I'm happy I'm on the write track. I started my novel with a synopsis. Made a scene list and then a description of what needs to happen in each scene. From there I write each scene
Love this breakdown. I started with chapters then stuck scenes within them. But now it makes it harder to break those scenes free of my original chapter ideas and move them around. I really like the idea of focusing on scenes first then organizing them when the first draft is completed. Thanks, I love your videos!
The majority of Author tube or the authorities of writing and editing are from the West or Countries that treasures reading and the writing industry. Here in the region of Cordillera in the Philippines, it took me about 8 years to write and publish my book. The main reason is the Arts in general like writing, music, painting, sculpture, acting and the like are considered as "hobbies" and not a "real careers". People are focused on what they consider as "real careers" that are "paying jobs" like farming, carpentry, professions, businesses and the like. This is mainly due to the low standard of living or poverty that are prevalent here. It was difficult for me to find editors, beta readers, critic partners, support systems (family and friends who believed on my career choice), time to write (have to hustle in the real world to fulfill basic needs and to exhausted in my free time) and others. I end up skipping some steps and submitted my manuscript this year in a publishing company willing to help me publish as a novice writer. I don't know if this is necessary but it is my reality as a writer.
I could bawl. I needed this a year and a half ago when I submitted my book, having decided against the asterisks in favor of double space breaks - only to have the publisher eliminate them entirely. Ugh! Not sure why they also took out every instance of italics, still waiting on an explanation.
I know British and Australian works don't italicize, not even for thoughts, which I find so odd. And I've known editors who say italics shouldn't be used for emphasis. But that seems like an overstep to me
@@nonsensefreeeditor That's so odd. I wonder why they would decide on something like that, because italics make a difference even to visually impaired people.
I’m all for italics, and especially since they are one way to properly write botanical names (I’m a horticulturist). That said, I have a son who is both dyslexic and has low vision. People with either of these issues tend to struggle with italic fonts. This is a good reason for me to limit or eliminate the use of italics when possible, considering an estimated 10% of the population has dyslexia (I’m not sure what the % is for low vision individuals). People don’t grow out of these issues, so I would love to see more books written in dyslexia-friendly formats.
@@gingerlily4404 I appreciate this point of view, my husband is dyslexic and did learn to deal with this. I included italics in various places in my book for the purpose of emphasis, and without them the story loses emotion and meaning.
@@NeurodivergentHomestead120 that’s great to hear about your husband! I agree with you that I also like italics for what they add, and I’m certainly appreciative to hear different perspectives on this. It does seem drastic to eliminate them, but I’m not sure how I feel about using them if it makes reading harder for many. Hmm. Thanks for engaging in a thoughtful exchange.
I do both. Plan and pantser. I'm trying to plan more so that if a scene doesn't work where I have it placed I can move it easily to another spot in the book or delete it.
This is a topic I've Googled quite a few times. None of the many books I've read on craft cover this important topic. Wondering how much is too much to put in a chapter. I am soooo glad you've done this video, my Nonsense-Free Friend!
Thank you for explaining this to me!! I'm one of those that was utterly confused about the differences between scenes and chapters. Your explanation has set my muse free and now I am writing with no more writers block or procrastinating because I don't have this weird concept that I have to write X chapters. Thank you!!
Great breakdown of a scene. Not enough writing channels on youtube really cover what a scene is. By the way, would you consider doing a video on the structure of a novella, and what first time novella writers should be aware of as far as key fundamental differences between a novella and a novel, other than length? Another topic that isn't really covered a lot on youtube. Again, great video. Subscribed!
Such a great topic that is under-explained in the writing community! Thank you 😊! I write by chapters, but I summarize each one so I basically know what’s happening as the story progresses. This gives me plenty of room to make changes as I go without toppling the entire thing.
Another incredible video! Thank you so much! :) I learned about story structure when I was in college studying screenwriting. Going over the line into novels was a giant leap for me because it was new, although the same story structure applies in both screenwriting and novels. I like to construct chapters on a Word document for my memory's sake, or sometimes I'll design a rough outline of the story as a simple guide. But, at the beginning of a new novel idea, I like to write out the most heart-wrenching scenes to suck me into the story (2nd Act Breaks/Climax/etc). I also keep this flexibility throughout the writing process to write out of the impulse of emotion and add stuff in any chapter when it feels right. So, I guess I'm kind of in the middle, lol! You're awesome! You're an incredible editor and helped me immensely understand this new (for me lol) format of storytelling! Thanks so much :)
I like that you delve into how different authors do it. I have some similarities to you and some differences. I, for example, can't go straight in order from start to finish; I might write out a scene that happens in way past the first book because it's so strongly in my head. But, when I do that, it also gives me a chance to think of all the things I should set up in the first book so that they don't appear out of nowhere later. On the other hand, I absolutely summarize to start with, too. I think I do it a little different from you, because the summary isn't a separate thing. I usually quickly jot down everything on my mind and then I write OVER the summary and fix it up. It's sort of like making an outline for myself quickly so that I don't forget any of the pieces I wanted to put in, because my mind will play through a scene, but when I' satisfied with "how that scene went" it carries on to the next part. If I don't start writing them all down I could forget a piece, sort of like waking up in the morning and trying to remember everything that happened in a dream. Even if I just smash out the dialogue with 0 description it'll remind me to put it there.
@@nonsensefreeeditor I see! I thought you maybe had a summary written separately! It's interesting to hear how other people tackle it in comparison to myself.
