I hope you're enjoying this video series so far! Can't wait for next week! Be sure to subscribe, like, and comment. I'd love to know your favorite examples of great character arcs over multiple books in the comments. Thanks for watching, and if you have a friend writing a series, please share this series with them!!
Another good book for story structure for romance writers is, "Romancing the Beat" by Gwen Hayes. It's similar to Save the Cat but geared towards the romance genre.
I am looking forward to this series because what I thought would be a stand alone fantasy novel, I now know is actually the first book in a series. I have a character and a problem for her, but otherwise I don't know what I am doing.
You do such an excellent job of providing valuable information in an understandable way. I’m gleaning so much info that I didn’t even KNOW I should know... I can’t watch this series fast enough. Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge!
This is so helpful. I am just putting the 4th book out in my series, and I wish I had heard all this a year or two, ago. It would have made my life a lot easier!
"The Virgin's Promise" by Kim Hudson is a book I'm reading at the moment that focuses on feminine story arcs. To oversimplify it's about story arcs where the main character overcomes external demands to find internal peace. Well worth the read for anyone who loves reading about story structure. Also Sarra, I'm excited most for the video in this series expanding on series bibles. I desperately need one, but fail to update my online one, perhaps because switching windows is so tiresome. Bring on talk of hard-copy bibles.
Love the easy way you present all the different arcs information in this video. And also the point you make, to actually read nonfiction books about writing. Thanks 😃
Thanks for clarifying between the three arcs and how to apply them to different types of series. The umbrella is a perfect image explanation! I look forward to next weeks video.
I'm super excited for next week's video. I think I have come to the realization that my story will encompass three books and that terrified me. Like, if I have this much anxiety writing one book, how the hell am I going to write THREE?!
Love the series about series so far! Except for one tiny thing: I beg to differ about Neo. There is a moment in the first movie when Morpheus tells him that "when the times comes he no longer has to dodge bullets" and then we see him dodge bullets and move like the agents do, he begins to believe. And when he faces the agents after saving Morpheus, "he no longer dodges bullets", he stops them with his hands. That's when, I think, he embraces being the One. His eyes are fully open when he flies off in the final image of the first movie. My favourite negative change arc examples is that of Michael Corleone in the Godfather. First he wants nothing to do with Vito's business and then he becomes him. I like how he goes from being a soldier in one army to becoming basically the General of an other. I can't wait for what else we'll learn in the coming weeks!
Great point about The Matrix, but I don't believe he fully understands the responsibility and can embrace what that fully means at that moment. I don't personally believe he has completed that character arc of truly believing he is the One they think he is. I see it more that he knows he is special and is coming to terms with his new reality, but you still see him in the next movie facing the challenge of the responsibility and whether he can live up to those expectations. Then it isn't until the third and final movie that he finally understands what it means.
@@HeartBreathings I've only analyzed the first movie. Neo wants to know what the Matrix is, Morpheus shows him and in the end he fully accepts the real world and completely understands that the Matrix isn't real. Maybe that's what Neo's stopping the bullets with his hands is all about. I have conveniently forgotten about the sequels...Thanks for your reply.
Thank you for this amazing series, Sarra! It's perfect timing. I love your umbrella graphic and that you mentioned the high priestess because I'm using tarot cards to help flesh out my characters 😆🔮☮️🌻👏🌈
Hello I'm Mandla from South Africa I want to say thank you very much for this video, I'm new in the industry and I'm doing my best to learn from all those who are ahead of me, soon I will be wring for TV a series, I believe I will learn a lot, so far with this first video I'm happy and I'm looking forward to watch the rest. Thank you very much.
GIRL I have been waiting and I can’t wait till next week, I really appreciate you breaking this down so simply for me. I can’t wait for the workbook :)
Amazing video! And it comes with a list of recommended readings! I don't think that it could possibly go any better. I'll probably have more questions about the arcs as soon as I have a story figured out.
I've been watching and loving your channel for only about a month now, but have enjoyed nearly a dozen of your vides and so deeply appreciate the information you've been sharing. I just had to come to the comments because your shirt made me laugh out loud and it's just too perfect for you! Thanks for adding a link to it haha. I look forward to finishing this series and joining your daily nanowrimo diaries this month!
Finally...I understand. You have a way of explaining things that most don't. I write mainly stand-alone romances or women's fiction. I've written 2 series, both dynamic with with their own hero and heroine for each book. However, I've been struggling to plot out a 12-book series for over 5 years. I know the characters. I know each book will be about one character's story but they are all interconnected by the town and the business district in that town. What you just explained helped me with some areas I've been struggling with to advance my progress on the series. Thank you! Can't wait for next week's video.
