I’ve been having writer’s block for so long. Everything I write feels like it’s lacking. I’ve been binge watching your videos for inspiration and motivation. Thank you for all you do! 💖
Have you thought about watching a few movies, video games, TV series or something to get ideas for your work? It helps me a lot I get a lot of my inspiration and influence from video games
Yes that’s very true. But sometimes watching characters inspires you to make a flipped version of something that already exists (which in turn could be totally different). Or, maybe you see a show or a comic book that’s a failed attempt to make a certain kind of character and you have a way to make it better. That’s how I like to think of it
@@galacticagamer2000 Every form of art borrows ideas and influences from something else all the time We all stand on the shoulders of giants, so the saying goes
exactly today I took a 2 and a half hour uni lecture about exactly this and u did it in 11 min and for free! ur really doing God’s work on this channel - thank you!
And that's our future. If u go to university just to work, then u don't need to go to university in the future seems like. Because soon, we will fully learn from internet. Because more and more content creator nowadays that tell their audience some knowledge n information for FREE. University role especially nowadays reduced to the small bits. Many students nowadays in the middle of pandemic learn mostly from internet. EXCEPT if you seek knowledge and master in a sector. Like.. Scientist, professor, and stuff. And also important jobs like doctor. If that's the case, u still need university. But if you like.. art student, business, marketing, etc, no need to go to uni anymore seems like. Just surfing the internet for like.. maybe a year. And while u researching from internet, u can start to make your artwork.
I think one of the best characters I've ever read is Kaz Brekker... Fatally flawed but with a good intention in the end. Big internal conflict which he tries to overcome in order of fulfilling his goal, which is not revenge as much as freedom, and giving freedom to those that matter to him. Human after all.
YES YES YES. Kaz was sooo well-written! and tbh so was every other character in Six of Crows (perfect example of internal conflict raising the stakes beyond "do or die")
Kaz Brekker is my favorite character ever. Whenever I read a book now and I like a character, I think "You're cool, but you're no Kaz Brekker". Leigh did an amazing job with him.
I’ve been watching your videos for a few months now. At first, they left me feeling like there was something fundamentally wrong with my WIP because the protagonist had no misbelief. I was worried that I would have to rework her entirely to make a good story, which didn’t feel right since she has been one of my comfort characters since high school. Then, last month, I finally realized that she _did_ have a misbelief: the same one as me.
Feels good to be early to a video of yours! I'm writing a murder mystery and i have the plot ready, but my characters are boring, can't wait to listen to your advice!
Abbie you have the best writing advice. I was wondering if you could make a video on writing mystery adding little clues that when mystery gets explained it will make your reader go oh ya that makes so much sense. Thank you so much for your videos.
Hey Abbie, thanks to you I've been seeing the importance of internal conflict and the elements of character creation in every movie I watch 😂 I can't stop picking apart why most grand action sci-fi movies did not leave the same impact as the contemporary mystery or historical dramas, how common it actually is for writers to focus on "stuff happening" and not "why it matters" and the characters. Me and my family were recently marveling that the simple storytelling of a historical film set in minimal locations, focused on characters and their internal worlds, was more compelling and meaningful than the "cooler" exciting CGI movies where they travel the world and a bunch of stuff blows up, while we have no idea who these people ARE. It's literally a magic science. I can get emotionally attached to a character with only one or two scenes that show their internal world well, because of what they clearly desire/fear and are suffering from. I've been applying this to my own writing and I just gotta say it's REVOLUTIONARY. Your videos on characters are my favorite so I'm excited for this one and I'm hecka hyped that you're doing live training because I would watch HOURS of you giving writing advice 😆 I also can't stop thinking WHY DOES IT MATTER... rip the affects of my abbie binge
@00:55 this and every video has me keep coming back. because of all the writing channels on youtube. I vibe with your channel the best. I feel where I would watch someone's else video on character profile, even though they say everything similar to what you say in your character profile video your info sticks while theirs goes in one ear and out the other even if I were to watch their videos a couple times over. I love your playlists. I put on the playlists before I have to walk to work. and I just melt into your videos and they have gotten me through countless snow storms and torrential downpours. I would just put my head down and just keep walking to work. focusing on every thing you were saying so I could be that much better. Thank you. I also love writer's life weds. pss If you haven't already you should consider doing something on skillshare. I have it and you could easily be one of the top teachers on there. Offering short but powerful videos. making a lession list focus on one specific section of writing at a time. like character creation. starting with a beginner level and working all the way up to advance.
It has been a blessing to be given yet another amazing video about creating characters. This came at the perfect time since I'm working on a character at the moment. Thank you so much Abbiee!❤
i love love love your timing. i am struggling in character development at the moment. and i have read a lot of books in relation to this subject.[didnt help]Thankyou so very much for this. me after the video.....hmmmm well, okay, heading on the right track, then that means, my description is the problem
Try taking inspiration from real people around you. That would help a lot in making characters 3 dimensional and complex, since real people are those things
Hi abbie your writing tips help my stories matter to me and my readers. I want to say thank you very much for sharing what you have learned SO MUCH APPRECIATED ❤
in my story they already have what they think they need, but the plot is about maintaining it, and realizing that they dont actually need it to be happy, and the thing is actually making them feel worse (doing the opposite of what they thought it would do).
