Eleven years late to the party, but this was amazing and I couldn't watch without commenting. I am currently trying to write a story and I've always hated the three act structure! This makes so much more sense to me and I feel like I'm flying through my story now (by flying I mostly mean that I know what the story actually is and where it needs to go, lol). Thank you so much for explaining this so well and helping a ton of people. I'm so much more excited to write now!
Fantastic lecture. Thanks. I've almost completed the narrative arc of my first book and am surprised and happy to see that I hit most of the seven points. Now, I can think about character building and subplot. I needed something like this before I started.
After taking James Patterson's online Masterclass, one of the students posted your youtube link and I am so grateful. Your story structure videos are amazing.
Watched all 5 parts, can't thank you enough! Such great information, helping me through my block right now and am excited to keep rolling through my writing. Thank you Dan!
Fantastic talk. I'm in the process of writing a story for a video game and I found myself changing and adding stuff to my outline as I was listening. I can honestly say my story is now better after the hour I spent watching this video. Thank you.
Thanks so much for posting this, it has helped me out of weeks of dramatic induced procrastination. 4 of my 5 main plots already fit this and the 5th is kind of strange.
Just watched the whole series of videos, which I heard about on Writing Excuses today. This was really helpful, and I think that's a good tool. Thanks to Dan for the talk and to you for posting!
@windward51 I think a real skill is to take this 7-point system (or 3 act, or 5 points, or whatever formula you use) and use that to weave many plots together. They don't have to be all at the same stage in the format at the same time. So yes, a trilogy will have 7 points in each book, but also 7 points across the series. (He also showed this when he used Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi).
@windward51 Well, yeah. Look at Dan's books. The character arc that he set up is spread across three books. The end of I Am Not A Serial Killer is a resolution to that plot, but John's plot is more toward the early middle, probably at Plot Turn 1. Mr. Monster is out, that's the Plot Turn. Mr. Monster starts with the first Pinch, he's struggling to contain Mr. Monster, and ends with the Midpoint, finding a way to distract Mr. Monster by chasing more demons. Won't spoil the end for you, though. :)
That thing about the midpoint of a mystery plot being when the detective takes the case: that doesn't make sense to me, especially when you just mentioned that the goal is not necessarily always about the action. So why can't the goal of the mystery plot be that the _reader_ figures out the mystery? So then the start would be that the reader has no idea and the midpoint would be where the reader's first assumptions are disproved. That usually happens around the middle of a mystery book, doesn't it? Something happens that disproves some obvious solution, you know? And you could even argue that it is a shift to action because then the reader has to start really thinking about the case. Okay maybe that doesn't work in one of those Sherlock Holmes short stories, though. Idk, I've only read one of the shorts I think and I can't remember if it had a point where a solution was disproved. (Or something else that could be considered a midpoint.) Not to get all negative: good talk otherwise! And helpful! Thanks!
Tuuliska well. On thing to keep in mind is that in a mystery. The character development is not as important. So the try fail Cycles take most of the time in a detective story. Hence the early midpoint
If all the boxes were filled in, it wouldn't be the seven point system, but the forty point system. Go back and look at each column; they each have the main seven points in them (excluding the ice monster prologue and try fail cycles) - they are just staggered. For example, the Hook for the Betrayal plotline matches up with the Midpoint of the Action plotline and Plot Turn 1 of the Character plotline.
This way it shows you the sequence of events and how the resolution of one subplot (Cypher betraying Morpheus and killing the crew) coincides with the Pinch 2 of another subplot (Morpheus is captured).
As short as it was, this was one of the best and probably THE most helpful lecture about this topic that I have ever seen. Thank you very much.
agreed. its very succinct.
Eleven years late to the party, but this was amazing and I couldn't watch without commenting. I am currently trying to write a story and I've always hated the three act structure! This makes so much more sense to me and I feel like I'm flying through my story now (by flying I mostly mean that I know what the story actually is and where it needs to go, lol). Thank you so much for explaining this so well and helping a ton of people. I'm so much more excited to write now!
Fantastic lecture. Thanks. I've almost completed the narrative arc of my first book and am surprised and happy to see that I hit most of the seven points. Now, I can think about character building and subplot. I needed something like this before I started.
Fantastic advice. Thank you so much, from 13 years later.
After taking James Patterson's online Masterclass, one of the students posted your youtube link and I am so grateful. Your story structure videos are amazing.
Watched all 5 parts, can't thank you enough! Such great information, helping me through my block right now and am excited to keep rolling through my writing. Thank you Dan!
absolutely amazing. thanks, from 12 years later.
Maybe pause the video when a question is asked and show the person's question in text so we can follow his answers better.