So much to consider in this Series series. 🧐 Looking forward to the rest. I've been working on book one of my first series since mid April. I realized this week that I've progressed enough in book one's process that I've started writing book two as well. I'd copied several scenes from book one to a "save for later in the story" document that was beginning to take its own shape. I had to take a moment and let it settle in. I ate some chocolate. I took a day to think about how I'm building to the book two arc. Now I'm working with both Scrivener project tabs open. Book two has a working title and a solid outline. It's completely wild that I am so far along already. I'm a slow writer, but I guess it proves that daily sprints work. Thankful I have this resource as I'm building a strong foundation for my series. Cheers!
You have done amazing job teaching us about these arcs in writing. I will listen again and will take copious notes. Thanks for all the hard work. You did your homework.
I'm planning on writing books. I would like to Traditional publish my books, I just have to find a literary agent who likes the genre of books I write in. And now I know what a character arc is thanks Heart.
I am looking forward to the work book. I know you put a lot of time in to it. As always great content and resources. I appreciate you doing the writing a series series.
Excellent advice. I'm so pumped about writing. I have so many stories I need to write about. Thanks for all of your videos and advice. It takes so much time to do your work while taking care of children. You have my respect.
Thanks for going through these, I understand them more now. While listening to you talk about the mirror moment I realised exactly what mine was. I even had it in the story but didn't understand the importance of it.
These are so awesome and have worked SO well, although timestamps would be awesome to navigate and reference specific points, still one of my fav youtube series!
I'm so glad I stumbled upon your channel, I just started writing, I finished a book I intend publishing and I have an idea for a series next so this is a gold mine. Thank you so much for this.
This is amazing -- thank you! Something that I've struggled with is the transformation part. I have an outline for several books going right now, but the obstacles I'm facing are -- the transformation being repetitive (because the main character is actually spiraling in through depression at the same time) and figuring out how to keep the readers engaged, because there's really no resolution until the end of the series.
Another fabulously informative video! Thank you, Sarra! It really is amazing how much we think we know about a writing craft topic or skill set, and then realize there's so much more to learn. Your guidance and support is so powerful and appreciated along this journey!
Omgosh Sara, I just love listening to you give all this fascinating info! You really have a way of getting the ideas and info across. Looking forward to the next one. Hugs Sunshine
I'm looking forward to the rest of the videos in the series. As I'm currently working on a three book series, I also have one that is 2 and another is going to be 5. So I'm ready to take notes.
Thanks for the video series it is so good - also I hope everyone here has read Bryan mc Donald's Invisible Ink .. it is the best book I have read about creating an armature for your stories.
I am writing a duology with the plan to do a spin off that is multiple POV. I have a rough idea for the spin off and I know what the goal is for book two of my duology, but it isn't planned. I'm a new author so I have no idea if I'm doing this correctly, but it's a learning experience for sure. I'm drafting the first book now and I will hoping to find another critique partner to help me develop the first book to make sure it does the heavy lifting needed for book 1 of a series.
I've got a question. What if I don't know how many books i'm gonna be writing for my series? I've sort of figured out how my first, middle and last book will be but I don't really know the in between books for it. Do I need to figure out how many books i'm gonna be writing first or is there another way I can go around his? Also, that umbrella diagram is so helpful for me thank you for that
This is a very helpful video. Thank you. I have a question... I have 3 main characters in a dynamic series (3 books). When you talked about character arc, you mentioned that characters' change needs to be progressive and that the character can't go back to its first self. One of my characters starts off good unlike the two, but something happened to her and changes for the worse and in the 3rd book she goes back to her old self. Your thoughts please.
So did you know the overall arc for all 12 books or did you have the arc for the first 6 and then you decided to do another 6 and it just worked out that you had a plot to expand on?
I originally planned it as a trilogy! But then the story expanded and I was loving it so much, the stories just kept flowing. When I finished 6, I knew there would be another long arc to try to defeat the entire order of shadows but I didn't have a clue what that would look like exactly. I'm excited to get a chance to start a new long series after this is over so I can take what I learned and do better.
Can we like, include the whole character transformation in one book because I have like, other protagonists to transform too. I was thinking to like, dedicate one book to each character. Could you let me know if this structure will work ? Thank you
Yes you can totally do that! Often that type of structure is more of a standalone or episodic structure. Then each book in the series has its own storyline within the world and a different main character as the focus of the journey.
