3 Tips for Writing Compelling Characters | Advice from Kurt Vonnegut
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- Опубликовано: 21 май 2024
- www.benshane.com
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Every writer needs to master these techniques for creating compelling characters. The advice comes from Kurt Vonnegut, author of the novels Slaughterhouse Five, Cat's Cradle, Breakfast of Champions (My personal favorite), and many many more. 
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I have never read anything by Kurt Vonnegut but have been aware of him since early childhood because my brother was a fan. Great advice, Ben, and well presented. Thank you!
I love how it starts feeling like the narration is overlaying the handwriting but then you realise the handwriting is planned to serve the narration. That was neat. Great content too. Thank you.
Never watched a video like this or on this topic before, but I now have a playlist started. Really enjoyed the artistic direction and style of writing and narration. Could watch a lot more like this.
Hii, I’m 11 years old and I’ve always had a passion for writing. I’ve been working on a world building project that takes place in an alternate universe where Japan is an extreme isolationist state and has taken extreme measures to do so. However I’m not sure about the backstory as it’s sort of out of date. ( I came up with concepts and story boarding for this when I was 10 ahah ) anyways.. here was the original concept lol.
The concept basically starts with the three noble children, which are basically the three supreme gods in Japanese folklore, also the first ones. The trios names were 天照 ( Amaterasu, goddess of the sun , ) 月詠-の-みこと ( Tsukuyomi no Mikoto, god of the moon ) and finally, 素戔嗚-の-みこと ( Susanoo no Mikoto, god of the storms. ) However, in my version of this, there was one more. One more child. 速水-の-みこと ( Hayami no Mikoto. )
Hayami was known for her extreme beauty and charm, she could allure any individual like a magnet. This however caused her to be extremely prideful and selfish. She was the goddess of beauty. However, one day when Amaterasu was declared the most supreme of the 3 children, Hayami felt extreme envy and this took a severe toll. Hayami was always the most treasured of them all, and now she was deemed as not as noble as her sister, Amaterasu. Hayami would then attempt to murder her sister, which she ultimately failed. And then was forever cursed to be a powerless being and was banished to Yomi. ( Japanese concept of afterlife or Hell. ) However, Amaterasu made a deal with Hayami. As Amaterasu was a fair spirit. The deal was Hayami could come back to the normal world if she promised to use her beauty for the better. However, this was a horrible mistake. Hayami would then use her beauty to almost possess her victims, and then ultimately asking for their soul. ( which could be used to gain power ) This ultimately lead to many individuals passing away.
One day, Hayami disguise her self as a charming young girl at a celebration held at the very palace of the Royal Family.
Nearing the end, she would offer a " gift " for the family. Which would be a beautiful song that would end up possessing the family. Except one, the eldest daughter, a princess. (edited)
As the daughter had been away, she wouldn't be harmed, Hayami would then steal the families souls, killing them.
And would continue on a spree throughout the capital, Tokyo.
The day of the daughters arrival, she would be horrified to find almost the entire capital dead.
Due to this, she would then close off all connection from Japan to avoid the evil spirit from going on a spree throughout the world. Resulting in extinction.
However, the spirit would suddenly make a disappearance. Never to be seen again.
Nobody knows where they went.
Japan would then heal from the destruction, developing differently from the rest of the world as an isolationist state.
This is interesting and hopefully you won't get burn out but instead be motivative even more :D
I'm 4 years old and I have learned English by watching RUclips since Christmas 2022. Only two of my novels have been published.
WOW. I clicked on this video thinking "who is this and why am I seeing writing videos when I haven't watched this sort of content in months?"
Lo and behold, it's my favorite #vanlife mechanic teaching me how to write stories with handwritten typography. Definitely a multipotentialite like myself. Wonderful channel name. I wish you the best in your many endeavors!
Thanks! I've never actually heard that term "multipotentialite," but it's so accurate
this is such a great video! thank you :)
Hey man, jus came across this. Hope u keep up with this kind of content, thanks
I'd like to, for sure.
I was looking for some advice and this was the first video that popped up. Really helpful and informative, great stuff! 😄 Loved the presentation, too.
Just loved to know the third tip. thx
Great writing tips presented in an accessible, compelling style. Well done!
No, the wrinkled pages totally ruin it
Great video. Important tips! Thanks!
Thank you! What other writing videos would you like to see?
@@tinkerandthink tips on dialogue between characters and making it more realistic and flow better with the story are always helpful to me. That's where I usually get frustrated because it just never seem right. I've also noticed in books I've read that crappy amateurish dialogue can really kill what would be an otherwise good story.
Nice!
This is pretty helpful
That's great! What other writing videos would you want to see?
How does this man not have more subs?