Thank you. I have just been writing and decided to try scrivener and found your video when asking google what's the difference between scenes and chapters. Not only did your video clarify the difference but I see where breaking things down into scenes will be helpful to me as I review my book decide which "scenes" to keep or move within chapters. As I move my chapters from Word into scrivener I am going to further break them down into scenes. Thanks
Usually the songs on an album are the result of an artist's creations during a season of life. This means the songs can all speak to a similar set of themes, ideas and topics. So the aim of an album name is to try and sum up the big story/concept that all the songs pull from when they were written. It's not always like these, especially today. But traditionally, an album is like a "book" with the songs inside being like "chapters." It is a cohesive collection of songs used to tell a bigger theme or project an overall vibe. Think of an album as a book. And your songs as chapters. Every book has chapters. Every album has songs. Each chapter is different. Each song is different. But the collection of chapters (the collection of songs) is what tells the full story of the book (of the album). 💿 Mini book 📕 📖 📚 chapter book 📕 📖 📚 full book 📕 📖 📚 are the same but in general albums 💿 are a book 📕 📖 📚. Chapters mean a main division of a book, typically with a number or title. And book vs studio albums are typically the same studio albums are book 📕 📖 📚.
Thank you. Excellent video. I love the way you quickly address the differences between chapter and scene. And the options to rearrange them to fit the plot. Now, I'm going to wishful think, lol, that you make a video about writing a novel with parts.
Thanks for posting this video regarding building chapters out of scenes. I appreciate it. @ 2:53 you state that "back in the day" scene breaks were not a thing. J.K Rowling uses double hard returns to indicate a new scene, as does Guy Gabriel Kay and Brandon Sanderson (and I am sure many others as well). I am not sure what you mean by "back in the day," because many writers of today still use the double return to indicate a new scene.
*That was outstanding!* Thank you! 😊👍 It's not quite what I do at the moment, but pretty close. Personally, I have no problem at all discarding scenes and reordering them at any point from the outline stage to refining the final prose. My first job is to write all scenes as brief "outlines", then choose the interesting scenes and the scenes that the reader needs to know about, and only those are converted from "outline" to actual prose. The plot is first and of primary importance, but I've discovered many times while converting scenes into prose that there are weaknesses in the plot that force changes to the scenes, including scenes I've already converted into prose. Every scene exists, at least in my head, but the story that the reader is presented with is only those scenes that make sense for them to read. If the reader would understand a scene implicilty, say from a single obvious sentence in another scene, I'm not going to bore them to death by putting that scene into prose. I rarely ever add a new scene, but scenes often get reordered or deleted, or demoted back to outlines, when it makes sense to the plot and the story. As the writer, I _need_ all the scenes to exist in some form, because I need to keep the story straight in my head, but I'm aware that the reader should only get the final prose for the _interesting_ scenes, and that they are happy to assume that the unwritten scenes did happen without me needing to spell them out in detail for them. Readers aren't stupid! What I find hardest is the convertion from outline to prose. It's basically just "pantsing" each scene. I sometimes need to "re-pants" a scene more then 5 times before I get a satisfactory rendering into prose that flows and won't bore the reader. As an aside, this "plotter vs. pantser" dichotomy seems absurd to me. I do both at different points for the same story. All that said, I'm still trying to write my first novel. _It's hard!_ 😪
Process is everything! I’m still trying to develop mine as I learn craft. I spend my writing sessions going back and forth between self teaching craft and building a comprehensive reference binder, organizing said binder by content and brain-dumping scenes and ideas for scenes. I wrote several scenes a year ago but then decided to stop and learn craft. The writing was a coping mechanism after a loss; but at some point I realized that I wanted to do more than just pants scenes. I decided I wanted to try to write a novel. I try to focus on specific aspects in “chunks”. I’m currently learning Scene level craft. My notes from this video will go into my reference binder for sure. Stick with it! I was thinking I might switch to outlining my story to try to participate in NaNo this year. It would be my first time. I don’t think I can make it this year 😕. But next year I think I’ll be confident enough in my growing knowledge of craft to give it a shot! Maybe I will use NaNo to devote to outlining. I know that’s not what it’s for but… I also participate in Abbie Emmons’ live stream writing sprints. Anything counts during those and the live chat stream with thousands of other folks participating is awesome! It’s a real sense of community. I love her channel and her whole approach to story. It was she who inspired me to set a higher goal and learn craft. She made it seem possible! I have found that the algorithms serve me well! I have so many channels as resources and I haven’t ignored the screenwriting videos either. They’ve actually been extremely helpful, although there are some differences due to the medium of visual storytelling. Anyway, I just thought I’d try to encourage you to keep at it. You are not alone!! 😂. Take care!
I'm a lifetime pantser. I've tried to organize things in scenes but then I end up in a cycle of rewrites. I have to just keep writing until I stop and see if it makes sense later. haha
I do the detailed outline with Save the Cat. Each chapter has a goal and hopefully an impetus at the end to keep them turning pages. Loved your breakdown. Would like to see how you approach a new novel given to you as an editor
I don’t use any particular plot formula when doing the edit, but rather go chapter by chapter, ensuring the beats of the plot & character arc fall where they should ruclips.net/user/shorts6XsQQeCkOZ8?si=5G672kf72qn8C79p
Thank you. I’m going to watch this again, as once (for me) is an overload! Two more things here: I found it necessary at one place, to have a POV go BACK in time just a bit. Couldn’t do that any other way. Too long to give details. (And finally, if you don’t mind, the word for * is asterisk, not asteriks .) Thanks again!
I liked this very much…but can you take it one more step? What distinguishes one chapter from another in terms of the content? Please indulge my convoluted example of my stunted understanding: if a novel is a house and each room is a chapter, then it’s easy to tell the difference between the kitchen and the bathroom. The kitchen theme is cooking. Your microwave, stove and refrigerator might be scenes in the chapter and they tie well together because they all have to do with cooking. The bathroom has the commode, the bathtub and the sink. Again related function and use by the homeowner = chapter (room) and scenes within the chapter. But what / how do you determine where the kitchen ends and the bathroom starts before the related furniture and fixtures get installed ?? Where did the architect that drew up the plans for the house get the guidelines for the dimensions and placement of the rooms (chapters)? That’s what I’m looking for: what constitutes a well designed chapter and why should one end and another start? It can’t just be about word count 🧐😕😂. I feel like I might know intuitively how to divide my book into chapters - but then again, if there is advice out there I’d like to consider it early on in developing my process as a new writer. Thanks in advance!
