and stories! Why would we want that!
XD You captured the essence of the comic super-hero industry right then and there. And also the essence of any company that wants to bank on a certain series or property.
Your reactions are the best!! I love how passionate you get about books❤️❤️
im writing a book and went into this video nervous because you are so likeable and i really respect your opinons in these videos... phew i think i'm nailing it! these videos are both entertaining as heck as a reader and also super helpful as a writer - so thank you! glad i found your channel, you are a gem to watch!
"I-I-I like love..."
Convincing.
I can imagine her Partner seeing this and letting out a dissapointed but resigned sigh.
"I like love."
Merphy Napier 2019~
Omg I completely agree about all the unnecessary detail about the weather or what color A dress is or how many buttons are on a shirt! That’s drives me crazy!!
As an author, I love seeing these kind of videos, because it's inspirational to me. It's also research, so I don't write within known (and annoyingly familiar) boxes. As a reader, I, too, want to see things in books that aren't overdone. I love, love, love to surprise the reader and take the story in a different direction than they might anticipate. Between you and me, I'm ticking off boxes here: 'I don't do that, I don't do that, oh, I do do that, shoot, okay, double checking if my book needs that.' And I know your video is not a list of to do's, but I do feel that writers can get sucked up in their stories, that they don't notice the overdone parts (at first). Every story can thrive on a subject you've mentioned, as long as it's done well. And if it is, no need to change it, right? :) Thanks for the video Merphy Napier!
I shouted “AMEN!” on the first one 😂
Make part 3!!!
This is such helpful writing material tbh so thanks :)
Omg i loved both of these videos
Plz do more like these!!
I would really love to see more stories have bad endings, especially if it's a series. Why should everything end up well when it doesn't make sense that it would? it feels like fan service rather than story service.
Michelle Wilson Wolfsangel. The entire series. Not even needed in particular order (I guess maybe except the last one? I haven’t gone there yet).
@@Air_Serpent ooooh intriguing!
The story im trying to write ends bitter sweet. Its like a coming of age mystery quest story where the main character is trying to find out who they are, it also focuses on platonic friendship between 2 main characters but at the end the main C never finds out who they actually are. If they do then their entire world breaks down and they die so it ends with main C living therefore failing their Quest of finding their identity but they are still alive but the 2nd mc disappears from their life forever to ensure they live but the main C doesn’t realise this.
(Well not until the epilogue which takes place a while later where reader and MC find out who they really are and the true relationship between the two MCs, but this just makes the story more tragic than bittersweet, as the clues are all within the story for readers it’s just fully confirmed in the epilogue where it’s told rather than shown/foreshadowed).
You get up early. Morning! ♡
**cries in public school**
Let me start off by saying I love fantasy, it is and always will be my favorite genre. That first one though (when done right that is) I love it when you have an immortal character that is just done, they cannot stand getting attached to people and watching them grow old and die, only to rinse and repeat for 1000 years, they keep putting themselves in perilous situations thinking that this time it will work they are gonna die. FINALLY! Only for it to backfire in some way.
I know this makes me look like a psychopath but honestly, it's one of my favorite tropes and it is *NOT* gone enough for my liking.
For some reason when you go into narrating mode sometimes I just feel like crying in a good way (remembering the points you make in books I love etc.)
Thanks for all of those moments.
“Leave your characters dead when they die”.
Okay, lemme tell you about Homestuck.
I am a Wattpad author and am very pleased that my book doesn’t seem to have these problems. I totally agree about the romance thing, which is why my MC is single at the end of the book. She isn’t going to have a romantic subplot until book seven.
I'd like to know the name of your book
@@aishasky33Aww! Thanks! It's called Shatter Like Glass. I'm working on editing it to (hopefully) get it published.
this video is awesome! i’m taking notes for my nano novel and now i’m psyched to write!!
Books with massive friendships... The Red Sister trilogy by Mark Lawrence ... ! Great read & .... no romance.. !
“please keep the characters dead” - Air Awakens is a prime example of this. And I hate/love it.
The dead character thing Iis probably why I love my favorite series soooo much, even though now ghat I've read it with a critical eye, it's not even that good. But I love the characters so much that it makes up for any and all flaws in the story. I'm talking about, SPOILER ALERT
Beyonders, by Brandon Mull
I love the way you express yourself.
I love descriptions ✌
When your a aspiring author, and sees this video😍😍😍😍 #cheatsheet
People die when they are killed
As I starting writer, it is great to listen to you. It helps me to figure how the story could go on, rather than doing something bad that already have been done. Or especially lack details that make the story interesting.
I just want to know what might be interesting.
But still, I have my own story that might be good for me.
As a frustrated author and reader as well. I am learning from you a lot on what should I give to my readers. Thanks a lot.