My biggest challenge is simply writing descriptions. I always worry if I'm overdoing it, undergoing it, or simply making the descriptions clunky. Especially character descriptions.
"His biggest challenge was simply writing descriptions. He would always worry about overdoing it, underdoing it, or simply making the descriptions clunky. Especially character descriptions."
Thanks for making this! While watcbing, I paused your video, read some of my favorite authors, and came back to keep checking your tips. I write in the first person and I'm working on dialogue and how to switch between each character without saying "he said" and trying to focus more on their body language and turns of phrase
Try ending it with a cliffhanger, a setup that will demand the readers urge to want to read on.- to find out what going to happen. Don't try to hard...
Know what comes next and segue into it. The cliff hanger idea was good but can be overdone. End with a question that has to do with next scene. Actuall your sequel (reaction) scene should pretty much tell you how to end the scene.
Try ending with one of the following -- (1) a hit of visceral emotion (curiosity, surprise, disgust (2), a surprising reveal (3) a question (4) an agreement, a promise or a decision
It ends abrupt because you aren't thinking about what the obstacles are that're impeding the goal of the scene with the character. When you transition scenes, it will usually be a new goal to start a new proactive scene, but usually will stave a reaction scene to process what has happened so far to form a new decision. Scene-sequel-scene, where sequel is a reactive scene to transition (other times, it can be proactive, but it depends on the type of scene you're working with in detail)
My biggest challenge is actually incorporating color - I'm color blind, so I honestly don't tend to think of colors outside of "dark/light/beautiful/dreary" etc.
With your added sensitivity to tonal differences you could create great atmospheres by bringing out the tones (or values) of a scene, amplifying the effect of minor changes in the light/shade spectrum. When I was learning to draw I first focused on getting the tones right (regardless of the color used). Only later I started experimenting with extra colors, but the initial tonal practice was indispensable
You don't have to focus on colors in your story, you can write it as it's coming to you. ❤ Your other senses are probably stronger and if you use them in your book, it'll make a power pact story. ❤
Your videos have been really helpful and informative. In my latest novel, I use close third person, where I state the direct thoughts of the characters. Upon feedback from readers on a first page only, they all have been positive and many stated the characters are relatable.
I tend to forget about describing the scene until later edits, only emphasising the bits that are relevant to what's going on, ie. colours to enhance the mood or whether it's hot or cold. I don't think I do enough so this video is really helpful.
So many great tips here! I especially love the tips about how a character should react to what is going on in a scene. It was especially helpful with all the ideas you gave on how to show different ways characters can react in a scene. Great video!
I think it also could come down to the intention of the scenes and what you want to convey, hope that helps even though i a newbie writer.. i know it helps especially when i naturally love to pantser my way through scenes c:
#latetotheparty My biggest challenge with scenes is to try and figure out scene structure and pacing. For instance, does a scene need 3 "acts" in the same way that a story does? Should the main change/reversal happen halfway through? 🤔
I have a hard time describing characters reactions to events around them. I’m not sure if I should just state how their feeling or show it through the expressions and physical changes they emote.
Deciding when to show and when to tell can be challenging. I have this video about character interiority that you might find helpful: ruclips.net/video/eV0LvssGJWE/видео.html It includes some guidance on how to incorporate more of your characters' thoughts and reactions on the page. And I also did this recent video on showing vs. telling, which includes some tips for deciding when to show vs. when to tell: ruclips.net/video/b1etJ88Btic/видео.html I hope there are some tips here that are helpful!
Hi friend! I wondered if you had any resources for neurodivergent writers who are trying to trying to get traditionally published. I worry about my characters' emotional reactions verging on melodramatic, but as someone with bipolar 2 disorder, I tend to have stronger feelings than most and have to be very mindful of my own responses irl. (I'm also a cancer ♋ so what are you going to do? 😂) I worry about this subconsciously transferring over to my characters as well even if they aren't written as neurodivergent. Are there any specifics I should look out for? Thanks so much!!! 😊
For me, the more I plan or outline a scene, the easier it is for me to write it. It doesn’t matter what the scene is about. My planned scenes work out better than my pansted scenes.
How can i make more smooth transitions. So imagine I am writing a scene, and my character goes from being in his room, to travelling to an important event. To cut out the fluff, i will skip the "moving from point a to b" part, and i will instead bring my character straight to the event. But how can I still make the transition smooth and not startling to the reader?