Wow that tune in the intro slaps. I ended up watching all the videos.
This is the best video series I've ever seen on developing stories.
Fantastic talk. I'm in the process of writing a story for a video game and I found myself changing and adding stuff to my outline as I was listening. I can honestly say my story is now better after the hour I spent watching this video. Thank you.
This was very interesting. Thank you for posting this.
Thank you for sharing! Just what I needed to kick my muse back in gear.
Super helpful pts 1-5. Thanks for passing the wisdom in a funny and entertaining way
Thanks so much for posting this, it has helped me out of weeks of dramatic induced procrastination. 4 of my 5 main plots already fit this and the 5th is kind of strange.
GERMANY! :)
Wow, very helpful. Thanks a lot!
Just watched the whole series of videos, which I heard about on Writing Excuses today. This was really helpful, and I think that's a good tool.
Thanks to Dan for the talk and to you for posting!
Just saw this now. Very instructive. Thank you for sharing.
Loved it, very informative and an attention catcher. Enjoyed his teaching as well as entertainment.
This was so helpful! Really got me out of a plot slump.
I'm such a huge fan of Dan Wells, can't wait to give his newest book a try *hints
What amazing lecture!
Very informative! Thanks so much for sharing!
Great series. Lucky audience.
Thanks for posting! Some very useful things here.
@windward51 I think a real skill is to take this 7-point system (or 3 act, or 5 points, or whatever formula you use) and use that to weave many plots together. They don't have to be all at the same stage in the format at the same time. So yes, a trilogy will have 7 points in each book, but also 7 points across the series. (He also showed this when he used Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi).
Fantastic work, thanks for sharing.
Where's part 6 of 5?
This was really helpful!
Thanks a lot for uploading!!
Again, this stuff is great.
This really helped me with my subplots! Great lecture!
awesome seminar!
thankyou Dan!
This is the Matrix matrix. Thank you.
this last video gave me crucial points for my book. Its going to be the bestest book eva!
Just checking in 9 years later - did you finish your awesome book?
Did you write it?
is that christopher paolini in the front row??
Wrote down everything!
@windward51 Well, yeah. Look at Dan's books. The character arc that he set up is spread across three books. The end of I Am Not A Serial Killer is a resolution to that plot, but John's plot is more toward the early middle, probably at Plot Turn 1. Mr. Monster is out, that's the Plot Turn. Mr. Monster starts with the first Pinch, he's struggling to contain Mr. Monster, and ends with the Midpoint, finding a way to distract Mr. Monster by chasing more demons. Won't spoil the end for you, though. :)
Can you do this for each of your main characters,
That thing about the midpoint of a mystery plot being when the detective takes the case: that doesn't make sense to me, especially when you just mentioned that the goal is not necessarily always about the action. So why can't the goal of the mystery plot be that the _reader_ figures out the mystery?
So then the start would be that the reader has no idea and the midpoint would be where the reader's first assumptions are disproved. That usually happens around the middle of a mystery book, doesn't it? Something happens that disproves some obvious solution, you know? And you could even argue that it is a shift to action because then the reader has to start really thinking about the case.
Okay maybe that doesn't work in one of those Sherlock Holmes short stories, though. Idk, I've only read one of the shorts I think and I can't remember if it had a point where a solution was disproved. (Or something else that could be considered a midpoint.)
Not to get all negative: good talk otherwise! And helpful! Thanks!
Tuuliska well. On thing to keep in mind is that in a mystery. The character development is not as important. So the try fail Cycles take most of the time in a detective story. Hence the early midpoint
Dude, I'm huge in Europe.
No, but seriously. Good talk.
So the entire matrix does not need to be filled out?
Not sure. The mic may have dropped, as if I recall correctly it did that a little during the presentation.
Why was the sound muted at 5:50?
why was 5:54 muted?
I think the mic dropped.
Thanks for posting! I don't understand why all of the boxes weren't filled in for the Matrix. I don't think I understand.
If all the boxes were filled in, it wouldn't be the seven point system, but the forty point system. Go back and look at each column; they each have the main seven points in them (excluding the ice monster prologue and try fail cycles) - they are just staggered.
For example, the Hook for the Betrayal plotline matches up with the Midpoint of the Action plotline and Plot Turn 1 of the Character plotline.
This way it shows you the sequence of events and how the resolution of one subplot (Cypher betraying Morpheus and killing the crew) coincides with the Pinch 2 of another subplot (Morpheus is captured).
Ching a ling a bang bang.
Great job cutting out the questions so that the answers have no context.
This music is so annoying....
Dan Wells is a Horr-ror Wright-TOR
who is here in 2024?
Found the link to this video from learning about Scapple.