@@corvusastrum2982 I wish I had this problem I’m such an underwriter and an over thinker that I never feel good about anything I write even though it’s 10x better than most the stuff off wattpad
That's true, especially if you add a lot of your bad aspects. I have a self insert in one of my stories, and she has evolved far from the self insert she used to be. She has a lot of the same flaws I have.
@@mercurialthrills9011 Mine actually devolves. I make his issues worse than they started out as. He deals with a lot of horrible things throughout the story, but never does he improve. Everyone around him treats him worse and worse until it becomes too much for him and he goes insane. It’s at this point where it splits into two paths, both ending up in a very dark direction. One where he desires revenge in the bloodiest way possible, and the other is where his depression and anxiety lead him to become more and more disconnected from reality in the pursuit of the only happiness left in his life.
@@benjaminthibieroz4155 Get more opinions and go with the majority? Seriously what you ask is the hardest thing. Which opinion do you trust more, theirs or yours?
Very relatable. I started writing fan fics at 13 and it's what eventually got me to writing an original book. 😂 I get too critical with my fan fics, like I'm supposed to put that energy into the book I'm trying to actually publish and not the for fun shit!
I'm going to call myself a "hobbyist writer" from now on, since I'm writing solely for my own enjoyment for now. That might change if I ever get the confidence to seriously consider publishing, in which case I'll need to put it through several more personal edits and at least one professional edit to get my writing up to "I'm fine with random strangers reading this" levels of quality.
@aimeee "write like no one is watching; because no one's watching." "First drafts always suck. Write it anyway. Now you have something to edit." From Piers Anthony: "I try to publish half a million words per year. That doesn't include the first draft and the first re-write." also, "And I have to answer fan-mail. Lately I've been averaging as many as one letter per day." (Hint: learn to type!)
That's what I did for 26 years. I've been writing for over 10 years and have been complimented on it but I've simply done it for fun as a hobby. I didn't stress or take it too seriously until now. I'm 27 and actually trying to write a romantic fantasy since it's my favourite genre and I'm having fun but it's so much more work lol but it's also a lot of fun. I hope someday if you ever decide to try to write a book and publish it, that you do an incredible job doing so!! Best of luck with your writing regardless ♥
One of my rules of editing is: When reading, ask yourself "what does this scene add and is it necessary?" One of the reasons it's difficult for beta readers to get through a manuscript is that there are too many scenes that drag; it feels it takes too long to get to the meat of the story and they're just wading through seas of fluff and unnecessary exposition. Some low points are necessary to give the readers and characters a break from the action, but it needs to keep a steady flow.
Before beginning to write each chapter (outline was already done), first thing I do is to list all reasons why scenes in this chapter are important, what they must convey, and how it serves the rest of the story. I must have at least 5. My average is rather 9-10. I encourage people to do the same, it ready help you being aware of what must be written and focus on it. In other word, see each chapter like a story in its own right
My rule for creating low points is to make sure those scenes have a high point in another, different aspect of they story. Maybe the characters aren't doing much in the plot but they're resolving their personal issues. This way something is always happening but the pace isn't monotone and has variety.
I had a huge problem with having unnecessary scenes in a draft for my first book. I ended up re-writing what little I had of the draft and managed to add scenes that while the story could continue without them, add some really good relationship and character development moments that will be good, probably even neccessary to have already established and to refer to later.
"how many commas do they have" - when I was about 19 I realized that almost every single sentence I wrote had a comma in it. I started exploring other sentence structures and tried out new forms of punctuation after that.
@@rosaliebent4833 you should definitely mix it up somewhat with at least some shorter sentences, and there are other punctuation marks to play with, depending on the tone of what you're writing.
@@fourcatsandagarden True, but good writing is also easy reading and text full of semicolons, colons, brackets, overly-long sentences and sentence fragments should be the exception, not commonplace. Readers don't want to have to drag the story from your text. They want it to flow out such that they are unaware of your writing structure. I proof read and edit for a living for indie authors and too many don't have a good handle on basic structure, grammar and punctuation and an otherwise good story struggles under the weight of basic weaknesses. I've read great writers with a boring story and hated it while enjoyed a average writer with a scintillating tale. But if I have to WORK at dragging the meaning out of text I will generally abandon it. But you are right. Mixing it up a little can add a little bit of unexpected 'sparkle' to your writing.
Honestly, I don’t think there’s any way of knowing. Of course, in the end, it’s all subjective. I’ve written things that I thought were great, but other people didn’t like. I’ve also written things that I thought were absolutely terrible, but other people loved. Sometimes, I’ll really hate a sentence when I first write it, but when I read it again the next day, it sounds better, and vice versa.
Sometimes it’s not how well someone writes, it’s how well they market their brand. Everything’s now business. They don’t even traditionally publish someone anymore without any platform.
Nah, don't fall to the fallacy that "good writing is subjective". Good writing is objective, what you like to read is subjective. However enjoyable story =/= good story, just like not every story you dislike is bad writing. The key is learning the theory behind this stuff so you'll really be able to verbalize why you like or don't like something.
@@lilowhitney8614 Objective implies a standard that can transcend human opinion. Art cannot do that. For example, I’m not a huge fan of Ernest Hemingway’s writing. To me, his writing is too simplistic, but other people feel differently. Neither of us are wrong.
I've come to find out that I also abide by the phrase "*Feel* don't tell" when writing character emotions, since I have a tendency to write things like "he clenched his fist in anger" instead of letting the reader feel said anger
Keep clenched, just find a different way to make them *feel* the anger. Like, describing the way the fist clenched, or the physical effect it has on them, physical memory can evoke emotion. The events and details leading up to the clenched fist also help the reader *feel* what you're wanting them to. A lot of physical reactions are universal, so emotions linked with them will be similar. We're a lot more alike than we think.
Can someone give me an example of the Feel Don’t Tell thing based off of the Fist Clench thing. It seems very useful and I don’t know how to write it like that.
@@sirpattheperson Ummm maybe like, as an alternative to "he clenched his fist in anger", you could say "as heat burned in his chest, he dug his nails into his palm." The heat in his chest describes anger in a sensory way that the reader can better understand, and him digging his nails in his palm is more effective at emphasizing the intensity of his anger.
You can also add more on to it, too, something like "He clenched his jaw, glaring straight ahead at the man in front of him. He barely noticed the feeling of his nails digging into his palm, although it nearly drew blood."
I disagree with the last point because of my experience, wherein my professionally edited work, in hindsight, sucks, and more recently the smaller works I have put out have been much better and more well received from my readers. I do think editing, beyond proofreading, is extremely important. The issue I have is that professional editing is not a viable path for many people to take monetarily. I think there are viable ways to get the same benefits of professional editing without paying a professional editor, and I wish people emphasized this more when making this point in videos like these. I may just be a bit bitter from wasting my money, but I don't think its unfounded. Smaller writers out there have to be careful when it comes to where they put their money. Be very thorough with edits, and have many eyes comb through it, but if you can't pay for a professional edit, in my opinion, don't stress over it, and instead stress over improving your work as best you can with the input of as many people as you can, if you can't afford, or don't want to risk paying for, a professional edit. Again, just my opinion, and I fully understand if anyone disagrees. I really do think it depends on a case by case basis.
I'm still in middle school but I'm geting into writing, when I'm older I want to be a writer, but for now I want to do it for fun or to get good at it.
Or just self-advertise on one or some of your social media sites that you want someone to co-op on your writing with so that's it's LESS trash. Be VERY friendly about it--AND relevant to the topic you are butting this into!
My boyfriend is reading my second draft and adding notes to parts he doesn't understand, enjoys, dislikes, etc. He's the only person I trust to edit otherwise I feel like people would either be too mean to be, too nice to me, or just steal my work (not like it's that good but you never know, people are sketchy online 😂)
Keep going anyway!! I've written things that I just kinda never went back to but it still improves you as a writer because it gives you practice. Don't give up on your work. It may very well be something that someone else enjoys, or that you'll be proud of someday. It's not easy but trust me, you'll get to a point where you feel a bit more confident in yourself as long as you keep working on it and improving!!
If you get both types of edits, doesn't mean it still doesn't suck. The person making the changes may not have all the skills to make the kinds of changes good. This goes especially if it is your first novel.