What is the chapter about overall? Consider the name of your chapter. That's what this chapter is about. Some people end it on a cliffhanger, others a resolution, etc. but unless it's the end of the story or it's episodic, it shouldn't feel like an end. It should feel connected to the other chapters. It ends when the chapter is no longer about a certain thing. If the chapter was named "the Gamble", and the gamble (whatever that is) had been resolved or circumstances have changed, the chapter would end. Obviously this isn't the only way you can write a chapter, but from what I remember about the books I've read, most chapters have a different problem or focus in each one. Sometimes, that doesn't happen, but for the most part, that's what I see. Everyone's writing style is different, so do what feels right for your book.
@@shootingstars6762 Hey thanks for your reply. Very thoughtful and detailed response and I appreciate it. Since my original post I have continued to consume different models and philosophy for telling stories. I came across Story Grid and it is epic. There is a definite structure for story including what the founder of Story Grid calls the five commandments of story. The structure is fractal in that the components show up in each unit of the story. It’s like a book having three acts but then the chapters all have three acts and the scenes within the chapters have three acts etc. That’s not 💯 how he puts it because he doesn’t talk in Acts really but you get the idea… Combined with other models I’ve been studying it has been enlightening for me and I’ve got a “track” now. When you start thinking about story from a deeper level, things like where to divide chapters become much smaller concerns and those decisions become more easy to make because you’re looking at the whole forest rather than focusing on how many feet separate two trees in the forest. I think storytelling is meant to be an intriguing mix of intuition and intellect. There’s science, psychology and structure to build a story well, but if you get too tight with the structure I think you can strangle the life essence out of your story before you even finish it. I think I have to learn to hang on and let go at the right times. Thanks again for your response. Take care!
I wrote about 20 scenes, then began again from the opening scene to create proper chapters, in plot order. However, based on this video, I think I’m going to go back to writing scenes,with labels. The rearranging can wait.
I started out organizing by scene, which makes it easy to move them around. But then I’d add scenes that introduced the scene or followed up a scene, and then I really have a chapter. How do you indicate what scenes have to go together for the continuity of the story?
This is super interesting. I'm fairly new to writing, and so far I _only_ write scenes (I think.) I have a vague idea of the plot and a vague idea of the story beats, and I've just gotten bogged down in various character interactions. I've written the part of the love-interests first meeting where sparks fly, the part of the second date where they clash over their belief systems, part of the love triangle, and a whole host of other little interactions that feel like critical moments of character or relationship development. But I have no idea how to put any connective tissue between these scenes and turn them into chapters, let alone how to turn this monstrosity into a coherent story. I don't even know how I'd recognize the moment that every single scene was written :D
I write notes in third person too, even if my novel will be first person. It’s because when you’re plotting, it’s easier to take a step back from the protagonist and be more omniscient so third person works best. This way you can more naturally add notes about details that are foreshadowed or not yet known by the protagonist while keeping everything clear and easily understood.
This was actually super helpful. I'm writing my first book at the age of 15 and I'm EXTREMELY confused. I have an app where I put my characters' details & the timeline, but I organized the events in chapters… Your tip was very helpful, I'll try your labelling things out in the future. Tysm for this!! You explained everything perfectly 💖 Also, it is with multiple POV's (the two main characters)… I'm currently crying.
I write by scene as well. I have found if I label it as Chapter 1, 2 , 3 etc. If i need to move it, it becomes harder because it is numbered. Sounds strange but true. Seems omce numbered it's written in stone and immovable. My latest effort I wrote 75% linear, but one of the scenes wasn't working, so I went to the end and wrote the end and epilogue, then worked backward. I think I'm almost done with this one.
So I bought a used typewriter second hand the reason an older book like Dune would be written with a double return to indicate a scene break is because of the fact that typewriters were not friendly to getting creative with details like that. I mean yes a 1990's typewriter like mine has the capacity to center and asterisks for a clear scene break, but I cannot say the same for typewriters from 1960's.
Waw now i'm so confuse !!! I thought a scene was suppose to have a beginning middle and end = setup ( world/character/goal ) - conflict = character want and or need vs opposing force(s) - denouement = character failing or succeeding to obtain is goal So how exactly does a scene became a new scene everytime the pov change ? Character A = Protag / Character B = Antag if A confront B everytime i change the pov between a and b = a new scene ? Also what is the difference between scene breaks and a new scene then ? I'm lost. Let's say i just started a scene of character 1 being at an hotel am at the very beginning of the scene setting things up, i end my beginning and now have the option of keep going about my middle or change pov and starting a new beginning with character 2 at the airport that's what a scene break is no ? And then once i'm done with character 2 airport beginning scene i can go back to character 1 and start the middle of his scene by doing a new scene break ? Please read this i'm so lost right now 😩😩😩
I don't know why, but I can't write with everything written out so precisely, because I don't know if I'll change something along the way. I'm writing my first book and I'm stuck on chapter 8. That's almost half the book. It won't be a super long book, but I feel like something is missing. I made a general outline, the most important characters were written down according to their character traits, etc., I also did thorough research to ensure there was no shortage of source material. And I'm writing the same draft for the second time.
A lot of the writing process consists of rewriting and revising, so don't feel discouraged if you have to go back several times and rewrite things. It's normal. Maybe just write what you feel inspired to write, and if something doesn't fit or make sense, remove it or change it later.
