Introduction and Overview

In this video, the speaker answers questions about plot. They discuss how long an introduction should be, depending on genre and reader expectations.

How Long Should Introductions Be?

• Novels are not like screenplays where it's easy to pinpoint the number of pages you should spend doing a given thing.

• You generally want to go a little faster into it than you are comfortable as a new writer.

• The sooner you can introduce the tone of your story and your character's main conflict, the better off you're going to be.

• Your introduction length will depend on your genre and how famous you are.

Reader Expectations

• Readers going into a book are willing to give you a certain amount of leeway.

• Every reader has a threshold of what they'll let an author get away with.

• You want to have as few red marks as possible for the story you want to tell.

• If you try to get rid of all potential red marks that anyone could have against your book, your book will probably turn out bland and uninteresting.

Taking Risks

• The story you want to tell is more important than getting rid of all red marks.

• Taking risks may turn off some readers but become selling points for others.

Introduction to Storytelling

In this section, the speaker talks about how to make a good introduction for a story.

Tips for a Good Introduction

• Make the introduction as short as possible.

• Get into the main character's head and conflict as soon as possible.

• Establish the proper tone of your story.

Plot Archetypes

In this section, the speaker discusses plot archetypes and how to reverse engineer good stories.

Reverse Engineering Good Stories

• Start by watching movies and reading books in a different way.

• Look at each movie or book and try to boil it down to similar themes and plot archetypes.

• Create your own list of commonly used plot archetypes.

Nesting Plots

In this section, the speaker talks about how to effectively nest plots without making them feel like diversions.

Tips for Nesting Plots

• Make sure subplots are relevant to the main story.

• Readers will generally pick their favorites out of a cast of characters, so make sure all characters' plot lines are relevant.

The Dangers of Large, Multi-Viewpoint Books

In this section, the speaker discusses the dangers of writing large, multi-viewpoint books and how it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Writing Large Epics

• Large, multi-viewpoint books can be dangerous as they can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

• It is difficult to make a large cast dynamic with multiple viewpoints that people don't start polarizing about their favorites.

• To make side plots relevant, ensure readers are invested in viewpoint characters and understand their motivations.

• When doing subplots with side characters, make sure readers are invested in that character's arc and progress.

Making Side Plots Relevant

In this section, the speaker talks about making side plots relevant by ensuring readers are invested in the character's arc and progress.

Examples from "The Last Jedi"

• The plot with Finn and Rose felt disconnected from the main plot because it didn't connect with many people in the same way.

• Finn was introduced saying he needed to get to his friend Rey but ended up on a side quest instead. This made it feel like he wasn't achieving his motivations.

Tips for Making Side Plots Relevant

• Make sure you're making right promises for that character and showing progress upon what you promised the reader you were going to get.

• Use all the same sort of tools you use for the main plot line on this side character.

• Start showing how this is going to combine into the main story or how it's relevant to the main story in some way.

• If you do your job right, people will be invested in that character to the point that it won't feel like a deviation from the main plot.

Writing Mini-Arcs and Twists

In this section, the speaker discusses how to write mini-arcs for side characters and how to avoid cliché twists.

Writing Mini-Arcs

• The idea is to invest in the story as a whole, but taking time away to explore side characters can be satisfying.

• You can show the world through a different character's eyes while still progressing the main plot.

• Treating all characters as protagonists of their own story makes it easier to write mini-arcs.

Avoiding Cliché Twists

• Adding twists just for the sake of having them can feel cliché.

• Ask yourself what emotion or purpose a twist adds before including it in your story.

• Subverting reader expectations can serve a real purpose in a story, such as adding tension or building on a selling point.

The Importance of Subversion

In this section, the speaker shares an anecdote about subverting reader expectations and how it can make a difference in storytelling.

The Importance of Subversion

• Readers may become bored with standard quest fantasy stories that follow tropes they've seen before.

• A book that subverts those tropes three-quarters of the way through can turn everything on its head and take the story in a new direction.

• Subverting reader expectations can add excitement and interest to a story.

Fulfilling Promises in Writing

In this section, the speaker discusses the importance of fulfilling promises made to readers in writing. He explains how subversions can work if they give readers more than they expected or expand on a character. The speaker uses the example of Star Wars to illustrate how a subversion can be effective when it escalates conflict and expands understanding of a character.

Fulfilling Promises

• Not fulfilling promises is not a virtue in writing.

• Subversions can work if they give readers more than they expected or expand on a character.

• Escalating conflict and expanding understanding of a character are effective ways to use subversions.

Example: Star Wars

• The reveal that Darth Vader is Luke's father was an effective subversion because it escalated conflict and expanded understanding of Luke's character.

• Foreshadowing with the cutting off of Vader's head during training set up the reveal.

• The story is about Luke's quest and journey as a character, so the reveal was relevant to his development.

