Yes, number 2 is so helpful! I had one scene in my WIP that I just couldn't get right. I wrote it over and over again, but I had a really hard time writing the reaction of a side character. Then I tried thinking of how that scene would play out from the side character's perspective and suddenly I understood exactly how the scene should be written! Even if your story is first person and only from the main character's perspective, sometimes it's so helpful to take a step back from their perspective and look at a scene from a different angle.
I'm JUST realizing now, after watching dozens of your videos, that it's a portrait of your cat in the background...NOT the Cheetah from Cheetos. Carry on.
"Improve Your Writing Fast" -- "Rewrite every sentence five times. Rewrite your scenes from another POV. Write 20,000 more words just so you can throw them away." Fast? "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." - Indigo Montoya Yes, I caught the sarcastic disclaimer at the beginning. That was funny, as was your cat's dismount as if he'd read the script. But still, c'mon... What a crazy amount of make-work to prescribe for what may be absolutely no benefit. Like something from a bad MFA. And so different from the practical advice I've come to expect from you that I kept expecting a turn of "That would be the bad advice I would give you if..."
Thanks I appreciate the feedback. I recognize the impracticality of what's prescribed in this video, but that's sort of the point. My hope was to give actionable (if not practical) exercises for someone who did want to devote a large amount of effort to improve their writing. Something that goes beyond just "write a whole bunch" and allows someone to really dive into specific areas of improvement (Sentence structure, character voice, novel structure). This is a counter to the quick fix, "Hack" mentality that some folks have. I will admit that the exercises as presented here are a tad overboard, but I'm in the entertainment business and need to turn heads, so I dramatize as required.
But seriously, I think I accidentally did the last one for my published novel when I cut some initial chapters and simply referred to those events as background context in the final draft.
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
When I saw the thumbnail, I said to myself, “ Carl doesn’t usually do fast hacks.” When I started watching I said, “That’s more like it.” 😊 Thanks
Title: "3 hacks to Improve Your Writing Fast."
First line: "I'm not giving you writing hacks."
This is why I love you, Carl.🤣
We need some hints. Is the cat male or female? How long have you had said cat? How did you come by said cat? What is the cat's NAME?!?!
...and how much are you feeding it?!
Oooh, this is excellent advice, thank you so much. I need to try all three straight away.
Hacks are silly. Truer words were seldom spoken. More power to you!
Thanks!
... Sorry I wasn't paying attention. I was looking at your cat. Can you say all of that again?
😂😂😂
the hack that best-selling authors don't want you to know!
step 1: get a cat
step 2: place cat at typewriter
step 3: ????
step 4: profit
😂😂😂
Yes, number 2 is so helpful! I had one scene in my WIP that I just couldn't get right. I wrote it over and over again, but I had a really hard time writing the reaction of a side character. Then I tried thinking of how that scene would play out from the side character's perspective and suddenly I understood exactly how the scene should be written! Even if your story is first person and only from the main character's perspective, sometimes it's so helpful to take a step back from their perspective and look at a scene from a different angle.
I'm JUST realizing now, after watching dozens of your videos, that it's a portrait of your cat in the background...NOT the Cheetah from Cheetos. Carry on.
"Improve Your Writing Fast" -- "Rewrite every sentence five times. Rewrite your scenes from another POV. Write 20,000 more words just so you can throw them away."
Fast?
"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." - Indigo Montoya
Yes, I caught the sarcastic disclaimer at the beginning. That was funny, as was your cat's dismount as if he'd read the script.
But still, c'mon... What a crazy amount of make-work to prescribe for what may be absolutely no benefit. Like something from a bad MFA. And so different from the practical advice I've come to expect from you that I kept expecting a turn of "That would be the bad advice I would give you if..."
Thanks I appreciate the feedback. I recognize the impracticality of what's prescribed in this video, but that's sort of the point. My hope was to give actionable (if not practical) exercises for someone who did want to devote a large amount of effort to improve their writing. Something that goes beyond just "write a whole bunch" and allows someone to really dive into specific areas of improvement (Sentence structure, character voice, novel structure). This is a counter to the quick fix, "Hack" mentality that some folks have.
I will admit that the exercises as presented here are a tad overboard, but I'm in the entertainment business and need to turn heads, so I dramatize as required.
this is great
That cat is like "who is he talking to"'
You clickbaiter you!
Nope. Too much work.
But seriously, I think I accidentally did the last one for my published novel when I cut some initial chapters and simply referred to those events as background context in the final draft.