Question about romance series-all five of my couple appear in all five books, one couple is the star and more complete look at their journey toward their romance during their book but they appear in the next and the next, just not the star of the book this time, my question is can they have arcs in the next book and the next, just smaller, not as much attention to the arc?
Interesting video series on writing series. I have not decided if my writing would fit into a series or not. I have trouble making a novel-length book so can you have a series that is made up of novella length books? I have many books started, but never get higher than 30,000 to 40,000 words in each one. I seem to be suited to writing short story length or novella length pieces. So I wonder if I should stick to novella lengths instead of struggling to produce something longer and if there are series that are composed of novellas rather than full-length novels. Thanks for any help you can give me with this problem. I love your different series of videos.
Tbh character development in a series is what gives me the most anxiety. I can write the coolest and most complicated plotlines, but when it's about characters I get so lost. How do I know how much character development is enough? Or too less or too much? It's sooo nerve wrecking😭
I hope you're enjoying this video series so far! Can't wait for next week! Be sure to subscribe, like, and comment. I'd love to know your favorite examples of great character arcs over multiple books in the comments. Thanks for watching, and if you have a friend writing a series, please share this series with them!!
The timing of this series couldn’t be better: I’m releasing my first book in two months and I start my anchor series in October
Congrats on the release!!
So close!!! Very excited for you!
That’s amazing! Onward, girl!🤘❤️
Another good book for story structure for romance writers is, "Romancing the Beat" by Gwen Hayes. It's similar to Save the Cat but geared towards the romance genre.
Can this be for a series or just an individual novel?
I’m just humbled by your commitment to helping other writers- thanks for everything! 🤟
OMG that umbrella analogy is super helpful. It makes things so much simpler!
The reading materials you offer in conjunction with your own are so so helpful. I'm so looking forward to this series!
I am looking forward to this series because what I thought would be a stand alone fantasy novel, I now know is actually the first book in a series. I have a character and a problem for her, but otherwise I don't know what I am doing.
You do such an excellent job of providing valuable information in an understandable way. I’m gleaning so much info that I didn’t even KNOW I should know... I can’t watch this series fast enough. Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge!
So excited about this series. It's inspiring me to start a series of my own, and I can't wait for the workbook :D
This is so helpful. I am just putting the 4th book out in my series, and I wish I had heard all this a year or two, ago. It would have made my life a lot easier!
"The Virgin's Promise" by Kim Hudson is a book I'm reading at the moment that focuses on feminine story arcs. To oversimplify it's about story arcs where the main character overcomes external demands to find internal peace. Well worth the read for anyone who loves reading about story structure.
Also Sarra, I'm excited most for the video in this series expanding on series bibles. I desperately need one, but fail to update my online one, perhaps because switching windows is so tiresome. Bring on talk of hard-copy bibles.
Thank you so much for recommending this! I just started reading it and it's blowing my mind.
Love the easy way you present all the different arcs information in this video. And also the point you make, to actually read nonfiction books about writing. Thanks 😃
Thanks for clarifying between the three arcs and how to apply them to different types of series. The umbrella is a perfect image explanation! I look forward to next weeks video.
I'm super excited for next week's video. I think I have come to the realization that my story will encompass three books and that terrified me. Like, if I have this much anxiety writing one book, how the hell am I going to write THREE?!
AAAAGGGHHHHH!!! I've been waiting for this video!!! So excited!!!
Wooohoo!
2:02 know the definition
→toplan and write
2:36 Story arc (event) v.s. Character arc 3:12
4:05 Genre
I’ve been waiting!! I love this series so far
Thank you!
Love the series about series so far! Except for one tiny thing: I beg to differ about Neo. There is a moment in the first movie when Morpheus tells him that "when the times comes he no longer has to dodge bullets" and then we see him dodge bullets and move like the agents do, he begins to believe. And when he faces the agents after saving Morpheus, "he no longer dodges bullets", he stops them with his hands. That's when, I think, he embraces being the One. His eyes are fully open when he flies off in the final image of the first movie.
My favourite negative change arc examples is that of Michael Corleone in the Godfather. First he wants nothing to do with Vito's business and then he becomes him. I like how he goes from being a soldier in one army to becoming basically the General of an other.
I can't wait for what else we'll learn in the coming weeks!
