I Read 37 Books On Writing To Learn These 3 Lessons.

⏲️ TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 - Introduction
00:36 - Outlining & structure
7:07 - Creating compelling characters
11:56 - The right way to market your book

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🧑 ABOUT ME:
Hi! My name's Jed. I'm a fantasy author with three published novels and a bestselling video game. On this channel, I draw from my 10+ years of writing experience to help you become a better writer.

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[Jed_Herne]

Here's my full list of 37 books from this video:
1. Structuring your novel by K. M. Weiland
2. Outlining your novel by K. M. Weiland
3. Story by Robert McKee
4. Dialogue by Robert McKee
5. Your First Million Words by Jeff Wheeler
6. 5000 words per hour by Chris Fox
7. 2k to 10k by Rachel Aaron
8. The Anatomy of Story by John Truby
9. The Emotional Craft of Fiction by Donald Maass
10. Character by Robert McKee
11. Write to Market by Chris Fox
12. Writing and Releasing Rapidly by Elana Johnson
13. The Emotion Thesaurus by Becca Puglisi and Angela Ackerman
14. Creating Character Arcs by K. M. Weiland
15. Mastering Simple Facebook Ads for Authors by Mark Dawson
16. Learn Amazon Ads by Mark Dawson
17. Reader Magnets by Nick Stephenson
18. 5 Secrets of Story Structure by K. M. Weiland
19. Newsletter Ninja by Tammi Labrecque
20. Perennial Seller by Ryan Holiday
21. Amazon Decoded by David Gaughran
22. Bookbub Ads Expert by David Gaughran
23. On being a dictator by Kevin J. Anderson
24. Launch to Market by Chris Fox
25. On Writing by Stephen King
26. James Paterson by James Paterson
27. The Game Crafter’s Apprentice
28. The Game Crafter’s Companion
29. The Art and Business of Online Writing by Nicholas Cole
30. Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury
31. A Moveable Feast by Earnest Hemmingway
32. The War of Art by Stephen Pressfield
33. Seinfeldia by Jennifer Armstrong
34. All of the Marvels by Douglas Wolk
35. A Marvelous Life: The Amazing Story of Stan Lee
36. Amazing Fantastic Incredible: A Marvelous Memoir
37. Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon

[FablestoneSeries]

there is an expression in film making, that you make a movie three times, once during the storyboarding, once during the filming, and again during the editing, and this holds true for writing novels too. If you skip any one of those steps you are cheating yourself out of a massive creative experience.

[socman]

I like outlining, however, some of the most creative stories have been discovery written (like most of King's best books). When you discovery write, you think of things you never would have in an outline. Although, this is a much harder way (to writing a book) to master than plotting. There is one solution though discovery write your first draft, then rewrite the entire thing with the new plot/events in mind. Keep repeating this process til your book shines. Great clips, thanks Jed. :)

[anthonywritesfantasy]

I recommend anyone trying to learn about structure to read "The 90 Day Novel" by Alan Watt. In Watt's method, the outline blossom's from your character's core dilemma. It is incredibly practical! This book alone took me to another level of craft.

[FablestoneSeries]

Also having read almost everything i could, I can say this, Tim's books and videos (from Hello Future Me) on world building are possibly the best advice on writing you will find on the internet.

[abmstudio]

I started as a pantser. Then I became a planner but that caused me to burn out very often. So, I became something in the middle. And it worked out.

[Peonia_isabella]

Thanks for the video, I'm reading Anatomy of genres by John Truby, I recommend this book for those who want to stand out from the crowd and, among other things, understand what is at stake in the market. (I'm french, I hope I didn't make too much mistakes, forgive me if I did)

[S.W.Bestwriter]

Hello Jed, nice to meet you. Great video! I started writing at 13. I'm now 44. I've written 35 books (so far), and my first book took me ten years to finish. 284k words. Eight years to get right, then two years to edit. No outline. Now . . . my books are around 200k, and they take 3-4 months to write. So having an outline helps, but it's the magic of storytelling that shines through if you allow yourself to dream big and not let anyone tell you it can't be done. :)

[AvaCoffman-gb]

one thing I want to say about outlining:

you dont have to know exactly what is going to happen. you don't need every single plot point. I think a big misconception about pansters is that we have absolutely no idea where we are going. thats not true. i dont know about anyone else's writing process but for me i generally have an idea of where i need to go without building a full-on outline; its just sitting in my head, and thats enough for me to get there.

basically: dont listen to hardcore outliners saying you HAVE to have an outline. if it doesnt work for you, dont do it, if it does work for you, keep doing it

[sebastianstark]

Totally agree with the outlining advice. That was huge for me as well.

[mageprometheus]

There are a few master pantsers. All the master classical music composers spent years producing derivative pieces, even the child genius Motzart, before creating their masterworks. I think it's a career shortcut to learn all the structure, tools and techniques first, even if you will eventually be a pantser. The exception would be if this causes you to stress and become unable to face your novel. Mental health must come before any method. There is obviously the other POV where many writers think if the plotters gave up their plotting, book quality would improve. No definitively correct answer.

[EddyMerlyBorja]

These are some of the most valuable writing tips I've seen on the platform so far.

[Mrchristuranoh]

Super helpful, especially the outline/structure.

[jonathanowen]

This was very helpful advice for someone just starting out. I already see some mistakes that I have been making and will now course-correct. Thank you!

[rachelthompson]

I've read about 50 craft books and I reread about 6 regularly between writing my next book. The best one that nails everything a writer must know was written by Larry Brooks called, Story Engineering. If there is a bible of craft that is it.

[EmileeAshe]

the number one piece of advice i give people is to plan ahead and write an outline, absolutely!!! it can be a real lifesafer, especially when youre not a full time writer and have to come back after maybe months not working on your thing! its extremely helpful to at least outline chapters or important plot points to keep you on track. solid advice 👍

[BlueBelle]

Save the cat was a God send for me I hated outlining but found when I didn’t I’d get stuck and give up outlining made me feel like the story could fly out of my hands

[markmarkel]

Theirs a lot of advise on writing. Few people have realistic facts and advise like you. Thanks

[helenburdett]

A very timely video for me. Thank you.

[leahalfonso]

Definitely second the outline suggestion. Since I started outlining bed each chapter, it’s helped me stay focused and know remind myself where I want to go. Now if there’s a chapter I’m stuck on, it takes me two weeks at most to get through it as opposed to two months