Creating Episodic Page Turners

In this section, the speaker discusses how episodic stories can keep readers engaged by using good hooks at the end of each episode. He explains that twists at the end of episodes are better when properly set up and suggests two ways to create twist endings.

Episodic Page Turners

• Episodic stories can keep readers engaged by using good hooks at the end of each episode.

• Twists at the end of episodes are better when properly set up.

Two Ways to Create Twist Endings

• Classic mystery formula hook: "She went to the door. The knock came to the door. She went to it and opened it-- cut." This works as long as you turn the page to find out who's at the door.

• Better hook: "She opens the door and it is her father that she thought was dead, and then cut." This works because it only makes sense if you have properly set up who the character is so the reader can infer what this twist means.

Creating Page Turners

In this section, the speaker discusses how to create page-turners and keep readers engaged.

Episodic Writing

• Episodic writing is a common format in television shows that aims to give viewers a reason to come back for the next episode.

• By studying great episodic works, writers can learn how to create page-turners and keep readers engaged.

Escalation vs. Twist

• An escalation is when things get worse in a story, and it usually fills the same role as a twist.

• A twist should generally escalate the problem, make readers reassess goals, and look at the story in a different way.

• While twists are not necessary, problems should mount and mount until they are overcome.

• Being satisfying is generally better than having a twist. If you can have your twist also be satisfying, it's going to be better than either of those two former options.

Expertly Handling Twists

• Discovering that Luke is Darth Vader's father is an example of an expertly handled twist because it expands the conflict in beautiful ways.

• Twists that make endings unsatisfying require a very special story for them to work. Stories about deconstructing other stories can work with an unsatisfying twist because there's native satisfaction in being surprised by something unexpected.

The Role of Escalation in Storytelling

In this section, the speaker explains what escalation means in storytelling and how it differs from twists.

Escalation vs. Twist (Continued)

• An escalation does not have to be a twist but usually fills the same role as one by introducing more obstacles and making things worse for characters.

• Most romantic comedies have breakup scenes around three-quarters of the way through the story, which can be considered a twist or an escalation.

• The idea is to introduce problems and obstacles that make things worse for characters until they overcome them.

Expertly Handling Twists (Continued)

• A twist should generally escalate the problem, make readers reassess goals, and look at the story in a different way.

• Discovering that Luke is Darth Vader's father is an example of an expertly handled twist because it expands the conflict in beautiful ways.

How to Handle Twists

In this section, the speaker discusses how to handle twists in storytelling.

Escalation vs. Twist (Continued)

• When a twist happens, it should escalate the problem and make readers reassess goals.

• If a twist makes your ending unsatisfying, then you have to have a very special story for that to work.

• Being satisfying is generally better than having a twist. If you can have your twist also be satisfying, it's going to be better than either of those two former options.

Expertly Handling Twists (Continued)

• Discovering that Luke is Darth Vader's father is an example of an expertly handled twist because it expands the conflict in beautiful ways.

• Stories about deconstructing other stories can work with an unsatisfying twist because there's native satisfaction in being surprised by something unexpected.

Writing Crisis: When Your Story Isn't Working

In this section, the speaker talks about what to do when you reach a crisis moment as a writer and your story isn't working.

Trusting Your Instincts

• The more you write, the more of an instinct you have when things are working and when they're not.

• If you've finished multiple novels or short stories, you probably have this instinct.

• If you're a new writer and haven't finished multiple books or stories, then you probably don't have this instinct yet.

Two Different Problems

• Getting writer's block in the middle of writing because it's hard is different from knowing that something is fundamentally broken with your story.

• For newer writers, it's recommended to finish the story even if something feels fundamentally broken because finishing will give them tools to fix it.

Keep Writing

• The best cure for most writers' block is to keep writing.

• As a new writer, focus on turning yourself into someone who can write great novels rather than trying to write a perfect novel right away.

• Even established professionals still experience moments where something feels wrong with their writing. The solution is often just to keep writing and see if the feeling persists across multiple chapters.

Fixing Broken Chapters

• Writing a chapter the wrong way can put it into your subconscious and help you figure out how to fix it later.

• Sometimes there are bigger problems that require using various writing tools.

Fixing a Book that Doesn't Work

In this section, the speaker talks about how he fixes books that don't work and gives examples of books he had trouble with.

Identifying Problems in Books

• The speaker talks about how he almost always finds a solution to fix his books when they don't work.

• He gives an example of a book called "The Apocalypse Guard" which he still doesn't know how to fix.

• The speaker also mentions having trouble with "The Way of Kings" in 2002 but managed to identify what was wrong fundamentally in the story after thinking about it for 8 years.

Viewpoint and Character-driven Plots

• The speaker takes a question from the audience on how character-driven plots can work without feeling meandering.

• He explains that the answer is deeply connected to viewpoint and proceeds to give a short lecture on viewpoint.

• The three standard viewpoints are omniscient, first person, and second person. Second person is not recommended unless you want it as a major selling point of your story.