You have a point. The question is does the reader get it. A reader who has no interest in fantasy might find a fantasy novel a muddle. I like the scene from "Funny Farm" where the wife tells her husband his manuscript is terrible. She points out there are numerous flashbacks, flash forwards, and even a flash sideways. I wonder what she would have said about a Quentin Tarantino manuscript?
I've read a few books that I'm still surprised were published and surely they were edited beforehand. Some books are just really bad. On the other hand I've read peoples work online with only self edits and they were actually enjoyable, so it depends on the person but surely editing in any way can only improve a book...hopefully.
@@BooksToAshes I completely agree. I've seen bestsellers that were littered with grammatical errors. I've also read chapters of an unpublished novel on critique sites and was very impressed, especially since it was their first round of feedback. Unfortunately, your ability to write only plays a role if you don't bring something else to the table, like a large audience.
My problem with narrator programs, a lot of them have very unnatural robotic voices. Being dyslexic, reading is very difficult and having an ear-grating voice reading for me has been the bane of my life. Nowadays narrator programs sound a lot better but only if you are willing to pay. At the moment I am using 'Onenote immersive reader' which isn't too bad but this 'edit out loud' sounds useful AF. Sending get well wishes to Cliff. Also if you need to take time off Do it! Will definitely still be subscribed and here for the next video, if you have to miss an upload. :)
Parts of a story It has been said every story contains certain elements whether War & Peace or Little Miss Muffet... as such... Little Miss Muffet (establish characters) Sat on a tuffet, (establish location) Eating her curds and whey; (develop activity/action) Along came a spider, (introduce conflict) Who sat down beside her (build conflict/suspense) And frightened Miss Muffet away. (resolve conflict) This example credited to Jim Shooter when he was Editor in Chief @ Marvel Comics)
Sign 1 (Where's the plot?): I suck at coming up with my own plot, so I rip off plots from elsewhere and hope I can put a unique enough spin on it that nobody will notice. Sign 2 (Google It): I'm googling everything I don't already know, and I often google stuff that I already know just to be sure I know it as well as I think I do. Sign 3 (Robot Narrator): I'll make a note to avoid this when I actually get around to writing Sign 4 (Copycat): A lot of stuff I've incorporated started off as copying stuff I like, then stuffing it in a blender I come up with something similar, but hopefully different enough that it'll be passable. For example, Fumiko started off as a Fluttershy clone and, while they're both shy, kind, love of animals, and start off as doormats, Fumiko's a badass marine combat engineer while Fluttershy is an adorable pacifist veterinarian. Sign 5 (Telling Everything): I constantly worry about assigning a trait to someone or something in the narrative, then failing to properly demonstrate it. Sign 6 (Readers Matter): For now, my target audience is me. If/When I'm ready to publish, I'll put my stories through a couple more drafts to account my new target audience (probably other military sci-fi fans). Sign 7 (Books are for Reading): I'll share it with beta readers when I'm ready to consider publishing. Sign 8 (Grammar): This is one of the first things I look for when revising essays (either my own or someone else's that I'm beta reading). It will be something I look for when creating new drafts when I'm writing. Sign 9 (You're Characters Aren't Likable): I've given my main characters some virtues and some flaws. The characters I've deliberating designed to be nothing but flaws with few, if any redeeming characteristics, are specifically designed to be hateable. Sign 10 (You Didn't Edit): I'm already aware I'll need to do this when I get around to editing.
My first attempt is with an editor now 100% with you. I never intended to publish and wrote errors into the structure of the narrative, (a dying man telling his life story that can not be amended post death), any way best of luck
"no one is good at every part of the writing process," "Um... Jenna, I'm literally a god making worlds; I can handle it." Thank you so much for the advice 😊
#9 gave me a flashback to the 80 page chapter book I wrote when I was 8 that had no punctuation or capitalization because "I just didn't get it." RIP my poor parents who I had read it.
#4 was a problem for me, but not with writing. I made music before starting writing, and i would always copy others because i didn't really have original ideas, what i thought was original was just copying others. Got into writing because i realised my ideas came from stories, but i really love music too
Listening to the audio version of my writing has been surprising at helping me pick out the "unnatural' sounding parts of dialogue. As well, it has helped me pick up on run-on sentences. I've never thought of using this strategy while doing activities in day to day life.
I'm curious about number 9 particularly with badguys/villains? I mean there are charming villains of course but I gotto be honest I have not found ANY redeeming qualities in Brontes for example. Don't get me wrong, I love to hate him if that makes sense. And I can't wait for him to tumble down something very tall or just generally meet a very sticky end. But then how does that work in regards to likeability? Is it okay if some characters are genuine turd-stains? Does that only work with antagonists? Or maybe that's material from or for another video, but I'm just wondering ^__^
I like Kaleo as an antagonist myself. He has charisma, is kinda funny in a dark way, and his relationship with Tobias intrigued me. I felt like he was impressed by Tobias' growth from the underdog to being the one person capable of defeating him and his gang. Oh, and he's a dick, and dickhead characters are fun to read
Yeah, you can have a balance of villains that are pure villains, just make them interesting and fun to watch. Not every villain needs to be evil with a tragic backstory or twisted anti-heroes.
Antagonists doesn’t have to be the only unlikeavle character in the book. Heck they don’t even need to be unlikeable, an antagonist can just be the love interest’ boyfriend. But, back to the point, all characters can be turdstains. Just be mindfull of not making a main character into a hateable crapdump. Save that for evil dads
I haven't watched for awhile and oh my gosh you've grown so much. You look great and I'm so happy for you! Congratulations on your third (third?) book!!!
Whenever I'm working on character profiles, I separate the personality section in two: one paragraph for generally positive or perceived-positive traits, and one paragraph for negative or perceived-negative traits. It helps me make sure I'm getting a decent balance between the two. It also helps me realize when I'm tipping the balance. (my "self-inserts" are built primarily on my insecurities and shortcomings, so I struggle to find positive traits for them. XDD;; )
"It's indoor work without any heavy lifting, or do you wanna be a plowman like your father?" Imagine you are working on the broken drain pipe beneath a mobile home, doing the backstroke through cat droppings, toilet squeezings, spider webs, ants, fiberglass, fleas, and nematodes. Now shut up and write!
Thank you for sharing these videos. So much reality in these... I keep nudging my fellow writers to watch you... feel called out and FIX it! Edit Out LOUD ROCKS!!!!! Many hugs, Z.
#1: Need a plot. Beginning, middle, end. Simple...ironic from a wattpad writer, I know. #2: Yeah, researching, even a little, can help. If you're writing about a fictional disability, look up disabilities with similar effects and add it to what you think would work. #4: I feel like you can regurgitate and change a fanfic if you take the parts of something you like, create an entirely new story and work with the characters you like as a basis, do something interesting with them, or take aspects of the world and plot you liked and disliked, spin parts of it to help with what you wanna go for, and add more variety onto that plot you want to make. Don't go to outright plagiarize. Use inspiration combined with originality and effort. #5: Best way to do this is to write the character doing things, then add exposition and dialogue. Imagine all your characters can't speak and figure out how to present their personality, motives, and intrigue. #9: Balance likability and flaws. Make them struggle, but in a way you want the characters to succeed. Or do what the Chucky movies do, put the characters in a situation where you learn to like the characters, hate the ones you're supposed to hate, and make them struggle against a force who's hurting them for the sake of doing it.
Was Sad and depressed........ Suddenly notification about writing popped up (Checked the notification) It's Jena!!! The moment she said "enjoy!!!", the smile returned and washed up my doubts and tears. ❣️ You're awesome Jena✨
Well perfect timing! I just figured a major plot hole in my story that if I change any events, I am incredibly close to exploding since they are incredibly unlikely to make any sense! If my writing sucks, well too bad I spent 8 months working on this story that apparently is the source of my sadness instead if happiness now 😅
Shhhh... a perfectly coherent story will never be more important than your enjoyment. Remember to have fun first, cuz if you’re not writing for yourself, what are you writing for? 😌
@@VincentEdelstein wow I guess you're right... I'll probably taking a break from the story to see if I lost spark for it or if any of my other ideas are the new spark. Thanks!
I have been reading a lot of fanfiction lately which exposed me to numerous writing styles of varying quality. Its honestly very interesting to try to analyze why that writing styles works and the other does not. I have seen multiple fics where the writing was on the border of being good but sadly failed. Or others where I suddenly had trouble reading descriptions of things because the auteur first gave details of the object but only later the general form of the object (that doesnt really work).