I once heard that when planning a novel you start with the idea and then plan from the smallest to the largest element. So from the scene, to the chapter and from there to the act. Is there something to it and how do you go about it. I'm a discovery writer and planning isn't my thing. I still want to learn it to get better. Everyone talks about acts, chapters and scenes, but no one explains what exactly they are, how they are structured and how to put them together so that you can write the best possible book. could you help me with that? Thank you . Many greetings from Germany
Hi, i'm trying to make sense of how scene works... (Note: I'm french so please excuse my terrible english, i'll try to make sense .. ^^) - 1. Can a scene be broken? What i mean by that is that i learn that scene are like the entire plot they have a beginning middle end (status quo - inciting incident - rising action - climax - resolution) so i'm trying to figure if a scene can be broken like for example only have " status quo and inciting incident" without the rest and then we switch to another character and then get back, or does a scene need to be complete ? -2. I learn that a story as one OVERALL goal " SAVING THE PRINCESS " but in order to accomplish that OVERALL goal you need to go through multiple SUB goals like for example finding where is the princess, kills the guards, find a way to enter the castle etc... Those are SUB goals and the success of the OVERALL goal is conditioned by those SUB goals so i was wondering let say i want to have one of my character to get inside a castle to steal an artefact then escape with it. Would that be multiple scenes: - Getting into the castle - Looking and finding the artefact - Steal it - Getting out of the castle Or only one entire scene ? - Also what is the difference between an ACTION and an EVENT ?
I an observational pantser. I simply watch a movie in my mind and transcribe what I'm seeing. The order of scenes is chronological. I guess there could be movement of things that happen concurrently such as these two people having a plot-driving argument over here and somebody else doing something that drives the plot over there, but the order is almost always naturally sequential. You wouldn't want the Millennium Falcon to arrive before the Death Star blows up Alderaan. That would change the story rather drastically.
Any thoughts about thinking in sequences for the plot? Screenwriting sometimes rely on eight sequences to move through the plot. Good example would be Avengers: Infinity Wars. The movie starts off with Thanos having possession of two of six infinity stones by the end of Act 1. Act 2 is comprised of four sequences - with Thanos trying to obtain the remaining four stones. His pursuit if any one stone is a dedicated sequence of interrelated scenes. Can this be something applied to writing novels and if so, how does the approach fit with novel chapters and the scenes within them? Sequences (related scenes with a smaller specific goal that serves the overarching story goal) seem like a great solution to the problem many run into when writing Act 2. If there’s guidance about applying 8 sequence to novels of which you are aware, please share it 😂😂. Thank you.
I think you would write it similar to the way screenwriters would do it, but with more words. Since they have visuals, they don't have to describe stuff with words. Novels do. There may be more differences with how films and books are written that I'm not seeing, but a lot of structures I've noticed are the same, so it's probably not that different to writing a book. You're adding more words. It's not just dialogue.
I've begun writing....something. I honestly don't know what it is yet. Definitely in the sci-fi genre. Question: Many of the excellent tips you give seem to be aimed towards those who write in a non-linear style. While I'm not incapable of writing like this, I find that most of my new ideas concerning plot direction, main events, even characters themselves happen WHILE I'm writing. I find it very uncomfortable to sit down and outline what's going to happen in every chapter/scene and then write. I usually have a general idea of who I want the characters to be and how I want them to relate to each other and a very broad idea of what the scene will be, but the particulars always come to me when I'm writing. Is this a BAD thing? Should I know exactly how every scene is going to unfold and how every character is going to develop before I even put pen to paper? At the moment, I'm just doing what comes naturally to me, which is writing in a linear style, reviewing my work, and making sure I keep myself from going too far off the beaten path.
How do you feel about having a first chapter which has 9k words and 7 scenes but every chapter following sits between 3k and 5k with 3-5 scenes? Do you think that is reasonable?
@@sixfeetwonder_ quite a common situation honestly. Luckily there are groups devoted to finding beta readers on Facebook, discord, and Insta. TikTok is also great. When you’re ready for advanced copy readers (right before publishing) Booksirens is a popular choice: ruclips.net/video/UHVYrlyYzrE/видео.htmlsi=oY4nNSDVngDSFRbl
Why don't you define what a chapter is? why don't you differentiate between chapter and scene? You give not one explanation, why should anybody arbitrarily call any numbers of scene a chapter? Just write a scene and name it. that's a chapter.
Bruh. Get to the point. The background story isn’t necessary 🤦♂️ why is it so difficult to find videos that are to the point and offer the information they actually propose in the title
The idea of not deciding on chapters until all the scenes are written is so helpful. It makes everything suddenly feel so much easier. Thank you! 😊
I'm happy I'm on the write track. I started my novel with a synopsis. Made a scene list and then a description of what needs to happen in each scene. From there I write each scene
Love this breakdown. I started with chapters then stuck scenes within them. But now it makes it harder to break those scenes free of my original chapter ideas and move them around. I really like the idea of focusing on scenes first then organizing them when the first draft is completed. Thanks, I love your videos!
Thank you I'm glad it was helpful!
The majority of Author tube or the authorities of writing and editing are from the West or Countries that treasures reading and the writing industry. Here in the region of Cordillera in the Philippines, it took me about 8 years to write and publish my book. The main reason is the Arts in general like writing, music, painting, sculpture, acting and the like are considered as "hobbies" and not a "real careers". People are focused on what they consider as "real careers" that are "paying jobs" like farming, carpentry, professions, businesses and the like. This is mainly due to the low standard of living or poverty that are prevalent here. It was difficult for me to find editors, beta readers, critic partners, support systems (family and friends who believed on my career choice), time to write (have to hustle in the real world to fulfill basic needs and to exhausted in my free time) and others. I end up skipping some steps and submitted my manuscript this year in a publishing company willing to help me publish as a novice writer. I don't know if this is necessary but it is my reality as a writer.
Wishing you the best of luck and success with your book!
Good luck! But just so you know, the reality here in the West isn’t that different.
I really like the labelling hack! It makes much more sense than assigning a piece of a text to a certain chapter.