Great point about The Matrix, but I don't believe he fully understands the responsibility and can embrace what that fully means at that moment. I don't personally believe he has completed that character arc of truly believing he is the One they think he is. I see it more that he knows he is special and is coming to terms with his new reality, but you still see him in the next movie facing the challenge of the responsibility and whether he can live up to those expectations. Then it isn't until the third and final movie that he finally understands what it means.
@@HeartBreathings
I've only analyzed the first movie. Neo wants to know what the Matrix is, Morpheus shows him and in the end he fully accepts the real world and completely understands that the Matrix isn't real. Maybe that's what Neo's stopping the bullets with his hands is all about. I have conveniently forgotten about the sequels...Thanks for your reply.
So excited about this series! Amazing to watch videos of you almost everyday with the live readings, thank you Sarra!
Thank you for this amazing series, Sarra! It's perfect timing. I love your umbrella graphic and that you mentioned the high priestess because I'm using tarot cards to help flesh out my characters 😆🔮☮️🌻👏🌈
Hello I'm Mandla from South Africa I want to say thank you very much for this video, I'm new in the industry and I'm doing my best to learn from all those who are ahead of me, soon I will be wring for TV a series, I believe I will learn a lot, so far with this first video I'm happy and I'm looking forward to watch the rest. Thank you very much.
Once again, an amazeballs video! And, graphics! I LOVE graphics! (more, please!) See you next week! xo
GIRL I have been waiting and I can’t wait till next week, I really appreciate you breaking this down so simply for me. I can’t wait for the workbook :)
Amazing video! And it comes with a list of recommended readings! I don't think that it could possibly go any better. I'll probably have more questions about the arcs as soon as I have a story figured out.
These are some great examples of Character, Story, and Series Arcs. This is a great series. Thank You
Enjoying this so much Sarra! Thank you so much!
I've been watching and loving your channel for only about a month now, but have enjoyed nearly a dozen of your vides and so deeply appreciate the information you've been sharing. I just had to come to the comments because your shirt made me laugh out loud and it's just too perfect for you! Thanks for adding a link to it haha. I look forward to finishing this series and joining your daily nanowrimo diaries this month!
Finally...I understand. You have a way of explaining things that most don't. I write mainly stand-alone romances or women's fiction. I've written 2 series, both dynamic with with their own hero and heroine for each book. However, I've been struggling to plot out a 12-book series for over 5 years. I know the characters. I know each book will be about one character's story but they are all interconnected by the town and the business district in that town. What you just explained helped me with some areas I've been struggling with to advance my progress on the series. Thank you! Can't wait for next week's video.
So much to consider in this Series series. 🧐 Looking forward to the rest.
I've been working on book one of my first series since mid April. I realized this week that I've progressed enough in book one's process that I've started writing book two as well. I'd copied several scenes from book one to a "save for later in the story" document that was beginning to take its own shape. I had to take a moment and let it settle in. I ate some chocolate. I took a day to think about how I'm building to the book two arc. Now I'm working with both Scrivener project tabs open. Book two has a working title and a solid outline. It's completely wild that I am so far along already. I'm a slow writer, but I guess it proves that daily sprints work.
Thankful I have this resource as I'm building a strong foundation for my series. Cheers!
You have done amazing job teaching us about these arcs in writing. I will listen again and will take copious notes. Thanks for all the hard work. You did your homework.
I'm planning on writing books. I would like to Traditional publish my books, I just have to find a literary agent who likes the genre of books
I write in. And now I know what a character arc is thanks Heart.
I am looking forward to the work book. I know you put a lot of time in to it. As always great content and resources. I appreciate you doing the writing a series series.
Excellent advice. I'm so pumped about writing. I have so many stories I need to write about. Thanks for all of your videos and advice. It takes so much time to do your work while taking care of children. You have my respect.
Thanks for going through these, I understand them more now. While listening to you talk about the mirror moment I realised exactly what mine was. I even had it in the story but didn't understand the importance of it.
I watched your older series videos the other day cause I've been NEEDING these videos! Thank you, and looking forward to more!!
These are so awesome and have worked SO well, although timestamps would be awesome to navigate and reference specific points, still one of my fav youtube series!
I'm so glad I stumbled upon your channel, I just started writing, I finished a book I intend publishing and I have an idea for a series next so this is a gold mine. Thank you so much for this.
This is amazing -- thank you! Something that I've struggled with is the transformation part. I have an outline for several books going right now, but the obstacles I'm facing are -- the transformation being repetitive (because the main character is actually spiraling in through depression at the same time) and figuring out how to keep the readers engaged, because there's really no resolution until the end of the series.