The main thing I try to do when writing a scene is to keep the reader in the scene. What I mean here is that, what ever is happening in the scene, there is always stuff going on around it. In my most recent project, the 1st draft of a short story, I have a mother on her way to see her dying son for the last time. She had promised to read to him his favorite book, which she always keeps in her purse. In the last minute rush to get ready (after the hospital calls her), she mistakenly leaves the book out of her purse (the reader knows this). She has to catch three different busses to get to the hospital. Why she's thinking about her son and what is almost certainly to be their last minutes together, the bus barrels on its way down the pre-dawn streets. Here and there, I remind the audience that she is on the bus by briefly reporting on its progress down the road. I also mention what a few of her fellow passengers are doing. This I hope keeps the audience on the bus as well as in her head.
Hi Alyssa- stumbled on your videos and had a general question for you (and maybe a potential video idea). I'm indie, and have seen some success on the indie market. In the past I haven't really tried to go trad but am interested in that route for a current project. When pitching to agents, do you recommend bringing up sales figures or following counts as an asset if they are significant? Or is this looked down on? Thanks so much, and would love to hear your opinion on moving from indie to trad, or walking the road in the middle. -Leonard Petracci
in trying to "cut the fat" from my scenes, I have a habit of ending them in a line of dialogue, which is repetitive in its own way, since the drama and suspense of that technique wears off if I do it too much; do you have any tips for ways to avoid this / other ways to end a scene, if you don't just want to add "fluff" to stretch it out?
I would dispute the choreography point slightly. Going from the bed straight to the car, for example, is not necessarily bad scene writing. While even short choreography like "After he got dressed and ate he sat in the car..." are helpful much of the time, for something that is a familiar routine it is much easier to get away with leaving the minutiae out of the scene. As an example, you could structure a day-long scene as follows: "When he woke up, John lay in bed for a while thinking of... While he sat in the driver's seat waiting for the engine to warm up he thought of... At his desk at work he drifted off and thought of... At lunch he vacantly ate his sandwich and thought of..." Of course, it's vitally important when doing this to be perfectly clear where the character is at every moment, and it's nearly as important to make the short snippets in each location have some thematic consistency to tie them together (I used thinking as an example, but runs of bad luck or other things can also be used) and in many cases it might be a more effective way to show the scene than tracking his every movement. It is a good way to emphasize something. A commonly used example is when a scene has someone saying something and then instantly cutting to a completely different location where they remark about an incident that pertains to that prior utterance with comedic or ironic effect.
I took this is more as envision your path as opposed to getting stuck in the weeds of every step that character is taking. It allows you to flow in your description and removes you from the weeds of over-description.
What's at issue here is one question - "Does this material advance my story?" Some seemingly mundane details do, in fact, advance the story, while other details distract the reader and weaken the flow of the story.
Dialogue is definitely tricky to write well. I have another video about some of the most common dialogue mistakes and how to fix them: ruclips.net/video/YWJuS-Noc9A/видео.html I hope that helps!
There's a difference between action and activity though. If you just have the character doing something without any meaning, then why would you bother including it? A lot of writers make this mistake and just have action going from 0-100 without considering as to why everything that's happening is even there.
1. Choreograph the scene
2. React to Revelations
3. Avoid Melodrama
4. Clarify characters emotional state
5. Contain scene to locus of action
My biggest challenge is simply writing descriptions. I always worry if I'm overdoing it, undergoing it, or simply making the descriptions clunky. Especially character descriptions.
"His biggest challenge was simply writing descriptions. He would always worry about overdoing it, underdoing it, or simply making the descriptions clunky. Especially character descriptions."
Exactly the same
As me….. what do we doooo
Try to incorporate description details with character actions and particularly the way the characters interact with said detail
Strong scenes Alyssa. Thank you so much!
Extremely well delivered breakdown it helped alone for the playlist
Thanks for making this! While watcbing, I paused your video, read some of my favorite authors, and came back to keep checking your tips. I write in the first person and I'm working on dialogue and how to switch between each character without saying "he said" and trying to focus more on their body language and turns of phrase
Well articulated advice! Thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
well explained. I have trouble ending scenes.
I struggle with how to end scenes. It always feels abrupt because I don't know what to say after the action drops. A video on that would be great.