I learned more from this one video than I did from any writing class I've ever taken.
Your insight is so valuable.
THANK YOU!
I could bawl. I needed this a year and a half ago when I submitted my book, having decided against the asterisks in favor of double space breaks - only to have the publisher eliminate them entirely. Ugh! Not sure why they also took out every instance of italics, still waiting on an explanation.
I know British and Australian works don't italicize, not even for thoughts, which I find so odd. And I've known editors who say italics shouldn't be used for emphasis. But that seems like an overstep to me
@@nonsensefreeeditor That's so odd. I wonder why they would decide on something like that, because italics make a difference even to visually impaired people.
I’m all for italics, and especially since they are one way to properly write botanical names (I’m a horticulturist). That said, I have a son who is both dyslexic and has low vision. People with either of these issues tend to struggle with italic fonts. This is a good reason for me to limit or eliminate the use of italics when possible, considering an estimated 10% of the population has dyslexia (I’m not sure what the % is for low vision individuals). People don’t grow out of these issues, so I would love to see more books written in dyslexia-friendly formats.
@@gingerlily4404 I appreciate this point of view, my husband is dyslexic and did learn to deal with this. I included italics in various places in my book for the purpose of emphasis, and without them the story loses emotion and meaning.
@@NeurodivergentHomestead120 that’s great to hear about your husband! I agree with you that I also like italics for what they add, and I’m certainly appreciative to hear different perspectives on this. It does seem drastic to eliminate them, but I’m not sure how I feel about using them if it makes reading harder for many. Hmm. Thanks for engaging in a thoughtful exchange.
I do both. Plan and pantser. I'm trying to plan more so that if a scene doesn't work where I have it placed I can move it easily to another spot in the book or delete it.
This is a topic I've Googled quite a few times. None of the many books I've read on craft cover this important topic. Wondering how much is too much to put in a chapter. I am soooo glad you've done this video, my Nonsense-Free Friend!
I'm glad it helped! It can be so tough for intuitive writers to visualize the process as their creativity leads the way
@The Nonsense-Free Editor I shared this with my second beta reader (I hope she is). Your videos make so much sense.
Thank you for explaining this to me!! I'm one of those that was utterly confused about the differences between scenes and chapters. Your explanation has set my muse free and now I am writing with no more writers block or procrastinating because I don't have this weird concept that I have to write X chapters. Thank you!!
Great breakdown of a scene. Not enough writing channels on youtube really cover what a scene is. By the way, would you consider doing a video on the structure of a novella, and what first time novella writers should be aware of as far as key fundamental differences between a novella and a novel, other than length? Another topic that isn't really covered a lot on youtube. Again, great video. Subscribed!
Writing 1st book. Good to see I am doing something right! Writing scenes, naming that section, and not putting in order. 😊
Such a great topic that is under-explained in the writing community! Thank you 😊! I write by chapters, but I summarize each one so I basically know what’s happening as the story progresses. This gives me plenty of room to make changes as I go without toppling the entire thing.
Yes! Having a good foundation helps the writing process as you build your book one chapter at a time
Another incredible video! Thank you so much! :) I learned about story structure when I was in college studying screenwriting. Going over the line into novels was a giant leap for me because it was new, although the same story structure applies in both screenwriting and novels. I like to construct chapters on a Word document for my memory's sake, or sometimes I'll design a rough outline of the story as a simple guide. But, at the beginning of a new novel idea, I like to write out the most heart-wrenching scenes to suck me into the story (2nd Act Breaks/Climax/etc). I also keep this flexibility throughout the writing process to write out of the impulse of emotion and add stuff in any chapter when it feels right. So, I guess I'm kind of in the middle, lol! You're awesome! You're an incredible editor and helped me immensely understand this new (for me lol) format of storytelling! Thanks so much :)
So proud of myself. I've been doing it right all along 😊👍🏿
I’ve watched this 3 times, so much gold here.
u just helped me so much, just so so much ty ty
I like that you delve into how different authors do it. I have some similarities to you and some differences. I, for example, can't go straight in order from start to finish; I might write out a scene that happens in way past the first book because it's so strongly in my head. But, when I do that, it also gives me a chance to think of all the things I should set up in the first book so that they don't appear out of nowhere later.
On the other hand, I absolutely summarize to start with, too. I think I do it a little different from you, because the summary isn't a separate thing. I usually quickly jot down everything on my mind and then I write OVER the summary and fix it up. It's sort of like making an outline for myself quickly so that I don't forget any of the pieces I wanted to put in, because my mind will play through a scene, but when I' satisfied with "how that scene went" it carries on to the next part. If I don't start writing them all down I could forget a piece, sort of like waking up in the morning and trying to remember everything that happened in a dream. Even if I just smash out the dialogue with 0 description it'll remind me to put it there.
Yes that's exactly what I do with the summary (write over it). Great minds think alike 🤣
@@nonsensefreeeditor I see! I thought you maybe had a summary written separately! It's interesting to hear how other people tackle it in comparison to myself.
sooooo helpful. I naturally write in 3rd person. So I've realized its easier for my pov as well.
I have been researching on how to plan/outline before beginning to write and this video has been so informative and helpful. Thank you!
Thank you. I have just been writing and decided to try scrivener and found your video when asking google what's the difference between scenes and chapters. Not only did your video clarify the difference but I see where breaking things down into scenes will be helpful to me as I review my book decide which "scenes" to keep or move within chapters. As I move my chapters from Word into scrivener I am going to further break them down into scenes. Thanks
Thank You. I plot the sequence of scenes, but a pantser when filling out the scenes.
Usually the songs on an album are the result of an artist's creations during a season of life. This means the songs can all speak to a similar set of themes, ideas and topics. So the aim of an album name is to try and sum up the big story/concept that all the songs pull from when they were written. It's not always like these, especially today. But traditionally, an album is like a "book" with the songs inside being like "chapters." It is a cohesive collection of songs used to tell a bigger theme or project an overall vibe. Think of an album as a book. And your songs as chapters.