My answer to people asking that would be “yes, your books sucks but no it doesn’t actually matter.” Yes growing your skills is important and you shouldn’t just publish poop. But confidence, professionalism and PERSISTENCE are much more important and will lead to skill in the long run. I’ve seen good writers fail and meh writers succeed based solely on how seriously they take themselves and their writing as a career and business.
I'm at the begging of writing a story. I think something people do, or it's just me..., is reading the book before you've finished. Every time I do this I can't help but haye what I wrote becuase I think "Man, I have so much more to write but what if it all sounds this bad?" This fear will make me give up so, DON'T READ UNTIL YOU'RE COMPLETELY DONE! YOU'LL THANK ME LATER!
I feel like all ao3 writers use these tips, because damn so many fanfics there are like BOOKS. And as someone who's planned out my next fic and bout to write it- Im not gonna let that standart fall- Thanks for the tips bestie ^^
7:21 I have the exact opposite problem lol it's really hard for me to know what to tell (in form of thoughts or narration) so I don't know how to connect scenes or not make it exhausting to read
Trying to improve my writing and have been looking your videos these last days... At least 20% of your videos are "please suscribe", "try this software", "new projects", "buy my books". Especialy "How TO FORMAT YOUR BOOK" has been a commercial+Tutorial for Vellum.. Didn't find what I was hoping on this one. Thanks a lot for the advices regarding writting :)
I remember going into a research deep dive on frontier construction techniques, particularly properly building different styles of chimneys. All for a short story about a man moving onto a plot of land in the mountains of Colorado and building his new life from scratch.
I have a question, does finding a beta reader, critique reader or sensitivity reader cost any money or are there services that do it for a small price or free because I'm a teen writer who's parents don't let me spend money on writing things
Beta readers and critique partners ARE free, and I've sent my manuscript through several rounds of beta reading just to get as much feedback as possible. The only thing they MIGHT ask for is a swap. You beta theirs, and they'll beta yours, but this isn't every time.
I know my writing is mediocre and I am better off writing for newspapers because I am terrible at writing where I show not tell. But it takes effort to write so that I am showing. But I ain't giving up! Because I just want my book out not for the sake of money, but who actually picks up my book and say, "Hey, this ain't bad." and give it a nice read.
I'd love to see a video discussing coincidences in a story. When is too many and what is the best way to use them? I find that a lot of stories seem to struggle with this. When it is done well it can be very impactful but there have been plenty of times that it has taken me out of the story.
Send the link, I wanna read it. I pumped out 22 chapters of my wattpad stories. And unlike my other stories, I’m not sure it’s as tightly written as the rest.
@@sxwriter8569 not quite sure if this is allowed but here you go: www.wattpad.com/story/127722963?wp_page=create&wp_uname=LaVel063&wp_originator=6xa1JA57cGPA0vTWEpibxa2XMjf0Vk1jf1zp3q0ms1HX1S07v77ZoLpbgGKoPCbMgDRmB7PxMFu5A2gzR502brqRo%2BH6kCT61C%2Bg31kO2BvVX9hdbUdrP8WBrCvztJTV
I sent my third book out to like 10 different people when I was done with it. I think 3 of them finished it. The rest never made it past the 2nd chapter. Lesson learned.
My iMac reads my story to me using various voice assignments so I can hear dialogue. I use Fadein and Scrivener; mainly Fadein so I can just write without organizing as anything.
I'm close to finishing the first draft of my first book and I just don't know what I'm gonna do afterwards. I'd like to publish it one day, but as someone who constantly struggles with insecurity, I doubt I'll ever get around to do it. It sucks, specially 'cause I'm really fond of my characters and I'd love for others to enjoy their story, but few things affect me more than failure and rejection.
If you love your characters and story, nothing should prevent you from doing that. Think of them like, even if the whole world would go against them, YOU will always be there from them. I suggest you try submitting (after proper rework of course). Got accepted? All the best. Not accepted? Who cares? What do these ignorant guys know about your love for you story anyway? You'll alaways have it, it never goes away. And if you're still uncertain, try writing a better one.
Hello Jenna, Do you think you could do a video on writing 3rd drafts? I have finished writing my (pretty bad) first draft of my novel, improved it a bit with the second draft, and I'm a bit stuck on where to go from there besides slowly going through the whole book making it slightly better, only to repeat that for drafts 4, 5, 6, etc. Thank you so much, and have a wonderful week!
My Google is probably concerned about me... "Can you survive a shoot to the head" "How fast does it take to identify poison" "Where to shoot someone to kill them" ... I **think** I'm not a murderer...
11:28 is like one of the characters i made, but it only seems that way to the reader for 90% of the book, but they have a secret that leaks out near the end of the story (hes a scientist) and what everyone does around him sends him into a much darker path (2nd planned out story) and a voice in his head is also pushing him into a much darker path
"Sensitivity readers". When an artist is afraid of hurting some readers looses the freedom of creation. Art is not meant to please, but to enhance your world in any possible way. Through pleasure or pain. Giving birth is the most painful experience and the most powerful: it creates life. Don`t be scared of a book that can hurt you. It could give you a different point of view.
I’d have never guessed you had a sinus infection before you said it out loud. The allergies are rough for me now, and I sound like a clown, haha. I hope you feel better ❤️
Hello, Jenna! I really enjoy your advice, but I have a few questions. 1. You always give examples of "show, not tell" with character traits. How do you show and not tell with actions? I seem to use the same words over and over, but using anything else makes my writing sound pretentious. 2. I know you said that this video wasn't about hobbyists, but I always want my writing to be the very best it can be. However, I'm a high school student with no money. Will my writing be fine even without a professional edit?
I have a question, how many times should you read your novel? ...do you even need to do that? I read mine every time I get back to writing after I took a relatively long break. However, if I continue doing this, it would take me a lot of time since it is always going to be longer and longer. I read mine from the very start just for me to remember the small details or the seeds that I had planted that I might forget to utilize later on. I should propbably train myself to do a better job of listing these details so I don't need to find it inside the novel everytime I need it, lol.
(Sorry this is long but I hope it can maybe help) I actually had similar problems but found ways to resolve it on my own for myself. I'll suggest them in case you ever decide to try it. I used to edit all the time too, which ended up with me overanalyzing my work and becoming disheartened each time I edited and kept seeing things I disliked (over time I think I just started to OVER edit and saw issues that weren't even there). Now I'm writing my first draft and not allowing myself to edit it as I go. Instead I'm just typing/writing and enjoying myself. It's a LOT more fun. I'm actually looking forward to writing while not having to go back to edit and wondering if I made any mistakes. Sometimes I take breaks writing and will make a separate file of Draft One and crate a second draft which is where I edit over what I've already wrote. I go between both but mainly don't focus on editing since as I said before, I over analyze it. For the issues with details, I used to forget mine too until I made a document strictly for plot points, descriptors of characters/places or even dialogue with foreshadowing to remember later (Side Note: Adding what chapter certain scenes happened in can also help you go back to them later on if you wish to). I'll take an example from my own notes from my book and put it below to explain what I mean; Item descriptor- *Kwon Crest*: Symbol of Kings crest in the shape of a feathered dragon curled in on itself, symbolizing it’s rebirth (curled up as if it’s in an egg). OR Character- *Aura*- Lia’s personal servant. Descendant. (Greek) Minor deity name meaning ‘breeze’. Messy blonde hair past her shoulders and dull/dark blue eyes. 28 years old. Introduced in chapter 5. Hope it might have helped, if not I advise you find something that works well for you :) It takes time but you'll get the hang of it.
@@BooksToAshes Thank you! Including the chapters in the note along with the descriptions is such a simple thing but I don't think that I'll come up with that myself if you hadn't told me.
@@theunknownonetuo2033 No problem! I never did it before and I'd forget details in my own books after months of not writing, which never ended well for me lol Best of luck with your writing!!
I think it’s best to both show and tell because sometimes readers won’t pickup on exactly what you’re saying or will read it wrong. It’s good to be like “he was the greatest knight in the seven kingdoms” but also craft situations where maybe fights another skilled knight with his off hand while in a weakened state or something. Yes that is loosely based on Jaime Lannister.
I would love to hear your suggestions Jenna, regarding who/where to seek for professional editing! I was guided that if working with a publishing house, they would want to edit a work themselves, and am unsure whether or not I should pay another editor(s) before sending in a manuscript, or if that would be a waste or unnecessary? Your videos have been very helpful. My sincerest thanks, Jenna.
