I have like 10 stories I’ve thoroughly planned and developed but as soon as it comes to writing I can’t 🥸 Thanks for the tips, I’ve finally written my first chapter! (Now I just have to write the second one 😢)
I'm 14, and I've always been really good at English and writing. But I really want to take it much more seriously and write a novel. Your videos are definitely helping me to stay focused, to plan/plot, and to actually write. Thank you so much, Ana. 😊❤
@@Aaeyu342 Read. Read good books and definitely novels. Allso, write down your thoughts or journal. AND correct and master mistakes you make with writing.--practice makes perfect👍
This helped me write alot and all of her vids helped alot. Im 11 and when i grow up, i want to become a detective writing stories about my cases, and ana helped me follow my dreams ❤
I just want to tell you that your videos always brighten my day and inspire me so much 😊 I'm only 13 but I've always wanted to write and you always encourage me!!
@@ananeu Sorry to bother, although i have a question that’s been bothering me a lot. Have you published any books? If so, could you make a video about that whole publishing process too? Would love to see something like that 🫶
I've rewritten my first chapter 10+ times. I'm was starting to go crazy because it's a slice of life and I can't rely on action to draw my readers in. Hope this video helps!!
Action doesn't have to be explosions or blasts or kicks and punches. It can be something as simple as stepping on a banana peel and falling lol. You just need to have your character moving. It shouldn't start with a monologue or internal dialogue essentially
I'm making a short story called "Burn" and this is the first sentence "Everything’s burning down around us, the loss…the hurt…no one is able to save her…"
I'm writing a really different murder mystery from the perspective of the victims who solve their own murder, and I'm having so much fun researching the different time periods all of the characters came from. A brief summary for anyone who's interested is there are these woods that are notorious for crime of all kinds and teenagers getting high and setting off random fireworks, things like that. There is a random hut in the woods that's been there forever and nobody knows where it came from, but is is known for its paranormal activity. This is actually kind of like a club I guess for all of the countless murder victims who were either murdered in the woods or their bodies were dumped there and their cases are unsolved to this day. (I imagine it to be kind of like the club for the unused emojis in the emoji movie if u know that I'm talking about). Anyway, the book follows 2 mcs who belong to the 'club' as they try to solve their murders and escape the clutches of hopelessness. Lol I rlly wanna tell u more I could go on a whole rant but this comment would be soo long lmao. Its rlly fun making a pinterest board for this one particular character who kind of started the whole 'club' thing, she died in 1822 aged 27 and her mother was actually a courtier (basically a personal assistant) who in our world I guess would have been Marie Antoinette, the Queen of France meaning that the character (her name is Eleanor) would have been friends with some of the members of the extended royal family lol tysm for reading my mini rant and rave abt my idea and feel free to leave project name ideas bcz I'm stumped (I can't name places or books for the life of me, but I have no problems with characters for some reason.)
It's very sad that most of my favorite RU-vidrs don't get the subs they deserve! This has motivated me more than ever. So I'd like to thank ana for helping out with that, i finally got back to reading after so long. Also planning on test writing soon. . . this will come in handy! thanks ana ^^
Ana ur the best at writing and editing, the tips the aesthetics the themes and even yourself. I really regret discovering this channel late. But the only thing i wish for u to make is a book trailer. All support and love 💞
I’m writing a book called Lamb To The Slaughter, this was very helpful and thanks for making a video for all writers out there to magpie and take from because after I watched this video I felt like my first chapter was complete thank you!!!
Hello Ana! I love your videos. You really have helped to start my book. I have never made it passed the 2nd or 3rd chapter, but then you introduced your process to me, and now I have written 15 chapters. I love how calming your voice is and how your setup is so cute. Keep up the amazing work!