• First person has epistolary where all of the story is being told through ephemera or pieces of writing that someone has found and collected.

Epistolary Story Examples

• Epistolary stories can be very fun such as Diary of a Wimpy Kid written in diary form, Dracula mixing letters and people's journals together, Illuminae told through redacted documents, and Sorcery and Cecelia written by authors exchanging letters as if they were their characters.

Types of Narration in Storytelling

In this section, the speaker discusses different types of narration used in storytelling.

First-Person Narratives

• Name of the Wind is an example of a first-person narrative where the character tells their own story.

• The Farseer books by Robin Hobb are also told as first-person narratives but with more detail than a journal entry.

Immediate First Person

• This type of narration is often used in YA novels and is written in present tense. It's like having an implant that frames all thoughts into first person.

Present Narrator

• A hybrid between first person and omniscient narration where the narrator jumps around telling you things without being in any one character's head. Bilbo from The Hobbit uses this type of narration when writing his story down.

True Omniscient

• In true omniscient narration, readers have access to everyone's thoughts and emotions concurrently without any necessary narrator withholding information from them. Dune is an example of a sci-fi book that uses true omniscient narration.

First Person vs Third Limited

In this section, the speaker discusses the advantages and disadvantages of first-person and third-limited perspectives in character-driven stories.

Advantages of First-Person Perspective

• If the character's voice is interesting, it can cover a lot of sins that would otherwise make the story boring.

• Info dumps are easier to include because they can be presented from the character's perspective and made more engaging with humor or poetic language.

• Progression is character-based, allowing for a focus on how the character changes throughout the story.

Advantages of Third-Limited Perspective

• The reader can see through one character's viewpoint at a time, which allows for a deeper understanding of their thoughts and motivations.

• It is possible to switch between characters' viewpoints when changing scenes.

• Third-limited perspective can be used to create mystery by limiting what information is available to the reader.

Name of the Wind as an Example

In this section, the speaker uses Name of the Wind as an example to illustrate how first-person perspective can be used effectively in a character-driven story.

Key Points

• Name of the Wind uses a frame story in third-limited perspective before switching to first-person narrative. This allows for Kvothe's voice to become a selling point for readers.

• The progression in Name of the Wind is focused on Kvothe's transformation from an optimistic young man to a beaten-down adult.

• The promise of the story is that readers will see how Kvothe becomes the person they see in the frame story.

Epistolary Perspective

In this section, the speaker discusses epistolary perspective and its advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages and Disadvantages

• Epistolary perspective has an innate mystery because it is often unclear who is writing the letters or why they are being written.

• It can be difficult to create a sense of immediacy with epistolary perspective because it relies on characters writing letters rather than experiencing events in real-time.

Epistolary Form

In this section, the instructor discusses the advantages and disadvantages of using epistolary form in writing.

Advantages of Epistolary Form

• Epistolary sections can provide insight into a character's personality and motivations.

• The use of epigraphs in Mistborn is an example of how epistolary form can be used to drop hints and set up the story.

• Switching between forms, such as cinematic and third limited, can help structure the story and give readers different perspectives.

Disadvantages of Epistolary Form

• The rigid structure of epistolary form can be difficult to work with.

• Readers may find it hard to believe that characters remember conversations verbatim when writing letters.

Flashback Form

In this section, the instructor discusses flashback form in writing.

Advantages of Flashback Form

• Flashbacks allow readers to see how characters change over time.

Disadvantages of Flashback Form

• Knowing that a character lives deflates some tension.

Flashback, Cinematic, and Limited Perspectives

In this section, the speaker discusses the differences between flashback, cinematic, and limited perspectives in writing.

Flashback Perspective

• The biggest selling point of flashback perspective is character voice and really getting to understand them.

• By giving away that characters live, it makes it easy to tell readers what to pay attention to.

• Flashback perspective allows for an unreliable narrator without feeling like cheating.

Cinematic Perspective

• The biggest selling point of cinematic perspective is character voice and really getting to understand them.

• By giving away that characters live, it makes it easy to tell readers what to pay attention to.

• The main difference between limited and cinematic perspectives is jumping between multiple heads.

Limited Perspective

• Limited perspective is much harder to have an untrustworthy or unreliable narrator.

• It allows for tension between what the character sees and how they describe it.

• It is much better for large casts because you can keep track of characters by using their names more often.

The speaker also mentions that the more heads you're in doing a flashback or cinematic, the harder it is for the reader to track.

Studying Omniscient Point of View

In this section, the speaker recommends studying omniscient point of view and explains that it is a challenging form of writing that requires building tension through anticipation rather than mystery.

Tips for Writing Omniscient POV

• Omniscient POV is a challenging form of writing.

• Build tension through anticipation rather than mystery.

• Present narrator can add a character who addresses the reader directly in the same way as flashbacks.

Next Steps

• Next week, the focus will be on character development for the next couple of weeks.