I just finished reading 100 Days of Sunlight and it was SO GOOD! I loved Tessa and Weston sooo much, especially Weston(: and your writing was awesome! Love your videos, they have taught me soo much about writing! You're awesome and thanks so much for what you do!
No exaggeration, Weston changed the way I look at optimism and life as a whole. I’m a better human because of your book, Abbie! Have a great day and know you did great things for a stranger!
I do not need to please too many people with the characters I have. I am glad I am making my own stories and seeing what fits for the personalities, and adventures.
Hi, Abbie! I'm so glad I found your channel. I love your videos and respect your passion. I am currently teaching an elective class, "Exploring the Arts" at a private school (6-8th grades.) We have embarked upon writing a children's book together! It is an activity I have never done before alone, let alone teach. I love a good challenge. Lol. Your videos have helped me tremendously as my students are counting on me to guide them through this process. Thanks for all you do and access to the training session. Keep up the good work!
I just want to say thank you for your videos. I feel like so many channels talk about how like, "chances are no one will like your story," or "you have no idea what you're doing and you never will" or other generally negative statements. Long story short, other videos make writing seem like like chore. But you're just so encouraging and I really appreciate that.
I am actually doing a university research assignment on Hayao Miyazaki, since I am trying to somewhat specialize in Screenwriting for my CW Degree. I am going to use a video game example, but the character Cloud Strife resonates with me, since he has a personality similar to me
He's one of my favorite characters in the franchise and in general too. I relate to a lot of his internal struggle (obviously can't relate to the external struggle) and it's interesting to see his character progression through the original game and the movie. I'm not a fan of how they retconned a lot of the other compilation media and I have yet to play the remake (waiting for it to run well on PC) to see if they majorly changed his and other characters' personality/internal conflict.
@@xfairfaeriex Cloud Strife reminds me of myself, personality wise. I read somewhere once that Cloud was meant to be the subversion/deconstruction of the Power Fantasy hero trope. The character has mental health issues that are not explicitly stated in-universe, but are there for the trained eye.
@@unicorntomboy9736 I think that's one of the reasons I loved his character. Up until I played FF7, most video game (and other media) characters were very "can do" and chipper characters but Cloud initially acted as an antihero. As time wore on and the player learned more about his past and got glimpses of his mental health and identity struggles, the player saw that he always persevered through the game's central conflicts despite his serious struggles. That was very inspiring to me and really endeared me to his character. It made him very relatable and more of a true hero in my book.
Thanks a lot :) I’ve figured out a rough outline of my short story, and I have a clear idea about my character’s goals, fear and misbelief. So I think I’ve got it all, but I really need to grab a pen to make sure I’ve nailed the three things you mention. :)
ABBIEEE, have you made commentary on the Encanto movie yet? If not, I hope you will, because it has amazing writing and would be the perfect example for your teachings!
This is fantastic!! I successfully wrote a 50,000 word novel for nanowrimo years ago but hated every word. I did 0 plot and character outlining. I had nothing to scream from the rooftops. This method makes so much sense. Any book Ive read and read over again has had that heartwrenching inner conflict. Relatable. 🎉
Some weeks ago I read an advice that said that, among several projects that we wanted to do, we should choose the one that scares us, because it's the one that truly means something for us and that we don't want to fail. And I admit to doing that since and even trying things that I don't know if I would be able to do, for fiction for example. In the end, with research and work it's possible to achieve, and it's also a test of self-confidence. You have to have confidence in your acquired knowledge and your ability to adapt. That was a good advice for me so I share it here, I think it's a good channel for that. 😀 And your videos are really great. 👍
I didn't think I'd need this video, but I'm glad I watched. This really helped, and actually made me understand my own characters better. I'm most likely going to rewrite my whole story now, because I feel much more motivated than I felt before, when I basically forced myself to write.
It's my first time watching your video, and I'm instantly fall in love with your channel. Thank you so much! It helps me a lot. I've been struggling to write my story. Subscribed!
Omg thank you so much! I am a beginner author and your videos are helping me so much! I definitely needed this video bc my characters I always feel like their not relatable and perfect so thank you so much 😊 Love u ❤️
Abbie, you give us so much good advice! I’m a young writer and I wish to become an author, a fantasy author to be exact. Thank you for making your videos! It’s really helpful! 💕
Yes! Characters misbelief is so key. That misbelief often determines the internal conflict. Then that choice that is going to bring them face to face with their misbelief, internal conflict, and greatest fear drives everything. Good Stuff!
Immediately after you listed these things, I began thinking about the main characters in the stories I'm writing and tried to figure out what their fatal flaws were. I'm gonna have to consider this question a little more deeply.
Love this video. I think all characters in a book, movie or in tv show as people. People have all of these ingredients, even I have all of these ingredients of making relatable characters.