Ohh… thanks for the video and I love all the things you said… And I think a great example of a good first line to a book I read that was a definite hook was from MDZS: “Rejoice, Wei Wuxian is dead” It seems like a spoiler but it makes you questions the why and the how of what’s happening so you keep reading… ❤❤❤
I agree with a few things you say Ana like keeping the first sentence short and sweet and having a short chapter and a cliffhanger. But I do think that the "action" advice is more for plot driven stories or stories that care a bit more on emphasis of surprise rather than inner conflict of the characters. Abbie Emmons explains this very well in her "How to write a 1st Chapter" video too. She always talks about making people care about the character before throwing them in an external battle whether literally or figuratively. For stories of more "high stakes, explosion", you can still do that but by making it matter to the character and not having this mysterious loom over it all because honestly, if you don't know who the character even is then why should you care if they live or die? That's just my opinion. I don't mean anything harsh toward you Ana. ❤
Ana: "The first sentence has to make you want to read more-" Me: Hold up, I gotta go check my first sentence *looks it up* *comes back to the video, satisfied that my first sentence is wanting me to re-read my work* Esit: I was literally so scared that my first sentence sucks, I had to go look it up 💀
@@ananeu *A drop of blood falls to the ground.* Might sound weird cuz I put it into google translate (my native language is german) but yeah, that's it ! :D
Another thing about characters is when you're writing them, like Ana said, don't reveal too much of the characters appearance because you'd want the reader to imagine what the character would look like, imagination basically
I've been working on a project on and off for a year. Last November I began it. This story has become the favourite I've ever written (or. . . willlll write) so far. I've fallen in deep love with the storyline and the characters. BUT I haven't written a single sentence that's set in stone even though I have the entire plot figured out. NaNoWriMo is when I've decided I'll do it. I'll start it and break my soul in half to complete AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. A year later, it's finally happening. I'm finally writing this shit
You are genuinely my new favorite RU-vidr! Your videos are so helpful for me! I’m struggling with writing even though it’s also my favorite past time! You help me so much with that. From watching your videos in the background to taking notes on them you’ve helped me grow so much as an author, so from the bottom of my heart thank you sooooo much!!!❤
I would also check out a youtuber and author named Michaël Wertenberg he has a few videos that really go in depth on writing what nots, as well as a video giving examples on writing while editing one of his viewers work. I also suggest Brandon McNultys channel, hes also an author. With hundreds of videos on writing
Literally me going back and forth from my book to this video, this was a great help in fact I know can rewrite my first chapter after putting half of my first chapter into the second one my story makes much more sense. Thank you
Thank u so much for this video ana! I found your channel 2 days ago and I already love it so much! I writing my own novel atm (it’s called ‘Under The Lights Of Paris’) and I was really struggling with the first chapter and this video helped so much! If you don’t mind me asking, please can you make on of those ‘Reading you guys first paragraphs’ videos again cause I would really like you to read the first paragraph of my novel atm! Anyways I love your videos so much
Hi again, from South Africa, western cape. Loved this new vlog, with so much creative vibes flowing. Plus each version of How to start a first chapter that you said was brilliant! I know when I am feeling tired, my brain fails me. But once in a blue moon, my brain will spark a very interesting version to help change a scene. Right now, I am trying to remember the word I wanted to use at the same moment I sneezed. My sinus is my worst enemy sometimes when it comes unannounced in my creative writing time. I lost count on how many good scenes or good words that I needed to use at that exact moment my sinus crashed in. Thanks again for another helpful and inspirational vlog. Till next week.
I’m really like you’re speckled. It’s something that I admired from quite sometime since it’s my first time writing online before . Mostly it’s just a major update .