I know my story, I know the characters and already wrote a lot of information about the characters and the enviroment where the story takes place but I just can't write the book itself. It's like I've dreamed and then woke up and I can't remember the details and where the story was about.. so frustrating.
I have a character in my novel who is sweet and prefers nonviolence because he was physical abused by one of his teachers. Another character in the same novel went through physical abuse from his mom, but unlike character A he wants to be able to defend himself. However whenever he does he gets flashbacks of his mom beating him. Is this okay or is it not? I'm a new writer and I want to get some advice.
For grammar errors, here's a tip - Grammarly. Yes, that Grammarly from funny ads. Or if you know any other similar programs, that works too! Trust me, it's a life-saver. Heck, I edited this comment with Grammarly!
This was an incredible wake up call. I do have one question. I'm researching extensively for my book after writing the first draft, now knowing what I need to really know. However, A, calling people is surprisingly exhausting, and B, now I'm wondering if there is a price. Is there a price to interviews or not, and if there is how much should I expect to pay? This totally came after I just called a divorce lawyer firm for an interview, and a consultation was like 150-300 an hour. I'm a college student, I can barely budget as is.
I've actually reached the conclusion, I could be mistaken, that many writers are too scared to read their own work, and so they convince themselves that it's fine, and publish it.
I'm fine with reading my own writing but I do this with music. I refuse to listen to a recording of myself singing. I'm an instrumentalist but I sang a lot growing up. My sister told me I sucked so often that I stopped and couldn't sing in front of anyone for 4 years despite loving it. So that may be why it happens with singing and not other stuff.
Hey Jenna! Just finished TSS on audible and I'm hungry for more! Would love to read Eve the awakening but reading paper books just don't work with my life right now. (We have a colicy new baby, who demands to be held 24/7 ) Any chance it will make it into audible????
Okay, so serious question Jenna: I’m working on a re-imagining of Casablanca (the film), which is now set in a Cyberpunk/ Dystopian/ Sci-Fi future. All of the names, locations and “hollow” details are changed for this, and I’ve added an entirely original military detective sub-plot to enhance the story and give it a fresh perspective. I have planned for changes of other small details along the way, I even have a different ending in mind based off of these changes, but is this original enough? Or does it fall under your definition of copy-catting? I’m definitely not claiming the plot that inspired it as my own either.
Before I view this video content, I would like to say, "I think I already know." When people admit they put the book down or lost it, it didn't mean enough for them to keep reading. In other words, my book has just got to suck. That's quite alright though. Harmonica playing is still my bigger passion, and I know I'm good at that. All the world's leading experts say so.
Lol. If you left your work (section 3 part of the story) over 10 years and decides to read it today. You will be wondering, "What in hell was I thinking?" So after I started to watch your RUclips (and other vlogs) a 2 years ago, I started to rewrite my main book (section three) from the beginning. And now it is sounding better, even though I am still in the first draft stage. And yea, love every helpful tips on your RUclips that has helped me with my creative process flowing. P.s. loving The Savoir Champion, and the funny moments. Was very sad when Milo time as met his end. Just looking for my credit card to get the rest of your book, need to see what happens next in the poison scene.
Also, genre or theme combinations, you can combine genres that don't work together, for exampel, horror comedy usually turns into something slimy stinky,,, serious and unserious structures does not work, thats why a healing procedure at the end of the story removes the seriousness* For some unknown reasons, it works in a narnia movie, but not in a smurf movie?
Just published my first book, so naturally I'm terrified, but this makes me feel so much better. My plot doesn't completely match the common structures, but the plot is there and my editors loved it. So if anyone is hesitating on editors, please don't. Having a professional compliment your work is INCREDIBLE.
@@QuillASMR Yes, and worth every penny. My first editor caught a few major plotholes that no beta reader did (they are not professionals). If you really can't afford it, then I do recommend traditional publishing so that you don't have to pay for everything. Plus, you can pay it in halves or portions, so it's not like you gotta drop a thousand bucks up front.
@@danirei789 See it's funny you say that because when I was looking into hiring an editor online, the website asked how many pages your book had and then tallied it up to 3 grand but said nothing about paying in halfs lol
I am a new writer who is working on my scene structure for my second draft. I learned a lot between drafts 1 and 2, i realised that I had never gotten to know who exactly my characters were, how they changed, even their motivations, I used to think that writing is just typing whatever random crap comes into your head. yikes
I recently read through a manuscript from when I was 17.. and I’ve never been more discouraged (it’s that bad). I also know that maybe it shouldn’t be taken as an insult, but I’ve been told that I would be good with children’s books.
Want to get better at simple grammar rules? Volunteer at a primary school and quietly listen in language class. I wouldn't know how much I forgot until I became a teacher's aid and this is coming from someone with near perfect scores in standardized writing tests!
![Blox Fruits Dragon Rework Update [Full Stream]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EqDAp8udhm0/mqdefault.jpg)
I know my book doesn’t suck because my book isn’t written
Not sure if this is better or worse😂
Too afraid to start or just outlining?
@@sxwriter8569 I'm not Becca, but I feel the same way. I tend to overthink stuff too much, so I guess that makes me afraid
@@corvusastrum2982 I wish I had this problem I’m such an underwriter and an over thinker that I never feel good about anything I write even though it’s 10x better than most the stuff off wattpad
A sucky book written is still better than a brilliant book unwritten.
SO many drafts of great books of mine that haven’t gone longer than the first chapter 😩
Writing flawed characters is easy when they’re all based on you somewhat
That’s actually valid
That's true, but sometimes people might purposely leave out their bad aspects in a self-insert situation and it just becomes a catastrophe
That's true, especially if you add a lot of your bad aspects. I have a self insert in one of my stories, and she has evolved far from the self insert she used to be. She has a lot of the same flaws I have.
@@mercurialthrills9011 Mine actually devolves. I make his issues worse than they started out as. He deals with a lot of horrible things throughout the story, but never does he improve. Everyone around him treats him worse and worse until it becomes too much for him and he goes insane.
It’s at this point where it splits into two paths, both ending up in a very dark direction. One where he desires revenge in the bloodiest way possible, and the other is where his depression and anxiety lead him to become more and more disconnected from reality in the pursuit of the only happiness left in his life.
It's especially dark when you write a character based on yourself, and they die.
Put it down for a couple of days then go back and read it.
If it sucks, you will know.
So true!
This happens to me every single time lmao my first draft always makes me cringe but that's what a second, third and forth draft is fore.
True.
But what do you do, when you feels that it sucks, but at the very same time one your beta-reader tells you he loves it?
@@benjaminthibieroz4155 Get more opinions and go with the majority? Seriously what you ask is the hardest thing. Which opinion do you trust more, theirs or yours?
@@steveross8364 Yep. The other tend to agree.
I usually mistrust my own opinion, it's obviously biased
Every so often I have tor remind myself she’s not talking about the fanfic that I write for fun lmaoooo
OH MY GOD, SAME
Feel you hahahaha
Very relatable. I started writing fan fics at 13 and it's what eventually got me to writing an original book. 😂 I get too critical with my fan fics, like I'm supposed to put that energy into the book I'm trying to actually publish and not the for fun shit!
It's still writing
Lmaooooo
I'm going to call myself a "hobbyist writer" from now on, since I'm writing solely for my own enjoyment for now. That might change if I ever get the confidence to seriously consider publishing, in which case I'll need to put it through several more personal edits and at least one professional edit to get my writing up to "I'm fine with random strangers reading this" levels of quality.
Hey hey, don’t be too down on yourself. At the end of the day, you’re still a writer. You’ll get there one day, I believe in you
I'll join the hobbyist writer gang as well
@aimeee "write like no one is watching; because no one's watching."
"First drafts always suck. Write it anyway. Now you have something to edit."
From Piers Anthony: "I try to publish half a million words per year. That doesn't include the first draft and the first re-write." also, "And I have to answer fan-mail. Lately I've been averaging as many as one letter per day." (Hint: learn to type!)
That's what I did for 26 years. I've been writing for over 10 years and have been complimented on it but I've simply done it for fun as a hobby. I didn't stress or take it too seriously until now. I'm 27 and actually trying to write a romantic fantasy since it's my favourite genre and I'm having fun but it's so much more work lol but it's also a lot of fun.