Try ending it with a cliffhanger, a setup that will demand the readers urge to want to read on.- to find out what going to happen. Don't try to hard...
Know what comes next and segue into it. The cliff hanger idea was good but can be overdone. End with a question that has to do with next scene. Actuall your sequel (reaction) scene should pretty much tell you how to end the scene.
Try ending with one of the following -- (1) a hit of visceral emotion (curiosity, surprise, disgust (2), a surprising reveal (3) a question (4) an agreement, a promise or a decision
It ends abrupt because you aren't thinking about what the obstacles are that're impeding the goal of the scene with the character. When you transition scenes, it will usually be a new goal to start a new proactive scene, but usually will stave a reaction scene to process what has happened so far to form a new decision. Scene-sequel-scene, where sequel is a reactive scene to transition (other times, it can be proactive, but it depends on the type of scene you're working with in detail)
My biggest challenge is actually incorporating color - I'm color blind, so I honestly don't tend to think of colors outside of "dark/light/beautiful/dreary" etc.
That's still a great way to add sensory details to your scenes! Thanks for commenting :)
pretry interesting 🤔
With your added sensitivity to tonal differences you could create great atmospheres by bringing out the tones (or values) of a scene, amplifying the effect of minor changes in the light/shade spectrum. When I was learning to draw I first focused on getting the tones right (regardless of the color used). Only later I started experimenting with extra colors, but the initial tonal practice was indispensable
You don't have to focus on colors in your story, you can write it as it's coming to you. ❤ Your other senses are probably stronger and if you use them in your book, it'll make a power pact story. ❤
I watch every video and you are so helpful and have great insight! Thank you!
Your videos are really helpful, and I wanted to add that you have a very pleasant voice.
Glad you like them! 😊
Your videos have been really helpful and informative.
In my latest novel, I use close third person, where I state the direct thoughts of the characters. Upon feedback from readers on a first page only, they all have been positive and many stated the characters are relatable.
That's wonderful! Thank you for sharing your experience :)
Thank you for this video.
I tend to forget about describing the scene until later edits, only emphasising the bits that are relevant to what's going on, ie. colours to enhance the mood or whether it's hot or cold. I don't think I do enough so this video is really helpful.
I'm glad the video was helpful! Best of luck with your writing journey :)
thanks so much for the tips!
Very nice Sharing my dear respected friend full support and big likes from Ahmed Ali Nizamani..
Thank you for this kind comment!
Thank you for this!
Majestic advice, thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
*Matestic advice
Hello glad I found you!
So many great tips here! I especially love the tips about how a character should react to what is going on in a scene. It was especially helpful with all the ideas you gave on how to show different ways characters can react in a scene. Great video!
Thank you for the support! :)
Your insight was good today. Enjoy this video
I think it also could come down to the intention of the scenes and what you want to convey, hope that helps even though i a newbie writer.. i know it helps especially when i naturally love to pantser my way through scenes c:
wow 😍🥰awesome video.
#latetotheparty
My biggest challenge with scenes is to try and figure out scene structure and pacing. For instance, does a scene need 3 "acts" in the same way that a story does? Should the main change/reversal happen halfway through? 🤔
I have a hard time describing characters reactions to events around them. I’m not sure if I should just state how their feeling or show it through the expressions and physical changes they emote.
Deciding when to show and when to tell can be challenging. I have this video about character interiority that you might find helpful: ruclips.net/video/eV0LvssGJWE/видео.html It includes some guidance on how to incorporate more of your characters' thoughts and reactions on the page. And I also did this recent video on showing vs. telling, which includes some tips for deciding when to show vs. when to tell: ruclips.net/video/b1etJ88Btic/видео.html I hope there are some tips here that are helpful!
Hi friend! I wondered if you had any resources for neurodivergent writers who are trying to trying to get traditionally published. I worry about my characters' emotional reactions verging on melodramatic, but as someone with bipolar 2 disorder, I tend to have stronger feelings than most and have to be very mindful of my own responses irl. (I'm also a cancer ♋ so what are you going to do? 😂) I worry about this subconsciously transferring over to my characters as well even if they aren't written as neurodivergent. Are there any specifics I should look out for? Thanks so much!!! 😊
I am reading Steve King’s The Shining. He does this with the title of each character. What are your thoughts on doing this?