Only way to get better at cosmic horror is to read more of it. Read HP Lovecraft, Stephen King, Robert W. Chambers, and some others. I also recommend finding Lovecraftian atmospheric music on youtube, theres alot of stuff, listen to that in the dark while writing your book or stories or comic, whatever.. it will help the mind flow with ideas. The book i am currently writing is Horror/Fantasy with heavy influences of Cosmic and Extreme Horror. Think of Lord of the rings or the elder scrolls but with more themes of horror and pure chaos of cosmic horror blend. When i was in middle school i had wrote a short story about a deranged man in a cave. I had also written a short story about a woman who time traveled so far in the future Earth was currently being eaten by a Deity. Her time traveling abilities no longer worked, so the only thing she could do was watch the earth be eaten.. Take those ideas if you'd like and write about them, who knows maybe if you write them well enough they'll get published
1:40 im writing a book where the first line is the same as the last! the line is “they say you shouldn’t fall in love with your best friend” and it’s about a girl who falls in love with her best friend (obviously lol) but it ends up going wrong and their friendship ends
I’m writing my second book (finsihed my other book yesterday lol) and my biggest ick about my first book was my first chapter. So this video helped a lot
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:15 📝 Begin your first chapter with a snappy and intriguing sentence that raises questions and sets the tone for your writing style and the story's direction. 02:34 🎭 Introduce action in your first scene to engage readers and avoid excessive descriptions. Action helps pull readers into the story and maintains their excitement. 03:54 💬 Introduce characters through dialogue and actions, keeping physical descriptions minimal. Let readers gradually discover characters' traits and appearances. 05:18 📚 Structure your first chapter with a balance of action and moments to breathe. Maintain a flow of action-breath-action to keep readers engaged. 08:05 🎣 End your first chapter with a cliffhanger, leaving readers concerned, intrigued, and eager to find out what happens next. Use a similar structure or vibe as the first sentence for a poetic effect. Made with HARPA AI
Thank you so muchhh!! I'm an 11 year old who is tryna become an author. You really helped me write my first chapter. I'm writing a book called 'In The Shadows Of The Swords' it's kind of a romance-fantasy kinda thing so.....Thank you for the tips!
Hi! Is this too long for a starting? Example: "When you find that one person who connects you to the world, you become someone different. Someone better. When that person is taken from you, what do you become then?" Also the statement cuts between a scene. It’s like this is being said in the midst of a flashback and present.
The lengthyness isnt an issue, i think the problem stems with the repetitive word choices and the patterns in the sentence. Maybe look for some more deep hard hitting words and restructure the sentences abit. I can tell what you're going for, i just believe it needs a bit more impact. Hit me in the face with a hard hitting first couple of sentences or sentence and really drive the point home to force me to read more. The concept is there, it just needs a slight touch up. Not saying to go to a thesaurus or anything either.. just hit the reader with a snappy and hard hitting beat. But its been 10 months since you posted this, so curious where you're at now
Can these tips be used in a prologue?My book is very basic since its my first.Its about a girl discovering a portal to a magical world.And the first chapter is gonna be ...like calm(idk how to explain it).While the prologue is gonna have a fight scene between the leaders of the magical world.Plsss help me😢
Hi! so I'm 14 and I've been always good at English and using my imagination. But I want to take this seriously and really focus on my dark romance novel that has a thrilling twist. But I have a quick question, Do I use she or I for when the main character is talking? I've been having a rough day and forgetting everything lol!
I know this is 7 months ago but depends on who's pov you are using, meaning that if in the book you are the main character and you are telling your own story, use 'I'. But if you are witnessing the whole story and simply telling what you saw, use 'she. Hope this helps!
Omgg samee, but im a bit younger. English has been my favorite subject the second we started writing short form storys. My teacher has told me that i am a good writer and told me that she could see me being an author, which really inspired me to create a real book. I am now trying to create something that can impress people more.
one doubt 🙋♀ In the column "Appearance" can i write about the shape of their face, their eyes (color, shape, expression), nose, lips, jawline, and any distinguishing features like scars or dimples?
Omg I was just searching for writing tips because I was about to write my first chapter. I was so nervous and then I found this video! So, thank you so much for this, I got the first chapter and a little of the second done! I would also love your feedback so if you wanna see it, I can type it in the replies. :)
I’m starting to write my first book as a 17 year old and your videos are super helpful! I’ve been redoing the first chapter over and over and now on the third draft I figured I should watch a few videos- what do you think about my hook being “Raven didn’t feel the bladed talon of the Vargalas demon pierce her stomach. She dosent feel anything at all”
Im just wondering since its going to be my first book about a girl moving from her hometown to a different part of the state she lives in. I was just wondering how do I add action to that any suggestions would help❤
Hi there. Can you write a book for Wattpad? I appreciate your writing and I have struggled to even begin mine though it is in my head. How do you write effortlessly?