I hope someday if you ever decide to try to write a book and publish it, that you do an incredible job doing so!! Best of luck with your writing regardless ♥
@@BooksToAshes Thank you! Good luck with your own writing!
One of my rules of editing is: When reading, ask yourself "what does this scene add and is it necessary?"
One of the reasons it's difficult for beta readers to get through a manuscript is that there are too many scenes that drag; it feels it takes too long to get to the meat of the story and they're just wading through seas of fluff and unnecessary exposition. Some low points are necessary to give the readers and characters a break from the action, but it needs to keep a steady flow.
Before beginning to write each chapter (outline was already done), first thing I do is to list all reasons why scenes in this chapter are important, what they must convey, and how it serves the rest of the story. I must have at least 5. My average is rather 9-10. I encourage people to do the same, it ready help you being aware of what must be written and focus on it.
In other word, see each chapter like a story in its own right
My rule for creating low points is to make sure those scenes have a high point in another, different aspect of they story. Maybe the characters aren't doing much in the plot but they're resolving their personal issues. This way something is always happening but the pace isn't monotone and has variety.
I had a huge problem with having unnecessary scenes in a draft for my first book. I ended up re-writing what little I had of the draft and managed to add scenes that while the story could continue without them, add some really good relationship and character development moments that will be good, probably even neccessary to have already established and to refer to later.
"how many commas do they have" - when I was about 19 I realized that almost every single sentence I wrote had a comma in it. I started exploring other sentence structures and tried out new forms of punctuation after that.
almost every sentence SHOULD have commas unless you want to write a pile of very short ones that will drive the reader crazy.
@@rosaliebent4833 you should definitely mix it up somewhat with at least some shorter sentences, and there are other punctuation marks to play with, depending on the tone of what you're writing.
@@fourcatsandagarden True, but good writing is also easy reading and text full of semicolons, colons, brackets, overly-long sentences and sentence fragments should be the exception, not commonplace. Readers don't want to have to drag the story from your text. They want it to flow out such that they are unaware of your writing structure. I proof read and edit for a living for indie authors and too many don't have a good handle on basic structure, grammar and punctuation and an otherwise good story struggles under the weight of basic weaknesses. I've read great writers with a boring story and hated it while enjoyed a average writer with a scintillating tale. But if I have to WORK at dragging the meaning out of text I will generally abandon it.
But you are right. Mixing it up a little can add a little bit of unexpected 'sparkle' to your writing.
I have the exact opposite issue lmao.
'Let's just sprinkle some here and there. Ooh that looks right. Ah the aesthetic here seems like a vibe"
Honestly, I don’t think there’s any way of knowing. Of course, in the end, it’s all subjective. I’ve written things that I thought were great, but other people didn’t like. I’ve also written things that I thought were absolutely terrible, but other people loved. Sometimes, I’ll really hate a sentence when I first write it, but when I read it again the next day, it sounds better, and vice versa.
Yeah, some people love Mary Sues for examples (take the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy Fans)
This whole process just sounds like a brainfuck
Sometimes it’s not how well someone writes, it’s how well they market their brand. Everything’s now business. They don’t even traditionally publish someone anymore without any platform.
Nah, don't fall to the fallacy that "good writing is subjective". Good writing is objective, what you like to read is subjective. However enjoyable story =/= good story, just like not every story you dislike is bad writing. The key is learning the theory behind this stuff so you'll really be able to verbalize why you like or don't like something.
@@lilowhitney8614 Objective implies a standard that can transcend human opinion. Art cannot do that. For example, I’m not a huge fan of Ernest Hemingway’s writing. To me, his writing is too simplistic, but other people feel differently. Neither of us are wrong.
I've come to find out that I also abide by the phrase "*Feel* don't tell" when writing character emotions, since I have a tendency to write things like "he clenched his fist in anger" instead of letting the reader feel said anger
Keep clenched, just find a different way to make them *feel* the anger.
Like, describing the way the fist clenched, or the physical effect it has on them, physical memory can evoke emotion.
The events and details leading up to the clenched fist also help the reader *feel* what you're wanting them to.
A lot of physical reactions are universal, so emotions linked with them will be similar. We're a lot more alike than we think.
Can someone give me an example of the Feel Don’t Tell thing based off of the Fist Clench thing. It seems very useful and I don’t know how to write it like that.
@@sirpattheperson Ummm maybe like, as an alternative to "he clenched his fist in anger", you could say "as heat burned in his chest, he dug his nails into his palm." The heat in his chest describes anger in a sensory way that the reader can better understand, and him digging his nails in his palm is more effective at emphasizing the intensity of his anger.
@@NyssasOrbit Oooohhh. Thank you.
You can also add more on to it, too, something like "He clenched his jaw, glaring straight ahead at the man in front of him. He barely noticed the feeling of his nails digging into his palm, although it nearly drew blood."
Jenna, you being a Super M fan really just took me out! A fact I never knew I needed to know, but am glad that I now do!
Came for the advice, stayed for the crippling depression about my life choices.
OMG same. Thank you.
me: *hasn't written in weeks*
jenna: *uploads video*
me: OKAY I WILL WRITE
I disagree with the last point because of my experience, wherein my professionally edited work, in hindsight, sucks, and more recently the smaller works I have put out have been much better and more well received from my readers.
I do think editing, beyond proofreading, is extremely important. The issue I have is that professional editing is not a viable path for many people to take monetarily. I think there are viable ways to get the same benefits of professional editing without paying a professional editor, and I wish people emphasized this more when making this point in videos like these.
I may just be a bit bitter from wasting my money, but I don't think its unfounded. Smaller writers out there have to be careful when it comes to where they put their money. Be very thorough with edits, and have many eyes comb through it, but if you can't pay for a professional edit, in my opinion, don't stress over it, and instead stress over improving your work as best you can with the input of as many people as you can, if you can't afford, or don't want to risk paying for, a professional edit.
Again, just my opinion, and I fully understand if anyone disagrees. I really do think it depends on a case by case basis.
I'm still in middle school but I'm geting into writing, when I'm older I want to be a writer, but for now I want to do it for fun or to get good at it.
Here’s how I can tell if my writing sucks:
I have a friend who reads over my book, adds suggestions and tells me if my writing is garbage!
Or just self-advertise on one or some of your social media sites that you want someone to co-op on your writing with so that's it's LESS trash.
Be VERY friendly about it--AND relevant to the topic you are butting this into!
Yeah it’s legitimately hard to do so, can’t find anyone to read my works.
My boyfriend is reading my second draft and adding notes to parts he doesn't understand, enjoys, dislikes, etc. He's the only person I trust to edit otherwise I feel like people would either be too mean to be, too nice to me, or just steal my work (not like it's that good but you never know, people are sketchy online 😂)
@@sxwriter8569 I can help
@@anitanielsen1061 but remember to be careful so that someone doesnt steal your manuscript and claim it as your own
I REALLY needed this, I was beginning to seriously doubt my work 💀
Me too
Don’t we all
Keep going anyway!! I've written things that I just kinda never went back to but it still improves you as a writer because it gives you practice. Don't give up on your work. It may very well be something that someone else enjoys, or that you'll be proud of someday. It's not easy but trust me, you'll get to a point where you feel a bit more confident in yourself as long as you keep working on it and improving!!
@@BooksToAshes Do people get to that point? How many years does that usually take?
If you get both types of edits, doesn't mean it still doesn't suck. The person making the changes may not have all the skills to make the kinds of changes good. This goes especially if it is your first novel.
You have a point. The question is does the reader get it. A reader who has no interest in fantasy might find a fantasy novel a muddle. I like the scene from "Funny Farm" where the wife tells her husband his manuscript is terrible. She points out there are numerous flashbacks, flash forwards, and even a flash sideways. I wonder what she would have said about a Quentin Tarantino manuscript?
I've read a few books that I'm still surprised were published and surely they were edited beforehand. Some books are just really bad. On the other hand I've read peoples work online with only self edits and they were actually enjoyable, so it depends on the person but surely editing in any way can only improve a book...hopefully.
@@BooksToAshes I completely agree. I've seen bestsellers that were littered with grammatical errors. I've also read chapters of an unpublished novel on critique sites and was very impressed, especially since it was their first round of feedback. Unfortunately, your ability to write only plays a role if you don't bring something else to the table, like a large audience.
