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Ending Mistakes That Make Readers Feel Cheated
Learn what separates a bad prologue from a good one. Examples from Justice League, Indiana Jones, Goldfinger, Game of Thrones, and more!0:00 Intro0:41 Should You Use a Prologue?1:24 What is a Prologue?2:18 What Good Prologues Do4:30 Bad Prologue #1: TONE6:17 Good Prologue #1: TONE7:29 Bad Prologue #2: GENRE9:24 Good Prologue #2: GENRE10:02 Bad Prologue #3: INFO DUMP11:12 Good Prologue #3: INFO DUMP11:45 Bad Prologue #4: ORIGIN STORY12:50 Good Prologue #4: ORIGIN STORY13:48 Bad Prologue #5: LENGTH14:51 Good Prologue #5: LENGTH15:26 Recap15:49 Outro
Info dumping is hard to catch in our own writing, so I'm super excited to share tips I've learned for how to avoid info dumping. This is another "write it badly, make it better" example so you can see me attempt to fix info-dumping in action!
TIMESTAMPS:00:00 - Intro00:29 - Different Needs02:11 - Passion vs Discipline04:35 - The Protodraft04:58 - Community06:15 - Writing Advice07:42 - How To Write Better
Hyperbole Meaning ? We break down one of the most common literary devices.Chapters:00:00 - Introduction to Hyperboles00:52 - Hyperbole Defined03:07 - Chapter 1: Verbal Hyperbole07:16 - Chapter 2: Visual Hyperbole10:33 - Chapter 3: Genre Hyperbole14:01 - Takeaways─────────────────────WHAT IS HYPERBOLE?Where would we be without hyperbole? How could we declare our love for someone? How could we adequately state how hungry we are? Happy we are? Angry? Hyperbole has a myriad of uses, but its core purpose is to emphasize. When we say "I love you to the moon and back," we are using hyperbole to emphasize the magnitude of our love. So how can this figure of speech be used in movies? We take a look.HYPERBOLE LITERARY TERMThe most common form of hyperbole is verbal. Verbal hyperbole emerges in dialogue that pushes expression beyond the bounds of literal truth. Characters declare things that are far larger, grander, or more extreme than reality? not to deceive, but to communicate the depth of their feelings or convictions. It is a kind of emotional shorthand, condensing a state of mind into a line that can be instantly understood.HYPERBOLE IN MOVIESVisual hyperbole operates through imagery and design. A set might be built to an impossible scale, a movement might defy physical limits, or the framing of a shot might distort proportion to intensify impact. Editing can stretch or compress time for dramatic effect, while lighting and color can be pushed far beyond naturalism to evoke a heightened mood.GENRE HYPERBOLE LITERARY DEVICESSome genres embrace hyperbole so completely that it becomes part of their identity. Comedy often thrives on overstatement, playing situations to the point of absurdity to provoke laughter. Melodrama leans into emotional excess, giving every feeling a sense of epic magnitude. Musicals lift the ordinary into the extraordinary, where bursts of song and dance transform the simplest action into a moment of spectacle.In film, hyperbole is less of a distortion of truth so much as a magnification of it. By amplifying language, images, and genre conventions, filmmakers invite audiences into an intensified version of reality. In the end, isn't that what movies are for?