Keep in mind, most of this advice can be easily discarded if your story works better using a different methods. Especially "the first chapter only should be one scene" one. That just seems completely arbitrary and needless
Thanks this is really helpful for me because I've had these storys boiling in my head for like years now and are just starting to right them out and so yeah thanks😊
I have about 4 awesome stories that I've been thinking of and planning to write, but I just can't seem to start on them! First of all, in just the first chapter, I'm already stumped on what to write. I can imagine the plot and how it unfolds, but when it comes to writing, I struggle because I'm not good at descriptive writing. I can picture the scenes in my mind, but when I try to put them into words, I don't know how to describe them. It doesn't help that my English isn't that good. I've tried to publish a novel with three chapters, but every time I read it, I feel like it's not good enough, it's bland, and I end up deleting it 😢
If you're still struggling, do what i do. Write down basic sentences, next to caveman level basic. If you know where the story goes fill in the gaps later. Example "Jake went to the store. Store was empty and ransacked. Hears cans being kicked. Jake reaches for his weapon. Jake becomes alert" Basic baby steps like this go along way.. its Zero Drafting like a caveman, but as you can tell its being put on a page in very small form. That way later you can come back to it and edit and add those descriptive words and really immersive and indepth layered prose, etc. I feel most booktubers and authortubers dont talk about basic sentences when you're just starting out on a blank page or blank word doc. Its the equivalent of drawing in a brand new sketchbook, drawers sometimes need to scribble on the first page to release the pressure of their mind abit.. same with writing.. the most intimidating thing isnt the length of the book/story you're writing, its the empty void of looking at a blank page
hii, i just found your channel and thank youuu I'm 15 and wanted to write a book but never really did. i once wrote 2 chapters, but after that i just didnt feel like writing the rest. i now have a new story but i dont know how to start it if anyone sees this and has tips please do tell so basicly: Camila is a 15yo girl with a twin brother Nathaniel and a little evil baby sister. its hell at home and often goes to an abbandoned bookstore to read, draw and play with the street cats that are often there. Then on a friday after school she goes to her fav place because she needs to empty her head. Her brother follows her with his best friend Theo. They decide to scare her and do so when she sat down to pet a cat, it's her favorite cat but she couldn't decide on a name yet. Nathaniel and Theo walk around the corner and scream "gotcha!" Camila get's up and screams "are you out of your minds!" "how did you find me!" They walk backwards slowley not seeing the painting that was leaning against the wall behind them. Nathaniel walks up to it first and just disappears. Theo looks back and is just GONE Camila is to stunned to speak and just stands there looking at the painting when the cat walks up to her and leans against her leg. It scared her, she tripped over the loose carpet and also dissapeared. It's like a portal to another world, maybe they end up on the good side or the bad side maybe they are split up idk yet
The first sentence of my novel goes like this: On the day Alexander Hartmann got the idea of building an academy, the clouds on the sky were painted with a brighter white, and the world had felt just a little bit less depressing.
I’m writing an anime light novel about a girl who’s a descendant of a god ( I say god because to me it’s gender neutral so this god is really just a lady who’s name is Kamiko ) this girl is trying to find out what happened to her family and her village along with her sidekick Satoshi who helped Kamiko several thousand years ago so basically it’s a fantasy action adventure mystery
I'm like wanting to write like a murder book but I want to make seem like the main character has no idea or something make her clueless and then make a plot twist that the main character is a murder and a psychopath and also her past is pretty messed up like she's been abused,used and hated all her life so any tips or how I should start it and about the first sentence how's'In the dead of night, the scream pierced the quiet night like a dagger through silence.' Btw I'm 13 and I never wrote a book or story before but imagined it a lot so yeah and I wanna name it like "Zoey" and that's the main character's name so any idea or any opinion on if i should or shouldn't
I’m 14, I don’t read a lot yet I wanna write, I have a document of books I wanna write, but I don’t have energy to read (which is what most ppl say to improve vocab and other stuff) am I weird???