@@BooksToAshes how did these "really bad" books sell?
Needed this vid rn
Jenna, always on point
I literally was thinking about this when the notification appeared
My problem with narrator programs, a lot of them have very unnatural robotic voices. Being dyslexic, reading is very difficult and having an ear-grating voice reading for me has been the bane of my life. Nowadays narrator programs sound a lot better but only if you are willing to pay. At the moment I am using 'Onenote immersive reader' which isn't too bad but this 'edit out loud' sounds useful AF.
Sending get well wishes to Cliff. Also if you need to take time off Do it! Will definitely still be subscribed and here for the next video, if you have to miss an upload. :)
I gotta get me a book shelf like that. Love the style and aesthetics.
Parts of a story
It has been said every story contains certain elements whether War & Peace or Little Miss Muffet... as such...
Little Miss Muffet (establish characters)
Sat on a tuffet, (establish location)
Eating her curds and whey; (develop activity/action)
Along came a spider, (introduce conflict)
Who sat down beside her (build conflict/suspense)
And frightened Miss Muffet away. (resolve conflict)
This example credited to Jim Shooter when he was Editor in Chief @ Marvel Comics)
I’m definitely a hobby writer, but I still love all these tips so I can make myself proud because I am a very harsh critic of myself.
Great advice Jenna! You’re a badass and an inspiration! My (WIP) story wouldn’t even exist without you.
I was literally asking myself that question right before I got the notification for this lmao
Jenna is a mind reader confirmed
Sign 1 (Where's the plot?): I suck at coming up with my own plot, so I rip off plots from elsewhere and hope I can put a unique enough spin on it that nobody will notice.
Sign 2 (Google It): I'm googling everything I don't already know, and I often google stuff that I already know just to be sure I know it as well as I think I do.
Sign 3 (Robot Narrator): I'll make a note to avoid this when I actually get around to writing
Sign 4 (Copycat): A lot of stuff I've incorporated started off as copying stuff I like, then stuffing it in a blender I come up with something similar, but hopefully different enough that it'll be passable. For example, Fumiko started off as a Fluttershy clone and, while they're both shy, kind, love of animals, and start off as doormats, Fumiko's a badass marine combat engineer while Fluttershy is an adorable pacifist veterinarian.
Sign 5 (Telling Everything): I constantly worry about assigning a trait to someone or something in the narrative, then failing to properly demonstrate it.
Sign 6 (Readers Matter): For now, my target audience is me. If/When I'm ready to publish, I'll put my stories through a couple more drafts to account my new target audience (probably other military sci-fi fans).
Sign 7 (Books are for Reading): I'll share it with beta readers when I'm ready to consider publishing.
Sign 8 (Grammar): This is one of the first things I look for when revising essays (either my own or someone else's that I'm beta reading). It will be something I look for when creating new drafts when I'm writing.
Sign 9 (You're Characters Aren't Likable): I've given my main characters some virtues and some flaws. The characters I've deliberating designed to be nothing but flaws with few, if any redeeming characteristics, are specifically designed to be hateable.
Sign 10 (You Didn't Edit): I'm already aware I'll need to do this when I get around to editing.
breaking news: Jenna is into kpop
🕺💃🎊
And probably likes a lot of groups from SM entertainment XD
@@queenning28 I screamed when I saw the superm tshirt omg
I'm in the throes of edits with my copy/line editor for my upcoming debut. It's way more exhausting than I anticipated. Learning a lot though.
My first attempt is with an editor now 100% with you. I never intended to publish and wrote errors into the structure of the narrative, (a dying man telling his life story that can not be amended post death), any way best of luck
I haven’t even watched the full video yet but I can already tell it’s going to be one of the most helpful on this channel 😂
Wonderful advice Jenna!
Plot is important and so is structure. Reminding the people is important.
Description is also very important.
"no one is good at every part of the writing process,"
"Um... Jenna, I'm literally a god making worlds; I can handle it."
Thank you so much for the advice 😊
#9 gave me a flashback to the 80 page chapter book I wrote when I was 8 that had no punctuation or capitalization because "I just didn't get it."
RIP my poor parents who I had read it.
#4 was a problem for me, but not with writing. I made music before starting writing, and i would always copy others because i didn't really have original ideas, what i thought was original was just copying others. Got into writing because i realised my ideas came from stories, but i really love music too
Listening to the audio version of my writing has been surprising at helping me pick out the "unnatural' sounding parts of dialogue. As well, it has helped me pick up on run-on sentences. I've never thought of using this strategy while doing activities in day to day life.
I'm curious about number 9 particularly with badguys/villains? I mean there are charming villains of course but I gotto be honest I have not found ANY redeeming qualities in Brontes for example. Don't get me wrong, I love to hate him if that makes sense. And I can't wait for him to tumble down something very tall or just generally meet a very sticky end. But then how does that work in regards to likeability? Is it okay if some characters are genuine turd-stains? Does that only work with antagonists? Or maybe that's material from or for another video, but I'm just wondering ^__^
I like Kaleo as an antagonist myself. He has charisma, is kinda funny in a dark way, and his relationship with Tobias intrigued me. I felt like he was impressed by Tobias' growth from the underdog to being the one person capable of defeating him and his gang. Oh, and he's a dick, and dickhead characters are fun to read
@@iamspheal8734 Awyeah, they both make for excellent villains that's for sure. :)
Yeah, you can have a balance of villains that are pure villains, just make them interesting and fun to watch. Not every villain needs to be evil with a tragic backstory or twisted anti-heroes.
Antagonists doesn’t have to be the only unlikeavle character in the book. Heck they don’t even need to be unlikeable, an antagonist can just be the love interest’ boyfriend.
But, back to the point, all characters can be turdstains. Just be mindfull of not making a main character into a hateable crapdump. Save that for evil dads
@@zyrillsnickers3286 what about morally gray grandfathers?
I haven't watched for awhile and oh my gosh you've grown so much. You look great and I'm so happy for you! Congratulations on your third (third?) book!!!
Thanks for the tough love in this video, Jenna. Great points, as usual.
Whenever I'm working on character profiles, I separate the personality section in two: one paragraph for generally positive or perceived-positive traits, and one paragraph for negative or perceived-negative traits. It helps me make sure I'm getting a decent balance between the two.
It also helps me realize when I'm tipping the balance. (my "self-inserts" are built primarily on my insecurities and shortcomings, so I struggle to find positive traits for them. XDD;; )
Me: What if my book Sucks?
One of my friends: Well, then get good.
Also me: Really, what if my book isn't good?
The same friend: Well, then suffer.
Lol
"It's indoor work without any heavy lifting, or do you wanna be a plowman like your father?"
Imagine you are working on the broken drain pipe beneath a mobile home, doing the backstroke through cat droppings, toilet squeezings, spider webs, ants, fiberglass, fleas, and nematodes. Now shut up and write!
True friendship
Thank you for sharing these videos. So much reality in these... I keep nudging my fellow writers to watch you... feel called out and FIX it! Edit Out LOUD ROCKS!!!!! Many hugs, Z.
#1: Need a plot. Beginning, middle, end. Simple...ironic from a wattpad writer, I know.
#2: Yeah, researching, even a little, can help. If you're writing about a fictional disability, look up disabilities with similar effects and add it to what you think would work.
#4: I feel like you can regurgitate and change a fanfic if you take the parts of something you like, create an entirely new story and work with the characters you like as a basis, do something interesting with them, or take aspects of the world and plot you liked and disliked, spin parts of it to help with what you wanna go for, and add more variety onto that plot you want to make. Don't go to outright plagiarize. Use inspiration combined with originality and effort.
#5: Best way to do this is to write the character doing things, then add exposition and dialogue. Imagine all your characters can't speak and figure out how to present their personality, motives, and intrigue.
#9: Balance likability and flaws. Make them struggle, but in a way you want the characters to succeed. Or do what the Chucky movies do, put the characters in a situation where you learn to like the characters, hate the ones you're supposed to hate, and make them struggle against a force who's hurting them for the sake of doing it.
Was Sad and depressed........
Suddenly notification about writing popped up
(Checked the notification) It's Jena!!!