Every book has chapters. Every album has songs.
Each chapter is different. Each song is different.
But the collection of chapters (the collection of songs) is what tells the full story of the book (of the album). 💿 Mini book 📕 📖 📚 chapter book 📕 📖 📚 full book 📕 📖 📚 are the same but in general albums 💿 are a book 📕 📖 📚. Chapters mean a main division of a book, typically with a number or title. And book vs studio albums are typically the same studio albums are book 📕 📖 📚.
Thank you. Excellent video. I love the way you quickly address the differences between chapter and scene. And the options to rearrange them to fit the plot.
Now, I'm going to wishful think, lol, that you make a video about writing a novel with parts.
Thanks for posting this video regarding building chapters out of scenes. I appreciate it. @ 2:53 you state that "back in the day" scene breaks were not a thing. J.K Rowling uses double hard returns to indicate a new scene, as does Guy Gabriel Kay and Brandon Sanderson (and I am sure many others as well). I am not sure what you mean by "back in the day," because many writers of today still use the double return to indicate a new scene.
*That was outstanding!*
Thank you! 😊👍
It's not quite what I do at the moment, but pretty close.
Personally, I have no problem at all discarding scenes and reordering them at any point from the outline stage to refining the final prose.
My first job is to write all scenes as brief "outlines", then choose the interesting scenes and the scenes that the reader needs to know about, and only those are converted from "outline" to actual prose.
The plot is first and of primary importance, but I've discovered many times while converting scenes into prose that there are weaknesses in the plot that force changes to the scenes, including scenes I've already converted into prose.
Every scene exists, at least in my head, but the story that the reader is presented with is only those scenes that make sense for them to read. If the reader would understand a scene implicilty, say from a single obvious sentence in another scene, I'm not going to bore them to death by putting that scene into prose.
I rarely ever add a new scene, but scenes often get reordered or deleted, or demoted back to outlines, when it makes sense to the plot and the story.
As the writer, I _need_ all the scenes to exist in some form, because I need to keep the story straight in my head, but I'm aware that the reader should only get the final prose for the _interesting_ scenes, and that they are happy to assume that the unwritten scenes did happen without me needing to spell them out in detail for them.
Readers aren't stupid!
What I find hardest is the convertion from outline to prose. It's basically just "pantsing" each scene. I sometimes need to "re-pants" a scene more then 5 times before I get a satisfactory rendering into prose that flows and won't bore the reader.
As an aside, this "plotter vs. pantser" dichotomy seems absurd to me. I do both at different points for the same story.
All that said, I'm still trying to write my first novel. _It's hard!_ 😪
Process is everything! I’m still trying to develop mine as I learn craft. I spend my writing sessions going back and forth between self teaching craft and building a comprehensive reference binder, organizing said binder by content and brain-dumping scenes and ideas for scenes.
I wrote several scenes a year ago but then decided to stop and learn craft. The writing was a coping mechanism after a loss; but at some point I realized that I wanted to do more than just pants scenes. I decided I wanted to try to write a novel.
I try to focus on specific aspects in “chunks”. I’m currently learning Scene level craft. My notes from this video will go into my reference binder for sure.
Stick with it! I was thinking I might switch to outlining my story to try to participate in NaNo this year. It would be my first time. I don’t think I can make it this year 😕. But next year I think I’ll be confident enough in my growing knowledge of craft to give it a shot!
Maybe I will use NaNo to devote to outlining. I know that’s not what it’s for but…
I also participate in Abbie Emmons’ live stream writing sprints. Anything counts during those and the live chat stream with thousands of other folks participating is awesome! It’s a real sense of community.
I love her channel and her whole approach to story. It was she who inspired me to set a higher goal and learn craft. She made it seem possible!
I have found that the algorithms serve me well! I have so many channels as resources and I haven’t ignored the screenwriting videos either. They’ve actually been extremely helpful, although there are some differences due to the medium of visual storytelling.
Anyway, I just thought I’d try to encourage you to keep at it. You are not alone!! 😂. Take care!
I'm a lifetime pantser. I've tried to organize things in scenes but then I end up in a cycle of rewrites. I have to just keep writing until I stop and see if it makes sense later. haha
Thank you so, and I mean SO very much. You’re so beautiful and the information you have provided is truly invaluable. Take care ✨🥰
Very helpful, thank you.
I do the detailed outline with Save the Cat. Each chapter has a goal and hopefully an impetus at the end to keep them turning pages. Loved your breakdown. Would like to see how you approach a new novel given to you as an editor
I don’t use any particular plot formula when doing the edit, but rather go chapter by chapter, ensuring the beats of the plot & character arc fall where they should ruclips.net/user/shorts6XsQQeCkOZ8?si=5G672kf72qn8C79p
Not a plotter (at all, sometimes to my detriment). This is the first advice I have read that is mindful of a more generative creative process. Thanks!
Thank you. I’m going to watch this again, as once (for me) is an overload! Two more things here: I found it necessary at one place, to have a POV go BACK in time just a bit. Couldn’t do that any other way. Too long to give details. (And finally, if you don’t mind, the word for * is asterisk, not asteriks .) Thanks again!
Very concise and easy to follow guidance.
Thanks. This is a question I have had for a long time.
Thank you! That was helpful 😊
I liked this very much…but can you take it one more step? What distinguishes one chapter from another in terms of the content?
Please indulge my convoluted example of my stunted understanding: if a novel is a house and each room is a chapter, then it’s easy to tell the difference between the kitchen and the bathroom.
The kitchen theme is cooking. Your microwave, stove and refrigerator might be scenes in the chapter and they tie well together because they all have to do with cooking.