Sarra, you and your video series are a dream come true. I've watched videos one and two and got a lot out of them. Thanks for the great content.
I can’t even tell you how inspirational you have been to me in my writing journey. Thank you❤️
Another fabulously informative video! Thank you, Sarra! It really is amazing how much we think we know about a writing craft topic or skill set, and then realize there's so much more to learn. Your guidance and support is so powerful and appreciated along this journey!
You're a blessing to this world.
i've been so stuck with my own series! and this, I know, is going to help so much!
Omgosh Sara, I just love listening to you give all this fascinating info! You really have a way of getting the ideas and info across. Looking forward to the next one. Hugs Sunshine
I'm looking forward to the rest of the videos in the series. As I'm currently working on a three book series, I also have one that is 2 and another is going to be 5. So I'm ready to take notes.
There is a companion book for villain archetypes. Also check out 45 master archtypes.
Great! Thank you for the recommendation!!
@@HeartBreathings Anytime!
Thanks for the video series it is so good - also I hope everyone here has read Bryan mc Donald's Invisible Ink .. it is the best book I have read about creating an armature for your stories.
I am writing a duology with the plan to do a spin off that is multiple POV. I have a rough idea for the spin off and I know what the goal is for book two of my duology, but it isn't planned. I'm a new author so I have no idea if I'm doing this correctly, but it's a learning experience for sure. I'm drafting the first book now and I will hoping to find another critique partner to help me develop the first book to make sure it does the heavy lifting needed for book 1 of a series.
Great video, thank you Sarra😊
I am very interested in this series
This was so good. Thank you!
This is such amazing info tfs♡
I've got a question. What if I don't know how many books i'm gonna be writing for my series? I've sort of figured out how my first, middle and last book will be but I don't really know the in between books for it. Do I need to figure out how many books i'm gonna be writing first or is there another way I can go around his?
Also, that umbrella diagram is so helpful for me thank you for that
I address on the next video about planning your series!
@@HeartBreathings Thank you for replying back. I'll make sure to watch the next video when it comes out :)
This is a very helpful video. Thank you. I have a question... I have 3 main characters in a dynamic series (3 books). When you talked about character arc, you mentioned that characters' change needs to be progressive and that the character can't go back to its first self. One of my characters starts off good unlike the two, but something happened to her and changes for the worse and in the 3rd book she goes back to her old self. Your thoughts please.
So did you know the overall arc for all 12 books or did you have the arc for the first 6 and then you decided to do another 6 and it just worked out that you had a plot to expand on?
I originally planned it as a trilogy! But then the story expanded and I was loving it so much, the stories just kept flowing. When I finished 6, I knew there would be another long arc to try to defeat the entire order of shadows but I didn't have a clue what that would look like exactly. I'm excited to get a chance to start a new long series after this is over so I can take what I learned and do better.
Can we like, include the whole character transformation in one book because I have like, other protagonists to transform too. I was thinking to like, dedicate one book to each character. Could you let me know if this structure will work ? Thank you
Yes you can totally do that! Often that type of structure is more of a standalone or episodic structure. Then each book in the series has its own storyline within the world and a different main character as the focus of the journey.
I got the Save the Cat for novel writing
Question about romance series-all five of my couple appear in all five books, one couple is the star and more complete look at their journey toward their romance during their book but they appear in the next and the next, just not the star of the book this time, my question is can they have arcs in the next book and the next, just smaller, not as much attention to the arc?
You're just the best! :D
17:22 Don't mind me, just bookmarking a ref :)
Interesting video series on writing series. I have not decided if my writing would fit into a series or not. I have trouble making a novel-length book so can you have a series that is made up of novella length books? I have many books started, but never get higher than 30,000 to 40,000 words in each one. I seem to be suited to writing short story length or novella length pieces. So I wonder if I should stick to novella lengths instead of struggling to produce something longer and if there are series that are composed of novellas rather than full-length novels. Thanks for any help you can give me with this problem. I love your different series of videos.
Its more clear now that before, I think I'm in a dynamic series
It seems to me that a bit of understanding about psychology is needed to create a believable char arc. Any advice Sarra...or anyone?
Tbh character development in a series is what gives me the most anxiety. I can write the coolest and most complicated plotlines, but when it's about characters I get so lost.
How do I know how much character development is enough? Or too less or too much? It's sooo nerve wrecking😭
💖💖💖
I’m doing this all wrong bahahaa
Haha, I seriously doubt that!
Whenever I read or (hear) about character arcs, I get confused - I don’t think my main characters over come anything.