For me, the more I plan or outline a scene, the easier it is for me to write it. It doesn’t matter what the scene is about. My planned scenes work out better than my pansted scenes.
Hi,
Can you make a video about writing crime thrillers?
How can i make more smooth transitions. So imagine I am writing a scene, and my character goes from being in his room, to travelling to an important event. To cut out the fluff, i will skip the "moving from point a to b" part, and i will instead bring my character straight to the event. But how can I still make the transition smooth and not startling to the reader?
The main thing I try to do when writing a scene is to keep the reader in the scene.
What I mean here is that, what ever is happening in the scene, there is always stuff going on around it.
In my most recent project, the 1st draft of a short story, I have a mother on her way to see her dying son for the last time. She had promised to read to him his favorite book, which she always keeps in her purse. In the last minute rush to get ready (after the hospital calls her), she mistakenly leaves the book out of her purse (the reader knows this).
She has to catch three different busses to get to the hospital. Why she's thinking about her son and what is almost certainly to be their last minutes together, the bus barrels on its way down the pre-dawn streets. Here and there, I remind the audience that she is on the bus by briefly reporting on its progress down the road. I also mention what a few of her fellow passengers are doing.
This I hope keeps the audience on the bus as well as in her head.
Hi Alyssa- stumbled on your videos and had a general question for you (and maybe a potential video idea). I'm indie, and have seen some success on the indie market. In the past I haven't really tried to go trad but am interested in that route for a current project. When pitching to agents, do you recommend bringing up sales figures or following counts as an asset if they are significant? Or is this looked down on? Thanks so much, and would love to hear your opinion on moving from indie to trad, or walking the road in the middle. -Leonard Petracci
in trying to "cut the fat" from my scenes, I have a habit of ending them in a line of dialogue, which is repetitive in its own way, since the drama and suspense of that technique wears off if I do it too much; do you have any tips for ways to avoid this / other ways to end a scene, if you don't just want to add "fluff" to stretch it out?
❤
Man, John really is going through it
Haha, he is!
I would dispute the choreography point slightly. Going from the bed straight to the car, for example, is not necessarily bad scene writing. While even short choreography like "After he got dressed and ate he sat in the car..." are helpful much of the time, for something that is a familiar routine it is much easier to get away with leaving the minutiae out of the scene. As an example, you could structure a day-long scene as follows: "When he woke up, John lay in bed for a while thinking of... While he sat in the driver's seat waiting for the engine to warm up he thought of... At his desk at work he drifted off and thought of... At lunch he vacantly ate his sandwich and thought of..." Of course, it's vitally important when doing this to be perfectly clear where the character is at every moment, and it's nearly as important to make the short snippets in each location have some thematic consistency to tie them together (I used thinking as an example, but runs of bad luck or other things can also be used) and in many cases it might be a more effective way to show the scene than tracking his every movement. It is a good way to emphasize something. A commonly used example is when a scene has someone saying something and then instantly cutting to a completely different location where they remark about an incident that pertains to that prior utterance with comedic or ironic effect.
I took this is more as envision your path as opposed to getting stuck in the weeds of every step that character is taking. It allows you to flow in your description and removes you from the weeds of over-description.
What's at issue here is one question - "Does this material advance my story?" Some seemingly mundane details do, in fact, advance the story, while other details distract the reader and weaken the flow of the story.
A great video to start the year - the basics - crafting an effective scene. Thanks for this.
Glad you enjoyed it!
My biggest challenge is dialogue, especially long dialogue scenes.
Dialogue is definitely tricky to write well. I have another video about some of the most common dialogue mistakes and how to fix them: ruclips.net/video/YWJuS-Noc9A/видео.html I hope that helps!
It's easier to write dialogue while you drive, or shower, or walk the dog. The hard part is remembering it when you get back to your computer.
There's a difference between action and activity though. If you just have the character doing something without any meaning, then why would you bother including it? A lot of writers make this mistake and just have action going from 0-100 without considering as to why everything that's happening is even there.
Good distinction to bring up--intention also always matters!
Is each scene a separate chapter? Or not necessarily?
Not necessarily! A scene is just a single incident, so characters can definitely go through multiple scenes in a chapter.
happy new year Alyssa....
Same to you! 🎉
i describe everything my charavter does like 90% of the time lol
What, writing advice by someone not sitting in front of a book case?