When to Show vs. Tell?Show, don?t tell? isn?t a strict rule?it?s a tool. Knowing when to show and when to tell is what makes a skilled writer.Use Showing When:✔ Emotions are running high✔ You want readers to experience the scene deeply✔ Character relationships are evolving✔ The moment is pivotal to the plotUse Telling When:✔ You need to bridge time gaps (Three weeks passed.)✔ You?re providing necessary background (The revolution had started in spring.)✔ The action is routine (She drove to work.)✔ The moment doesn?t need emotional depth📌 Example:Instead of showing six months of work life, you can tell:✅ Sarah had been working at the firm for six months when the Richardson case landed on her desk.But when she gets a life-changing case, you show:✅ The case file thumped against her desk, making her jump. ?Your first solo,? Pete said. Sarah?s fingers trembled as she reached for the folder. Richardson vs. Henderson Insurance. The same company that had denied her mother?s claim last year. Her throat went dry as she flipped open the cover.Conclusion: The Art of Show vs. TellMastering show, don?t tell is one of the most powerful skills a writer can develop. It transforms writing from flat and explanatory to immersive and engaging, pulling readers into the world of the story rather than keeping them at arm?s length.By observing human behavior, using vivid figurative language, crafting compelling actions, and leveraging the environment, dialogue, and specific details, you can convey emotions, deepen character development, and make your scenes come alive.However, remember that showing is a tool, not an unbreakable rule. The best writers balance showing and telling, knowing when to draw readers deep into a moment and when to move efficiently through the story.So, the next time you write a scene, challenge yourself:Can I replace an explanation with observable details?Is there a way to let the reader infer the emotion instead of naming it?Does this moment require deep immersion, or should I summarize and move forward?
Imagine being inadvertently left for dead on Mars, completely alone and abandoned by your crew, with nothing but your wits and a scant amount of precious supplies to keep you alive.That?s the enthralling premise of the best-selling science-fiction survival novel and soon-to-be released motion picture, ?The Martian,? scheduled to run in theaters nationwide on Oct. 2.Amidst a whirlwind media blitz, the book?s author, Andy Weir, took time to visit the Laboratory on Wednesday, entertaining a packed house of nearly 400 Lab employees and special guests with his wit, vast and varied scientific knowledge and tales of his sudden rise to stardom.?It?s kind of a homecoming,? Weir said. ?It?s special for me because it?s where I grew up.?
Join me as I delve into the critical writing mistake authors often make: crafting dialogue that lacks authenticity, making characters sound like mere puppets. In this video, I explore techniques to breathe life into your characters' voices, emphasizing the purpose of dialogue and the unique desires each character holds. Learn how to distinguish voices, ensuring your characters resonate with readers as real, relatable individuals.Chapters:00:00 The problem with dialogue writing1:45 How the problem happens3:34 How to stop creating puppet characters5:17 The purpose of dialogue6:37 What good dialogue looks and sounds like7:40 Questions to ask yourself8:22 Rewriting our weak dialogue11:59 Benefit of letting your characters speak like themselves13:57 Additional tips to improve your dialogue18:04 The challenge for you19:09 Final reason to change the way you write dialogue.
crafting dialogue that lacks authenticity, making characters sound like mere puppets.
These one minute writing tips will help you deepen scenes, strengthen your characters, and boost your writing mindset?perfect for any beginner novelist or author looking for practical, creative writing advice. ♡ WHAT'S IN THIS VIDEO: 0:00 Quick fixes to instantly improve your novel 0:31 Get Words Flowing ? Fix #1 1:49 Fix #2 2:56 Fix #33:43 Deepen Your Scene?Fix #44:17 Fix #55:04 Strengthen Your Characters ? Fix #65:45 Fix #76:30 Mindset Shifts ? Fix #87:34 Fix #98:37 List of craft books that actually helped me finish my novel -----
ONE MINUTE Fixes to Instantly Improve Your Novel
All-in-all, I think the second book has been easier than the first for me. This is (I have heard) not the usual experience. In part, I think this is because I didn't have to work as hard to create the characters (they already existed) and because I had some really strong ideas coming out of the last one. Still, there are some practical reasons why it was easier as well...just because I knew about them now. Ways in which I had previously misunderstood the writing process. Here are a few of those things.
Expert writers use strategies that help make their dialogue sharp. It's important to use writing tips that make characters sound natural and unique. Even expert writers struggle, but experience and writing advice can help you write flawless dialogue.___________________________________________________________________________CHAPTERS:00:00 Expert writers do not rely on talent alone01:00 Hack 1 cutting heavily02:07: Hack 2 using subtext04:47 Hack 3 read dialogue out loud05:46 Hack 4 add interruptions and pauses08:01 Hack 5 play with power11:06 Hack 6 mix internal dialogue with external dialogue12:39 Hack 7 focus on personality, not perfect dialogue15:21 Review and last words15:58 The purpose of dialogue in storytelling