People get so mad at characters that for example simply want to get a partner I have noticed but like that's true to life and is a goal desire and doesn't define them but can motivate them...not everyone is complex or broken...sometimes we just want to feel loved
Has anyone ever told you that your penmanship has a wonderfully irreverent quality to it? How apropos. ;)
that's the kindest (and most generous 😂) way to put it!
@@tinkerandthink It's good to be kind to be kind to our inner child. Nice doodle, btw.
So many rules
Not rules, just advice. Techniques for improving our writing when we think it's lacking.
I do agree with #1 to a certain extent... but at the same time, you DO need 'walk-ons' - i.e. characters that literally do just walk on to perform one, mundane function and never appear again, like a mailman delivering a package, or the aforementioned waiter serving a coffee. You CAN'T give those types of characters deep and complex desires and a backstory, because then you risk the reader bonding with them, wanting to know what THEIR story is and how it's going to play out... only to be disappointed when they're never seen again in the narrative, because they truly were only there that one time, to do that one thing, in that one scene. Main and minor characters yes, absolutely give them that depth. Yes too, to characters that appear more than once in the story - especially if they have dialogue in those appearances and DEFINITELY if you've given them a name. But NOT any character who's purely there to make the setting feel more real (i.e. you'd expect to find a bartender behind the bar where some other character goes in that one time to meet a friend,) or to perform one task and then disappear forever.
If you write a one dimensional character to perform a task, ask yourself if the task needs to be shown at all.
As the author, you need to know the motivation of every character. It doesn't all have to be in the text. But it informs your writing of that character. Does the mailman toss or chuck the package, or gently set it down? They may be an insignificant character, but making them real adds texture, and it also gives your main characters something to react to beyond the obvious. The advice isn't to dwell on every single character, but rather to do the behind the scenes work as the author to make everything interesting and engaging.
Sorry but this is about making an interesting story FOR a character. Not an interesting character. You can check all these boxes and still not have someone people will be intrigued by enougj to want to see more of--or no more than many other competently written characters.
Keep strong. Dont forget that despite the struggles and madness in this world today, God is full of justice, mercy and love.
Justice said we broke His perfect law - causing the world's previous perfection to be
destroyed - and therefore we deserve Hell (like a punishment in any legal system but this is eternal as His perfect law is eternal too). Don't think you fit in that category? Ever done one of these?: lying, stealing - regardless of how small the object EVER, hating others - which is murder in God's perfect law, lusting (plus God sees our entire thought life). Justice says "the soul that sins shall die" - if we break one in thought/word/deed it's as if we're guilty of all of them. Quite simply, living by the law (which is doing everything perfectly) is impossible for sinful humans
. The law shows us that 1. We will die in Hell if we fail to follow it and 2. We cannot save ourselves BUT, 3. God's perfect, immovable law points us to Christ, who followed and fulfilled the law in thought, word and deed perfectly in our place. He did what we couldn't and did it on our behalf. He was then sentenced to death on a cross, and took our personal punishment for our sin, paying our penalty (like paying our fine) completely FOR us, and has given us freedom.
If we turn from the sins we have committed and repent (pursue the opposite direction of love through Christ) He will, overtime, recreate us back into that previously perfect image through The Holy Spirit which Jesus sends to all who accept Him as their personal Lord and Savior of their life. He will help us through the struggle, the stress, and anything we experience in the world. It's about letting Christ in to guide and teach you and obeying Him through His power (not ourselves, we need Him to help us as it's impossible without depending on His power and instruction).
He is our substitute in His life, death and resurrection. He essentially rewrote history in our place so that, if you believe in Him, it will be as if you had never sinned if you accept Christ's death as our own in our place.
He is in Heaven right now preparing a place for us so that He can take His faithful, believing children home with Him when He returns. He will ressurrect us from death when He returns, giving mercy to those who accept His love, instruction and teachings in their life, and give justice to those who refuse it.
He doesn't want ANY of us to go to Hell and die for continuing in evil and rejecting His way to life, thats why He died FOR us. Hes giving EVERYONE a chance, He wants everyone to take the free gift of salvation from Hell. He wants us to be His and begin to follow His life of love and service through His power and abiding (staying) with Him. So long as we keep our hearts near to Christ through His strength, strive to follow His will of perfect love revealed in the Bible, and let Him lead in the midst of (very certain) pitfalls and struggles, we will, in time, win the ultimate victory over sin, pain and DEATH through Christ. Even if you are willing to be made willing, pray for Jesus to come in and He will do what we can't. Give us The Holy Spirit who will guide us in the right way.
Christ says in John 16:33: I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.” [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.]
- (AMPLIFIED version)
NOTE: You are NEVER too sinful or messed up that God cannot turn your life around through Jesus. EVER. Regardless of what you've done or what you're going through you CAN make it through Jesus.
Xxx