Now I feel like writing again today! I already did my afternoon session but tonight I'll do another one💗 Thank you so much Abbie, literally everything I know about writing is thanks to you! I’m so excited for the live 🦋
My character realizes that for everyone she loves to live she has to kill herself, so she wants to do it but also doesn't. Is this a good execution of internal conflict? Also: Do trust issues count as a fatal flaw?
Your advice is impeccable, as always. But also, I have to tell you that something about your appearance in this video reminds me of Keira Knightley in P&P.
WOW, I want to a con last weekend and a panel to make "good characters" in a story. I was greatly disappointed in the panel because they were doing surface level things for their characters in their books. THANK YOU so much because you taught me so much.
I'm so glad you got value out of this video! That's the problem most writers run into... they get too distracted by the surface-level stuff and that's NOT what makes us care about the characters!
@@AbbieEmmons You know I'm not just talking about this video, I'm talking about your whole channel. I was a plot driven writer but not anymore. I think I know why I can't finish reading a book. I get bored with the characters.
My story is about two roomates,and both must learn to live together to pay rent,but since one is a vampire,it majes the other person anxious to invite people over or going out with him. I can't wait to learn from you and helpe with writer's block.
When I think about what makes a character compelling, I think in my favorite story, Berserk, its protagonist, Guts, what defines him is struggle, struggle to survive, struggle to find a life goal, struggle to deal with his traumatic experiences, struggle to choose, even being the pinnacle of human strength and willpower he struggles. Berserk, as a tragic history, shows how struggle is what make a character more human.
Hey Abbie! I appreciate your videos so far. Your mind - how you think, how you organize and breakdown various pieces, and the extra perspectives you consider - is magnificent! I subscribed after only listening to 2 videos. Didn’t watch the first one until my 4th, and missed out for multiple reasons. You’re phenomenal! Video comment: I appreciate the ‘fatal flaw’ and ‘desire vs fear’ simplicity. Tough to maintain the flaw or the desire/fear perspective over a whole novel to show growth, but not too much to turn the novel into a 3-5 book series. I will be revisiting this video reminder again and again. Thank you! P.s. Have you watched HelloFutureMe- “On Writing Redemption Arcs?” Breaks down the same concepts into ‘stakes, view of self, and view of world.’ Has similar concept.
Paddington definitely has a flat character arc instead! Other characters like this are Elle Woods from Legally Blonde, or heroes such as Indiana Jones or Batman. Instead of the story being about their change, it’s more about them changing the view of others around them. They tend to still face internal conflict but this is through doubt before reaffirming the correct belief they had at the start. I think Abbie mostly focuses on positive character arcs in her vids (with a vid on negative character arcs too somewhere). But I don’t believe she has any resources on flat character arcs yet. The blog ‘Helping writers become authors’ would be a really good place to start!
In my story instead of desire and fear clashing the fear more drives the main character. (Ex: Desire: To become human again, Fear: That she will never see her dad again) But I’m not sure if the fear is only supposed to clash with the desire
Does this apply to just the protagonist, all the important characters, every character that does any more than walk by? Where do you draw the line? Btw, thanks for all this help
I would say that this applies at least to major characters but that writers should think about the ingredients mentioned in the video when writing minor characters in case one of those ingredients becomes relevant. When public speaking, it is generally advisable to know more information about your topic than you intend to present to your audience, in case of questions. I think that the same principle applies to writing characters because hardly anyone goes around in the real world announcing all of their fears, goals, desires, and fatal flaws to all who will hear, but all of those ingredients color our views of the world and how we interact with it.
Hey Abbie new sub here 😊 I have a question about writing about the opposite gender (I’m female) I’m finding it hard to dialogue a male character? I try to go with as little dialogue as possible to make them more believable. How do you go about it? Do you listen to men in your life or shows?
I’m writing an MCU fanfic and it’s only a fic because of my OC, Isla. She wants to not be treated like a kid while being a superhero, even though she’s 14. Her fatal flaw is probably her loyalty, and she is very emotional that’s all I know about her
Out of context but I think you look like Nancy from stranger things. Ps. I'm new to your channel! You are sooooo good at explaining things. You're awesome!🤗
I am writing this book and in the end I have a cliffhanger, but I’m not completly positive at how to create a great cliffhanger. Could you make a video that discusses that?
Great video on Character Arc on Positive Change Arc. Would you consider making a video about the Flat Character Arc like in the movie Paddington 2? Do you think a Flat Character Arc works? I think this is very is rare in books and movie
@@unicorntomboy9736 she made a video on Negative Characters Arcs as well as video with examples of one-Loki and Demelsda(sorry if I incorrectly spelled her name!) BTW, love Joker!
I would love to join the live cast, but I just don't have the funds to spend right now to be a Patreon. If, at some point in the future, I can afford it, would I then be able to go and watch all of these? Just curious. Thank you! 😊
Best way to annoy Abbie Emmons: 1: No internal conflict 2: No internal conflict 3: No internal conflict 4: No internal conflict 5: No internal conflict