The moment she said "enjoy!!!", the smile returned and washed up my doubts and tears. ❣️
You're awesome Jena✨
Well perfect timing! I just figured a major plot hole in my story that if I change any events, I am incredibly close to exploding since they are incredibly unlikely to make any sense! If my writing sucks, well too bad I spent 8 months working on this story that apparently is the source of my sadness instead if happiness now 😅
Shhhh... a perfectly coherent story will never be more important than your enjoyment. Remember to have fun first, cuz if you’re not writing for yourself, what are you writing for? 😌
@@VincentEdelstein wow I guess you're right... I'll probably taking a break from the story to see if I lost spark for it or if any of my other ideas are the new spark. Thanks!
I have been reading a lot of fanfiction lately which exposed me to numerous writing styles of varying quality. Its honestly very interesting to try to analyze why that writing styles works and the other does not.
I have seen multiple fics where the writing was on the border of being good but sadly failed. Or others where I suddenly had trouble reading descriptions of things because the auteur first gave details of the object but only later the general form of the object (that doesnt really work).
My answer to people asking that would be “yes, your books sucks but no it doesn’t actually matter.” Yes growing your skills is important and you shouldn’t just publish poop. But confidence, professionalism and PERSISTENCE are much more important and will lead to skill in the long run. I’ve seen good writers fail and meh writers succeed based solely on how seriously they take themselves and their writing as a career and business.
I'm at the begging of writing a story. I think something people do, or it's just me..., is reading the book before you've finished. Every time I do this I can't help but haye what I wrote becuase I think "Man, I have so much more to write but what if it all sounds this bad?" This fear will make me give up so, DON'T READ UNTIL YOU'RE COMPLETELY DONE! YOU'LL THANK ME LATER!
I feel like all ao3 writers use these tips, because damn so many fanfics there are like BOOKS.
And as someone who's planned out my next fic and bout to write it-
Im not gonna let that standart fall-
Thanks for the tips bestie ^^
Jenna, just downloaded Edit Out Loud. Totally worth it. Thank you! 🤗
It feels good to be back! I'm hoping in a few weeks I'll start back writing. Also, I'm looking to take a class on creative writing.
7:21 I have the exact opposite problem lol it's really hard for me to know what to tell (in form of thoughts or narration) so I don't know how to connect scenes or not make it exhausting to read
Trying to improve my writing and have been looking your videos these last days... At least 20% of your videos are "please suscribe", "try this software", "new projects", "buy my books".
Especialy "How TO FORMAT YOUR BOOK" has been a commercial+Tutorial for Vellum.. Didn't find what I was hoping on this one.
Thanks a lot for the advices regarding writting :)
I ran into the "weak plot" one for my first novel. XD to be fair it wasn't SUPPOSED to be a novel, but yeah... definitely glad I didn't publish that
You're really videos are really helpful and interesting to watch. Thank you❤
Jenna: Editing is NOT optional!
L Ron: Hold my beer small child who is on my boat for no specific reason.
thank you for your advise and your videos they are very helpful! also have a nice day!
I remember going into a research deep dive on frontier construction techniques, particularly properly building different styles of chimneys. All for a short story about a man moving onto a plot of land in the mountains of Colorado and building his new life from scratch.
I have a question, does finding a beta reader, critique reader or sensitivity reader cost any money or are there services that do it for a small price or free because I'm a teen writer who's parents don't let me spend money on writing things
as far as I know the beta reading process should be free
Wondering the same thing here
Beta readers and critique partners ARE free, and I've sent my manuscript through several rounds of beta reading just to get as much feedback as possible.
The only thing they MIGHT ask for is a swap. You beta theirs, and they'll beta yours, but this isn't every time.
Trust me, I just graduated and I can’t even find beta readers at all. Most of the work I have to do on my own.
@@sxwriter8569 Really? Facebook has a ton of groups just for that
I know my writing is mediocre and I am better off writing for newspapers because I am terrible at writing where I show not tell. But it takes effort to write so that I am showing. But I ain't giving up! Because I just want my book out not for the sake of money, but who actually picks up my book and say, "Hey, this ain't bad." and give it a nice read.
I'd love to see a video discussing coincidences in a story. When is too many and what is the best way to use them? I find that a lot of stories seem to struggle with this. When it is done well it can be very impactful but there have been plenty of times that it has taken me out of the story.
I stumbled across her channel. This is my second video only, and I already LOVE her✨
I only have 19 chapters of my current e-book on Wattpad and it's so cringy. There's just a lot happening. 😂
Send the link, I wanna read it. I pumped out 22 chapters of my wattpad stories. And unlike my other stories, I’m not sure it’s as tightly written as the rest.
@@sxwriter8569 not quite sure if this is allowed but here you go: www.wattpad.com/story/127722963?wp_page=create&wp_uname=LaVel063&wp_originator=6xa1JA57cGPA0vTWEpibxa2XMjf0Vk1jf1zp3q0ms1HX1S07v77ZoLpbgGKoPCbMgDRmB7PxMFu5A2gzR502brqRo%2BH6kCT61C%2Bg31kO2BvVX9hdbUdrP8WBrCvztJTV
@@luke0638 It's definitely allowed. I'll check it out.
@@sxwriter8569 ok thanks 😊 much appreciated
@@luke0638 There's also not a lot wrong with having a lot, as long as the execution matters.
This is so helpful. I am so grateful to have this kind of information. Hopefully my series is successful, and I will become better in my craft.
How come I can't buy Eve:The Awakening anymore?
Aw, man. I thought this was going to be a lecture rather than a top ten. 🤪
Feeling you on #4 though. Thanks for doing this.
Ooo new post :3 Your videos are really helpful, Jenna. Thankyou!
I sent my third book out to like 10 different people when I was done with it. I think 3 of them finished it. The rest never made it past the 2nd chapter. Lesson learned.
My iMac reads my story to me using various voice assignments so I can hear dialogue. I use Fadein and Scrivener; mainly Fadein so I can just write without organizing as anything.
0:40 I will admit, that is a well placed hook, very nicely done.
I'm close to finishing the first draft of my first book and I just don't know what I'm gonna do afterwards. I'd like to publish it one day, but as someone who constantly struggles with insecurity, I doubt I'll ever get around to do it. It sucks, specially 'cause I'm really fond of my characters and I'd love for others to enjoy their story, but few things affect me more than failure and rejection.
If you love your characters and story, nothing should prevent you from doing that. Think of them like, even if the whole world would go against them, YOU will always be there from them. I suggest you try submitting (after proper rework of course). Got accepted? All the best. Not accepted? Who cares? What do these ignorant guys know about your love for you story anyway? You'll alaways have it, it never goes away. And if you're still uncertain, try writing a better one.
Hello Jenna,
Do you think you could do a video on writing 3rd drafts? I have finished writing my (pretty bad) first draft of my novel, improved it a bit with the second draft, and I'm a bit stuck on where to go from there besides slowly going through the whole book making it slightly better, only to repeat that for drafts 4, 5, 6, etc.
Thank you so much, and have a wonderful week!
My Google is probably concerned about me...
"Can you survive a shoot to the head"
"How fast does it take to identify poison"
"Where to shoot someone to kill them"
... I **think** I'm not a murderer...
Google: Here’s your answer 😅
Bing: Where Are you putting the body 🙃, I got an extra shovel…
I love your videos thank you!
11:28 is like one of the characters i made, but it only seems that way to the reader for 90% of the book, but they have a secret that leaks out near the end of the story (hes a scientist) and what everyone does around him sends him into a much darker path (2nd planned out story) and a voice in his head is also pushing him into a much darker path
"Sensitivity readers". When an artist is afraid of hurting some readers looses the freedom of creation. Art is not meant to please, but to enhance your world in any possible way. Through pleasure or pain. Giving birth is the most painful experience and the most powerful: it creates life. Don`t be scared of a book that can hurt you. It could give you a different point of view.
i will
become racist /j
I’d have never guessed you had a sinus infection before you said it out loud. The allergies are rough for me now, and I sound like a clown, haha. I hope you feel better ❤️
Hello, Jenna! I really enjoy your advice, but I have a few questions.
1. You always give examples of "show, not tell" with character traits. How do you show and not tell with actions? I seem to use the same words over and over, but using anything else makes my writing sound pretentious.
2. I know you said that this video wasn't about hobbyists, but I always want my writing to be the very best it can be. However, I'm a high school student with no money. Will my writing be fine even without a professional edit?
I have a question, how many times should you read your novel? ...do you even need to do that?