The bathroom has the commode, the bathtub and the sink. Again related function and use by the homeowner = chapter (room) and scenes within the chapter.
But what / how do you determine where the kitchen ends and the bathroom starts before the related furniture and fixtures get installed ??
Where did the architect that drew up the plans for the house get the guidelines for the dimensions and placement of the rooms (chapters)?
That’s what I’m looking for: what constitutes a well designed chapter and why should one end and another start? It can’t just be about word count 🧐😕😂.
I feel like I might know intuitively how to divide my book into chapters - but then again, if there is advice out there I’d like to consider it early on in developing my process as a new writer.
Thanks in advance!
What is the chapter about overall? Consider the name of your chapter. That's what this chapter is about. Some people end it on a cliffhanger, others a resolution, etc. but unless it's the end of the story or it's episodic, it shouldn't feel like an end. It should feel connected to the other chapters. It ends when the chapter is no longer about a certain thing. If the chapter was named "the Gamble", and the gamble (whatever that is) had been resolved or circumstances have changed, the chapter would end. Obviously this isn't the only way you can write a chapter, but from what I remember about the books I've read, most chapters have a different problem or focus in each one. Sometimes, that doesn't happen, but for the most part, that's what I see. Everyone's writing style is different, so do what feels right for your book.
@@shootingstars6762 Hey thanks for your reply. Very thoughtful and detailed response and I appreciate it.
Since my original post I have continued to consume different models and philosophy for telling stories. I came across Story Grid and it is epic. There is a definite structure for story including what the founder of Story Grid calls the five commandments of story.
The structure is fractal in that the components show up in each unit of the story. It’s like a book having three acts but then the chapters all have three acts and the scenes within the chapters have three acts etc.
That’s not 💯 how he puts it because he doesn’t talk in Acts really but you get the idea…
Combined with other models I’ve been studying it has been enlightening for me and I’ve got a “track” now. When you start thinking about story from a deeper level, things like where to divide chapters become much smaller concerns and those decisions become more easy to make because you’re looking at the whole forest rather than focusing on how many feet separate two trees in the forest.
I think storytelling is meant to be an intriguing mix of intuition and intellect. There’s science, psychology and structure to build a story well, but if you get too tight with the structure I think you can strangle the life essence out of your story before you even finish it.
I think I have to learn to hang on and let go at the right times.
Thanks again for your response.
Take care!
@@nikkinewbie6014 Good for you! I'm glad you found something that works.
I outline the story plot while creating characters, world building, belief systems etc.
I'll see if that works to the end of the plot.
Would love this for a future Authortube Writing Conference session... I've never heard it worded this way before!
I'm so glad you liked it!
I wrote about 20 scenes, then began again from the opening scene to create proper chapters, in plot order. However, based on this video, I think I’m going to go back to writing scenes,with labels. The rearranging can wait.
I started out organizing by scene, which makes it easy to move them around. But then I’d add scenes that introduced the scene or followed up a scene, and then I really have a chapter. How do you indicate what scenes have to go together for the continuity of the story?
so helpful, thank you! 😊
This is super interesting. I'm fairly new to writing, and so far I _only_ write scenes (I think.) I have a vague idea of the plot and a vague idea of the story beats, and I've just gotten bogged down in various character interactions. I've written the part of the love-interests first meeting where sparks fly, the part of the second date where they clash over their belief systems, part of the love triangle, and a whole host of other little interactions that feel like critical moments of character or relationship development. But I have no idea how to put any connective tissue between these scenes and turn them into chapters, let alone how to turn this monstrosity into a coherent story. I don't even know how I'd recognize the moment that every single scene was written :D
Thank you I needed this 😢
I write notes in third person too, even if my novel will be first person. It’s because when you’re plotting, it’s easier to take a step back from the protagonist and be more omniscient so third person works best. This way you can more naturally add notes about details that are foreshadowed or not yet known by the protagonist while keeping everything clear and easily understood.
This was actually super helpful. I'm writing my first book at the age of 15 and I'm EXTREMELY confused. I have an app where I put my characters' details & the timeline, but I organized the events in chapters… Your tip was very helpful, I'll try your labelling things out in the future. Tysm for this!! You explained everything perfectly 💖
Also, it is with multiple POV's (the two main characters)… I'm currently crying.
I'm so glad it helped!
I write by scene as well. I have found if I label it as Chapter 1, 2 , 3 etc. If i need to move it, it becomes harder because it is numbered. Sounds strange but true. Seems omce numbered it's written in stone and immovable. My latest effort I wrote 75% linear, but one of the scenes wasn't working, so I went to the end and wrote the end and epilogue, then worked backward. I think I'm almost done with this one.
So I bought a used typewriter second hand the reason an older book like Dune would be written with a double return to indicate a scene break is because of the fact that typewriters were not friendly to getting creative with details like that. I mean yes a 1990's typewriter like mine has the capacity to center and asterisks for a clear scene break, but I cannot say the same for typewriters from 1960's.
Nice video. Thank you. 😊
Waw now i'm so confuse !!! I thought a scene was suppose to have a beginning middle and end = setup ( world/character/goal ) - conflict = character want and or need vs opposing force(s) - denouement = character failing or succeeding to obtain is goal
So how exactly does a scene became a new scene everytime the pov change ? Character A = Protag / Character B = Antag if A confront B everytime i change the pov between a and b = a new scene ?
Also what is the difference between scene breaks and a new scene then ? I'm lost.
Let's say i just started a scene of character 1 being at an hotel am at the very beginning of the scene setting things up, i end my beginning and now have the option of keep going about my middle or change pov and starting a new beginning with character 2 at the airport that's what a scene break is no ? And then once i'm done with character 2 airport beginning scene i can go back to character 1 and start the middle of his scene by doing a new scene break ?
Please read this i'm so lost right now 😩😩😩
I don't know why, but I can't write with everything written out so precisely, because I don't know if I'll change something along the way. I'm writing my first book and I'm stuck on chapter 8. That's almost half the book. It won't be a super long book, but I feel like something is missing. I made a general outline, the most important characters were written down according to their character traits, etc., I also did thorough research to ensure there was no shortage of source material. And I'm writing the same draft for the second time.
A lot of the writing process consists of rewriting and revising, so don't feel discouraged if you have to go back several times and rewrite things. It's normal. Maybe just write what you feel inspired to write, and if something doesn't fit or make sense, remove it or change it later.
I have a general outline in my head and i keep it in my head or else i waste time on overthinking outlines on my sticky notes instead of writing 😂
I once heard that when planning a novel you start with the idea and then plan from the smallest to the largest element. So from the scene, to the chapter and from there to the act. Is there something to it and how do you go about it. I'm a discovery writer and planning isn't my thing. I still want to learn it to get better. Everyone talks about acts, chapters and scenes, but no one explains what exactly they are, how they are structured and how to put them together so that you can write the best possible book. could you help me with that? Thank you . Many greetings from Germany
I exaggerate of course, but only slightly (Girl you are so relatable)
Hi, i'm trying to make sense of how scene works...
(Note: I'm french so please excuse my terrible english, i'll try to make sense .. ^^)
- 1. Can a scene be broken? What i mean by that is that i learn that scene are like the entire plot they have a beginning middle end (status quo - inciting incident - rising action - climax - resolution) so i'm trying to figure if a scene can be broken like for example only have " status quo and inciting incident" without the rest and then we switch to another character and then get back, or does a scene need to be complete ?
-2. I learn that a story as one OVERALL goal " SAVING THE PRINCESS " but in order to accomplish that
OVERALL goal you need to go through multiple SUB goals like for example finding where is the princess, kills the guards, find a way to enter the castle etc...
Those are SUB goals and the success of the
OVERALL goal is conditioned by those SUB goals so i was wondering let say i want to have one of my character to get inside a castle to steal an artefact then escape with it.
Would that be multiple scenes:
- Getting into the castle
- Looking and finding the artefact
- Steal it
- Getting out of the castle
Or only one entire scene ?
- Also what is the difference between an ACTION and an EVENT ?
I an observational pantser. I simply watch a movie in my mind and transcribe what I'm seeing.
The order of scenes is chronological. I guess there could be movement of things that happen concurrently such as these two people having a plot-driving argument over here and somebody else doing something that drives the plot over there, but the order is almost always naturally sequential.
You wouldn't want the Millennium Falcon to arrive before the Death Star blows up Alderaan. That would change the story rather drastically.
I never thought about an intuitive writer because I create by writing and ai have tried other methods, intuitive writing works better for me
Any thoughts about thinking in sequences for the plot? Screenwriting sometimes rely on eight sequences to move through the plot.
Good example would be Avengers: Infinity Wars. The movie starts off with Thanos having possession of two of six infinity stones by the end of Act 1.
Act 2 is comprised of four sequences - with Thanos trying to obtain the remaining four stones. His pursuit if any one stone is a dedicated sequence of interrelated scenes.
Can this be something applied to writing novels and if so, how does the approach fit with novel chapters and the scenes within them?
Sequences (related scenes with a smaller specific goal that serves the overarching story goal) seem like a great solution to the problem many run into when writing Act 2.
If there’s guidance about applying 8 sequence to novels of which you are aware, please share it 😂😂. Thank you.
I think you would write it similar to the way screenwriters would do it, but with more words. Since they have visuals, they don't have to describe stuff with words. Novels do. There may be more differences with how films and books are written that I'm not seeing, but a lot of structures I've noticed are the same, so it's probably not that different to writing a book. You're adding more words. It's not just dialogue.
I've begun writing....something. I honestly don't know what it is yet. Definitely in the sci-fi genre.
Question:
Many of the excellent tips you give seem to be aimed towards those who write in a non-linear style. While I'm not incapable of writing like this, I find that most of my new ideas concerning plot direction, main events, even characters themselves happen WHILE I'm writing.
I find it very uncomfortable to sit down and outline what's going to happen in every chapter/scene and then write. I usually have a general idea of who I want the characters to be and how I want them to relate to each other and a very broad idea of what the scene will be, but the particulars always come to me when I'm writing.
Is this a BAD thing? Should I know exactly how every scene is going to unfold and how every character is going to develop before I even put pen to paper?
At the moment, I'm just doing what comes naturally to me, which is writing in a linear style, reviewing my work, and making sure I keep myself from going too far off the beaten path.
How do you feel about having a first chapter which has 9k words and 7 scenes but every chapter following sits between 3k and 5k with 3-5 scenes? Do you think that is reasonable?
Good thing I didn’t know how to make chapters ( tech idiot) 😂 blessing in disguise. You are correct, I do jump around to make changes
Write well i like that
I'm a pantser for short fiction but an outliner for novels 😹
I am writer, and love writing
I want to write ✍️ chapter
Thanks you so much for this video
I have no friends. How do i get trusted readers? My novel is nearly ready and i need readers.
@@sixfeetwonder_ quite a common situation honestly. Luckily there are groups devoted to finding beta readers on Facebook, discord, and Insta. TikTok is also great. When you’re ready for advanced copy readers (right before publishing) Booksirens is a popular choice: ruclips.net/video/UHVYrlyYzrE/видео.htmlsi=oY4nNSDVngDSFRbl
❤❤
How to get a "beta reader"?
Why don't you define what a chapter is? why don't you differentiate between chapter and scene? You give not one explanation, why should anybody arbitrarily call any numbers of scene a chapter? Just write a scene and name it. that's a chapter.
Bruh. Get to the point. The background story isn’t necessary 🤦♂️ why is it so difficult to find videos that are to the point and offer the information they actually propose in the title
Good advice. I placed the www'.https at the top of my text as a reminder.