I read mine every time I get back to writing after I took a relatively long break. However, if I continue doing this, it would take me a lot of time since it is always going to be longer and longer. I read mine from the very start just for me to remember the small details or the seeds that I had planted that I might forget to utilize later on. I should propbably train myself to do a better job of listing these details so I don't need to find it inside the novel everytime I need it, lol.
(Sorry this is long but I hope it can maybe help)
I actually had similar problems but found ways to resolve it on my own for myself. I'll suggest them in case you ever decide to try it.
I used to edit all the time too, which ended up with me overanalyzing my work and becoming disheartened each time I edited and kept seeing things I disliked (over time I think I just started to OVER edit and saw issues that weren't even there).
Now I'm writing my first draft and not allowing myself to edit it as I go. Instead I'm just typing/writing and enjoying myself. It's a LOT more fun. I'm actually looking forward to writing while not having to go back to edit and wondering if I made any mistakes. Sometimes I take breaks writing and will make a separate file of Draft One and crate a second draft which is where I edit over what I've already wrote. I go between both but mainly don't focus on editing since as I said before, I over analyze it.
For the issues with details, I used to forget mine too until I made a document strictly for plot points, descriptors of characters/places or even dialogue with foreshadowing to remember later (Side Note: Adding what chapter certain scenes happened in can also help you go back to them later on if you wish to). I'll take an example from my own notes from my book and put it below to explain what I mean;
Item descriptor- *Kwon Crest*: Symbol of Kings crest in the shape of a feathered dragon curled in on itself, symbolizing it’s rebirth (curled up as if it’s in an egg).
OR
Character- *Aura*- Lia’s personal servant. Descendant. (Greek) Minor deity name meaning ‘breeze’. Messy blonde hair past her shoulders and dull/dark blue eyes. 28 years old. Introduced in chapter 5.
Hope it might have helped, if not I advise you find something that works well for you :) It takes time but you'll get the hang of it.
@@BooksToAshes Thank you! Including the chapters in the note along with the descriptions is such a simple thing but I don't think that I'll come up with that myself if you hadn't told me.
@@theunknownonetuo2033 No problem! I never did it before and I'd forget details in my own books after months of not writing, which never ended well for me lol
Best of luck with your writing!!
@@BooksToAshes you too, mate! Best of luck for you and with your works!
I think it’s best to both show and tell because sometimes readers won’t pickup on exactly what you’re saying or will read it wrong. It’s good to be like “he was the greatest knight in the seven kingdoms” but also craft situations where maybe fights another skilled knight with his off hand while in a weakened state or something. Yes that is loosely based on Jaime Lannister.
I would love to hear your suggestions Jenna, regarding who/where to seek for professional editing! I was guided that if working with a publishing house, they would want to edit a work themselves, and am unsure whether or not I should pay another editor(s) before sending in a manuscript, or if that would be a waste or unnecessary? Your videos have been very helpful. My sincerest thanks, Jenna.
I know my story, I know the characters and already wrote a lot of information about the characters and the enviroment where the story takes place but I just can't write the book itself. It's like I've dreamed and then woke up and I can't remember the details and where the story was about.. so frustrating.
I have a character in my novel who is sweet and prefers nonviolence because he was physical abused by one of his teachers.
Another character in the same novel went through physical abuse from his mom, but unlike character A he wants to be able to defend himself. However whenever he does he gets flashbacks of his mom beating him.
Is this okay or is it not? I'm a new writer and I want to get some advice.
For grammar errors, here's a tip - Grammarly. Yes, that Grammarly from funny ads. Or if you know any other similar programs, that works too! Trust me, it's a life-saver. Heck, I edited this comment with Grammarly!
That's what I was going to do
I look forward to every video, thank you so much.
This was an incredible wake up call. I do have one question. I'm researching extensively for my book after writing the first draft, now knowing what I need to really know. However, A, calling people is surprisingly exhausting, and B, now I'm wondering if there is a price. Is there a price to interviews or not, and if there is how much should I expect to pay?
This totally came after I just called a divorce lawyer firm for an interview, and a consultation was like 150-300 an hour. I'm a college student, I can barely budget as is.
Can i ask how long you spend on your hair to get it THAT perfect
I've actually reached the conclusion, I could be mistaken, that many writers are too scared to read their own work, and so they convince themselves that it's fine, and publish it.
I'm fine with reading my own writing but I do this with music. I refuse to listen to a recording of myself singing. I'm an instrumentalist but I sang a lot growing up. My sister told me I sucked so often that I stopped and couldn't sing in front of anyone for 4 years despite loving it. So that may be why it happens with singing and not other stuff.
I wonder if perhaps it's that they are scared to let others read their work and critique it.
Does anyone have advice on getting a graphic designer to design my book cover and format it? I’m so worried about this process 😅
Hey Jenna! Just finished TSS on audible and I'm hungry for more! Would love to read Eve the awakening but reading paper books just don't work with my life right now. (We have a colicy new baby, who demands to be held 24/7 ) Any chance it will make it into audible????
Okay, so serious question Jenna: I’m working on a re-imagining of Casablanca (the film), which is now set in a Cyberpunk/ Dystopian/ Sci-Fi future. All of the names, locations and “hollow” details are changed for this, and I’ve added an entirely original military detective sub-plot to enhance the story and give it a fresh perspective. I have planned for changes of other small details along the way, I even have a different ending in mind based off of these changes, but is this original enough? Or does it fall under your definition of copy-catting?
I’m definitely not claiming the plot that inspired it as my own either.
Im almost done and I was wondering how do I get it published?
Before I view this video content, I would like to say, "I think I already know."
When people admit they put the book down or lost it, it didn't mean enough for them to keep reading. In other words, my book has just got to suck. That's quite alright though. Harmonica playing is still my bigger passion, and I know I'm good at that. All the world's leading experts say so.
“ if there are spelling errors in your book it probably sucks” Tolkien spelling dwarves: i’m a pretend I didn’t see that
There are quite a few spelling errors in the Noble Dead Saga. Can take you out of the experience, but the books are still good.
Lol. If you left your work (section 3 part of the story) over 10 years and decides to read it today. You will be wondering, "What in hell was I thinking?"
So after I started to watch your RUclips (and other vlogs) a 2 years ago, I started to rewrite my main book (section three) from the beginning. And now it is sounding better, even though I am still in the first draft stage.
And yea, love every helpful tips on your RUclips that has helped me with my creative process flowing.
P.s. loving The Savoir Champion, and the funny moments. Was very sad when Milo time as met his end. Just looking for my credit card to get the rest of your book, need to see what happens next in the poison scene.
Also, genre or theme combinations, you can combine genres that don't work together, for exampel, horror comedy usually turns into something slimy stinky,,, serious and unserious structures does not work, thats why a healing procedure at the end of the story removes the seriousness* For some unknown reasons, it works in a narnia movie, but not in a smurf movie?
Is there a video already about how to beta-read? What are the points that needs to be taken etc pls pls
Just published my first book, so naturally I'm terrified, but this makes me feel so much better. My plot doesn't completely match the common structures, but the plot is there and my editors loved it.
So if anyone is hesitating on editors, please don't. Having a professional compliment your work is INCREDIBLE.
That’s true. Too bad most of them are costly.
Good luck!
Aren't editors expensive though?
@@QuillASMR Yes, and worth every penny. My first editor caught a few major plotholes that no beta reader did (they are not professionals).
If you really can't afford it, then I do recommend traditional publishing so that you don't have to pay for everything.
Plus, you can pay it in halves or portions, so it's not like you gotta drop a thousand bucks up front.
@@danirei789 See it's funny you say that because when I was looking into hiring an editor online, the website asked how many pages your book had and then tallied it up to 3 grand but said nothing about paying in halfs lol
I totally forgot it was Wednesday and this was a pleasant surprise 💕 love you Jenna
I am a new writer who is working on my scene structure for my second draft. I learned a lot between drafts 1 and 2, i realised that I had never gotten to know who exactly my characters were, how they changed, even their motivations, I used to think that writing is just typing whatever random crap comes into your head. yikes
I recently read through a manuscript from when I was 17.. and I’ve never been more discouraged (it’s that bad). I also know that maybe it shouldn’t be taken as an insult, but I’ve been told that I would be good with children’s books.
Want to get better at simple grammar rules? Volunteer at a primary school and quietly listen in language class. I wouldn't know how much I forgot until I became a teacher's aid and this is coming from someone with near perfect scores in standardized writing tests!